Chapter 13: Do I Look Like I’m Joking?
"We don’t know exactly how heavy it is either. That weight is set by the Spotted Deer Tribe. We would only know after going there to compare." Yan Jiao shook his head.
After all, the last time they went to trade with the Spotted Deer Tribe, he wasn’t the one leading the team, so he wasn’t too clear on the details of the trade.
"Then what about the size of the stones? You should at least know how big they are, right?" Su Bai pressed on. He had to understand the weights used in trade in order to calculate if it was worth trading and prepare the right quantities.
"One stone is about the size of Cang Shi’s body." Yan Jiao scanned around and gestured with his hands at Cang Shi’s neck and belly.
"So, I guess one stone is around 100 kilograms." After calculating, Su Bai asked, "Then how long is one roll of linen?"
"It’s four knots long and one knot wide." Seeing that the Shaman was very interested in linen, Yan Jiao started explaining without waiting to be asked, "The Spotted Deer Tribe uses grass ropes with knots to measure the length. One knot is about one stride long."
"So about four strides long, equivalent to around 2 metres in length and 50 centimetres in width." Now Su Bai fully understood.
He was taken aback. One roll of linen of only 2 metres long could actually be exchanged for 300 kilograms of dried meat!? [Isn’t this too much? I guess that just shows how profitable monopolies are…]
"Looks like we’ll have to make a fortune quietly without attracting the attention of the large Tribes." Su Bai muttered to himself.
The Flame Dragon Tribe was still too weak. They could only strategically develop. They had to at least wait until they could contend against the large Tribes before it would be the right time to reveal themselves."Shaman, what should we do next?" Yan Jiao repeated this question.
The Totem Warriors could not remain idle. They were waiting for the Shaman’s instructions on what to do next, whether to go hunting or to go look for materials to make Shaman Bone Tablets.
"The dried meat we have left, how long can it last our Tribe if we are conservative?" Su Bai looked at the two with his deep black eyes.
Yan Jiao felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at. It was as if his mind was being seen through. He lowered his head to think for a bit before opening his mouth, "If we eat sparingly, it’s enough for the Tribe for fifteen days."
"Fifteen days, that’s enough." Su Bai breathed a sigh of relief and put on a solemn expression, "Cang Shi, just in case of any unexpected changes in the plan, take the Hunting Team out for another hunt."
"Yes." Cang Shi felt relieved to have something to do.
Yan Jiao’s expression changed. He hurriedly asked, "Shaman, are you planning something?"
"I know of a way to weave linen." Su Bai said calmly.
"How is that possible?" Yan Jiao’s eyes widened as he looked at the young Shaman in disbelief, trying to see any change in his expression.
"A way to weave linen?" Cang Shi was a beat slower. His purple eyes slowly widened as he cried out, "Shaman, you’re not joking, right?"
"Do I look like I’m joking?" Su Bai rolled his eyes and impatiently stated, "I don’t have that much time to mess with you guys."
Having just taken on the position of Shaman, he had a ton of things to take care of, especially not understanding anything about the Tribe. These were really headache-inducing matters.
"Shaman, you really know how to make linen?" Yan Jiao stepped closer, his red eyes wide open. His breathing had gotten much heavier and his hands were even trembling.
"Yeah, it’s not that hard." Su Bai nodded. Originally, the specialty product he planned to make was not linen. However, who allowed today’s Assistance Package to be ‘Linen Weaving Techniques’? It made him have a change of plan.
"Not hard!?" Yan Jiao and Cang Shi’s mouths twitched. They had the urge to spit blood.
This young Shaman wasn’t serious at all. On the first day after the Old Shaman left, they already deeply missed him.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Yan Jiao’s mind. Then he excitedly said, "Great! As long as we have linen, we can definitely develop into a large Tribe like the Leafy Hemp Tribe."
"Leafy Hemp Tribe? Linen is produced by that Tribe?" Su Bai asked curiously.
"Huh? Shaman, you don’t know about the Leafy Hemp Tribe? Then where did you learn how to make linen from?" Yan Jiao said in surprise.
"Who told you my method of making linen came from the Leafy Hemp Tribe?" Su Bai found that this Chieftain really loved to make strange associations.
"Could it be that you invented it yourself, Shaman?" Cang Shi looked at Su Bai as if he was superhuman, his purple eyes flashing with the light of worship.
"I guess you can say that." Su Bai nodded without any change in expression.
"Four days ago, when you fainted, Shaman, was it because someone found out you could make linen and tried to kill you?" Yan Jiao started making strange associations again and said with vigilance, "Shaman, you absolutely mustn’t let it get out that you can make linen."
"I know." The corners of Su Bai’s eyes twitched. [This Chieftain is really good at overthinking and extrapolating into nonsense.]
"Shaman, are we going to start making linen now?" Cang Shi said impatiently.
"Don’t be in such a hurry." Su Bai scanned the inside of the tent. There weren’t any chairs, not even a table.
"Shaman, there are only eight days left until the Spotted Deer Tribe hosts their market. It will take three days to get there, so we only have five days." Yan Jiao was not a fool. He immediately deduced that the Shaman was planning on taking the linen to trade for dried meat and such.
"Being anxious is of no use. We don’t have the materials." Su Bai said helplessly. Although everything had already been planned out in his head, the materials for making linen thread were the most critical.
This was also why he had Cang Shi continue hunting. If they couldn’t find the plants for making linen, they would have to make a fallback plan.
Perhaps it was because he wrote novels, but Su Bai was accustomed to planning out many things and even calculating for possible unexpected situations.
"Whatever materials are needed, we’ll go find them right away!" Cang Shi shouted anxiously.
"No need. You lead the Hunting Team to go hunt." Su Bai shook his head.
"But…" Cang Shi still wanted to try to witness the birth of linen. Linen was really too mysterious.
"Cang Shi." Yan Jiao interrupted in a low voice, "The Tribe still has me here."
He remembered the Old Shaman’s words well, to respect the new Shaman like he respected him. In that case, he had to uphold the Shaman’s instructions.
"Sorry. I got too excited." Cang Shi lowered his head in embarrassment.