Chapter 38: Transplanting Seedlings

Time flew by; in the blink of an eye, the seedlings had grown enough to be separated and transplanted. That day, Zhang Fan, Ba Ke Er, and the tribespeople came to the paddy field together. Zhang Fan first showed everyone how to pull the seedlings from the field, then Ba Ke Er began teaching the beastmen how to hitch the plow to the oxen for plowing. Everyone studied eagerly, asking questions immediately when they didn't understand. Thus, after just one morning, everyone had learned how to pull seedlings and plow the field.

Next came the transplanting, which wasn't easy to learn. When planting, you don't just separate the seedlings; you bundle two or three together and push them straight into the field, making sure they're aligned horizontally and vertically. Therefore, when planting you must walk backward, and the seedlings mustn't be set too deep or too shallow, or else it will affect this season's harvest. Still, everyone studied very seriously.

"Zhang Fan, come see if my planting is okay," Fei Er said, then pulled Zhang Fan over to look.

"Not bad, Fei Er! You're picking it up fast!" Zhang Fan exclaimed, and everyone gathered around, chattering away with questions they didn't understand, such as: Why do we have to separate them when planting? And: Will planting like this actually yield anything? And so on…

Zhang Fan answered each of their questions, and in passing told them some basic tips—like the water in the field shouldn't be too much, and during the seedling stage they should apply fertilizer appropriately. But nobody knew what fertilizing meant. With no other choice, Zhang Fan went out of the field, grabbed a handful of dry grass by the roadside, picked up a few dry twigs, lit them with a lighter, and burned them to ash. Then he pointed to the wood ash and said:

"This can be used as fertilizer; of course, animal dung and urine are also fertilizer, nutrients that can help crops grow faster."

At that moment everyone finally understood why Zhang Fan often had them hunt live animals to raise and collect their dung.

"So that's why, Fan Fan, you had us collect dung for planting! But the dung really stinks—can food grown with it even be eaten?" Nuoya expressed doubt, and the others were also puzzled. Only Ba Ke Er unconditionally trusted Zhang Fan.

"Fan Fan, if I say it's edible, it's edible! Anyway, I believe you." Having said that, he didn't mind that the wood ash was still hot, grabbed a handful and smeared it onto a big bunch of seedling roots, only stopping when he'd turned the white roots into a mess. Then, not forgetting Zhang Fan's instructions, he planted all the seedlings in the field. Seeing Ba Ke Er's faith, Zhang Fan felt moved, but also worried about Ba Ke Er's hand that had just grabbed the hot ash. He ran over, seized Ba Ke Er's hand, turned it over and over, fearing he'd been burned, yet said nothing.

"Ba Ke Er, the wood ash is still that hot—how could you grab it bare‑handed? What if you get burned? Does it hurt?" Zhang Fan said anxiously.

"It's fine, Fan Fan, it doesn't hurt—I'm thick‑skinned." After saying that, he still didn't forget to rub Zhang Fan's head with his freshly washed hand. He felt wonderful inside.

Everyone saw Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er showing off their affection even in public, and they all clamored for the two to become partners right away—especially Fei Er, who went so far as to declare exactly when they should become partners!

"Fan Fan, Ba Ke Er, since you get along so well, why not become partners before the rainy season? Perfect—Uncle Lei Ya and Uncle Dier will be back then, and they can serve as witnesses! Hahaha!" Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er heard Fei Er teasing them like that, felt a little embarrassed, and remembered that they were still in a public setting.

Over the next few days, whenever Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er went to the paddy field, everyone would tease them a bit. But it was good that everyone also genuinely wished them well. So, aside from feeling a little embarrassed on that first day, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er's life returned to normal. However, after Fei Er's chatter, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er also confirmed they would become partners. After all, they'd been living together for a while and knew each other fairly well. Having shared a bed for that long, it was inevitable that they'd experience morning erections or accidental discharges. But they never went all the way. It was nothing more than Zhang Fan being startled by Ba Ke Er's size. ●﹏●