10. Foraging

Two men jumped like shadows from the walls and rushed out to the silent street noiselessly.

They stopped at the tea house that was still crowded and took a private room. "What did you find out about her?"

"Absolutely nothing. That old naughty doctor asked his grandson and her name should be Liu Mei. She lost her husband and children and the rest of her family died shortly. Now she is looking for a job. For now, it seems that the woman plans to go to the forest and continue foraging the healing herbs for now." The one man that reported was the young guard, while the other man emanated a strong aura, even if he was wearing simple clothes.

"Widow? But she looks so young. Too bad. Let people watch over her. If she has some strange doings and seems suspicious, just arrest her. Strange about so much crying. Does she miss her family? It seems she is all alone. But the strange thing, why did she buy so much food? That amount could feed her for years."

"It seems she carefully chose this rice. It was from the last year when the rice was more abundant." The guard loved last year's rice as well.

"Tell the kitchen to cook rice from this year and from the last year. I need to see the difference." He was a bit curious.

Even tho this was a teahouse, they had a kitchen where they sometimes prepared food for distinguished personalities. They quickly cooked the two types of rice adding multiple foods with it.

When the man started eating his face changed. "It seems she liked the nutty flavour of the last year's rice. It has actually better quality. How comes no one else realized that?"

The guard shrugged. "Everyone likes fresh things. She bought the old rice in a big batch maybe because she was worried that the quality won't get better?"

The man's hand paused. "Buy as much as you can from last year's rice and send it to our farmstead for next year planting. If the quality of the seed becomes worse as well, it will be no wonder if we get bad quality of rice. Buy all the good quality rice and put it in the storage. Later on, we will send the rice to the regions and let them plant better quality for the human livinghood. "

He then smiled. "Now I am interested in what she plans to do in the future. That little widow."

The next morning Liu Mei woke up as the first sunlight hit her face. She felt dead tired. She dazedly looked around and realized that all hat happened was not a bad dream, but her new reality.

It seems that a person or thing will contact her in ten years. But until then she needs to survive. In her old world, her parents and siblings will probably not even worry about her. Her husband divorced her and her children despised her.

Even if she goes back she can earn only those feelings from them. But here even if she is alone, she can live contently. She had food to eat, a roof over her head and some silver in her pocket.

Silver. Maybe she should go and forage more of those herbs? Strange, why is no one else doing it? The forest is not even far from town.

She shrugged. If they don't want, she can. She put most of the food from the day before inside her space.

Somehow it made her feel more content, just in case. Before leaving she watered the plants that started looking like they gained their life back again and locked the door.

The hat on her head and the rough clothes for work made her look like one of the village people. Luckily she was not the only one with such a hat in the town, so it was not very eye-catching.

She walked out of the big gate and saw a huge line of people waiting to enter the city. The forest was actually not so near either, as she walked towards it.

Before she came to the town she didn't realize the length of the way, as she spoke with women the whole time. It was definitely not near.

She slowly entered the forest breathing in the air and hearing the sounds of the wind between the leaves.

The smile on her lips didn't disappear the whole time, as she realized how much herbs she could forage. That voice told her she couldn't plant anything inside the space, but she let a few herbs inside the space for a whole day. This morning she took it out and found them to bestill green and fresh and even a few drops of water were still on there.

She started foraging all kinds of herbs. This time she went for those that he gave her more money for.

The more she went into the forest the more rare plants she found. Some she took out with earth and planned to replant them in her garden. There were many mushrooms that she found tasty as well.

Whether it was a herb, wild vegetable or mushroom she just took it all. Luckily she put a few pots of water inside her space and a small pan and could make some food, even in the forest.

Making some rice porridge with mushrooms and wild vegetables made her eyes curve in delight.

She took the hat off long ago so she could clearly see the plants. At the moment her hands held a small bowl when she heard someone's steps.

Even before she could reach for the hat an old man got out of the bushes, looking at her with hunger. "I knew I smelled something fine. Young woman, could you spare some of the food for me?"

Liu Mei just blinked and let go of the hat, while giving him the bowl with porridge. She already ate a couple of bowls so she was fine even if he eats the rest.

Spoon by spoon he ate quickly making her anxious. "Grandfather, please slow down. It's too hot. I already ate so just slow down. There is still more if you like it. "

It was always a delight for her when someone enjoyed her meals. Her heart was calm as she took these out her bag, so even if he watched before, he wouldn't be able to suspect something.

He just smiled looking at her bag that was quite bulging. "Isn't it heavy?"

Her eyes glanced at the bag and then she realized that it was enough. Even in her space, there are so many herbs that even if she doesn't come soon again she could sell them to the herb store for days.

So she just nodded calmly. "It is indeed. But it's paid well. There is no other way for me. I am an orphan and a widow. If I want to survive, sitting at home and crying over my bad fate is not an answer. This will bring me enough money to survive for a while. What about you, grandfather, did you come to forage herbs as well?"

He nodded. "My granddaughter is a bit sickly. So I wanted to get a few herbs. But there is a huge problem. All these look the same to me."

Liu Mei knew the problem. Maybe that is the reason no one foraged them. Many herbs looked similar but were completely different. One could heal, the others were harmful.

"Grandfather, I am not good at medicine myself. If you tell me what plants you are looking for, then I can help you."

After he started telling her she sighed. She had all those in her bags. But then smiled lightly. Whatever, she can farm more.

With her hands took a different kind of plants out of her bag and used a big leaf to roll the herbs inside. "Here grandfather. Hurry home."

"How much for these..." He reached to give her money but she just shook her head.

"Grandfather, even if I need money I am not that greedy. Your granddaughter having you is her luck. Just take it as a small present from me. I can always forage more. The forest is big, I will surely gather those again." A small smile appeared as she spoke.

"Then I will thank you in her name. I need to rush home, you are right. Thank you, child." He bowed in front of her and rushed back.

A sigh came out of her. " No wonder he rushed to eat the food so fast. He must have been anxious for his granddaughter's health. I hope she gets well soon."

She picked the bag up and continued to walk, back the same way to the city. She found the same plants again, but even if she didn't, she had enough of them inside her bag.

"Her food is simple but delicious." The guard said as he took an old man's mask off his face. He smacked his lips remembering the simple but rich taste.

"Don't think of that. The next time I will eat her food." The man was now truly interested in her. Not many people would share precious herbs just like her.

But those clothes seem to be too rough on her body. He could see redness on her wrists and neck. It seems her skin is too delicate for such tough clothes.

If she wore silk, his thoughts wandered off...