After the wave of hugs, kisses, and excited squeals faded, Wei Lian finally stepped inside the house with her three daughters bouncing around her like energetic butterflies.
The moment she placed the heavy basket on the floor—
"Mama open! Mama open!"
"Mama show toys!"
"Mama book!"
The three girls crowded around, their tall teenage bodies bending awkwardly, their little-soul eyes shining brightly.
Wei Lian laughed softly and knelt, taking out each item one by one.
First, she pulled out three toys:
a wooden rabbit, a little spinning top, and a tiny wooden cow.
The girls gasped in delight.
Xinyu hugged the wooden cow tightly.
Qingmei spun the top with messy excitement.
Xiaotang made the rabbit hop all over the floor.
Then she brought out the books—
a picture storybook with colored drawings,
a book of characters,
and paper with charcoal pencils.
The three girls froze in awe.
To them, these books were treasures.
"Mama… story?" Xiaotang whispered softly, eyes wide.
"Yes, Mama will read after work," Wei Lian promised.
After calming their excitement, Wei Lian stood up and carried the food to the kitchen. She arranged everything carefully, knowing every grain mattered.
She placed:
• 5 kg rice
• 5 kg flour
• pork pieces
• chicken
• dried seafood
• corn seeds
in their appropriate containers.
There was a built-in wall cupboard — cool, shaded, dug slightly into the clay.
It acted like a natural fridge.
She placed the meat and seafood inside that wall almirah, layering cool stones underneath so they'd stay fresh longer.
She wiped sweat from her forehead.
Next, she took out the fifty bags of cleansing herbs she had bought.
Her past life memory floated back—
the lab where she used to work,
the equipment,
the formulations…
the scented oils and thick creamy soap.
Here, she would create a simple version.
She boiled a big pot of water on the mud stove and added handfuls of herbs.
The scent slowly rose—fresh, floral, cleansing.
In a little while, the water thickened slightly—
a jelly-like base, perfect for making simple soap.
She stirred it until the fragrance filled the air, then set it aside to cool.
The children sniffed the air, confused but pleased.
"Mama… smell good!" said Qingmei.
"Soap," Wei Lian smiled. "Later we will make it solid."
Then she turned to the cotton and cloth she bought, placing them neatly in a corner.
"Later I will sew more mattresses," she murmured.
But now—
The garden.
She stepped outside into the backyard.
The sun was warm, the air still, and the soil looked untouched and wild.
She grabbed the hoe, tightened her grip, and struck the soil.
The earth loosened slowly.
Her daughters, who had been playing nearby, immediately noticed.
They ran to her.
"Mama digging?"
"Mama doing farm?"
"Mama we help!"
Xinyu grabbed a smaller stick.
Qingmei started loosening soil with her hands.
Xiaotang followed, copying her sisters clumsily.
Wei Lian smiled proudly.
Even as toddlers inside, they wanted to help.
After loosening the soil, she told her eldest:
"Xinyu, give seeds: eggplant, cucumber, tomato, beans, potato, radish, carrot, bell pepper, chili."
Xinyu nodded seriously.
Her hand glowed faintly as seeds began appearing in her palm one by one — clean, perfect, healthy seeds.
Wei Lian arranged them in a bowl.
Together, she and her daughters planted them.
Row by row.
Line by line.
The backyard slowly turned into a future farm.
She left one small section untouched, shaped neatly into a square.
"For flowers," she whispered.
Then she asked her eldest again:
"Give Mama seeds of hibiscus, rose, and lavender."
Soft glimmers appeared — red, pink, and pale purple seeds.
She pressed them gently into the soil of the small flower patch.
Then she turned to her middle daughter.
"Qingmei… let them grow a little. Think strong, tall, healthy."
Qingmei closed her eyes, concentrating hard.
Her hands glowed faintly.
The soil trembled softly.
And then—
The flower buds pushed out of the earth.
Green stems thickened.
Leaves unfurled.
Color bloomed.
Hibiscus flowers opened like fiery red lanterns.
Roses blossomed in layers of pink.
Lavender spread a soft purple fragrance in the breeze.
The daughters gasped in amazement.
Xinyu clapped.
Qingmei squealed.
Xiaotang danced around the blooming patch.
"Mama! Pretty! Pretty!"
Wei Lian's chest warmed.
She picked them up one by one, kissed their cheeks, and whispered:
"You all did so well today."
The three girls giggled, hugging her tightly as the evening sun cast golden light over the freshly planted garden and the blooming flowers.
The backyard, once lifeless, now breathed with new hope.
Tomorrow… vegetables would begin sprouting.
In two days, they would have real harvest enough for selling.
And in a few days—
She would make her first batch of soap.
A new life had begun.