I've been transported to the orc continent.

Bai Ling waved her hand: "Father, you can keep those seashells. I don't need them for now."

There was also a half-basket of soybeans in the corner, which the wind had collected for his son.

Cooked soybeans don't have much flavor, so the orcs in the tribe don't really like them. However, soybeans are easy to preserve, and the orcs usually store them as food for the winter. This year, food is plentiful, so the tribe members haven't been collecting beans much. But because his son said he wanted to collect seeds, Feng still picked some for him.

When Bai Ling saw the soybeans, her face lit up with delight. Feng then asked, "Ling, do you really like these seeds?"

Bai Ling certainly liked it. Soybeans are one of the five grains, and in his previous life in ancient society, they were a very important crop. In modern society, with rice and wheat, soybeans can no longer be considered a staple food, but their status is by no means low. There are a wide variety of soybean products made from them, and they can be found in everything from bustling cities to remote villages.

"Father, this food is delicious when it's cooked properly. We can sprout beans to eat in winter."

Feng laughed and said, "There are still quite a few on the tribe's territory. I'll pick some more for you tomorrow."

*

On the way back to Aishan after dinner, Feng and Bai Ling discussed something.

"Ling, the Longhorn Tribe sent over some very fine animal hides. We already have a lot of animal hides at home. Could you give those few to your uncle?"

“Your uncle is pregnant and needs animal hides to keep him warm more than we do.”

Winter is tough, especially for the weaker orcs. Orcs have difficulty conceiving, and while pregnancy in females is usually a good thing, it's not so good for pregnant orcs during winter.

Feng had a few fine animal hides at home, and he wanted to ask the orcs of the Red Rock Tribe to take them back to his brother. However, those hides were earned by his son, so he had to discuss it with his son first.

Without a second thought, Bai Ling said, "Father, you can decide these things yourself, no need to ask me. Besides those few pieces of animal hide, send some of the animal meat to Uncle as well, we can't possibly eat all that meat."

The wind said, "Yes, I will send these over."

*

Bai Ling has vivid memories of winter.

In winter, life becomes difficult for both young and old orcs. They can only transform into their animal forms and huddle together in caves to keep warm, only venturing out when the weather warms up.

In the tribe, it is forbidden to light a fire in the caves where people live.

There is a legend among the orcs that lighting a fire in a human-inhabited cave will anger the gods, and the orcs living in the cave will be punished, either by becoming dizzy and unconscious or by losing their lives.

The orcs in the tribe strictly abide by this rule. Even in the coldest winter, they will not light a fire in their sleeping caves, and they even cook outside the caves.

Bai Ling, who possessed memories of the previous world, knew that this was not a punishment from the gods at all, but rather carbon monoxide poisoning.

Caves that can be inhabited are usually quite deep. If you light a fire inside, the smoke is not easy to escape, which can easily lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning include dizziness, vomiting, and unconsciousness. In severe cases, it can even lead to death.

As Bai Ling walked, he pondered, "If we can't light a fire in the cave, could we build a fire wall? Or perhaps we could simply make a heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed) to warm the cave and make winter easier."

However, if you want to build a fire wall and a heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed), the smoke vent is very important. Are there such caves in the low hills?

Bai Ling asked Feng, who was walking ahead, "Father, are there any caves in the tribe with two entrances?"

Feng asked, "Ling, why did you choose this kind of cave?"

“Father, I have a way to keep warm in winter, but we need to find this kind of cave.”

Without hesitation, Feng replied, "Yes, there are several caves like this." He pointed casually, "There's one over there. That cave has entrances at both the front and back, making it especially cool in the summer. During the hottest days, young orcs would sneak into that cave to sleep. But that's not good. They might not feel anything when they're young, but as they get older, their bones will ache. If any orc is caught sleeping there in the summer, they'll get a severe scolding. Last year, several young orcs went to sleep in that cave because of the heat, and their fathers dragged them back by the ears."

Bai Ling was very tempted. If there really was such a cave, he could gather more adobe bricks and build up one of the entrances, leaving only the smoke vent.

Bai Ling immediately said, "Father, take me to see it. If that cave is really useful, our winter will be much easier."

Feng didn't doubt what his son said, but it was getting late, and what could he possibly figure out at this point?

"Ling, let's go see it tomorrow, it's already dark now."

*

The tribe is surrounded by a continuous stretch of low hills, on which are scattered many caves. Most of these caves are naturally formed, while some were dug by the orcs in the tribe.

This was a naturally formed cave. Bai Ling followed her father inside, and after only a few steps, she saw another cave entrance.

A chilly autumn wind blew from the right front, and Bai Ling felt that the wind inside the cave was even colder than outside.

After walking about seventy steps, Bai Ling reached the entrance of the cave behind. The entrance was about the height of a person, and two people could walk in and out side by side without any problem.

This cave is seven or eight meters wide and about sixty or seventy meters deep. If a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) were built there, it would be large enough for the tribe's children, cubs, and weak elderly orcs to sleep.

With the fire wall and heated floor, the cave will definitely be much warmer, and even strong orcs will feel much better sleeping on the ground than outside.

Bai Ling even wondered how many adobe bricks would be needed if the entire cave floor were made into a heated kang (a traditional heated bed). If they started making adobe bricks today, could they produce the required quantity?

Bai Ling did the math and felt that the project was too much. Compared to covering the entire floor of the cave with adobe bricks, it would be better to find another suitable cave.

"Father, are there any caves like this in the tribe? I mean caves with two entrances, even if the other entrance is smaller."

Feng said, "Yes, but those caves are all quite small. The second cave entrance is also very small. There's a cave entrance that's only the size of a ceramic basin. We use that cave to store miscellaneous items."

Bai Ling became interested immediately upon hearing this; a smaller second opening would actually make it more suitable for modification.

After looking around, Bai Ling selected two more caves.

Both caves are relatively small, one is about 50 or 60 square meters in size, and the other is only 30 square meters in size. Both caves have two entrances, and the second entrance is quite small, making them perfect for use as smoke vents.

Bai Ling ultimately chose these three caves to renovate. With winter less than a month away, there was no time to lose; he had to get started quickly.