A Lively Winter

The snow fell all night long, and when they woke up the next morning, everything outside was covered in white, almost up to their knees. But the people of the Fire Tribe weren't worried at all; everyone went about their business as usual.

As soon as it was light, the men came out with wooden shovels to sweep the snow. First, they cleared the roofs of each house to prevent them from collapsing under the weight of the snow. Then they cleared the roads from their homes to important places like granaries and livestock pens.

"This snow is really thick!" Dali shouted as he shoveled snow. "Much thicker than last year!"

"Thicker is better," said the leader of the Jianshi, who was also working with a wooden shovel. "The market will be better next spring."

Once the road was mostly swept, the aroma of food wafted out. Now that the tribe has a large population, meals are divided into sections. Each section has a large house serving as the dining hall, where the women take turns cooking.

This morning we had rice porridge with dried wild vegetables and minced meat. Everyone got a big bowl, and it was so warm and comforting.

The newcomers held their bowls, utterly incredulous. In their original tribe, in this weather, finding some dried fruit to fill their stomachs would be a luxury, let alone such hot porridge.

A young man named Shangen had just arrived in the autumn. He whispered to his companion, "This is the first time in my life I've been able to eat my fill on a winter morning."

His companion nodded vigorously. "Coming to the Fire Tribe was definitely the right decision!"

After dinner, it's time to learn to read. This is the most exciting thing in the tribe right now.

In Wang Yan's large house, several hearths were lit, making it very warm. The students learning to read were divided into several groups:

Jianshi and Jianya, the adults, sat together, studying very diligently. Jianya, who now manages the tribe's warehouse, has found his job much easier after learning to keep accounts in writing.

"This character for 'cow' is good," Jianshi said, pointing to the character on the bamboo board. "Just draw a cow's head, and you'll understand immediately."

The other group consisted of Qingye and the women. They were responsible for managing the food and clothing of the entire family, so learning to count was very important.

"The three characters for '' are 'zhong', which means many people," Qingye taught patiently, "Our tribe is now a tribe with many people."

The most lively part was the group of children. A few quick learners acted as little teachers, instructing the other children with Shibang.

"A hand! It's a hand!" A child held up a drawing he had made; although it was crooked and messy, you could tell it was the shape of a hand.

"I wrote it right! I wrote it right!" Another child jumped up excitedly; he had just written the character for "fire" correctly on the board with charcoal.

Wang Yan walked around the room, teaching anyone who didn't understand. He was very happy to see this. These simple words were like seeds, taking root and sprouting in everyone's hearts.

The snow stopped at noon, and the clansmen in charge of raising livestock hurried to the livestock pens to get busy.

Inside the cattle pen, more than seventy cattle were eating fodder. These were the tribe's treasures, and they couldn't bear to kill a single one.

"It's cold, they need to be fed better."

Over at the pigpen, more than two hundred pigs were grunting and squealing as they fought over food. These pigs were the tribe's main source of meat.

The tribespeople are milking their sheep. This milk is for the children and elderly in the tribe, and it's believed to make them stronger.

The busiest area is where chickens, ducks, and rabbits are raised. There are over three thousand chickens and ducks, and nearly two thousand rabbits. It takes a lot of manpower just to feed them every day.

"We collected over two hundred eggs today!" the woman in charge of collecting the eggs shouted happily.

Rabbits reproduce too quickly, so winter is a good time to eat them. I'm slaughtering twenty rabbits today for an extra meal tonight.

It gets dark early, and after dinner, everyone gathers in the big room again. This is the most relaxing time of the day.

Tonight, the shaman will tell everyone about the tribe's history. But this time is different; next to him is a large animal hide with charcoal drawings and words on it.

"This is our Fire Tribe's first chief," the shaman said, pointing to a human figure in the painting, "He led everyone to this valley."

Then he pointed to a fire symbol. "This is our tribe's fire, it has never been extinguished."

The newcomers listened very attentively. They were now also members of the Fire Tribe, and hearing about their tribe's history felt especially heartwarming.

After the history was told, someone started singing. They sang hunting songs and farming songs; the tunes were simple, but full of power.

Wang Yan sat in a corner, watching the lively scene. The firelight reflected on everyone's faces as they laughed and sang. He remembered when he first came to this world, his tribe was still struggling to get enough to eat. Now, not only could they eat their fill, but they could also sit here learning to read and sing.

This winter, the Fire Tribe reaped a great harvest:

There was enough food and meat, and everyone was well-fed.

The old and new members of the tribe have integrated very well, and everyone feels that they belong to the Fire Tribe.

Most importantly, I've started learning to read. Although I only know a few dozen characters now, it's already very useful.

Before going to bed that night, the leader of the Jianshi said to Qingye, "Now I finally understand why Yan made everyone learn to read. Look, it's so much easier to keep accounts and pass on messages now."

Qingye was sewing. "Yes," she said, "The children learn faster than we do. They'll definitely be better than us in the future."