Chapter 25: Harvesting Rice

Finally, the meat Zhang Fan had stewed in the clay pot was cooked.

Zhang Fan saw the meat was done, took out a small bowl he used for eating and a ladle for soup, scooped out his portion, then said to Ba Ke Er:

"Ba Ke Er, the remaining soup in the clay pot is yours; eat the roasted meat first, the soup is still hot, let it cool before drinking."

Ba Ke Er smiled and handed the bowl of roasted meat to Zhang Fan, saying:

"All right, Fan Fan, you can also wait a bit to drink the soup; eat the roasted meat now, it's almost cool, later it won't taste good."

"Okay!"

Zhang Fan laughed as he took the roasted meat and handed Ba Ke Er a pair of chopsticks, and they began eating the roasted meat together. After finishing the meat and drinking the meat soup, they tidied up everything and set off again toward the seaside.

When Ba Ke Er flew together with Zhang Fan to a golden-yellow canyon, he began to lower his altitude and slow his speed, starting to descend.

"Have you arrived at the place where I said those plants grow?" Zhang Fan, seeing the golden-yellow land below, exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! Fan Fan, the things down there look just like the rice you mentioned."

"Really? Then let's go down and check! If it really is rice, that would be great; even though it's summer, it's already golden-yellow, so we might be able to harvest once more before the snow. As long as we bring back enough seeds, we can plant them!"

Hearing Zhang Fan say that, Ba Ke Er was very happy and asked:

"Then Fan Fan, if we can grow enough food, the tribe's people will be able to survive the harsh season better! You surely don't know that every harsh season, many in the tribe starve to death from lack of food."

Zhang Fan, hearing this, was very surprised and asked:

"Didn't the previous Divine Envoy Qin Dong teach you how to plant?"

"Qin Dong Father, he only taught us how to make clay pots and how to build warmer stone houses, but didn't teach us farming."

"Oh, I see! Then let's go down first to see if those are really rice."

"All right, Fan Fan, hold on tight; we'll land right away."

Saying that, they landed beside the golden sea. Zhang Fan ran over excitedly to look.

"Ba Ke Er, these really are rice! There's so much rice that bringing it all back to the seaside would be inconvenient; why not harvest some now and let the tribe's people come later to gather the rest?"

"Of course we can, but Fan Fan, how should we harvest this rice?"

"It's simple: hold the rice stalk with your left hand, use the other hand to cut the stalk off with a knife, just be careful not to cut yourself." Zhang Fan handed the fruit knife to Ba Ke Er and said.

"Fan Fan, put the knife away; I'll just use my beastified fingernails." Saying that, Ba Ke Er used his beastified fingernails to cut off a big handful of rice.

"Good heavens, Ba Ke Er, your fingernails are so sharp! Mine aren't up to it—people comparing themselves to others just make themselves furious!" Zhang Fan muttered.

"Beastmen's fingernails become this sharp when beastified, but Fan Fan, you're female, so of course you can't; but with me it's fine. Fan Fan, how much rice do you say we should collect now?"

"No need for much; a small patch will be enough. It'll get dark soon, and we still need to find a place to stay."

"All right, Fan Fan, rest over there for now." Having said that, without waiting for Zhang Fan's reply, he began to quickly harvest the rice.

Zhang Fan watched Ba Ke Er sweep across the golden rice field with the speed of a locust plague, leaving only a gaping-mouthed expression of astonishment. Zhang Fan thought to himself, "Beastmen or whatever, that's enough! How can this modern man of mine feel embarrassed comparing himself to them? Looks like I'd better keep playing the female role."

As a man, Zhang Fan silently shed two wide-noodle tears for himself. (~T_T~)