Chapter fifty

When seeing the cart, the younger girl was reminded of when she had traveled with Wu's kids and her sisters. She thought about the seat inside the cart, then planned how to sit and how to hold it to protect if the same trouble happened. However, her plan was in vain. Inside the card, there was only one seat - it meant she had to sit next to Wu's daughter without being able to avoid it.

Caihong felt strong pressure. She tried to tell herself to calm down and relax.

Even if she tried hard to hide, the hawk eyes of the female scholar could still see it. 

Actually, it was the best time to tease the girl, but the elder woman decided to not do it. 

Before taking off the cart, Lantian told the driver to drive slowly when they reached the bad condition road. In addition, while traveling, she didn't say any word, just opened the window at her side and looked at the view outside.

With such an attitude, the daughter of Yang was able to reduce some pressure. Still she was not feeling easy to sit close to the top woman.

Lantian sensed that; so, she expanded her arm to open the window at the girl's side.

With this, it allowed the cool wind to fill the space making the younger girl very relaxed. 

Now the two could have their own times.

Through the opened window, Caihong saw the road and the site and she guessed that the elder sis would take her to her family's vegetable farm.

Correct; it was that place.

"You can take whatever you want," Lantian said.

It was a little shy to get the property of others even though the owner gave permission. Nonetheless, she had no choice since she had a promise with the young boss lady of the farm already.

Caihong walked around the green garden and selected the types she wanted. Once she chose, Lantian would pick it for her and put it in the basket that she was carrying.

Actually, she wanted to pull by herself, but she was afraid that she would ruin the plant, so she had to agree with the elder woman to assist her.

About this matter Lantian could sense it, also she guessed that the girl would not feel well if she called the workers in the farm to come; therefore, she worked with her herself.

After collecting enough vegetables, Lantian gave the basket to the farm male worker.

"Take it to the cart. And don't forget to spray water on it," she said.

"Yes," the worker said.

Afterwards, she turned to Caihong, "Don't you want some meat?"

"It's okay. I have some at home. It's enough to make the food," Caihong stated.

"Good. Then, go up."

"Why go up?"

"I need to clean my body. Look! There is a lot of dirt."

It was true. Because of helping her, daughter of Wu was full of grime.

To pay some thanks, the younger lass agreed to go up the stairs.

Lantian told her to wait for her in the dining room, but she didn't want to; she went to stand on the balcony that she had stood during last visit.

Under the shade of green long plants, the second daughter of Yang pinned her eyes on the view around with her mind at ease. 

This kind of moment, she felt it was like a dream – since she didn't expect she would have the chance to feel nature once again after that day. 

Thanks to the high lady that made her able to have a good hour with nature the second time. And this time was special because her sisters didn't come along, allowing her to have a full relax without a burden.

Because she was attached to the calm view, she didn't sense the footsteps of the elder woman coming. Until Wu's girl palms were applied on the rail next to her, she awoke and spun to her saying, "Are you finished?"

"Yes," Lantian stated.

"Then we go."

"Not yet."

"Do you have another job?"

"No."

"Then why don't we go?"

"I want to show you something."

"Show what! The sun is about to set."

"Yes. You can see that thing when the sun is about to set."

This claim made the younger girl furious, too, about what the high daughter wanted to show her.

The lassie stood quietly by the rail near the female claimer who was looking at the direction before her.

Step by step the sun dropped her body into the horizon.

"Look," Lantian said and pointed her finger to the front.

The young colleen looked following the bigger girl's telling.

From the far away setting, before the orange background, a piece of dark thing leaked from the ground.

"What's that?" Caihong stated.

"They are bats," Lantian said.

"Bat!"

"Um." Lantian nodded. "Over there, there is a jungle and some caves. Among the caves, there is a big one and inside there are a lot of bats living. When the sun sets, those bats will come out to find food. Usually, they fly in groups and in a queue. Later on, you will see they will look like a dark wave or dark string that can move lively over the surface of the sky."

Like the top woman narrated, the group of bats gradually increased its size and length and became a line. First it was dark, but not so clear. A moment later, the line became darker and darker until it was a chubby and long inky rope. Moreover, she could see the elder sis standing next to her didn't lie – this rope moved like it was alive, and she felt sometimes it was like a wave in the river, sometimes it was like the body of a snake flying in the sky.

It was a very great view; the low daughter of Yang Fu unlocked her eyes and lips as she saw it.

Because it was time for the sun to take a rest, the scene would not be able to stay longer. The two girls had to leave the stage.

Though the younger girl was still very attached to the previous mammal performers. Along the way to the carriage, she asked the female scholar nonstop.

"Where do they go to find food?"

"They go around the area. Forest, farm, or village nearby. Where there are animals, they will go there."

"Why?"

"To suck the blood."

"Suck the blood!" Caihong stated with big eyes.

"Um." Lantian nodded. "The bat usually drinks blood from the animals."

"Don't they eat fruit?"

"Actually, there are various types of bats. Most of them eat fruit like birds, but there are some types that drink blood."

"Will they come here?"

"Yes, they do." Lantian nodded.

"Then the workers in this farm…"

"Don't worry. Though they come, they don't hurt the workers. Mostly they come for pig, cow and animal's blood."

"Good then." Caihong blew a wind from her mouth. "Anyway, how many people are working on this farm?"

"About thirty people, I think."

"Are they living here or just come to work here?"

"Some are living and working here. Some live nearby and come to work for us."

"I heard from young master Wu that this farm is your mother's."

"Um." Lantian nodded her head. "Mother likes growing vegetables. Vegetables used in our home kitchen are from here. Even the imperial kitchen, sometimes, takes vegetables from our farm."

Caihong unlocked her eyes to hear that. "It means your vegetables are good," she said.

"Mother cares about the health of the people in the family. She is very protective when choosing ingredients for cooking the food whether it is meat or vegetable."

"Does your farm have animals?"

"No, we plant only vegetables. Mother is Buddhist. She does not raise the animal for meat. The meat we use, some is from workers in our farm, they raise at their own houses, and some is bought from the villagers who rent our land."

"I see." Caihong wagged her head. "Your mother is kind."

"How can you know?"

"According to my feelings."

"Can feelings be trusted?"

"I don't know about others, but I believe in my feelings," Caihong said with confidence. "She is kind and she is good and well paid attention too. Look at the vegetables on the farm. All of them are green, big and healthy. If your mother is a bad person, the vegetables will not be good like this."

The reason that the younger lassie gave made the daughter of the farm owner giggle. Though it didn't have weight and was childish, she could see this girl speaking sincerely from the bottom of her heart, not flute.

"I know you don't believe me; however, I don't care. Since I know that I don't lie, it is enough."

The daughter of Wu grinned from ear to ear as she heard it.

"I don't say I don't believe you. You think by yourself," she said.

The younger lassie didn't respond.

Within the slow pace walking, the pair of young women was still able to enjoy their conversation.

"I heard you told them to spray water on the vegetables. Why?" Caihong said.

"In general, the best time to harvest vegetables is in the early morning and in the evening. But we cannot do it because we don't have time. So to keep it fresh until it arrives at your home, we have to spray water on it."

"I never knew about that. Hey, why didn't we harvest it in the morning?"

"If you want to do this, you have to get up since the sun doesn't rise and come here. Or you have to come to sleep here one night. Can you do it?"

Listening to this claim, the little gal shook her head.

Lantian grinned her cheeks up.

"Planting vegetables is easy, but looking after it is difficult," she continued. "Like you mentioned, my mother is well aware. She is a caring person, even the vegetable, that's why our vegetables are healthy. Mother selects people to work in the farm carefully. She doesn't mind if they don't know how to grow vegetables; she will teach them; she just needs a person who works hard, pays attention and is willing to learn."

"Your mother teaches?"

"Um." Lantian nodded her head. "My grandfather was a number one chef and he worked in the imperial kitchen. My grandmother was also a good cook. After my grandfather got married to my grandmother, he left the palace and opened a restaurant. Their restaurant was famous and there were a lot of customers. They said that they would not be able to find a good taste the same as my grandparents' food. Most people thought that my grandparents had a secret ingredient, but in fact there was no secret ingredient; my grandparents just used the vegetables that they grew in their home garden. They grew and took care of their plants very well, and they taught my mother since she was young - how to grow the crops, how to take care and how to cook. This makes my mother a great chef like my grandfather and my grandmother."

"What about you? Can you cook?"

"No, my skill is eating."

Caihong shrank her eyes. "Why don't you learn cooking? A woman should know how to cook. At least we have to know how to cook rice," she said.

"Who said that?"

Hearing this question, daughter Yang Fu stayed silent

"I will accept if you say I should know how to cook because it makes me live easily, and I don't depend on anyone. But if you say I should know how to cook because I am a woman, I won't agree with you."

The tone was a little bit tense, but Caihong felt the high lady was speaking right.

"From my point of view, being a woman doesn't need to stay in the house, cook and look after children," Lantian continued. "There is a lot of work that women can do. Like I told you, I don't know cooking but I know the ingredients of a food and how to cook it and make it delicious. Based on this skill, I can survive."

"How do you know this skill?" Caihong asked.

"I learn," Lantian responded.

"Learn from who?"

"Learn from everyone, my mother, my…" Lantian paused her words for a second, then she said, "Yang Ying. Yang Ying is not a good cook, but she knows what type of food can be sold out. That's why mother Wang gives authority to her to select the menu for Wan Hua Lou."

"You studied a lot, so it is easy for you, but I didn't know anything." Caihong dropped her face.

"If you think you are low, then you will be low," Lantian claimed. "I remember my mother ever said that delicious food is the food that makes everyone happy including the cook and the eater. It doesn't need to use special ingredients. Like your case. Actually you don't need to take vegetables from my farm. You can use what you have in your kitchen. Even though it is a piece of cabbage, you can create something wonderful. The importance is you have to find out what you like and what you are good at."

Listening to all this made the poor knowledge colleen seem to feel a candle light was brighting her path. Even though the light was small, she felt it was better than her life before - that was like living in the deep well.

"Is your mother a great cook?" Caihong said.

"Yes, she is very great. If there is a chance, I will take you to taste her food. Even my father recognizes my mother's skill."

"Really? Sounds like your parents love each other. How did they meet?"

"My two grandfathers were living in the same village. They were neighbors and friends. When my father came to the city in order to take the exam to become a government officer, he stayed at my mother's house. Then they fell in love, and after my father passed the exam, he married my mother."

"Your family's history is very awesome."

"What's about your family? Your father is a millionaire. He should have a great story too."