Chapter 12: Getting Along

The next day, Zhang Fan only got up after Ba Ke Er left the house. In fact, he had been awake for a while, but he didn't know how to face Ba Ke Er after getting up, so he pretended to sleep. Now that Ba Ke Er had gone out, he no longer needed to pretend.

After getting up, Zhang Fan immediately washed up and ate the breakfast Ba Ke Er had prepared for him. After finishing the meal, he began tidying up the house. First he moved all the bedding outside to the sunny spot to air them out, then he grabbed a rag and broom and started cleaning the house. He cleaned very thoroughly, every corner spotless. He also swept the ground in the courtyard and wiped the door clean. At that moment, the nearby neighbors each opened their doors and came out. Everyone saw Zhang Fan earnestly cleaning and greeted him.

"Hey! *** family, what's your name? I'm your neighbor, I'm Nuoya, Xiu Si's partner."

"Hello! Nuoya, I'm Zhang Fan. From now on we'll be neighbors!"

Everyone saw Nuoya chatting and feeling a bit restless, so they all started greeting Zhang Fan and introducing themselves. Soon Zhang Fan learned:

Among his four neighbors, only Wu Na still had no partner; the others were already paired. Nuoya's partner is Xiu Si, Hong's partner is Blair, Ge Sa's partner is Qiu Ji, and only Wu Na still lives with her parents Fu Mu Li Meng and Wei Xi.

Soon, the females chatted with Zhang Fan so animatedly that they didn't even notice their own male Beastmen returning, still chatting about tribal fun. Soon Zhang Fan learned from the females that Ba Ke Er's father was Lei Ya, his mother was Dier, the chieftain was Fei Ji, and the chieftain's partner was Wei Er, among other things.

Of course, besides that information Zhang Fan also heard plenty of gossip! Until the Beastmen from each household had prepared lunch and came out to call them to eat, the females reluctantly went home to eat. They agreed to continue chatting in the afternoon.

Thinking about going back inside, he would start telling Ba Ke Er how his morning had gone and how he had chatted with those friendly neighbors. Ba Ke Er was pleased, because Fan Fan now had the intention of getting along with the neighbors. So would their becoming partners be far off?

After the meal, Ba Ke Er told Zhang Fan to go rest quickly, then he himself swiftly tidied up the kitchen, washed the dishes, and placed them in the wooden cupboard. Only then did he go into the room, walk to the bedside, and lie down beside Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan was already asleep. Ba te er gazed at the sleeping Zhang Fan, his heart soft, smiling sweetly. If only he could keep watching Fan Fan like this! Fan Fan, ah! Fan Fan is truly lovely, his scent still so fragrant… Thinking and thinking, Ba Ke Er slowly fell asleep…

After Ba Ke Er woke up, he didn't see Zhang Fan on the bed, so he tidied the blankets and went out to look for Zhang Fan. As soon as he stepped outside, he heard the females chattering away, and inside he could hear Zhang Fan's gentle voice. It sounded like they were saying something.

Ba Ke Er didn't bother to listen to what they were saying; he just stood there in the courtyard entrance, dazed. Outside, Zhang Fan was happily chatting with the neighbors! He was currently telling the neighbors about the world outside the tribe, describing how Ba Ke Er carried him flying through the blue sky. He also learned from the females that only a Beastman's partner or child could ride on his back.

Soon Zhang Fan realized, could it be that Ba Ke Er also… also liked him? Zhang Fan finally understood that Ba Ke Er also wanted to live together with him! However… Zhang Fan then thought that he wasn't a female at all and could never bear children! Thinking this, Zhang Fan felt a bit down. Since he could never have children, would Ba Ke Er change his mind because of that???

No! It seems I should hide this from him first! I can't let him know! After all, the females here have low fertility; they usually have to be partnered with Beastmen for several years before they can conceive! Take Nuoya, for example—she and Xiu Si have been partners for over ten years and still have no child. So… in the short term, Ba Ke Er certainly won't notice my abnormality!

After figuring it out, Zhang Fan continued chatting with the females. Until Ba Ke Er came over and asked if he wanted to go to the market. Only then did he recall that they had agreed to go to the market yesterday, but he had forgotten after chatting with the females. However, going now was fine too—the sun was no longer at its noon intensity. So Zhang Fan replied, "Sure, let's get ready and go have a look!"