Chapter 30: Digging Sweet Potatoes, Digging Sweet Potatoes

Zhang Fan found plenty of good things on the mountain, such as sweet potatoes that could serve as staple food, plus some Sichuan pepper trees and a small patch of sugarcane. Following the principle of not letting anything he sees go to waste, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er had said they were just coming out to play, but they ended up starting to work. Especially when Ba Ke Er heard Zhang Fan say he wanted to bring these back, he went all out, digging with all his strength. Seeing Ba te er work so hard, Zhang Fan felt moved, but worried that digging too much would tire Ba Ke Er on the way back, so he said to Ba Ke Er with some concern:

"Ba Ke Er, there are too many sweet potatoes here; if we dig too many we won't be able to carry them all! Getting back to the tribe takes at least four hours of flight, and it wouldn't be good if you got tired."

"It's fine, Fan Fan; these aren't many, we can carry them. As long as Fan Fan Valley prospers, I don't mind being a bit tired." Ba Ke Er flashed his three-hundred-sixty-degree, no-dead-angle smile, patted Zhang Fan's head, and said. After saying that, he kept his head down and kept working hard.

Zhang Fan was speechless toward this golden lion that had always doted on him. Only he himself also sped up, using the bone tool he brought to keep digging hard. This bone tool isn't actually a bone tool in the true sense; it's made from a piece of ivory. When he first got it in his hand, Zhang Fan was simply overwhelmed! Wow wow wow wow! Ivory, uh! Is it really okay for Ba Ke Er to use it to make a farming tool like this?! You know, elephants on Earth are already endangered species! And on Beastmen Star, although they aren't everywhere, their numbers are still quite considerable. But think about it: if it weren't that elephants are too big to hunt easily and their meat is also rather tough, few Beastmen would like to eat them; only during the cold season, when there's no food, would Beastmen form teams to go out and hunt them. And ivory is even more valuable because its worth isn't outrageous on Earth. The ivory in Zhang Fan's hand was still something Ba Ke Er happened to get by chance during his trial.

Ba Ke Er and Zhang Fan worked quickly; in about two hours they had dug up nearly an acre's worth of sweet potatoes. All that remained was to pack the sweet potatoes for the return trip. After another hour, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er had packed the sweet potatoes and were ready to head back. On the way back, Zhang Fan also saw a small patch of sugarcane and a few Sichuan pepper trees, but the load was already enough; any more wouldn't fit. Moreover, the sugarcane wasn't ripe yet, and the Sichuan pepper trees were covered in thorns, so Zhang Fan could only tell Ba Ke Er to mark the spot for a future harvest. Ba Ke Er laughed and agreed, carrying Zhang Fan and a large load of goods to the Sichuan pepper trees and sugarcane field, where he made a marker at each.

Finally able to head home, Zhang Fan suddenly realized he hadn't yet told Ba Ke Er about his desire to build a house.

"Ba Ke Er, what do you think about building a house beside the field where we grow chili peppers? We're currently living at your parents' place. They haven't come back yet, which is fine, but if they did, it would be very inconvenient! Besides, you're an adult now; it's time for you to build a house outside. Otherwise, where would we live after we pair up?"

Ba Ke Er had also been planning to wait until this busy period passed before starting to build a house. Moreover, the rainy season is about to begin; when his parents left, they said they'd return to the tribe before the rains. Now it's indeed time to put house-building on the schedule! Also, the stone mortar for husking rice that Fan Fan mentioned needs to be made as soon as possible, and the rice at home still hasn't been dried properly! Suddenly thinking about it, there really is a whole lot of things left undone!

After sorting out the thoughts, Ba Ke Er said to Zhang Fan:

"Fan Fan, it looks like we need to hurry! There are still lots of things left undone! When we get back, let's first dry all the rice thoroughly, then look for stone to build the house, and only after that make the stone mortar—okay?" Ba Ke Er turned his head, looking at Zhang Fan with some hesitation, afraid Zhang Fan wouldn't agree.

Zhang Fan looked at Ba Ke Er's expression and found it somewhat amusing. That huge golden lion head turned toward him, gazing at him with a wary look.

"Of course it's fine! The rainy season is coming soon; indeed we should dry the rice first, otherwise it'll get moldy and sprout—what a waste! If we don't build the house, we two won't have a place to live, and the stone mortar can indeed be made later."

After the important matters were settled, Ba Ke Er and Zhang Fan began chatting about all sorts of things. By the time they got home, it was already dark. Having worked so long, both were exhausted; they ate something hastily and then rested.