Chapter 16: Gift (1)

The next day, because Zhang Fan had fallen ill, Ba Ke Er felt he couldn't let Fan Fan stay home alone, so early that morning he went to Mo De's house and asked Fei Er to come look after Zhang Fan.

Then he went hunting in the forest together with Mo De. He kept thinking about Zhang Fan's illness, hoping he would get better soon, and also remembered that Zhang Fan had told him to bring back some fruits and wild vegetables. Although wild vegetables in the tribe were only eaten when hunting was poor, Ba Ke Er dared not forget any of Zhang Fan's orders. He only wanted to treat Zhang Fan well, to make him forget everything about his original tribe, and to let him live here in peace.

Ba Ke Er caught his prey in one-third less time than usual, and used the remaining time to look for fruits and vegetables for Zhang Fan. Soon he found plenty of fruits and vegetables, then carrying the game on his shoulder and holding a bag full of fruits and vegetables, he returned to the tribe together with Mo De, who was also carrying his game.

As soon as they stepped through the door, Ba Ke Er and Mo De smelled many tribe members, including many males, and all of them were unmated! At that moment Ba Ke Er realized he had overlooked how many unmated males in the tribe were interested in his Fan Fan. It seemed he ought to teach those guys a lesson!

Seeing the fruits and vegetables placed on the table, Ba Ke Er felt a surge of anger. He set down the game on his shoulder, walked over, placed the bag in his hands on the table, and sorted everything on the table into two piles according to scent:

One pile was from the females, the other from the males. He kept the females' gifts, and placed the males' gifts on the ground to one side, intending to return them to those meddlesome males. Fei Er and Zhang Fan, who were chatting in the room, heard the sound outside and knew the males had returned, so they went out together to greet them.

"You're back!" they said in unison, unusually in sync.

Zhang Fan saw Ba Ke Er divide the gifts that tribe members had brought when visiting him into two piles, one still on the table and the other on the ground, and felt puzzled. He then asked Ba te er:

"Ba Ke Er, what's wrong with you, why are you putting everything on the ground?" Upon hearing Zhang Fan's question, Fei Er was somewhat speechless, Ba Ke Er felt dejected; indeed, Fan Fan didn't know what the gifts from the male beastmen signified. Seeing Ba Ke Er's expression, Zhang Fan became even more puzzled, and asked Fei Er:

"Fei Er, what's wrong with Ba Ke Er?" Fei Er, seeing Zhang Fan so obtuse, became even more speechless, and then whispered an explanation:

"Ba Ke Er is jealous! Can't you tell? What he put on the ground are the gifts from those males, while what he kept are the gifts from the females. Look, Ba Ke Er cares so much about you! Yet you still accept gifts from other beastmen."

"Huh? You can't accept gifts from other beastmen? Why?" Upon hearing this, Fei Er felt like rolling his eyes—how clueless can you be!

"On the Beastmen Planet, if an unmated single male beastman gives something to an unmated female, it means he is pursuing her; and if the female accepts his gift, it means she agrees to his pursuit."

Hearing Fei Er's explanation, Zhang Fan only then realized that he had inadvertently made another big mistake, and moreover, he had caused Ba Ke Er to misunderstand! What to do?! Sigh! If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have accepted it! Looks like I still have to return all these things to those Beastmen!