The seeds of knowledge in the Fire Tribe

Heavy snow has sealed off the mountains, covering the valleys of the Fire Tribe with a thick blanket of snow, like a giant white quilt. The biting wind howls outside the valley, but is weakened by the towering earthen walls and layers of houses, eventually turning into wisps of cold air that seep through. Outdoor work has almost come to a standstill, and Hunting Team have reduced their long journeys, only setting traps nearby or conducting short patrols. The entire tribe seems to have entered a slow and profound rhythm of "hibernation."

However, beneath this apparent tranquility lies a more orderly and focused vitality than ever before. Several core tasks proposed by Wang Yan in the winter development plan are being carried out vigorously during this relatively "free" time.

In the most secluded corner of the valley, the furnaces in the secret forge burn day and night, but the firelight is strictly concealed, and the smoke is specially guided to blend into the daily cooking smoke as much as possible. The atmosphere here is tense and focused.

With the experience gained from previous successful smelting and forging, and the last few batches of ore transported back from Colorful Stone Mountain, the craftsmen, under Wang Yan's guidance, began to attempt a more challenging task—creating bronze shipbuilding tools.

The heavy Shichui and flint tools were abandoned. In their place came newly forged bronze chisels, bronze adzes, bronze planes, bronze drills, and improved woodworking saws with bronze teeth, all with a dark bluish luster. Although these tools were still crude, their sharpness, hardness, and durability far surpassed those of the Stone Age.

"Ding--Clang--!"

"Laugh--"

The rhythmic clanging of metal and the whirring of wood cutting echoed in the secret workshop. The craftsmen carefully used their precious tools to work on the huge logs that had been air-dried for a long time and brought from the warehouse. Their goal was clear: to prepare all the key hull components, especially the keel, ribs, and planks, in advance for the "Great Ship Project" to officially launch next spring.

Meanwhile, another group of craftsmen, under Wang Yan's personal supervision, were conducting small-scale trial production of bronze weapons. Molds for spearheads, arrowheads, and short swords were meticulously crafted. Molten bronze was carefully poured in, cooled to obtain rough blanks, and then repeatedly forged, shaped, and polished. Each completed bronze weapon was regarded as a treasure, personally inspected by Jianshi Shi, and then stored in the most confidential armory. The number was small, but the significance was extraordinary.

Unlike the secretive heat of the blacksmith's quarters, another kind of "fire" was burning in the empty rooms next to several larger public houses or chieftain's mansions—it was the gaze of those seeking knowledge and the "scratching" sound of charcoal pencils tracing rough clay slabs or smoothed pieces of wood.

The "Literacy and Arithmetic Class" organized by Wang Yan officially started after the winter snow. The first batch of students numbered about fifty, including:

• Outstanding and quick-witted core members of the Youth Team (such as Shibang, Yingmu, etc.).

• Young managers promoted from Hunting Team and various production groups.

• Several ordinary tribespeople (regardless of gender) who demonstrated a strong desire to learn and exceptional memory and comprehension abilities.

The teaching space was simple, even rudimentary. There were no tables or chairs; everyone sat on the floor around a central charcoal brazier. Wang Yan and several of his earliest "teaching assistants" (including his younger brother Shouchai, who has now grown into a quiet and studious young man) used charcoal to write pictographs stroke by stroke on whitewashed earthen walls, smooth stone slabs, or specially made sand trays.

"Look, doesn't this character look like a person standing in a field? That's the character for 'person'."

"This, the top is the roof, the bottom is the pig, together it makes 'home.' A home is one with a house and livestock."

One horizontal line is one; two horizontal lines are two; three horizontal lines are three... So, how do we write four? Let's take a look...

Starting with the simplest numbers, everyday objects, and natural phenomena, Wang Yan closely connects words with life, making learning intuitive and fun. He not only teaches recognizing characters but also introduces very simple addition and subtraction operations, using methods such as placing Xiaoshi or drawing marks to help students understand the concept of quantity and basic calculations.

Initially, these trainees, accustomed to physical labor, found it incredibly difficult. Their hands trembled more holding the charcoal pencils than when holding Shimao, and they felt dizzy and disoriented looking at the crooked symbols. But Wang Yan was extremely patient, explaining repeatedly and using practical examples of tribal management (such as counting heads and distributing food) to illustrate the importance of literacy and numeracy. The warmth of the charcoal fire, the wise man's calm voice, and the equally earnest expressions of their companions gradually dispelled their fear of difficulty.

Gradually, some students began to recognize their own names, some could calculate simple prey distribution, and some even drew crooked "sun," "moon," "mountain," and "water" on the sand table... Whenever someone made a small step forward, it would draw sincere praise and encouragement from their companions. An unprecedented thirst for and respect for knowledge quietly sprouted in this small classroom.

Besides specific production and teaching, this winter is also a valuable time for the Fire Tribe's top leadership to conduct in-depth strategic planning and unify their thinking.

Jianshi, Wang Yan, Jianya, Dali, and others often gathered together to repeatedly deduce and discuss the increasingly detailed maps (which they were now drawing on larger, tanned animal hides using charcoal pencils and simple pigments).

They analyzed the Wolf Tribe's movements, assessing the potential direction and timing of any threats they might pose.

They tried to figure out the Fish Tribe's intentions, and considered Canglan's bottom line and possible actions.

They planned the reclamation sites and irrigation canal routes for thousands of acres of new farmland next spring.

They refined the design of the large ship and discussed the potential challenges of exploring the upper reaches of the Fish River and the supplies that needed to be carried.

They even began to vaguely envision how the tribal management structure might need to be further refined when the population expands to a larger scale, and how to ensure the smooth implementation of policies and the cohesion of the people.

These discussions often continue late into the night.