Chapter 29

With Banana's help, these little kids could master all the herbal knowledge she had learned within a year or two. As they gained experience accompanying Grandma Feng on her rounds, some of them might surpass her in just three or four years...

Their progress would only make her seem more ordinary!

Especially seeing Grandma Feng looking at Emily with such approval—it irritated her even more. Clearly, it was Banana who had this ability, yet the old woman was crediting that outsider with the achievement!

No! She wasn't willing to be just an ordinary person. She had to find a way to enter the forbidden area soon to awaken her bloodline power!

But lately, the old woman had been guarding it too closely!

She had to be patient!

Emily was quite concerned about the thick wool on the sheep. In this hot weather, wouldn't such a heavy coat cause problems if it wasn't sheared off?

After days of trekking through the mountains without encountering another sheep, it was clear that sheep weren't a common catch.

Emily, with Male's help, tried to make a pair of bamboo scissors. While they worked well enough for cutting leaves, they were useless on the sheep's wool!

The wool looked fine but was incredibly tough!

It was frustrating! If only they had ironworking skills!

System, is there a menu? Can I choose what I want?

As usual, the system gave no response.

However, the next day, the system presented her with an extra task. While the task seemed challenging, the reward was a pair of scissors!

This made Emily ecstatic!

Could this mean that if she really wanted something, the system would give her a chance to obtain it?

The extra task was to build a waterwheel and dig irrigation channels. Simply put, it was to divert water from the river to irrigate the fields.

Although the task was difficult, the waterwheel would save the Nuwa tribe from carrying water to irrigate the ten acres of land they had cleared.

Digging the channel wasn't too hard; it didn't need to be too deep or wide. A ditch about fifty centimeters wide and fifty centimeters high would suffice.

But building the waterwheel was quite complex, and the system didn't provide any instructions, so Emily had to figure it out herself.

Emily recalled the waterwheels she had seen in parks—wooden structures that used rotational motion and water power, with containers on the wheel to lift and pour water to the desired location.

In theory, it seemed simple enough, but in practice, there were many issues to consider. For one, wood wasn't very practical here. Without power tools, even basic equipment like planers or chisels wasn't available. Making a wooden wheel would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and might end up unbalanced, failing to rotate smoothly.

After much thought, Emily decided that bamboo would be more convenient.

It was easier to find bamboo of uniform thickness, and bamboo tubes could hold water without being too heavy, so there was no risk of the waterwheel failing to turn due to insufficient water power.

Emily sketched a simple diagram in the sand and asked Male to use the "artifact" to cut a long, thick bamboo stalk and eight medium-sized bamboo stalks to the same length.

Then, they cut sixteen bamboo tubes, each about fifty centimeters long. Eight of these were split in half, with the internal nodes removed to ensure smooth water flow.

Emily, Banana, and Moon joined forces to braid several ropes of varying thicknesses, each about a meter long, using the most durable rushes.

They also needed eight Y-shaped branches, which were easy to find as the tribe had plenty. Two Y-shaped branches would hold a bamboo pole, and the tribe often used these structures to dry thatch by tying a bundle to one end and spreading it over the bamboo pole in an A-shape.

Today, when Male went hunting in the mountains, he forgot to bring back some tree branches, so they could borrow some from the tribe for now. Tomorrow, when Male and the others go up the mountain, they can cut suitable branches to replace the borrowed ones.

As for the "pipes" that would direct the water from the waterwheel into the irrigation channel, they would be made by connecting long, hollowed-out bamboo halves end to end, gradually descending in height.

First, they needed to secure the "bearings" of the waterwheel. This part was made from a thick, old bamboo stalk. The "bearings" were then fixed at both ends with two Y-shaped tree branches of equal height, allowing the "bearings" to rotate freely within the Y-shaped supports. The base of each Y was deeply embedded into the ground.

The sixteen bamboo pieces were divided into two parts, grouped in pairs, and tightly bound at an equal distance from the center of the "bearings," forming the diameter of two parallel circles, with the lower ends of the bamboo dipping into the water.

Once this part was completed, it formed two parallel circular planes, each representing the diameter, and the distance between these two planes was just over forty centimeters.

The next step was simpler: each corresponding bamboo piece on the two circular planes was bound with a fifty-centimeter-long bamboo tube in the middle. Alongside the tube, two similarly sized half-bamboo pieces were tied parallel to it, with the open side facing up to hold water.

Once everything was secured, they released the structure, and the waterwheel began to rotate automatically due to the water flow hitting the lower half-bamboo pieces and the bamboo tube. The half-bamboo pieces filled up with water as they passed through the river, but when the waterwheel rotated to the other side, the water in the half-bamboo pieces spilled out.

Not many people helped with the construction of the waterwheel, and even Emily mostly gave directions because she wasn't strong enough to tie the bamboo tightly.

However, there was a large crowd of onlookers, especially those who hadn't borrowed hoes for clearing the fields and nearly all the children of the tribe.

Seeing a pile of bamboo turn into a beautiful circular object that then began to rotate on its own left the people of the Nuwa tribe in awe. They were greatly impressed with Emily, Male, and the others.

Understanding where the water from the waterwheel would flow made things much easier. Without needing Emily to explain, Male and Dashan quickly set up more Y-shaped tree branches, directing the water from the waterwheel into the half-bamboo pieces placed on the Y-shaped supports. The water then flowed into another bamboo piece, and from there, it poured into the already dug irrigation channel.

Since the water flow from one half-bamboo was too small, Male and Dashan tied three half-bamboo pieces side by side and placed them on the Y-shaped supports, increasing the water flow significantly. Soon, the water began to flow smoothly down the channel.

Even though Emily hadn't done the physical work herself, she felt a deep sense of joy as she looked at the simple yet practical waterwheel, which could also serve as a scenic element.

"When we need to irrigate, we can use this method to save us from carrying water to the fields. When we don't need to irrigate, we can simply remove the bamboo pieces that direct water into the channel. Right now, our newly cleared land and the soybeans we planted don't need watering yet. The Nuwa Divine Messenger had us build the waterwheel and dig the channel now as a preparation, so we won't be caught off guard later."

Emily explained to everyone.

At this moment, building the waterwheel and channel didn't seem to serve much immediate purpose. Emily felt like this was a "gift" task from the system, just to reward her with the scissors.

But is that really the case? Soon, Emily would realize she might have been wrong; perhaps the scissors were just a coincidence.

For now, though, she didn't know that yet, so let's leave it at that.

With the large scissors the system had just rewarded her with, Emily practically "charged" into the first floor of the bamboo building.

Moon and Banana stood by with bamboo baskets in hand, while Emily, grinning, extended her wicked claws toward the fat, ugly sheep...

Halfway through, Male grasped her hand, saying, "Let me do it."

Even though the sheep didn't seem particularly aggressive, it was still large, and Male didn't want his little companion getting kicked by its hooves. Emily was happy to let Male practice his control over his strength, so she handed over the scissors. Shearing the sheep should be a moderately strenuous task for most people.

"Brother, don't crush it to death!" Moon teased Male cheerfully.

Male didn't mind his sister's teasing and only responded with a simple "Hmm." Surprised, Moon leaned in closer to Emily and whispered in her ear, "Sister-in-law, why didn't my brother react?"

Emily found Moon's remark amusing and shook her head. In the future, there was a saying that went, "A little bit of teasing makes life fun," and Moon certainly enjoyed teasing others for her own amusement. It made her happy to see how they would react afterward.

In truth, Emily also found Male's earlier struggles with controlling his strength, as well as his down-to-earth yet sometimes seemingly petty behavior, to be quite endearing and funny at times.

This version of Male was authentic and genuine, not like some lofty god untouched by the world's realities. He was grounded, which helped Emily understand why, as the tribe's leader, Male commanded respect and obedience from the people of the Nuwa tribe. Yet, privately, they weren't afraid of him and even felt comfortable joking around with him.

However, Emily had noticed something odd about Male's behavior these past few days. He had been acting unusually!

For instance, in the past, if he accidentally killed a creature they intended to capture alive, he would feel visibly frustrated. But now, he would merely frown briefly before moving on, as if it were no big deal.

Take today, for example. When Moon teased him, just a few days ago, Male would have at least responded, perhaps by teasing her back or bringing up an embarrassing story from her childhood to share with everyone. But now, it was as if he didn't even hear her, completely unbothered.

Had he suddenly matured?

The sheared wool filled two large bamboo baskets, and the sheep, which had looked fat and ugly before, now appeared much slimmer and more energetic.

However… Emily had originally estimated the sheep to weigh around 150 pounds, but after shearing off that thick wool, it probably weighed less than 100 pounds. Although, its belly did seem disproportionately large...

"Wait a minute," Emily said uncertainly. "Is this sheep pregnant?"

"Wow!" Moon's eyes lit up as she circled the sheep twice. "That belly does look unusually large."

Emily hadn't seen a pregnant ewe before, but she had seen lambs nursing while on a trip to Qinghai. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the sheep's udders were already somewhat swollen, almost confirming that it was indeed pregnant and likely due to give birth soon!

The thought made her both excited and nervous. They had captured this sheep to raise it long-term, and if it was already pregnant, that meant they would soon have lambs to care for.

But none of them, including Emily and the people of the Nuwa tribe, had any experience in raising sheep. If the time came for the sheep to give birth, would it be able to do so on its own? What if it had complications? Emily had no experience in delivering lambs!

As she started to worry, an idea suddenly struck her. When human women are pregnant, doctors often encourage them to stay active after the early stages to ensure a smoother delivery. Perhaps this pregnant sheep could benefit from more activity too?

However… just as with pregnant women, the activity couldn't be too strenuous. Would the same apply to the sheep?

Emily grabbed a rope and looped it around the sheep's neck. Holding the other end, she said, "Let's take it outside to graze a bit, let it get some exercise."

"Let me do it." Moon eagerly took the rope from Emily's hand, like an excited child.

Emily didn't argue with her. If the sheep decided to be stubborn, Moon could at least manage to pull it, but Emily didn't stand a chance. "Don't let it run too fast; we don't want to hurt the lamb."

As the bamboo gate opened, Moon gently led the sheep outside. It's true what they say about all living things having a spirit— the sheep seemed to understand her intentions and trotted along willingly.

The people of the Nuwa tribe, seeing Moon leading the sheep outside, curiously gathered around to watch.

In the tribe, there were patches of grass between the houses that hadn't been worn into paths, so Moon didn't even need to leave the tribe's grounds. Soon, the scene turned into one of a sheep leisurely grazing and bleating, surrounded by a group of adults and children watching in fascination.

"Wait a minute, did Male catch another sheep? I don't remember them bringing back any live animals today," Uncle Feng said, puzzled.

Moon burst into laughter. "Uncle Feng, this is the same sheep my brother caught earlier."

"How did it get so thin after just a few days?" Uncle Feng frowned. "It seems that raising animals really doesn't work. We used to struggle to keep them alive, and now it seems like they survive a few extra days, but this sheep was so fat before and now it's just skin and bones..."

"Hahaha..." Moon couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Uncle Feng, didn't my sister-in-law tell you? The wool is going to be used to make clothes, so my brother just sheared it. After taking off two big baskets full of wool, it's no wonder there's so little left of the sheep!"

Making clothes from wool? Uncle Feng and the others were confused. They knew how to make clothes from animal hides and fur, but this sheep was still alive, clearly not skinned. How was the lady planning to make clothes from the wool?

Just then, a child about four or five years old tried to climb onto the sheep's back. Moon quickly pulled him down. "Don't ride it! We're counting on it to give us lambs!"

The question of how to make clothes from wool was still puzzling them when Moon's words brought a new wave of excitement. "Is it pregnant?"

Does this mean the Nuwa tribe might really be able to raise sheep successfully? The sheep seemed in good spirits, grazing and bleating without any signs of discomfort.

Emily had no idea about the stir Moon caused while walking the sheep. She picked up a small wooden basin, and Male grabbed a bamboo basket. They took the wool to the river to wash it.

Emily wasn't sure how to clean wool in bulk or what detergent to use. However, she did know that in Qinghai, some farmers hand-spun their own yarn, a fact she learned from a tour guide during her travels.

For hand-spinning yarn, wool is usually cleaned with a mild chemical detergent like dish soap, which helps remove some of the natural lanolin.

But in ancient times, before detergents existed, people used a soaking and natural fermentation method to clean wool.

In simple terms, they would wash away the leaves and dirt from the wool, then soak it in clean water for a few days to allow it to ferment naturally before washing it again.

This was the oldest method, and it was the only option Emily had.

The bamboo basket was too loosely woven for the wool fibers, so Emily had to wash the wool in the wooden basin. After just two scrubs, Male took over for her. "Let me wash it."

Emily smiled sweetly. "With your strength, you'll turn the wool to dust."

She was beginning to understand why Moon enjoyed teasing him so much.

Male's expression didn't change, but he leaned in close to Emily's ear, his warm breath brushing her earlobe. "I wouldn't hurt you, even with all my strength. Why don't you test it tonight?"