This tribe is truly impoverished; the main food source is the meat from wild animals.
Besides, there are various grains and fruits.
The primary tools are stone knives and stone axes. In other words, this is the primitive stone tool era for humans.
Feeling pain all over his body, Minh Vu stepped out of the cave, which was filled with an unpleasant odor.
The cave entrance was a small hole about half a meter wide, leading to the outside, blocked by a large stone.
As he crawled out of the cave, he was greeted by a magnificent scene, surrounded by towering mountains, echoing with the sounds of chirping birds.
The cave's location was quite high, providing a wide field of view.
He descended along a trail.
The hiding place of the Stone Tribe had an excellent position, leaning against the mountain slope with a large grassland in front.
According to his memory, every winter, the large stone tribe loses at least 15-20 members, mostly elderly and young children who lack the strength to survive the harsh winter.
Some die from exposure while searching for food, while others perish from hunger or extreme cold due to insufficient animal hides for warmth.
As per the usual barter rules, dried meat is used as the exchange unit.
Approximately 3 kg of dried meat can be exchanged for one animal hide, 3 bags of dried meat can be exchanged for a bag of salt, or 10 bags of dried meat can be exchanged for an adult woman.
Prices vary with the seasons; for example, during summer and autumn, prices drop slightly, while during winter, both food and animal hides become more valuable.
Especially during winter, the value of a human decreases significantly. It may take 5 bags of dried meat to exchange for one adult.
While he is immersed in a grand plan, the other wild humans show little interest in his activities.
They simply offer reminders, as time is of the essence.
The item the Large Stone Tribe is desperately seeking is a type of root with relatively high starch content, slightly sweet and as large as a lemon.
He doesn't know the name of this root but it is edible and can be stored for the winter.
However, due to the prolonged dry season this year, the yield is very low.
According to Vu, with the number of Stone Beads they have, it's likely there won't be enough food to survive the winter.
Therefore, the Large Stone Tribe has to venture into more distant areas to find food, which is why his mother was attacked by a pack of wolves.
By midday, his simple fish trap is complete.
Although it looks extremely crude, without any sophistication, it serves its purpose perfectly.
The trap is 1 meter long and 0.4 meters wide, with an opening large enough for a fish the size of a forearm to enter. He then uses a bone knife to dig for earthworms, catch insects, and place them inside the fish trap as bait.
There was also a stream flowing through, making it not only suitable for foraging but also close to a water source.
However, Vu couldn't understand why the Stone Tribe was so small and weak.
From the elevated view, he could see many children and women digging something, while others were catching insects on the red field, turning yellow.
While observing the surroundings, a sudden dry hand patted him on the back. Minh Vu was startled but regained his composure because it was Vu comforting him.
Vu held a vital position in the Stone Tribe. He had an old, frail body, skinny as a stick, and held a club made of white bone.
"You! Don't be sad! You grow up! Kill wolves! Seek revenge!" Vu spoke in strange words, but Minh Vu could understand that Vu was trying to console him.
Minh Vu nodded slightly, then looked towards the stream under that field, pointing to ask Vu for permission to go down there.
Vu blinked a few times, then showed a contemplative expression.
Afterward, he pulled a bone knife from his chest, which looked very primitive but seemed extremely valuable based on how Vu held it.
Vu handed Minh Vu a bone knife longer than a palm, and then nodded slightly.
Though it seemed close, the distance from the cave to the stream was about 1.5 km.
Along the way, Minh Vu continuously observed and studied the vegetation in this field.
Most of the field was filled with miscellaneous grasses with long and sharp blades, indicating that the region he lived in was a subtropical area with distinct seasons. According to the characteristics of vegetation in a subtropical climate, he could roughly estimate the distribution of various plants and animals in this area.
Along the way, he saw many people from the tribe working.
Several women and elderly people were using long, sharp stones to dig into the ground, then pulling out something round and brown, which seemed to be food.
The energetic children were constantly catching insects.
They weren't just playing; these insects were edible, either eaten alive or grilled over a fire.
Seeing Minh Vu approaching the stream, many eyes focused on him, and two children along with an old man walked over to observe.
Minh Vu pointed to the stream and said, "Fish! Catch fish!"
However, the old man shook his head.
"No fish! Water fast! Fish run fast! Can't catch!" The old man not only shook his legs but also waved his hands to illustrate.
So, it wasn't that the Stone Tribe didn't want to catch fish; it was just that they couldn't. Minh Vu realized that near the end of autumn, although the fish were large, it was extremely difficult to catch them without suitable tools.
The ideal time to catch fish was at the end of summer when the scorching heat dried up the stream, allowing for easier fishing. But now, it was not the right time. Therefore, the old man was stopping Minh Vu from doing useless work because there was no time to waste; winter was approaching, and they needed to stockpile many stones to survive the harsh winter.
This was just the Stone Tribe's way of thinking. However, for Minh Vu, it was different. He grew up in an agricultural family, and catching fish was a common activity for him.
Since his hometown was in the Mekong Delta, which is abundant with rivers and water.
To catch fish, you needed tools, and Minh Vu observed the surroundings for a while, then searched for materials to make a fish trap.
A fish trap was a common trap made of bamboo, allowing fish to enter but not exit.
Moreover, this trap was extremely simple and easy to make; the materials used didn't necessarily have to be bamboo.
Small sticks and vines would do.
Determined, Minh Vu immediately began his work.
First, he peeled the bark off the trees and used a bone knife to cut small sticks with his little finger. It took more than an hour to finish.
By this time, the sun had risen high, and the early morning sun warmed the chilly air of late autumn.
However, Minh Vu had no mood to notice how the weather had changed. He needed to create a fishing tool to obtain more food. As long as there was food, he and his tribe would survive through winter.