Chapter 183: Striving for a Better Future

Sha Yi quickly took care of her physiological needs in a densely vegetated area.

Xi Yi was considerate enough to know she disliked being watched, so he stood far away with his back turned, waiting for her.

However, just as she stood up, a rustling sound came from a nearby grove, startling Sha Yi slightly.

Hearing the noise, Xi Yi immediately turned around. Seeing that she was unharmed, he sighed in relief. But she was still concerned and pointed toward the grove where the sound had originated, signaling him to check it out.

Xi Yi understood, but before he could even draw his bow, two figures darted out from the grove.

The two figures ran incredibly fast. Before either of them could react, the intruders had already hunched over and fled with unmistakable haste.

Sha Yi was momentarily stunned, but Xi Yi lowered his bow and sighed, “They’re from Saina’s group.”

Recalling the raft they had seen on the water a few evenings prior, Sha Yi felt a flicker of doubt. “Didn’t they avoid us and turn toward another area back then? How did they end up here?”

“This land is vast. Our current location is just near the edge of the water. A few days ago, some of the hunters mentioned that behind where we’ve settled, there’s a large stretch of forest. Today, I also noticed some things in the grove that resemble what you’ve been collecting.” Reaching for the small woven pouch at his waist, Xi Yi pulled out two stones with a metallic sheen.

The two stones were completely different in color—one resembled malachite with its vibrant hue, while the other was a dull gray-black, also with a metallic luster. They were similar to the ores she had previously discovered in two locations near their old settlement. This discovery filled Sha Yi with excitement and exhilaration.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of regret. Back in the strange forest near their new settlement, she had already found substantial copper deposits, only for everything to be destroyed by the volcanic eruption.

But now, Xi Yi’s discovery was a stroke of luck. Unable to contain her joy, Sha Yi reached out and took the two ores. “Xi Yi, where did you find these?”

“You have to go deep into the forest behind us. There’s a depression where these two types of stones are abundant. Some of the larger ones are only partially exposed above the soil.” Pointing in the direction where the two figures had fled, Xi Yi chuckled. “Are they useful?”

“Extremely useful!” The thought that this might be a copper-tin mixed ore made Sha Yi’s heart race. “Aside from bone tools, what else have you used for hunting in the past?”

Scratching his head, Xi Yi thought for a long moment. “We used stone tools before, but later realized that stone knives and axes were cumbersome and impractical for hunting. So, we adopted the habits of the dense forest group and switched to bone tools exclusively. Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking that if we could bring these ores back, we might be able to make better weapons.” Having gained some understanding, Sha Yi nodded decisively. “If we succeed, we won’t have to live in caves anymore. But I’m not entirely sure if it’ll work—we’ll need to experiment…”

“No one will object.” Xi Yi ruffled her hair, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “You always come up with such unusual ideas. Everything you’ve done so far has already exceeded our expectations. Hunting sometimes fails, and this isn’t the same as our old cave settlement. Who would blame you?”

Pulling his large hand down to nuzzle against it, Sha Yi felt her mood instantly lift.

Xi Yi was right.

This group had stayed with them through countless hardships—genuine companions through thick and thin.

Though she still harbored some resentment toward certain individuals from their old cave settlement, that was all in the past.

To build a better life, they had to remain hopeful.

Moreover, they had already survived the most dangerous part of the rainy season. Winter was a fresh start—everything was new and promising, and she was eager to see what lay ahead.

Looking up at the tall, warm-hearted man, Sha Yi suddenly felt the irritability from her period dissipate. “You’re all going to be busy from now on. Once we start, there’s no turning back, and everyone will need to work together!”

“We’ll follow your lead.” Leaning down to kiss her, Xi Yi grinned and scooped her up in his arms. “Winter is still some time away, and the coldest days won’t come for a while. Whatever you want to do, just tell us when we get back, and we’ll do it your way.”

Sha Yi smiled, her eyes crinkling with delight.

That evening, the meat was roasted over an open fire in front of the cave, and everyone ate heartily and joyfully.

With her period no longer bothering her, Sha Yi seized the opportunity to share her ideas with the group.

In the days that followed, hunting was temporarily set aside. Thanks to the ample food stored during the rainy season, they could go without hunting for ten days or even half a month without issue. Besides, unlike the harsh conditions of the rainy season, hunting could be done almost anytime now.

The first task Sha Yi assigned was transporting the copper-tin mixed ore.

Originally, she had only found traces of copper-like ores. This time, luck was on their side—the presence of tin in the mixed ore meant that, if smelting succeeded, the hardness of the copper tools would improve significantly.

This was exactly what they needed now, especially for tasks like building houses. They required proper cutting tools—something stone axes and bone knives couldn’t provide. They no longer had the luxury of relying on lightning strikes, so with everything in place, it was worth a try.

The second task was preparing materials for smelting the ore.

After careful consideration, Sha Yi concluded that ordinary dry branches wouldn’t suffice. They needed to burn the branches into charcoal and then seal them for controlled combustion to ensure enough heat to reach the ore’s melting point.

Running parallel to this was another task—brick-making.

She hadn’t found a source of clay, but she had considered using silt to fire bricks. It might not be the best method, but it could still produce usable bricks.

The conditions required were similar to smelting the ore—sealed combustion and a steady supply of charcoal.

She had also hoped to find crude oil, but so far, there was no trace of it on this land, so she had to shelve that idea for now.

The third task was creating molds for weapons and bricks.

She needed to sketch the most suitable designs, and then the men would carve matching grooves into stones.

Sha Yi planned that once they could produce bricks, they could upgrade their fire pits into brick stoves—basic cooking setups that would save them a lot of trouble if successful.

Finally, there was the charcoal production.

Compared to the other tasks, making charcoal seemed the simplest—cutting dry branches into small pieces, burning them briefly, then immediately extinguishing them in water. This was known as smoldering, or incomplete combustion.

But what seemed easy to her was utterly baffling to them. It took her considerable effort to explain, but fortunately, their enthusiasm was high.

These tasks were quickly assigned. Due to limited manpower, they had to follow her prescribed order. Everyone was eager and excited, looking forward to tackling her seemingly mystical projects the next day.

Sha Yi slept soundly through the night, waking only when the sun was high in the sky.

Outside the cave, everyone was already hard at work.

On the lush green grassland, piles of copper-tin ore of varying sizes—the same ones she had seen in Xi Yi’s possession the day before—were stacked high. Transport efforts were ongoing, and though the distance seemed considerable, no one complained.

Taking advantage of a quiet moment, Sha Yi hurried off to deal with her most pressing personal issue. When she returned, she happened to run into Ma Sa, who was walking the young wolf pup and the three foals in circles. Spotting her, Ma Sa beamed and rushed over to offer her a piece of roasted meat.

Sha Yi didn’t refuse Ma Sa’s kindness.

The wolf pup, however, was enticed by the meat and lunged at her legs. Amused, Sha Yi tore off a small piece and gave it to the pup.

The pup’s tiny teeth had only just begun to emerge, so while it could gnaw, chewing was impossible—it had to swallow chunks whole.

But Sha Yi overestimated its abilities. The pup licked the meat until it was soggy with saliva but still couldn’t swallow it. Finally, Ma Sa took pity, grabbed the pup by the scruff, and shoved the meat into its mouth, allowing it to finally succeed.

The three foals were much larger than the wolf pup. Though born later, their size gave them an advantage. They might not grow as large as the wolf in the long run, but for now, they were thriving under human care. Having been raised alongside people since birth, they were far tamer and more affectionate.

When Sha Yi reached out to pet them, they didn’t shy away—instead, they nuzzled her palm with their heads.

As for the large rabbits and pheasants that had been penned in a makeshift enclosure a few days prior, the women still hadn’t developed a feeding routine. Fortunately, the grass and seeds within the enclosure were plentiful, so the animals were content, nibbling and pecking at the vegetation.

However, after searching for a while, Sha Yi couldn’t find any eggs. Ma Sa even climbed in to look at her request but came up empty-handed.

Sha Yi wasn’t well-versed in animal behavior, but she vaguely recalled from nature documentaries that brightly colored birds were usually male.

Here, she wasn’t sure if that logic held, but the pheasants’ vibrant plumage and lack of egg-laying were undeniable facts.

Sha Yi mused that if the pheasants still hadn’t laid any eggs in a few days, she’d ask Xi Yi to slaughter them for soup.