Chapter 772: Defensive Weapons Other Than the Vine Shield — Armor Strolling in the rain was something Han Cheng really enjoyed. Because when walking in the rain , he felt extremely calm, as if the falling raindrops washed away all the troubles and distractions in his heart. Of course, this didn’t include heavy rain. Walking in a drizzle was comfortable, but strolling in a downpour would only get you soaking wet and make others think you were crazy—nothing else would come of it. But this was not the future with modern sanitation and medicine, so Han Cheng didn’t have the luxury of strolling in the rain without an umbrella. Of course, Han Cheng didn’t carry an umbrella either, but he wore a straw hat and a raincoat made of straw. Walking in the drizzle, looking at the distant mountains starting to show a hint of green, the fields mostly plowed over nearby, and the large fish pond in front of him that wasn’t yet full of water, he took a deep breath of air mixed with the fragrance of apricot blossoms, cool all the way down to his lungs, feeling completely refreshed. This big pit would soon become the Green Sparrow Tribe’s fish pond. In fact, if he hadn’t later remembered the grain cellar and moved the soil extraction site inside the tribe, the fish pond could have been bigger. But the current pond, close to three acres, was enough for the tribe. After a few more rains, the pond would gather enough water to release the fish caught from the small river. Thanks to Han Cheng’s fishing moratorium policy, the fish in the river had recovered somewhat over the last two years, but the fish swam back and forth in the river, not as steadily as those raised in a pond. Fish belonging to the tribe are part of the tribe. You think you can walk out of the pond on your legs and then swim over to the river on dry land? Of course, amphibious creatures like turtles were exceptions. When the fish in the big pond grew up, the annual catch from the pond plus some from the river would make fish less scarce in the tribe. Human stomachs have limited capacity: if you eat more of one thing, you must eat less of another. With more fish, the tribe could save on grain and other food. Han Cheng had made his start with fish, so he understood their importance deeply. After spring plowing ended, he planned to have the tribe plant an iron fence around the pond. This wasn’t to prevent fish theft or poisoning, but mainly to stop minors from falling in. The pond, once complete, would be deeper than the river and close to the tribe. With so many children running around, if one fell in, the situation could quickly turn bad. So while water levels were still low, fencing the pond with a prickly iron fence was necessary. Fine drizzle collected on Han Cheng’s straw hat and raincoat, forming crystal-clear droplets that lingered on the withered grass tips before falling. Han Cheng stared at the pond where only a small part held shallow water, dreaming about the future of the tribe’s fish pond. After some reflection, Han Cheng sighed. Not because it would take a long time to grow the fish, but because he hadn’t found any lotus roots yet. Otherwise, planting some lotus in the shallow pond water, with lotus leaves covering the surface and fish playing among them, water droplets rolling on the leaves — how beautiful that would be. Especially when the lotus flowers bloomed — feed the fish less grass, let them eat fallen lotus flowers, then catch those lotus-eating fish to stew slowly in clay pots — that would be a great lotus fish dish, just thinking about it refreshed Han Cheng’s spirit. It would also make up for the regret he had in the future when visiting parks, leaning on railings, watching fish just out of reach, swallowing saliva helplessly. In park lotus ponds, catching a fish could cost three hundred bucks, but in his own fish pond, who would dare to fine him? Well, even if someone came, Han Cheng wouldn’t pay a penny. Besides the lotus fish, the plump lotus seed pods were also tempting. In the blue-green lotus field, women’s laughter and faint songs floated in the air; among the shaking lotus leaves, a small boat peeked out. The song faded, and a lotus picker appeared, holding a bamboo pole, rolling up her pants, barefoot, stepping out from the vast lotus field. With a flush on her face, a dewy big lotus pod flew toward her… Just imagining this scene made Han Cheng feel intoxicated. At the courtyard gate, some noises interrupted his thoughts. He turned with some displeasure and saw several sturdy women from the tribe, wearing straw hats and raincoats, walking out. Seeing their strong, almost masculine physiques and hearing the booming voices of the strong women from afar, Han Cheng shuddered. Replacing the gentle, delicate Jiangnan lotus picker with these robust women instantly shattered Han Cheng’s lotus pond fantasy. Not to mention whether a small boat would sink under their weight, even the shy gesture of throwing a lotus pod seemed like it would cause one of these tough women to smash his nose bloody… Updates are released by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 His thoughts disrupted and imagining this scene, Han Cheng lost the mood and courage to walk outside further, turning back toward the tribe. Inside the tribe, Han Cheng held a cup of tea, sipping small mouthfuls of the hot water to dispel some chill, while glancing aside. Not far off, the eldest senior brother was attentively repairing a vine shield covered with hide. The eldest senior brother treasured this vine shield — it wasn’t just for blocking damage but could be used to bash enemies down… Han Cheng watched the vine shield in his brother’s hands with a thoughtful expression. The vine shield was a defensive weapon Han Cheng had made not long after arriving in this world. Together with spears, bows and arrows, and slingshots, these were considered the first-generation weapons of the Green Sparrow Tribe. With Third Senior Brother, who was obsessed with archery, Han Cheng only had to guide a little, and the bows improved a lot in range compared to the early, simple ones. As for spears, after bronze appeared, they were replaced by bronze halberds — the fastest, most advanced among the four. Slingshots had also improved considerably under the skilled Second Brother. The vine shield wasn’t without progress either — its most significant improvement was the thick layer of hide stretched over it. Shields are a weapon that always accompany cold weapons and will never go out of style. Even in the age of firearms, shields like riot shields still appear. With the Green Sparrow Tribe’s rising manufacturing skills and needs, shields would eventually be upgraded. Han Cheng stared at the shield for a while, his mind filled with thoughts as he was reminded of another kind of protective gear — armor. Compared to shields that can only cover part of the body, armor offers more comprehensive protection. Also, you wear armor; you don’t have to hold it up like a shield. People wearing armor can shoot arrows or wield halberds freely. It provides 24-hour close protection, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment. Han Cheng had considered armor early on, even before making the first-generation weapons. He initially preferred armor but gave up because the tribe lacked the skills and tools for making it. The weaving skills and knives were not up to the task. Sure, they could brute-force it out, but the manpower and material costs were huge, and they couldn’t make enough to supply everyone. So the armor idea was shelved. In later tribe conflicts, thanks to advantages in numbers, weapons, tactics, and logistics, the Green Sparrow Tribe won significant victories with little cost. These victories made Han Cheng overlook the need for armor. But now, watching Eldest Senior Brother resting with the vine shield on a rainy day, Han Cheng suddenly remembered armor again. It was time to try making armor. If good armor could be made and equipped by the tribe’s archers and slingshot users, these two ranged heavy hitters could fight with less dependence on vine shields. High offense and strong defense — just thinking about it was exciting. “Eldest Senior Brother, there’s a new kind of protective weapon…” After thinking for a moment, Han Cheng sipped tea and told Eldest Senior Brother, who was focused on the shield. The Eldest Senior Brother paused and listened carefully. Shang came in and stood nearby, also listening seriously. Due to spring farming, the trading team remained in the tribe, preoccupied with the planting season, rather than going out to trade. Actually, even without spring farming, the trading team wouldn’t need to go out now. Following the last winter, tribes that frequently traded with Green Sparrow had acquired substantial quantities of salt through the exchange of donkeys, slaves, and peas obtained from the Semi-Farming Tribe. They wouldn’t lack salt for at least half a year. Hearing about the armor idea, Eldest Brother and Shang both looked thoughtful. “Like a shield you wear like clothing…” Han Cheng explained further when they didn’t respond right away. After this, Eldest Senior Brother hesitated a bit, then strapped the vine shield onto his arm. Seeing him fumble with the vine shield, moving it around in front of him like it was armor, Han Cheng smiled. A vine shield is a vine shield — you can’t use it like armor. But a vine armor woven from vines might work — let Lame give it a try. While Eldest Brother kept miming with the shield, Shang scratched his head in confusion. Unlike Eldest Senior Brother’s simple wonder about what vine armor would look like, Shang wondered why the Chief suddenly wanted to make this supposedly more convenient defensive gear. To him, the tribe’s current weapons were already enough. Most importantly, they had bronze halberds, bows, and slingshots — all high-damage weapons. With these, the tribe need not worry about other tribes. Actually, Shang thought even vine shields weren’t that important — in recent battles, shields had less impact than other weapons. And now the Divine Child wanted defensive gear… As the tribe’s top war enthusiast, Shang’s thoughts were understandable. Han Cheng didn’t argue but smiled and said, “Once the armor’s made, we’ll give it a try.” Shang’s focus on offense while ignoring defense was dangerous. Han Cheng deeply understood how fragile life was and how many accidents could happen. He sought to transform Shang and others who prioritized offense over defense. However, changing a mindset through mere words is unconvincing; the most effective approach is to let them experience the significant benefits of defense firsthand. Shang looked at the smiling Divine Child and suddenly felt a chill…