Chapter 041: Xieding’s Ambition
The next day, as some of the women worked on twisting hemp ropes and others cleared the ground under Luo Chong's direction to set up an animal pen, the tribe was bustling with activity. Luo Chong had delegated the task of bronze casting to Cripple and the four young men, who continued to produce copper and tin plates under his supervision, adjusting the alloy proportions as necessary.
Meanwhile, Luo Chong was focused on constructing the animal enclosure with the help of the women. The logs provided by the woodcutting team were substantial, around 20 centimeters in diameter and up to several meters long, resembling telephone poles. These were cut into four-meter sections, sharpened into stakes, and installed at two-meter intervals to form a rectangular enclosure. Horizontal bars secured the gaps, and a wattle fence was woven and plastered with mud to complete the structure.
Inside the enclosure, a high-roofed shelter facing south was built to accommodate the elephantine babies, ensuring it was sturdy and weatherproof. Small holes were made on the south side facing the feeding troughs to allow the animals to reach out and eat, although for the larger creatures, just extending their trunks would suffice.
Once completed, the mountain of gathered grass was bundled and stored inside the pen to protect it from other animals or humans.
Meanwhile, the Xieding tribe was also active. Although smaller in numbers since their last encounter with Luo Chong's tribe—now down to 80 people after losing members to illness, predation, and the trade of nine people for pottery—they remained unaware of the increase in Luo Chong's tribe's numbers. Xieding, the tribe's leader, believed their numerical advantage over Luo Chong's perceived smaller force could be decisive in a confrontation.
Unlike the Han tribe, Xieding's people lacked a tradition of elder wisdom or knowledge transfer but excelled in mimicking and learning. They had adopted basket weaving and spear making from observing Luo Chong's tribe and even produced their own stone-tipped spears. Now, Xieding aspired to learn pottery making as well.
Their home was a cave with a small spring inside, which dried up in late autumn, forcing them to travel three kilometers to a river for water—thus their acute need for more pottery to store water.
Xieding's plan had initially been to trade with Luo Chong using all their salt deposits to secure enough pottery. However, when trading did not yield the desired amount of pottery, Xieding contemplated a raid. He believed that overwhelming Luo Chong's smaller number of adult men would be straightforward. Capturing people wasn't part of his plan due to the increased mouths to feed that would follow—a luxury he couldn't afford.
The next morning, Xieding led his entire cadre of 15 adult men armed with spears toward the Han tribe, aiming to overpower their hunters and plunder their resources. Their approach was spotted by Luo Chong's sentries.
The Han tribe, forewarned by Wood Pig who had noticed the advancing Xieding men, prepared for defense. Despite their fatigue from daily labors, not a single tribesman fled; they readied their weapons, including those newly cast from bronze.
When Xieding's first wave of attack failed against the unexpectedly resilient Han hunters, who now wielded superior bronze weaponry and tactical advantage, his resolve waned. The fierce counterattack from Luo Chong's well-prepared men led to heavy casualties among Xieding's forces.
Stunned by the effective resistance and realizing their disadvantage, Xieding ordered a retreat to avoid further losses. His raid had not only failed but also weakened his tribe's fighting force significantly.
Back at the Han tribe, as the enemy retreated, Luo Chong's people celebrated their victory. They had not only defended their home successfully but had also demonstrated the effectiveness of their new tools and the strength of their unity. The day's events would no doubt increase their confidence and cohesion, fortifying them against future threats.