| GB | Tighten | 70
In the dead of night, Yu Bai was in a daze, letting Huo Duo'er handle him.
His half-open eyes were moist, and the orc patiently licked his brows and eyes with great care.
The soiled bedding was replaced with a clean one, carrying the scent of sunshine, and Yu Bai was placed inside.
He was completely disoriented, only hearing Huo Duo'er say he was going to boil some water. While waiting, it seemed he also cleaned the floor.
When he opened his eyes again, the early winter sunlight seeped through the narrow door crack onto the floor. Yu Bai peeked half his face out from the bedding.
His grape-like eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, and the events of the night rushed into his mind. He quickly pulled the bedding over his eyes, his pupils darting around, his ears burning.
After a while, he felt something nudging him through the bedding. He lifted it to find a little wolf crouching by the bed, its neck stretched out, its big head resting on his pillow.
"Awoo awoo~"
The sun is already up~
Yu Bai patted the wolf's head and shyly glanced around the floor.
Last night, Huo Duo'er had been carrying him around, making a mess everywhere, but now there was no trace of it left—everything had been cleaned up.
He ruffled his hair, held his stomach and thought about how exaggerated last night had been.
Although Huo Duo'er was a bit rough during mating, his mindset was still quite traditional. He had only ever held Yu Bai on the bed before...
This was the first time he had carried him while walking...
Yu Bai rubbed his face in embarrassment, even secretly lifting his clothes to check, making sure there wasn’t a hole in his stomach, before finally sighing in relief.
A wolf head nuzzled against his stomach, and Yu Bai pushed it away, covering himself back up.
Huo Duo'er happened to see this as he entered the room. He put down the warm water and porridge for washing up, then in a few strides, he was at the bedside, scooping Yu Bai onto his lap, his large hand gently rubbing his soft, thin belly.
"Bai, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Huo Duo'er had applied medicine for him, though he had tried to restrain himself...
But last night, Yu Bai kept intermittently crying out that his stomach was going to burst, even dazedly asking if he could get pregnant...
At that moment, Yu Bai had looked exceptionally fragile, his body wet and flushed, and the already anxious orc couldn’t be gentle anymore.
Yu Bai stretched his elbow and lightly hit the chest behind him, shaking his head, as his lips pressed together in silence.
Seeing this, Huo Duo'er didn’t force his mate to speak immediately. He simply held him, helping him wash his face and brush his teeth, and fed him the porridge spoon by spoon while keeping him on his lap.
Huo Duo'er didn’t need to go out these days, so he stayed home to accompany Yu Bai.
Under Huo Duo'er's attentive care, Yu Bai ate, slept, and was nourished with soups and broths every day, recovering quickly.
During this time, a few giant orcs came to visit Huo Duo'er. One named A’Liao, a super-sized fellow who loved to cry, squatted at the door begging Huo Duo'er to take them away. In the end, Huo Duo'er called Man over to carry him off.
A’Li also came to see Yu Bai.
This young orc had now grown into adulthood, resembling most young male orcs, though he still had a somewhat simple look.
He had been learning archery from Huo Duo'er for three years, and his skills had improved by leaps and bounds, even becoming top-notch. However, he still hadn’t found a mate, nor was he stubbornly fixated on passing the test to live in the main city.
Now, the outer city was developing better and better, with facilities both inside and outside the city. The reinforced city walls provided an important layer of security for the outer city.
Back then, most of the orcs who had been eager to squeeze into the inner city had changed their minds, striving to make the outer city more complete.
A’Li came to visit Yu Bai, asking if he had discovered anything good during his recent trip.
Yu Bai was sunbathing on a recliner. Hearing this, he lifted the blanket covering him and mysteriously led A’Li to the shaded area under the eaves.
A’Li stared at several pots of slightly murky water, almost crossing his eyes in concentration. Scratching the back of his head, he couldn't figure out what was going on.
Yu Bai gave a shy smile, went inside, and brought out a small clay jar the size of a palm, handing it to A’Li.
"Open it and take a look."
A’Li opened the jar and examined the fine, white substance inside with suspicion.
"What is this? It's finer than sand, white and powdery. It hasn't snowed today, has it?"
"Try a little taste."
Ali scooped a bit with his finger and put it in his mouth. His eyes widened in shock, and his tongue tied up.
"W-why is it salty..."
As he spoke, he kept examining the contents of the jar: "Bai... is this salty beans? But it tastes better than salty beans, and it doesn't look like beans either..."
Yu Bai: "This is salt."
He pointed to the pots of saltwater placed under the eaves: "Once the water evaporates, the remaining sediment is the salt in your hand."
A’Li was overwhelmed by this incredible surprise. He carefully stored the jar and returned it to Yu Bai.
Such a precious thing—he didn't think Yu Bai would give it to him. Even the chief hadn't publicly announced the existence of salt in the tribe.
Yu Bai: "Take it back. In the future, when there's more salt, no orc in the tribe will go without it."
"Will there be a lot of salt?!" A’Li couldn't believe it, but since it came from Yu Bai's mouth, he had to.
"There will be," Yu Bai said softly.
A’Li carried the salt home like a treasure. A’m tasted a bit and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, she carefully hid the salt and told A’Li to keep it a secret for now. Since the chief hadn't spoken, they didn't dare expose this never-before-seen salt to other orcs.
Half a month later, the first light snow of the winter began to fall.
Everything was desolate, with plants half-withered, but a bonfire was lit in the central square of the Yuan tribe, and the atmosphere was lively.
That night, the chief gathered the orcs in the large shed and had A’Chang lead a dozen orcs to start the fires and set up the cooking pots.
Several large pots were placed over the fires, and the pre-cut meat—thighs, chest, liver, and more—was gradually added to the pots to simmer. Paired with various spices, the rich aroma of the meat broth gradually spread across the square, making the orcs drool.
Some of the more skilled female orcs prepared several bowls of dipping sauces—spicy, sour, salty, and all sorts of flavors. In the past, they would never have imagined that the plain boiled food they had eaten for so long could be transformed into so many different tastes.
The male orcs sat around the shed with their mates and cubs, while Yu Bai and Huo Duo'er sat to the right of the chief.
After the orcs had eaten the meat and drunk the broth, the chief cheerfully had A’Chang bring out two jars and showed them the salt inside.
The coarse salt brought back from the western mountains had been filtered into finer white salt according to Yu Bai's method. At first, the orcs thought it was snow, until a dozen or so respected orcs dipped their fingers in the white salt and tasted it. Their eyes widened, and their chests heaved with excitement.
They took deep breaths: "This... this is..."
The chief exclaimed, "A blessing from the Orc God! Under the guidance of the Orc God, this expedition not only discovered salt but also a method to refine fine salt!"
Priest Mien was already numb. Over the past two years, Bai had brought too many changes to the tribe, and the appearance of white salt had completely won him over.
He stared blankly at the salt on his fingers, then looked at Yu Bai, his face pale and defeated, as if he had aged several years in an instant. Yet, a glimmer of determination flashed in his eyes. He nodded slightly to the chief, as if he had made up his mind.
Upon learning the value of salt, the orcs knelt down one after another, loudly thanking the Orc God for his blessing.
The chief stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Every household in the tribe will receive salt, and it will be distributed according to the merits accumulated by the warriors. The more capable will receive more. It’s not just about physical labor; anyone who has healed a tribe member, crafted weapons, or made furniture for the tribe—anyone who has contributed—will receive more salt. Any objections?"
The vast majority of the orcs had no objections.
The changes in the tribe were inseparable from the efforts of all the orcs, and their perspectives had gradually shifted as well.
For example, female orcs and elderly orcs who were not physically strong could prove their worth in other ways. As long as they worked towards the common goal and contributed, they would receive corresponding rewards.
The white salt was distributed spoon by spoon. Even those who received only a small spoonful treated it as a treasure, silently resolving to work harder in the future to earn more white salt.
After the salt was distributed, the orcs gradually dispersed, each returning to their homes.
The lights in the surrounding houses slowly went out, and the night enveloped the tribe. The torches along the path illuminated the hazy trail in the snowy night.
Huo Duo'er picked up Yu Bai, preparing to return to their small courtyard.
The chief and Priest Mien quickly caught up, stopping them by the roadside.
"Bai, Huo Duo'er, could we discuss something in the council hall?"
The council hall was not far away, and they arrived shortly.
The hall was unheated, and the air was chilly. Huo Duo'er held Yu Bai, his gaze clearly indicating that they should speak quickly.
Priest Mien took two steps forward, looking directly at Yu Bai. "I am willing to step down from my position as priest and let you take over as the priest of the tribe."
The chief nodded. "Mien and I discussed this several months ago, and I agreed."
Yu Bai had been bestowed with the inheritance of the Orc God, and his reputation in the tribe was now incomparable to the past. The orcs respected and liked him. Though his nature was gentle and soft, with Huo Duo'er by his side to maintain order, no one dared to disrespect him.
The chief had initially been wary, as Yu Bai was not originally from the tribe.
But as three years passed, his wariness seemed insignificant, even laughable, compared to the impact Yu Bai had brought.
Since Yu Bai had come to the tribe, wasn’t this a sign from the Orc God?
He decided to follow the guidance of the Orc God. Coincidentally, Mien had also come to this realization, and the former elder priest had long harbored this idea. After a brief discussion, they decided to nominate Yu Bai as the tribe’s priest.
The chief bent his trembling old waist. "Bai, please agree to this."
Yu Bai hesitated, and Huo Duo'er shifted him slightly, speaking first.
"Bai has already given his answer before. Are you worried, Chief, that I might leave the tribe and take Bai with me?"
The chief was silent, not denying that this was indeed his concern.
After all, the Giant tribe was now establishing territory to the northwest of the tribe, and Huo Duo'er’s roots were there. If he decided to return out of sentimentality, Yu Bai would certainly not stay with the tribe.
Rather than letting Yu Bai leave with Huo Duo'er, it would be better to try every possible means to keep him here.
After a standoff lasting half a moment, with Huo Duo'er present, Yu Bai stood firm in his position and did not agree to the requests of the chief and the priest.
"I don't know those blessing rituals, I can't be a priest."
Mien spoke up before the chief could.
"I can teach you, don't you want to learn?"
Yu Bai shook his head honestly: "Not really..."
Both Mien and the chief were left speechless.
Soft tactics didn't work, pleading didn't work, and as for using force... glancing at Huo Duo'er beside them, forget it, that method was even more impossible!
—
The next day, snow was still falling, and the accumulated snow on the ground was ankle-deep.
Huo Duo'er planned to go see Man and the others, but as soon as he stepped out, there was a faint rustling sound following behind him.
He stopped and turned around, glancing towards a house.
A trail of small footprints followed the path he had taken.
Huo Duo'er sighed: "Come out."
Yu Bai adjusted his fluffy hood, bundled up thickly, and clumsily shuffled over.
"Bai, it's too cold today, the wind outside the city is strong, I didn't want to take you because I was afraid you'd catch a cold."
Yu Bai nodded: "I know."
He pointed to his scarf and hood, then with difficulty turned in a circle, his breath forming white puffs in the air, his nose tip red, but he was obedient.
"So I listened and wore so much before coming out, I won't get cold."
"Huo Duo'er, take me to see your people too."
He pretended to walk, staggering through the snow, even feigning a fall.
"If you don't take me, I'll just follow your footprints."
Before he could fall, he was suddenly lifted into the air.
Huo Duo'er held a fluffy bundle in his arms, carrying him face to face.
"Bai, I'll take you."
Yu Bai showed a faint smile, even draping half of his scarf around Huo Duo'er's neck, pressing his slightly cold cheek against the exposed skin at the collar.
Huo Duo'er smiled faintly, tightening his arms around his mate's legs, lifting him up and securing him around his waist.
"Hold on tight."
Yu Bai made a soft sound, wrapping his legs tightly, obediently.
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