I've been transported to the orc continent.

Chapter 341 Venison is a Great Tonic

All the orcs here, whether they were out hunting or staying in the camp to prepare food, had all worked hard all day. After eating a delicious dinner, the young orcs did not feel tired. Some of them chatted and laughed around the campfire, some were cleaning up the prey they had just hunted that day, and others walked in pairs toward the wilderness not far away.

Most of those who went out together were either prospective couples or beastmen who already had an ambiguous relationship. Xiao and Chen finished eating and tidied up before going out, while Bai Ling and Yue also walked slowly and came to a tree.

The tree wasn't very big; its trunk was only about the thickness of Bai Ling's arm. Its branches and leaves weren't very lush, and it didn't cover a large area. However, there weren't many weeds under the tree, and it wasn't too far from the campfire. Faint sounds of laughter and conversation drifted over with the evening breeze.

This is a place far from the hustle and bustle, yet not exactly quiet.

Bai Ling put down the basket on her back, which contained a stone. At noon, the beastmen had collected many stones, washed them clean with water, and laid them on the ground to dry, so they could use them to sit on while eating in the evening.

Bai Ling placed the stone on the ground and wiped it with his sleeve. Yue stood beside Bai Ling, watching him work, her icy blue eyes filled with a smile.

Yue was a hunter who spent most of the year traveling with hunting teams. During breaks from hunting, he and the other orcs would simply sit down on the ground.

In her heart, Yue thought it was completely unnecessary to bring a rock to sit on when she came out. However, when it was Bai Ling who did it, and Bai Ling did it to make herself more comfortable, Yue's mindset changed.

He didn't stop Bai Ling, nor did he say "no need," but instead watched Bai Ling busy herself with a smile.

Bai Ling put the stone down and placed the basket aside. He didn't say anything, but just looked up at the moon with bright, sparkling eyes.

Yue reached out her hand and pulled Bai Ling to sit down on the rock together.

*

The two stood very close, and even through their animal-hide clothes, they could still feel each other's body heat. Neither Bai Ling nor Yue spoke; they both looked up at the bright, clear moon in the sky.

After gazing at the bright moon for a while, the two lowered their heads at the same time, looked at each other, and then laughed together.

The two clasped hands even tighter, and Yue tilted her head, leaning her whole body against Bai Ling.

"Ling, stop talking," Yue said.

Bai Ling countered with a question: "Why?"

Yue's face was a little red, and his body felt hot; he felt as if clusters of flames were beginning to burn within him. This feeling was not unfamiliar; he had experienced this several times before.

Perhaps it's because I ate venison today, but this feeling is particularly strong. Yue knows it's best to separate from Ling now and go to a crowded place so that the fire in her body will slowly die down.

But Yue couldn't bear to part with her. Even though he spent a lot of time with Ling, he still couldn't bear to be separated from his lover for even a short while.

Yue's words seemed to carry warmth: "Venus meat is so nutritious."

Bai Ling was slightly taken aback, but then he understood what was going on. He stared at the moon leaning on his shoulder with an eerily bright gaze.

The moonlight was blocked by the branches and leaves of the trees, and only dappled light fell down, but not a single ray of moonlight fell on the moon, which was completely enveloped in darkness.

But Bai Ling could see every expression on Yue's face. He saw that Yue's cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes were lowered, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Seeing Yue leaning so intimately and unguardedly on his shoulder, a hint of helplessness flashed in Bai Ling's eyes.

Is Yue too insecure about him, feeling that he's not very attractive to her, or is she too confident in herself, thinking that she won't do anything outrageous to him while she's here?

You should know that Yue knows what "highly nourishing" means, and also knows the consequences of "highly nourishing".

Bai Ling felt like his body was on fire. Gan Lin, who could extinguish the fire, was right next to him, but Bai Ling didn't do anything out of line. He just stretched out his arm and put his arm around Yue's waist.

"Moon, once the jam is ready, we'll make some sugar. The sweet grass in the central tribe has been harvested, and after drying for a few days, we can make sugar. We need to prepare food for the winter, make some vermicelli ourselves, and prepare various dried fruits, especially red dates; we need to ask for more."

"Yue, red dates are so delicious. After drying, they can be used to cook porridge and drink water. Date paste can also be used to make all kinds of desserts. They are so tasty."

Yue thought about the pastries Bai Ling had made and asked softly, "Is jujube paste something like red bean paste?"

Bai Ling mostly uses red bean paste as filling for her desserts. At first, she used mung beans, but later she used red beans to make red bean paste.

Yue loves eating red bean paste-filled pastries, especially red bean paste bread, which is her favorite.

Bai Ling replied, "Date paste and red bean paste are different. Date paste is more delicate, while red bean paste is more starchy. Red bean paste has the aroma of soybeans, while date paste has the fragrance of dates. Red bean paste filling needs sugar, while date paste is sweet even without sugar."

Bai Ling began to explain to Yue in detail how to make and taste jujube paste: "To make jujube paste, you must use dried jujubes. Jujubes that have just been picked from the tree will not work. Even if you cook jujubes that have not been dried, they will still have a green taste."

"Dried red dates are sweeter and the flesh is more chewy. After washing them clean, soak them in water for a while. Remove the pits from the soaked red dates and steam them. After steaming, let them cool. Peel off the date skins, mash the date paste, and stir-fry it in a pot. To make the date paste taste better, you can also add a little animal fat and stir-fry it slowly."

"Even without adding any sugar, the stir-fried jujube paste tastes very good. Take a spoonful, and it melts in your mouth while it's still warm. It's sweet but not cloying, and you don't even need to swallow it; the jujube paste just slides down your throat."

Bai Ling's words, carried by the evening breeze, reached Yue's ears. Yue's eyes brightened, and he leaned closer to Bai Ling, saying, "Ling, I want to eat jujube paste bread, jujube paste cake, jujube paste mooncakes, all kinds of jujube paste-filled pastries."

Bai Ling tightened her grip on Yue's arm: "Mmm."

With just one simple word, Yue knew that Bai Ling had remembered her words, and that he would be able to eat a lot of jujube paste-filled pastries and foods this winter.

*

Young orcs rest in the wild, mostly in their animal forms. The weather isn't too cold yet, so the orcs huddle together in their animal forms. The smaller orcs are squeezed into the very center, while the larger ones are further out. Couples or soon-to-be couples huddle together. One couple has very different animal forms: one is a forest cat and the other is a tiger. The tiger is lying on the ground, and the forest cat quickly climbs onto its back and curls up into a ball.

Bai Ling and Yue also huddled together, the white lion's paw resting on the white wolf's paw, and the white wolf's icy blue eyes blinked at the white lion, as if saying goodnight.

The white lion blinked, and after the white wolf closed its eyes, the white lion gently closed its eyes as well.