017 Hunting the Jerboa

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Acting on impulse, Lin Yan processed all the hemp she had collected over the past month, having others help twist it into ropes. With everyone’s collective effort, they wove a large net out of the hemp ropes, intending to hunt pikas.

This time, Lin Yan insisted on going herself. Hua Hong couldn’t refuse and agreed to take her along.

The hunting party numbered over twenty, mostly young and able-bodied, with Lin Yan as the only child. Using flammable thatch, leaves, and animal fat, Lin Yan fashioned a simple torch to bring along.

Each person carried two large baskets, with Lin Yan sitting inside one of the baskets made from black earth.

Along the way, they spotted several types of unrecorded plants, which added to their contribution points.

Lin Yan thought to herself that it was indeed necessary to explore more. Staying at home wouldn’t earn enough contribution points; unlocking more rooms required a substantial amount.

They traveled about a mile inward to the hunting grounds.

The ground was riddled with pika holes, hidden by weeds. Walking carelessly could easily cause one to stumble into a hole. Lin Yan instructed the hunters to find a larger hole and mark out a small section of the entrance.

She and eight others guarded the large hole, spreading the net and waiting.

The others gathered branches and green grass to create smoke. Once the smoke rose, they fanned it into the hole with large leaves.

When the smoke thickened, Lin Yan said, “Pull the net tight. They should be coming soon.”

The eight immediately focused, exerting strength quietly. If a pika emerged from the hole and dove into the net, they were determined not to let it escape.

In less than ten minutes, a plump pika suddenly burst into the net with great force. Luckily, there were many of them; otherwise, the pika might have dragged the net away.

The eight were about to break into laughter—catching a live pika so easily was worth celebrating. But then they were dumbfounded by what happened next.

After the first one, the pikas seemed to flee in desperation, rushing out one after another into the large net.

The fleeing pikas were strong, thrashing about inside the net, trying to break free.

The eight pulled hard and called for help.

Those guarding other holes hurried over to witness the spectacle.

Hei Tu was stunned. As the tribe’s finest warrior, he could chase down fleeing pikas and kill the fattest ones, but he had never seen such a haul before.

Seeing the net packed with pikas and more still pouring out of the holes, Lin Yan called out, “Quick, haul in the net.”

If they delayed, the net might be torn apart, rendering all their efforts futile.

The net haulers hurried to pull it in.

Others snapped out of their daze and rushed to catch the pikas that slipped through.

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After much commotion, they only managed to catch six pikas, including two young ones.

Looking at the net filled with pikas, everyone’s eyes burned with excitement.

This was a powerful tool for hunting pikas; with good coordination, a single haul could yield as much as they had in many previous days.

The hunting party also valued teamwork to encircle and drive out the pikas, but compared to this net, it was nothing.

Hei Tu anxiously urged, “Count how many there are in total.”

Though they could see it was a bumper harvest, they wanted an exact number.

Hei Tu personally reached into the net, catching and counting them one by one. He handed the caught ones to others who tied their limbs with fine hemp ropes prepared earlier.

Lin Yan smiled happily—hunting wasn’t so difficult after all. With the right method, getting meat was quite easy.

The toughest part now was how to make the meat taste better.

After pulling all the pikas from the net, Hei Tu’s hands trembled with excitement, his voice growing louder as he counted.

“One, two…”

Nearly three months had passed, and everyone had improved their counting skills. Almost everyone could count up to one hundred.

In total, they caught twelve pikas: six adults and six young ones just over a month old.

Hei Tu and the others shouted and cheered uncontrollably, unable to express their joy.

With this effective method, what was there to worry about?

From now on, Lin Yan didn’t have to participate. Hei Tu asked Hua Hong to take her along while the others enthusiastically continued casting nets.

After three more rounds, they caught dozens more pikas and returned fully loaded.

Everyone smiled broadly—this harvest would feed them well for days.

Each participant received at least two.

Lin Yan was very pleased. Hua Hong held her daughter as they moved back and forth with the hunting party.

For the first time, Lin Yan clearly saw this land.

From a distance, it was lush and verdant, with dense shrubs and tall trees scattered throughout. The wild grass on the ground grew over a meter high.

People walking among it were thoroughly concealed by the flora, making it easy to get lost.

With trees blocking the view, there was no sight of distant mountains or peaks.

She felt this area must be relatively flat, but its full extent remained to be discovered.

The ground was riddled with holes, likely all dug by pikas. The population of pikas here was undoubtedly large.

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The biodiversity here was rich. In less than three hours, she had discovered more than a dozen new plants, earning considerable contribution points.

Although the tribe's territory was vast, it stretched primarily along the banks of the Sun River in a narrow strip, with similar species throughout.

The fact was clear: to earn contribution points, one had to venture out frequently.

With a great harvest, the hunting party, satisfied, headed back, stopping first at Lin Yan’s home.

Since the net was made at her request, everyone let Lin Yan and Hua Hong choose their share first—take as much as they wanted.

Hua Hong smiled brightly all the way, letting her daughter pick.

She had long known her daughter’s talents.

Lin Yan didn’t decline, cheerfully selecting two young pikas and one fat adult. The rest were divided among the others.

She explained that the young ones could be raised to grow meat, ready to eat whenever desired.

They already kept two at home, gifted by Hei Tu—one black and one white. They had grown large enough to be eaten, a fact no longer a secret nearby.

Others in the tribe had begun to imitate this practice.

Soon, everyone had divided the catch and happily returned home.

A dark-skinned young man lingered behind, looking at Lin Yan and pointing in a direction.

“May I move to your side?” he asked.

Lin Yan looked toward the western edge, near the outskirts.

She nodded, “Of course, you’re welcome to come. No one lives there yet.”

The man smiled, “My name is Mao Mu. I’ll bring my mother over.”

Lin Yan and Hua Hong smiled warmly, welcoming Mao Mu.

This place was vast; having more people was better.

With that, Lin Yan’s home now had neighbors on three sides.

Mao Mu claimed the west.

Old Hei lived to the south.

Yezi’s family was to the north.

But each home was at least ten meters apart, with weeds growing thickly between—hardly looking like inhabited dwellings.

As for the east, it faced the Sun River, where the trees were dense and the terrain slightly elevated with low vegetation, ideal for digging burrows.

On the east side, Lin Yan found some open ground where she sowed hemp seeds. After two months, the plants had grown tall and were fruiting. In time, they would be ready to harvest.

Her home had changed greatly. A stone-paved area about ten square meters was laid in front of the entrance—bare and free of weeds—where everyone liked to gather during their free moments.