Chapter 97

Zhang Fan saw Ba Ke Er and Mo De so serious, he felt as if someone had secretly pressed the pause button on time, feeling somewhat helpless. After thinking, he decided it would be better to just speak up and interrupt them.

Before Zhang Fan could speak, the watch on his wrist began to announce the time.

"Hello! It's 4 p. m. now!"

Hearing the sound from the small strap on Zhang Fan's wrist, aside from Ba Ke Er, who already knew Zhang Fan's watch could make a sound and remained calm, Fei Er and Mo De both felt very surprised and confused.

Fei Er saw that Zhang Fan and Ba Ke Er had no strange reaction, so he knew they must know the source of the sound, and without thinking further, he directly asked Zhang Fan:

"Fan Fan, what's going on with that sound just now? How can the strap on your wrist talk? Could this be a kind of beastman? But I've never seen one like this before."

Fei Er thought for a moment, as if suddenly realizing, and shouted "Ah!" then said: "Ah! Right! Is this something you brought from Earth, Fan Fan? Wow! No wonder I've never seen it! So there are beastmen on Earth after all! But why haven't I seen it turn into human form? Ah~!"

Zhang Fan couldn't help but say, he really admired Fei Er's imagination! It was utterly wild and nonsensical! What does this have to do with that?! Zhang Fan rolled his eyes at Fei Er and said helplessly:

"Fei Er! How could this be a beastman? You say if I were a beastman who came from Earth to the beastman planet together, would I still be with Ba Ke Er? Besides, this is just a common timer on Earth, merely a tool to remind people of the time!"

Seeing Fei Er wanting to speak but stopping, Zhang Fan had to continue explaining.

"Of course, this watch is just a lifeless object, unlike beastmen that can change into beast and human forms. As for it speaking, it's only because it has been implanted with voice software, allowing it to remind people of the time as time passes!"

"Why have I never heard it before? I only heard it this time! How strange!"

At this moment, Ba Ke Er saw Fei Er constantly clinging to his precious female, and also couldn't help but speak up to explain.

"I know this: because Fan Fan's watch can adjust the time announcement function, normally when not adjusted, it defaults to announcing the time. Only turning off this function makes the watch silent."

Mo De saw Ba Ke Er knowing this so clearly, and also couldn't help but start teasing him.

"Hey! Not bad! Ba Ke Er, you actually know this much! Looks like after following your female, you've learned quite a lot! Hmm hmm hmm! Not bad, hahaha... I still thought you were that silly kid! Didn't expect you to have grown up! Hahahaha!"

After hearing Mo De say that, Ba Ke Er, who had been wearing a slight proud expression, froze instantly, his face slowly turning from white to red, then from red to black, and then he cautiously glanced at Zhang Fan.

I never expected Zhang Fan to also join Xu Liang and the Mo De couple in mocking him! Ba Ke Er suddenly felt so wronged! Sniffle, the baby feels awful, but the baby won't cry!

Thinking this, Ba Ke Er's mood unexpectedly improved quite a bit. At this time, Zhang Fan had laughed enough, so he stopped and walked over to Ba Ke Er to comfort him:

"Alright, Ba Ke Er, you're not a little kid anymore, why are you still so easily defeated by a single remark from Mo De? Acting like this, would it make me think I'm raising a child rather than a partner?"

To be honest, Zhang Fan really doesn't know how to comfort people! Saying that, Ba Ke Er felt even more that he would be laughed at by Mo De and Fei Er, the couple, for the rest of his life! So Ba Ke Er hurriedly opened his mouth to explain to Zhang Fan, saying:

"Fan Fan, how could you think that way? Although I do want a child, how can you treat me like a child?! I'm supposed to be your lifelong affectionate partner, okay? I'm not some beastman cub that can be kicked out once grown!"

"……" Zhang Fan heard Ba Ke Er's words and fell silent! Children… again children… sigh, I'm destined not to be able to give Ba Ke Er a child! However, adopting one would be possible! Thinking this, Zhang Fan no longer dwelled on it.

After the four of them had gathered all the game, they headed toward the spring on the mountain. Coincidentally, this spring wasn't far; it was actually near the shady spot they had found earlier.

When Zhang Fan heard Ba Ke Er mention that there was actually a spring here, he was still quite surprised!

"So there's a spring on this mountain after all! I said, how could you choose this mountain? It turns out it's not just because it's close to the tribe, but also because there's natural spring water here! That's great! This way we won't have to go down the mountain to fetch water for processing the game!"

"Yeah, yeah! Fan Fan, you say, we've caught so many rabbits and wild chickens, how should we eat them? Sometimes there are too many options, it's really a headache!" Fei Er said proudly.

Zhang Fan looked at the smugly pleased Fei Er and said helplessly: "Alright, Fei Er! It's already past four; if we're still thinking about this, shouldn't we just stay overnight on the mountain?"

Who would have thought—Fei Er got even more excited when he heard they'd be spending the night on the mountain!

"Ah! This is great! This is great! Hahaha…… Spending the night on the mountain tonight isn't bad either! Hehe! Besides, it's so close to home—we can just go back tomorrow morning! And besides, I know you and Ba Ke Er spent a night on that highest back mountain last time! Humph! With such fun, you didn't even invite me and Mo De!"

Fei Er's merciless exposure left Zhang Fan feeling awful in an instant! He awkwardly explained:

"Um, it's not because it was too late that day, is it? I actually just wanted to look at the stars; I'd originally said I'd watch them in the courtyard at home, but Ba Ke Er insisted on taking me up the mountain, so I went."

"Hmph! You're being sensible! I, Fei Er, will magnanimously forgive you as an adult overlooking a petty offense! But it's still better to stay and play on the mountain today! I've decided—I'll spend the night on the mountain!" The first part, Fei Er said to Zhang Fan, while the second part he turned his head and said to Mo De.

Mo De had nothing to object to—he immediately agreed. On the contrary, Ba Ke Er began giving Zhang Fan meaningful looks.

Zhang Fan, seeing Ba Ke Er's expression, instantly understood his intention, and quickly said to Fei Er:

"Since you and Mo De plan to spend the night here, I and Ba Ke Er shouldn't intrude on your fun! Let's just let you two have the whole mountain! Ba Ke Er and I will head back after we eat. We still have to go to the Tribal Office tomorrow!"

Fei Er, hearing Zhang Fan's words, couldn't help but start blushing.

"Fan Fan, what are you saying! What do you mean 'let us have the whole mountain'? But since you two have business tomorrow, I can't keep you any longer."

As soon as the words fell, Zhang Fan and his party had already arrived at the spring's eye on the mountain.

This spring eye isn't large; in fact it's fairly small, as if it were bubbling up from a crack in the rock. Moreover, on this big stone there grows a tree so huge that two people can't even encircle it.

One can't help but marvel at the tree's tenacious life, and can't help but admire the greatness of nature!

After Zhang Fan and his party arrived, they began to gather materials on the spot, killing the still‑living game one by one. Zhang Fan and Fei Er were responsible for skinning the rabbits, while Ba Ke Er and Zhang Fan—these two Beastmen accustomed to blood—plucked the feathers from the wild chickens, and also gutted the rabbits and wild chickens, took out the entrails, dug a hole and buried them.

The four of them worked together for a while before all the game was processed. Next came the cooking, since they were outdoors and didn't have a pot or stove like at home.

So, looking at the game, Zhang Fan simply suggested: "I think we four have enough wild chickens and rabbits to eat! But we didn't bring any clay pots, not even a flat stone slab. So I suggest we roast the rabbits to eat, and make the wild chickens into beggar's chicken—how does that sound?"

As for Zhang Fan's suggestion, the three had no objections, though they were all puzzled.

Fei Er bluntly asked: "Beggar's chicken? Fan Fan, what's beggar's chicken? I've never heard you mention it before! But just thinking about it makes my mouth water! Hurry up, Fan Fan, let's quickly make that beggar's chicken! I'm about to starve!"

Having said that, Fei Er began to start a fire using the wood Ba Ke Er and Mo De had gathered.

Zhang Fan also began to mix the mountain spring water with the dirt on the ground to make thin mud. Then he picked up large leaves from nearby and began wrapping the seasoned wild chickens, one by one.

Once the chickens were wrapped, Zhang Fan spread the prepared thin mud evenly over the leaves outside. At that point, Fei Er's fire was ready. Zhang Fan then placed each mud‑wrapped chicken into the previously dug pit and covered it with soil.

After finishing those preparations, Zhang Fan moved Fei Er's fire onto the chickens and began roasting the beggar's chicken. Meanwhile, Ba Ke Er and Mo De also placed the prepared rabbits on the fire here and began roasting them.

Since the rabbits were roasted over the fire, they cooked more easily than the beggar's chicken cooked beneath the fire.

When the rabbits were done, Ba Ke Er and Mo De began feeding them to Zhang Fan and Fei Er. However, Zhang Fan and Fei Er kept thinking about the beggar's chicken beneath the fire and didn't eat much of the roasted rabbit.

Even the gluttonous Fei Er, upon smelling the rabbits' tempting aroma and tasting their tender, juicy flesh, desperately restrained himself from devouring them all!

Sure enough, hard work pays off! After the roasted rabbits were all eaten, before sunset, Zhang Fan had Ba Ke Er move the fire aside.

……

Fei Er almost cried the moment he tasted the beggar's chicken! With a mouth full of chicken, he mumbled to Zhang Fan: "Fan Fan! This beggar's chicken is delicious! Sure enough, whenever Fan Fan cooks, there's good food! Hahaha…… Indeed, the choice to hold back on eating so many rabbits was very clear!"

Zhang Fan was also happy, after all this was his first time making beggar's chicken with wild chicken! He hadn't expected it to turn out so unexpectedly delicious!