Ancient Eden

~End of chapter 50

The chief didn’t do anything, he just threw a ball of rope in front of her and made a knotting gesture.

He was just asking her to teach him some knotting techniques again.

The previous time, Mu Qing did regular knots, this time she racked her brain to remember several knots for leaving messages and knots for protection, which she slowly demonstrated to the chief.

The chief could be considered smart, he watched a few times, and then started practicing with his own hands, very concentrated on the task.

Mu Qing held her breath and slowly retreated. Just as she got out of the door, she almost collided with the oncoming Naonao.

Chapter 51

(17.2) 𝑏𝘦𝘥𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It might because she had not slept well last night, but Naonao’s eyes that usually looked round and glowing, were a little puffy now. She seemed a little surprised to see Mu Qing here, and rolled her eyes at her, before pushing her away. She started yelling as she went inside the hut. When Mu Qing left, she vaguely heard her yelling Li Mang’s name.

For more than half a day, Mu Qing followed Naduo around. Together with her, she went to pick some fruits, used a clay pot to draw water for daily use, watched her weave baskets with sun-dried vines, before trying to do it herself. She had spent half a day clumsily getting busy like that, when she heard several long whistles coming from the west of the forest.

She had heard that sound before. The first day Li Mang brought her here, he used this sound to call his people and help him carry the prey.

She immediately raised her head up and looked at Naduo, she saw that she too had a relieved smile on her face.

It was most definitely Li Mang and the others coming back!

Mu Qing jumped up, throwing down the things in her hands, she ran towards the source of the sound.

But after running a few steps, she stopped with some hesitation.

A large number of people had already appeared everywhere around her, all running in that direction. Naonao swept past her, almost like the wind, and ran ahead.

Mu Qing came back, picked up the basket she had just thrown aside, and continued to weave it slowly.

Naduo didn’t go over there and was still sitting in the same place. When Mu Qing looked up, she met her smiling gaze, and immediately felt awkward, feeling that her feelings had been exposed, so she hurriedly lowered her head.

There was a clamor of cheers coming from the forest. The voices were getting closer and closer, they had already returned. Mu Qing couldn’t restrain herself and finally looked up.

Li Mang and Yi Jia were walking together in front, talking and laughing with the people around them, looking like they were in a very good mood. Behind them, a man was lying and being carried on a stretcher made with simple branches and wood, his butt seemed to have been injured, blood was dripping, but he did not look like he was in much pain, on the contrary, he was constantly talking with the surrounding people, and judging from his expression, it looked as if this kind of injury was a glorious thing.

Naonao rushed in front of them, and Mu Qing originally thought that she would pounce on Li Mang like the previous time. But it was a little strange, she actually stopped in front of them, as if she was hesitating about something.

Li Mang’s gaze swept over Naonao and looked ahead. He immediately found Mu Qing and smiled at her from a distance.

The glittering sun was shining on his smile without reservation, and for a moment, Mu Qing even felt that her eyes were being dazzled.

She quickly lowered her head, but her hand trembled slightly, and a fine thorn of the vine that had not yet been scraped off pierced into her finger.

She now understood. They had been chasing after a ferocious beast the night before, and only now were they returning victoriously. With that one glance just now, she saw a huge multi-colored tiger corpse being carried by them, and then thrown heavily on the ground. Many people around immediately gathered around to see it, and there was a lot of noise.

Naduo suddenly stood up. Mu Qing looked up and saw that woman who Naduo was talking with yesterday, who had a very sad expression. She was sparing no effort to push aside the crowd and rush to the tiger corpse. She madly used the stone knife in her hand to randomly stab the tiger limbs, with wide-open eyes, like she had some kind of bone-carved hatred for the dead animal. Naduo and some other people were trying to persuade her to stop, the woman suddenly dropped the stone knife in her hand, and started bitterly crying on Naduo’s shoulder, she appeared very grieved.

Mu Qing was a little confused at first. Even if there was a beast who got into the settlement by mistake in the middle of the night, they just had to chase it away and that was it, why would they counter-attack and take the risk to chase after it, and only came back a few days later after killing it?

Now she vaguely somewhat understood, the tribe probably had an old grudge with this huge animal, perhaps it hurt that woman’s relatives. Maybe the reason they had dug that very wide trench was also to defend against it. So, when the hunters of the tribe discovered the animal at night, they chased after it until they finally managed to get rid of this misfortune.

Translator : Laura