Catch that Girl...

Jiushu turned around with a smile and invited him in.

Her words stopped at the tip of her tongue.

MoQiu is bathed in mud from head to toe. If she had not seen him before, she would think he is a mud demon.

"Stop right there." she told him,

"Take a bath before entering." she told him.

"Can't. This is the mud applied so beasts don't attack us. I wanted to eat my mom's cooking so I came back especially.." he smiled at aunt Fa.

"Fa Mo Qiu ! are you stupid? Why do you think they eat hard rations? It's because it creates no smell from sweat. All animals hunt by the sense of smell.. If you eat rice soup full of garlic and ginger, do you think the beasts still won't be able to recognize you?" Jiushu scolded immediately.

MoQiu's toothpaste-ad worthy smile slipped a bit.

Jiushu stopped at that.. She thought they were pretty close, but she is starting to realize MoQiu is bad with tomboyish females. 'This friend.. You need to answer with a quip or something to such words.. Otherwise I will become a shrew' she shouted at him internally, and her annoyance showed on her face.

"A'Qiu.. I am fine. I do have tea here, for your father and friends. Take it with you." aunt Fa told him.

Jiushu is relieved that Aunt Fa acted.

It occurred to her belatedly he most probably came probably because he missed them. This has always been the point that set her apart from her friends at school, university and she guessed, even work. She does not get homesick. She never had, because she had been far too independent since young. At first, because their financial situation could not afford a nanny, second because she had become a bookworm. It's far too easy for her parents to leave her alone in the house with a lunch and dinner box. 'Ah, how obedient' is all they said to her. An obedient daughter is all they remember, is sure.

By the time their financial situation improved, Jiushu had far crossed the age where she could be cute. Since the time her parents had her brother, she stayed away - it worked well for both parties. On top of that, both sets of her grandparents are patriarchal, making her relationship with her entire family tenuous. Her aim had been to earn well, buy a house and live like an otaku.

MoQiu is not similar. His relationship with his original parents, she guessed, he probably had been a filial and loving son. He laughed easily, helped where he can, and is considerate. He is beloved and it showed. He probably expected a smile and welcome, and she shouted at him.. Damn.. this is all fault of his looks. Why must he look like a kicked puppy and make her concerned throughout the night ? On top of that, aunt Fa didn't say a word, that made her feel even more guilty.

"I will keep the first watch, auntie." Jiushu told her.

"We are in a village, A'shu. Just sleep for today. Nothing will happen." Aunt Fa told her.

Jiushu is not sure.

"Then I will keep watch for some time then turn in." Jiushu told her.

Aunt Fa agreed, and got into the bed. Today, for her, Jiushu retrieved their own bed from their home. Aunt Fa sighed in relief as she laid down on her bed.

"Ah.. The bed from home is always the most comfortable." she said, happily pulling her pillow towards her.

Rather than pitch the tents, they hung the tent canvas on the eaves left after the house collapsed. The old man who lived here last must be a sculptor, for he has fashioned pretty neat crenels to hold the beams. They just tied a rope to it, vola! They have a private space. She retrieved the furs for them, stood watch outside.

Jiushu could not trust that any of the villagers would not come over here in the night. Thus, she placed a few logs blocking the stone mountain path. Then, she went to the least visible place in the yard, and entered the space. She has sown peas immediately after her last wilderness grow project. They have grown wildly all over the place.

She stood there and used her new skill for the second time.

'Appraise'

Little golden tags shown up attached to all peas, looking like most minimalistic speech bubbles, with each line attached to a pea pod. Jiushu picked one of the ripe peas.

Repeat the action for all the fruits in the same state? [ Yes ] [ No ]

Jiushu chose yes happily. It's indeed hard work to pluck all the pods.

The pods are all picked. Then she chose the over ripe ones, and plucked them.

She walked back from the field, and started watching the field.

The tags all over the field popped up like little fireflies.

Jiushu stepped into the field and harvested another ripe pea. All the ripe peas are harvested.

Set this as the action of harvest? [ Yes ] [ No ]

Jiushu chose yes. Then she exited the plane. Over the night, peas will accumulate.

She exited the space, then checked on aunt Jiushu and Xiao Xing, then left to sleep in the space, only, she chose to do it outside in the yard.

She woke up just before dawn arrived. She came to the window to look outside, the scenery is that of the mountains and skies. The morning scenery is beautiful..

It's a good thing I bought this house, jiushu complimented herself. Even if she only ever got the site, not the house, she still wants this. It's located at a perfect distance from other people, peaceful and beautiful. She came out of her space, and watched sunrise silently.

When she turned to go in, aunt Fa was there, looking at the sunrise in a daze.

Soon, they made enough rice balls to last an army, MoQiu returned to pick them up. This time, he cleaned up, and gave a tentative smile to Jiushu. Jiushu controlled her usual response of snapping at him.

"You are here." she said with a smile.

MoQiu's face cleared in response. He smiled back at her, as if last night did not exist at all.

He did not have much time. Thus, he took the basket with breakfast from aunt Fa, went back to the forest, but not before handing them two fat hares. Jiushu stored one, while aunt Fa took another to make lunch with. Usually, she helps aunt Fa cook, but today, she felt too restless to do that. Noticing her, aunt Fa let her go and played, Xiao Xing toddled behind her happily.

Everywhere in the village, the village women sat around weaving baskets. The children played on the street. Seeing them, one of the little children came up to her and asked if xiao xing wants to play with them. Her brother looked at her imploringly. Finally, unable to stand his puppy dog eyes, Jiushu gave him permission. Her little brother ran off like a comet before she could get in so much as 'Take care'. She watched the children for some time making sure they were doing nothing dangerous, then she wandered off into the village.

'Sister-in-law.! Did you hear about old man Shi?" One of the village women is saying to another.

It seems that grand-daughter of shi house is engaged to a handsome fella in the next village. Only, the family has changed their words when they went to ask about the ceremony, stating they either give the orchard, or ten sacks of rice in dowry. Otherwise, they will not marry. However, old man shi is the best fruit master in this county. His fruit are specifically grown and reserved to send as imperial tribute. He makes good money, but not so much he can buy a sack of rice at ten times the price. Now, the grand daughter of the shi has locked her door and keeps crying, while her grandfather is determined to find the girl who sold rice at four iron coins in the village down the mountain.

Isn't that me? Jiushu thought.

Well, it seems the family is in trouble, and she needs the help of a fruit master anyway, so she will do them this favor.

Thus, she asked around the village, went up to the house of shi old man.

However, the story she heard here is different. The girl did not want to marry this particular youngman. It's more of the family needing to pay off money to break the marriage. For the old man did not want to send his granddaughter to a family of opportunists. Whether it is ancient or modern, gossip is always only half right.

Jiushu decided to help him just for the simple reason the old man actually cared about his granddaughter's happiness. Right now, the family is in hot discussion, with the granddaughter trying to convince her grandfather she will be the one to go search for the girl who sold rice.

Jiuhshu knocked on the door very loudly, breaking up their argument.

"I heard you are looking for me." she said without preamble.

The family is all too happy to see her.

"I must tell you in advance, no matter how hard your situation, I don't give out freebies." The family is still looking at her like wondering who she is.

"What will you exchange for rice?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"You are younger than I imagined." the granddaughter said showing her to a seat.

"Little sister, we have longans, rambutans and peaches. We even have some mangosteens, though the tree is young, this year's crop is not as good." the granddaughter started.

"I can exchange at the price I gave the village down the slope, or I can reduce the price for you, if you can do some things for me."

"What things ?" the old man asked in a rough voice.

"Sell the orchard to me. I hear the landlord has set his eyes on your orchard, and that is why he is creating trouble, is it not? I will buy the orchard, you can keep farming it for me just like you do, only I will collect the rent instead of the landlord. Obviously, the taxes are also paid by me." Jiushu proposed.

She did not expect this to pass through, for all farmers are attached to their lands. If they actually considered such a proposal, it just means they are in that desperate of a situation.

The old man thought about it.

Jiushu wondered how awful of a pressure they are facing.

"You will not lease to any other family for a hundred years." the old man said.

"In that case I want you to guide me in the surrounding mountain to the secret places you forage at. Don't lie to me old man, I know you have some. Otherwise why are your Longan better than anyone else's?" Jiushu asked.

Her plan is just to add the orchard to forage locations, thus she will have fresh fruits whenever she wants to eat. She could definitely do this without the oldman's agreement, but it felt too much like stealing. It is better this way.

"We want twenty sacks of rice for the field." the old man added.

Jiushu agreed.

"Girl, are you a secret princess or something?" the old man asked.

Jiushu is shocked for a moment, before she realizes he is asking this because she has been so generous.

"Having the rice in our hands for a longtime will only get it robbed. Our family just wants to live a simple life, I would rather sell it for four coins before some great official decides the country is in trouble and orders all farmers to hand in their grain." Jiushu told him.

The old man agreed with her, and praised her for being wise.

Jiushu is just spouting nonsense, but she is happy she could sell all the same.

They finalized their deal, Jiushu left the grain in the old man's garage.

The old man told her of a place where there are best fruit trees. She has to go down the village a bit, then horizontally into the forest.

Jiushu has stopped at the crossroads to make the turn. Before she could take one more step, she heard a shout from behind her.

"It is her. Arrest her." a screechy voice shouted.

Strong arms reached for Jiushu immediately, and there's a blade aimed at her neck.