Chapter 9: Mountain exploration

Bai Yi Yang knows that the children is tired, at most they can stay awake for another one hour before falling asleep, so she rush to take one half dried fish to the kitchen and fry it until golden brown.

Then she went to pick a few ripe tomatoes and make a tomato egg.

In addition to the smashed cucumber that she saved for lunch, they only need to cook rice now.

Just in time, Bai Yi Ling step into the kitchen after bath and changing clothes.

"Xiao Ling, I have finished cooking the dishes, can you make some rice? Jiejie need to go take a bath." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Got it."

Bai Yi Ling nod and start measuring the rice right away.

Bai Yi Yang rush to the bath house and clean up.

By the time she returns to the Main House, the two children is looking at the picture book while laying down, they may fall asleep anytime now if she didn't do anything.

"Lunch is almost ready, why don't you two guess what are we eating today? When jiejie finish changing clothes tell me the answer. The winner can make a wish." Bai Yi Yang said.

The two immediately sat up and look at her.

"Really? Really? Any wish?"

Bai Yi Mo is very excited.

There is something that he always wanted since they move here.

"I want, I want!" Fang Fang also excited.

This girl is always excited when it comes to things like this. She bet Fang Fang don't even have anything in her mind now.

"Of course. I will give you ten minutes to think, when I came out of the room then you must answer. No peeking to the kitchen oh."

Bai Yi Yang laugh and enter the bedroom.

She take her time to change then roughly dry her hair then check the system.

Now, she have an additional of 9 points from the second half of farming time, the work was more difficult so the point is also higher. Then 2 points from her cooking. The total points now is 27.

She is happy that her points is accumulating.

Its just that, she doesn't have idea how to make money, as someone who never taught how to earn money other than working at the research institute, she is indeed a bit lost.

She needs a lot of money to buy things she need.

Wait until she explore the mountain, see if she can get any idea to make fast money.

A knock came at the door and she ask the children to come in.

"You have your answer?" She ask.

"En, en." They nod.

"Then Xiao Mo wait outside, let FangFang tell me her answer first." Bai Yi Yang said.

Xiao Mo obediently step out of the room.

Fang Fang excitedly skip towards Bai Yi Yang and whisper one word to her, 'Fish'.

Bai Yi Yang almost laugh aloud, isn't this guessing game too easy?

"Are you sure?"

She pretend to ask seriously.

"I am sure. My answer is fish."

Bai Yi Fang nod seriously too. Her answer will determine if she can get her wish or not.

"Alright, wait outside and ask Xiao Mo to step in."

She nod a few times, indicating that she had noted and remember Bai Yi Fang answer.

Bai Yi Mo has a nervous look on his face. Compared to Bai Yi Fang who don't have much pressure on herself, this boy seems really wanted to win.

Now Bai Yi Yang is curious about his wish.

"Jiejie, I think I smell egg just now. So my answer is egg." Bai Yi Mo said.

"Then you must have also smell other things right?" Bai Yi Yang said.

"Ah..that.." Bai Yi Mo laugh awkwardly.

"Fang Fang said that she is going to answer fish so I cannot answer the same thing." Bai Yi Mo said.

Bai Yi Yang smile, this kid is so gentlemanly ah.

"Then lets go eat lunch. I am sure the rice is ready."

Bai Yi Yang did not tell them the result and wait until they found out about it themselves.

When they are seated at the dinner table, the two kids look at the dish and cheer loudly.

Bai Yi Ling look confused and just ask the two to behave.

"I guess correctly. Jiejie then can I make a wish now?" Bai Yi Mo said hopefully.

"I also guess correctly!" Bai Yi Fang also said.

"Of course. Xiao Mo and Fang Fang both guess correctly, both of you can make a wish." Bai Yi Yang smile.

The clueless Bai Yi Ling finally understand, they were playing games and the two kids seems to have won.

See if they make ridiculous wish, she will smack them in the head.

"I want a bicycle! Some of the boys in the village have their own bicycle, I also want one.."

Bai Yi Mo said with eager eyes.

"Alright, jiejie will buy you one."

Bai Yi Yang immediately agree, shocking the three children, especially Bai Yi Mo.

He knows that her friends bicycle cost a few hundred yuan, the cheapest is still more than 100 yuan but the one he like cost about 200 yuan. He heard her sister got a lot of money yesterday, that's why he dare to say his wish.

"Jiejie, a bicycle is not cheap."

Bai Yi Ling said in a low voice, disagee with Bai Yi Yang rushed decision in her heart.

"No problem. I already promised Xiao Mo, no matter how expensive it is I will still buy it. Remember this, a promise is not an empty words, if your promised someone you must fulfil it, if you are not sure that you can do it then don't promise at the first place. Understand?" Bai Yi Yang said.

"En, I understand jie." Bai Yi Ling nod.

"Thank you jiejie. I will be happy even if my bicycle is cheaper than the other boys."

Bai Yi Mo cheer.

So what if his bicycle is cheap, as long as he can ride it ah.

"How about you Fang Fang, what is your wish?"

Bai Yi Yang turn to the little girl who have furrowed eyebrows.

"Hurm..can I say it later. I can't think of anything now." Bai Yi Fang said.

She was going to say anything just now, but she never thought that Bai Yi Mo expensive wish which is a bicycle is also doable.

"Of course. Lets eat lunch first." Bai Yi Yang said.

Bai Yi Ling then scoop out the rice for each of them and their lunch also passed quickly.

Just when they finished eating and cleaning up, it is already midday.

Bai Yi Yang brought the children to lay in their bedroom.

They have a table fan there so it is quite comfortable. The wind blowing through the window is also refreshing. This is a perk of living surrounded by trees, the wind is quite cool.

Bai Yi Yang and Bai Yi Ling chat about these and that while lying down.

Most of Bai Yi Yang information about this place is from Bai Yi Ling. This girl is really a bit like a grown up, she is mature, she doesn't complain and her thinking is all for the interest of the family. She is a female and the younger version of Bai Yi Chen.

Sadly, it wasn't the 16 years old Bai Yi Yang who hold onto the role.

The two children was tickling each other just now and laughing around but not long after that they become quiet and both of them have fall asleep.

"You take a nap too, you did too much work today. Just stay at home with this them, I will not return later than 4.00 pm." Bai Yi Yang said.

She softly caress her younger sister's hair.

"En."

Xiao Ling answer softly before she too fall asleep like the other two.

Bai Yi Yang lie down for another 15 minutes before changing her clothes into a long sleeve and long pants.

She walk out of the bedroom and slowly close it so that she won't wake the siblings.

She asked Xiao Ling not to lock the store room door since they are going to use the things inside a lot.

She quickly choose a sharp machete and put it inside the basket that is usually carried on the back.

Now is almost 1.00 pm. If she want to return before 4.00 pm then she need to go now.

Yesterday when they went down the mountain, she deduct that their house is build at the East slope of the mountain whereas the village is at the south side of the hill. So today she is going to explore just the area near their house, the other part can be leave for later.

She knows that the top of the mountain is quite flat too it can be seen from afar from the village.

On the East slope of the mountain, the flat area that can be seen is the site of this house then on the top of the mountain, there is another large flat area.

Its just that there are no road build to the top so it is not easy for the Bai siblings to explore, at most, Bai Yi Chen also just look around this flat area in the East side of the mountain.

She will surely have a tough time exploring this whole mountain.

Today she really should just look at nearby area to find anything that is interesting.

She start walking into the thick wood with a machete in hand, when she came across thick bushes she will use her machete to clear the way.

"Say, what if I suddenly cannot find my way home?" She ask the system.

She didn't even try to hide talking to the system now since she is alone.

'Host, do you want to activate Skills-Navigation?'

"There is such thing?" She was amazed with the vast ability of the system. Even now, the system sound which is at first was quite robotic also changed a bit.

'Yes. Please read the description.'

Bai Yi Yang stopped walking then open the interface, there are descriptions there. At Level 1 she can navigate like GPS within the city, at Level 2 within the country, at level 3 is within continent and sea and so on.

"So useful, activate straight away to Level 2. At least I won't be lost in my own country wherever I go." Bai Yi Yang said.

[Successful. Skills-Navigation, Level 2. Total points:17]

"Ohh so good, I prefer you to remind me my point every time."

'Noted, Host.' The system answer.

Bai Yi Yang talk with the system about a few things. But most of the time the system won't be able to answer her, no matter what it is still just a programme.

"So many mushrooms. System do you have Mushroom foraging and identification skills?"

'Yes. Does Host want to activate?'

"Yes, Level 1 for now. I won't be searching mushroom outside the city. The documented species in this city is good enough."

That was the descriptions of the skills.

She doesn't have the intention to become a Mushroom expert for now.

[Successful. Skills-Mushroom Foraging and Identification , Level 1. Total points:16]

Bai Yi Yang receive the data straight away. She look at the mushroom on the forest floor and her eyes shine.

The first mushroom that he decided to collect is the common but delicious bamboo mushroom, she can dry it to keep at home or sell it later.

Since this place has never been open explore there are a lot growing on the ground, even after picking only the fully grown one, she still collected at least half of the basket.

Then when she reach an area with a lot of rotting wood, she really don't think that her basket is enough to fit in all of these. She pick up the wood ear after covering the bamboo mushroom with big leaves and even before finish picking up the large one, the basket is already full.

She activate her navigation skills and she will take only 20 minutes to go back using the same road she already clear. If she returns now to take bigger baskets, she still have time to look for more mushrooms.

Without thinking further, she quickly increase her pace and return to the house. This time she choose a basket two times larger than the one at her back, this is the biggest basket she found in the store room, and also bring another hand carried basket with her.

The children are still asleep which is a good thing since it would be difficult to reject them if they wanted to follow.

In no time, she arrive at the same spot again, only after picking the large and healthy wood ear did she move on.

Then she come across a few bunches of oyster mushroom, a few Rusula virescens and another bunch cloud ear fungus growing on trees that make up large space of her basket.

She walk further before coming across snow white fungus with tinge of orange/creamy colour. Not only one bunch but a few trees nearby is also grown with this lion's mane mushroom.

She giggle happily as she carefully harvest the mushroom, all of the big ones.

The empty basket in her hands is now almost full to the brim with the lion's mane mushroom.

She finally decide to return using a different route.

Her navigation skills found an easier and shorter route that she haven't clear up yet, but it won't be much problem.

Even though there are no expensive mushroom, but she still forage a lot. What more, wild mushroom is rare these days, only cultivated mushroom is widely available, so her mushroom may be able to fetch high market price.

She planned to dried the mushroom before selling it. Dried mushroom is more expensive than fresh ones.

"What a good harvest I have today. Maybe we can have mushroom hot pot too." Bai Yi Yang talked to the system.

'Host don't be too excited. You are stepping on an expensive mushroom now.'The system remind her.

Bai Yi Yang froze. She look down and one of her foot is indeed stepping on a morel mushroom. The certain mushroom has been stepped on flat to the ground.

Luckily the system remind her, if not she is going to step on a lot more.

On the ground, there are a lot of morels mushroom with their head peeking out.

She almost cried out in excitement. Even she who doesn't know about mushroom recognise this expensive mushroom.

"How can I bring all of this back home? This is a lot of mushroom, not that I am complaining." Bai Yi Yang said.

'Host, there is still tomorrow, then the next tomorrow, then the next next tomorrow..'

"Alright, I got it"

Bai Yi Yang then concentrate to pick the morels mushroom with care.

Since the basket in her hand is filled with lion's mane mushroom, she can only put it in the basket behind her.

She carefully covered the other mushroom with big leaves then place the morels mushroom in it. Only 2/5 space are left but even when it is already filled, there are still a lot of morels on the forest floor.

She feels regretful to leave them unpicked, but as the system said, she still have many days to come.

Only after carefully remembering this place then Bai Yi Yang move on.

When she arrive home with the harvest, it was only a few minutes passed 4.00 pm and the children are already awake.