Chapter 988, New Instrument

Translator: Silavin

 

Su Bai stood by the window watching the drizzling rain outside, his black eyes continuously watching the ground.

 

He had no other reason than he wanted to see what the Tribe’s drainage capacity was like after laying down the sewers.

 

*Pitter patter…*

*Splash splash…*

 

As raindrops fell from the sky, landing on the ground’s cement surface, they all ultimately converged together and flowed into the sewers. Looking out now, the ground was merely wet. No water accumulation into puddles appeared.

 

This was what Su Bai wanted to see. Otherwise, if the ground was full of accumulated water with puddles large and small, the Tribe during the rainy season would be completely impassable.

 

“Shaman, with the sewers and umbrellas, more and more people are coming out in the Tribe during the rainy season.” Ever since getting the sanitary pads, Yu Ying had become somewhat more cheerful overall.

 

In the Tribe’s previous rainy seasons, almost no one would go outside. Everyone stayed at home obediently. There was no other reason than because outside the Tribe was muddy soil everywhere.

 

While walking, they might even sink into a mud pit. Without someone to help, extracting themselves from it would be difficult.

 

Plus, everyone had no rain-blocking tools, so they even less wanted to go out and get soaked by the rain. That feeling was too unpleasant.

 

“Do you like the Tribe as it is now?” Su Bai smiled and asked.

 

“I do. I really like this kind of life. This is a life I’ve never had before.” Yu Ying blurted out without thinking.

 

Forget about liking it, Yu Ying had simply fallen in love with it. Where could you find such a good life? She dared guarantee that probably no Tribe could compare to their Flame Dragon Tribe.

 

“As long as you like it. In the future, our Tribe will get better and better.” Su Bai smiled faintly.

 

The current Flame Dragon Tribe was not particularly good to him yet. He wanted to completely transform this place into a modern city.

 

Of course, he needed to incorporate some primitive tribal characteristics to it. He wanted a simple, natural city, not a city where everyone schemed against each other.

 

Right now, looking around at cement houses and cement roads everywhere felt truly wonderful. Most importantly, the people living here were all very simple.

 

As long as they had meat to eat and a place to live, they were very satisfied. Such people were also easier to manage.

 

Of course, Flame Dragon Tribe’s current popularity was not particularly high yet. It was still far from being a modern city. What it lacked most right now was people.

 

The number of shops also was not enough. The variety of goods also was not abundant enough. Flame Dragon Tribe’s own distinctive features also were not obvious enough.

 

“I’m very much looking forward to it.” Yu Ying responded with a smile.

 

Yu Ying also blinked her pink eyes looking outside, full of anticipation for future life.

 

“Let’s go. Didn’t you say Lu Lu would bring some instruments over today?” Su Bai turned around.

 

Yesterday, Sha Lan had already reported that ever since Lu Lu started learning to make instruments, she could research all sorts of random instruments every day.

 

“Yes, she should be coming soon.” Yu Ying also turned around, preparing to make tea.

 

Ever since discovering tea leaves, Flame Dragon Tribe had started growing their own tea.

 

They had also picked, dried, and fried tea leaves before the rainy season arrived. Now they had already stored quite a lot.

 

*Step step step…* Just as the two were chatting, after receiving permission, Ye Jiu brought Lu Lu into the living room.

 

Following the two inside were also some instruments. Looking around, there were quite a few.

 

“Shaman, I’ve come to disturb you today. Please let the Shaman see whether the instruments I made are up to standard.”

 

Lu Lu had already learned etiquette. Upon entering, she performed a grand bow, impeccable in every aspect.

 

“Good. Show me.” Su Bai honestly felt somewhat expectant.

 

After all, more than ten days had passed. He didn’t know what state her instrument research had reached.

 

Lu Lu nodded excitedly, turning to pick up a round wooden instrument with several holes on it.

 

Smiling, she placed it at her lips and began puffing out her cheeks to blow air inside. While blowing, she covered all the holes on top.

 

As air continuously entered, Lu Lu’s fingers also began releasing one by one in sequence.

 

*Woo woo woo…*

 

The round wooden instrument also began emitting sounds in waves. They were deep, melodious sounds, absolutely not just plain noise.

 

As the holes opened one by one, the tones of the sounds blown out also differed, very similar to the modern do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti.

 

“Shaman, I’ve finished demonstrating. What do you think?” Lu Lu asked shyly.

 

Though her personality was originally lively, she was still before the Shaman after all, so she still felt somewhat constrained and awed.

 

“Very good. This instrument is worth promoting. The sound it produces is indeed pleasant. If blown according to sheet music, it would be a moving piece of music.”

 

Su Bai nodded with satisfaction. The sound blown from this instrument was somewhat similar to Earth’s xun (埙). (bottle shaped with holes around it)

 

The xun’s timbre was deep and vigorous, mellow and round like a human voice. No other instrument had a similar timbre.

 

Many people had experienced blowing into bottles. When the blown airflow encountered the bottle mouth edge, it produced an edge tone. The edge tone coupled with the air mass inside the bottle produced resonant vibration, emitting a melodious sound.

 

Actually, these were the basic conditions for producing an instrument. Almost all instruments had to possess such conditions.

 

Primitive Ancestors had many opportunities to blow into hollow cavities, so they also had the possibility of discovering an instrument.

 

As long as they found or created a cavity that could produce an air mass, opened a blowing hole and several finger holes on it, they had made an instrument.

 

Very obviously, the xun was also an instrument Lu Lu had discovered intentionally or unintentionally. The sound blown from it was indeed quite pleasant to the ears.

 

“Yes, thank you for the compliment. But what is sheet music?” Lu Lu was happy, but also heard an unfamiliar term.

 

However, she had also started learning Chinese characters, studying for a very long time every evening.

 

Apart from eating, sleeping, and working, Lu Lu spent almost all her time learning Chinese characters.

 

There was no other reason than to integrate into Flame Dragon Tribe faster, and also because she herself wanted to quickly become literate.

 

“It’s something that records pleasant melodies. Blow according to the records on the sheet music, as long as someone understands the instrument, they can blow pleasant music.” Su Bai explained simply.

 

Lu Lu lowered her head, struggling for a long time, then slowly raised her head to ask tentatively, “Shaman, could you possibly demonstrate? I really want to know about sheet music.”

 

Though she could make instruments, she did not know beautiful melodies, nor had any way to blow beautiful melodies.

 

Now that she knew something like sheet music existed, naturally she, who loved making instruments, wanted to know what beautiful melodies were like.