It was so hard to feed another mouth in the winter times. Plus he ate a lot of sweet potatoes. Before I could eat a whole one every meal, and now all we got was half of it. He would eat two whole sweet potatoes every meal without a hint of hesitation. He ate like a king, and did not care whether anyone else had food in their bowl.

I picked up the dirty clothes and put them back in the broken basket, then started to boil a pot of water. After washing all the laundry (of course including that jerk’s clothes), I hung them on the line to dry under the sun.

This basket was pretty much ruined. I found some thin ropes and tied the broken parts together, so it could be used for a bit more time. My head was still steamed with heat, and I took a deep breath before going back to the hut.

That dude was just sitting next to the window and was in deep thoughts again. He was always thinking, as if there was the only thing he could do in his life. What a lazy pig!

I couldn’t take it anymore!

I stomped over like an elephant, and jumped to grab his ears and pulled it toward the door!

Yes, that was not a typo, I did have to jump because it was either I was way too short or he was way too tall. Fine……..I admitted I was never a tall girl in the first place.

“Oh, LiNa, don’t get too heavy handed!” Grandma Sha laughed a little.

“I sure will not!” I grinded with my teeth.

His face was red because that spoiled dude probably never got pulled by the ears before. Even being “humiliated,” he was just so determined to not say a word like Let Go or something.

I pulled him out of the hut, and stopped right in front of the little pile of woods outside.

“So let’s be fair, okay! If you want to stay here, then you do work. We can only make it through winter if everyone contributes and works together like a team. Go out there and gather some firewood and see if they can be sold in the market to exchange for some food.”

I sounded super cold, and had no mercy over this guy, for him had literally done nothing at all to the household. I didn’t want to babysit that dude any longer.

He stared at me with contempt.

Oh dear, how I quickly loaded up all the temper inside. That dude really knew how to make me explode like a bomb!

“If you don’t want to be a good team player, then you shouldn’t stay here. Now you are all better, you are free to leave any time. No one is going to stop you!”

He looked toward the skyline, and seemed to be thinking about something. For I had no interest in what he was thinking, I turned around to grab more ropes and headed into the woods.

I wanted to join Grandpa Jin, so he wouldn’t have to do all the work. In the olden days, everything was so easy, just turning on the electric range would cook all the food you need. Now we have to chop our own firewood, and even use them to exchange for food.

Grandpa Jin looked old, with all that white beard, but never underestimated his strength. The firewood was no more than some crispy raw carrots under his hatchet. I was always stunned by how easy it seemed, but when I actually tried to chop one myself, I could barely lift that hatchet up.

Yeah, humans were super weak compared to the demons.

After chopping some firewood, we bundled them up neatly and carried them to the market. Unfortunately we only got three pounds of sweet potatoes. Although it was simple for Grandpa Jin to chop the wood, it was a lot of hard work to carry them to the market a few miles away.

We used a gallon of sweat to exchange for just three pounds of sweet potatoes? Okay, that was an exaggeration on the amount of sweat, but it wasn’t an easy task, and that was my point.

My human life was just too comfortable, never had I needed to worry about food. Now all was on my mind was not to starve to death.

When we reached home, there was no sign of that dude.

“Where is the young man?” Grandpa Jin asked.

“Not sure, but I have not seen him the whole afternoon.” Grandma Sha replied, while scooping some sweet potato soup for us.

I put the three pounds of food aside, and took off the tattered cloak, and hung it on a wooden coat rack. I was trying so hard to avoid eye contact, so they wouldn’t find out that it was my words that had driven him away.

“LiNa, where are you going?” Grandma Sha smiled.

I stopped in front of the door, awkwardly turned back and grinned like an idiot, “hehe, I am not hungry yet, you guys eat first!”

Grandpa Jin chuckled, “Our girl is always the first one to ask when is dinner time, now is not hungry? The sun must have come out from the west today!”

“Grandpa Jin, Grandma Sha, I am sorry. I didn’t know he was so thin-skinned, and wouldn't accept any discipline at all. I said a few harsh words, and he must have gotten mad and left. If I know that he is stubborn like a cow, I wouldn’t even bother him.”

Grandma Sha glanced at Grandpa Jin, “Stubborn old man, now we have someone more stubborn than you, do you feel relieve?”

Grandpa Jin laughed, and then looked at me, “It’s probably not due to your words. He has a destination in mind, no one can stop him. He’s determined to go, so we can only wish him luck.”

I was relieved, for the old couple didn’t let me take the blame for this.

Yes!

I finally didn’t have to babysit that dude, and to wash all his dirty clothes or look at that icy cold face anymore. I would be free as a bird, and lived in the Land of Ruins and enjoyed my daily sweet potatoes and bonfires and a peace of mind.

Still………

Was he going to survive the Land of Ruins?

He didn’t bring any food when left. What if he encountered a Spotty Boar and died in the middle of the road? No one would be there to even bury his body, and the dead corpse would either go rotted or eaten by some wild beasts.

Oh, LiNa, none of these were your business!

I didn’t owe him a single penny or the slightest gratitude! Why should I worry about him at all?

I shook my head and dug into the sweet potato soup.

******************

The golden sun shone above the land, its rays brought in a breath of spring air, and endless warmth.

The white land started to melt away slowly. Greenery sprouted from the wet soil and rose up toward the sun. Countless buds appeared on bare branches, adding a sense of livelihood and a new start in life.

Soon the land was covered with a field of inedible grass and fresh red berries. The air was cool, and occasionally there were chirpings and clicking sounds from some unknown bugs.

What a beautiful spring day!

I couldn’t help but do a wide stretch, and took a deep breath to enjoy the refreshing air!

It just rained, so the air was extremely pure and relaxing.

We had all made it to spring time. This past winter was harsh, but I was still very grateful we survived through it. Now it was spring, the land had completely woken up from the freezing cold and became greener than ever. There might even be a chance to grow some other crops, if there were seeds available. I didn’t have a farmer’s soul, but in order to get to eat other staples I sure would give my best try.

We should maximize our production this summer!

After making that huge stretch, I noticed my skin was a lot more “yellow” than before. Oh, all those sweet potatoes literally turned me into the same color, I sure would become a potato one day.

That was just a joke, because I was simply getting more tanned due to all the outdoor activities.

“LiNa, do you have a moment to bring lunch to that old man?” Grandma Sha was packing some sweet potatoes and water in a piece of worn out cloth.

“My pleasure!”