Jun Fang snapped out of his trance and followed Ning. Some people caught sight of his figure and looked on with wonder and caution. The children who had been happily eating merely gazed at him with curiosity, it was a rare occurrence to have a new person in their tribe.
They decided to follow the stranger, and the adults didn't stop them when they also saw their leader, Ning, guiding the newcomer.
As Jun Fang walked alongside Ning through the forest, he couldn't help but notice the dry, desolate state of the trees. The slight chill in the air hinted at the arrival of autumn. His eyes spotted the faint orange leaves scattered on the ground.
"By the way, what is your name?" a voice broke in. Jun Fang suddenly realized he haven't introduced himself yet.
"I'm Jun Fang! And you?" he inquired with genuine curiosity.
"Ning. I am the tribe leader of the Skull Tribe," said Ning. The silver-haired man silently repeated the name 'Jun Fang' in his heart several times. He couldn't help but find the name beautiful.
"What tribe do you live in, Jun Fang?"
At this question, Jun Fang hesitated briefly before offering a bitter smile. "I come from Earth."
"Earth?" Ning had never heard of that tribe before and wondered if it was a distant tribe outside the Mountain Land. Despite being covered in mud, Ning could tell that Jun Fang's clothes were of better quality, though he didn't know what materials they were made from.
Ning suddenly felt uncomfortable, realizing the disparity between Jun Fang's tribe and his own. He wondered if Jun Fang would choose to leave.
"Yes...but I feel like I won't be able to go back there anymore."
When he saw the desolation in Jun Fang's eyes, Ning's heart ached. However, he secretly felt happy when he heard him saying he wouldn't be able to return.
"Would you like to join the Skull Tribe, then?" Ning inquired calmly, although his palms betrayed his nervousness.
Jun Fang was momentarily stunned before breaking into a joyful smile. "Yes, thank you, boss! I promise to contribute to the tribe with the best of my ability."
Jun Fang decided to sell his skills, and he wasn't foolish enough to turn down the offer. Based on his speculations about the world he was in now, it seemed better to live in a group than alone. Besides, he hadn't felt any hostility from Ning or Ling.
Ning's nervousness was immediately washed away upon hearing Jun Fang's answer, but then he saw a look of hesitation on the smaller man's thin face, which caused his nervousness to return.
"But will your tribe be okay with that?" Jun Fang inquired.
Ning released a relieved smile and responded, "It will be fine. Welcoming a new member into the tribe is always a positive development. They trust my judgment as the tribe leader, and I've never led them astray."
Jun Fang smiled at his confident words.
As they ventured further, they heard the faint sound of streaming water growing closer.
"Here, you can wash in this river. It's safe; only small animals usually come by for drinking," Ning assured him.
Jun Fang expressed his gratitude, touched the water, and washed his face, shivering slightly from the coldness. However, a sudden panicked sound from behind caught his attention. He turned to find a group of emaciated children, covered in dirt and grime, who appeared to have gone without a bath for years.
Unlike Jun Fang, who was slightly startled by their sudden presence, Ning remained unfazed, having already noticed them trailing behind.
Jun Fang offered a friendly smile, "Hello."
His gesture startled the children, prompting them to scurry back in fright, yet their eyes held confusion rather than fear. Hiding behind a tree, they peeked at the stranger from a distance.
Jun Fang stood awkwardly in his place, rubbing his head before shaking it. Since the children are scared, let's not bother them.
He returned to wash himself, ignoring the heated gazes landing on his back. His mouth twitched. While washing, he caught sight of his reflection and felt an immediate thump in his heart. Instead of the face of a twenty-nine-year-old man, he saw the visage of a sixteen-year-old teen.
It was the same face and nose, as though time had reversed. Jun Fang wanted to question how or why, but then, as someone who had 'transmigrated,' he supposed he shouldn't be surprised and calmly accepted the situation.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he pulled up his shirt, revealing his bare back, immaculately clean and white, devoid of any blemishes.
Ning's eyes were immediately fixed on the exposed back, his throat tightened as he watches droplets of water seductively slide down on the curve of the boy's beautiful back. He then focused on the thin waist that look soft and flexible and couldn't help but want to hold it. Fortunately, he quickly controls his impulsive behavior.
After washing, Jun Fang realized he didn't have any dry clothes and turned back to look at Ning sheepishly.
Understanding his dilemma, Ning chuckled in amusement.
"Wait here, I'll go get you an animal skin," said the other man. Jun Fang thanked him.
As he waited, he absentmindedly squeezed the water from his long hair. His naked body shivered slightly in the chilly wind, and he felt a pang of embarrassment due to the exposure. Except for his black briefs, which were about to be dried, he wore nothing. He also noticed the children were still there, watching him but too scared to come any closer.
Deciding not to pay them anymore attention, he heard a rustling sound and saw Ning arriving holding an animal skin.
****
Ning, returning with an animal skin, paused for a moment at the sight before him. The boy's smooth, pale legs stretched over the edge of the boulder, knees bent, with his little toes exposed—they were so small and pink, appearing fragile and delicate.
Just by looking at the boy's skin, he could tell the boy had never been exposed to the harsh sun and wind. His hair was unlike any from the tribes he had encountered: not a single strand was out of place, the vivid locks falling on the boy's back resembled a waterfall.
As he noticed the boy's confused expression, he suddenly became aware that he might have been staring for a while. This realization made him snap out of his reverie and calmly compose himself as if he hadn't been staring.
Smiling, he handed over the skin, saying, "Here, although this Moon Deer's skin is a bit larger, I believe you'll like it. It has never been used before."
A month ago, Ning had accidentally stumbled upon a dying Moon Deer. Recognizing the rarity of the animal and the unparalleled softness of its skin, he carefully tanned the hide and kept it pristine, reserving it as a potential gift for his future bonded partner. However, upon seeing Jun Fang, he knew that only he could wear it, considering the delicacy of Jun Fang's skin.
Jun Fang, unaware of the Moon Deer's skin's intended purpose, was simply captivated by its softness. The skin resembled the moon—white with speckles of black spots at the top and bottom edges.
When Jun Fang held it up, he found it a bit large and long, yet he thought it was perfect for a dress. Although he didn't mind exposing his chest, he still felt a bit shy. Wrapping the skin around his chest, he secured it tightly with a dry vine to ensure it stayed in place, also using the vine to tie his hair back.
Despite feeling a chill from his exposed shoulders, Jun Fang was ultimately pleased with the result of his dress, finding it warmer than before. Lost in thoughts about its warmth, he failed to realize how stunning and beautiful he looked. Both Ning and the observing children stood still, struck with an awed expression, their eyes gleaming brightly upon seeing Jun Fang adorned in the animal skin.
The boy appears like a descended fairy, his figure standing out against the ordinary mortal backdrop.
Ning felt a momentary tightness in his chest, his heart beating faster with each passing second. For the first time in his life, he longed so intensely to possess someone. As for the children, their simple minds couldn't define "beautiful," but they knew the new person looked good.
****
Returning to the tribe, Jun Fang not only followed but also scanned his surroundings for anything useful. Recognizing that he was in a primitive world, he sensed a potential scarcity of resources, particularly in food and medicine.
As he stumbled upon some medicinal herbs, he quickly and carefully began to dig them up, unaware of the curious gazes fixed upon him.
Ning and the children, observing Jun Fang, wondered if the boy had a penchant for eating grass. Question marks lingered in their eyes, and the children even entertained the thought that Jun Fang might be a fool. In their perception, a fool was seen as a harmless person, inadvertently causing their guard to relax.
Realizing his hands were getting a bit full, Jun Fang asked Ning, "Can we stay here a little bit longer?"
Ning: "Yes."
Upon receiving approval from the other man, Jun Fang set aside his herbs and went to gather some dry vines. His hands skillfully began weaving as he planned to fashion a basket for holding his materials. Growing up in the countryside under his grandparents' care, Jun Fang cherished memories of watching his grandma weave.
Curious, Ning inquired, "What are you doing?"
"I'm making a basket."
"Basket?" Both Ning and the children were confused; they had never heard of a 'basket' before.
Seeing their eagerness to learn, Jun Fang smiled. "Yes, it's something that can hold stuff."
"Hold?" Ning's eyes lit up as he quickly grasped the concept. "Is it like an animal skin bag?"
Jun Fang nodded.
Ning's heart raced with realization. The convenience of the basket Jun Fang was weaving meant the tribe could conserve more animal skins and use baskets to carry things.
"Jun Fang, could you teach us how to make these baskets too?"
Jun Fang, noting the eager and wonder-filled gaze of the children and Ning, agreed, "Yes, just go get a vine like this; it must be sturdy and not easily snap. I'll teach you how to weave. It's not that hard, as long as you have flexible hands and a sharp mind, you can make a lot of baskets in a short time."
The children swiftly gathered materials, with Ning joining in. When Jun Fang completed his basket, he began assisting them. Despite the somewhat crude final products, Jun Fang couldn't help but admire their intelligence, especially Ning's. The man made more than four baskets, each one better than the last.
The children jumped in joy, eagerly anticipating showing off their finished baskets to the tribe. After Jun Fang placed medicinal herbs in his basket, he continued with Ning by his side and a trail of children following.
Suddenly, he noticed a cluster of dry plants, prompting him to shout, "Everyone, come here!"
Though unsure why he was excited, they followed him. Once there, he began digging.
"What is it?" Ning asked.
Jun Fang beamed. "Food! This is a sweet potato plant; I recognize its leaves. This plant is really good, Ning, it can fill people's stomachs."
At the mention of 'food,' Ning's heart stirred. Observing the boy eagerly digging, Ning and the children joined in.
"Here, this is what a sweet potato looks like," Jun Fang held up a large dirt-covered lump. "When you're digging, make sure not to break it. You can store this for a few months as long as it doesn't break. It also tastes really good; you can boil it, roast it, and make many dishes with it."
Upon learning that sweet potatoes could be stored for months, Ning was overjoyed.
Unlike the children who only thought about eating, Ning—the tribe leader—realized the potential of this dirt-like lump. Seeing how much had been dug up, a grin appeared on his face: great, the tribe is saved!
Not wanting to crush his herbs, Jun Fang asked Ning to put the sweet potatoes into another basket. Once all the sweet potatoes were stored, each child carried a basket, and Ning himself carried five, much to Jun Fang's awe.
Worried it might be too heavy for Ning, Jun Fang offered to help, but Ning stopped him, stating he could carry even more. Jun Fang couldn't help but roll his eyes at the obvious show-off. Glancing at the man's muscular arm and then at his thin arms, Jun Fang's heart couldn't help but feel a bit depressed.
In reality, Ning wasn't lying. Almost all the men in the tribe possessed great strength. Luckily, they had hunted successfully, so after eating, carrying five baskets of sweet potatoes wasn't a big deal. Another reason for his "showing off" was to demonstrate his strength to Jun Fang, akin to what animals do when trying to attract a mate.
****
Upon their return to the tribe, a tribe member spotted them and called out to others. As everyone gathered, all attention briefly centered on Jun Fang before shifting to what they were carrying.
The women gazed at the baskets with a spark of understanding in their eyes, recognizing their usefulness immediately. The children, who had been trailing behind Jun Fang and Ning, hurriedly rushed out to show off their baskets.
Their little chests puffed out like proud peacocks, creating a funny scene that amused Jun Fang. However, he felt a strong gaze upon him and saw Ling with a stunned expression. Uncertain of the reason, his cheeks heated up a little under the man's unabashed look. Why was Ling looking at him like that? He questioned in his heart.
Snapping out of his state, Ling coughed and handed the meat over, saying, "Here, I put the meat on a leaf. Don't worry, it's clean."
Noticing Jun Fang likes to be clean; Ling had searched everywhere for something clean to put the meat on and found a large, slightly green leaf that looked pristine.
Now aware of how important food was, Jun Fang felt grateful to Ling for sharing the meat and thanked him.
"Jun Fang," he heard his name called out and turned to see Ning with a smiling face walking up to him, accompanied by an old man.
"This is our Great Priest Humo of the Skull Tribe; he checked on your wounds when you were unconscious," Ning introduced.
"Hello," Jun Fang kindly greeted, feeling a little uncomfortable under the old man's bright gaze, as if he was a wonder.
Humo, scanning Jun Fang, let out a joyful laugh. "Good, good! Child, I heard you found food for the tribe. Thank you!" Tears of joy welled in his eyes. Food had always been a significant issue for every tribe, and upon hearing that Jun Fang had found a food source that could be stored for months, he was excited and didn't care about other matters. Seeing Jun Fang all cleaned up and dressed in Moon Deer's skin with clear, bright eyes, he sighed in his heart about how he had never seen such a beautiful person before. Observing the boy's unblemished white skin and black silky hair, he immediately knew in his heart that Jun Fang was special.
The enthusiastic smile on the old man's face reminded Jun Fang of his grandpa, and he couldn't help but bashfully looked down, saying, "You don't have to thank me; it's nothing special. Since Ning let me stay in the tribe, I wanted to help. It was just a bit lucky to come upon the sweet potatoes."
Humo's regard for Jun Fang elevated, and his eyes became kinder.
"Jun Fang, how do we eat these?" Ning's voice inquired.
"Ah, that's right. There are many ways to eat sweet potatoes, but since our current situation doesn't have that requirement now, we can roast them. However, we need to make a fire first."
"Fire?" Everyone seemed confused.
Jun Fang went to gather branches and dried grass from nearby. Everyone gathered around to see what he was doing. Jun Fang used a simple primitive technique. Once he saw a small wisp of smoke, he gently blew on it until a small fire ignited, burning the dried grass.
"Look!" Someone exclaimed as the fire grew larger. Jun Fang added branches and sticks, then used rocks to contain the fire, ensuring it didn't spread outside.
There were gasps and exclamations all around. Humo, Ning, Ling, and Fing were astonished. They could feel the heat emanating from the fire and immediately realized its importance with winter approaching. It's not surprising that the Skull Tribe doesn't know what fire is. Lightning rarely strikes where they live, even during thunderstorms.
Maybe it wasn't just the Skull Tribe; perhaps other nearby tribes hadn't seen fire either.
Wiping his sweat, Jun Fang saw people coming closer to the fire. One person even reached out their hand, prompting Jun Fang to warn, "Be careful! Don't touch it; it'll burn you!"
The person who was reaching out quickly withdrew their hand, looking guilty. Jun Fang found it a bit amusing but still solemnly warned, noticing their strong curiosity, "Everyone, please don't touch the fire like that. It can burn you and be very dangerous. Although fire has benefits, it's also dangerous. If it spreads, it can quickly consume everything in its path. That's why I put rocks around it to contain it. If the forest around us catches fire, we might not be able to escape and could die."
There was alarm in everyone's minds, especially Ning and Humo. If fire was as dangerous as Jun Fang said, it could also become a dangerous weapon if it fell into their enemy's hands.
Seeing the fear in their eyes, Jun Fang was satisfied. "Don't worry, fire can also benefit us. During winter, it can keep us warm, but unfortunately, you can't have a fire inside your animal tents. The fur might catch fire."
Jun Fang didn't elaborate further; instead, he immediately placed the sweet potatoes in the fire and waited for them to roast. As he waited, he prepared the meat Ling had given him, cutting it into small pieces before skewering them. They all watched him with curiosity until they caught the enticing aroma emanating from the meat. Their stomachs growled, and some couldn't help but salivate.
"Jun Fang, what is that?" Ning tried to control his hunger.
"Here, it's roasted meat. It's healthier to eat meat when it's cooked; this way, you won't get sick. Eating raw meat is unhealthy; you might even get sick and die from salmonella, experiencing symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and fever," Jun Fang explained as he handed some roasted meat to Ning, Humo, and Ling. Fing, who didn't get any meat, looked sad and dejected. He stared hungrily at his brother's share, but the two ignored him, happily eating the roasted meat in their hands. The meaty, savory taste with a hint of char quickly pleased their taste buds. Unlike raw meat, roasted meat was easy to chew.
Seeing the large man resembling a kicked puppy abandoned by its owner, Jun Fang felt helpless. What could he do? He only had a small amount of meat. Hardening his heart, Jun Fang ignored the hungry looks on the tribesmen's faces and focused on eating. Suddenly, a sweet aroma filled the air. Jun Fang's eyes brightened. "It's ready!"
Using a stick, he retrieved the roasted sweet potatoes. Unlike the meat, Jun Fang could easily share the roasted potatoes. "Everyone, come and eat. It's really delicious!"
They looked at the charred lumps with uncertainty, but when Jun Fang peeled off the blackened skin, revealing the bright orange flesh, they immediately followed suit.
Some struggled to hold them due to the heat. Those who managed to peel them took a bite and expressed their happiness with widened eyes. "Wow! It's so soft and sweet!"
"It's delicious!"
They didn't mind if their tongues were burned; all they cared about was the soft, sweet taste of the potatoes. The elderly tribesmen were particularly pleased with the sweet potatoes because of how easy they were to eat. Since they were older, their teeth weren't as strong as in their youth. Another group that was delighted was the children, who barely have enough to eat; they had never tasted such sweetness before, and it quickly became a favorite.
"I want to eat more, but I feel so full," a thin child said, feeling both sad and happy while looking at the half-eaten potato.
"Me too! Me too! And I only eat three of them."
"This is better than meat! I've never been this full in my life," a man exclaimed, patting his stomach. What made everyone more happy was how much sweet potatoes they still have. There still full baskets of it.
Hearing them express how full they felt, Ning and Humo were surprised; they had also noticed this when they ate the potatoes. They glanced at each other with the same thought: Maybe the tribe could survive this winter!
Ning glanced at the person who brought this hope, he didn't notice the affection in his eyes was growing deeper. Amusingly, the said person didn't realize he was being watched; instead, he was struggling to eat the hot potato, his tongue sticking out cutely as he tried to cool his mouth down from the heat.