Chapter 54: Try It and You'll Know

She thanked him sincerely; if not for this man, she wouldn't have survived more than a few days in this Tribe. Just now she had also seen that Ying was willing to turn against his grandmother for her sake — this man truly wanted to protect her.

"Huaner, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you would be my only female."

Ying was a primitive man, not very good at speaking, and couldn't say words that would move someone's heart, but what he said was the truth.

Nan Qinghuan felt a bit embarrassed being looked at like that. She was afraid that if things went on like this, Ying would start acting up again. "Hey, my Fruit Wine should be ready to taste by now. Shall we try it?"

"Fruit Wine?"

She quickly had Ying fetch a Clay Pot, and then Ying gently opened the mouth of the pot. In an instant, a rich, mellow fruity fragrance swept through the Cave.

"So fragrant."

Ying had only tasted wine once before, when he was a guest at another Tribe. He hadn't expected that his own Tribe would now have some too.

"Want to try?"

To Nan Qinghuan's surprise, the taste was exceptionally good. She had used Mountain Spring Water without any contamination, and the Fruit Wine she produced was also first-rate.

The two of them were probably craving it and actually finished a whole pot of Fruit Wine. After drinking too much, Nan Qinghuan also became a lot bolder. She started getting a bit reckless, pushing Ying down onto the Stone Bed and then pressing her body on top of him.

Ying stared at her blankly, a flash of unusual brilliance passing through his eyes.

"Brother, how's the taste?"

Brother? Ying suddenly let out a low laugh and swept his large arm around, flipping her over and pressing her beneath him. His breathing grew rapid. The Bonfire reflected Nan Qinghuan's flushed face, utterly adorable, making one unable to resist taking a nibble.

His throat burned hot, and his breathing gradually grew rapid. "Huaner, you're so beautiful."

"Beautiful?"

She let out a burp, breathing out a rich, fragrant scent. "What does a savage like you know about beautiful?"

Ying's breath fell on her face, hot and tingling. "Huaner, I want to..."

"You still want to drink? It's gone, it's all finished. Ying, you really can drink — such a big pot. Who could afford to keep you supplied?"

"Hehe..."

Ying suddenly found her drunk appearance truly adorable — no defenses, no hostility toward him. He even felt that Nan Qinghuan had completely accepted him.

Accepted everything about him, and was at ease living with him in this Tribe.

Nan Qinghuan saw him getting handsy, trying to take off her clothes. Her mind was completely muddled. "Don't move around, you can't, no..."

"Can't?"

This was unbearable!

He suddenly hiked up her skirt, his eyes full of desire. "Huaner, whether it works or not — try it and you'll know."

Sounds of slapping echoed through the Cave, mingling with the roaring Bonfire, dancing into the most moving melody.

When Nan Qinghuan woke again, Ying was watching over her with wide-open eyes. "Huaner, you're awake?"

She suddenly felt a terrible headache. She shrank back and saw the marks on the Stone Bed. Instantly, her head buzzed and she scrambled up. "Last night I..."

"Hehe..."

Ying couldn't stop grinning, and the look in his eyes was fervent. "Last night Huaner was really impressive — even knew how to entangle me."

"Impossible."

"Huaner got drunk, so she doesn't acknowledge what she did?"

Facing Ying's wicked smile, Nan Qinghuan patted her head. Good grief.

Drinking ruins things — ruins things!

She knew full well what kind of state she got into when drunk. Could it be that last night she had been the one to initiate... "Last night Huaner was very impressive. Let's continue tonight."

Ying smiled wickedly, then went to get some food for her. Soon, he actually produced a piece of yam. "Try it — you nearly lost your life to bring this back."

Seeing that he had roasted the yam, she quickly shook her head. "I don't want to eat. Let me go wash up first."

Ying knew she was particular about such things, so he let her be. Soon, after Nan Qinghuan washed up, she sat down and looked at Ying. Though she had transformed this Cave into a primitive home, it was still uncomfortable to live in.

It was too damp — you'd get Rheumatism.

"Huaner, what's wrong?"

"Ying, have you ever thought that life in the Tribe is too hard?"

As soon as she said this, Ying seemed to understand her meaning. He squatted beside her, seeming to feel he had wronged her. "Whatever Huaner wants to eat, I'll go hunt for you."

Seeing that he had misunderstood, she shook her head. "That's not what I mean. I'm not after things to eat. I just feel that the tribespeople live too hard a life. Ying, have you ever thought about changing them?"

"Change?"

Ying seemed to have pondered this question before, but his ancestors had all lived this way. When he took over the Tribe, this was the life it was — men hunted, women gathered fruit. How to change it? "That's right — change. Change their communal living situation, change living in caves. We can build beautiful houses, so everyone can have a home, live with their family, work together and be self-sufficient."

"Houses?"

Ying seemed to recall those wooden huts he had seen years ago. Were those called houses? "What Huaner says, I haven't not thought about either. It's just that no one among the tribespeople knows how to build houses. Those were for the noble Ape Tribe to live in."

"No, as long as you want it, it's possible. Ying, I can help you, help the tribespeople change the situation here. I can treat their illnesses now, and I'll also teach them some small life skills. But you have to cooperate with me — only then will I have the confidence to help them leave all this behind and live well, growing vegetables and farming and eating grains in the days to come."

Ying didn't seem to have much interest in her plans, and Nan Qinghuan wasn't in a hurry. Ying had grown up in this environment, so naturally it wouldn't be easy to change his thinking. But she had thought it through — since she was staying here, she had to make life better for herself, and she wanted to change things through her own efforts.

Ying just stared at her blankly. After a long while, he cut the yam into small pieces and handed it to her. "Eat first. As long as you can stay by my side, I'm willing to do whatever you want to do."

She suddenly realized they were truly talking past each other. "It's not about what I want to do — it's about what you want to do. Think about it: right now you take the men out hunting, leaving early and returning late, yet you bring back too little. Most people can't even eat meat. And those women — the females you call them — they only do fruit-gathering work. They could do much more: look after the home, look after the children. The men could follow you to clear land and farm. They could live better lives."

This time, Ying listened very seriously. He nodded. "Alright. As long as you don't run away, I'll go along with everything you say. Eat something first."

Sure enough, this man had noticed she wanted to run? Had she let it slip last night from drinking too much? She didn't remember what she had actually said. Fortunately, Ying didn't press further. Soon he was called away by Dashan, who said somewhere had been flooded. Ying took the men off to work. Nan Qinghuan was just about to go out and walk the bird, when suddenly, a ding-dong sound came from inside her mind.

"Ding-dong. The Host has been rewarded for contributions to ancient construction. Reward: stone wax and cotton wicks. Claim now?"

"Stone wax?"