Jiang Xuan gently stroked the Small Rhino’s head, and the little creature closed its eyes in comfort, clearly enjoying it greatly.
When it was time for Jiang Xuan to leave, it immediately followed him, as if it had made up its mind about him.
Da Jiao couldn’t help but say, "Leader, why don’t you let it go home with you?"
Jiang Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I happen to be in need of a mount that can run. From now on, let this Small Rhino stay with me."
Jiang Xuan petted the Small Rhino’s head again and said, "Follow me, little one."
Jiang Xuan walked towards his yard, and the Small Rhino followed closely, as if it had truly chosen him.
When they returned to the bamboo grove, Jiang Xuan piled some dry grass in the corner of the bamboo hut where Tang Yuan lived, making a nest for the Small Rhino.
"Tang Yuan, this Small Rhino will stay here temporarily. I’ll build a new shelter for it when the ice melts. You mustn’t bully it, understand?"
Tang Yuan squatted in its nest, curiously observing the Small Rhino, then nodded.
Tang Yuan is a bird of prey and quite large, which made the Small Rhino a little fearful of it. However, after Jiang Xuan’s comforting, it reluctantly settled into its new abode.
Not long after, Da Jiao personally brought Jiang Xuan some plant stalks and fodder for the Small Rhino to eat.
"Leader, have you given this Small Rhino a name?"
Jiang Xuan stared at the crescent-shaped white tuft of hair on the Small Rhino’s forehead for a while and said, "Let’s call it Yueya (Moon Crescent)."
Da Jiao praised, "Yueya, that’s a nice name."
From that day on, Jiang Xuan’s yard had both a bird of prey and a beast.
The bird of prey was called Tang Yuan, the beast called Yueya, both charming names.
This winter, the Vine Tribe had abundant food, plenty of clothing, and had even captured a herd of Black Wind Rhinoceroses, living quite comfortably.
But some tribes weren’t as fortunate.
For example, the Jackal Tribe lived a hard life.
The Jackal Tribe fought with the Crow Tribe for more than half a year, leaving them no time to gather enough food and resources for winter.
Although the Crow Tribe was eventually wiped out, winter had arrived, and they had to grit their teeth and endure.
After the heavy snow fell, hunting became extremely difficult, and digging edible plant roots from the ground was also very challenging.
No matter how the Jackal Tribe saved food, enduring hunger and cold, by halfway through the winter, the food shortage crisis had become severe.
In the Jackal Tribe, inside a simple wooden hut.
"Another one has died."
The Jackal Tribe leader opened the door to see a corpse already frozen stiff.
The tribesperson was curled up, having been dead for some time. Upon death, his hand reached forward as though trying to grab something.
The Wolf Tribe leader’s face was very grim, understanding that this tribesperson died due to food scarcity and the insufficient thickness of his Beast Hide Clothing.
Under prolonged hunger and cold, those with a weaker constitution or existing injuries easily perished.
The Jackal Tribe leader waved his hand, and two Warriors came in to carry the dead tribesperson away.
Afterward, the Jackal Tribe leader proceeded to another house to check and found a new corpse.
Every day, someone died.
The entire Jackal Tribe was enveloped in a silent fear and torment.
No one knew if they would be the next one to be carried out.
After inspecting all the houses, the Jackal Tribe leader returned to his own.
He sat by the hearth and fiercely punched the ground.
"Damn snowy weather, how much longer before it passes?"
These days are enough to drive anyone insane, yet there’s nothing they can do.
The Jackal Tribe leader vented for a while, then, with a sullen face, pondered how long the food in the tribe would last.
In the tribe, food needed to be allocated first to crucial members such as the Witch, the leader, and various Hunting Leaders.
Next were the healthy and fighting-fit Warriors, who constituted the foundation of the tribe.
Then came ordinary Warriors with some combat abilities.
Finally, there were the old, weak, sick, and disabled.
When a tribe’s food cannot sustain everyone, allocation would decrease in layers based on the tribe member’s importance to the tribe.
Only could the tribe ensure survival.
Therefore, each winter when food was scarce, the old, weak, sick, and disabled suffered greatly.
Children fared slightly better, as they represented the tribe’s future hope and could receive some food.
Elderly, sick, and disabled tribespeople might end up with no food at all, eventually starving or freezing to death.
Such allocation is cruel but necessary for the tribe’s survival.
Most tribes are similar to the Jackal Tribe.
Those like the Vine Tribe, who possess enough food and resources to last the winter, are rare exceptions.
The flames in the hearth continued burning, bringing a bit of meager warmth, but it was quickly carried away by the unrelenting cold wind.
The Jackal Tribe leader sat in the room, having deliberated on the food, then contemplated ways, when winter was over, to eliminate a few small tribes to replenish food supplies and population.
Peaceful yet torturous days passed one by one, and when many tribes could barely hold on, the long winter finally ended.