Harvey left to hunt for dinner after showing Jenny the way to the river. She marked her way again, just in case. Unlike in the village, there was much more activity around her. She would not be able to bathe in peace here. Instead she washed her hands and soaked her feet.

While sitting on the bank, Jenny looked around. Beasts were coming and going with bowls to fill with water. A few would jump in before leaving. The water was crisp and nice. She looked down and could see right to the bottom. Even though it looked clean, Jenny would be sure to boil the water before consuming it. She watched a giant tiger swim around and figured that would be a good idea.

Jenny checked her watch when her feet started to prune. The familiar motion somehow didn't fit in this setting. It was after five and Jenny went back to the house. It took her ten minutes at a casual walking pace. It was closer than the river in the village. Jenny made it back with no problem and decided to take all the kitchen ware to the river to wash. She was not stopped or interrupted once. She got all of it clean and carried back bowls with water. She lost some to splashing, but it was better than nothing.

She watered the new plants lightly and refilled the bowls. Jenny tried to think about what she could do other than sitting there and waiting. The activity calmed her down and kept her from thinking too negatively. In fact, she was currently amusing herself. She was surviving in another world. Who else could claim that accomplishment?

Jenny decided to collect some sticks and twigs. She wasn't confident in her fire starting skills, but she could at least gather up some stuff to burn. She went out to do that. She figured wandering around alone would be a bad idea, but Harvey didn't mention it. She was in the city. The worst she would have to face is pushy beastmen. Since she wasn't considered pretty, her number of suitors was still zero.

Jenny picked up several sticks. She wasn't disappointed. Thanks to her undesirable status, she was able to think and relax a little more. She didn't have to worry about getting jumped by bachelors at every turn. She kind of thought that would've been funny, if a bit stressful.

Once she had an armful of twigs, she brought them back. She panicked for a split second realizing her mistake. She didn't mark her way home. She didn't go far and none of the other houses had a herb garden. She would find it.

"Female are you okay? Do you need help?" A stranger asked her. Jenny looked at the male who approached her. He had no stripes that she could see and was decently handsome. His tail wagged behind him and she guessed he was a wolf.

"Umm," Jenny thought about what to say. She was sure that asking for directions wasn't an invitation to court. "I'm trying to go back to the h-den. I just moved into the city and am not familiar with my way," Jenny added in her defense.

"I can help. Can I carry that for you?" He looked at her load of twigs and Jenny hesitated. He looked like he might take them from her. She decided to give up half and explained that she wanted to carry the rest.

The curious male asked about her habit of carrying her own stuff. He seemed really concerned. Jenny tried to explain her habits, but it only got the male asking more questions. Jenny huffed. The male paused and sniffed the air before starting to walk again. He thankfully didn't press the matter further.

Jenny found herself in front of her new home and she thanked the male. He introduced himself as Simon and he left looking pretty happy after. Jenny put down her twig pile and moved the pile that Simon put in front of her door.

Since Harvey had yet to come back, Jenny took one stick with her and marked her path this time. She went out and gather larger pieces of wood. She found herself further away from the den that she would have liked, but she was thorough with her markings. She drew in the ground and broke some of her twigs up, shoving the pieces upright into the ground. She didn't want to chance someone walking over her drawings and ruining them.

Jenny gathered branches and a few more twigs. She felt eyes on her again and looked around. Her eyes met someone else's and she paused. At first she felt apprehension, but maybe it was a good thing. This guy had one stripe and looked like an orange tiger based on his tail and ears.

The tiger came up to her and introduced himself as Oliver. She had the near identical conversation with him as Simon. The biggest difference between them was what he said after.

"I am interested in being your male, will you accept me?" Jenny froze. It was funny. She should've expected it, but was still caught off guard. She put too much stock into her 'ugly' status.

Once her mouth stoped gaping, she asked, "I'm not considered pretty, why?" She was really curious. So curious, it drove her to ask the question. She couldn't take a marriage proposal from a complete stranger seriously, so her embarrassment was thankfully absent.

"You have a nice scent," Jenny was a little off put. Just having a nice smell is enough to propose marriage? No, she should've saw that coming. If she was as 'pretty' as Eudora, she would have received proposals just because of her looks.

"I'm..." Jenny wasn't sure what to say. She was supposed to treat this like a game. She needed others around her to survive. She hated the idea of using them, but she knew she'd have to suck it up. She didn't want to accept him, but she didn't want to hastily deny the only male that had approached her. "I'm looking to court, but not take any males yet." Jenny's face flared. She never would have thought she'd ever say something like that, but she did.

"Okay," Oliver answered eagerly. "What is your clan? Do you eat meat? I can get you whatever gifts you want," Oliver said excitedly.

Jenny rejected the gift idea and tried to explain her different culture briefly. Sticking to only the relevant ideas of courting. Oliver did not take it well. Apparently he wasn't the most patient sort.

"I'm sure you will like me sooner than later," he stated confidently and Jenny wondered if she made a mistake. If this guy was too pushy, Harvey wasn't strong enough to stop him. She didn't deny him immediately and he forcefully took the sticks from her hands. "I can carry these. I would never make my female work."

Jenny grew uneasy. She liked being a follower, but being pushed around was not something she wanted to accept. The male in front of her didn't seem like a leader to her. She hoped she hadn't screwed up. Jenny tried to explain on their way back that she wanted to help. Oliver had some sparkles around him, but refused to give her and sticks back. Jenny didn't push.

Instead she gave him a side eye appraisal. She wasn't impressed with his attitude, but his looks were good. He was over a head taller than her and seemed young. He was well muscled with light tan skin. His orange, wavy hair didn't hit his shoulders. She noticed his well defined nose and didn't get any farther. His light brown eyes with flecks of yellow met hers. His confidence and mood seemed to puff up with his chest.

Jenny felt embarrassed and upset. She didn't like being caught and felt worse since Oliver got prouder because of her staring. Sure he was attractive, but she hadn't seen a single male who's looks could be called average or less than. They arrived home and he at least, did not let himself in. He did ask however.

"I can come in?" How Jenny wanted to say no. Would he be upset with her. Would he still be interes... What was Jenny doing? She hated this part of herself. Always being too careful around others. She swore she would try and stand up for herself and become more independent. Now she was in a fantasy world. If she didn't take the opportunity for a fresh start now, when would she?

Jenny shook her head and reached her arms out for the sticks. Oliver hesitated, looking pretty disappointed. Jenny motioned for the sticks again and he finally passed them along. Once he was gone, Jenny shut the rickety door. It wasn't easy. It was light since it was mostly rotted, but there were no hinges and she had to drag it. She would have to discuss this one with Harvey. Same with replacing the window curtains.

Jenny sat down and contemplated her most recent decision. She should have been more forceful with her views on courting. She didn't want to be, since she felt bad trying to enforce her customs when in a totally different place. Now though, she thought it might be more important. She had to live with it if Oliver didn't get what she meant by courting. She accepted him courting her which gave him the right to hang around now. The more she thought about it, the worse she thought the decision was. She should've asked him to wait and discussed it with Harvey first.

Jenny had a good comprehension of their ways thanks to her good memory, but if it wasn't clarified in the book, she wasn't familiar with the exact details. Plus, she didn't get that far into it yet. She'd almost dropped it again after what happened with Winston's mating. What happened to him wasn't fair and felt so wrong to her.

So what could she do now? First, she would talk to Harvey about Oliver. After hearing his opinion, she would ask all about their courting customs to make sure she wouldn't screw up again. They would rest for the night and she would ask Harvey about Winston tomorrow.

The problem with Oliver might not be that big of a deal. The males wouldn't dare force a female unless they wanted their bond to be cut. If Jenny was sure he wasn't going to work out, she would say it as soon as she knew it. She wouldn't accept gifts from him, until she was sure. Yeah, she felt a little better now. She tended to worry too much. She should meditate and try to take it easy.

Jenny did that and was able to relax a little. She didn't get into the calm zone, but she was able to remember the positives of her situation. She went ahead and listed some mental goals for herself.

Jenny would actively work on speaking her mind. She had done fine with Harvey back in the village, but was heading backwards now. She didn't have to worry about hidden intentions as much here and should be able to express herself straightforwardly. Beastman were the honest and blunt types mostly. She could handle that way better than the whispers of gossip and back stabbing. She could take a hundred 'ugly' insults to her face before she could handle hearing a 'friend' trash talking her secretly.

If she wanted to say 'no' she would. If she wanted to say 'yes' she would. If there was something she wanted to try, she would try it, as long as it didn't put Harvey out. She wanted to be more confident, but didn't want to walk all over those that treated her with respect.

Jenny picked up some sticks and started sharpening the ends with her knife. She would also try to improve herself while she was at it. She may not have gotten super powers, but she had her body. Maybe she could try and spear a fish. Actually... That seemed messy. Maybe she should make a finishing rod instead. But what would she use for fishing line? Maybe she would steal the MC's idea and make a fishing basket. There was a dilemma... she didn't know how to weave.

Jenny went back to sharpening some branches. If they weren't useful for anything, she could just burn them later. She amassed a small pile while going over some ideas in her head. She knew of the birds that laid eggs, but would need a coop for them. Harvey was already too busy and she had no axe. Maybe Harvey could help her make a stone axe?

Jenny envisioned herself chopping down trees like a lumberjack and laughed. Too bad she couldn't grow out a beard. She bet that would throw the men here for a loop. If the males had a hard time watching her carry sticks, she figured they might have heart palpitations if they saw her chopping wood.

She could handle gathering some water for the house. She was sure she would get used to sewing eventually too. Cooking was a definite job that she would insist on. She could do some light crafts with directions. She wasn't spontaneous, but she could follows directions and orders well. If someone would take the time to teach her, she would definitely get it.

She dug up some worms when transplanting the herbs before. If she used them as bait she could fish. She was also capable of making simple lures thanks to her dad's instruction, but she was still at a loss for fishing line. She would ask Harvey about it, same with the basket weaving idea. If nothing else, she would just have to wait until Bai Qingqing returned to talk about ideas with her.

Harvey came home with deer in hand, he looked curiously at the sharpened stick pile. Jenny eagerly got up to help with the cooking. Harvey saved the bones of the deer so they could make another bone knife. Jenny insisted on saving more. She could make hooks or better spear tips from the bones. If she could figure out how to make a bow, she could practice and maybe hunt eventually. She figured it would be much harder than that to actually do it, but she could hope a little.

They discussed the events of today. Harvey taught her more about courting and she sighed. No wonder Oliver didn't get her idea. It contradicted his own interpretation of courting. Harvey assured her that if she really didn't like the male, she could send him away. Jenny sensed an underlying something in his words. Harvey looked serious and Jenny's gut clenched. She figured she had no ability to force Oliver to go away and no males to make him. Jenny pinched her nose. She definitely messed up. Hopefully, Oliver would work out.

Harvey was planing to work on the door tomorrow and wanted to stay around longer. He wouldn't be a match for a single striped male, but he hoped his presence might comfort Jenny at least slightly. Both Tony and Mestor had two stripes. If they decided to pursue Jenny, they could help her with Oliver if she needed it.

They ate and settled down for the night. They discussed some ideas for improving the home briefly, but Harvey's eyelids drooped. Jenny noticed and they called it a night.