The Female Supporting Character Refuses to Be Human Again - Chapter 211.1

While waiting for the salt trade group to return, Meng Changjin learned more about the inner workings of the Yan Tribe. After the long winter, the number of pregnant women in the tribe had increased significantly. In a primitive tribe where there weren’t many forms of entertainment, it was no surprise that when they couldn’t go hunting during winter, they turned to the “art of making babies.”

As she made her rounds, Meng Changjin noticed over a hundred pregnant women in the tribe. If everything went smoothly, the Yan Tribe would soon have over a hundred new little ones running around.

However, based on the memories of the client, childbirth in this harsh environment was fraught with danger. In the primitive conditions of the tribe, complications during childbirth were common. Situations like the mother surviving while the child died, or the child surviving while the mother didn’t, or even both dying were all too frequent.

For example, the client, Man Qing, and the little boy living in the cave nearby had both lost their mothers during childbirth. Their fathers had also died in hunting accidents, which was why they lived alone in the cave. Otherwise, most of the tribe’s households consisted of small family units.

This meant that a large portion of these one hundred-plus pregnant women could face dangerous situations during childbirth.

Although Meng Changjin was aware of the risks, her knowledge in this area was limited. The best she could do was prepare some healing pills, like Vitality Pill, which might come in handy when the time came.

That said, the Yan Tribe had survived up to this point, so they likely had some experience and wisdom passed down to handle these situations. Meng Changjin realized she might be too pessimistic. After all, if the mortality rate were truly that high, the gender ratio in the tribe would be severely skewed.

The truth was, the gender balance in the Yan Tribe was relatively even, which suggested that childbirth, while risky, wasn’t always fatal. Plus, the client’s memories couldn’t be taken as the absolute truth.

Why? Because the client had lost her mother during childbirth, this traumatic event likely colored her perspective, making her more focused on the negative outcomes. As a result, her memories were not entirely reliable.

Meng Changjin noticed that the Wu seemed to be in a cheerful mood lately. If childbirth were really as dangerous as she feared, the Wu would probably be worried instead. Thinking this through, Meng Changjin felt more confident that her original fears might be exaggerated.

As she pondered these thoughts, Meng Changjin made her way to the fields where they had planted the rice and yams. Along the way, she met a group of women from the tribe. They were laughing and chatting, carrying baskets woven from vines filled with fresh wild greens.

Among them were two pregnant women who greeted Meng Changjin warmly. She took a closer look at the wild greens in their baskets, thinking that the tribe might benefit from exploring more edible wild plants.

The rice Meng Changjin had planted had already sprouted, but the yams still showed no signs of growth. She wasn’t sure whether this was normal or not since, despite knowing what part of the yam to plant, she hadn’t gone through the full process of cultivating it herself before. All she could do now was leave it to luck and let nature take its course.

After checking on the fields, Meng Changjin focused on foraging for more wild greens. She had some experience in this area; over the years and across different worlds, she had accumulated bits of knowledge about edible plants. For example, she remembered how curious she had been about shepherd’s purse dumplings and had even bought some from the market just to see what the plant looked like.

Despite not being much of a cook herself, Meng Changjin had a sharp memory. Even though she didn’t often spend time in the kitchen, she could remember useful details about plants she had come across over time.

She didn’t venture too far from the tribe in her search for wild greens. The women of the tribe usually did the foraging, and it was safer to stay close to avoid encounters with wild animals. However, Meng Changjin made a note that if she found valuable plants farther away, she could always bring back a few to grow near the tribe’s settlement.

She realized that the Yan Tribe still had a limited number of people, which meant fewer hands to get things done. Beyond that, she thought the practice of living in caves might not be ideal.

The Yan Tribe’s caves were carved into the cliffside, which provided some natural protection and a good vantage point. However, it also created several problems.

First of all, it wasn’t convenient. Transporting goods up and down the cliff was difficult, even with the stone steps that Meng Changjin had helped create. If she really wanted to overhaul the settlement, she could carve out countless caves if the cliff were large enough, but that wasn’t the most practical approach.

Meng Changjin’s vision for the Yan Tribe’s future was to make sure they could thrive even without her around. She didn’t want to turn the tribe into a giant dependent that needed her for everything.

Instead, she considered moving the tribe down to the plains where they could build houses from wood or stone, which would be much easier and quicker than carving caves into the mountainside. Although the people of the Yan Tribe had plenty of strength, that strength could be put to better use elsewhere.

Building houses on the plains had another significant advantage—they could choose any location they wanted. They wouldn’t be limited to carving homes into the rock face.

Meng Changjin’s thoughts raced with ideas, but she knew that simply having these ideas wasn’t enough. She needed the Wu’s approval. Without the Wu’s agreement, it would be hard to convince the tribe to embark on such a large-scale change.

She didn’t think it was appropriate to approach the Wu directly with this plan just yet. Meng Changjin had learned that showing tangible results was the best way to get the Wu on board.

Her plan was to build a wooden house as a demonstration. Once she had something concrete to show, then she would approach the Wu to discuss her ideas.

🌟 Kliraz’s Tidbit: Baby Booms and Tribal Real Estate Goals (≧◡≦)

Oh, the Yan Tribe’s winter baby boom! (¬‿¬) It’s pretty universal that when the weather outside gets cold, people find ways to keep themselves… occupied! Even in modern times, birth rates often spike nine months after major storms or power outages—just like the baby boom that happened after the New York blackout in 1965 (Morgan, S. P., & Rindfuss, R. R. (1984). Stormy Weather: Birth Rates Following the New York Blackout. Social Biology, 31(3-4), 187-195).

And let’s talk about Meng Changjin’s master plan to move the tribe out of caves and into houses! She’s onto something big here! Did you know that even in ancient China, people started transitioning from cave dwellings to above-ground houses as their agricultural practices improved? It allowed for easier access to fields and better protection from flooding (Liu, L. (2007). The Chinese Neolithic: Trajectories to Early States. Cambridge University Press, p. 72-74).

Meng Changjin’s vision of a more organized village with wooden houses is like the perfect mix of ancient wisdom and forward-thinking innovation. If she pulls it off, she’s not just building homes; she’s building a future where the Yan Tribe can grow and thrive without relying on her. (￣ω￣)

Plus, if she can get the Wu on board with these changes, they’ll be leveling up from cave-dwellers to DIY home improvement pros in no time! Now that’s what we call a serious glow-up! (≧▽≦)