One More Step

They turned around and saw the old man and his family rushing over. ''Little demo...I mean girls I came to thank you for what you have done for our family.'''

He got two pairs of eyes blinking at him innocently and his heart jumped. His sun chuckled slightly and pushed him with the elbow. He coughed to hide his grumbling.

Anna looked at Kyra's lips that twitched slightly. ''Grandpa, we didn't do anything. We stood there, bought the food, ate the food. That's it.''

''Right... '' He couldn't be fooled like other people. These two girls actually played in front of his old eyes like innocent sheep, but are actually hiding wolves. But he likes it.

''Next time you come, you can get three dumplings for the same price.'' He offered and turned around as he felt shy.

''Uhm, grandpa, uncle can we ask you something.'' Kyra just remembered something.

''Yes speak.'' His son was the first to ask.

''We just went to the vegetable market and saw the prices of the greens. Is that reason why you don't have any fresh greens inside your dumplings?'' the dumplings are indeed amazing, but if he made some with added greens It would taste even better.

The old man turned around and nodded. ''Indeed. We have usually three kinds of dumplings. Meat, mushroom and green stuffing with tofu. But we have no time to gather mushrooms, the greens are overpriced so all we can sell at the moment are those with meat.''

He saw on Kyra's face that some idea bloomed in that small head and had to admit he was quite interested in what could it be.

''Actually, uncle Chen comes to the town every day. We could send you some wild greens so you can try them out. If you like the taste we can talk about prices. Is that fine with you. And about mushrooms, we will go gather them some after the first rain.''

The family stared at the little child that pouted as she spoke.

''Fine. Send us those greens you spoke of and we will try to see how it sells.'' Soon will be Budda's prayers, so many will want to eat something without meat.

Kyra nodded and added one more thing. ''The greens we prepared last night and could be easily eaten as salad with some salt, vinegar and oil. We cooked them in the water last night and realized that they taste strong like spinach. So I hope you will be able to use them. You can pay us the percentage of the sale. We don't need you to pay us in advance. Is that fine?''

His family agreed so he couldn't say anything, even if he felt that it is too bad to deal with the girls.

They bowed to each other and was about to leave Anna remembered one more thing. ''Kyra those wild pods we at and the white from leaves could be used in vegetarian dishes as well.''

Kyra held her head and smiled at Anna. ''Oh right. We will send you some of that as well. But those two plants are just seasonal so you can use it only now in spring.''

They agreed with the girls and left.

The girls sat on the carriage comfortably and went back home. When they were close to their home they could see a bunch of people working hard to clear the lands near their home.

They started from the wet place where the cattail was and was halfway trough up. When they finish they might get one more huge field half of the size of the one they had given Chief Jafar for rent.

Big indeed, but not too big for them.

Kyra had one more idea after today's talk with those women on the vegetable market.

The got off the carriage and picked up lighter stuff to help Chen. But he felt a headache rise as he saw the two girls helping him.

"I said I will help you.'' But girls took some lighter stuff inside the house and let him carry the heavier in.

" Uncle Chen, could you stay for a moment here, we would like to ask you for a favor. " Anna somehow knew that they need to talk to him.

He brought everything in and looked in now cramped space. "Do you have a pantry, of storehouse?"

"We have one smaller room on the end that we will change into the pantry. We will ask Osman and his brothers to make us some simple cabinets so we can leave the food inside."

Anna was explaining while looking at Kyra that already lit the fire and cooking water.

Chen just sat there and thought of something. "Let me see the room. I might have an idea." Anna took him to the room and as he looked in he realized why the girls choose this one.

It had just a tiny window. The bed inside was just a simple crude bed made of few planks and some beddings.

But after he takes those planks the room will have more space for big pots and grain bags and the other can contain cabinets. They could be even made out the few planks from the bed.

"I can finish this fast. It is a simple task. " He looked at Anna and then seeing her undecided expression he went to the kitchen. " Do you want me to turn a small room into pantry.?" He asked straightforward Kyra.

She was cutting some onions at that moment. Even without turning her head around she was straight as well. "How much?"

"10 bronze coins and meal. I'm famished and it smells good." He really was famished as he had no time to buy food.

"Deal." She looked at him with a smile and nodded. "But uncle Chen, we have nothing of those things that are needed to make something. How will you do it?"

"Things like bail and hammer are already needed in the carriage so I have them. Don't worry." He wouldn't offer he didn't already have such stuff on hand.

"Good. Then we will let you do that." Said Kyra and turned to start preparing other vegetables. She planned just simple vegetable porridge today. Adding a few dumplings she planned to warm up, the meal should be quite tasty.

Uncle Chen was quite fast actually. He took out the bed and Anna quickly cleaned the room before he put the cabinets in. She washed the floor and he started taking everything big out the kitchen into the pantry.

One side of the room was neatly stacked bags with all kinds of produce and other side had empty cabinets. Kyra and Anna had plans to make more cabinets for their winter supply, so Chen promised to come the next day and bring some more planks.

While Anna and Chen were almost done, Kyra prepared the table and went to call them. But when she went out she realized that they were done as they just started washing their hands.

"Food is ready. Let's eat." She joined hand washing and realized something. No soap, maybe she could buy it next time in the city.

Chen went into the kitchen and sat on the table comfortably. The girls sat down next to him comfortably as well and just started eating.

The piping veggie porridge was just what they needed to pat their stomachs. Kyra saw Chen just eating without reserve and smiled lightly.

He is not a simple person at all. But better have him under her eye to see what they have planned. If he has some funny stuff in his mind, he can forget that.

Chen could feel coldness washing over his back for an unknown reason and he sighed. These girls seem to feel something, but he is here because... Never mind, he shall hang around until he got other orders.

"Uncle Chen, we realized today how cheap you drove us and we wanna thank you. One day when we earn more money we will pay you more. We promise. We need to ask you if you could bring the greens to those people in the morning so that we don't have to go. There is much to do now and we can't be going." Kyra was as usual on point.

He nodded. "Don't worry about the price. I made this price only as the reason as I go anyway to the barracks every day. It is not hard for me to bring a few more people and earn a few coins."

He was from one if rare tribes tat were almost extinct and by chance bought a house in the village. But he didn't have time to spare for gardening so he never bought land. As he lived alone it would be just a headache.

But seeing these two children trying to survive made himself feel like a fool. He will need to ask Chief Jafar if there is a plot of land on sale. He can just pay someone to handle it when he needs it. Maybe buying a servant wouldn't be a bad idea?

While he was in deep thought he heard Anna's question and blushed. "Uncle Chen, you seem still young are you married?"

He shook his head. "No. I was a soldier and had no time, later I was wounded and now I just do some basic stuff for the army."

"Oh. That means you are somehow still working for the state. You seem smart as well. Maybe marrying now wouldn't be that bad." Kyra had to poke a bit further.

"Who would marry a small soldier and live of meager payment?" He smiled.

"Those that only seek rich man and look on down on poor you should avoid anyway. You need a real wife and not a doll at home. I know this place is where men can have multiple women. But isn't that bothersome? To have fought every day in the household instead of a happy family. I don't understand but it is not my job to jab into that matter." Kyra felt despise toward men that can't control their feelings.

Chen shook as he wanted to suppress his laughter. This girl is so open with her despise towards men with multiple wives. "You do realize that Chief Jafar has multiple wives as well."

"His life. Not mine. I just say I hope in future never to be involved with a man that can't control himself. If his heart is so weak that he can't make a steadfast choice, then better not have him in my life." She just shrugged it off.

He was a bit taken aback. Man, that can't control himself and indulge in multiple wives was never a consideration in his mind.

If you gave one wife that gives you children and then concentrates the rest of energy in life itself. His mind started striding off as he ate delicious food.

Kyra fave him 30 bronze coins. Ten for work now and then rest for tomorrow's task.

"I will come straight here and take the stuff you want to send." Knowing these two girls, they would drag that stuff alone all way to the Chief Jafar's home.

Of course, she accepted and walked outside with him. They quickly washed dishes and took their bags and some woven baskets in their hands.

As they walked out they saw a group of people taking a short break. "Uncle Osman."

He stood up and greeted them with a bow. "Kyra, Anna these are my brothers. This is Kareem, Mustafa, Amir and Safet."

Kyra and Anna bowed politely to a group of burly men. "Uncles."

All five brothers looked the same. The burly build, hard chiseled structure, dark eyes and black beard were there. But the kindness in their eyes and politeness in their expression was something people couldn't deny.

What they saw were two tiny girls that had been polite to them and had no refusals towards their appearance.

Looking frail the girls still stood ramrod straight in front of them as they explained what they needed. It was actually not much.

A chicken coop, pigpen, rabbit house and something they didn't understand- the much higher and thicker wall towards their house.

Kyra looked at the trees and remembered something. "Uhm, uncle Osman, how much would it cost if you could cut those trees and make more land for me?"

He looked at the trees and then at the girls and shrugged. "Let's see how fast we can finish this part of the land. If we finish it on time we will cut inside the forest same size. It will take us probably the same amount of time as this. So the same price. What do you want to do with trees afterward? Wanna sell some?"

Kyra sighed. "If you know about the quality of trees you can help me sell it and we can share profit half-half. I would need some of these trees for winter months. I am sure you know what wood I can use for fire. We still need to learn more."

Osman looked at Kareem he smiled. He started explaining to his brothers in their own language and it was interesting for girls to just see their expressions. On the end, they came to the same idea, as it seems.

Osman turned his eyes towards girls. "We will check prices and see how much is the wood. Kareem will soon need to make a new house on the other end of the village and will need anyway some material. So we will not make you pay anything and just give you an extra share of the money. And wood for winter we will choose and cut it for you so you can use it."

Anna saw Kyra's eyes becoming warmer. "In that case, we hope to be invited when the time comes."

Kareem smiled bashfully at girls and stood up to dig out grass with new energy. His brothers seem to be joking with him even more as he became red in the face and started throwing bushes of grass and dirt at them.

Laughter was heard as the girls entered the forest following the trail of the small stream. It was already afternoon and they rushed to cut as much as they could of the greens.

Kyra's idea was to put a wet towel under greens and one on top of it. Like that the freshness of the plants could be preserved.

Nearby they found as well some of the fern buds and put them into their bags. Then they rushed to check their traps and by luck, there was in one of trap one of the wild chicken's and in three more there were some rabbits.

They had to hurry back home so they just felt the rabbits alive but bound them into dumplings.

When they went out the woods the sun was already starting to fall but was not out yet. The brothers were packing their stuff and were about yo leave as they saw two girls coming out woods with full hands.

When they were younger they would set traps as well but never hunted that many before. So they were curious.

Kyra smiled at them. "Its nothing big actually. I had some bread left and its something not often seen in the forest. Actually I was more after wild chickens, I wouldn't have thought that rabbits would come as well."

Of course. The bread was actually precious. Who would take such a thing and just throw it to the ground for animals to eat? These two girls are truly...

They went home while talking about their methods. As they had many mouths to feed at home, they couldn't afford to be that wasteful.

Girls left the baskets with greens and the dumpling bonded animals there and quickly light fire like last time before rushing to the cattails. They cut quite a lot of it and just bound them. When they came home they used same idea. Put the wet towel around them to keep them fresh until morning.

They then looked at animals and sighed. They released the rabbits but put them into small cages that the brothers quickly made and gave them some grass to eat.

On the other side the water was hot so they killed the chicken, cleaned it and used rest to make some wonderful chicken potato meal.

Kyra was cooking this time and Anna watched. Seeing Kyra skillfully cutting pieces of chicken and frying them with some onion. The smell was so enchanting that she was just staring at the food and gulping loudly.

Kyra scooped the chicken and onion that was cut in large pieces and fried some potatoes.

She used the other pot to cook some of the chicken bone broth with carrots and chicken skin for the next day.

They ate some for dinner and left for the next day the rest of it. After all, they ate a hearty meal with Chen so they were not famished like the day before.

"Kyra, what shall we do with rabbits?" Anna sleepily snuggled near Kyra.

Kyra yawned and stretched. "We will ask them to make first the big rabbit house. If we can gather more rabbits we won't be worried about fresh meat later on. We need to buy chickens and a pig now. We can put a pig in the forest and just make pig pens there. No wild animals can attack him and the pig will be healthier that way. He won't be on too much sun and will eat fresh grass, bugs, worms. We will add to his food as well so he won't be too hungry."

Anna wrinkled her nose. "If he eats bugs and diet won't his meat taste funny?"

Kyra patted her head. "Pigs are healthier that way actually. If they eat acorns, some wild grasses and dig earth the power of natural forces will enter his body and will give us healthy meat. After all, you can cook some more to feed him additionally."

Anna smiled as she slowly drifted into the dreamland.

But Kyra slowly went out of the bed and slowly opened the door. She sat down on the porch looking at the shiny fool moon and sighed. "Who am I actually?"

The moon just quietly stretched his cold light and c.a.r.e.s.sed her face while two pairs of eyes stared at her as she quietly sobbed...