The tribe still looks the same as before, but if you look closely, it is not difficult to notice that there are many changes going on quietly, and then when everyone gets together to discuss, they realize that, hey, there are so many different things happening in the past.
For example, by the big river in front of the tribe, you can always see a few old figures walking around there. Not only them, but even the leader often goes to the river, which makes people who live near the foot of the mountain very curious. Even if they don't catch fish, they run to the river from time to time.
So, gradually, I also formed a habit of going to the riverside when I have nothing to do. Maybe I can meet a senior leader of a tribe and talk about life
And the people on the mountain also found that the old men with bad temper were actually pleasant when they treated Shao Xuan! It made them unable to believe it!
Later, even the eyes of the two big bosses looking at Shao Xuan were full of weirdness.
There is another thing that makes everyone very puzzled. During the rainy season, several heavyweights on the mountain actually run to the river every day in the rain. This is something that has never happened before. If it is passed down from generation to generation, the warriors of the tribe are always full of fear of this big river. In recent years, the fishing has been slightly better, but it is not enough to let the few people on the mountain run over to see it, right
Those who doubt continue to doubt, and those who expect continue to expect.
…
Another year of rainy season.
When Shao Xuan's body was sixteen years old, after the sacrificial ceremony, several important people on the mountain began to lose sleep every day, nervous and excited, and gathered together all day to discuss whether the plan needed other changes.
Looking for wood, building boats, making sails, and a series of movements cannot hide too many people. During this year's sacrifice, the witch told Shao Xuan's trip in a boat. This news made the whole tribe hotly discussing for a long time, until the rainy season could not stop. Shao Xuan was often blocked by people and asked. All kinds of travel questions.
Everyone in the tribe has a strong sense of expectation. Although they don't understand a lot of what Wu said, it doesn't mean they don't look forward to it.
In the rainy season, the torrential rain came, and the overlords in the river roared and went downstream in groups that could not see the end, and the wood-eating insects were gradually leaving. Most of the creatures in the river go downstream with the giant beasts, and when the full moon and the two moons meet again, they will come back from the sea. Others, like those frogs, appeared for a period of time, then went to other places that no one knew about, and disappeared.
And this time, Shao Xuan will take advantage of the time between the end of the rainy season and the reunion of the two moons to travel by boat.
On the day when the rainy season ends, in the tribe, everyone, from the mountain to the mountain, from the old to the children, everyone puts down everything else at hand and gathers beside the road of glory.
"Move out." Wu stood on the top of the mountain and said.
Ao, the two big bosses, and a few prime-aged warriors carefully moved out the canoe placed in the wooden shed.
This canoe is nearly three meters wide and ten meters long at its widest point, in the shape of a shuttle. The reason why it is so big is to stand and rest in it. If there was only Shao Xuan, there would be no need for such a large canoe.
The species of the tree used to make the canoe was the hunting team that went out to look for various samples, and brought them back for Shao Xuan to choose.
The production of the canoe was completed by Shao Xuan and several top stoneware masters in the tribe, including Lao Ke. The middle of the cut down tree was hollowed out, and a large and nimble canoe was built.
The canoe is relatively simple to make, and it is not easy to leak, and there is no risk of falling apart.
The design drawings were also drawn by Shao Xuan himself. When drawing, he also consulted other veteran warriors in the tribe. Maybe they did not understand canoes, but they knew some skills that might be useful, and Shao Xuan would revise them according to these suggestions.
After the diagram was designed, several stoneware masters deliberately cut a lot of wood to practice at home before they started. After all, there is still a big difference between wood tools and stone tools. Come over again and tackle this canoe together.
This canoe is not too heavy for many totem warriors in the tribe. On weekdays, they have no problem carrying stones, but why is it difficult to carry wood
But at the moment, several senior totem warriors personally carry it, and they will carry it down the mountain later. This is a kind of attention and a solemn etiquette.
Shao Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, Wu was drawing patterns on his face, just like the warriors who went out hunting, they belonged to a kind of blessing, which meant that the tribe attached great importance to this. Even on the feet of Chacha, the totem of the tribe was painted by the witch, imitating the giant eagle at Yingshan.
After finishing the painting, Shao Xuan bowed to the fire pond, then walked to the canoe, and walked down the road of glory with the other people carrying the canoe. Chacha flew straight up and flew over from the air.
Behind the canoe, Wu and several other old men from the tribe also followed. The expressions on his face were some excited, some worried, and some seemed calm, but the twitching of his muscles showed that he was not like this. At this time, many people tend to think too much in their hearts and worry about gains and losses. This is something related to the wishes of the ancestors, how can it be calm
Beside the Road of Glory, the crowd also moved with the canoes, adults and children, the physically handicapped, leaning on crutches, or being supported by others, followed closely.
Everyone sang "Hunting Song" and "Blessing Song" together. At first, only some people on the mountain sang, but soon, there were also people singing along the mountain. The whole tribe used a voice that was young, old, sharp, or rough. , singing the same song at the same rhythm and pace. For them, singing represents all their moods at the moment.
Most people in the tribe are not good at expressing their emotions and thoughts, and singing is a form of expression.
For the first time, when they sang "Hunting Song", they did not have the same eager murderous aura they had before hunting, but with fearlessness, fearlessness, and hope.
The entire tribe, on this day, collectively saw Shao Xuan off.
What's on the other side of the river? They didn't know, and never wanted to go to investigate. In the eyes of many people, Shao Xuan's behavior is admirable, but they don't think that Shao Xuan can pass by safely, this big river is too dangerous. A real warrior!
After the canoe was transported down the mountain, Ao and a few others carefully pushed it into the river.
The canoe produced is a side frame canoe.
The so-called "side frame canoe" is to install a boat-shaped floating material in the same direction as the canoe on one or both sides of the canoe. The one designed by Shao Xuan belongs to a canoe with a single-sided raft. Because of this, he once played on a trip abroad.
The side frame canoe overcomes the instability of the canoe, which is easy to sway laterally and overturn in the wind and waves, but also has the advantages of lightness and structural integrity of the canoe, and is also the ocean-going navigation tool for the indigenous people in those places.
The sail is also the most important boat facility, and now it is set on top of a sail made of leaves and vines. The vine is a thin but very strong vine found in hunting grounds, and is woven into an inverted triangle-shaped sail by the best handcrafted women in the tribe.
In the opinion of Wu and others, it is best to prepare more of this kind of thing that does not know whether it will work, but because the vine is really difficult to find, the material that was finally found was only woven into two pieces. One piece is installed, and the other piece is used as a spare. Just a spare, I don't know if it's enough.
When Shao Xuan was studying with those aboriginal residents, he had learned that such a side frame canoe can travel more than 200 kilometers a day. Here, Shao Xuan is not so sure.
After connecting the side bar and the canoe body, and checking the various places and what to bring, Shao Xuancai stood in the canoe and looked at the crowd of people on the shore.
Caesar was carrying Lao Ke, and also stood on the shore, watching Shao Xuan in the boat and Cha Cha who landed inside, humming, it also wanted to follow, but Shao Xuan could not bring it with him. If there are dangers and other crises on the river, Shao Xuan can let Chacha carry it, but Caesar can't, and Chacha can't afford it.
If Chacha was about the same size as the giant eagles at Yingshan, he could still bring a lot of people, but unfortunately Chacha is still small.
"Goodbye. I'm leaving." Shao Xuan bowed to everyone on the bank.
Everyone who was standing on the shore to see off, led by Wu and the leader, also returned a salute to Shao Xuan. This is a situation that has never happened in thousands of years.
For the people of the tribe, Shao Xuan is their hope to go out. If Shao Xuan can't succeed, then how long will it take to go out again? Everyone doesn't know. Maybe after a thousand years, it will still stay there. Stay where you are.
As soon as the sail is pulled, the canoe drives away by the wind.
The sails are very large. If it wasn't for the totem warriors possessing great strength, Shao Xuan might not be able to handle them.
Chacha, the big guy, stood in the canoe and looked at both sides curiously. For it, this was a very novel experience, it was able to stand on the river!
However, for such a big ship, it is still too small for Chacha Ai, and it cannot move. After standing for a while, it flew into the sky and flew in the direction pointed by Shao Xuan. It is still more free in the sky, and when it is tired from flying, it will return to the boat to rest for a while.
The "Blessing Song" sounded on the shore, and the group chorus.
Shao Xuan turned his head and looked over there. The people on the shore were getting smaller and smaller, and the house on the mountain gradually became only a vague point. The mountain that had lived for nearly eight years gradually disappeared like the river bank. Where the water meets the sky.
There was no other sound besides the whistling of the wind.
Looking at the direction of the sun in the sky and feeling the slightly changing wind direction, Shao Xuan adjusted the sail and looked towards the unknown front.