Chapter Three: Ranch Reconstruction (2)

Darren worked swiftly; as the group chatted, the repair was nearly complete. At Bertha’s warm invitation, Chi Sui joined the three for breakfast at her ranch. Setting aside the matter of taste, at least her stomach, empty from a day of hunger, was finally appeased.

After earnestly bidding farewell and expressing her gratitude, Chi Sui returned to her own ranch, preparing to tend to the fields.

Weeding was a yearly requirement at that old orphanage she once lived in. With a sickle and hoe in hand, she reclaimed a plot overgrown with wild grass in less than an hour. Without gloves, however, her hands were soon marked with several cuts that drew blood.

She glanced at them indifferently, shook her hands, and opened the seed bag to begin sowing.

Though she had grown simple vegetables in pots for convenience before, she had never truly farmed a plot of land.

After a while, feeling the ache in her waist, Chi Sui straightened up with a grimace, rubbing her lower back. The packet of radish seeds given by Mayor Ella was just enough to cover the freshly tilled field. Looking at the fruits of her labor, a sense of accomplishment welled up in her. Just as she was about to praise herself, the long-absent Book of Enlightenment suddenly appeared.

The book, which Chi Sui had never been able to turn before, opened on its own, and new words began to appear on a fresh page.

Spring, Day 53, Year 566 of the Void Calendar
Sowed the first field
Crop: White Radish
Expected maturity: 10 days (seasonal and profession bonuses applied)

Ten days? What sort of radish matures in ten days?

And why was the expected maturity date in a different color—a silvery-gray font? It hardly stood out if that was the intention.

Before Chi Sui could react, the book vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving her standing in a daze before she finally clicked her tongue.

“That’s a bit unnerving. I wonder if the town sells calendars—what in the world is ‘Spring, Day 53’?”

She didn’t dwell on it. Grabbing her coin pouch, she set off down the mountain at once.

If the most secluded place in town existed, it would be Chi Sui’s ranch, perched atop the easternmost hill. The mountain path led straight to the town square through a cave, but as it had long been neglected, rubble blocked the entrance. More recently, strange noises had been heard from within, prompting the authorities to seal off the passage for safety.

In other words, with no means of transport, Chi Sui could only rely on her own legs to descend.

Having already made the climb earlier that morning and spent the rest of it working the fields, Chi Sui was nearly collapsed at the entrance of the town’s shop.

“Ma’am…? Do you need anything?” The shop clerk, clearly flustered, addressed her.

“I… I… Wait… Let me catch my breath.”

The young clerk, probably in his twenties, wore a neat suit, his slightly long hair tied back with a brown ribbon, giving him a gentlemanly appearance. Seeing Chi Sui’s state, he kindly poured her a glass of water.

“Thank you.”

Once she had recovered a little, he resumed, “Are you the new ranch owner?”

Chi Sui was surprised. “Yes, is it that obvious?”

“There aren’t many newcomers in town; we all recognize each other.” He smiled. “Besides, Mayor Ella has been announcing the arrival of a new ranch owner all over town. I’m Xin, proprietor of the town’s general store. Pleased to meet you.”

Chi Sui quickly reached out to shake the hand he offered. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Chi Sui, the new owner of the ranch on the eastern hill. I look forward to your guidance.”

Xin seemed momentarily startled that she shook his hand, but he quickly reciprocated and let go.

“The pleasure is mine, Miss Chi Sui. I hope you’ll favor us with your business—and if you have any ranch produce to sell in the future, you’re welcome to bring it here.”

“May I see what seeds you have for sale?”

“Of course!” Xin smiled and stepped aside to reveal the shelves behind him. “Since we only had one ranch here before, and it focused on livestock, there aren’t many seeds in stock. For this season, we only have white radish and corn. The rest is perennial pasture grass, which is good natural fodder for most animals.”

The limited selection of seeds clearly surprised Chi Sui.

“Do you sell any other farm products?”

“Hmm. Does flour count?” Xin pondered, a bit embarrassed.

“No others?” Chi Sui’s voice rose in surprise.

Xin smiled ruefully. “Sorry, no. No one here grows crops on a large scale, let alone for sale. Everyone is self-sufficient.”

“I see…”

Noticing her disappointment, Xin continued, “It’s the wind season now—no one can leave the island. Once it’s over, I’ll go exploring and bring back more seeds to stock. The variety should improve then.”

“When will the wind season end? Can I visit other islands too?”

“I can’t say for certain—maybe in about twenty days. When it’s over, you can take a ship from the floating harbor if you want to leave. The nearest is Green Island; you’ll probably find what you’re looking for there.”

Chi Sui unconsciously rubbed her chin—twenty days, then. By then, perhaps she could save a sum from selling her crops, though who knew what would be left after paying medical bills.

“Thank you for explaining. One last question: do you sell calendars?”

“Hmm?”

In the end, Chi Sui spent a silver coin, buying a bag each of corn and pasture grass seeds, and used the remainder on flour and salt. The calendar, Xin threw in as a gift.

With the leftover copper coins, she bought half a pound of pork from Bertha’s ranch. The price was so low it was almost a giveaway, but for the sake of her stomach, Chi Sui accepted it, blushing.

Without meat one grows thin, and Chi Sui was already thin enough—her whole body looked malnourished, like a walking stick of kindling, with bones visible at her joints. Seeing her emaciated reflection in the mirror yesterday, so much like her old self yet even more gaunt, she resolved to indulge her appetite and vowed to fatten herself up.

While buying meat, Chi Sui also learned from Bertha that if she wanted to find better ingredients, she could explore the western mountains to forage. But given her current frail state, it was best to stay at the base of the mountain—the hills harbored wild beasts and monsters, and a single misstep could land her back in the infirmary or, worse, send her to meet the ranch’s previous owner in the next life.

The return journey, now with a heavy load, left Chi Sui staggering home as the sun dipped below the horizon, her little house growing especially quiet in the fading light.

Fortunately, the technology in this world had taken a unique turn—electric lights were already available. Chi Sui set her food down by the stove, kneaded her aching wrists, and busied herself preparing dinner.

With supplies scarce, her cooking had to be simple.

She used the bottom of a porcelain bowl to roughly sharpen her knife, separated the pork fat from the lean, and set most of the fat aside to render for oil.

She cut the remaining meat into small cubes and began to mince.