Chapter 8: Start farming

The next morning Bai Yi Yang woke up before sunrise since they all went to sleep early and she is really not that tired, she woke up with refreshed body and mind.

She slowly went out from the room so that she will not wake her two sisters, they are sleeping soundly both on his right and left side.

Last night she find out that the three sisters sleep in the only available room in the Main house, there is actually two other smaller room but they are in disorder and even if they clean it up, they don't have enough beddings for each room.

The two brothers sleep in the East House, they are also sharing bed because of similar reason.

The siblings is really poor, but because of this they are closer to each other.

People who share blanket cannot get any more closer than that.

She went to wash her face and brush her teeth in the bathroom in the West house then head to the kitchen.

First, she light up the kitchen stove then heat the fish soup on the brazier.

Since they still have leftovers rice from yesterday, she is going to cook simple fried rice with eggs and scallions.

That should be enough for breakfast if eaten with fish soup.

But then she suddenly remember that Bai Yi Chen is going to work.

Xiao Ling told her last night during their chat before sleep that Bai Yi Chen usually bring leftover rice and some fried eggs for lunch.

Yesterday was a special case because he need to meet with Doctor Huang in the afternoon, so he returned home to have lunch.

Suddenly Bai Yi Yang feels that the food is not enough, just looking at his big appetite yesterday, how can it be enough.

She ran to the vegetables patch and pick a few young cucumber and make smashed cucumber with simple seasoning.

Then she crack 3 eggs, chop scallions and also slice the ham into small cubes before cooking the fried rice.

Then she saw flour that is enough to make a few pieces of chives pancakes.

By the time Bai Yi Chen came from the bath house, she already finished making 10 pieces of golden brown crispy chives pancakes.

"Oh, you woke up?" She greet him.

"En. You cook breakfast?" He asked as she lifted up the food cover.

There are a large bowl of fried rice and a plate of smashed cucumber that looks very refreshing.

"Yes. I slept a lot last night." Bai Yi Yang answer and continue arranging two pieces of chives pancakes into one of the compartment of the food container before sealing them tightly.

This food container is quite good. She can put many things in it, should be enough for Bai Yi Chen who have big appetite.

"Oh right, down here is fried rice, then crushed cucumber, chives pancakes and the topmost is fish soup from dinner. Be careful when you open it later."

She remind him before bringing the food jar to the dinner table.

"Sit down, I will wake up the other to eat breakfast."

Bai Yi Yang said as she walk to the Main House first before heading towards the East House.

Not long after that, three barely awake children came to the kitchen.

They are not used to eating breakfast in the morning, one reason is because there is no one who wake up early to cook. So when they faced with the fragrant fried rice, their eyes immediately open wide and start eating.

Not long after they started eating they become energetic again.

Bai Yi Chen did not wait until the other finished breakfast. After he is done, he went to change clothes then take her food container from the dinner table and said goodbye to his siblings.

He usually left earlier but today he only left fifteen minutes before 7.30 am. The van will wait until 7.30 am at the bus stop of Qinfang village.

If he fasten his step, then he can arrive there on time.

Whereas the Bai siblings at home is still eating their breakfast except for Bai Yi Yang.

She also finished eating almost the same time as Bai Yi Chen.

So now she is currently handling the remaining live fish in the bucket, there are a few fishes left after yesterday.

She planned to dried them since the weather is looking promising today.

But when she look around the kitchen, they only have that much seasoning. She should have made a list and ask Bai Yi Chen to buy them.

But whatever, she will just make do with what she have now.

After finished cutting the fish, she rub it with some salt, spread it onto flat rattan basket to be dried later.

Just when she finished cleaning the sink, the children came one by one with their empty dishes.

Bai Yi Ling immediately take charge in cleaning the dishes, Bai Yi Mo took a rag and wipe the table and Bai Yi Fang follow her eldest sister to look for a good spot to dry the fish.

"Jiejie, are we going to do something fun again today? Or are we going fishing again?"

Bai Yi Fang asked in high spirit. Following her sister is really fun.

"Hurm..today? We are repairing the vegetables patch, then in the evening we will go explore the mountain." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Really?!"

Bai Yi Fang eyes twinkle again.

She doesn't have to spend boring time at home then.

"Yes. But if Fang Fang don't want to go, I will let you stay at home with Xiao Ling." Bai Yi Yang said.

"I want, I want. I will help jiejie a lot." Bai Yi Fang said.

After they return to the kitchen, there is an additional head in the kitchen.

"Shitou gege!"

Bai Yi Fang called out.

"Hi Fang Fang.."

Little Shitou greet back.

"Jiejie, Shitou is here to ask if we are going fishing again today?" Bai Yi Mo said.

"Have you had breakfast Little Shitou?"

Bai Yi Yang asked. They still have a serving of fried rice and a piece of chives pancake under the food cover.

"Er..not yet.."

Shitou blush and touch his head, just like the Bai siblings before, his family also eat breakfast when they wanted to and didn't eat breakfast most of the time.

"Then eat first."

Bai Yi Yang told Bai Yi Mo to fetch bowl and spoon, also to scoop out some fish soup. She remember there are some left.

Just perfect, they are also a bit tired of eating fish soup now.

"Today I won't go fishing. We will repair the vegetables patch, you see it is quite a mess."

Bai Yi Yang point at their vegetable patch.

"Oh, then I will go with the other today." Little Shitou said.

In front of him there is a bowl of fried rice, pancakes and fish soup. It was quite aromatic, he even forget that he already promised the other children in the village that he will return immediately after asking.

"Then I won't go today too. There are still fish to eat today. I will see again tomorrow." Bai Yi Mo said.

"Alright."

Little Shitou nod in understanding.

"Eat slowly."

Bai Yi Yang stood up and went to the Main House to change clothes and find something to cover her head.

She don't want to get too tan while working at the vegetables patch.

Not long after Bai Yi Ling also cane to change clothes, so does Bai Yi Fang.

Bai Yi Ling then took out a key from the desk compartment and bring her sister to the opposite house near the entrance.

This is the storage room where all the farming tools are placed.

Bai Yi Yang saw that they have almost all type of farming tools. She choose some decent one and lift it up. The two girls quickly followed her to their vegetables patch.

The sun is not strong so this is perfect to do farming. She wear a straw hat and then help the two girls to wear them too.

"Xiao Ling and Fang Fang, your job today will be pulling out the weed, can you do it?" She ask the two girls.

"Yes!"

They answer with high spirit. Fang Fang voice is the loudest.

"Alright, you can start from there, when you finish then call jiejie." Bai Yi Yang said.

The area she point out is the longest patch here, there are mixture of various vegetables planted, eggplants, tomatoes and chillis.

She plan to only loosen the soil for this patch.

For now she will cut the weed so that she can make a few more rows of vegetables patches. Her aim is at least 20 vegetables patches of similar length for now, each row should be about 10 meters long.

She is a bit uncomfortable seeing these vegetables mixes with each other but for now she can only make do with what they have.

After that she quickly focused in weeding a a large area.

She only look up once when Xiao Mo came with work clothes, then she gave him the works to collect the weeds she already removed to one area.

They will let it dried and burn it later.

Once in a while Bai Yi Fang who already stopped working will bring over water to the three working siblings.

[2 points earned]

By the time the system notification sound for the third time to give her point for removing the tough weeds, she look up and she had weed much more than she expected.

For the farming skills, points will be awarded every 30 minutes worth of work, so in 1 hour and a half time, she has earned 6 points. Now she have 16 points in total.

She grinned happily and pat Bai Yi Mo shoulder who is catching up with her high speed of weeding.

Seems like Bai Yi Ling also finished pulling out the weed in the old vegetables patch since she is pushing a wheelbarrow towards Bai Yi Mo.

"If you are tired then take a rest." Bai Yi Yang remind her younger siblings.

She has an extraordinary strength now so these work is not a big problem to her but they are still children.

"We will after we finish collecting the weeds. Jiejie you rest too."

Bai Yi Ling was amazed with her sister strength. Where is the usually weak Bai Yi Yang? Or is it that she also become desperate for the wellbeing of they siblings, so she work non stop?

That is also what motivate her to continue working.

"I will rest later."

Bai Yi Yang smile and went to pick up the hoe.

After estimating the length of each patch, she start working with the hoe. She has a basic knowledge of a suitable depth but her strength wasn't able to match with it at first, only after finishing the first patch does she have a basic idea of the level of strength she need to exert.

For the next row, it was much more easier and her hand become faster too.

She leave just enough space between the patches and finished the 10th patch of the first column.

When she was starting the second column on the right, Bai Yi Fang head look out from the kitchen window and wave at her.

Bai Yi Yang laugh and wave back, then she continue making rows of patches until she finish another 10.

She look around and saw Xiao Ling picking up large rocks from the patch that she has dig while the two young kids is just being children, running and catching each other while running around the patch. If they accidentally step on it, Xiao Ling will scold them.

Bai Yi Yang smile.

Bai Yi Ling is really a sensible child. She is so young but she can already understand the difficulty in their family.

For a moment she wish that she is less sensible and free like other children of her age.

She put the hoe on her shoulder and replace it with a rake. Using a rake, she loosened up the patch further and call over the two little one to pick up those small rocks and weed roots that she already remove from the patch.

The two child agree and run back and forth to throw those thing into the wheelbarrow.

Bai Yi Yang finally let them rest at a shade when they don't have energy to play around and disturb her and Xiao Ling.

When the 6th notification of this day sound and Bai Yi Yang is at the last patch, she knows that she have done enough job at their little vegetables farm.

She quickly finished up and half dragged the tired children to the bathroom.

She first bath the two little ones, then bring them inside the house to find comfortable clothes, then she let Xiao Ling take bath on her own.

The two children is now in the living room, looking at some pictures book and having fun on their own. So Bai Yi Yang just let them be.

Even though they are a girl and a boy, but since their age gap is only 1 year, they can get along well.

It is really not hard to take care of them