Chapter 200: Night Bath by the River
No one knew whether Nan Xun’s words had finally awakened Chuxue, but when Nan Xun saw her the next day, she felt that Chuxue had completely changed. She was more confident, her eyes sparkling with starlight—full of longing for a new life.
Thinking about it, it made sense. As a modern woman suddenly transported to such a backward, otherworldly prehistoric society, it was understandable that she’d started out with a “just get by” mentality.
A Yu also seemed particularly spirited today. Nan Xun guessed that the two of them must have had a little something something last night, and while the iron was hot, Chuxue had poured her heart out to this prehistoric man.
Sure enough, A Yu didn’t bring up any more nonsense about “taking care of Axi.” He simply kept sending the meat he hunted over to Nan Xun. Whenever he ran into her, his gaze would dodge awkwardly, making things feel rather uncomfortable.
Nan Xun hadn’t wanted to accept his gifts at first, but she soon realized the meat had been roasted by Chuxue herself. Not only had Chuxue sprinkled salt on it, she’d also brushed a layer of fruit juice over the outside. The juice mixed with the rendered fat from grilling—ridiculously fragrant—and the meat was unbelievably tender.
So Nan Xun shamelessly accepted it. However much A Yu and Chuxue brought, she took it all, eating until her mouth was slick with grease.
Nan Xun could tell that Chuxue had fully integrated into the tribe. Before long, she began teaching the women how to weave grass sandals and sew shoulder bags and waist pouches. The waist pouches were for the men—tied around their waists and filled with fruit and Chuxue’s homemade jerky, convenient for quenching thirst and replenishing energy while hunting.
Chuxue also found a kind of clay suitable for firing pottery. After successfully baking their first ceramic bowl, the tribe’s women eagerly joined in shaping pottery. Even Nan Xun followed Chuxue in making several bowls and jars. Under Chuxue’s guidance, the men built a kiln specifically for firing pottery.
Ceramic bowls and jars quickly replaced the coconut shells previously used to hold water and food. And beyond that, salt became a huge hit among the tribe as well.
Chuxue’s prestige within the tribe kept rising.
Summer here was long—roughly equivalent to four or five months in Nan Xun’s original world, based on her observations. She still led the women out daily to gather wild fruit and vegetables. But for several days in a row, she hadn’t seen A Mang again.
It left her in a low mood.
The other women didn’t notice—only Chuxue knew.
When no one else was around, the two women whispered together.
“Axi, you don’t even know which tribe that man belongs to?” Chuxue said in surprise. “You don’t know who he is, and you still… still…”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish. She knew prehistoric people were quite open—she herself had often stumbled upon wild lovers stealing forbidden fruit in tall grass—but perhaps because Axi spoke Mandarin with her, Chuxue subconsciously treated Axi as the closest person to her, sometimes even pushing A Yu to the side.
Nan Xun sighed heavily. “That heartless bastard. Next time I run into him, I’ll kill him!”
Chuxue chuckled softly. “As if you could bear to. I’ve noticed your appetite’s been smaller these past few days—even the meat I roasted myself, you can’t finish it. Don’t tell me you’ve caught lovesickness?”
Nan Xun felt mortified. Was she really that obvious?
Fine—she admitted it. She really did miss that savage.
“Little Eight, can you at least give me a hint—who is that savage?” Nan Xun decided to ask her cheat system for help.
Little Eight said, “So you really are here on vacation, huh? Damn it, now you want me to help you find a man?”
Nan Xun immediately praised it, “My Little Eight is so handsome it splits the heavens!”
Little Eight turned gentle in a second. “Aww, it’s nothing—though I am indeed handsome. But darling, it’s really not that I won’t help. I only know the main storyline of this world—the events around the child of fortune. That savage from last time? I honestly have no impression of him. People I have no impression of fall into two types: one, a total background extra; two, cannon fodder.”
Nan Xun snorted. “I don’t believe it. Someone like A Mang—how could he be just a passerby or cannon fodder?”
Little Eight clicked its tongue. “No way, babe. You only had a little something something with him once and you’re already taking his side? Fine, I admit it—his body was top-tier, his stamina was top-tier too. It’s normal that you can’t forget him. I get it. Really. Totally get it.”
Nan Xun: …
Get it, my ass.
Nan Xun stopped talking to Little Eight—too exhausting. Chatting with Chuxue was much more pleasant.
With Chuxue around, Nan Xun had the finest grass sandals to wear, a snug bra, little underwear, camisoles—Chuxue was unbelievably considerate!
Nan Xun thought her own handiwork was decent, but compared to Chuxue’s, it didn’t even come close.
In the evenings, the women loved bathing in a small river near the tribe. Nan Xun and Chuxue were exceptions—both were rather shy.
When the women bathed, men from the tribe often passed by, joking and teasing now and then. The women were used to being topless and didn’t mind being seen—but damn, the river water was crystal clear. Nan Xun could see the underwater scenery just standing on the bank. The men’s eyes were shining like thieves’; they could definitely see even more!
Nan Xun refused to bathe during daylight—absolutely not.
Tonight, the moon was only a sickle’s width, but the stars were brilliant, filling the sky. The area around the tribe was mostly cleared land, with no towering trees to block the view. With one glance up, Nan Xun could see stars like diamonds scattered across the heavens.
She took a clean animal hide and some fragrant herbs and went alone to the river.
To avoid being disturbed, she followed the river upstream for a while.
Growing along both banks were trees that weren’t very tall but had abundant branches. Their roots dug deep into the damp soil, even extending into the river, arching into graceful curves. Interlaced, lush, gnarled branches reached insistently toward the water, as if trying to kiss the tall trees on the opposite bank.
Because the trees on both sides weren’t very tall, a wide strip of night sky was revealed above—just like a ribbon mirroring the river itself.
The river flowed gently. The brilliant stars in the sky seemed to have fallen into it, trembling with light, weaving a gorgeous, luminous ribbon.
The night sky was its backdrop; the stars its adornment; the quivering ripples its texture.
Nan Xun stepped into the ribbon, instantly scattering a patch of stars.
It was the height of summer. The river water was cool and clear, splashing against her skin—wonderfully refreshing.
She hung her camisole, wrap, underwear, and animal-skin skirt on a branch jutting out from the bank. The icy touch lifted her spirits, and she plunged straight into the water.
