My Orc Husband Dotes on Me Excessively

Chapter 12:Woven Carrying Basket

Recalling Chinlea’s stricken expression earlier, Anluo sensed there was more to the story and asked tentatively. “What about Chinlea…” Jutu glanced at her and offered a heartfelt consolation out of the blue. “Chinlea is not a malicious female. She only turned bitter after losing her father. Once, she was clever and docile—and she was the one who first discovered those red fruits were toxic…” He finished with another heavy sigh. Anluo sighed along with him. Though Chinlea could be unpleasant, her past was tragic. No wonder she’d reacted so emotionally upon learning the chili peppers held healing properties. “We’ve reached the cave. I won’t step inside.” Jutu set down the woven baskets abruptly. “If these red fruits—chili peppers—truly can treat ailments, I’ll send the foraging and hunting parties to gather more on their outings.” “That’s fine, but they must never eat them raw. Unprepared peppers cause terrible stomach cramps. If anyone takes a bite by accident, sweet fruit will soothe the burn. And whatever you do, keep the juice far from your eyes; it can blind you.” Anluo warned earnestly. She wanted to prevent reckless incidents like what happened to the cub and Chinlea, which would only spark unnecessary trouble. Jutu memorized every word carefully, eyeing the woven baskets longingly. “Anluo, about these—” Before he could finish, Anluo spoke up of her own accord. “I can teach the tribe how to weave them.” She’d learned her lesson this time and made no offer to teach it for free. Knowing Jutu’s character, he would never let her labor go unrewarded. Sure enough. “Wonderful, wonderful!” Jutu’s face lit up with delight. “Rest assured, Anluo. The tribe will trade food and beast hides for your craft.” “Thank you, Chieftain. Could you first gather suitable branches and vines? I’ll come to the central clearing at midday to teach everyone—try to gather as many clansfolk as you can.” “Consider it done!” Jutu agreed at once and hurried off to make preparations, beaming from ear to ear. Anluo turned back, set the cub’s small basket on the ground, and sorted the seed-bearing chili peppers into a separate pile. She plucked a leafy branch and swept the large flat stone at the cave entrance clean. Once the stone was dust-free, she spread the chili peppers across it to dry in the sun. The weather had been clear these past few days; a few more sunbaths would fully dehydrate them for easy long-term storage, safe from spoilage. She even dreamed of making spicy hot pot during the cold season. After finishing all the chores, her stomach rumbled loudly. Anluo rubbed her belly and glanced glumly at the leftover wild fruit. She’d survived on fruit for two straight meals. Though tasty enough, she was human, not a herbivore—she could not bear another all-fruit meal. There was no other food inside the cave, so her thoughts drifted to the System Shop. She’d earned a hundred and thirty Points by exploiting the system loopholes earlier; she could afford a small luxury treat. Opening the System Shop, Anluo browsed carefully. She spent twenty Points to unlock two items: a full set of brand-name toiletries, and croissants. The toiletries included a bar of soap, a box of toothpaste and two toothbrushes. Her eyes lit up instantly at the sight—this bundle was tailor-made for her troubles. She purchased one set of toiletries and two croissants, costing forty Points total, a sum that made her wince with reluctance. The toiletries were stored temporarily in her shopping cart, while she and the cub split the croissants and ate every last crumb. It was the cub’s first time tasting such soft, subtly sweet food, utterly unlike anything he’d known. He wondered how A-jie had found such a strange delicious treat. Anluo had no intention of explaining where the pastry came from. She would pull out countless more odd items in the days ahead; he would simply have to grow used to it. Full at last, she flipped the sun-drying chili peppers to ensure even dehydration. When the sun hung high overhead, she set off for the clearing. Before leaving, she left the cub to stand guard at the cave mouth, to stop any ill-intentioned beastmen from stealing or ruining the peppers. When she reached the clearing, the sun blazed directly overhead. Wiping sweat from her forehead, she walked quickly toward the bustling crowd. Jumo spotted her straight away and waved excitedly. “Anluo, over here! Come join us!”The other beastmen automatically stepped aside to clear a path for her. Anluo hurried over to Jumo’s side, and the crowd immediately swarmed around her, bombarding her with questions: what a carrying basket was, how to weave it, why it worked better than beast hides, and more. Drowning under the flood of inquiries, Anluo felt dizzy, unsure whose question to answer first. Thankfully, Jumo stepped in to rescue her. “Quiet down, everyone! Listen to Anluo!” The crowd fell silent in an instant. Anluo breathed a sigh of relief. She truly was unused to dealing with such large groups. She cleared her throat and spoke gently. “There’s no rush. I’ll teach all of you everything soon—every beastman here can learn. First, I’ll demonstrate the whole process, then you can all have a go yourselves.” A cheer erupted from the crowd, and everyone rubbed their hands together eagerly. Once silence was restored, Anluo had everyone gather opposite her. She picked up the prepared branches and vines, weaving as she walked them through each step with a running explanation. The beastmen listened intently. Even Jumo, who was keeping order, looked eager to try his hand at weaving. Gasps of wonder rippled through the crowd the moment a neat, sturdy woven basket took shape in her hands. Her cheeks flushed from all the praise, and she told the crowd they could start practicing on their own. The second she finished speaking, the beastmen scrambled to grab branches and vines. After a chaotic jostle, they settled back into their spots. For the rest of the afternoon, Anluo alternated between weaving demonstration baskets and troubleshooting everyone’s messy attempts. She silently swore she’d never imagined making such a simple basket could be this exhausting. They barraged her with endless questions, like a living version of a thousand-question encyclopedia. Minutes slipped by. Her throat grew parched from nonstop talking when a tiny voice cut through the noise—one of the beastmen had finished their very first basket. “Is mine done?” Anluo lifted her head to see a slender young female whose face felt familiar, though she could not place her at first glance. After staring a moment, she recognized her as one of Chinlea’s companions she’d seen twice before. Back then the girl had been arrogant and sharp-tongued, a stark contrast to her current nervous, anxious demeanor. Feeling Anluo’s gaze, Ayu ducked her head nervously. She and the others had bullied Anluo earlier, and now they feared Anluo would snub them and refuse to teach them the weaving craft. Noticing Ayu’s awkward unease, Anluo pulled her gaze away and nodded firmly. “That’s perfect, you’ve finished it. You’re very quick to learn.” Joy flooded Ayu’s face at the compliment. Yet memories of her past misdeeds filled her with shame, and she kept her head lowered, too embarrassed to meet Anluo’s eyes—though a smile lingered stubbornly on her lips. One success quickly followed another, and more beastmen cheered as they completed their own baskets. “I did it! I finally finished mine!” “Hahaha, mine’s done too—I must be the cleverest beastman around!” “Me as well!” By the time all twenty clansfolk Jutu had gathered mastered the craft, the sun had dipped low on the horizon. Yet the beastmen were filled with unbridled enthusiasm, feeling no trace of weariness. They only grew more eager to weave, reluctant to leave the clearing. Anluo longed to head back, but surrounded by such eager energy, she could not bring herself to slip away. She numbly continued weaving basket after basket alongside them. She only managed to take her leave once the hunting party returned to the tribe.