Afterward, he found a calm water area and tightly secured the fish trap with a rope before tossing it into the water. Everything was set, just waiting for the results.
The water flow was smooth, without any waves, and the color of the water was cool.
Based on his estimation, the streambed was quite deep, at least around 2 meters. However, the spot where he released the trap was shallower, about 1 meter.
While waiting, he had to find something to eat, as the tribe was short on food.
They only had two meals a day – morning and evening – with fasting during midday, typically left to fend for themselves in finding food.
As he turned around, water splashed up from beneath the stream, creating continuous ripples.
Then, bubbles and mud emerged from the streambed, with the rope holding the fish trap constantly jerking.
"So fast?" Minh Vu exclaimed with excitement.
He immediately used his strength to pull the fish trap quickly, filled with eager anticipation.
Each jerk transmitted through the rope gave him a sensation of pulling a disobedient ox.
Ecstatically, it seemed that catching fish was indeed easy with such a plentiful source of fish, promising a large amount of food storage.
After struggling for nearly 5 minutes, he finally managed to pull the fish trap onto the shore.
It turned out to be a hefty catch. When lifted just above the water surface, the boiling water splashed, revealing dark-colored fish with white bellies.
There were a total of 6 fish in the trap, varying in size from small ones the size of a forearm to the largest ones equivalent to a calf.
This catch seemed to weigh nearly 10 kg.
All these fish belonged to the same species, black-backed with white bellies, no scales, and six small whiskers along the edges.
The side fins had developed into sharp spines over 5 cm long.
It appeared to be a smooth-skinned fish. This type of fish had firm flesh but was very fishy if not properly handled.
Minh Vu breathed heavily for a moment.
At this point, his body returned to normal, and it was evident that the body was weak primarily due to a lack of salt, leading to this condition.
To obtain salt, food was needed to exchange with the Stone Tribe.
Minh Vu didn't hesitate to dump the fish out of the trap.
The 6 sleek-skinned fish, plump and healthy, sprawled on the shore.
Unable to contain himself, Minh Vu burst into laughter.
At this point, he didn't act recklessly but used his hands to catch these fish.
Their sharp fins were extremely keen, and he could feel that one of those fins could penetrate his hand if attacked.
Minh Vu carefully used a large stick equivalent to his wrist and continuously struck the heads of the fish until they were completely dead.
Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
The bank of the river became chaotic for a while. Many wild humans working nearby noticed, and some rushed over to observe. Seeing 5-6 large fish on the bank, they screamed in shock.
Shortly after, a woman ran the fastest, grabbed the smallest fish, and ran back toward the shelter of the Large Stone Tribe's cave.
Minh Vu didn't stop the girl; he simply used the bone knife to slit open the bellies of the sleek-skinned fish, gutting them.
Afterward, he hooked the pile of entrails and stuffed them back into the fish trap, then threw the trap directly into the stream.
His series of actions drew keen attention from the surrounding wild humans.
In less than 30 seconds, the stream bubbled and foamed, with numerous air bubbles and mud rising.
The rope in his hand kept jerking and twitching.
"Pull! Help me!" he shouted, his words punctuated by urgency.
However, the wild humans were not foolish.
They knew this was how the young lad caught fish.
Four or five individuals around joined forces to pull the fish trap up.
This time, the harvest exceeded imagination.
The 1-meter-long trap was now filled with fish, at least 20 of them.
Truly, sleek-skinned fish were omnivores, and the more pungent the scent of the bait, the more it stimulated them, driving them into a frenzy.
At this moment, more than 30 wild humans gathered by the stream, each engaged in slaughtering the sleek-skinned fish on the shore.
They followed Minh Vu's method, gutting the fish and tossing the entrails into the fish trap before releasing it back into the stream.
As the number of fish increased, the wild humans ecstatically cheered, their spirits remarkably lifted.
For Minh Vu, in their eyes, he was no longer just a child who had recently lost his mother but an influential figure comparable to Klu, the leader of the hunting party.
In about half an hour, the girl Vu had rushed over as well. She wore an expression of both awe and joy on her face. When she saw the numerous fish on the shore—over a hundred in total, with the number continually rising—she couldn't believe her eyes.
Minh Vu couldn't believe it either; it felt like a dream.
However, the cheers around him brought him back to reality.
This was happening, and the Large Stone Tribe could catch fish in the late autumn.
It was a significant event.
Afterward, the old man Vu looked at Minh Vu, pointing at him, as if asking why Minh Vu could achieve this.
Minh Vu didn't hesitate to demonstrate, gesturing with his hands and feet. He conveyed that last night, under the guidance of spiritual beings, he had set traps using wooden sticks and small branches to catch fish in the fall.
He didn't know if Vu understood his message, but he continued pointing to the sky, indicating that it was the guidance of the spiritual beings.
Following this, Vu immediately knelt down, facing the sky, shouting something, then passionately plunged his head into the ground. The other wild humans also promptly knelt, bowing their heads, as if worshiping the spiritual beings who had bestowed food upon them.
After that, Vu ordered them not to catch any more fish, to collect everything and return.
Even the mythical creatures were to be carried back to the stone cave by Vu himself.
The fish trap was placed prominently at the highest position on the protruding rock, surrounded by drawings and symbols. Apparently, this place served as the tribe's ceremonial site.
Vu ignited a large fire and began a peculiar dance, but the movements were bizarre.
The other wild humans immediately knelt, bowing their heads without daring to raise them.
Vu danced for about 10 minutes. Afterward, he issued an order for the tired hunting party to enter the cave.
The whole group, now dejected, entered the cave, and it seemed likely that they would only eat half their fill tonight. However, upon entering the cave, the aroma of grilled fish pervaded the air.
They looked in astonishment at a pile of grilled fish spread along the upper rock shelf.
Klu, seemingly in disbelief, continuously rubbed his eyes. Then he slapped himself hard across the face to check if this was a dream. However, it was indeed reality. Fish, all grilled—over a hundred of them.
"Fish! Fish! Fish!" Klu shouted incoherently.
After some explanation, Klu understood where the fish came from.
He looked at Minh Vu with profound eyes.
The hunting party returned, and dinner commenced.
Everyone in the tribe gathered by the east-side fire, sitting according to hierarchy.
The one seated highest was Vu, followed by Klu.
However, today was different; Minh Vu radiated authority, occupying Klu's position.
Simultaneously, Klu removed the hat with the bird feathers on his head and handed it to Minh Vu.
Then he returned to sit next to him, waiting for the distribution of food.
That feathered hat symbolized the leader of the Large Stone Tribe.
The person holding this position had the authority to distribute food and the power to execute members who committed crimes within the tribe.