"Brother Cheng, I want to belong to the fish."
The July sun scorched the earth like a furnace, with cicadas intermittently chirping from the distant woods, creating a noisy racket that sometimes abruptly fell silent.
Han Cheng didn't know if cicadas had appeared earlier in history. Still, one thing was sure: they existed now, and judging by their widespread distribution, they had likely been around for a long time.
Han Cheng had a love-hate relationship with cicadas.
After a summer rain, the nymphs, which had lain dormant underground for three to five years, began to emerge under cover of darkness. They favored thick, tall tree trunks, but if unable to find one quickly, they would settle for nearby grass stems.
Like humans, cicadas climbed upwards as soon as they were born, seeking to avoid danger and secure better living conditions to pass their brief lives successfully.
Most cicadas managed to evade various dangers and became part of the summer chorus.
Those unfortunate enough not to reach a high perch before being knocked down by a small hand or bamboo stick ended up in all sorts of containers and disappeared into the mouths of various predators before they could even attempt their escape.
Han Cheng had always loved the nymphs, whether stir-fried or deep-fried. He couldn't get enough of them, even now.
Because they were delicious, so he liked them.
Although he loved eating nymphs, Han Cheng deeply detested the cicada's chirping, much like how he loved snow but disliked being hit by snowballs.
The cacophony of cicadas made his head feel chaotic as if one thing was being met with another in return.
Compared to previous days, today's cicada noise wasn't too disruptive. It wasn't that Han Cheng suddenly changed his mind; it was because there was something even more annoying.
The appearance of zodiac signs was good for the Sparrow Tribe, but the downside was that the Sparrow Tribe's calendar appeared too late.
Looking at the group of people assigning themselves zodiac signs, Han Cheng couldn't help but twitch his face.
It was just too cruel!
Tie Tou, Hei Wa, Ruhua, and others saying they belonged to the Sparrow were acceptable. They were around fifteen this year, so it barely made sense. But Bai Xue saying she belonged to the fish was a bit too much.
According to the current Year of the Rabbit, Bai Xue's age had several options — two years old, fourteen years old, twenty-six years old... none of which were suitable.
Excluding those born in the first year of the Sparrow and later, more than half of the people's zodiac signs did not match their actual age.
"You belong to the sheep. Look how white and fluffy it is; it is like a cloud. So beautiful."
Han Cheng's voice carried a hint of persuasion as he spoke to his young bride.
"Sheep are white, and Bai Xue is also white. Since Bai Xue is wearing two braids like sheep's horns, she should belong to the sheep."
If calculated according to belonging to the sheep, Bai Xue would be about ten years old now. Compared to their actual age, girls like Xiao Mei and Xiao Li were also around ten years old.
Compared to later generations, people in the tribe matured a bit earlier.
This might be due to the harsh living conditions of this era, where it wasn't easy to live a long life.
For the sake of the race's continuation, they could only adapt to nature and change themselves.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest, cruel or motivational, many species were gradually eliminated in this way.
Those who couldn't adapt to environmental changes disappeared, and those unwilling to change vanished.
The world is never short of competition or substitutes.
The dinosaurs, once dominant on Earth, disappeared without causing much commotion. The Earth continued to spin at its usual pace. After a brief period of desolation, other species filled the planet, no less impressive than before.
On a smaller scale, it's like a profession; some people like it, others don't.
Some people don't want to stay a day longer, while others are eager to join...
"...then I belong to the sheep...listening to Brother Cheng..."
Bai Xue touched her braids and smiled.
How could the little girl withstand Han Cheng's coaxing? Before long, she completely surrendered, only listening to Han Cheng.
After resolving the zodiac sign issue for the young daughter-in-law, Han Cheng also corrected the zodiac signs of the minors.
In principle, it was estimated based on height to ensure that the zodiac signs did not differ too much from their actual age.
As for the adults, Han Cheng let them do as they pleased, ignoring them completely.
After all, the primary purpose of determining the zodiac signs was cooperating with the Sparrow calendar, changing the tribe's method of judging adulthood based on height...
While the Sparrow Tribe was caught up in the zodiac sign craze, other matters continued without pause.
With iron axes, chisels, saws, and other essential tools for carpenters, wooden plows were gradually taking shape in Han Cheng and Lame's experimental explorations.
Han Cheng remembered the shape of the plow clearly, but he didn't understand the specifics of how it was made.
For example, how the wooden buckets for seeds were assembled, how the three hollow legs of the plow were connected to the holes underneath the wooden buckets, and how to ensure an equal number of seeds entered each of the three legs...
These specific issues needed to be solved through trial and error.
With suitable tools, although these things were troublesome, they could still be accomplished bit by bit.
The millet growing in the fields west of the Sparrow Tribe became more robust.
Although the scorching sun often withered them, behind the withering was a vibrant scene.
The scorching sunlight was more conducive to photosynthesis.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
People and even millet needed favorable conditions for a good harvest.
The early-planted millet had begun to ear, resembling dog tail grass at a glance.
Following this trend, the first batch of millet could be harvested in about a month.
The Sparrow Tribe was about to experience its first actual grain harvest.
It was a pity that wheat hadn't been found yet. If wheat could be found after harvesting the millet, another crop of wheat could be planted, increasing yields and production.
Fortunately, there was plenty of land around the Sparrow Tribe that could be cultivated as farmland. Fallow periods and planting once a year were also acceptable.
At this time, the contradiction between people and land was not acute, and the vast land and sparse population were insufficient to describe the current situation.
These numerous pieces of land capable of growing food and the millet striving to grow under the scorching sun were the foundation of Han Cheng leading the tribe towards stability and prosperity.