Chapter 1126, Something Utterly Out of Place Among Primitives

Translator: Silavin

 

Su Bai sat staring at what the System had produced today, dazed. It had been a while since he’d seen anything like this.

 

What had come out of the System was a pair of underpants.

 

That was right, Underpants!

 

For Su Bai, a man of the modern world, this was the most ordinary thing imaginable. But it was precisely because the thing was so ordinary that it became extraordinary in the primitive age.

 

He had been in this era for quite some time now. Apart from the pair he had arrived wearing, he had not seen any others since. And throughout this past year or more, the System had never once produced underpants. He naturally did not have the faintest idea why it had sent him this today.

 

So he sat there, a little blank. There was no other reason than him just thinking over it.

 

“Shaman, why are these pants so short?” Yu Ying walked out carrying a pot of soup.

 

Yu Ying’s attention had fixed entirely on the way Su Bai was stretching the underpants out between his hands, as though he were testing its give.

 

“*Ahem…* These are worn underneath pants.” Su Bai coughed awkwardly a few times and quickly tucked them away.

 

“Worn underneath? You mean people wear a pair of pants?” Yu Ying could not make sense of it.

 

“You could think of it that way. With something like this, daily tasks become a bit more practical.” Su Bai smiled a little.

 

He suddenly felt that he ought not to be this embarrassed about this. There was nothing shameful about it at all.

 

Besides, this was, by any measure, a remarkable invention. The convenience it offered was difficult to overstate.

 

“Wearing two pairs of pants makes it more practical? I don’t quite understand.” Yu Ying had no reference for anything from the modern world.

 

“How to explain it… let me put it this way. Not everyone in our Tribe has been able to get clothing made from linen yet, have they?” Su Bai asked.

 

“That’s right, Shaman.” Yu Ying answered seriously.

 

“So right now, what they’re wearing are skirts made from animal hide, or skirts made from dried grass?” Su Bai continued.

 

“Yes.” Yu Ying nodded again.

 

“There’s a problem. Compared to proper pants, a skirt made of animal hide is quite impractical, isn’t it? Apart from limiting movement in all sorts of ways, isn’t it also very easy for things to become… exposed?” Su Bai asked earnestly.

 

Yu Ying tilted her head in puzzlement and scratched. “Shaman, what does ‘exposed’ mean?”

 

“Hmm…” Su Bai froze on the spot for a moment. He recovered and said, “It means that when you’re wearing a skirt and you crouch down, the parts of you that shouldn’t be seen by others end up being seen.”

 

He had thought nothing of it initially. After all, he had thought nothing of it back in the modern world either.

 

But saying something like this to the naïve young girl standing in front of him felt, in the moment, genuinely awkward.

 

“I understand! The short pants you were holding just now are worn underneath, so even if you crouch down in a skirt it doesn’t matter. Is that it, Shaman?” Yu Ying grasped it immediately.

 

“Exactly.” Su Bai let out a breath and pressed his palm lightly to his forehead.

 

He watched Yu Ying’s expression. She seemed entirely unbothered by it. It seemed he had worried for nothing.

 

“Then this really is useful. Everyone in the Tribe could wear two pants then, and nobody would ever have to worry about… about being exposed.” Yu Ying took a moment to remember the word.

 

“So you think this is something that should be made available to everyone?” Su Bai asked.

 

He had been uncertain about whether to promote the idea at all. After all, wearing underpants was not part of the people’s habits here.

 

To suddenly expect them to start wearing underwear did feel somewhat strange.

 

“I don’t think it would be a problem. You just explain it to everyone, and something this useful will be accepted without question.” Yu Ying nodded without hesitation.

 

“You’re right. Then let’s have the clothing workshop produce a batch. We’ll have the senior members try them first, and then roll them out more broadly.” Su Bai nodded.

 

“Alright. Though I expect they won’t know how to make them. Can you provide a drawing for them to reference, Shaman?” Yu Ying asked, blinking her rosy eyes.

 

The people of the Flame Dragon Tribe had come to rely heavily on Su Bai’s drawing. To them, a drawing was the answer to everything.

 

Whether it was constructing buildings, laying out roads, or making clothing, there was not a single thing that did not involve Su Bai drawing it out.

 

“Easy. I’ll draw a few in a moment and give them to you. Have them study the drawings, and then they can start production.” Su Bai said easily.

 

Other things might be tricky to draw, but diagrams for underpants were quite simple. It came down to just a few panels of fabric, whichever way one looked at it.

 

And he already had a clear idea of the style he wanted. Boxer briefs. That was what he would make.

 

Only boxer briefs offered enough coverage. They were also less likely to cause any exposure.

 

Introducing briefs to everyone right at the start would certainly be uncomfortable. Those who knew, knew why. Apart from the fabric working its way in between movements until it resembled a thong, nearly any kind of motion could bring about that same result.

 

Having the fabric suddenly work its way inward was very uncomfortable. That sort of experience would turn people against the whole idea of underpants.

 

Su Bai had lived through that discomfort himself. There was no possible way he was going to produce briefs.

 

“Alright.” Yu Ying flicked her fox tail.

 

“Wait, there are a few other things that need to be made as well.” Su Bai said quietly.

 

Another thought had taken hold of him. Since he was already introducing underpants, he ought to introduce the other essential undergarments at the same time.

 

That was to say: a fitted upper garment for women. This was equally important.

 

It would improve the overall physical health of the women in the Tribe. Going without support every day was not ideal.

 

“What else are you going to draw, Shaman?” Yu Ying asked, puzzled.

 

“This is something made specifically for you women. It’s a bit more ‘involved’.” Su Bai scratched the back of his head.

 

He needed to call up as much of his memory as he could about the construction of fitted garments for women, otherwise he would not be able to draw it properly.

 

“Made specifically for us?” Yu Ying’s face went red all of a sudden.

 

“That’s right. It’s with your health in mind as well. This seems like a good opportunity to introduce them both at once.” Su Bai nodded.

 

He had not even noticed that Yu Ying’s delicate face had gone red. He was already trying to draw from memory on his own account.

 

“Shaman, do you need my help?” Yu Ying asked, lowering her head.

 

Su Bai heard that something was off in her voice. He turned around and saw Yu Ying’s flushed face.

 

He smiled a little. “It’s alright. You can see it once it’s finished. That works just as well.”

 

Su Bai reckoned Yu Ying had probably already worked out what he was drawing. After all, he had said it was for women, and what women had that men did not was quite obvious.

 

“Yes.” Yu Ying gave a firm nod.

 

She immediately picked up the vegetable basket from the floor and bolted out of the Yong’an Building at high speed.

 

She announced she was going to the fields to pick some fresh vegetables, and was gone before anyone could say another word.