Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH49

Chapter 49

While pondering how to make paper, Bai Tu was startled by Lang Ze’s sudden outburst. 

If he hadn’t been holding onto his composure, he might’ve jumped out of his skin. 

This habit of Lang Ze’s—shouting out of nowhere—was something Bai Tu really needed to address. A few more scares like this, and his heart might not be able to take it.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Bai Tu asked, “What’s wrong with writing?” 

But as he said it, he realized something: based on what he knew about the surrounding tribes, it seemed that no one used written language. Lang Ze’s shock wasn’t a question—it was pure disbelief.

Lang Qi snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Bai Tu. “You know how to write?”

Bai Tu paused for a moment, then nodded. “I know a little.” 

Having a written system would make communication and record-keeping much more efficient. 

Even if he didn’t teach them complex characters, they at least needed to learn numbers. 

With the upcoming changes to the work system, proper records would make everything much easier to manage. After all, he couldn’t handle every task himself. 

While he could personally oversee some aspects, things like distributing food or managing resources would become far too complicated for one person.

“Xiong Tuan once said only the Black Forest Tribe in the Eastern Continent knows how to write…” Bai Qi muttered, half-convinced he was dreaming. Could their tribe really learn something as rare as the Black Forest Tribe’s writing system?

Lang Qi’s gaze moved from Bai Tu’s face to scan the others in the group. He stopped on Mao Lin for a moment, as if searching for some unspoken reaction, but said nothing.

“It’s probably something I learned before losing my memory,” Bai Tu casually offered as an explanation.

If the Black Forest Tribe’s written language happened to match what he was teaching, he could say he’d learned it from them. 

If it didn’t, he could always claim he couldn’t remember the details. His memory loss was like a versatile tool—whenever he needed an excuse, it was ready to use. 

Initially, he had felt awkward using this explanation, but now he wielded it like a pro. Just saying “I don’t remember” was usually enough to stop any further questioning.

As expected, his answer reminded everyone of his amnesia. From Bai An to Lang Ze, they all grew quiet, their expressions turning serious. It seemed like they wanted to commit every word Bai Tu said to memory.

“I’ll start by teaching you a few things,” Bai Tu said. “These will be useful for recording points.” 

The first thing he taught them was Arabic numerals, which were simple, efficient, and easy to remember.

Bai Tu wrote the numbers 0 through 9 in order on a wooden board and went over them once with everyone. Then, he handed the board to the group so they could familiarize themselves with it.

For now, Bai Tu only introduced the numbers. 

Although these beastmen were all adults, it would take them some time to memorize everything. Still, copying the shapes directly from the wooden board was manageable, and Bai Tu wasn’t expecting instant mastery—he just needed them to record things accurately.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to write your names,” Bai Tu added. 

This was just as important as learning the numbers. Knowing how to write numbers without knowing how to write the names of the beastmen associated with them would result in a chaotic system with no way to match records to individuals. “I’ll assign everyone a unique number, which we’ll use alongside their names in the records. This will make it easier to keep track of everything.”

It was unrealistic to expect the beastmen tasked with record-keeping to memorize so many Chinese characters in a short period. 

Bai Tu decided that for now, each person would only learn to write their own name and memorize their corresponding number. 

Later, he would consolidate everything. Bai Tu quickly ran through the entire plan in his mind and explained the implementation step by step, allowing everyone to discuss its feasibility.

No one raised objections to the initial measures, so Bai Tu added another point: “Each person will also receive a bamboo slip. As you earn or spend points, write the changes on your slip.”

This would make it easier to reconcile records later. If someone’s points were accidentally missed or deducted incorrectly, it would be clear at a glance. It would also help prevent fraud, such as claiming someone else’s points or forging records. 

By marking the bamboo slips with names and corresponding numbers, even during the early stages when people couldn’t match numbers to individuals, it would be harder for anyone to lie about their points.

Although having the beastmen bring their bamboo slips directly for point adjustments would have been more efficient, Bai Tu had a concern—he worried that someone might lose their bamboo slip. 

To address this, the tribe would maintain a master record as a backup. Once everyone became accustomed to the system, it could be further refined.

Ever since Bai Tu mentioned the idea of learning to read and write, Bai An had voiced no objections. 

He nodded enthusiastically at every suggestion, eager to see it implemented. 

When Bai Tu wrote the numbers on the wooden board, Bai An looked as though he wanted to take the entire board home with him. In the end, the others sternly refused—they still needed it to study! What if Bai An misremembered or forgot something?

Every major change required time to implement. 

After discussing the details with the tribal leaders, Bai Tu began organizing the work. He instructed others to cut bamboo and prepare bamboo slips for both the tribe’s records and individual use.

The bamboo used for weaving was typically small and grew quickly, reaching usable sizes within a year or two. It was also plentiful. However, for bamboo slips, they needed slightly thicker bamboo with less curvature to make writing easier.

The bamboo forests surrounding the territories of the two tribes were extensive, and bamboo grew rapidly. 

Even after accounting for what was used for weaving, there was still an abundance left over. 

Bai Tu selected suitable bamboo and had it cut and brought back to the tribe, where it was split into evenly sized slips. 

Most of the slips were tied together with string to create bamboo scrolls for tribal record-keeping. A smaller portion was left untied, with a cord attached for easier handling, to be distributed for individual use.

The other necessary tool for recording was a pen. Bai Tu initially couldn’t decide what to use and was torn between carving with a knife or using charcoal. That was, until he stepped out of the cave and saw the Wolves returning from a fight.

An idea struck him.

In the first couple of days after arriving at the tribe, the Wolves behaved relatively well. 

Aside from the night Lang Ze and Hei Yan had their brawl that escalated into a full-on melee in their beast forms, the Wolves were mostly quiet. However, as they became more familiar with the Snow Rabbit Tribe, and with Lang Qi returning to the Wolf Tribe’s main camp, they began letting loose.

Without the wolf king around to keep them in check, life felt too good to be true. Nearly every day, some Wolves would shift into their beast forms and sneak off to spar. 

Thankfully, most of them knew their limits and didn’t cause too much of a scene—they would fight quietly and return just as discreetly.

However, everyone knew Lang Ze’s team had a reputation for being rough on animal hides. 

To avoid scoldings, this group of young Wolves would fight entirely in their beast forms and return in the same state. Bai Tu often noticed the two white Wolves in particular. After all, in a pack full of black, gray, and yellow Wolves, the white ones stood out like snow on a mountain peak.

Today, though, something was different. Bai Tu nearly didn’t recognize the pair of white Wolves because they were covered in black and gray smudges. 

He had no idea what the Wolves had gotten into this time. Only when the group shifted back to human form did he ask—and then fell silent.

It wasn’t just the two white Wolves. Nearly every Wolf had smudges of black or gray on their faces.

“What happened?” Bai Tu wiped at Lang Ze’s face and realized the smudge came off easily. The texture and color reminded him of…

“They knocked over the pots!” Lang Zuo was the first to tattle. 

He didn’t elaborate further, but the truth was that after knocking over one pot, they found it amusing and tipped over the rest. A full-blown scuffle ensued, and by the end of it, every Wolf was covered in soot from the pot bottoms.

Bai Tu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aren’t you worried about breaking the pots and going hungry tonight?” No wonder Lang Qi always looked at this group with an expressionless face—dealing with them would sap anyone’s energy.

Still, this wasn’t entirely disruptive. Bai Tu handed them a few bowls and instructed, “Scrape all the soot off the pot bottoms. I need it for something.”

Carving characters was tedious, and using charcoal pencils was messy and prone to smudging. Bai Tu had decided to try making ink or ink sticks, and pot soot was a suitable material. He just wasn’t sure how much usable soot was left after these Wolves had rolled around in it.

“Got it!” The Wolves, who had braced themselves for a scolding, were delighted to find that Bai Tu wasn’t angry and had even given them a task. 

They bolted off, excited to grab the remaining soot, worried they’d miss out on the fun if they were too slow.

Hearing the commotion, Lang Qi emerged from the cave just in time to see their retreating backs. Judging by their jubilant tones and movements, he immediately had a sinking feeling. Although he hadn’t heard exactly what was said, his instincts told him it wasn’t good.

When the soot-covered Wolves later returned to Bai Tu, Lang Qi realized his premonition had been correct. His expression darkened instantly, becoming as black as the soot on their faces.

Bai Tu: “…”

He figured since the Wolves were already dirty, it wouldn’t hurt to have them handle the task. However, the Wolves never failed to surprise him. 

They managed to outdo themselves, proving there was no such thing as “the dirtiest”—only “dirtier.” At this point, their faces were so blackened that if they went out at night without baring their teeth, they’d be completely invisible.

A few young Wolves, thinking the cave only held Bai Tu, let out a startled howl when they spotted Lang Qi. 

Realizing their mistake, they quickly set down the bowls and bolted. They didn’t dare stay another second, terrified the wolf king would catch them, skin them alive, and whip their hides.

The wolf king’s expression was downright terrifying!

Bai Tu sighed and took the blame. “My fault. I shouldn’t have let them handle this.” 

Clearly, the phrase “making a bad situation worse” didn’t apply to these young Wolves—because just when you thought they couldn’t do anything more absurd, they always managed to surprise you with something worse.

Lang Qi’s expression softened slightly as he glanced at the bowls filled with soot. “What do you plan to do with this?”

“I’m going to use it for writing. It’s better than using charcoal pencils, though it’ll need to be processed a bit first,” Bai Tu explained. 

Ink was more durable for writing, and it was important to ensure the writing lasted long enough to consolidate the records. If the ink faded before the master records were completed, all their efforts would have been wasted.

It took two days to prepare the bamboo slips, bamboo scrolls, and ink. 

Bai Tu wrote the names of all the beastmen on the bamboo slips, excluding the cubs who couldn’t shift into human form. The Snow Rabbit Tribe’s original population was 71, with 36 Wolves, 27 Cats, and 5 Lions, bringing the total to 139 individuals.

On each bamboo slip in the bamboo scrolls, Bai Tu wrote the beastman’s name and a corresponding four-digit identification number. 

The first digit denoted the species: 1 for Rabbits and other beastmen who were already living in the Snow Rabbit Tribe, 2 for Wolves, 3 for Cats, and 4 for Lions. The remaining three digits represented sequential order. For example, Lang Ze’s number was 2002, and Mao Lin’s was 3001.

When it came to assigning numbers to himself and Bai An, Bai Tu originally wanted Bai An to take the first spot, but Bai An refused. 

Bai An argued that since this record-keeping system was Bai Tu’s creation, he should have the first number. 

Bai An also pointed out that while the tribe’s leadership might change, Bai Tu’s contributions were irreplaceable. In the end, Bai Tu’s number was set as 1001, Bai An’s as 1002, and Lang Qi, though not a permanent resident, was given a permanent number—2001—as the highest leader of the Wolves.

The bamboo slips intended for individual distribution also included both names and numbers, but the names were written larger, and the slips were wider than those used in the scrolls. This was because the individual slips needed to record both income and expenses, whereas the scrolls were for single entries.

Each bamboo scroll consisted of twenty slips. 

Bai Tu himself held the most, with over a dozen scrolls. Seven of these were reserved for final consolidation, while the rest were used to record points for tasks such as spinning. 

Bai An, Tu Bing, Mao Lin, and Lang Ze each had fewer scrolls, used primarily to record points for the beastmen they managed.

To prevent chaos from too many records, Bai Tu discussed the matter with the other leaders and established guidelines for resource exchanges. 

Going forward, beastmen would no longer go directly to Tu Cai to request resources. Instead, they would first report their needs to their respective team leader. 

For example, the Rabbit hunting team, led by Bai An, would submit a collective request for the entire team’s needs. Bai An would then collect the supplies from Tu Cai and distribute them to his team members.

Previously, when the Snow Rabbit Tribe had fewer members and fewer resources, the workload was light. Aside from hunting and gathering, most work consisted of weaving, sewing hides, and other small tasks. 

As a result, very few people needed to approach Tu Cai for supplies. But with the influx of new members and the addition of many new jobs, Tu Cai’s workload had increased several times over. 

She now spent almost all her time fetching supplies for the beastmen. She had even handed over the care of the cubs to two ten-year-old children in the tribe and recruited another adult beastman to help, just barely managing to keep up.

Changing resource distribution from individuals going directly to Tu Cai to a group-based system not only saved Tu Cai a lot of time but also made things more convenient for the beastmen. 

They no longer had to bother Tu Cai for every little thing. Items like salt, hides, and baskets were kept as stock with the team leaders.

The timing for exchanges was also standardized. 

Supplies like hides and salt could be requested from Tu Cai by team leaders once every seven or ten days. 

Emergency exchanges, such as for torn clothes, were allowed, and tools like baskets used for work could be restocked occasionally without deducting points. 

With these minor adjustments, everything became more organized, and there was no need for anyone to panic over running out of supplies.

Meals, being a daily necessity for everyone, were not individually recorded. 

Instead, the total meal costs were deducted from each beastman’s remaining points at the end of each week, during the final tally. 

With the current level of resources in the tribe, as long as no one spent all day sleeping and completely slacking off, starvation wasn’t likely.

By the time Bai Tu finished organizing all these rules, another two days had passed. 

Most of the team leaders had memorized the ID numbers of their members. Although they were still unfamiliar with writing names, they could recognize them when cross-referenced with the IDs.

With everything in place, Bai Tu began teaching the rest of the tribe how to read numbers. 

Previously, the lack of proper tools had been a problem—writing with charcoal smudged too easily. 

Now that the tools had been upgraded, Bai Tu carved the ten digits into a large wooden board, dyed the carvings with ink, and placed it in the open space at the base of the mountain.

Having seen Bai An, Bai Qi, and others marvel at written characters before, Bai Tu had mentally prepared himself for the tribe’s reaction. However, he still underestimated how much of an impact it would have on the beastmen.

Because Bai Tu had been busy calculating the point allocations for various tasks, he delegated the initial teaching to Tu Bing. 

When Bai Tu came down to eat, he found a group of beastmen crowded around the wooden board, completely ignoring their meals.

“Tu, is this really writing?”
“How did you memorize all of this?”
“Tu, Bing said our names can be written too?”

The group surrounded Bai Tu, bombarding him with questions about whether what Tu Bing said was true. Bai Tu raised a hand to signal for quiet. “Let’s eat first. We’ll talk about this tonight.”

The point values for each task had already been set. After dinner, Bai An explained the new work arrangements to the tribe, including team structures, how points would be assigned, and how resources could be exchanged. He finished by explaining how points would be tallied and recorded.

“From now on, you can hand over the small prey you catch to the tribe to earn points. Once the tribe has traded for salt, you can use your points to exchange for it or other items you need,” Bai An explained.

Previously, any food beastmen caught on their own was usually kept for personal use. 

Whatever they couldn’t finish eating immediately was roasted and stored in their own caves, rarely brought to the communal storage cave. 

Sometimes this was because the quantity was too small to justify a trip, and other times they simply preferred to keep it themselves so they wouldn’t forget about it.

This practice sometimes led to issues. 

When similar types of food accumulated, it was easy for things to get mixed up, and disputes would arise over who took more or less. Since Bai An, as the leader, couldn’t monitor everyone all the time, resolving such conflicts was often tricky.

The introduction of the points system immediately resolved these issues. 

Small prey caught by individuals could be handed over to the tribe in exchange for points, which could then be used to redeem other food or items. 

This eliminated concerns about food spoiling over time or getting mixed up when the same type of prey was stored together. Most beastmen didn’t mind swapping for a different type of prey, as long as the weight was roughly equivalent. Even the few who were dissatisfied with the system refrained from voicing objections after seeing the strong support Bai Tu received from Lang Qi, Bai An, Bai Chen, Lang Ze, and others.

The implementation of the points system went even more smoothly than Bai Tu had anticipated. 

At the moment, only a small minority of beastmen had realized that slacking off was possible while still benefiting from the tribe’s resources. Most beastmen were still diligent in their work. 

Additionally, the novelty of written language and the excitement of seeing their own names on bamboo slips made the system very popular. 

When the beastmen received their personal bamboo slips with their names and IDs engraved, they eagerly compared them with one another. Finding someone with a sequentially adjacent ID number was especially thrilling.

Bai Tu had effectively cut off any opportunity for slacking before it became widespread. 

By the second day, the beastmen’s enthusiasm for work had significantly increased. Not only did the lazy ones become more motivated, but even the previously hardworking beastmen changed their attitudes.

Before, as long as they completed their assigned tasks, it was enough—they worked, ate, and rested according to the leader’s arrangements. Now, however, they realized that working more meant earning more points, which could be exchanged for more salt or desirable items.

In addition to salt, points could also be exchanged for snacks and fruits. For example, the summer melons Bai Tu had planted were ripening and tempting everyone. 

Some beastmen who had visited the market before raved about how these melons tasted cold and sweet. Those who hadn’t been to the market envied them, and now they had a chance to try the melons just by working hard. Who wouldn’t be motivated?

And it wasn’t just the summer melons—there were many different kinds of fruits and crops planted at the base of the mountain. 

Bai Tu had mentioned that more were about to ripen. Since these items were limited in quantity, they wouldn’t be freely distributed to everyone; instead, each beastman would get a small taste, and those who wanted more would need to exchange points for it. The tribe was buzzing with anticipation.

The combination of rewards and surprises delighted the beastmen, leaving them feeling dizzy with happiness. Some even regretted that the points system hadn’t been introduced sooner.

“I only take care of the cattle, so I don’t earn many points. I can’t afford a summer melon,” Tu You said with a sigh as he stared longingly at the large, green melons growing at the base of the mountain. 

The melons were so big that even the smallest ones weighed at least 5 kilos, which was why they were priced at 10 points each. 

Tu You had only earned 8 points today. Since meals cost 6 points per day, he only had 2 points left. 

At this rate, he’d need to save for five days just to afford one melon. And he also wanted a sweet melon, which cost 4 points, but the mulberries were delicious too…

Tu You did the math repeatedly and sighed again. There were too many things he wanted to buy, and he couldn’t earn enough points. Maybe I should cut grass in the evenings too…

Nearby, Bai Dong was also calculating his points. He wanted to try the fruits too, but he also wanted one of the small blankets made by the weaving team. Unfortunately, the blankets were very expensive.

Bai Tu happened to walk by and overheard their conversation. 

Following Tu You’s gaze, he noticed the summer melons. 

The melons were large—even the smallest ones weighed over 5 kilos—so the price had been set at 10 points per melon, with larger ones priced even higher. However, this pricing was based on the assumption that everyone was already receiving daily distributions of fruit and food. 

The melons available for exchange were considered extra treats to be purchased out of their own earnings.

Adult beastmen had large appetites, and melons, being water-heavy fruits, could easily be eaten by two adults in a day. However, for children, it was a different story. The tribe had only about a dozen children around ten years old, and even if they pooled their leftover points, they could barely afford a single melon. At its current price, the melon was simply too extravagant for them.

“In the future, summer melons will be cut into smaller portions,” Bai Tu explained. “One point for one piece.” 

This would make it much more accessible. Adult beastmen could still exchange for a whole melon, while younger children could trade for smaller portions.

“Wow!” Tu You was instantly thrilled. 

Now he could have a piece of summer melon, a piece of sweet melon, and maybe some mulberries the next day! The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Tu You ran off to hug the largest summer melon he could see.

Although the melons wouldn’t ripen for a while, that didn’t dampen his excitement. He resolved to save up his points diligently so he could try all the delicious foods at once!

Noticing that Bai Dong was still frowning in thought, Bai Tu asked, “What’s wrong, Dong?” 

As the leader of the team responsible for raising the captured prey animals, and being older than Tu You, Bai Dong had earned 10 points for the day. That should have been enough to get something—wasn’t it?

Bai Dong hesitated before replying, “I want to exchange for a blanket…” But blankets were very expensive, and it would take him months to save up enough points. With less than two months left until winter, he didn’t think he’d make it in time.

“Don’t worry,” Bai Tu reassured him. “As long as you’re working hard, we can give you the blanket in advance. You’ll just need to pay it off with the points you earn later.” 

He explained that the points system was designed to motivate everyone to work, but the tribe would still ensure that basic needs were met. 

For example, animal hides were distributed in fixed amounts to everyone. 

Blankets, however, were more labor-intensive to make, so they required separate exchanges. 

Because of the effort involved, the prices for blankets were higher, with larger ones costing several hundred points and smaller ones ranging from a few dozen to around a hundred points.

Since such a large amount of points couldn’t be earned all at once, Bai Tu had decided from the beginning to allow credit. 

As long as a beastman was serious about their work, they could make purchases in advance. The tribe and its individuals were interdependent; the better the individual members were treated, the better the tribe would function as a whole.

However, Bai Tu hadn’t mentioned this policy earlier because he was wary of it being abused. 

If someone exploited the credit system to accumulate a large debt, they might become complacent, thinking there was no difference between working and not working since they couldn’t pay it off anyway. Therefore, credit was only extended to those who were genuinely hardworking and in need of resources.

“Bai Tu, really?!” Bai Dong exclaimed, practically spinning in place with excitement. He could get a blanket for his younger sister before winter!

“Really,” Bai Tu confirmed with a smile, ruffling Bai Dong’s hair. “Go play for a while.” 

He intentionally assigned lighter workloads to the children so they would have time to play after finishing their tasks.

But Bai Dong shook his head firmly. “I’m not playing—I’m going to feed the pigs!” 

He wanted to earn points as quickly as possible so he could pay off the blanket and start saving for other things. 

His sister would be able to shift into her human form next year, and Bai Tu had mentioned that he planned to make clothing for children in the future. Bai Dong was determined to save up enough points to get her some new clothes!