Qi Bai peeked quietly through the classroom door.
A beastman sitting near the entrance noticed Qi Bai and was about to greet him when Qi Bai quickly waved his hand, signaling him to focus on the lesson without distraction.
Qi Bai had gotten into the habit of stopping by the school every morning to check if he was needed before quietly slipping away.
Watching the obedient tribespeople turning back to listen attentively, Qi Bai rubbed his nose, suddenly feeling a bit like his former homeroom teacher even this peeking-into-the-classroom posture was similar.
A few minutes' walk from the school brought him to Sheep Luo's house. Qi Bai called out softly at the door: "Priest Grandpa, I'm coming in."
Sheep Luo's voice came through the wall: "Come in."
As Sheep Luo spoke, the animal hide curtain over the bedroom was lifted. Qi Bai smiled at Pig Zhu who was holding the curtain for him and entered the room.
As the tribe's chief and priest, Sheep Luo and Monkey Yan's houses were slightly larger than others'. The window in the room was open, keeping the interior relatively bright.
Four or five beastmen sat on the heated kang all older beastmen of the tribe. Their enthusiasm for learning clearly wasn't as high as the younger generation's.
"Can't learn it," an elderly horse tribesman waved his hand.
"Right," another elder laughed, raising his rough hands, "fingers are too thick, can't even hold a small stick steady. Better let me do some manual labor."
Pig Zhu sat on the edge of the kang, shaking her head: "If Leopard Bai thought of it, even manual labor probably won't be easy."
Sheep Luo held a bamboo cup of hot water, chin pointing to a rattan basket on the floor: "This is the wool sheared from the four-eared sheep this summer. What do you want to do with it?"
Except for a few lambs born this year, all the adult four-eared sheep in the tribe had been completely sheared in early summer.
This wool had undergone preliminary processing when first collected.
Branches were used to gently beat the loose wool, knocking out dirt, then it was soaked and cleaned with plant ash water, finally dried in shade.
But during summer, everyone was busy and temperatures were high, so there was no immediate use for the wool. Thus, this clean wool had been stored in the warehouse.
It wasn't until winter that Qi Bai thought about processing this wool.
Qi Bai replied: "We can spin this wool into yarn first, then make clothes that are more fitted and warmer than animal hide clothing."
Wool had many uses it could be made into woolen cloth, felt, or used directly as stuffing.
But since Black Mountain was cold, animal hides not only provided warmth but also blocked wind, so making wool into outerwear wasn't necessary.
However, spinning wool into yarn to make sweaters was a good option.
Pig Zhu grabbed a handful of wool from the basket: "How can this whole mass of wool be made into thread?"
Qi Bai took a small spindle from his hide bag: "This can turn wool into wool yarn."
Pig Zhu took the spindle, examining it: "Isn't this the hand drill used for making holes?"
Qi Bai nodded: "Similar, but they're not exactly the same."
Qi Bai pointed to the spindle's base, showing Pig Zhu the small hook there.
The spindle's construction was simple just a thin wooden stick with a hook shape carved at the bottom using a bone knife, with a weighted wooden plate attached slightly above the hook. It indeed looked like a hand drill without wrapped cord.
Qi Bai pulled a small tuft of wool from the basket, combed the wool fibers apart with a fine comb, then stretched it into a long strip. He lightly twisted a small section by hand first, then attached it to the spindle's small hook.
With a gentle twist of the spindle, the loose wool instantly became yarn.
Elder beastman Ma Qian gently touched it, surprised: "It really became strong thread."
The grass ropes beastmen usually used were mostly woven directly from long fibers or thin vines. Short fibers like wool had never been attempted for making thread before.
Qi Bai said: "Not just four-eared sheep any soft fur can be made into yarn this way."
Sheep Luo leaned closer to look: "But how can such thread become clothing?"
Qi Bai teased mysteriously: "You already know half the method, Priest Grandpa."
Sheep Luo stroked his chin: "What do you mean half?"
Pig Zhu looked at the basket on the floor, eyes suddenly lighting up: "If we weave this thread using basket-weaving methods, we can make clothing."
Qi Bai nodded smiling: "Yes, weaving thread together can make cloth. And there are simpler methods for knitting wool yarn—I'll show everyone later."
Fabric woven from thick wool yarn wasn't strictly cloth in the precise sense, but for easier understanding, Qi Bai simply called it "cloth" collectively.
"Cloth?" Sheep Luo's volume suddenly rose. He walked to a small cabinet by the wall and took out his linen clothing: "Precious cloth like this we can make it too?"
Qi Bai nodded: "Of course, and we can make even better cloth."
Looking at the expensive linen clothing in Sheep Luo's hands, then at the wool casually placed on the floor, everyone swallowed nervously.
Hand-spinning methods weren't difficult but were quite time-consuming.
However, the tribe had fewer tasks in winter. For pottery at the kiln site, more hands were needed during molding, but after the pottery dried and firing began, only one or two people needed to tend the fire.
Fox Huo's woodworking tasks were taken by stronger horned beastmen, so the remaining beastmen gathered on warm kangs after school, chatting while spinning yarn.
Though the spinning location moved from Sheep Luo's house to the young beasts' residence.
The young beasts now lived in the first built large house with two bedrooms and a main room. Children originally from the young beasts' cave, plus over twenty parentless young beasts from the汐 River Tribe, all lived here together.
Two rooms with ten-meter-long kangs perfectly accommodated separated living for horned and beast young.
During daytime, adults came here too.
These two rooms had the largest heated kangs. Gathering together was not only lively and warm but also saved much firewood. They only returned to heat their own kangs when needing to cook meals.
The four large stoves in the two rooms kept fires burning constantly. Filling pots with water, adding some large bones, sprinkling a handful of salt this allowed everyone to drink warm bone broth all day.
Additionally, some dried sweet potatoes and fruits were drying on the pottery lids.
Wooden lids didn't seal tightly. Steam rising through gaps not only steamed the dried sweet potatoes and fruits but most importantly slightly moist sweet potatoes became soft and sticky when eaten, completely different from oven-dried ones. Even plant-resistant young beasts fought to eat them.
Little Bear Shan held a dried sweet potato larger than his palm, munching noisily. His fair, chubby face was soon covered with yellow sweet potato residue.
Mouse Lin said somewhat disdainfully to Little Bear Shan: "If you keep making messes everywhere, I won't give you any more."
Beastman children were born in beast form and could crawl around alone within a month. Mouse Lin never needed special care—playing with the cute little bear when wanted, tossing him aside when bored. Little Bear Shan played by himself anyway bear skin was thick, falls.
But after Little Bear Shan took human form, he became much more delicate. At least now Mouse Lin couldn't place the furless baby on the floor, keeping him on the kang.
This would be fine normally, beastmen didn't care much about children's eating manners; wild eating was more endearing.
But the problem was: the kang was covered with clean wool, and he himself held a spindle. If Little Bear Shan rubbed against it, he'd have to pick out broken threads and start over.
Mouse Lin's feelings were probably universal among parents worldwide: looking at the child's lotus-root-like arms and legs, so fond he恨不得 rubbed his face against the baby's soles; but then soon enough—the child pooped, peed, and misbehaved, making him want to stuff the child back into his belly.
But only those raising children understood such troubles—others wouldn't feel this way.
Tiger Xue put down her spindle, picked up Little Bear Shan, took out a small piece of hide, and gently wiped the sweet potato residue from his mouth.
Tiger Xue rubbed his nose: "Eat freely. If it gets dirty, we'll just clean it."
Whether understanding Tiger Xue's words or not, Little Bear Shan curled in her arms, smiling to reveal several glutinous rice-like white teeth.
Seeing this, Mouse Lin smiled祝福: "You'll definitely have a child this year."
Tiger Xue had had a partner in her previous tribe, but unfortunately they didn't have a child that year, separating the next year.
But she still very much wanted her own child. During this year's courtship days, Tiger Xue took a liking to an ox tribe horned beastman, becoming temporary partners.
"With so many young beasts in the tribe now, I believe the Beast God favors us. Even if not this year, there will be chances later." Tiger Xue put down Little Bear Shan who started struggling in her arms, patting his little bottom: "Alright, I know you won't stay with me once you see Leopard Bai. Go play."
Little Bear Shan stood up shakily, took two steps forward. Just as everyone thought he might fall, his somewhat bow-legged legs paused momentarily—not only stabilizing but gradually accelerating into a little run to the kang's other end.
The other three little ones not yet in human form had already arrived, stretching heads to rub against Qi Bai's palm.
Qi Bai had just returned from outside, still carrying cold air. Little Lamb An shivered from the chill, sneezing softly.
Qi Bai smilingly kept the children at the kang's edge, removing his outer hide coat and placing it on the outer room's table.
Sheep Ling looked at two stones Qi Bai carried in: "What are you bringing these stones for?"
Qi Bai moved a small wooden stump to sit on the floor. Grinding these stones would create much dust—better not do it on the kang.
Qi Bai said: "I want to try making new food methods."
Not that Qi Bai was lazy about spinning—the tribe only collected over ten baskets of wool this year. As just a pastime, everyone could handle the work.
And such leisurely winters—not researching food would truly be wasteful.
Hearing Qi Bai wanted to make new foods again, everyone turned their attention over.
The marinade Qi Bai used during courtship days had been distributed to tribespeople after the trading day ended. Now everyone liked adding some marinade when stewing meat—a flavor never tiring no matter how long eaten.
Who would have thought just days later, Qi Bai would create new methods—how could they not anticipate this?
A beastman sitting on the kang asked loudly: "Can we make this new food too?"
Qi Bai nodded: "Of course. Though it might be somewhat troublesome, it's definitely something never tasted before."
The beastman laughed: "We're not afraid of trouble. Everyone has plenty of time now."
Qi Bai patted the stone pieces: "To eat this food, I need to make a small stone mill first."
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