Chapter 23: The Double-Decked Boat, It Actually Became Two Stories

“Miao Miao, go play a bit further away. Don’t stay over there. If the firewood falls, it’ll hit you.”

Bai Miao looked up, glancing at the firewood stacked in the Rain Pavilion. She squatted and shuffled back a few steps, continuing to play with mud and stones, piling them into the shape of a house.

Bai Yu glanced at her to ensure the spot was safe, then lowered her head to ruffle the drying Flammable Grass before looking up at the sky.

A thin layer of dark clouds had gathered above, but they weren’t heavy. It didn’t look like it was going to rain.

On the other side, Bai Xi was sitting on a rock making clothes. Every time she sewed a bit, she would compare it against the finished sections. Only after confirming there were no issues would she continue sewing. She was striving to get it right the first time to avoid having to rip it all out and redo it.

“Is the thread from the Magic Plane easy to use?”

“It’s better than the thread from our side. It doesn’t break easily,” Bai Xi said, holding her needle. “Even though that place is dangerous, we still have to go, right?”

“As long as we don’t stick our necks out and cause trouble, it should be fine,” Bai Yu said as she sat not far from Bai Xi, bending over to lash together the wood and vines she had sorted earlier.

Flammable Grass needed to be dried for a long time to be completely cured, and the weather by the sea was unpredictable. Therefore, they still needed a dedicated shed where the Flammable Grass could be spread out flat so it would dry faster.

They had prepared quite a few wooden strips this time, and there was a lot of Flammable Grass that needed drying.

After sitting and lashing a portion of it together, Bai Yu walked over to the shed’s basic frame and began wrapping the pieces onto it.

“Are we still using leaves for the roof?” Bai Xi walked over to help steady the pillars at the bottom. “This shed is quite large. Leaves alone probably won’t withstand the wind and rain.”

“I was thinking about that too,” Bai Yu said, tightening a vine. “Once the basic foundation is mostly done, let’s go to the Magic Plane and see what they use for roofing over there. If the price is right, we can buy some.”

“Once we make this batch of fire starters, we can exchange them for over six hundred copper coins. That should be enough,” Bai Xi looked up. “If that stuff is cheap, do you think we could build a house on the island later?”

“Just a roof isn’t enough,” Bai Yu finished tying her section and climbed down from the rock. “The wind on the island is strong. A simple shed like this is fine for storing firewood and Flammable Grass, but if we lived in it, it would be too dangerous if a big gust blew it down and we couldn’t get out.”

Bai Xi looked at the shed in front of them: “True, the boat is better.”

The boat’s position was lower. Although the water rose occasionally, it generally wasn’t a problem. Even when the wind blew harder, the boat hardly rocked.

Furthermore, after their boat had undergone a complete major upgrade followed by two minor upgrades, the interior of the cabin was now a full circle wider than before. Not only was there more than enough room for the three of them to sleep, but there was also plenty of space left over. it was vastly different from the original cramped cabin space.

If they hadn’t watched the boat upgrade with their own eyes, they truly wouldn’t have believed this was the same vessel as before.

“Our bedding is much smaller than the floor space now,” Bai Yu spread out the mattress, but no matter how she laid it, it wouldn’t reach the edges of the boat. “I wonder if they sell cotton in the Magic Plane.”

“Speaking of cotton,” Bai Xi squatted on the deck, “the temperature by the sea seems to be higher. In previous years at this time, the weather would have already turned cold.”

Bai Yu looked up and calculated the time: “You’re right. It’s not very cold at all this year.”

Bai Xi smiled and said, “I hope it stays warm. Maybe we’ll have a mild winter this year.”

When they were inland, they drifted on the water. Aside from anything else, even if the bottom of the boat was perfectly intact, dampness always seeped up. It was even more miserable in the winter.

With the temperature being higher by the sea, this winter would be much easier to endure.

Bai Yu started laying out the cabin again. Since the original mattress wasn’t long enough, she spread out clothes along the edges.

Once everything was set, Bai Xi and Bai Miao took off their shoes and entered the cabin, placing their shoes in a corner so they wouldn’t get wet if it rained the next day.

A night of good sleep followed.

When they woke up the next morning, the three sisters were still in the cabin.

Since arriving on the island, Bai Xi and Bai Yu had been waking up later and later, almost in sync with Bai Miao. It wasn’t that they were being lazy; it was mainly because while there were things to do on the island, nothing was particularly urgent. Thus, they could peacefully enjoy a full, long sleep on the boat.

After waking up, Bai Miao habitually picked up the Shell to begin the check-in.

Today’s check-in result was another boat Upgrade Card.

“After this upgrade, will there be a complete, major change?” Bai Xi asked curiously.

“Probably. It was like that last time. After three minor upgrades, the whole boat grew a size larger,” Bai Yu picked up Bai Miao, her voice tinged with excitement. “Come on, let’s go outside and see.”

Bai Xi followed quickly behind the two of them. Reaching the bow, she habitually jumped down.

Bai Yu lifted Bai Miao up: “Go ahead, Miao Miao.”

Bai Miao pressed the Upgrade Card in her hand against the boat.

Accompanied by the familiar “Upgrading in progress” notification, a ring of white mist appeared around the hull, enveloping the entire boat.

The three of them stepped back a few paces, looking expectantly at the vessel surrounded by white mist.

After watching for a moment, Bai Xi blinked: “Eldest Sister, don’t you think the range of this white mist is a bit larger?”

“It is a bit.”

The size of the white mist was closely related to the size of the boat after the upgrade. The mist growing larger meant the boat would also grow significantly this time.

The anticipation in their eyes grew more intense.

Even though both of them had high expectations for the boat’s transformation, when the white mist finally dissipated and the boat reappeared before them, they were still stunned by the change.

They had both thought it would be like last time, simply expanding by another circle.

“It actually became two stories?!”

“There’s even a ladder!”

“A two-decked boat… if we had to buy this with money, I don’t know how many silver taels it would cost.”

“A few hundred taels?”

The two of them were incredibly excited as they looked at the double-decked boat. Even the older and more “experienced” Bai Yu was shocked by the sight.

The Rain Pavilion and the kitchen were things they had never possessed before, so their sudden appearance and upgrades only brought them joy. However, the thing that had truly accompanied them through all these years was this ordinary little boat.

Now, seeing the small boat transform into a double-decker vessel, one could only imagine their excitement and agitation.

Bai Xi was the first to scramble up the ladder. Standing on the deck, which was now significantly higher than before, she couldn’t help but spread her arms to welcome the sea breeze. “Eldest Sister, our boat has become so tall!”

“That goes without saying, anyone can see that,” Bai Yu laughed. She helped Bai Miao up the ladder and then climbed up right behind her.

It was only after she reached the top that she understood what Bai Xi meant.

Although she could see from below that the boat had grown much taller, the feeling was entirely different when standing upon it. Once she was up there, she felt like saying it too.

This boat had become so tall.

By then, Bai Xi had already run to the other side, letting out another burst of excited exclamations.

“Oh my god, Eldest Sister! There’s actually a door in our cabin! And there are windows! It’s a door and windows!”

Bai Miao ran along behind Bai Xi, mimicking her words: “It’s a door and windows!”

Bai Yu looked over, intending to say something, but when she saw the actual situation, she found herself speechless.

Previously, their boat was just a tiny vessel with a cabin sandwiched between the bow and the stern. The entrance to the cabin led directly to the front and back decks. Because of this, she had to pack away all the bedding in the cabin every morning to prevent it from being stepped on and soiled as they moved back and forth during the day.

Now, the boat had become a double-decker. The cabin sat in the middle of the second level, with walkways for people to move along on both the left and right sides. The cabin itself even had an entrance door and windows, positioned on both sides to face the walkways.

“Our mats are here,” Bai Xi said as she opened the cabin door.

Bai Yu walked over and saw the bedding inside the cabin.

“The cabin is about the same size as before,” Bai Xi took off her shoes and stepped inside, spreading her arms to measure. “It’s definitely about the same size, but for some reason, it looks much bigger than before.”

“The ceiling is higher,” Bai Yu pointed to the top of the cabin.

Bai Xi looked up. “Oh, you’re right! It seems a lot higher.”

Bai Miao also took off her shoes and went inside. The two of them began running around together inside the cabin.

Bai Yu stood at the doorway, watching them.

In truth, her Second Sister was still young. Most of the time, Bai Yu treated her as someone close to her own age, and it was only at moments like this that Bai Xi showed her childish side.

“Eldest Sister, come in!”

“You two play,” Bai Yu said with a smile. Her gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment before she looked around.

Though it was called a cabin, this space was entirely different from what they had imagined. It was more like a room on a ship, complete with a door and windows. If they were to put a bed, a table, and chairs inside, it would be no different from a normal room.

She had never seen what a normal room looked like, but this was exactly what she imagined a normal room should be.

So this was the kind of room people on land rested in.

How wonderful.

“Eldest Sister, our life is so good now.”

“Yes, it really is very good,” Bai Yu smiled. Seeing that the two had played enough, she pointed to the mats beneath their feet. “Pull these mats toward the window. From now on, we’ll sleep on that side and keep our shoes on the side near the door.”

“You got it!” Bai Xi stepped off the mats and stood by the window, bending over to pull the bedding. “Miao Miao, sit down.”

Bai Miao plopped down.

Bai Xi laughed as she pulled the mats, dragging them into the proper position.

Although the mats were still small, the way they now rested against the wall made them look like a bed.

Bai Xi looked up. “Eldest Sister, does this mean we don’t have to pack up the mats during the day anymore?”

Bai Yu nodded. “That’s right, no more.”

“Then this is our bed,” Bai Xi stood back on the mats. “It’s so strange. We’re clearly still on a boat, but I suddenly feel like this has become our home.”

Sitting on the mats, Bai Miao looked up in confusion. “Home?”

“Yes, home,” Bai Xi nodded, her expression earnest. “A home that no longer drifts.”

Bai Yu stepped into the cabin, took off her shoes, stepped onto the mats, and pulled Bai Xi into a tight embrace.

Bai Xi hugged her back, leaning against her shoulder.

Feeling the dampness on her shoulder, Bai Yu gently patted Bai Xi’s back. Soon, she felt something wrapping around her lower legs. Looking down, she saw Bai Miao with her arms spread wide, hugging both of their legs.

Bai Miao looked up, meeting Bai Yu’s eyes, and gave a wide, toothy grin. “Hehe!”