After Being Stranded in the Wilderness, I Became the Bride of the Giant Tribe - 36

 

| GB | Am I Awesome | 36

The sky was overcast, and light snowflakes floated down like goose feathers.

Some parts around the tribe were already frozen, it was the third month of winter.

Yu Bai had been cooped up indoors for nearly a month, and his condition had significantly improved. Spending his days eating and sleeping, his cheeks had gained a soft layer of flesh, and his spirits were fairly good.

His biggest activity was twisting hemp rope and sewing hemp cloth. Sometimes when Huo Duo’er came in, he would see the sub-female curled up in the animal hide pile, clutching a piece of hemp cloth, fast asleep, almost sunken into the fluffy circle around him.

The firelight cast a soft rosy glow on his cheeks. Even the usually expressionless Huo Duo’er couldn’t help but curl his fingers and, using the least calloused part of his fingertip, gently poked Yu Bai’s cheek, holding his breath as he watched, his heart impossibly softened.

Yu Bai woke up the moment his cheek was poked and instinctively grabbed the hand beside his face.

“Mm…?” Yu Bai looked a bit dazed. “Huo Duo’er, what are you doing?”

Huo Duo’er: “I came to check on you.”

Yu Bai’s eyelashes curved sweetly as he crawled out of the thick fur pile, then picked up a neatly folded piece of hemp cloth from the side… a pair of shorts.

He spent nearly a whole month finishing it in bits and pieces.

The sub-female’s pitch-black eyes shimmered with a moist glow, bright and glistening. “Put it on. See if it fits.”

Huo Duo’er took it. “This is the ‘shorts’ you were talking about?”

Yu Bai: “Mm~”

His gaze flicked toward the orc’s hips, then quickly looked away. “Wearing shorts underneath will stop… the swinging, and it won’t expose things so easily either…”

Huo Duo’er glanced at his mate, then directly untied his beast robe. His strong, tall body bent slightly as he lifted his leg to pull on the shorts.

Yu Bai had already turned away the moment he started undressing. Only when he heard the low voice say, “Done,” did he turn back around.

Huo Duo’er hadn’t put the robe back on. He was wearing only the shorts, and he turned halfway around in front of Yu Bai.

The giant deliberately showed off his proud physique. “Bai, like this?”

He added, “It feels a bit uncomfortable to wear.”

Yu Bai replied hesitantly, “Mm… you’ll get used to it in a few days. Hurry and put your animal robe back on, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Huo Duo’er stood there silently for a moment. Noticing that the sub-female kept his head down and hadn’t looked at his body at all, his expression dimmed slightly, and he put his animal robe back on.

Yu Bai gently covered his cheeks with both hands and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He got up, stepped down from the bed, circled around the giant, and drank half a cup of warm water.

At that moment, he walked to the door and peeked through the cracks to observe the surroundings.

The new house was nearly complete. The cellar had been dug out, a firewood shed built. Once spring and summer arrived, they could convert a patch of land into a vegetable garden. 

A fence made of sharpened wooden stakes had been set up around the house. In time, they could plant some vine crops like melons and gourds along it and if they waited long enough, it would grow into a lush patch of green.

Yu Bai pushed the door open and rubbed his hands behind it.

The temperature indoors and outdoors was sharply different. He exhaled into his hands and slowly stepped outside. Huo Duo’er closely followed the fluffy figure ahead of him.

“Bai, it’s too cold outside.”

Yu Bai’s eyelashes were dusted with a thin layer of snowflakes. “I haven’t stepped outside in nearly a month. I’m almost fully recovered now, let me get some fresh air.”

He added, “I noticed earlier that the water jar seems almost empty. Should we go fetch some water?”

Since moving into the new house, Yu Bai still didn’t know where the water source was.

“Huo Duo’er, take me there and let’s walk around a bit while we’re at it.”

His voice was soft and gentle, making it impossible for Huo Duo’er to say no.

Huo Duo’er picked up the water jar in one hand and cradled Yu Bai in the other as they stepped out.

It was only about two bowls of water’s walk away.

A few orcs returning from fetching water spotted the giant carrying a sub-female in his arms, and all of them stared.

They all thought the same thing: Wow, even just to fetch water, he has to carry his sub-female? 

That’s so strange, we’ve never seen an orc like that in any tribe.

A sub-female who couldn’t even walk properly, why would a giant choose to form a bond with him?

The orcs couldn’t figure it out, so they simply stopped trying and just stared blankly.

Yu Bai, easily embarrassed, felt his face grow warm under the weight of all those gazes.

He whispered, “Put me down. I’ll walk.”

Huo Duo’er looked a little displeased, but still set his mate gently down in the snow.

Yu Bai’s steps were light and small. Dragging the heavy animal hide behind him, he made soft rustling sounds as he walked through the snow.

He looked around, and in the distance, spotted the frozen surface of a river.

“That’s where you fetch the water?”

Huo Duo’er: “Mm.”

Yu Bai: “Let’s go together.”

Just as Yu Bai was about to start walking, Huo Duo’er raised a hand to block his forehead.

Yu Bai blinked, his long lashes brushing lightly against the large palm in front of his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Bai, we need to go around from the right side.”

Yu Bai was puzzled. “We can’t go straight ahead?”

The nearby orcs had originally been watching for fun, but when they caught a better look at the sub-female, who looked so well-behaved and surprisingly good-looking, one of them spoke up almost involuntarily:

“You can’t go that way. The ground’s wet and messy. In warmer weather, a whole patch of itch-grass grows there. If you touch it, your hands itch, your feet itch, your whole body itches!”

Yu Bai: “…”

Huo Duo’er frowned and led Yu Bai to the path on the right side.

Yu Bai asked curiously, “There’s really a plant like that?”

The nearby orcs didn’t seem particularly hostile toward him, and Yu Bai felt a little more at ease.

He gestured for Huo Duo’er to stop walking and stood still, stretching his neck slightly to peer ahead.

From the fluffy collar, a small section of his neck peeked out, whiter than snow, smooth and delicate. The orcs, with their sharp vision, glanced down and were momentarily stunned.

Yu Bai stood in a patch of slushy snow and found a cluster of withered, even partially decayed, plant stalks.

He stared at them in a daze—

Then suddenly let out a soft “Ah!”

He grabbed Huo Duo’er’s thumb. “I think I know what this is.”

Huo Duo’er: “Bai?”

Yu Bai’s eyes sparkled brightly. “Let’s go over and take a look.”

Huo Duo’er: “But…”

Yu Bai lifted the edge of his slightly long beast robe and took big strides forward, walking a bit hurriedly.

Huo Duo’er followed close behind, protecting him.

—

In the snowy field, a few of the orcs still hadn’t left. They curiously watched the sub-female  crouching in the patch of itch-grass.

They saw him reach out, brush away the top layer of snow, and dig out the stalks of itch-grass flattened under the weight.

Huo Duo’er’s thick brows furrowed. “Bai, touching that will make your hands itch.”

Yu Bai said nothing, silently examining the plant stalk in his hand.

After a while, he flashed a shy smile, revealing his small white teeth.

“I know what this is now. Huo Duo’er, can you dig up this patch of dirt?”

Without waiting for an answer, he started to dig with his own hands.

Huo Duo’er immediately stopped him. “Let me do it.”

Orcs were fast and within a few moves, he had dug into the moist soil and uncovered some oval-shaped tubers.

He brushed away the dirt, revealing the skin of the stem.

Yu Bai let out a laugh. “It really is taro!”

Huo Duo’er: “Taro?”

Yu Bai explained, “It’s a kind of edible food.”

He looked around. “Can we dig up some of it?”

Then hesitated, “Do we need to report it to the chief first?”

Huo Duo’er, always practical, began digging efficiently at the ground beneath them, pulling out several stems, each about half the size of a palm.

Some of the nearby orcs couldn’t help but crowd around. “These are the stems of the itch-grass?”

“What’s the point of digging them up?”

Yu Bai brushed the dirt off one of the stems. “These itch-grass stems are edible.”

“Edible?” One of the orc’s eyes went wide. A few exchanged surprised looks before one of them suddenly dashed off to inform the chief.

Before long, the chief arrived, leaning on a bone staff.

His massive antlers were speckled with snowflakes, and his beard was whiter than before. He was slightly out of breath and asked urgently:

“I heard the stems of itch-grass can be eaten?”

Yu Bai nodded.

“How can we trust you? The stems of the itch-grass make your whole body itch. If we eat them, won’t it make us itch even more?”

Yu Bai explained, “When you touch taro or the stalks, your skin may itch because they contain an irritating substance. Some orcs are allergic to it, while others are not.”

The orcs didn’t fully understand, and neither did the chief.

“What… what does that mean?”

Yu Bai held a stem in his hands and turned to glance at Huo Duo’er. “Does it itch?”

Huo Duo’er shook his head.

Yu Bai gave a light smile. “See, Huo Duo’er isn’t allergic.”

They collected a jar full of taro stems to take back, with the chief and the curious orcs following behind.

When word spread that the roots of the itch-grass could be eaten, all the idle orcs came over to watch.

Yu Bai decided to make use of the opportunity, instructing Huo Duo’er to set up a simple stone stove outside. After washing the ceramic pot, he placed the clean taro stems inside and set it to cook, tossing a few more logs onto the fire.

Surrounded by a circle of orcs, Yu Bai moved a little closer to Huo Duo’er, hiding slightly behind him.

“What kind of pot is this? I’ve never seen one like it in the tribe.”

“I know. It seems like some orcs outside the main city use these. They say it’s heated by fire.”

“Did this sub-female teach them how to use it?”

“Is it really ready? Did it cook that quickly?”

“It can’t be cooked yet. The pot hasn’t even gotten hot enough in such a short time.”

Yu Bai picked up a taro stem from the pot, blew away the rising steam, and waited for it to cool a little before peeling off the skin. He sniffed it with a pleased expression.

In front of so many watching eyes, he took a bite. His pace was slower than the other orcs, who often ate ravenously. The onlookers were mesmerized, and some couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Yu Bai shared the other half with Huo Duo’er and gave the rest to the chief.

The chief, seeing that Yu Bai was fine, looked down and took a bite. The texture was delicate and powdery, somewhat similar to wild yams but with a slight difference.

Chief: “It really is edible.”

In the outer circle of the crowd, a figure kept jumping up and down.

“Bai, Bai—”

Yu Bai saw A’Li on the outskirts, waving his arm at him.

After some effort, A’Li squeezed his way through. “I just entered the city and heard you found some edible food. What is it?”

Yu Bai handed him the remaining taro. A’Li didn’t even bother peeling it and took a bite right away.

Yu Bai reminded him, “You’re supposed to peel it first.”

A’Li laughed and said, “It’s delicious, it’s kind of like eating wild yams, but a little different.”

Though plant-based foods like wild yams and wild melons weren’t as precious as meat, the orcs didn’t get to eat meat every day. They needed a lot of plant-based food to fill up, and they were tired of eating the same few types of stems and melons. 

So, discovering new food made them very happy.

“This sub-female is really clever. He said so many things I didn’t understand.”

“Could it be that God taught him?”

“He can even make a pot that works better than a stone pot!”

The chief raised his head slightly. “Bai, come with me.”

Yu Bai instinctively looked at Huo Duo’er, and he followed him closely. Upon seeing this, the chief didn’t object.

Inside the house, the chief’s sharp eyes scanned Yu Bai.

“Where did you come from? How do you know things even the high priest doesn’t know? I heard you learned from the old sub-female, the gray sheep. But I don’t believe it. If he was truly that clever, he wouldn’t have kept it hidden from everyone for so many years.”

Huo Duo’er spoke in a low voice, “Chief, Bai is my mate.”

Yu Bai shook his head at Huo Duo’er, then hesitated before speaking, struggling with his words.

“I came from the east. I fell into the water and drifted far away. I was about to die at the time, but I was saved by an old sub-female.”

The chief raised an eyebrow. “The east?”

The east was the direction where the sun god rose, and it stretched endlessly. Not only was it difficult to reach the east, even stepping out of this plain where several tribes were established was no easy task.

Yu Bai thought of the family he would never see again, and his expression became tinged with sadness.

“The journey back is too long and difficult and it’s impossible to cross such a vast distance. In this lifetime, I’ll never see my family again.”

The chief looked at his frail and thin figure, and knew that Yu Bai’s words were true.

No matter how strong the orcs were, they couldn’t traverse the vast and dangerous wilderness. What they encountered was just a small part of the continent. 

Not to mention the wild beasts and venomous creatures in the forest; if they were unlucky enough to encounter a beast tide, they’d be devoured, leaving not even their bones behind.

The chief sighed. He thought of how Yu Bai was such a clever sub-female. If he were to be sent to another tribe, they would definitely snatch him up. An orc so smart must be kept in his tribe.

“Then stay here in the tribe. The tribe welcomes warriors like Huo Duo’er, and we also welcome clever orcs like you.”

“If you need anything, come and talk to me.”

An orc as smart as Yu Bai would be revered as a priest in other tribes. However, since he hadn’t been here for long, the chief still had some reservations about him. He would let him stay for now.

The high priest hadn’t received divine guidance to discover new resources in years, and perhaps Yu Bai had been guided by the gods to come to the tribe. Otherwise, why else had he not ended up in another place?

After sending off the chief, Yu Bai let out a sigh of relief and staggered back a few steps.

Huo Duo’er supported his arm, gently pulling him into his embrace, lifting him off his feet and carrying him to the foot of the bed, where he let him lean against him.

Yu Bai said, “I’ve finally dodged the chief’s suspicion.”

His deep, dark eyes curved into a soft smile. “Huo Duo’er, I’m impressive, aren’t I?”

When he was telling those lies earlier, his heart was pounding with anxiety, afraid that he would slip up. But when he heard Huo Duo’er tell the chief that he was his mate, an inexplicable courage grew inside him.

Though he didn’t have Huo Duo’er’s strong, intimidating physique or fearsome strength, what he did have was his mind, a quality that the single-minded orcs often lacked. This was his advantage.

He weakly wrapped his arm around Huo Duo’er’s waist, burying his face into his solid chest.

“Don’t underestimate me. Not only can I hide behind you; I also have the ability to protect you.”

Huo Duo’er’s cold, indifferent gaze softened, and he looked at Yu Bai with a tenderness that made him want to pull him even closer, as if to melt him into his chest.

A moment later, Yu Bai tried to lift his face from where Huo Duo’er had pressed it against his chest.

“Why are you rubbing so hard… my nose hurts now.”

Huo Duo’er’s eyes darkened, and he lowered his head, giving a gentle lick to the small, reddened tip of Yu Bai’s nose.

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TL: Ahem, some of these chapters are starting to get too into detail if you know what I mean (*/▽＼*), so I am going to start putting certain paragraphs in a note that you guys can open to read if you want, but I'm sure majority of guys want to read it lol

I will also try to update more than one chapter a day since I am close to finishing tl this novel and there are other novels I want to tl by this month.