Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 3 Indigenous Peoples?

The sun was past noon when Li Wei struggled to drag a log, its branches and crown cut off, across the stream.

He originally planned to cut down three trees, but in the end he only managed to cut down two before he couldn't keep going.

Not only were the blisters on his palms rubbed open, leaving them bloody and painful, but he was also extremely hungry. His stamina was dropping rapidly, and without the support of stamina, his condition changed to moderate hunger, and his strength attribute temporarily dropped to 3 points.

He took many breaks, gritting his teeth, before he finally managed to prune one tree.

Now, dragging it back is like an insurmountable chasm, even though it's only a short distance of 120 steps.

I broke out in layers of sweat.

He rested for a while, then a while longer, until he finally dragged the log to the camp. He was almost completely exhausted.

“Oh, my George, you should have dragged the log back with oxen.”

Penny walked by quickly. She had been busy all morning. Not only had she dug out a clearing of at least thirty square meters, but she had also moved some stones from the stream and finally cooked a pot of dark wheat porridge.

Even so, she still looked incredibly agile.

Li Wei was too weak to speak. He lay motionless in the damp shack, not wanting to move at all. Even his thoughts and ideas seemed to have stopped.

"Mom, you should eat something. Things will get better. We will all survive. What will George and I do without you?"

"Mom, we can make wild vegetable soup for dinner. Could you help me pick some mushrooms and wild vegetables later?"

In another shack, Penny was gently comforting Fila and feeding her.

Li Wei struggled to get up, feeling as if his soul had left his body. His whole body ached terribly, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. He needed to eat; he couldn't be a burden.

However, there was still only one bowl of wheat porridge in the earthenware pot, no more and no less.

He wanted to complain, but he was too weak to do so. There was nothing he could do; it was already a blessing that they still had wheat porridge, if they couldn't make things work out soon.

“George, I’ve dug the foundation for the cabin. You’d better gather ten logs within two days, and we need to finish building the cabin within three days.”

After saying that, Penny rushed off to the creek to move stones.

Li Wei could only limp along behind. Although he found it a bit strange that his local older sister was so experienced, he didn't think much of it because he was too tired.

The afternoon's work was like torture, especially when I was swinging an axe to chop down trees. When the tree trunks shook back, my hands hurt terribly, and I almost cried.

Even so, Li Wei did not give up. After all, he was an adult. Even if things were miserable, it was better than the end of his life and a completely bleak future, right?

Let's grit our teeth and persevere.

But it wasn't until sunset that he managed to chop down the two trees, though he did manage to trim the branches and canopy. When Penny led the thin old cow over, he could barely hold the axe; his arms were badly swollen, and his whole body was trembling.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Penny seemed to smile, then skillfully and deftly tied a log with a rope and drove the old ox back home.

This method really works; he wasted so much energy at noon.

After Penny dragged all three logs back, Li Wei also staggered and swayed back to the camp.

Fila seemed to cheer up a bit, because she did help cook a pot of wild vegetable soup, but unfortunately there was no wheat porridge.

Fortunately, there was plenty of wild vegetable soup. Li Wei devoured a bowl in no time and could still get another. After finishing it, although he was still hungry, at least his stomach was no longer empty.

The campfire crackled and popped, the red flames like fiery snakes trying to break free.

Fila, Penny, and Li Wei sat around the campfire in silence. The surrounding mountains were dark and imposing, like fierce beasts poised to pounce, and the distant mountain winds sounded like the whispers of fairies.

Exhausted, Li Wei didn't even want to go back to the hut, so he lay down and fell asleep by the campfire. He slept until dawn, but he was woken up by hunger. After moving his body slightly, he felt as if his whole body was falling apart. He struggled to sit up and found that he was covered with a smelly sheepskin blanket.

The fire had been reignited, Fila was stirring the porridge, and Penny, surprisingly, had started moving stones.

Holy crap, is this woman crazy? Isn't she hungry? Isn't she tired?

Why can she handle a bowl of wheat porridge so well?
She has already moved more than a dozen stones this morning alone.

Li Wei found it unbelievable.

But perhaps it's because this older sister is more capable.

"Penny, George, come and eat."

"Okay, Mom."

Penny's voice seemed a bit stronger than yesterday.

Li Wei was still looking for a place to take care of his personal matters. When he returned, there was still only one bowl of wheat porridge left, no more and no less.

"George, take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself."

Fila sat by the campfire, watching Li Wei lick the last bit of wheat porridge clean like a dog. A kind smile finally appeared on her face, but she was still very pale.

"I know, Mom."

Li Wei answered softly, not daring to look into those sorrowful eyes.

Holding a short knife and carrying an axe, he headed straight for the other side of the creek to continue chopping down trees, while Penny continued to move stones with great enthusiasm.

Today was still torture. The blisters from yesterday, which had just begun to scab over, were rubbed open again in a few strokes. The axe was clearly chopping at the tree trunk, but the pain was felt directly on him.

Several times he wanted to take a break, but when he turned around he saw Penny carrying stones with great speed, so he could only grit his teeth and go for it.

Even so, by noon he had only managed to cut down three trees, and he had long since ignored the pitiful three points of logging experience.

Dragging his weary body back to the camp, Fila had already cooked wheat porridge. Penny was slurping it down with relish, even grinning at Li Wei after noticing his resentful gaze.

"George, I've moved enough stones. I'll finish laying the foundation this afternoon. You need to hurry. I'll need ten logs by tomorrow. Can you manage that?"

Li Wei didn't want to talk. He shakily ladled out a bowl of wheat porridge and chewed it with difficulty. So far, he had chopped down seven logs, and he still needed three more to make up the number Penny needed.

However, something about what she said seemed off, and coupled with her behavior, Li Wei felt that she didn't seem like a native.

Lost in thought, he finished his bowl of wheat porridge, but it only filled him up to about 60%, allowing his strength attribute to gradually recover to 7 points within half an hour.

So he needs to rest for half an hour.

Then look at Penny, she's already out there under the scorching sun, stacking stones. She's really working hard, or maybe she's just really healthy, so healthy she doesn't look like a native.

At this time, Fila also took a basket and went to dig for wild vegetables and pick mushrooms, while also looking after the cow and preparing wild vegetable soup for the evening.

"No matter what, we must cut down ten logs this afternoon."

Li Wei didn't know what was wrong, but subconsciously, he felt it was best to do as Penny said.

Because she had previously said that she would build the wooden house within three days.

(End of this chapter)