Chapter 28: Early morning mushrooms foraging and digging tree stumps

They had a simple dinner cooked by Xiao Ling, rice with stir fry vegetables and omelette with chives and carrot. Since they were all tired, the dinner is simple but they ate with good appetite. They quickly finished dinner and as usual Bai Yi Chen clean the dishes and table.

Because of the ongoing renovation, the house is a bit messy. But they can't do anything about it, Bai Yi Yang just ask her siblings to be careful so they won't step on foreign objects.

Uncle Duan has finished making connections and repairing of the pipeline, tomorrow he only need to install all the things that she bought. Inside the bath room, there are new pipes attached to the wall but the original pipe is still there, so they still can take bath as usual. If tomorrow afternoon Uncle Duan haven't finished his work, then they can only skip their afternoon shower. Like this evening, the water and electric was turned off from the source while they were working. It was the same for the living room, there are holes in the ceiling, making the children asked her a few times about what they were.

"Why did they make so many holes in the ceiling, it was the same as the rooms." Bai Yi Mo comment that night while they were resting.

"Because they are going to install lamps and ceiling fans tomorrow. You see the wires hanging there? They are going to connect it tomorrow and our house will be very bright. Much more bright than now." Bai Yi Yang told them.

"That's amazing. But, our fan is down here. How can we hang it up there?" Bai Yi Fang asked.

"It's a different kind of fan, it's like the one we have in school." Bai Yi Ling chimed in.

"En, Xiao Ling is correct." Bai Yi Yang said.

"I remember it now. The shop in town has something hanging on the ceiling." Bai Yi Mo also said.

Only then the two children become super excited again. People in the village only use table fan usually, so they don't really understand these things.

They chat around lightly until it was around 9.00 pm. It was time for the children to sleep so Bai Yi Chen bring Xiao Mo to return to the East House and the girls also turned off the lamp to sleep.

Bai Yi Yang had seen the dried mushrooms that Bai Yi Chen brings in just now, almost 1 sack of morels, one sack of ear woods, half sack of lion's mane, half sack of chanterelles, and the rest is put inside big plastics since the amount is not that much. She had confirm the quantity to Boss Sun and he said he will come tomorrow to pick it up.

'Should I go to the woods again tomorrow to looks for Matsutake mushroom?' She ask the system while lying in the dark.

'Host can go. There is still some Matsutake mushrooms around the same area'

'Right. I can also bring back fresh mushroom for Boss Sun.'

Bai Yi Yang has decided. Tomorrow, she can wake up early to cook and eat breakfast then leave to the woods for a while, then she can returns to continue her works. After deciding on her actions, she immediately went to sleep so that she can wake up early tomorrow.

And just like she planned, she woke up even earlier than usual. The outside is still a bit dark, she then wash her face and went to the kitchen to cook.

Today menu is fried rice with egg with leftover rice from last night. Every time Bai Yi Ling cooks, there is always leftovers rice, maybe she I used to cooking extra for Bai Yi Chen to bring to work. Bai Yi Yang also made a simple egg drop soup and that is all for breakfast.

She quickly ate her breakfast and go to change her clothes, bring a machete and prepare two big baskets to bring with. She stealthily go to the East House to wake Bai Yi Chen up. Now is only 6.15 am, no wonder they are not awake yet.

"Ge, ge." She called from outside the room with a whispered voice. The half awake Bai Yi Chen open the door slightly and saw Bai Yi Yang at the entrance.

"Where are you going this early?" He asked.

"Going into the woods for a while. Ge, I have cooked breakfast, later you woke up the rest and eat. I will go first." Bai Yi Yang said and leave, she didn't wait for her brother reply before disappearing from the courtyard with two big basket.

Bai Yi Chen was dumbfounded. He wanted to return to sleep but he ended up just lying on the bed and blank off. It was barely bright out there, can she see clearly in the wood?

He finally woke up at 6.45 am. First, he went to wash his face and went into the kitchen. There are warm food under the food cover and used plate and bowl in the sink.

"She must have been in a rush.." Bai Yi Chen said and went to clean the dish. Only after setting the table did he woke up his younger sibling.

"Xiao Mo..eat breakfast.." He didn't enter the room and just shake Xiao Mo leg. The boy sat up and lazily crawl out of the room.

Next, Bai Yi Chen went to the Main house and wake the two girls up. As usual, it was Fang Fang who is the hardest to wake up, so Bai Yi Chen ended up carrying her to go freshen up.

"Where is jiejie?" Xiao Ling is already seated on the dinner table when Bai Yi Chen came in with Fang Fang in his arm.

"Went to the woods earlier this morning." Bai Yi Chen set down Bai Yi Fang on Bai Yi Yang empty seat.

"Jiejie went to pick mushrooms this early?" Bai Yi Mo asked. Bai Yi Chen is already scooping the fried rice onto their plate then the egg drop soup into their bowl.

"Maybe." Bai Yi Chen answer. He also don't know, Bai Yi Yang didn't tell him in details.

They ate their breakfast peacefully. The children usually has good appetite so the breakfast Bai Yi Yang made is finished, there are no leftovers. Bai Yi Chen let the three do what the want to do today and he went out behind their house to clean up the scattered old roof tiles that the workers removed yesterday.

Bai Yi Mo is practicing his bike riding with Bai Yi Fang sitting at the back seat. The area in front of the main gate is vast, so they just go back and forth there. Once in a while, the two laughing sound can be hear.

Bai Yi Ling is watering the plants which is temporarily placed on the ground. She is removing some small weeds and after getting Bai Yi Chen permission, she opened one plastic of the free fertilisers the plant shop gave to them for free and start pouring some on each vase.

"Gege, can we go to the village to play?" Bai Yi Mo asked from outside.

"Wait a bit until the lorries come. You may came across them on the way down the mountain." Bai Yi Chen said. Bai Yi Mo is still not very adapt with the new bike, what more if Bai Yi Fang is also sitting behind, he may panic if they came across the lorries on their way down the mountain.

"Okay!" Bai Yi Mo answer before he ride the bike to their farm with Fang Fang. This is a good place to practice riding bicycle since Bai Yi Yang has removed all the weeds clean. Its only that they need to be careful not to step on the patches, if not they will get an earful from their second sister.

The workers came earlier today, they arrived before 8.00 am and since they are used to the flow of their work, they immediately start working after they arrived.

"That yatou made this much planks yesterday?" Uncle Duan who also came not long after that saw the neatly arranged planks. He is now waiting for Bai Yi Chen to sign the time they started working. This is necessary, he need a witness that he worked from this hour to this hour. Its always like this when they are working.

"Apparently yes." Bai Yi Chen hand over the paper after signing it.

"Truly talented." Uncle Li also comment. Bai Yi Chen only smiled as they all resumed doing their own works.

The two smaller one also went to the village when they are sure that nobody else is coming. Bai Yi Ling gave them a warning to not be so wild and return before lunch.

Because of the workers working all over the house, Bai Yi Ling has nowhere to go. So she changed her clothes and go their farm to pull out small weeds, it was an easy job. Once in a while she will take a rest, then resume with weeding, then look around.

Bai Yi Yang only returns when it is almost 9.00 am. She brought back two basket full of various mushrooms. Then there is also small portions of Matsutake mushrooms in it, not as much as the previous one since she need to go far to find more, but this is enough for today.

"Uncle Duan, you have come." Bai Yi Chen greets Uncle Duan who is now inside the bath room, installing the wash basin.

"Yatou, you are back. Your brother told me you went into the wood." Uncle Duan said.

"Yeah, went to pick some mushrooms." Bai Yi Yang said.

After chatting for a while, Bai Yi Yang sorted out the mushrooms and clean them carefully.

Only after that she rushed into the Main House to make a call to Boss Sun about the fresh mushrooms.

"Yes, I have about two baskets of fresh mushrooms. Boss Sun if you don't accept fresh mushrooms then I will go dry it." Bai Yi Yang said.

"How can I not accept. I will take it all." Boss Sun voice can be heard on the other side.

"Then, I will wait for Boss Sun to arrive." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Good, good. I will arrive before afternoon." Boss Sun said before they hang up the phone.

Bai Yi Yang did not changed her clothes and after exchanging words with Bai Yi Chen, she went to join Bai Yi Ling at the farm. Bai Yi Chen is busy helping the workers with the roof tiles, they are currently working on the East House, continue with yesterday work.

Today Bai Yi Yang is going to uproot the tree stump. Xiao Ling insist to help her so she let her dig a tree stump and take her time with that. Bai Yi Yang speed is really fast, when she already finished digging two, Bai Yi Ling is still halfway with one tree stump.

"You take a rest. There is no rush, we will take our time." Bai Yi Yang said to Bai Yi Ling.

"But jiejie already finished digging two." Bai Yi Ling breath heavily.

"How can the two of us be the same. You are still small. See, you are breathing heavily, slow down." Bai Yi Yang said.

"En, then I will rest a bit." Bai Yi Ling nod and slumped down to the ground.

Digging tree stump is not easy for ordinary people, they need to dig the big roots then cut it off until the tree stump can be pulled out of the ground. There are other methods to remove tree stumps such as using chemical or burning, but these methods takes time. Bai Yi Yang don't want to waste time since she can only focus entirely on these works during holiday, when the schools start again, then she only have little time after schools to do these works.

Bai Yi Yang then continue her robot like working speed. By the time she already finished uprooting half of the total tree stump, she asked Bai Yi Ling to fill in the hole with soil instead of continue digging.

"Oh, alright!" Bai Yi Ling also think that digging tree stump is too difficult, what more, she needs to call her sister every time big root appear. So filling it in with soil is easier.

Bai Yi Yang then continue digging, cutting big roots, pulling out until she finished all of it. It was only 10.30 am when she finished digging.

[9 points earned. Total points: 51.]

'Host, your little sister is looking at you weirdly' The system said after the announcement. Bai Yi Yang turn to look at Bai Yi Ling who is still amazed with her strength.

"I will bring these tree stumps over there. Let them dry and they can become firewood." Bai Yi Yang said to her.

"En.." Bai Yi Ling nod and continue filling in the hole with soil while still being amazed, even her eldest brother is not as strong as Bai Yi Yang.