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Chapter 437: Back Mountain Discovers Giant Wild Chicken Eggs

~6 min read 1,110 words

Nan Qinghuan, with her big belly, and Li Xiang discovered this precious Coal, which will bring earth‑shaking changes to their lives; Ying had originally approved digging the Cave, but if there is more Coal here he will set it aside for them.

"Alright, we'll go find someone and see if Back Mountain is a treasure; if it all is, I won't dig here. A Lei, you all keep living here."

"Really?"

A Lei was very delighted, but Ying ignored him and instead led Nan Qinghuan and the others out. After they left, A Mu, together with the ancestor, looked at the Cave; neither of them had expected that these pitch‑black stones could be treasure.

"A Mu, we never expected these stones we saw to be treasure. Look, if Back Mountain's are the same, we won't have to gather firewood anymore. Look, this Coal is still hot."

It was A Mu's first time seeing Coal burn; she noticed that this tiny lump was bright red, radiating scorching heat, even though the Bonfire had already gone out, the embers still glowed.

Moreover, it burned even better, which made her readily accept this Coal, this new fire‑making material.

The ancestor squatted there, looking left and right, "Nan Qinghuan really is a treasure. Stones used by our tribe for generations can actually burn; we shouldn't take this lightly."

"A Mu, how could you give that bone string to Ying? What are we to do? A Mu, are you going to let me die?"

A Lei is A Mu's younger son and quite ungrateful; the ancestor had high hopes for him, but when she fell ill a few days ago, A Lei did nothing for her, and the other tribe members did the same, shirking duties to forage for food, essentially refusing to trouble the old woman.

Therefore, to secure a few peaceful days, she took the bone string to Ying and gave him everything from the Cave.

In her eyes, Nan Qinghuan was far better than those unfilial descendants.

"Die, just die now. What were you doing when I was feeling ill? You were out there consorting with those female ghosts. This Cave is mine; I give it to whomever I wish. If Ying won't let you stay, then get out."

"You..."

"A Lei, how could you ignore A Mu's life and death, you..."

"You, shut up. You're not any good either. Where were you when A Mu was sick?"

Inside the Cave, they were arguing; even primitive people quarrel over family matters, sometimes even fighting.

Outside, dawn was approaching.

Under the misty haze, a group set out for Back Mountain to seek a miracle, to see if any of that precious Coal remained.

When they reached the flat highlands, the ground was covered with deep snow; the bare stones were blanketed, and the spots where grass had regrown looked desolate.

In the white, bewildering fog, the party arrived; Li Xiang looked around, somewhat disappointed.

There should be no Coal here.

Most Coal is buried deep underground, such as inside the Cave; he couldn't reach a sheer cliff, so he stretched out and brushed away the regrown grass.

Below, indeed, were black stones.

"They're black stones, these are Coal too, right?"

Dashan hurried over to Li Xiang, smiling at the black stones. He assumed any black stone was Coal; after sweeping away the snow, Coal was everywhere.

Now they had an inexhaustible supply of Coal.

While Li Xiang inspected, Nan Qinghuan and Ying stood there watching; Rongdi also hoped this was a treasure mountain, as did Yao, and they saw the benefits of Coal.

If everyone in the Tribe could use Coal, they wouldn't have to chop firewood in the deep winter.

How wonderful.

Chopping firewood in midwinter gets wet easily, dries poorly, and burns slowly; this Coal truly is a treasure.

Each person harbored their own thoughts, all wanting the Coal.

Rongdi grew impatient, and Duo Luo strode forward to Li Xiang's side; Li Xiang struck a small piece of the stone with his Stone Axe, then picked up a stone to examine it closely.

When he saw they were just ordinary ore, he looked somewhat disappointed.

"Li Xiang, what do you think, are these all Coal?"

Rongdi thought this would be a profit, but Li Xiang shook his head, disappointed, "Chief, these aren't Coal, just ordinary stones, they won't burn."

"What, they won't burn? They're all black stones, why can't they burn?"

Li Xiang shrugged, "These aren't Coal, so they won't burn. But don't be sad; I think our Tribe also has some. When the snow melts, I'll go look; if I find any, making fire will be easier."

"Senior brother, not Coal?"

Nan Qinghuan and Ying waited in the meantime; after a while she realized there was no hope—Coal isn't that easy to find. In modern Shanxi is the great Coal province; much of the nation's Coal comes from there, but in ancient times that's uncertain.

Perhaps only the Cave has any.

"Junior sister, it's not Coal; only the ones inside the Cave are. These are just ordinary stones. Ah, what a wasted excitement."

Li Xiang knew the Coal inside the Cave wouldn't last long, so seeking Coal became their next task.

Nan Qinghuan was about to speak when suddenly Duo Luo seemed to notice something.

"Look, what is this?"

Duo Luo had intended to help look for Coal, but she saw... a sight that made her eyes widen.

Because she saw several gigantic eggs amid the tangled grass.

She had seen wild bird eggs, only thumb‑size, but these eggs were enormous, about the size of her head.

What kind of egg is this? A monster? Everyone was drawn toward it by Duo Luo; Nan Qinghuan also wanted to see what treasure it might be. She walked over with curiosity, and when she saw it she was stunned...

What a guy.

A few round, glossy white eggs appeared in the tangled grass; not only she, but Rongdi and Ying also found it unbelievable.

"Whose monster egg is this, so big?"

Nan Qinghuan and Li Xiang had studied paleontology, yet they'd never seen such large eggs; nevertheless, Li Xiang prepared to step forward to see what species it might be.

It seemed to be a chicken's egg, but not from an ordinary chicken.

"Let me take a look."

"Careful, could this monster explode?"

Duo Luo feared the egg might burst and harm Li Xiang, so she was very cautious; primitive women rarely saw eggs, so she was somewhat frightened.

These words made Li Xiang almost laugh, cooing affectionately, "Fool, how could an egg explode? Let me see what species it is."

??

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End of Chapter

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