The next day, Shen Miao didn't go anywhere; she stayed home and made jam with her children.
She first peeled the wild fruit, cut the pulp into pieces, then used a small stone pestle to mash the pulp into a paste. She then put it in a pot, added honey, and began to cook it until it became thick.
The first batch of jam was ready, and Shen Miao served each of the children a small bowl. The jam had the fragrance of wild fruits and the sweetness of honey. The children ate it without looking up, feeling that they had never eaten anything so delicious before.
Seeing that they were enjoying their meal, Shen Miao gave Qing Chen another bowl and then started cooking the second pot.
Just as they were busy, the cat-beastman suddenly came to visit.
Shen Miao put down her work and came out to greet them. The cat-beastman smelled a very unique and pleasant scent. Just as he was wondering about it, he saw Shen Miao come out, and the scent on her body was even stronger.
The cat-beastman didn't want to ask too much, as it would be too impolite, so he forcibly changed the subject and brought up the purpose of his visit.
It turned out that a group of orcs had come to the tribe. They were said to be refugees, dressed in tattered clothes, with nowhere to go, and they begged the tribe to let them stay.
The orcs discussed for a long time but couldn't make up their minds. Their tribe wasn't wealthy either, and it was difficult to support their own people. If they took in another group of outside orcs, no one could say what would happen next.
At this moment, the clan leader remembered that it was Shen Miao who had dealt with the rebellious tiger beastman Li Qiu, and thought her opinion was very important, so he wanted to hear her opinion.
Some orcs believe that this is an orc matter and female orcs should not interfere.
But when the clan chief asked him what to do, he couldn't answer.
Finally, the cat-beastman took the initiative to discuss it with Shen Miao. Everyone knew that the cat-beastman and Shen Miao had a good relationship, and Shen Miao even told him her family's method for making blood tofu, so they all agreed.
After listening to the whole story, Shen Miao thought for a moment and said, "I don't know exactly what those orcs are like, so I can't make a decision. I need to see them first."
"Okay, I'll go with you."
Shen Miao followed the cat-beastman to the outside of the tribe, where she saw a group of beastmen dressed like beggars gathered under a big tree outside the tribe.
Some of them weren't even wearing animal skins, and in this weather, they just sat on the ground. Some even lay down directly on the ground, but they were still quite well-behaved and didn't force their way into the tribe.
Shen Miao discovered that this group of orcs were all very young and capable workers, but they had suffered a disaster and were forced to flee.
She already had some ideas in mind.
After arriving at the chieftain's house with the cat-beastmen, Shen Miao shared her thoughts: "I think we can accept this batch of beastmen."
"Why?" an orc immediately jumped out.
Shen Miao calmly said, "I made this decision for two reasons. First, our tribe is short of manpower. There have never been many cubs in the tribe. If this continues, the tribe will become smaller and smaller as the beastmen get old. Second, these beastmen are not vicious people. They are very well-behaved. By taking them in, we will have more labor force, and they will have a place to stay. It's a win-win situation."
The orcs pondered Shen Miao's words and found them to be very reasonable, impossible to refute. However, one unconvinced orc still raised a question: "According to what you said, who can take in so many orcs, and who can afford to support them?"
Shen Miao smiled slightly: "Why should one family take them all in? We can distribute them among various orc families, so they won't be able to cause any trouble."
“Shen Miao is right.” The clan chief affirmed Shen Miao’s suggestion. “However, there aren’t enough beastmen for each family to have one, which may lead to conflicts.”
If no one accepts, then everyone is the same and there's no problem. But if some orcs accept and some don't, then trouble is likely to arise.
Shen Miao had already anticipated this, and slowly said, "I have an idea. We can divide them according to the female beasts. For example, each female beast that has a beastman can be given one escaped beastman."
"Of course, after these orcs are assigned there, they won't be supported. They will have to work in order to survive here."
None of the orcs had a better solution, but Shen Miao's method was acceptable to most people. So, in the end, the chieftain made the decision to do as Shen Miao said.
If there are female orcs, you can go and recruit one of them who has fled famine.
Shen Miao also went to collect it.
The group of fleeing orcs looked even more disheveled up close. They stood in a row like cargo, waiting to be chosen by the females.
Their faces were so dirty that their features were barely visible.
Shen Miao could only choose based on her eyes and size.
Orcs are generally quite tall, and these orcs are no exception, but they all look very thin, probably because they often don't have enough to eat on their journey of fleeing famine.
Shen Miao noticed an orc standing in a corner. While the other orcs were trying their best to impress and hoping to be chosen, this orc was unusually silent. He lowered his head slightly, and his tall body appeared somewhat hunched.
"What's your name?" Shen Miao walked up to the orc.
The orc looked up in surprise. Someone had actually noticed him. When he looked up and saw the female beast standing in front of him, his eyes flickered slightly.
What a strong female beast.
However, although this female beast was not as slender and delicate as other female beasts, she had a very friendly face and was not pretentious when talking to him.
The orc was somewhat flattered and quickly replied, "My name is Jiuying."
"Alright, Jiuying, come with me."
The orc didn't expect it to be so simple. This female beast didn't even ask him to guarantee how much work he would have to do, while the other female beasts had all asked similar questions.
Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Shen Miao smiled gently: "Now that you're at my house, you'll naturally have to work. If you don't work, you won't have anything to eat. Do you want to go hungry?"
"Of course not, I will work hard and never slack off," Jiu Ying quickly assured him.
Shen Miao nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, come home with me."
When Jiuying arrived at Shen Miao's house, he was surprised again. This house was not as good as he had imagined. Not only was the house the most dilapidated in the village, but the most important thing was that the beastman in this house was disabled.
Jiuying suddenly understood why Shen Miao had chosen a beastman; could it be that she wanted to…
Jiuying's expression was somewhat complicated. She subconsciously glanced at Shen Miao, but Shen Miao didn't notice. Instead, she introduced Jiuying to Qingchen.
"Our family doesn't need another beastman," Qingchen said bluntly, his face extremely grim.
Jiuying was somewhat embarrassed and stood there, unsure of what to do.
Shen Miao told him to go out first, and then slowly comforted Qingchen. She first said that this was a decision made by everyone in the tribe, and then said that someone was needed to do the housework, and Jiuying would be a good worker and would not take him in for nothing.
"You just despise me because I'm disabled," Qingchen said fiercely.
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