005 The Spark

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Hua Hong carried a fish in one hand and held Lin Yan in the other as she walked back, speaking softly to her. She knew Lin Yan had just survived a harsh winter and was still very young, but since her daughter had asked, she felt it was important to tell her early.

The Sun Tribe was matriarchal, living in female-centered communities. The more surviving children a woman bore, the larger her family's group became. With greater numbers, they naturally controlled more territory along the riverbank.

Hua Hong’s mother had died early, and her father had neglected her. She grew up fending for herself, occupying only a marginal place on the outskirts. In the Sun Tribe, a family’s status rose with the number of women it had. Women were revered because they bore children and ensured the tribe’s continuation.

The men lived by hunting and often roamed widely to sustain the next generation. Families with many women attracted most of the men’s allegiance, not just their own boys. Simply put, the family’s women held authority; the mother of a child was certain, but the father’s identity was often unknown.

They had migrated to this location six winters ago, a period of relative stability. The men’s hunted food was distributed by their families, with the largest families claiming the most resources. Women of childbearing age were prioritized for food, followed by strong men who hunted. Older children and remaining women came next, with the elderly, weak, or sick last in line.

Hua Hong was already considered among the old and weak at thirty. That she could still conceive surprised many. Lin Yan’s birth gave her hope. Lin Yan was a girl, and if she grew up safely, she would be a source of support. If she had been a boy, he would eventually leave to continue another family’s line, and even if strong, his care for her would be limited, leaving her barely surviving.

Hearing her mother’s words, Lin Yan suddenly felt immense pressure. Her mother was counting on her like a lifeline; if she didn’t survive, her mother’s later years would be bleak. Clinging tightly to Hua Hong’s neck, she comforted her, “Don’t worry, Mother. When I grow up, I’ll take care of you.”

“Haha, yes,” Hua Hong laughed heartily. This child was indeed clever and extraordinary, filling her with endless possibilities.

At the doorstep, Lin Yan said, “Mother, I want to stay outside. It’s too dark inside the cave.” Hua Hong readily agreed, letting her crawl and play on the ground while she went to prepare the fatty fish.

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Just after seeing the plump fish, Hua Hong glanced distractedly at the technology pavilion, then heard Pang Bao’s voice. “Primitive grass carp detected and recorded, contribution points awarded: 3.”

Lin Yan lay on the rough animal skin that had just wrapped her, casually covering herself with a large banana leaf she had picked on her return. After her mother put her down, she was completely bare.

“Pang Bao, why don’t these wild grasses count as new species? Why no points?” Lin Yan asked. To her, everything here seemed primitive, genetically distinct from later times.

Pang Bao replied, “Wild grasses have been tested; their gene similarity is above 95%, so they are not recorded.”

Lin Yan quickly understood. “Only species with less than 95% gene similarity are recorded, right?”

“That’s right. Discovering a completely new species grants contribution points, usually very high depending on the situation.”

Lin Yan’s immediate goal was to learn to walk without crawling. Bored during the winter’s long months, she had read many books and devised a plan based on her current situation. Once she could walk and move independently, she could start implementing it.

Her plan was clear: first, secure a fire source. She did not want to eat raw meat. Now nearly six months old, besides drinking milk, her mother fed her wild fruits—tart and sweet, delicious. In a few months, she would be weaned and likely start eating meat.

After more than ten days of effort, Lin Yan learned to walk. Though unsteady, she could manage on two legs without falling. Before she could enjoy this triumph, Hua Hong offered her a piece of fresh meat.

Lin Yan resolutely refused, wanting only fruit.

Hua Hong coaxed, “Now that you can walk, you need meat to gain strength. It’s for your own good.”

“Mother, I want fruit, not meat.” Lin Yan pouted. “Is meat tasty?”

“...” Hua Hong fell silent for a moment. “Meat smells bad, but eating it makes you stronger. Without it, you won’t grow.”

“Mother, I don’t want meat now. I’ll eat it when I want to, okay?”

Hua Hong reluctantly agreed but never gave up, feeding her every day without success.

Under this pressure, Lin Yan hastened her efforts, tirelessly experimenting with ways to start a fire. Without fire, her mother’s insistence would drive her mad.

From her books, she found multiple methods to create fire. She first tried friction by rubbing wood together but failed repeatedly.

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Next, she tried striking stones to spark a flame, managing a few sparks but no fire.

After over ten days with no progress, theory proved far easier than practice.

Lin Yan had to revise her plan. Looking up at the increasingly scorching sun, a new idea formed.

She gathered a pile of highly flammable grass, white thatch, and dry leaves, then placed them on a large stone slab to dry under the sun.

After five days of sunbathing, she surrounded the slab with collected dry twigs and leaves, preparing for the next step.

Rubbing the thoroughly dried grass and leaves, now brittle and easily crushed, she felt the moment had come.

While Hua Hong rested, Lin Yan pulled her over and handed her two rough stones, each about the size of a palm, asking her to rub them forcefully on the slab.

Though puzzled, Hua Hong went along, seeing it as a way to entertain her daughter during free time.

The two of them worked for a while, producing a few sparks. The blazing sun was exhausting, so they paused for a moment.

Hua Hong pulled out a red apple, took a big bite, and let her daughter gnaw on the rest while she finished the rest herself.

Watching the apple slice in Lin Yan’s small dark hand, she hesitated, unsure whether to eat it. Her mother was quite careless.

Hua Hong noticed her daughter just looked without eating and didn’t insist. This child was indeed different from ordinary kids—often lost in thought, frowning occasionally, and muttering to herself.

Hua Hong paid little mind, focusing only on ensuring her child was not hungry.

After resting, Lin Yan pestered her mother to continue making fire.

Nearly half an hour later, a few sparks landed on the pile of sun-dried leaves, igniting a small flame.

Hua Hong watched in amazement, about to touch the fire when suddenly the flames surged wildly.

A wave of heat rushed toward them. Startled, Hua Hong dropped to the ground with a thud.

She cried out, “Heaven’s fire, it’s heaven’s fire!”

Immediately realizing her daughter was still there, she scooped Lin Yan up and ran several meters away.

Looking back at the burning flames, her eyes were filled with terror.