After preparing a cup of breakfast milk for the twins, Lin Zhi went back to tending her garden.
The earlier she planted, the earlier she could eat fresh vegetables. To save money, she was willing to put in the effort.
The twins didn’t rest either. They carried their washbasins and fetched water from the kitchen cistern to water the vegetables.
By the time Lin Zhi had finished tilling and sowing, the twins had watered almost the entire garden.
After washing their faces and pouring the water into the garden, Lin Zhi looked at the two brothers standing at the kitchen doorway in puzzlement. “Why aren’t you going for a nap? Why are you just standing there?”
He Ze tilted his body and pointed to the empty cistern. “No water. We need to fetch some more.”
Lin Zhi: …I forgot!
She had been using water from the grocery store stock. Yesterday, she didn’t rush to put more water in because the cistern still had some. That morning, she forgot to refill it. She had planned to do it while the twins napped, but they had already used it all.
“I’ll go. You two go take your nap,” she said.
He Ze patted his small chest. Seeing his brother still not moving, he nudged him with his little chest. “We can fetch it too.”
Lin Zhi’s mouth twitched. They weren’t even as tall as the water bucket, and they wanted to carry water?
They wouldn’t listen to reason, so she took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and said, “While I’m still in a decent mood, you two go inside and nap. Or else I’ll get the pole and give you a beating.”
The twins were familiar with her scolding tone. They knew she was bluffing.
The brothers exchanged a glance. Though reluctant, they slowly went inside, stepping one step at a time and looking back repeatedly.
Lying on the bed, He Ze leaned over and whispered to He Run, “Little brother, I think she’s really learning. When Dad comes back, let’s not let him divorce her.”
“This mom is better than before. If she stays like this, I’ll like her too.”
He Run listened in a daze. He wanted to say that this mom wasn’t like the old mom, but the words wouldn’t come out. He could only gesture with his hands.
He Ze caught his brother’s wandering hands and hugged him, patting his back. “I know you also think she’s a good mom. You don’t have to say it. I already know.”
He Run frowned. He wanted to clarify he didn’t mean that, but with the gentle pats on his back, he gradually went limp.
While the twins napped, Lin Zhi, who wasn’t sleepy, brought out a bolt of cloth from the grocery stash and calmly started sewing a quilt cover.
Sewing a quilt was simple—just piece together several patches of fabric. After the past few days, her sewing skills had improved a lot. Completing a quilt took just over an hour.
She placed the cotton padding inside, stitched up the opening, and laid it out in the next room, deciding the twins would sleep there on their own tonight.
Her current bedding was Ga Ting’s. It was usable, but when he returned, she would have to give it back. So she needed to make more quilt covers.
There was still plenty of time, so she didn’t rush. After putting away the basket, she planned to wake the twins.
With the house chores done and nothing else to occupy her, she decided to go up the mountain.
The books said there were plenty of useful things on the mountain. The heroine often found wild chickens and rabbits there. Lin Zhi knew she wouldn’t be so lucky, but it didn’t stop her from trying.
If she could catch a wild chicken, she could make chicken with mushrooms for dinner.
Mushrooms were abundant now. Even though someone had already searched that morning, there might still be leftovers.
The twins, suddenly roused, were still dazed when she carried them outside. After a few seconds of looking at each other, they both turned toward Lin Zhi.
“Where are we going?” For the past week, they hadn’t gone out. They didn’t know why she had suddenly started taking them out every day.
“To the mountain, to look for things we can eat,” Lin Zhi replied.
In her previous life, Lin Zhi hadn’t known many mushrooms besides shiitake and the golden needle mushrooms sold in supermarkets.
Now she could identify them thanks to the original owner’s detailed notes, which allowed her to distinguish edible from inedible mushrooms.
The twins immediately perked up. They had gone hungry before and sneaked into the mountain, where there were plenty of edible things.
“I want to eat shepherd’s purse buns!” He Ze shouted.
Lin Zhi didn’t know if shepherd’s purse was in season or how to make buns, so she quickly squashed the idea.
“Eat whatever we can find. You’re not the boss here.”
“Oh!” He Ze hung his head but quickly lifted it. “Can we at least have dumplings with shepherd’s purse?”
Lin Zhi put him down and rolled her eyes. “Don’t even think about it. When have I ever made dumplings?”
The original owner had made them before, but after marrying, she never did again. The Ga family assumed she didn’t know how.
“You don’t know how?” He Ze was surprised. “You’re so big and don’t know?”
“Who says being grown-up means you must know?” Lin Zhi tapped his forehead. “I don’t know. If you want dumplings, make them yourself.”
He Ze had made them before, but his small hands didn’t make good dumplings. Still, he was craving them after a long time.
“I can make them. Will you knead the dough for me?”
Lin Zhi walked on, nodding, barely paying attention. In her mind, what could a child that age really do? They even struggled with wiping themselves.
“Then it’s settled. When we get home, you knead the dough. Tonight we’ll eat dumplings.”
Lin Zhi nodded at first, then froze. When had she agreed to that?
She glanced at the two little heads huddled together whispering. Lin Zhi gritted her teeth. Fine—if they think it’s settled, it’s settled. At worst, she’d waste a little flour.
For someone familiar with the mountains, there were treasures, but for a first-timer like Lin Zhi, the forest was just trees and grass.
Even though she remembered which mushrooms and wild vegetables were edible, she couldn’t find a single one. Not a mushroom, not a vegetable.
Fortunately, the twins weren’t as useless. They managed to find a few pine mushrooms and a large handful of purslane.
Purslane could be eaten cold, and pine mushrooms could be stir-fried. Tonight’s meal was saved.
Unable to find any more mushrooms or vegetables, Lin Zhi focused on catching a wild chicken. She dreamed of having chicken with mushrooms for dinner.
But the heroine’s luck wasn’t for everyone. By the time they descended, Lin Zhi hadn’t even seen a single feather.
Fortunately, the twins had done well. They had gathered half a basket of vegetables and a large pile of wild greens. Without their help, Lin Zhi would have looked ridiculous returning with an empty basket.