Chapter 779: Night Scorpion Hunting

That very evening, during the meal, Che announced to everyone: "Everyone, starting from today, in the evenings, you may use tools to catch scorpions and centipedes. Catch them and kill them, just keep the carcasses intact. I will calculate your grain based on the count, and you will be rewarded."

"Right now, those green stones are temporarily hard to find in any quantity, but as long as you can find them, you will still be rewarded. As for scorpions and centipedes, for every one hundred, I will reward you with a bowl of grain."

Afterward, Che showed everyone the tools: "Here are the tools for catching scorpions, including tongs and needles. Those of you who want to earn more grain in the evening can go to the Leader to collect them. Just return them after use. Aside from the needles, which must not be kept privately, you don't need to worry too much about the others."

"Whether they are broken or damaged, it is no problem; you will not be punished. Just let us know if they break. The number of tools is limited and there are not enough for everyone, so it is first come, first served. How many you can catch depends on your own ability."

At this, a Laborer asked in confusion: "Leader Che, aren't scorpions poisonous insects that sting people? Why catch those things?"

Che naturally would not tell them the real reason, but instead gave them a reason that was convincing enough for everyone: "It is precisely because they sting people and cause us injury that we are catching them. Once we have caught them all, won't we be safe?"

"No matter how many scorpions there are, with so many of us catching them together, there will come a day when we have caught them all. As for why we want the carcasses intact, it is just to encourage everyone to be proactive. This is beneficial for everyone; the fewer there are, the more peacefully everyone can work and sleep."

"If there were no rewards, some would be willing to catch them, while others would only want to sleep. Once or twice would be fine, but after a long time, would anyone still be willing to catch them? As long as you catch enough, we won't have to worry about the scorpion problem anymore, and you will be able to take more grain back. Isn't that the best thing, right?"

The people below echoed repeatedly: "That's right, that's right! I want to go catch them!"

Che was very satisfied with the mobilization effect. He never thought this would be a difficult task; as long as there was enough grain to tempt them, let alone catching scorpions, they would be willing to do even more dangerous things.

"However, I must warn you: catch enough and that's it. Don't stay out too late, pay attention to resting, and do not delay the next day's work. You must also be careful not to get stung. If you are poisoned too severely to work, you will have no food to eat, do you understand? Your leave is limited."

"At night, you must also go in groups and not wander too far. Our Soldiers will not be protecting you the entire time; they will only be near the Battalion. You must look after your own safety. If there are wild beasts, remember to drive them away and return quickly. Safety first."

No one could dislike a Leader who cared for everyone so much. The people of the Xuanyuan Tribe here did not feel like outsiders. Working here felt even better than in the Xuanyuan Tribe, so they were very willing to listen to Che's words.

Once the necessary reminders were finished, Che shouted to everyone: "Now, those who do not want to catch scorpions can go back to rest and sleep. Those who want to catch them, go collect your tools. Alright, that is all, you are dismissed."

After finishing, Che left directly. He would not go catch scorpions himself; it was time to sleep when the time came. Life here was quite regular, and he was already feeling quite sleepy.

The others also went into their Tents to prepare for sleep. Today, Xi and Zhong had only roughly learned about the surrounding terrain and other information from Che; their specific work could only officially begin tomorrow.

The Laborers gathered in twos and threes, discussing whether anyone wanted to earn this portion of grain. One hundred scorpions for a bowl of grain was indeed a very cost-effective deal, and since they only needed dead scorpions and not live ones, there was no difficulty in catching them.

In addition, they had to ensure safety at night, so they had to travel in groups. Those with this idea asked each other, formed teams, and quickly went to the Leader in charge of logistics to collect tools.

Those who could not find teammates in time, or who had watched for too long, found that there were none left when they went to collect tools. They could only return to sleep with some regret. A considerable number of Laborers were unwilling to risk their lives at night to earn this grain; the day's work was already tiring enough, and it was better to sleep early.

They also did not feel that they would be able to take that much grain back when they left. The extra grain they received now had some Pottery Jars to hold it, but that was only temporarily provided by Huaxia. What if the Pottery Jars were taken back when they left? What would happen to that grain?

Even if there was a way to take it back, once they returned home to the Xuanyuan Tribe, would that grain still belong to them? Would it be confiscated by those Leaders? Since the future was uncertain, it was better to just earn their own two meals. Anyway, they could eat their fill, and now they not only felt stronger but had also gained weight. Returning to the Xuanyuan Tribe, their bodies would surely allow them to get better work and be reused; there was still a future.

Those who received the tools also received pine sticks that had been cut down. Some dead pine trees had trunks that looked transparent, with excellent oil content and a strong fragrance. The biggest advantage was that they ignited instantly when used for fire and burned for a long time, so after finding this excellent firewood in Xiao Town, a great deal was collected.

Now the teams that had been formed knew what to do. One person would carry a Torch to light the way and look for scorpions, while also paying attention to the surrounding environment to see if any wild beasts were hiding. The other person would hold the tools, ready to catch scorpions at any time.

The tool for holding scorpions was a Bamboo Tube. Due to the climate in Xiao Town, one could not see a trace of bamboo, but because Bamboo Tubes were a very good type of container for this era, for Huaxia, they only needed to use a saw to cut one to obtain a Bamboo Tube. They were cheap and could be found everywhere.

Unlike Pottery, which had to be fired and carried the risk of breaking, one did not need to worry about such things with Bamboo Tubes, though their capacity was relatively small. If one was willing to put in the effort, one could even carve a stopper to seal the opening, making them even more useful.

The supplies brought to Xiao Town included a large number of Bamboo Tubes and Pottery. Although Pottery was difficult to transport and heavy, Xiao Town would need it later, so transporting it over now was completely worthwhile. Even if the Bamboo Tubes were thrown away after use, it was not a waste. With so many Laborers, Bamboo Tubes were needed for eating and drinking.