C10 The Child Yuan Ge

Upon arriving home, Yuan Ge didn't bother entering the stone house; instead, he settled down in the courtyard. He pulled a palm-sized piece of dried meat from his pocket—the one Jiemen had given him—and began to eat. In the tribe, dried meat was considered a treasure. A piece that size could sustain a child his age through a day of hard labor.

Jiemen had given him the dried meat, and Yuan Ge knew the old man would expect something in return. He was simply biding his time, waiting for Jiemen to come knocking with some ploy.

As expected, before Yuan Ge could finish his snack, Jiemeng arrived, his face as swollen as a pig's. He burst into tears and pleaded, "Ge, Grandpa wants you to do him a favor. If you don't help me, he'll beat me to death!"

Normally, Jiemeng wouldn't stoop to begging, especially not from a peer. But circumstances had changed. Ever since he witnessed Yuan Ge fashion a rabbit trap from a tree stump and wield that peculiar weapon, he recognized that aside from his own bulk, he was no match for Yuan Ge. What's more, his grandfather now regarded Yuan Ge with newfound respect. He had not only given Jiemeng a thrashing but also sent him to implore Yuan Ge for help. Jiemeng was now humbly asking for assistance.

"Oh man, you're already in such a state. How can I possibly help you?" Yuan Ge casually remarked as he rose to tend to the rabbits behind him, leaving Jiemeng hanging.

"My grandfather just wants to know how you crafted those pottery pieces. Ge, I'm begging you, tell me. Otherwise, he'll kill me!" Jiemeng was aware that failure would mean another beating from his grandfather. The thought brought tears to his eyes.

"What's in it for me?" Yuan Ge retorted. "Since you're treating me like a kid, let's play a game of make-believe. But even in play, I should at least get a sheep out of the deal."

Jiemeng caught on to Yuan Ge's implication; he was clearly after a reward. But all they had at home was a jumble of ceramics. After some thought, Jiemeng remembered a family heirloom, said to be a precious relic from their ancestors. Now, it seemed, it would serve as his lifeline. His grandfather demanded the technique, but he never forbade trading something for it.

Having decided on his course of action, Jiemeng flashed a grin and declared, "Alright, I'll go fetch my family's treasure for you. Then, you can share the formula with me!"

"Agreed!" It's always a breeze dealing with clever people. Despite Jiemeng's seemingly simple appearance, he was quite shrewd.

In no time at all, Jiemeng returned to Yuan Ge's home, this time clutching a beast skin scroll.

"Ge, take this. It's a treasure map handed down from my ancestors. It belonged to my great-great-grandfather..."

"Show it to me first!"

Yuan Ge had no interest in the historical details and cut Jiemeng off mid-ramble. As soon as he unfurled the scroll, Yuan Ge could tell it was ancient. The designs, reminiscent of abstract art, remained vivid despite the ravages of time. The pigment used must have been extraordinary to last so long.

But was this thing of any practical use?

As art, it was far too small, and the images were so abstract they seemed nonsensical. If not for the thick quality of the leather, it would be utterly worthless. Its only conceivable use would be as a pot rest.

With a resigned shake of his head, Yuan Ge tossed the scroll onto the table. Having accepted the item, he honored his word and walked Jiemeng through the entire process of crafting Tao Pi, even gifting him the bamboo sieve at the end.

Jiemeng, well-versed in pottery making thanks to his grandfather's influence, was astounded by Yuan Ge's demonstration. He was full of admiration for Yuan Ge's ingenuity. From the bamboo sieve to the application of bone powder, each step left Jiemeng in awe. Without Yuan Ge's demonstration, he would never have imagined pottery could be crafted in such a manner.

Beyond his amazement with the pottery, Jiemeng was eager to learn something else: How exactly did Yuan Ge manage to catch the rabbit?

Yuan Ge just chuckled and teased, "What will you trade for that information?"

Rubbing his still-swollen cheek, Jiemeng replied with a sense of resignation, "What do you think of the beast skin clothes I'm wearing?"

Yuan Ge had no intention of stripping away his interests, nor did he plan to continue using the old method of snaring rabbits with a tightening loop. Now that he had a bow and arrow, he saw no need for it. Moreover, he didn't want to butt heads with Jie'ao. As a representative of the tribe's conservative faction, Yuan Ge preferred to avoid unnecessary complications.

As time swiftly passed, half a year had gone by before anyone realized it. Yuan Ge had been practicing relentlessly, progressing from shooting at straw figures to live rabbits, and eventually to firing arrows accurately while on the move. He had nearly perfected his aim.

During his daily archery practice on the grasslands, he would often leave more than a dozen rabbits dead or wounded. Unable to carry them all, Yuan Ge generously distributed the surplus to others.

Yuan Ge had become something of a hero among the tribe's children. Each time he headed to the grasslands, a loyal band of youngsters trailed behind him. Even Jiekui, who had been openly antagonistic, now looked up to him, frequently seeking advice about archery. Indeed, Yuan Ge's prowess with the bow and arrow had sparked widespread fascination.

The traditional stone spears paled in comparison to the bow and arrow in terms of speed, lethality, and agility. Not to mention the difference in the number that could be carried: an adult warrior might manage fifteen stone spears, but with a bow, one could carry dozens, even hundreds of arrows. This advantage alone dramatically increased a hunter's endurance during the hunt, eliminating the panic of running out of spears.

Yet, despite their interest, no one else dared to openly hunt with bow and arrows as Yuan Ge did. The consequences of being caught by Jie'ao could range from a harsh scolding to a severe beating.

Jie'ao wasn't entirely negligent of Yuan Ge's actions; it was just that Yuan Ge was careful never to let Jie'ao catch him using the bow and arrow. Besides, with winter approaching, Jie'ao was preoccupied with organizing the last hunt before the cold set in, leaving him little time to monitor the children. Thus, Yuan Ge could practice his archery across the grasslands without concern.