Hu Jiaojiao and Long Mo came to the cave where salt was stored together.
All the food and supplies in the tribe are stored in caves. This makes it convenient for the orcs to get supplies in winter. The caves are cool and the food and supplies are not easily spoiled in other seasons.
At this time, many orcs had gathered in the cave. Compared with yesterday's ecstasy, everyone was frowning today, with gloomy and worried looks on their faces.
As soon as the two arrived, they saw the tribe leader asking a male:
"Wasn't it fine yesterday? Why is the salt so wet today?"
The male had an honest and simple face. When questioned, he answered anxiously, "Chief, I don't know. It was like this when I came to get salt today... It really has nothing to do with me."
An orc nearby tried to comfort him, "Chief, he is a very honest man. He would never do such a thing."
"Yes, Chief, it's probably because the cave is too humid and the salt has melted away..."
When Hu Jiaojiao squeezed in, she saw some supplies on the ground in the cave. In one corner, there were several animal skin bags.
At this time, the animal skin bag was empty and there were puddles of liquid on the ground. It looked like salt had melted in water and flowed to the ground through the gaps in the animal skin.
It's impossible to save it anymore.
"Jiaojiao, you are here too." Lu Mian'er, who was among the group of beastmen, saw her and came up to her with a worried look on his face.
Seeing that it was Lu Mian'er, Hu Jiaojiao nodded slightly.
“Is this all the salt the tribe has?” she whispered.
Lu Mian'er nodded, "Yes, the tribe's only remaining salt is here. It was enough for the females to survive the winter, but I didn't expect something like this to happen."
As soon as the words fell, an orc asked:
"Chief, what should we do next?"
“Without salt, the females will get sick!”
"Yes, how can the tribe survive without salt? The Beast God is trying to kill our tribe..."
Their voices were filled with despair and helplessness. This news was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the tribe.
As soon as these words were spoken, more and more orcs began to panic, as if they had already foreseen the day of the tribe's demise.
The surrounding sounds seemed particularly loud in the cave, constantly echoing and making people's ears begin to ache.
The patriarch quickly raised his hand and signaled everyone to be quiet.
"Don't worry, everyone. I'll find a way. We have to survive even without the salt. At worst... I can just feed the females animal blood. As long as we can survive this winter, we can get salt back next year!"
Before the orcs’ ancestors got salt, they used animal blood to replenish salt in their bodies. However, females who drank animal blood became weak and sickly, and almost always died after giving birth to their cubs. It was even possible that they would die of illness before giving birth to any cubs.
That's why they go to the seaside to exchange for salt. This is the only way they know how to get salt.
The patriarch's words were not convincing.
The animals were quiet for only a moment before becoming restless again.
"Chief, drinking animal blood will make females sick, let alone drinking it for a whole winter. Which female can stand it?"
"I don't want to live on the blood of animals..."
"There are pregnant females in the tribe. They cannot drink animal blood, or they will not be able to give birth to cubs..."
The impatient voices drowned out the patriarch's voice.
"Shut up!" Ying Yuan yelled, walked to the clan leader, and glared at him: "Can you quarrel here and make salt come out of it?"
As soon as Ying Yuan opened his mouth, all the animals became quiet and looked at him with fear.
"Chief, when winter comes, I will take the supplies to the seaside to exchange for salt, so that I can come back before winter is over."
Ying Yuan turned to look at the clan leader and made a serious suggestion.
"How can this be possible? If you travel in the forest in winter, you will freeze to death." The patriarch quickly shook his head and rejected his suggestion without thinking.
"There is no other way!" Ying Yuan frowned and gritted his teeth, "I don't want Mian'er to spend the winter drinking animal blood."
When the animals heard this, they were all ashamed.
No one wants their partner to suffer, but they can't think of a better way to protect their partner.
The patriarch was silent for a moment.
"I'll go too." At this time, Long Mo walked out from behind Hu Jiaojiao.
He himself was used to eating animal blood, but females were delicate and he didn't want her to eat smelly animal blood.
Hu Jiaojiao looked at Long Mo worriedly. The winter in the orc world was extremely cold and dangerous. Almost no orcs would go out in the winter, which was undoubtedly seeking death.
Thinking of the warning in the dream, Hu Jiaojiao's heart sank.
She thought she could survive the winter and then find a solution, but she didn't expect that the script didn't want her to live any longer.
She did have salt, but if she took it out directly, it would definitely arouse everyone's suspicion, and she might even be regarded as an alien. Orcs are very xenophobic, so she didn't dare to bet.
"Is there nothing else that can replace salt except animal blood?" Hu Jing, who was standing next to Lu Mian'er, couldn't help but mutter.
Hearing this, Hu Jiaojiao suddenly had an idea.
yes!
You can use something else instead!
Since the orcs needed to eat salt, the animals here naturally needed it as well. She remembered that animals like lions and tigers would gnaw on the soil to replenish salt, and mountain goats would lick the salt from the cracks in the rocks on the cliffs.
The minerals needed by animals can be obtained from soil, bones and feces.
Of course, Hu Jiaojiao didn't dare to tell these methods.
She was afraid of being beaten by the orcs if she let them eat dirt and feces.
"Chief, I have another idea." Hu Jiaojiao raised her little hand among the orcs.
At once, all the orcs turned to look at her.
"Jiaojiao, tell me what you have in mind." The chief had an expectant look on his face, not doubting Hu Jiaojiao's words at all. In his eyes, Hu Jiaojiao was simply the savior of the tribe.
Long Mo also looked at Hu Jiaojiao with a sharp gaze.
It seemed that she had become different since he returned to the tribe. There was an extra layer of mystery about her, and everything she said and did made him feel unfamiliar.
"When I was picking fruits before, I saw some wild animals picking fruits from the trees and eating them. I tried some and found that the fruits were also salty. I wonder if they can be used as a substitute for salt."
This is of course a lie.
Salt fruit is a kind of plant on Earth. Animals that can climb trees use it to replenish salt, and even ancient people often picked it to season food.
She had never seen anything like it here, but most of the plants here were the same as those on Earth, with just slight differences in size and shape. She didn't believe that she couldn't find the same salt fruit in such a big forest.
"Really? What does that fruit look like? Where did you see it?!"
The patriarch immediately asked excitedly.
The orcs around were also looking at Hu Jiaojiao expectantly.
If this fruit could be found, the tribe’s crisis could be resolved.
"I don't remember it very clearly. It should be small and round, not as big as ordinary fruits, and tastes salty and bitter." Hu Jiaojiao said vaguely.