Chapter 12: A Basketful of Garden Plans  

“Xiaochuan, Xiaohua, I’m here!”  

“Sorry about that, my morning training took a little longer than expected, so I got delayed.”  

“Did you wait long? Did you miss Uncle Shitou?”  

With the sound of the courtyard gate opening—  

The person who stepped inside had the face of a young man, a short-cropped haircut, and was dressed in a navy uniform.  

Jiang Rou recognized him too—he was Zhou Chongshan’s guard, Song Yan.  

The moment Song Yan entered, Zhou Xiaochuan immediately stood up.  

The young boy, who usually acted mature beyond his years, for once showed his childlike side and called out crisply: “Uncle Shitou, good morning.”  

“Good, good! Good morning, Xiaochuan, Xiaohua.”  

Song Yan greeted them cheerfully, rubbing their little heads. At the same time, he noticed Jiang Rou standing nearby.  

When his gaze fell on the old military uniform she was wearing—clearly Zhou Chongshan’s—his brows raised slightly in surprise.  

But he quickly straightened his posture and respectfully greeted her: “Sister-in-law, good morning!”  

“Good morning, Song Yan.” Jiang Rou nodded lightly.  

Song Yan had come to deliver breakfast to Zhou Xiaochuan, Zhou Xiaohua, and Jiang Rou.  

It was the same silver food container as before. Breakfast was even simpler than last night’s dinner—one steamed bun, one steamed cornmeal bun, and a few strips of pickled vegetables.  

Not even a single boiled egg.  

With children eating like this every day, there was no way they were getting enough nutrition.  

At the same time, Song Yan brought a message from Zhou Chongshan.  

After breakfast, Xu Chunxiang would come to take the children, and Jiang Rou should leave their care to her.  

As for herself, she could rest at home or go out if she wished, but she must not wander too far or go near the sea, as there could be dangers at any time.  

After listening to the instructions, Jiang Rou nodded seriously.  

Clearly, Zhou Chongshan had yet to realize Xu Chunxiang’s little tricks, which was why he still trusted her to take care of the children.

The relationship between Jiang Rou and Zhou Chongshan had not yet been fully established.  

At this moment, Jiang Rou truly had neither the status nor the standing to say anything.  

However, she would not sit back and do nothing about this matter.  

Since she had made up her mind to live on this island, these two children would become her family in the future.  

Jiang Rou would not allow anyone to continue bullying the children of her family.  

She would keep a close watch on Xu Chunxiang in private, not giving her any chance to mistreat the children.  

…  

And so, after Song Yan left, Jiang Rou and the two children sat separately under the eaves, eating a simple breakfast.  

She had eaten quite a lot last night, and since she usually had a small appetite, she ate especially slowly in the morning.  

By the time Zhou Xiaohua had finished a steamed bun and a steamed cornmeal bun, Jiang Rou was still nibbling on the one in her hand.  

As she ate, Jiang Rou noticed a subtle yet persistent gaze directed at her from time to time.  

More precisely, it was fixed on the steamed cornmeal bun in her hand.  

When she turned her head, she happened to meet Zhou Xiaohua’s wide, round eyes peeking out from behind Zhou Xiaochuan.  

In her watery eyes, there was a bright, longing desire.  

The little girl licked her lips while staring at the steamed cornmeal bun, slurping softly as if she were already tasting it in her mind.  

That look instantly softened Jiang Rou’s heart.  

She wished she could just shove the bun into the little girl’s hands.  

Give it to her! Let her eat!  

Anything delicious should be given to her!  

However—  

Beside Zhou Xiaohua, there was still a little wolf cub guarding her.  

The moment Zhou Xiaochuan noticed his sister’s actions, he immediately pulled Zhou Xiaohua into his arms.  

He spoke angrily: “Xiaohua, she is a bad person! You can’t trust her! You mustn’t eat what she gives you! If she gives you food today, tomorrow she’ll beat you with a bamboo stick! Remember what Brother said—you cannot eat anything from her!”  

The moment the little girl heard the word “beat.” her small body instinctively shrank in fear.  

The light in her watery eyes disappeared instantly.  

Zhou Xiaochuan held her tightly, gently patting her back as he stuffed the steamed cornmeal bun he had saved into her hands.  

“Xiaohua, this is from Brother. You can eat it.”  

That steamed cornmeal bun was something Zhou Xiaochuan had planned to save for lunch.  

Xu Chunxiang had always given them only rice soup to drink and never allowed them to have steamed buns.  

Whenever Xiaohua couldn’t eat her fill, she would tear up, feeling pitiful and wronged.  

So Zhou Xiaochuan had deliberately set aside a portion of his already meager breakfast.  

But now, to stop Zhou Xiaohua from eating the steamed cornmeal bun in Jiang Rou’s hand, he had no choice but to give his own away first.  

Had he known this would happen, he would have only eaten half of his bun earlier.  

Anyway, skipping breakfast wouldn’t make him starve.  

Back in the countryside, he had never even had breakfast to eat.  

It was only because of his current Dad that he could have three meals a day now.  

Out of sight from Zhou Xiaohua, Zhou Xiaochuan quietly rubbed his stomach.  

Hmph, he wasn’t hungry at all.  

The little wolf cub was stubborn.  

As soon as Zhou Xiaohua received the steamed cornmeal bun, she grinned wide, revealing her tiny teeth—she looked absolutely adorable.  

But then, she blinked and looked at her brother, hesitating instead of taking a bite right away.  

Zhou Xiaochuan understood Zhou Xiaohua’s concern.  

He reassured her: “Xiaohua, go ahead and eat. Brother is full, not hungry at all.”  

Only then did the little girl’s smile return.  

She held the steamed cornmeal bun, took a bite for herself first, then lifted it to Zhou Xiaochuan’s lips, gently pressing it against them.

It was as if she were saying: “Brother, you should eat too.”  

Zhou Xiaochuan smiled, took a small bite, and then gently patted Zhou Xiaohua’s head.  

Under the sunlight, this moment of the siblings sharing the steamed cornmeal bun, taking turns with each bite, was incredibly warm and tender.  

…  

After breakfast, time passed little by little.  

However, Xu Chunxiang, who was supposed to be the nanny taking care of the children, still had not appeared.  

Jiang Rou had no idea what was going on.  

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaochuan and Zhou Xiaohua sat quietly under the eaves, basking in the sunlight while playing with wooden toys and small sandbags.  

The two children clearly didn’t care whether Xu Chunxiang showed up or not.  

Jiang Rou, on the other hand, stood in the courtyard, carefully studying the black soil beneath her feet, earnestly planning.  

In the world of her past life, urbanization and technological advancement had continued to develop, trapping most people in cities made of reinforced concrete.  

What was called a home was actually just a square-shaped cage.  

Even looking through a window, one could barely see the sky outside.  

So many people, while toiling away at their jobs, secretly yearned for a return to nature—a dream of having a spacious courtyard where they could grow flowers and vegetables, where they could face the sea and watch the flowers bloom in spring.  

Now, after time-traveling, Jiang Rou’s dream had come true.  

It was the beginning of spring, and the small island was surrounded by the vast ocean, with an endless horizon stretching out in all directions.  

She also now had a house with a wide courtyard.  

Jiang Rou walked around the courtyard, roughly measuring its length and width with her steps.  

The total area was about fifty square meters.  

The middle section served as a walkway for people to pass through.  

On both the left and right sides, she could use stones to build simple boundary lines.  

Once enclosed, those areas could be used to grow vegetables and flowers.  

In her past life, Jiang Rou had been a food blogger.  

To ensure the freshness of her ingredients, she had learned a fair amount about agriculture.  

She had basic knowledge of growing vegetables and fruits and had even experimented with balcony gardening in her studio.  

Leafy greens like bok choy, lettuce, and oilseed lettuce thrived in warm temperatures and grew quickly—within about 15 to 20 days, their tender leaves could be harvested for consumption.

In terms of ingredients, scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers all required a long growing period.  

Although they took time, these ingredients were essential for making delicious dishes, so they were a must-have.  

The easiest vegetables to grow were potatoes, tomatoes, and Chinese cabbage.  

Since the courtyard was spacious enough, a little of everything could be planted.  

The island had a hot climate with abundant sunlight, making it ideal for growing grapes.  

If a grapevine could be planted in the farthest corner and paired with a wooden trellis, then by summer, the vines would wind around the structure, spreading large green leaves.  

After a few years, there would not only be sweet grapes to eat but also leafy shade to enjoy.  

Just thinking about such a life felt incredibly pleasant.  

Jiang Rou wasted no time and took action immediately.  

She first went into the house and rummaged through the nooks and crannies until she found an old straw hat.  

The hat was extremely worn out, with a hole in the top.  

But Jiang Rou had a solution.  

She cut a piece of fabric from an old garment into a square, then folded it in half to form a triangle.  

It became a simple headscarf.  

Jiang Rou put on the headscarf first, then wore the straw hat over it, effectively shielding herself from the sun.  

Next, she spotted a hoe hanging on the wall outside the washroom.  

She took it down and tested its weight.  

It was a bit heavy, but still manageable.  

With her gear ready and tools in hand, it was time to get started.  

The first step in planting vegetables in the courtyard was to till the soil.  

Only when the soil was loose enough would it facilitate the growth of plant roots and prevent root rot.  

Once she finished tilling the land, she planned to find Song Yan to get some seeds.  

Since the military camp had an organized production plan—including both farming and pig raising—there had to be seeds available.  

Jiang Rou had already mapped out everything in her mind.  

——