002 Life of the Wild Man

With a sense of curiosity, Lin Yan opened the ancient manual. Skimming through it, she realized it was a record of human origins, though the author was unknown; judging by the script, it must have been written by descendants. After all, in the primordial era, there was no written language.

In those early days, humanity had just emerged, living like wild savages—eating raw meat, without clothing to cover their bodies, often hungry. At first, they had no fire, consuming everything raw.

From this manual, Lin Yan gained a rough understanding of life in ancient times. Surrounded by the volumes in the room, she thought to herself that as an infant, this was a perfect way to pass the time. Just as the thought crossed her mind, sleep overtook her again.

As she drifted into a sweet slumber, Hua Hong entered. She picked up her daughter, examined her carefully, hesitated for a moment, then walked out of the cave holding her.

Outside, the sunlight was just right. It was the hot season, and as a member of the Sun Tribe, Hua Hong believed her daughter should be introduced to the sun. Although only five days old and fragile, if they didn’t go out now, the approaching cold season would make it impossible.

The tribe elders had said the cold season was near, and everyone was busy preparing food.

Hua Hong found a flat patch of ground, laid down a few large leaves, and placed her daughter there to bathe in the sun god’s radiance. Meanwhile, she busied herself drying wild fruits and game meat—essential provisions for surviving the harsh cold months.

Lin Yan’s stomach rumbled, and she opened her eyes, still a bit groggy but feeling warm and comfortable. As she tried to stretch, a sudden realization froze her. Something was wrong.

She opened her eyes wide and, through the gaps in the leaves, saw a clear blue sky. The sun shone directly overhead, with not a cloud in sight. Finally, she was somewhere without a foul smell.

She drew in a deep breath, feeling truly alive.

Turning her head, she saw a carpet of green, partially obscuring her view; only the tall trees in the distance were clear. To the left, the view was unclear, so she looked to the right—identical scenery, except for a large stone about a meter tall and unknown thickness.

Where were the houses? It seemed there were only wild grasses, stones, and distant trees. Could this be the wilderness, with just her and her mother living like savages?

Lin Yan hoped it wasn’t true. She did not want to return to the prehistoric era to experience their way of life. If that were the case, she would rather die.

She could endure poor food and shelter, but she could never bear sleeping under the sky, lying on the earth, eating raw flesh, struggling to survive in the wild. Such a life—filthy, starving—was worse than death.

Before Lin Yan could dwell on these thoughts, Hua Hong lifted her up, preparing to nurse her.

Suddenly, her vision sharpened. With just a glance, Lin Yan’s disappointment deepened. Though blurry, she could make out figures in the distance—wild people moving about, clad only in animal skins or leaves covering key areas, most of their bodies bare.

Their skin was dark, cracked, and covered densely with hair.

Hua Hong turned Lin Yan’s head, urging her to nurse quickly and not to stare around.

“Be good, eat quickly. When you’re full, you’ll sleep well. Mother still has to prepare food for the cold season and can’t stay with you, so you must behave.”

What was this cold season?

“You’ve been so obedient since birth, never crying—that’s considerate of Mother. Keep being good, and Mother won’t let you starve. You’ll grow strong.”

Lin Yan nursed, glancing around, wanting to see more. One look was enough to make her want to withdraw completely.

She spotted an entrance to a cave two meters away, right beside the stone. If she guessed correctly, that was their home.

Indeed, it was underground.

The surface was so beautiful, the air fresh—why live underground? It was dark, damp, and stifling; not a place fit for humans.

Once full, Hua Hong set her down and went back to her chores.

Lin Yan felt utterly hopeless. She was certain now—this was the era of wild savages, with no houses, no cooked meat, no clothing, and no hygiene.

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone speaking to her mother.

Turning, she saw a rugged man with wild blond hair. Her mother called him Jinzi.

Hua Hong looked surprised, then pleased. “The hunting party is back. Are you alright?”

Jinzi grinned widely. “I’m fine, just some minor wounds. You’ve had the baby—is it a boy or a girl?”

“A girl,” Hua Hong said, pointing to where Lin Yan lay. “She’s very good, never cries, and very strong.”

“Good, good, I want to see her.”

Hua Hong hesitated briefly before saying, “Go ahead.”

The sunlight was blocked, and Lin Yan looked at Jinzi—darker than her mother, more like a wild man.

Golden hair covered his chest; he wore a wreath of leaves at his waist, and his powerful legs were bare, with bare feet. She wondered if his feet hurt.

The ground was uneven, filled with wild grass, shrubs, and stones, but no one here wore shoes—they were surely accustomed to it.

Jinzi looked at the pale-skinned girl and smiled broadly. When he saw her golden hair, he paused, then burst into hearty laughter.

Lin Yan was puzzled, not understanding why he laughed.

Hua Hong quickly approached. “Your laughter is too loud; you’re scaring her. Calm down.”

Jinzi’s laughter ceased abruptly.

For a moment, he silently smiled at Lin Yan again.

“She has golden hair, just like me.”

Hua Hong nodded.

From the moment Lin Yan was born and Hua Hong saw her golden hair, she knew this day would come.

Jinzi often went out with the hunting party; it was uncertain if he would return. Besides, he had no real relation to the child.

Hua Hong had long prepared to raise her daughter alone.

Lin Yan thought to herself, this must be her father. No wonder he was so happy.

They stared at Lin Yan for a long time before Jinzi reluctantly took his leave to handle the game meat from the hunt. The cold season was imminent.

After they left, Lin Yan closed her eyes. From their conversation, she learned that the cold season was approaching, and they needed to speed up food storage and prepare animal skins for her.

They planned to improve the underground cave, and the coming days would be very busy.

Jinzi told Hua Hong to take good care of Lin Yan and promised to help when he could.

Neither of them had thought to give Lin Yan a name yet, which secretly pleased her. Once she could speak, she would choose her own.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, sleep beckoned again. Ah, the body of a small infant could not resist drowsiness—it was completely uncontrollable.

When she woke, the sun had shifted westward, its rays filtering through the leaves onto her.

Lin Yan suddenly realized her vision seemed clearer. In less than a day since opening her eyes, she could see distinctly—not like a newborn—her sight was sharper and farther-reaching than before, even better than in her past life.