The next morning, I woke up and saw my sister still lying on my chest.
She was a little small, just like her mother. It reminded me of how people used to think her mother was my sister.
The day was beautiful, and I got up while carrying my sister, who was still asleep. As I faced the big tree, I bowed as a gesture of thanks for watching over us throughout the night.
"I need to wash my face and brush my teeth, but we don't have anything for that. Maybe later, I'll make a toothbrush and toothpaste using charcoal and a chewing stick ( salvadora persica ) ," I thought to myself.
I carried my sister to the riverbank and washed my face. It was a bit difficult while holding her. She must have been really tired—maybe from the physical and mental exhaustion. This whole situation was a huge culture shock for us.
I had to stay strong for us to survive. I scooped some water in my hands and gently washed her face.
"Wake up, Rose. It's already morning. It's not good to wake up late—we've got a lot to explore today."
She was still half-asleep, her eyes barely open, and she wiped her face where the water had splashed.
"Morning, brother," she greeted me with a smile.
She tried to get down from my arms and walked to the water to wash her face again. Her eyes were a bit red.
"Arghhhh, what a beautiful morning. Should we have breakfast first?"
I nodded.
"But we only have apples for now and two knives. Maybe later we can hunt an animal and eat meat. Are you okay with just eating apples for now?"
She nodded.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me for now. I won't demand anything. Later, when things get better, I'll squeeze everything out of you. Hehehe."
She was excited about something that wasn't even certain yet.
I, too, hoped that things would work out and that we'd live comfortably in the future.
We both headed back toward the big tree and went to the apple tree we had planted. I picked four apples and used the stone knife I made to cut them, testing its sharpness as a practical exercise.
The knife cut through the apples smoothly, and I sliced them into eight small pieces, handing some to Rose to eat.
While watching her eat the apples, swaying her body and legs, she made a funny face, looking like she was really enjoying her breakfast.
"Brother, what should we do today?" she asked.
I thought about what activity would be suitable for the morning. Back in our world, housewives often went out to buy vegetables or grew them as a hobby. Maybe I could teach her the basics of planting vegetables.
"Should we learn how to grow vegetables? We can plant some. Maybe this big tree can give us seeds to plant in this weather, which is around 24°C. It's just the right temperature—not too hot or cold."
"Rose, since you're connected to plants and animals, maybe you can communicate with the tree and ask for seeds. What vegetables do you want, brother?"
Without hesitation, I explained to her:
1. LeafyGreens
- Lettuce
2. RootVegetables
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Beets
3. CruciferousVegetables
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
4. Legumes
- Green Beans
5. OtherVegetables
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Bell Peppers
6. Herbs
- Basil
- Parsley
- Cilantro
Rose nodded, understanding the list. "Okay, I'll try to ask the tree for seeds. Let's see if it can help us."
She walked up to the big tree, placed her hand on its trunk, and closed her eyes, focusing on communicating with it.
Something flowed through Rose's body—it was a light from the tree. She stood still, frozen for a long moment.
Meanwhile, in Rose's perspective, her mind felt like it was transported to another world. She was still in the same place, but there was a beautiful woman dressed in green, leaf-like clothing standing before her.
"Where am I? And who are you? Where's my brother?" Rose asked, confused.
The woman tried to calm Rose down and explained herself.
" I am the big tree in human form. Come here, Rose. You came to meet me, so you must have a request. What do you need, child?"
Rose, who was initially nervous, quickly became excited. She approached the woman and held her hand.
"I want seeds or plants for gardening. Can you give me that? We want to grow vegetables. I'm really craving to eat something fresh and healthy."
The woman laughed at Rose's excitement and her straightforward request. She nodded.
"Haha, okay, I'll give you what you need. But make sure to take good care of them and nurture them well. Can you promise me that?"
"Okay!!" Rose replied eagerly, bowing up and down quickly.
"Hahaha, alright, alright. Just take the seeds from the dark hole in my trunk, the one your brother poked earlier," she said, suddenly feeling a bit shy as she remembered the incident.
Rose's face suddenly changed, and she gave the woman a side-eye. "Why are you shy, you pervy tree? Don't ever remember that again, and don't you dare have any feelings for my brother. I'll be watching you," she warned, making a gesture with her hand.
"Haha, okay, okay, but not for now. See you again," the woman replied.
Before Rose could respond, the scene around her began to blur. The woman waved goodbye, and Rose found herself back where she had been standing.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled.
"The tree agreed! It's giving us seeds for all the vegetables you mentioned. Let's start planting!"
"So, where are the plants or seeds?" I asked, curious.
She seemed to remember something. "You stay there and don't come near the tree!"
I was confused about why she suddenly seemed so angry, but at least she got what we needed, so it was okay.
She took the seeds from the hole under the tree, but this time, the tree didn't shake. "Damn you, pervert tree. I know what you're thinking. I'll never let my brother touch you," Rose muttered under her breath.
Rose then ran back to me, carrying the plants and seeds we had asked for.
I felt happy—at least we had vegetables to eat for now. This was enough.
"Now it's my turn to make the vegetable garden," I said.
I looked for a spot not too far from the river so it would be easier to manage the garden and have a nearby water source. Without tools, it would be hard to do by hand, but with my strength and speed, it would be manageable, even if it got a bit messy.
I pulled out all the grass in the area where I wanted to make the garden. With my speed, it felt almost illogical how quickly I cleared the area. After removing all the grass, I used my power to loosen the soil, making it easier for the roots to grow.
"Rose, come here. Now you just need to arrange the vegetables. Put the taller plants at the back and the shorter ones in the front so they all get enough sunlight."
"Now, just make small holes according to the type of seed or seedling, and space them about 25-60 cm apart so they don't compete for nutrients."
Rose followed my instructions, using the new knife to make small holes and planting all the seedlings according to type and spacing.
"Now we're done. After this, all that's left is to water them. For your power, Rose, just use it on one vegetable of each type. If we use it on all of them, no one will eat them, and it'll be a waste. So, minimize the daily use, and we can take care of them like normal humans."
Rose interrupted me, "But how are we going to carry the water here? We don't have a bowl."
"F***, I forgot about that..." I said, realizing the oversight.