Chapter 428, Plow and Wool

Translator: Silavin

 

Su Bai completed the drawing before having people prepare materials for its production, after all, this was a major project.

 

It was no longer as simple as previously making tables, chairs, or small items. This had to be manufactured to very strict standards; if not made properly, accidents could occur and deaths,

 

So, this matter needed to be treated with caution. The production must be strictly monitored, and he would personally oversee this project.

 

After giving all instructions, Su Bai began preparing for the next tasks, as there were still many things to be done in the Tribe.

 

For example, teaching cattle to help plow the fields was very important for his future plans.

 

They had manually plowed the new fields due to urgent need. Otherwise, they would have used the cattle to do it after making the plows and teaching them.

 

Now, with some free time, Su Bai needed to teach the cattle how to pull the plows forward, which would free up considerable manpower.

 

“The plow’s shape is like this,” Su Bai sketched on paper with his pen, continuing to mutter, “This part should be drawn like this…”

 

He planned to first make the plows, then teach the cattle how to wear it and plow the fields.

 

“Shaman, what is a plow?” Yu Ying asked.

 

“A plow is a farming tool for tilling land. It is very convenient, much simpler than having Warriors using hoes to dig the ground.” Su Bai briefly explained.

 

A plow consists of a heavy blade at the end of a crossbeam, usually attached to an animal that pulls it. The plow would break up soil clumps and create furrows to prepare for sowing.

 

Back on Earth, the modern farming tool was called a plow, while in ancient times it was called ‘Wei (未)’, reportedly invented by the legendary Shen Nong (神农).

 

The creation of the plow solved many problems for the people and freed up considerable manpower.

 

Without plows, many people had to manually dig the ground with tools, which was not only time-consuming but also exhausting.

 

But since the introduction of the plow, one only needed to attach it to livestock and let the animals walk forward, and the tool would naturally break the soil into small pieces.

 

At that point, people could use farm tools to break these small pieces into finer soil.

 

To develop agriculture on a large scale, freeing up the labour force was a top priority. Otherwise, relying solely on manual labour would be far too slow.

 

What they needed now was speed and efficiency; otherwise, with the drastic weather conditions here, the fields could not be plowed before the rainy season or the snow season arrived. When either of these terrible seasons came, forget about planting crops, even survival would be challenging.

 

“But this looks very complicated. Can we really handle it?” Yu Ying asked. She found the drawing on the paper very strange, far much more complex than a hoe.

 

After all, a hoe was connected to a stick, which made it convenient to hold. But the plow looked big and complex, certainly inconvenient if one were to carry it.

 

“Hahaha!” Su Bai laughed and continued, “This isn’t meant to be held in our hands, but mounted on cattle.”

 

[Silly girl. How could such a large and complex tool be operated by hand? This tool is to be mounted directly on cattle, letting the animal do the work. Cattles are much stronger than us Humans – if we don’t consider Totem Warriors. By attaching the plow to them, a large field could be plowed in no time. If one used a hoe by hand, it would take a considerable amount of time. An ordinary person might not even finish plowing a field after the day has ended.]

 

“Mounted on cattle?” Yu Ying widened her pink eyes and asked in confusion, “Is that what the cattle are originally for?”

 

She was taken aback. She never imagined that the cattle they brought back were meant for plowing. [But didn’t the Shaman say the cattle are meant to be eaten? Why are they now being used for plowing?]

 

“When I brought those cattle back, this was my main purpose. They are primarily used to help develop the Tribe, and secondarily as a food source.” Su Bai nodded.

 

Currently, they only had about a dozen cattle, so they could not be used for food yet; they needed to breed more. Only after their number reached the hundreds could they consider using them for food. For now, all cattle would be used for labour.

 

Su Bai planned to have the cattle start plowing as soon as the plows were made.

 

“I see, but will those cattle obey?” Yu Ying asked. Her thoughts were simple. Since they were beasts, they must surely be difficult to control, right?

 

“Have you forgotten? I’ve used my Shaman Technique on them, so they’ll definitely obey.” Su Bai smiled.

 

Actually, even without using the Taming Skill, those cattle would never act too aggressive unless it was to protect a cub. After all, their temperament and appearance were similar to those on Earth, they were just larger in size.

 

“Oh right, I almost forgot about that.” Yu Ying suddenly remembered and continued, “Shaman, if the cattle are for plowing, then what about the sheep? Are they the same?”

 

After thinking about the cattle, she thought about the sheep, since sheep were similar in size to cattle. The only difference between them was that one had no fur, while the other was covered in white wool.

 

“No, those sheep have other uses,” Su Bai shook his head.

 

Yu Ying tilted her head and asked in confusion, “Shaman, what are the sheep used for?”

 

“Do you see the fur on their bodies? That’s wool. All that wool can be harvested, and when winter comes, it can be made into warm coats.” Su Bai smiled.

 

Sheep wool was the best and warmest material, even in modern day. They were practically a luxury in this Primitive Tribe.

 

He did not know if other Tribes had sheep, but he knew their sheep were hard to come by.

 

These sheep were all brought back one by one from the distant Hunting Ground, each one extremely precious.

 

“But if we take off their wool, won’t the sheep die?” Yu Ying questioned, pouted a little, not wanting them to die.

 

Although Primitive Tribes all ate meat and would not care much about anything else as long as there was meat, Yu Ying had personally cared for these sheep since they were brought back. She was naturally reluctant to have them killed for some wool.

 

“Silly girl, those sheep won’t die from this.” Su Bai laughed, surprised that she would be so compassionate and think of this.

 

“Really?” Yu Ying immediately widened her pink eyes.

 

Actually, her heart had dropped after hearing they would take the sheeps’ wool. After all, for the Tribes, fur or coats could only be obtained after the killing and skinning of the animal. However, since it was the Shaman’s decision, she did not want to say much. Now, upon hearing they would not be killed, she was elated.