I woke up in the middle of the night and began cultivating my internal energy, drawing upon the memories stored in this body. According to the knowledge of the previous owner, cultivators are highly esteemed in this era. A single cultivator can defeat ten or more martial artists based on the strength accumulated through their internal energy. In my previous life, the organization I was part of researched similar techniques, but they yielded no results. Perhaps the pollution in the modern world prevented them from absorbing the earth spirit energy. My mother, who clearly had a significant background, taught me how to cultivate. My father was also involved, but the previous Bellona was sworn to secrecy about it. I continued my cultivation until I heard a noise in the nearby room, prompting me to get up and change into a different robe.
“ Good morning.” Elder Brother greeted me as he proceeded to wash up.
Seeley, still half-asleep, followed suit but stopped when he saw me and asked why I had woken up so early.
I simply hugged him and greeted him with a “Good morning” in return. He laughed and leaned on me.
“ Both of you should wash up first,” Uncle Jiang chimed in from behind us, light-hearted laughter accompanying his words. Both of us washed up and began our training. We knew we couldn't afford to slack off, so after Uncle Jiang set up the fire to boil water, he joined us to supervise our training. They both had a series of training exercises passed down from our father. As I started my training, they looked at me with confusion.
“ I... well, I can't tell you everything, but some of it was taught to me by my mother, and the rest is my own martial arts training. I can teach you later,” I explained, referring to the training I had received in the organization and incorporating some techniques frequently practiced by the old Bellona.
Each of us focused on our own world during training. Eventually, I noticed Cree sleepily training with Uncle Jiang. It brought a smile to my face – he was such an adorable little thing!
After two hours of training, we changed out of our clothes. I sighed, realizing that we were in desperate need of money. Since our escape, we had been wearing commoner's clothing that was coarse and rough. I only had two faded robes and a few torn pieces of inner clothing.
After changing, I checked on the leaf jelly I had prepared the day before. The water had solidified into a jelly-like substance and was ready to be eaten. Seeley started the fire while I chopped the necessary ingredients. I made a mental note to buy some seasonings.
In a pot, I reheated the leftover porridge and added some dried mushrooms to it. On the stone stove, I wiped the earthen wok and added a small amount of oil to sauté some garlic and onion. Then I added thin slices of ginger and dried chili.
“ Bal, be careful not to make the fire too big. The garlic can easily burn,” I warned. I added some salt, soy sauce, and a cup of water.
“ Eh? What's that?” Elder Brother peeked over my shoulder.
“ Older brother, could you continue stirring it? Just watch it until it simmers down,” I handed him a wooden spatula and took three large pieces of cassava. After washing them, I started cutting them into thin slices.
“ Younger sister, it's done,” Elder Brother announced.
“ Hmm, please help me pour it into a bowl,” I requested as I prepared to add the sauce to the leaf tofu. Then, I began frying the ripe red chili and asked Eldest Brother to pound it into powder, just like the salt. While they did that, I asked Seeley to make the fire bigger this time so that the fried cassava would turn out crisp and crunchy.
Eldest Brother started setting the table, while I preheated the chili sauce and instructed Seeley to season the fried cassava with chili powder and salt.
“ Bal, isn't it a bit too much?” Seeley asked, puzzled.
“ I plan to give some to our neighbor,” I explained. I had already separated a small portion of jelly tofu and fried cassava onto a plate.
“ Eh? Why? Didn't you say we shouldn't bother with them?” Both of them looked at me with confusion.
“ Hmm, Bellona is right,” Uncle Jiang suddenly spoke up, his eyes filled with admiration for me. 'It looks like Young Miss is decisive and intelligent,' he thought.
I didn't bother explaining to them and called Cree.
“ Eh? Euno-wa-wait! Explain to us?” I heard Seeley say as I left the kitchen. I was confident that Uncle Jiang would explain it to them, so I didn't feel the need to elaborate. I mentally laughed.
IN THE KITCHEN
UNCLE JIANG POV
“ Uncle Jiang?” Although the First Young Master stood in silence, I could see the confusion in his eyes, much like the Second Young Master.
“ If you have, give; if you lack, seek.” They were taken aback. I knew that both Young Masters were intelligent and only needed a slight hint to grasp the underlying thought. What surprised me was that the Young Miss had already figured it out.
“ Hmm,” the Elder Young Master nodded.
“ It is better to return the borrowed pot with a little something you last cooked in it. Previously, that family of hunters in the neighborhood helped us greatly. They provided rations and even sold us some household materials at a low price.”
“ Friendship alone cannot exist without a gift, just as support cannot exist without friends. We are new to this village, and eventually, we may need their support.”
Both of them looked towards the door and smiled.
Bellona entered and sat down. None of us mentioned anything, but I could see that both Young Masters held the Young Miss in high admiration. Cree should be the one delivering the food—eh? Cree? Why? I wondered why the Third Young Master was the one—A scene flashed through my mind.
“Generosity is consistent not in the sum given, but in the manner in which it is bestowed,” Master Moore once said.
I could see the shadow of the extremely intelligent Master Moore in the little figure of the Young Miss. He was right, and the Young Miss was right. A child's innocence and enthusiasm cannot be disliked by anyone. A small gesture can bring great joy, as if the one presenting it treats it as a treasure. I held great admiration for the Young Miss. Haha! The heavens are fair. I can see a great hope that we will soon find the House Master and make a comeback.
Bellona had no idea that such a simple matter had caused such a commotion. She was just too lazy to go herself and didn't want to interact with other people.
As soon as Cree returned, we gathered around to eat. He couldn't contain his excitement and began talking with a mouthful of food. “ Wow! Elder sister, I never knew something like this existed!” he exclaimed, chewing happily. “ Who would have thought that a simple green leaf could turn into Green Tofu? It's amazing! Does this mean I can have Green Tofu every day? That would be awesome!” We all chuckled at his enthusiasm. “ You greedy little rascal, all you care about is eating,” Eldest Brother teased, playfully tapping his forehead, which earned another round of laughter. “ Well, it's made from a jelly plant, so regular leaves won't have the same effect,” I said, pouring cold water on his thoughts while placing another piece of green tofu on his plate. “ Really? Is it rare then?” he asked, looking down and muttering to himself. “ I better eat more, just in case. This might be the last time I get to have it. I need to savor the moment!” His words didn't go unnoticed by us, ma
After cultivating for at least three hours, I decided it was time to prepare lunch. I planned to make braised rabbit meat with cassava starch, but first, I needed to pound the cassava to extract its juice. Although I possessed internal energy that could turn the cassava into fine powder, just like modern starch, I chose to keep this ability a secret. While I trusted my family, I wanted to reserve this skill as a trump card for crucial times. As I heard them training outside, I looked at the plate filled with cassava in my hand, pondering for a moment before heading outside with it. “ Older brother, Bal, I need you both here,” I called out. I placed all the cassava in a white katcha I found in the kitchen and placed it on a stone slab. “ What do you need?” they asked in succession. “ Eh? What is this?” They looked at the cassava with confusion. Instead of answering, I pulled them apart and positioned them on opposite ends of the stone slab. I instructed Cree to fetch some fiber ro
We ended up eating a little later than usual. All my brothers devoured their food hungrily. I could tell they appreciated the effort we put into making the dish. “ This meal is the result of our hard work and dedication. I'm savoring every last bite,” they thought, making their enjoyment quite evident once I served the plate. I couldn't help but laugh and let them have their fun. We finished every last bit of the steamed taro and braised meat. I had already taken care of all the vegetable plants in the backyard, ensuring they were thriving. Older brother and Second brother continued to prepare the small plot for planting seeds later. Uncle Jiang and Cree had just returned from the bamboo grove when I heard Elder Brother Zhong's voice calling from outside. We all washed our hands and greeted him. “ Bellona-Sister, you're quite lucky this time! Our trophies were purchased directly by a restaurant. Your pheasant fetched 30 liang, and the two big rabbits were sold for 40 liang,” he sa
We have noodles made with fine and buckwheat powder for breakfast. According to Zhong-Older brother, one jin of white rice costs 10 liang, while fine powder costs at least 5 liang. Luckily, buckwheat is much cheaper, only 2 liang for a jin. It's a luxury for a small farming family like ours to have fine rice with a meal because they usually sell all of their harvest to buy necessities. Currently, we have 3 jin of white rice, 2 jin of pine powder, and 3 jin of buckwheat flour, which is just enough for about two weeks of daily consumption. Fortunately, I have discovered a great source of cassava, but since winter is coming, I need money to buy new quilts and fuel for oil lamps. “ Uncle Jiang, are those bamboo arrows ready? I plan to head to the inner mountain this time,” I ask Uncle Jiang, whom I had previously requested to make many bamboo arrows. “ Bal, you and Cree will collect our trophies, then give them to Zhong-Older brother to sell, but please save some for us,” Seeley prot
“My beautiful Elder sister, what are you doing?” Little Cree looked at me with curiosity. I scooped the slightly softened lard from the tiger's meat and mixed it with some wood ash. Then, I asked my twin to pound the soapwort flower to extract its juice, while everyone watched me work. “This is called soap. It can be used for bathing or washing,” I explained, dividing the mixture into two portions. I asked Cree to grind some mint leaves to add to one portion, along with lemon zest and juice. “ But most importantly, it will make us rich!” I exclaimed. I had originally planned to add lavender to the other portion, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any. “ I don't know what to add to the other one to give it a sweet smell for the ladies to use,” I pondered aloud. “ Hmm. Did you see any sweet-smelling flowers anywhere in this village? I really need them,” I asked. “ I only saw wildflowers in the nearby forest. I didn't even come across a normal sunflower, so I don't think they ha
I asked Older brother to borrow some salt and pepper from Uncle He because I planned to smoke the leftover meat to preserve it. I also asked him to gives one thigh and a portion of the belly meat to them as payment. Seeley went to the mountain entrance to gather some wormwood and anahaw leaf. Uncle He went to Uncle Fred's house to deliver the meat, and I asked him to given him two thighs since he helped us carry the whole tiger all the way home. Cree and I started the fire and slowly roasted the meat. Soon, the pleasant smell of the roasted meat filled the air, making everyone's mouths water. They all returned with smiles on their faces, their eyes fixed on the barbecue meat. I noticed the sound of Little Cree's stomach growling and couldn't help but chuckle. Currently, I was cooking one thigh and the tiger's rib. We gathered around the small fire and talked freely. “ Elder sister, why don't you sing?” Little Cree, who was originally singing a folk song, asked while I played with
I asked Older brother to borrow some salt and pepper from Uncle He because I planned to smoke the leftover meat to preserve it. I also asked him to gives one thigh and a portion of the belly meat to them as payment. Seeley went to the mountain entrance to gather some wormwood and anahaw leaf. Uncle He went to Uncle Fred's house to deliver the meat, and I asked him to given him two thighs since he helped us carry the whole tiger all the way home. Cree and I started the fire and slowly roasted the meat. Soon, the pleasant smell of the roasted meat filled the air, making everyone's mouths water. They all returned with smiles on their faces, their eyes fixed on the barbecue meat. I noticed the sound of Little Cree's stomach growling and couldn't help but chuckle. Currently, I was cooking one thigh and the tiger's rib. We gathered around the small fire and talked freely. “ Elder sister, why don't you sing?” Little Cree, who was originally singing a folk song, asked while I played with
The ox cart was filled to the brim with all the things we had purchased. After buying new cotton quilts and clothes, I could only save 50 silver coins. Each of us now had two new pairs of outer clothes and one inner garment. I also bought five coarse cotton quilts. It was the largest purchase I had made since arriving in this world. With winter approaching, I needed to prepare at least four months' worth of food and supplies. Since the ox cart was already overloaded, we had to continue the journey on foot. My feet were incredibly sore, and I felt like collapsing to the ground and never getting up. But every time I had such thoughts, I looked at my “ shopping bags” and gritted my teeth, pushing through the pain. By the time we reached home, it was late in the afternoon. We had a simple meal before organizing all the goods while I headed to bed. My small body didn't have much energy left, so I could only grab a clean towel and a basin of water to wipe myself and Cree. He was already d