Huaiyu half-lifted her bike, her basket still dangling awkwardly from the crossbar, as she clambered off the bus in an utterly undignified manner.
There weren't any other passengers left on the bus—thank goodness. Otherwise, she honestly wasn't sure she would've made it off. Those aunties and grannies were terrifying. Even with her silver tongue, she'd nearly been interrogated down to her ancestors.
"Whew—"
She let out a long breath, brushing her fingers across her face. So this is what it means to be a natural beauty, huh? This level of popularity?
As for all those questions—family background, job, salary, housing, whether her older brothers were married or not... well, those were just icing on the cake. Totally not important.
She glanced down at her wristwatch. The damage was more obvious under the light than she'd expected. She hadn't been careful enough today—definitely shouldn't wear this thing in front of Boss Tang next time.
It wasn't even five o'clock yet.
The sky was still bright, though overcast and heavy with humidity. In the distance, the towering Rose Corridor stood silent, swaying gently in the spring breeze.
Fresh green leaves layered over one another, and the pink blossoms unfurled into a sea of pastel clouds. Huaiyu pushed her bike a few steps up the slope—standing here, she could just make out the 69th District's Alien Plant Defense Force camp beyond the trees.
She smiled, then with some effort, managed to swing herself up onto the too-large bike.
"Woohoo—here we go!"
…
Having a bike really did make a difference.
What used to be a long trek to the bus stop now took just ten minutes on wheels.
The only downside was that the once-paved road had long since been broken up by wave after wave of wild grass growth, leaving mostly damp, uneven dirt paths.
Riding wasn't exactly smooth.
Still, Huaiyu was pretty content.
Back at home, her precious new asset was rolled into the treehouse, now roomier after clearing out some hay.
She carefully sorted through her purchases—
Plastic bags went with the others. Scissors and trowel into the basket. Two new towels joined the old one hanging from a vine. The whole pack of toilet paper went into the waterproof storage bag with her clothes.
Wait, no—she took one roll out and placed it at her bedside. Something that valuable? No way she was leaving it in the bathroom to get chewed up by who-knows-what.
The kettle was set beside the fire pit. The kitchen knife was there too, though with no cutting board yet, she didn't dare risk dulling it. Best to set it aside for now.
Her flip-flops went by the bed. And looking around the room… yeah, it almost felt like a real home.
And then—spring thunder crashed!
Boom!
A bolt of lightning cracked without warning, lighting up the gloomy world outside in a blinding flash.
Thunder rolled through the clouds above, and the sound of rain followed fast—growing louder, closer...
It was here!
Way too soon!
Wasn't the rain supposed to come tomorrow?!
Huaiyu bolted to the doorway. Outside, the raindrops were already pelting the leaves, hammering them down one by one.
Even the wisteria dangling from the doorway trembled under the assault, ready to be torn away. The rose corridor blurred into a painterly mess of pink and green, hidden behind the veils of downpour.
A torrential rain had arrived.
Silently, she retreated, carefully hanging her now wildly overpriced raincoat on a vine—then turned and headed back out, following the connected awning between the trees.
She moved through the empty shelter, ears straining for leaks, eyes checking every tie and lash, worried the wind might tear her woven grass curtains loose.
Thankfully, everything held.
Only—the kitchen area she'd cleared out now had to wait. The sudden drop in temperature made cooking there impossible.
Huaiyu pulled a bundle of dry grass from the pile beside the outhouse to start the fire. After adding a few sticks to the flames, she sighed, put on her rain boots, and threw the raincoat back on before heading outside again.
Out in the clearing, branches she'd chopped and dry leaves she'd gathered were still lying in messy piles. The rain had only just started—if she acted fast, they wouldn't be too soaked to save.
Because if this rain kept up for days, she'd be out of firewood completely.
Rainwater trickled from the hood of her raincoat, splashing against her face in heavy drops. Blinking through the water, Huaiyu could only sigh in quiet despair.
If only she hadn't been so tired yesterday, she might've remembered to move the firewood in.
Luckily, the thicker branches were still intact. She could grab a few and drag them into the shelter without much fuss.
By the time she returned to the treehouse, arms full of extra branches, her raincoat was dripping, and her face, collar, and hair were soaked through.
She wiped her face, about to push her hood back—then suddenly remembered.
The big red bucket!
She rushed to the doorway, dragging it into place.
Then grabbed her new kettle and the old pot, hauling both out into the rain too.
Raindrops pattered into them with satisfying thuds, quickly rising in level.
She watched for a moment in silent satisfaction, then turned back inside and dramatically flung her raincoat back onto the vine.
Then, with a towel, she wiped her face dry and fed the fire until the room glowed with warmth.
The flames danced, casting flickering shadows across the quiet, rain-wrapped space.
If there was one thing missing…
Huaiyu slipped on her flip-flops and sat down on the blue brick stool beside the fire. Looking at her bare feet, she sighed:
A rainy day like this should come with a proper meal!
Instant noodles, hotpot, crayfish, barbecue… slurp.
And yet, here she was!
Of course!
Her only seasonings were salt and sugar. Her food supply? A couple of yams, some peanuts, and a batch of bloat-inducing soybeans.
As for the nutrient paste…
Forget it. That stuff might keep you alive, but it had nothing to do with food.
The grass curtain could be left for now. In this moment of sudden relaxation, Huaiyu wasn't sure what to do next. After a long pause, she pulled out the packets of seeds and started thinking about how to plant them.
First step: find a good spot and turn the soil, right?
Then what? Just drop the seeds in?
She did have some kind of special ability. With a bit of effort, she could probably get them to sprout.
But… two jin of peanuts, a full jin of soybeans, and a bunch of yam bulbs...
If she planted all of that, would she wear herself out completely?
Huaiyu gently patted her frail-looking shoulders, deeply concerned this might be out of her league.
Also… she should have picked some wild greens today. She was seriously craving something to eat!
The hunger fogged her mind. The taste of that awful nutrient paste clung to her tongue, her growling stomach echoing like protest drums…
When she finally snapped out of it, one whole packet of soybeans had already been opened.
If the only pot she owned wasn't still out catching rainwater, she probably would've tossed them in, added some salt, and started roasting them.
Roasted slow over a low flame until they popped and split, golden and fragrant… sprinkle a bit of salt...
Ugh! So hungry!!