| GB | I Can't Help You | 33
It was the second month of winter. As the sky began to lighten slightly with a faint gray hue, faint sounds could already be heard outside.
Yu Bai curled up in the warmth of the animal hide. When he reached out to the side, he found it empty.
He hugged the hide and sat up. The biting cold made his mind foggy, and his eyelids grew heavy again. Before long, he lay back down.
When he opened his eyes again, the room was dim, but the light streaming in through the air vent was bright. Occasionally, a snowflake the size of a grain of salt would drift down, it was still a snowy day.
Yu Bai slowly took a fur robe from the wooden rack and put on three layers in a row. He then draped a wolf-fur cloak over himself, bundled his legs and feet tightly in pelts, and shivered as he pushed open the door.
Snowflakes were falling intermittently. He tucked his hands inside the wolf fur and moved toward the corner of the courtyard.
Huo Duo'er had been busy building a wall since early morning, and by now half of it was already up. Seeing that Yu Bai was awake, he told him there was hot water and steamed food on the stove.
Yu Bai lifted the stone pot lid. In addition to the hot water and food, there was also a bowl of ginger soup.
His constitution was prone to catching cold. After Huo Duo'er learned that ginger water could ward off the chill, he prepared a bowl for Yu Bai every morning and evening.
Yu Bai washed up with the warm water, crystal-clear droplets clinging to his brows and lashes. He didn’t wipe them away immediately, instead cradled the bowl of ginger soup and sipped it slowly. Before long, his stomach felt toasty and his body warmed significantly.
He licked his slightly reddened lips and said, “One bowl a day is enough. You should drink the other one. Too much ginger soup can lead to internal heat.”
“Internal heat?”
Yu Bai thought for a moment. Lacking the right words to explain it to a beastman, he simply smiled, revealing a few small white teeth, brushing past the question lightly.
Thin smoke rose from the firewood at the stove. Aside from their own hut, the nearby orcs were still asleep.
After eating, Yu Bai felt pleasantly full. He set down his bowl and chopsticks, adjusted the wolf pelt around him, and wanted to help Huo Duo'er with something. He walked a full circle, the snow crunching softly underfoot, but couldn’t find a way to start.
He scooped a bowl of hot water from the stone pot, holding it high in his arms. The giant building the wall with wooden beams paused his work. His palms were sweaty and he didn’t take the bowl. Instead, he leaned down and drank straight from it as Yu Bai held it.
Yu Bai carefully fed him the water, not lowering his arms until the bowl was empty.
“Do you want to take a break?”
Huo Duo'er said, “It’s cold out here. Go back inside first.”
Yu Bai had no choice but to return to the house. He sat on a low wooden stool, warming himself by the brazier. Picking up the prepared hemp rope, he threaded it through a wooden rod and slowly began weaving it into cloth.
Once this piece of hemp cloth was done, he planned to use it to sew underpants for both of them. Even after a year in this other world, Yu Bai still couldn’t get used to going without underwear and he couldn’t bear seeing Huo Duo'er without it either.
The winter settlement was incredibly quiet. In such cold weather, it was easy to grow drowsy while sitting by the fire.
Yu Bai forced himself to stay awake and keep weaving. Just as his mind began to drift, he heard voices outside the house.
He crept behind the door and peeked out, discovering that the chief had come to speak with Huo Duo'er again, likely about the upcoming winter hunt.
After the discussion had mostly wrapped up, the chief’s gaze shifted and he gave Yu Bai a smile through the doorway. Some snowflakes had fallen on the antlers atop his head.
He nodded to Huo Duo'er, then stepped directly into the house.
“Bai, I heard you saved a few horses. Where did you learn those skills?”
The chief’s facial hair had turned white, and the antlers on his head bore the marks of age, appearing both ancient and dignified. Even a casual remark from him carried a sense of authority.
Compared to such an orc, Yu Bai was still quite young and inexperienced. A flicker of nervousness stirred in his heart, and he instinctively lowered his eyes. When Huo Duo'er walked in, Yu Bai suddenly recalled how he had handled this kind of situation before.
“It was the old sub-female who taught me. Many orcs don’t believe in witch doctors, but he once saved my life, and I owe him a great debt. So I remembered everything he taught me.”
Yu Bai gave a slight shake of his head toward Huo Duo'er, signaling that he could handle this himself.
He couldn't always rely on Huo Duo'er for everything. The things he needed to face himself, he had to learn to deal with on his own.
Yu Bai gathered his thoughts, piecing together what he had heard and seen in the past.
Currently, the orcs lacked any concept of domesticating or raising livestock. Although A’Xin was a horse-hunting orc, his method of “raising” horses was crude.
Wild horses were fast and powerful, and it wasn’t easy for orcs to hunt them, they were often injured by kicks.
Some horse-hunting orcs tried to keep horses by enclosing a tract of land that made capturing them easier. They would build fences and then try to drive the wild horses inside. Many escaped during the process, and the ones that remained were typically left in a semi-wild state within the enclosure, without any training or conditioning for carrying loads.
These wild horses that had been enclosed needed a great deal of time before they would barely accept a master. The fact that A’Xin could lead even one of those penned horses out for use was already quite rare.
It was the first time Yu Bai had ever seen a orc in the tribe leading a horse to transport goods.
Even A’Xin didn’t know how to care for horses, so by using the now-deceased old sub-female as an excuse, there was no way for anyone to verify whether what he said was true or not.
Yu Bai said, “The old sheep sub-female was very wise. It’s a pity not many orcs believed him. He was very happy when I showed interest in learning from him, and he taught me quite a bit.”
He smiled, a mix of delight and shyness: “Seems I’ve learned pretty well, at least it proves his methods work.”
The chief responded, “I see…”
For orcs living outside the city, the chief didn’t have much of an impression, especially if it was an elderly sub-female. Hardly worth paying attention to.
“It seems like witch doctors aren’t as useless as the priests make them out to be.”
His gaze shifted and landed on the hemp cloth hanging from the wooden rod, and his eyes immediately lit up.
The chief moved closer for a better look. “You made this yourself? This cloth woven from hemp rope looks much finer. Did you learn this from the old sub-female as well?”
Yu Bai nodded.
The chief reached out to touch it, it indeed felt far less coarse than the hemp cloth typically used in the tribe.
“Bai’s cloth is truly unique.”
At least half of the items paid monthly from the main city ended up in the chief’s hands. Anything that caught his eye would be brought directly before him.
Huo Duo’er said, “If the chief wants this kind of cloth, we will only offer three shi in weight each month.”
“Three shi?” The chief frowned. “Other orcs all offer five.”
Huo Duo’er pulled Yu Bai close and continued the conversation.
“You just felt the cloth yourself, it’s clearly better than the usual kind. The old sub-female taught Bai, and he quickly mastered it, which shows he’s smart, smarter than many orcs even. Making this kind of cloth takes more effort and time than the regular kind, so naturally, we can’t give as much. If the chief can’t accept this offer, I imagine other tribes would be happy to welcome an orc like Bai.”
Yu Bai quietly suppressed his surprise. He hadn’t expected Huo Duo’er to negotiate terms with the chief.
The chief gave Yu Bai a few more looks.
Word had spread quickly through the tribe that a giant had settled down, and he had taken notice, he’d even considered bringing the giant into the main city.
Huo Duo’er wasn’t much of a talker. Aside from interacting with Yu Bai, he rarely associated with other orcs .
As a result, news about Yu Bai, this sub-female, had gradually reached the chief as well.
For instance: that he had saved this giant’s life, stopped the bleeding and treated an orc with a broken leg, that he knew medicinal herbs, and now he had even saved a few horses.
One incident might have been a coincidence, but all of these pointed back to Yu Bai. It was clear his claims weren’t false, he had indeed learned a great deal from the old sub-female. He wasn’t some useless sub-female after all.
After weighing everything, the chief looked at Huo Duo’er and said, “We’ll go with what you suggested.”
Then he added, “If this new kind of hemp cloth is truly better than the old, could Bai teach the orcs in the city how to make it?”
The tribe’s lands were rich with hemp vines. If the robe-weaving technique could be improved, they could trade with other tribes for better and more valuable goods.
Huo Duo’er replied, “That’s a separate matter, we’ll discuss it when the time comes.”
After seeing the chief off and closing the door, Huo Duo’er’s beast-like eyes met Yu Bai’s upturned gaze.
Those dark, moist eyes sparkled with admiration. Pressed close to the giant’s side, Yu Bai spoke with lingering fear, “I was a little scared of the chief.”
Then he added, “Not for any particular reason, it’s just that I’m still young. I haven’t seen much or experienced much. Maybe after a few more years, I’ll be able to talk terms with the chief like you do.”
“Mm. I believe in you, Bai.”
Yu Bai suddenly grew a bit shy.
He realized his words might’ve come off as self-praising, but ever since he’d started interacting with more and more orcs, he’d come to understand a truth:
Some things, even if you choose to avoid them, others will still bring them to your door. You can’t hide forever, you have to learn how to deal with them.
“Bai,” Huo Duo’er, as was his habit, spread his legs and pulled Yu Bai into the space between them.
He gazed intently into his eyes and said, “You’ve taught A’Li and the others how to make pottery and boil fruit preserves. The things you’ve already taught, just let them be. But as these things spread, it will only help raise your reputation.”
Huo Duo’er didn’t forget to remind him: “But don’t teach them too easily in the future. Once we move into the main city, many orcs will be watching you, especially the chief and the high priest. The things you know can be traded for anything. Don’t let them lead you so easily.”
Though Huo Duo’er didn’t want Yu Bai to get dragged into such matters, he was simply too special. It was only a matter of time before the orcs noticed. What Yu Bai knew needed to be turned into an advantage.
Yu Bai murmured, “Living in the city won’t be easy either... no matter the era, you still have to deal with people.”
Huo Duo’er: “?”
Yu Bai gave an awkward laugh: “I was just talking nonsense.”
“Bai wouldn’t talk nonsense. I’m the one who can’t keep up, my head’s just not quick enough.”
Yu Bai grew anxious: “Don’t talk about yourself like that. Without you, I wouldn’t even have a place in the city.”
Huo Duo’er replied, “Without Bai, I would’ve been dead long ago.”
Yu Bai was moved by the sincerity and seriousness in his words. His ears burned red.
He lowered his head slightly and whispered, “I’m not as good as you say…”
Huo Duo’er lifted his face: “Bai is the best.”
Yu Bai’s face flushed red, his ears burning. He lowered his small face and took a few steps back from the giant’s legs: “Go on and get to work. Finish quickly and come back to eat.”
Huo Duo’er stared at his flushed ear tips. His throat felt itchy, and he wanted to take that soft, pink, tender piece of flesh into his mouth.
Yu Bai didn’t see the longing in the giant’s eyes. He ran to the wooden rod and continued weaving the hemp cloth.
—
The afternoon snow continued to fall, and the tribe was submerged in a silent white world. The earth and sky were covered in a blanket of snow, until nightfall arrived.
Before it got dark, the two of them ate, and after a quick clean-up, Yu Bai drank his medicine and washed up, while Huo Duo’er went back outside to reinforce the wall.
The entire day, Yu Bai had woven half a piece of hemp cloth, while Huo Duo’er had finished building a complete wall with wooden stakes.
At this rate, in at most half a month, they would have the clay kiln and the kitchen all set up.
Yu Bai leaned against the only window in the house, half of it open, and through the bark curtain, he admired the snowflakes falling outside.
He reached out to catch a few, playing with them until he had enough, then pulled his hand back and scratched at the base of his fingers.
Earlier, Yu Bai’s hands had felt a bit itchy, and now, seeing his fingers becoming increasingly red and itchy, he realized he was about to develop frostbite.
When Huo Duo’er came in and closed the door, he saw Yu Bai scratching at his hands. He stepped closer and gently took his reddened hand to examine it.
“What’s wrong?”
Yu Bai hissed slightly and softly explained, “It’s so itchy. After scratching for a while, it looks like this. Huo Duo’er, I think I’m getting frostbite. Your hands are alright, right?”
Huo Duo’er flipped his hand palm-up for Yu Bai to see. Yu Bai gave a soft snort: “You’re getting frostbite and you didn’t even tell me?”
That’s true. Huo Duo’er had been outside every day, building the house in the snow. Even though orcs were strong, they were not invincible.
Huo Duo’er replied, “I can bear it.”
Unless severely injured, pain like this was hardly worth noticing to him.
Yu Bai shot him a glare: “Sit properly.”
Huo Duo’er: “...Mm.”
Yu Bai ran to the corner and rummaged through the basket. He picked up a piece of ginger root, used a stone knife to peel it, and then ground it into a paste with the knife’s handle.
He returned to the foot of the bed, holding the juicy ginger piece, and repeatedly applied it along the back of Huo Duo’er’s hand.
“Ginger juice can treat frostbite and promote blood circulation. If it itches or hurts badly, you can crush this ginger root, also called ‘spicy root,’ like this and apply it to the area where the frostbite is forming.”
Huo Duo’er gripped Yu Bai’s hand in return and carefully applied the ginger paste around his fingers, doing so with a light touch, as if afraid of hurting him.
“Bai, does this hurt?”
Yu Bai replied, “...It’s just rubbing my hand. How could you possibly hurt me? My frostbite isn’t as bad as yours; a little bit of this is fine.”
Just as he spoke, a loud, unmistakable sound came from nearby, faint but accompanied by a sharp scream.
Yu Bai stopped mid-sentence, frozen in place. His ears quickly turned bright red, as if blood had rushed to them.
He pulled his hands from Huo Duo’er’s grasp and hurried to shut the wooden window tightly.
The house had no soundproofing, and the orcs were naturally uninhibited. It seemed the atmosphere outside was quite lively at the moment.
Yu Bai awkwardly said, “I... I’ll go back to weaving the hemp cloth. I’ll work a little longer and then go to sleep.”
He lowered his head and walked away, and Hou Duo’er followed closely behind.
Yu Bai turned around and almost bumped into the giant's stomach.
His gaze quickly dropped and landed on the area where the giant's robe was bulged up, and he was so shocked that he quickly stepped back.
"Hou Duo’er... what are you doing following me like this?"
He hid behind a wooden post. "If it's really necessary, just go to a corner and do it yourself... don't follow me," he said, feeling somewhat uneasy.
What did Hou Duo’er want, following him so closely?
Hou Duo’er muttered softly, "Bai..."
Yu Bai urged him, "Just go, I can't help you with this!"
Hou Duo’er had no choice but to find a corner, one by the large bed. He picked up the corner of the animal hide that Yu Bai often covered himself with, still faintly holding the warm and clean scent.
Hou Duo’er wrapped himself with the corner of the blanket, his breathing became quick and heavy.
Behind him, Yu Bai stood there, dumbfounded, unable to look away.
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