The construction of the house door didn’t take much effort, and moving into the red-brick house happened almost immediately.
After living there for several days, the conditions of the red-brick house were indeed much better than the stone cave—especially in terms of lighting, not to mention cleanliness and evenness.
Moreover, her and Sha Yi’s house was significantly larger than the others. Whether it was Sha Yi’s deliberate choice during construction or the others’ goodwill, it was certainly beneficial for her.
As a result, Sha Yi moved almost everything originally stored in the stone cave into the new house, which fortunately had ample space.
During these days, the group also managed to hunt quite a bit of prey, while the domesticated animals were relocated to the stone cave where she and Sha Yi had previously lived.
This arrangement was much better than before. With an additional shelter and lower temperatures compared to summer, the animals no longer suffered from the cold. Furthermore, to prevent conflicts among the different species and sizes of animals, the group built partition fences inside the cave, making management much easier.
However, Sha Yi had been feeling somewhat off these past few days.
First, based on the expected speed, the female-dominated group should have arrived by now, yet they were still nowhere to be seen. Second, Jialuo had not returned, which was strange even if he was out gathering information. Third, there had been no movement from Saina’s side. She kept thinking he should have contacted them by now—perhaps his injuries were too severe.
The last anomaly came from herself.
A few days before the house was completed, she had already lost her appetite for roasted meat. At the time, the delicious mushroom soup helped her eat a little, but now, without the soup, she had no interest in fresh roasted meat or meat broth. Worse, even drinking light vegetable soup made her feel nauseous.
However, it was only mild nausea. Though her appetite was poor, the vomiting symptoms weren’t severe—just slight discomfort—so no one paid much attention.
Sha Yi spent most of his time with her. Despite her not showing obvious distress, his sensitivity made him notice her discomfort early on. He assumed she was struggling to adapt to the sudden drop in temperature, so while hunting, he specifically targeted large, long-haired animals and saved several pelts for her.
However, their clothing method was simply wrapping the pelts around their bodies, so when Sha Yi gave them to her, they were in their most primitive, untreated state.
Sha Yi vaguely suspected that her unusual condition wasn’t due to the cold weather, but she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason. Eventually, she attributed it to eating too much greasy roasted meat and monotonous meat broth.
Still, she didn’t refuse Sha Yi’s kindness. The clothes she had brought from her time were thin summer garments, with the thickest being her bathrobe. So, these days, she had been using the second white pelt Sha Yi gave her for warmth.
Now that he had prepared more for her, she gratefully accepted them.
As for the saber-toothed tiger pelt, she didn’t take it. Not only was it large and heavy, but it was also best left for Sha Yi. However, if they continued their usual method of loosely wrapping pelts, it might hinder hunting or later flexibility when dealing with the new group.
So, she instructed Sha Yi to refine the bone needles they had seized from Pankuo’s cave, making them thinner.
Sha Yi had used bone needles before. Though they weren’t commonly used, he understood them well and quickly processed one for her, even sharpening a few more.
Sha Yi was delighted—both by his thoughtfulness and his attentiveness.
In the following days, Sha Yi didn’t leave her side, even when the rest of the group went hunting.
Presumably, he was worried about her health. Because of her loss of appetite, he even consulted Tuge several times, but the results were laughable.
Tuge didn’t think there was anything wrong with her, leaving Sha Yi baffled. In the end, not only did Tuge scold him harshly, but he also extorted several pieces of roasted meat from him.
The only positive aspect was that the group Jialuo left behind, though keeping some distance, harbored no ill will. Occasionally, they even helped each other—such as silently withdrawing when encountering each other during hunts or stepping in during emergencies.
This laid a solid foundation for future integration. However, with Jialuo absent, neither side dared make hasty decisions, especially since social hierarchies had already been established among them.
They were inevitably moving toward forming a tribe—and that included her side as well.
What troubled her was that while most of Jialuo’s group obeyed him, a small faction remained uncooperative. Even if they didn’t openly show it, she could sense their insincerity.
Back when Jialuo had captured her, she had noticed conflicts within their group. The tension between Jialuo and Manlun resembled that between Sha Yi and Saina—similar yet fundamentally different.
The former pair likely clashed over status, power, and resources, while the latter’s discord stemmed from her. Saina had betrayed them once but had since remained principled. Manlun, however, was no different from the deceitful, emotionless men of the old cave settlement.
Though Manlun lacked the capability to cause major trouble, he was now aligned with the female group. Given his nature, if backed by support, he would undoubtedly rebel against Jialuo. At the moment, this was the only explanation she could think of.
Yet, the group still hadn’t arrived. Whether they were delayed or plotting something new remained unclear. Leaving one of their own behind without explanation was puzzling.
After much thought, Sha Yi speculated that the massive fire caused by the underground oil pit explosion might have blocked their path. The gloomy man had come from that direction, suggesting it was the only direct route—other paths would require detours.
The area they had chosen was surrounded by water, with only a small forest behind the stone cave—where the hot spring was located. Beyond that, there was nothing but water.
Unable to deduce more, Sha Yi decided to stop overthinking and focus on sewing.
Truthfully, she had little practical skill. Even in modern times, her handiwork was poor. Now, she could only attempt the simplest methods based on her ideas.
Not daring to experiment with the massive saber-toothed tiger pelt, she opted for a smaller one and used her own clothes as a test.
The method was straightforward: fold the pelt in half, cut a hole for the neck with a fruit knife, then seal the sides. For sleeves, she stitched smaller pieces of fur into tube shapes and attached them to the main body.
The refined bone needles, though larger than modern sewing needles, worked well enough. For thread, she used polyethylene rope—she had no idea what else could substitute in this ancient era.
Originally, she had considered using the cotton-like fibrous plants she and Sha Yi had found while gathering herbs for Jialuo and Tuge. Unfortunately, recent hunts revealed those plants weren’t mature yet, forcing her to abandon the idea for now.
For now, warmth would have to rely on fur and pelts.
The resulting fur garments, however, were hideous—oddly shaped and patchy in color. A single top could have three different shades: one for the body and two mismatched sleeves. It was a disaster.
Sha Yi was utterly baffled, but Sha Yi seemed delighted. Having only seen her in modern clothes before, he was thrilled to see their usual pelts and furs tailored into something resembling modern attire—complete with sleeves that didn’t hinder movement.
Perhaps, in the eyes of ancient humans, aesthetics didn’t matter—functionality was key. In an era where survival was a struggle, who had the luxury to care about appearances?
Besides, without comparison, there was no standard for beauty or ugliness. No one minded.
Thus, Sha Yi’s first garment was complete—though problems remained. Wearing it felt… awkward. She couldn’t help but criticize her own work and wonder if she had gained weight.
Fortunately, this mistake made her more careful when making clothes for Sha Yi.
As for pants, they were simpler than tops. The main challenge was the waistband—without elastic, thick vines could serve as a substitute, or she could mimic modern jeans’ design, which worked better.
When the group returned and saw her innovative clothing, they were astonished—but mostly delighted. Just as they had once been curious about her tools, any progress or development fascinated them.
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