Chapter 84: Return Home

After several days of stopping and going, Zhang Fan's group finally neared the Heaven Lion Tribe. Zhang Fan couldn't help but take a deep breath, sighing: "Phew! We're almost home! Though the journey was smooth, this is the first time I've been away from the tribe for so long since I arrived at the Heaven Lion Tribe!"

Fei Er also chimed in: "Yeah! This is also the first time I've been away this long since I was little! I really miss Am's meat soup and Father's roasted meat. Ah~ let's hurry! I definitely want to go eat at Am's house first today!"

As soon as Fei Er finished speaking, without needing his urging, Mo De whipped the carriage and raced swiftly toward the tribe.

Zhang Fan saw Fei Er and the others hurrying back. He lowered his head to check his watch and realized it was almost noon. He quickly urged Ba Ke Er to hurry home and cook. But he didn't yet know that cooking wasn't needed today.

When Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er's carriage was about to reach the tribe gate, they saw Ba Ke Er's parents waiting there, smiling and looking in their direction. As they drew nearer, Ba Ke Er asked: "Father, Am, why did you come?"

Dier smiled at Ba Ke Er, reached out to touch Ba Ke Er and Zhang Fan's faces, and said: "I was just cooking at home when I heard a noise outside, so I went out to look. I saw that it was Fei Er and Mo De driving the carriage back. I thought, since they're back, you must be back too, so I asked them a few questions. After hearing you were still behind, I quickly pulled your father over to welcome you home for a meal. It's been hard on you being away from the tribe for so long."

Lei Ya saw her partner again pulling Ba Ke Er into endless chatter, not noticing herself, so she quickly interrupted: "All right, all right, Dier, the kids just got back and are tired; let's go, after eating they can rest right away." After speaking, Lei Ya reached out and pulled Dier's hand off Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er's faces, gripping it tightly in her own hand.

"Oh dear! Look how happy I am, I forgot you just got back—quick, go, go, go! Let's head home for a meal!" After saying that, Dier still didn't forget to give Lei Ya a sideways glance.

"Hey! Father, Am! Come on, hop on the carriage—we have a vehicle, no need to walk." As soon as Zhang Fan finished speaking, he jumped down from the carriage, brought Dier and Lei Ya aboard, and the four of them rode the carriage back to Lei Ya and Dier's home.

After arriving home, Dier and Lei Ya slipped into the kitchen to keep busy. Meanwhile, Zhang Fan fed the horses in the yard, and Ba Ke Er began taking some of the goods they'd traded for at the Tiger Tribe gathering and setting them aside to give to Lei Ya and Dier.

After putting the items for Lei Ya and Dier into the storage room, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er started walking around the house. After all, this was Zhang Fan's first foothold after arriving at the Heaven Lion Tribe. This place holds many irreplaceable meanings: the first time sharing a bed with Ba Ke Er, the first kiss with Ba Ke Er, the first time living together with Ba Ke Er, and so on.

Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er also deliberately went to look at their former room. Surprisingly, the furnishings hadn't been moved, yet the room was spotlessly clean, as if they still lived there. This made Zhang Fan feel warm inside and deeply touched. It was also the first time, since arriving on the Beastmen Planet, that he felt the warmth of elders. This reminded him of the matron mother from the orphanage of his youth. It's a pity he can no longer see her; he can only silently bless her in his heart, wishing her lifelong peace and health. If he could return to Earth or meet her again in another life, he would surely strive to repay her kindness.

At that moment, Dier had just finished preparing the meals and called out from the living room to the room where Ba Ke Er and the others were:

"Ba Ke Er, Fan Fan, the food is ready—time to eat."

Zhang Fan quickly gathered his thoughts and, together with Ba Ke Er, responded by leaving the room. Upon entering the dining hall and seeing the table laden with abundant food, Zhang Fan knew Dier and Lei Ya had put their hearts into it and were sincerely welcoming them back.

Lei Ya and Dier saw Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er come out, quickly urged: "Come on, come on! Sit down and eat." After the two sat down, all four began eating. Midway through the meal, Lei Ya suddenly recalled something and said to Ba Ke Er: "By the way, Ba Ke Er! I also looked at the things you just put in the storage room. We took the food, but some items—like the dragon-silk bird tribe tail feathers—are useless to us and to your Am, so I've sorted them out and put them back on your carriage. You can take them back for your own use."

Ba Ke Er saw his father's insistence and simply nodded in agreement. Afterwards they chatted about family matters and the various things they'd encountered on the way to the tribe gathering. Of course, Zhang Fan also didn't forget to tell Lei Ya and Dier about the wheat and corn.

Lei Ya was delighted to hear they'd found another new food, and afterward she repeatedly told Dier how lucky Ba Ke Er had been to encounter such a fine female. Of course, after saying that she couldn't help but praise Dier's gentleness and intelligence, then obliquely compliment her own discernment for having met someone as excellent as Dier. This always left Dier feeling utterly resigned. Anyway, the main point now is to discuss how to handle the new food.

After hearing Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er's account, Lei Ya thought for a moment and said: "You should hold off on promoting those two foods you brought back. After I finish eating, I'll go talk to the chief. Logically, the discovery of these foods is somewhat related to his family's Fei Er. I think it's best to first hear his opinion; no matter how these foods are to be handled, he won't let any of you lose out."

Upon hearing Lei Ya's suggestion, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er nodded in agreement. Indeed, Fei Er is the chief's daughter, and our relationship with them has always been quite close.

Zhang Fan suddenly recalled those past events; the chief had indeed never let them suffer a loss. Although Zhang Fan bore the title of Divine Envoy, the tribe members didn't regard his sharing of his known techniques as something owed. Instead, they respected him all the more. This time, when Zhang Fan and his husband went on a distant trip, whenever something came up at home, the tribe members never stood by idly; they did their best to help Lei Ya and Dier manage Zhang Fan's fields and livestock.

Even on this return trip, when they encountered tribe members busy tending their own fields, those people all stopped what they were doing to greet the few of them.

After lunch, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er again drove the carriage home. On this short few‑minute stretch, no fewer than thirty tribe members greeted them and chatted. There were even several little youngsters!

After arriving home, Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er began unloading the carriage, with Zhang Fan leading the horse to the stable and tying it up. Seeing that all the livestock at home had grown noticeably since they left, Zhang Fan knew Lei Ya and Dier had been diligently caring for the animals. His heart warmed—what a wonderful feeling of family.

After Zhang Fan led the horse away, Ba Ke Er started moving the carriage's cargo into the storage room. Once Zhang Fan had secured the horse, he joined Ba Ke Er in hauling things inside. After a while they'd moved everything in. Once sorted, both were exhausted, drenched in sweat as if they'd just been pulled from water, feeling sticky all over.

Ba Ke Er quickly drew water from the courtyard's water tank into the kitchen to heat bath water. Zhang Fan also hurried into the kitchen to wash the pot and start a fire, beginning to boil water together with Ba Ke Er. Not long later, a large pot of water was ready; Ba Ke Er mixed the boiling water with cool water, then he and Zhang Fan grabbed clean clothes and went to the bathing chamber to wash up.

After finishing his bath, Zhang Fan finally felt revived; all his fatigue vanished, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Phew! A hot bath feels wonderful—I feel alive again!" Ba Ke Er felt the same way.

"Yeah, Fan Fan, we're finally home!" Ba Ke Er then suddenly thought that the house had been empty for so long it must be dusty. "Right, Fan Fan, we haven't lived here in ages—there's probably a lot of dust. Why don't you sit down while I clean the place?"

Zhang Fan replied quickly: "No need, Ba Ke Er; our house is quite clean. I just checked—I think Am cleaned it. Speaking of which, Am and Father have done so much for us, yet we haven't properly treated them to a meal. Why not use these fresh ingredients we brought back to make something delicious to thank Father and Am?"

Ba Ke Er heard this and promptly nodded with a chuckle: "Fan Fan, you decide—whatever you decide, I have no objections."

Seeing Ba Ke Er agree, Zhang Fan was very pleased: "All right then—quick, quick, quick! This afternoon we're inviting Father and Am to dinner, so we need to get ready now. Hey, you'd better run over and tell Father and Am, lest they've already prepared supper."

After Zhang Fan finished his instructions, Ba Ke Er hurried out the door running toward Lei Ya and Dier's house.

Zhang Fan watched Ba Ke Er leave, then began pulling out some of the brought‑back ingredients to start preparations. When Ba Ke Er arrived at Lei Ya and Dier's place, he saw them sitting on yard loungers, basking in the sun and chatting. After briefly explaining the purpose, Ba Ke Er departed and returned home to help Zhang Fan prepare dinner.

After Ba Ke Er arrived at Lei Ya and Di er jia, he saw Lei Ya and Dier sitting on the lounge chair in the courtyard, basking in the sun and chatting; he hurriedly explained his purpose to them, only then did Ba Ke Er leave and go home to help Zhang Fan prepare some dinner.