During the time the two went out to test the arrows, some of the people in the cave had already returned, though not all. Among those who came back first, some were busy helping the women who had stayed behind tend the fire and roast meat, while others took the day’s catch to the river for processing. Overall, the cave was still relatively sparsely populated.
Upon returning to the cave, Xi Yi happily settled her by the bathtub before moving the pile of damp branches beside it to the smaller cave where cooking was done. He even abandoned the unprocessed rabbit in his hands. When he returned, he quickly said a few words to her, speaking so fast she barely understood. She wanted to ask again, but he had already dashed out of the cave.
This was the first time she had seen him so ecstatic over an object. In the past, apart from his feelings toward her, he had never shown such enthusiasm toward anyone or anything else. Rare moments like these revealed his true nature. Even as the sky darkened, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
With a new weapon in hand, he was eager to test it further. Rather than letting him itch with impatience, it was better to indulge him. If she tried to stop him, he might drag her along. Right now, due to her period, she wasn’t in a position to accompany him.
Meanwhile, the women were swamped with work, and the men who joined later were also overwhelmed. Preparing meals for over thirty people was no small task and required considerable effort. Feeling awkward just sitting around, Sha Yi got up to help.
The formation of this new communal group was incredibly valuable for survival during the rainy season. Even more joyfully, this new settlement had become a unified whole. They might not have realized it themselves, but she was well aware.
The shift from private ownership to communal ownership would, in an intangible way, enhance the survival rate of the entire group. It would also strengthen the bonds between the smaller subgroups, though such a situation might not be entirely stable.
First, their new communal relationship had formed because they had destroyed the previous settlement’s cave. Even though a significant number of people had followed them in breaking away, she couldn’t be sure of the intentions of these groups.
She only suspected that Saina might have joined because of her—whether or not she was overestimating her influence, at least for now, he seemed to harbor some inexplicable feelings toward her, and his interest appeared quite strong. If it truly was because of her, the future was even harder to predict, especially since he had brought along two smaller groups. Though small in number, they introduced many uncertainties.
Then there was the group of shorter men who had joined last. They seemed to be driven by gratitude and aspiration, but their true motives remained unclear to her.
She had no ability to foresee the future or read minds. She could only ensure open communication when relationships were harmonious. As for situations like the old settlement, she might never be selfless again.
She could show great compassion and wouldn’t hesitate to extend kindness to strangers, but those who only shared joy and not hardship were unacceptable. Even worse were those who demanded all benefits while refusing to bear any cost.
She was no saint—she had her own temper.
Admitting mistakes only to be met with relentless blame would dishearten anyone.
Right now, the sudden shift from private to communal ownership was unlikely to last long, and that was understandable. Even if it only lasted through the rainy season, she could accept it.
During this period, food wasn’t scarce, but the rainy season was brutally harsh. It brought one disaster after another and endless problems. Because of these challenges, even reproduction became difficult, and tribal development was nearly impossible!
Without increasing the population, the concept of a “tribe” was nothing but a fantasy.
Yet, to grow the population, they had to overcome the natural disasters and problems—lightning strikes, floods, and the difficulty of preserving food before salt was discovered. Abundance could quickly turn into severe scarcity!
Communal ownership might not have existed at this time, or perhaps it was just in its infancy. Optimistically, even this infancy might take many years to develop. It required human evolution and the right opportunity.
Perhaps some kind of catalyst was needed to fully facilitate the formation of a tribe.
For example, war—often, clashes between old systems and new rules were inevitable. Reform and progress acted like sparks; someone had to take the first step before history could be made.
Regardless, they had to maintain their current stability. If natural challenges arose during or after the rainy season, they would implement communal distribution to ensure fairness and rationality, at least to honor the unwavering commitment of these people.
With foresight and preparation, the future wouldn’t be too bleak. Facing sudden changes, being well-prepared was always better than being caught off guard.
Beside her, the woman who had taken the infant from her earlier was tending the fire while cradling and soothing the baby, looking utterly exhausted. Sha Yi took over her tasks and gestured for her to rest, assuring her that she could return to help once the baby was asleep.
The woman smiled gratefully and walked away, leaving Sha Yi to focus on tending the fire.
Under the woman’s care, the infant had thrived remarkably, growing noticeably chubbier compared to when she had first found him. Though only a few days had passed, the difference was striking.
After all, they were from the same group. The woman’s compassion had led her to provide meticulous care. Moreover, the baby was a boy—according to their beliefs, he would inevitably become a pillar of the group’s future. Though they might have preferred a girl, a boy was still a blessing.
In this era, every newborn faced high odds of not surviving infancy. Each life was a hard-won miracle.
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