One More Step

The moment they arrived the girls just took the meat and but in big pieces. After that, they stored it in the ice room. There were two parts of the ice room, the cooling room where the temperature was constantly around 0 and the one with a huge amount of ice that had freezing abilities.

So they left some meat for the next day's meal and rest they froze.

While they did that Chen took care to bring in the other stuff they choose to buy.

After the girls were finished they rushed to the forest and gathered a bunch of greens. There was still a lot but now the quality dropped.

So they just choose the ones that looked the best, and that took more time.

Finally when the sun descended they gathered enough and went back home where Chen still waited for them.

"You can leave horses where I let them grass. Next few days I will make barn for them so when is bad weather they can be safe."

He tool the rest if money and started recounting. He got the horses for a certain amount of money he just has them what's left. Girls gave him his share of money and added for his work.

"Kyra, this spring was quite dry, the summer..." Anna was worried as there was not even one rain so far and it was almost the end of spring.

Kyra nodded in worry as well.

"Let's go to the forest in two days. With horses, many things will be different. If rain starts falling we can rush back home. And we can gather more herbs. I feel that the rain season still didn't pass. Let us have some fun before it comes. If this summer stays dry, the food prices will go up again. We should buy more food before it raises again."

Anna nodded. "We can't be sure that the wheat Chief Jafar planted will be enough. If there is a drought this year, many things might become priceless."

Kyra thought about the cellar they had. They planned to make half of it into Ice cellar. But Sassil told them to make cellar bigger so that many of the foodstuffs don't rot from moisture.

So they made cellar huge. One quarter is ice. Next to ice cellar was a huge wall and then shelves with food that needed cooler temperatures. Like oils and fats that didn't get hurt from colder environments.

Kyra asked Chen to buy big glass jars with a seal cap where she stored all the stuff. She put in pots dried greens, wheat, grains, and flowers. There are almost half of the glass jars that are empty So for them to buy more food when they come it would not be a bad idea.

Most money from the earning from the greens they sold to the restaurant went into glass jars.

After all, all the dried vegetables, grains and wheat can last longer in such containers. Adding to that the cooling effect of the underground storage, the food can last for a long time.

Now they bought the food they realized that they had enough to eat for the whole year and the storage was not even full. But they planned to dry a lot of vegetables throughout the summer so most of glass jars will be full when wintertime comes.

The house is safe, pantry full and they will have relaxing times in summer. What more should they ask for?

Now it is still not the time to work in garden and they can just find out more about their surroundings if they travel a little bit.

A couple of days later was the last time they sent the greens to the restaurant. Chen came in the evening to talk to them and make plans for the time when they were not around.

''I brought you the things you asked about. The Jiang family told me that the present as a birthday present was just given but was not used yet so they still have no idea how their idea will work. The things you asked for them to make for you are done. Why such thing?''

He couldn't understand. The girls smiled and then took him to the middle of the garden. they opened up the peace of material that has more material on. Then they unrolled it and started to tie the ends to two poles. Then they Anna slipe inside and Chen literally was stunned.

''What is that?'' He never thought of something so simple.

''It is hanging bed. In the forest, the ground is mostly moist. Nothing would stop it to pass the cloth and make us get sick. If we sleep above the ground or even higher then we will form one side be saved from getting sick and from another side we would be out of reach and could sleep comfortably.''

Chen checked their way of making knots and was stunned how easy and in the same way strong the knots were. He slowly tried to sit on the hanging bead and was stunned about velocity of the material and comfort of the hanging bed.

This kind of thing could be used in the army as well. But it was good only there where trees are or similar.

There was one more roll like that one and two bigger roles on the side. ''And this?'' He stared now curiously at the roles.

''Its the bed we will use. The evenings are still bit fresh so we will use sleeping bags. Ther are made from good material as well and filled with down feathers to keep our body temperature warm through the night.''

They had planned to have such a thing just in case they need it ever.

For their trip, they already prepared some stuff and will hold it on their back or will hang on the horse.

Chen was a bit calmer when he saw their preparations and sighed a bit. If he could come with them...

But this trip they prepared to go without him so he had to give up that idea.

After he left the girls went down to the storage and moved one of the racks on the side. What no one knew is that they dug one more small storage and left just small hold for them to crawl through into it.

Why?

Actually they found this thing by accident one night. One side of the storage hole almost reached the side of the house. One evening before they closed the hole they went down as one of the walls started strangely to crumble. So they were kind of curious.

As it seems the house had actually a big storage room itself but the door to the storage room was now under an additional third room as the original house was just one kitchen and sleeping room.

So they closed the hole and when everyone left that they they choose to open a small hole and just crawl inside the other room. Inside they had many things. Additional clothes, fur, all kind of glass jars filled with food and in one corner was another hole in wall but was even more hidden.

In that hole was a strange metallic container filled with all kinds of compartments. Inside they stored their wealth.

Every time they would seal the small hole with another layer of the earth just in case someone finds this place.

Anna went down this time while Kyra prepared their proviant for the trip. In the forest, they had no need for money so they planned to leave all of it in their hidden treasury.

Luckily Anna got used to wear boy clothes. So when she came out she just dusted a bit her clothes, pulled the wooden rack back on its place and just went out with slob of bacon and few sausages.

At that time Kyra made small loaves of bread for their way and packed some seasonings.

She packed one really small frying pan they found in one store. They can use bacon instead of oil and they wanted to hunt anyway.

Ther bags were now filled with everything they needed and as the evening sun slowly descended down they nervously went to sleep.

The next day should be the start of their adventure and they thought they wouldn't be able to sleep, but as soon their heads hit the pillows both of them were knocked out and in deep sleep.

''Should we go and follow them or should we stay here and protect their house?''

''That Chen person seems to want to keep eye on the house and it's better if he doesn't take notice of us.''

''Good anyway one of us would have had to follow them anyway...''

''True that. Finally, we will see how they survive in the forest. But all the stuff they took with them...''

''He said it's their ability to use all they can utilize. Its something they earned themself with their own skills, not given by others.''

''If their parents gave them then they couldn't have been able to use it?''

''Yes. As they earned every single coin themselves without anyone free help they can take it. After all don't you remember the bow you took the first time?''

''I bought it from the money I earned while hunting in the forest. Now I understand why they let me take that and others couldn't.''

''At that time I was so envious but later on, I realized that while we all played around you already learned your skills in surviving yourself.''

''But I have to admit your skills were even more amazing. You went to forest barehanded and came out with bunch of furs and rare plants. I heard you made your own knife from stone and killed the first animal with the trap you invented yourself. I felt proud about my bow but seeing you doing well even such big thing ... It made me feel very ashamed.''

''Fool. Why adding yourself such a hard time? If you can utilize your own idea in surviving like the girls, that is something to be blessed about. After all, I heard you killed a few bears and a tiger with that bow. Amazing...''

As the two of them spoke about their time in the forest quietly the girls had a very peaceful and relaxed night...