Chapter 49: Guests on the Island, An Island Ahead, A Large Island Ahead

The books from the New Plane contained a vast wealth of knowledge, much of which the three sisters had never encountered before.

Although most of this knowledge could not be fully understood simply by reading, it did not stop them from being interested in the content. Consequently, a new task was added to their daily routine: reading more books and studying their contents.

Bai Yu and Bai Xi did not have memories as sharp as Bai Miao’s, and they still did not recognize all the characters. However, whenever they had a spare moment, they would hold a book and read. Even if they could not remember everything, they were still pleasantly surprised by the new worlds revealed in the pages every time they looked.

At the same time, the seeds they had gradually obtained from the New Plane were planted one by one in the Forest Plane, the White Mist Plane, and the Magic Plane. However, while a specific plot of land had been cleared for vegetables in the Forest Plane, the seeds in the White Mist Plane and the Magic Plane were planted in pots.

The books called those potted plants.

“They should be ready to eat now, they’ve grown so big.”

Bai Xi squatted in front of a potted plant in the Magic Plane, looking at the round, large purple eggplant growing from the pot. After talking to herself, she asked her youngest sister beside her, “Miao Miao, do you want to eat this?”

Bai Miao did not quite trust the deep purple eggplant. “Will it taste good?”

“It should. Doesn’t the book say that eggplants are this color?” Bai Xi was a bit hungry for the taste of eggplant. “A few days ago, I saw a recipe in a book for an eggplant dish called Fish-Fragrant Eggplant¹. It said it tastes like fish. I want to see if I can make it.”

“Do we need to put fish meat in it?” Bai Miao did not look closely at the recipes. “If we want the taste of fish, we can just eat fish.”

“That’s different. There is no fish in Fish-Fragrant Eggplant. That’s exactly why I want to make it, to see if Fish-Fragrant Eggplant really tastes like fish.”

Bai Miao’s eyes lit up. “No fish meat, only the fragrance of fish.”

Bai Xi was full of enthusiasm. “Exactly, exactly.”

When Bai Yu walked over, she saw the two of them squatting in front of a pot of eggplant and chatting, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. She walked over and spoke, “If you’re going to pick it, then pick it. If you just keep squatting there staring at it, the eggplant won’t grow anymore.”

“Eldest Sister,” Bai Xi stood up. “I want to make Fish-Fragrant Eggplant.”

“Then make it. The kitchen is your domain, you can make whatever you want,” Bai Yu said as she walked toward the drying terrace not far away. “Wait for me to bring in the dried radishes. It looks like it’s going to rain here.”

After the house in the Magic Plane grew larger, they would occasionally move things that needed drying there whenever it rained on the island. Over time, they had built up a stock of dried vegetables there as well.

Once the dried radishes were gathered, they didn’t need to be taken back to the island immediately. After setting them down, the three of them returned to the island.

The seasonings required for Fish-Fragrant Eggplant were quite complex for them, but fortunately, through daily Check-ins and various trades, the kitchen was fully stocked with everything needed for the dish.

After some effort, Bai Xi actually managed to produce a dish of Fish-Fragrant Eggplant.

The fish fragrance wasn’t as strong as they had imagined, but the taste was quite good.

The three of them sat outside the kitchen, eating and chatting.

“Is it because my skill isn’t good enough? It doesn’t feel as delicious as the book described.”

“It’s already very tasty. It will get even better after you make it a few more times, and it really does have a bit of a fish scent,” Bai Yu said, always supportive of her sister’s cooking. She then looked at Bai Miao, who was buried in her food. “Look, Miao Miao loves it too.”

Bai Xi gained confidence. “Then when the remaining eggplants grow a bit bigger, I’ll make Fish-Fragrant Eggplant for you again.”

Bai Miao was eating happily but was still a bit confused. “We have fish to eat, so why do we need to smell Fish-Fragrant Eggplant?”

Bai Yu smiled and guided her. “Miao Miao has read so many books, think about whether the books have ever mentioned why?”

Bai Miao thought seriously for a long while before it dawned on her. “Many people inland don’t have fish to eat, and fish is very expensive, so they smell the scent of Fish-Fragrant Eggplant to satisfy their cravings, right?”

“Right, Miao Miao is so smart,” Bai Yu laughed and reached out to pat her head. “Because we have always lived on the water, we never lack fish to eat. But many people who don’t live by the water have no fish. For example, people living in the Forest Plane don’t have a large river nearby. Even if there is fish, it’s very scarce and the price would be very expensive, so there has to be a dish like Fish-Fragrant Eggplant.”

“But I think Fish-Fragrant Eggplant is tastier than fish,” Bai Miao said from the bottom of her heart.

Bai Xi muttered in a low voice, “I also think Fish-Fragrant Eggplant is tastier than fish.”

Bai Yu paused, feeling the same way in her heart.

However, she quickly said, “That’s only because we eat so much fish that we don’t think it’s that special. But many people inland can only eat fish once a year, so they would find it delicious.”

“Just like how we can never get chicken, so it tastes wonderful when we eat it once in a while. Is it like that?”

“It’s not just chicken; vegetables are very delicious too.”

Bai Miao raised her hand and answered loudly, “I know! The books say this is called ‘rarity makes a thing precious².’ The scarcer something is, the more valuable it becomes. We always get to eat fish, so we don’t cherish it.”

Bai Yu and Bai Xi both smiled and clapped.

“Miao Miao is so smart!”

Bai Miao held her head high and nodded proudly. “I am smart.”

After she spoke, Bai Yu and Bai Xi both burst out laughing.

Bai Miao didn’t understand why they were laughing, but she laughed along with them, and soon it turned into a chorus of happy laughter.

Just then, they heard a sound coming from the distance.

“A boat?” Bai Xi stood up quickly and immediately pulled at Bai Yu beside her. “Eldest Sister, is that a boat? And it’s a big boat.”

“Yes, it’s definitely a big boat, and there are people on it,” Bai Yu also stood up. She picked up Bai Miao, who was straining on her tiptoes to see because she was too small, and pricked up her ears to listen carefully. “They seem to be shouting something. What are they saying?”

“They’re shouting…” Bai Xi also listened intently. As the boat drew closer, the voice became clearer. She gradually made out the sounds from the boat and widened her eyes. “They’re shouting ‘There’s an island ahead, there’s a large island ahead!'”

“I heard it too,” Bai Yu said, watching the boat become increasingly distinct. “They’re shouting ‘We’ve finally seen land!'”

A year had passed since they first landed on the island. Although they had been in contact with people during this year, those were people from other planes. Most of the time, they stayed on the island, and throughout this year, no boats had approached.

The closest thing had been that crate of porcelain bowls that had floated over from who knows where.

So, when a boat actually approached, their hearts were naturally filled with excitement.

What made them even more excited was that they could understand what these people were saying, which meant these people must come from the same country as them.

Similarly, as the boat drew closer to the island, the people on board saw the situation on the island and the blurry figures. They shouted excitedly, “There are people on the island! Someone lives on the island!”

Fearing they might not understand, they even tried to call out loudly in other foreign languages.

Of course, the three sisters could not understand any of those foreign languages.

But fortunately, the boat kept moving, and soon it reached a distance where both sides could see each other clearly. They saw familiar black hair and black eyes.

Bai Yu carried Bai Xi to a high point on the shore and asked loudly, “How did you get here?”

The people on the boat were even more excited to hear a familiar language. They quickly explained, “We lost our way, and the boat is a bit damaged, making it difficult to travel. We’ve been drifting at sea for half a month. The food and water on the boat are almost gone. We want to buy some food and water, and we also want to rest on the island for a few days. Is that alright?”

“What are you doing here?” Bai Yu asked again.

“We are merchants, just returning from overseas. We have spices on board that we bought abroad. If you don’t believe us, you can come aboard and see for yourselves. Rest assured, we are legitimate businessmen and mean no harm.” The man at the bow spoke, then whispered something to the person beside him. A moment later, someone brought out a sack. When opened, it was indeed filled with spices.

Bai Yu turned to consult with Bai Xi.

“Should we let them come ashore?”

“They don’t look like bad people,” Bai Xi said, carefully observing the men on the ship. “Besides, the ship is already here. Is it even possible to turn them away? There are no other islands nearby.”

In the past year, they had traveled far enough around the vicinity to be certain there were no other large islands in the area.

These people had clearly run out of food and water. Even if the sisters refused, there was no way these men would simply sail away without landing.

Rather than a confrontation, it was better to offer them a lifeline.

Bai Yu shared Bai Xi’s perspective. Having made their decision quickly, she waved to the people on the ship. “It is difficult to dock here. Follow me over there; there is a place to moor the ship.”

The people on the ship were overjoyed and repeatedly called out their agreement.

Movement over water was slightly faster than walking along the shore. By the time Bai Yu and Bai Xi reached the spot, the ship had already docked, and men were busy securing the ropes.

As the sisters appeared, the men on the ship bowed one after another.

“Our thanks to you, young ladies, for allowing us onto the island.”

“You are welcome. We are all from the same country; it is only right to help one another,” Bai Yu said, handing over a waterskin. “There is fresh water in here. You have been drifting at sea for a long time; you must need it.”

“Thank you, thank you so much.” The man in charge thanked her repeatedly as he hurriedly took the waterskin. He then ordered the men behind him to bring out their own empty skins, transferring the water bit by bit so that everyone could have a sip of fresh water.

The waterskin did not look large, and he poured only a small amount each time, yet it was enough to quench everyone’s thirst.

That single mouthful of water allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief after they finished drinking.

Only then did the man in charge explain the ship’s situation.

To put it simply, they had originally set out as part of a fleet, but they encountered a tsunami on the return journey. Although they narrowly survived, they lost contact with the main group.

Over the past half month, they had been lost, but not entirely so. In reality, they had been constantly searching for the way back.

However, the ocean was vast, and their greatest problem was the lack of water. If they had not encountered this island, they likely would have perished at sea.

“I never expected such an island in the middle of the ocean to be inhabited, let alone by people from the same country,” the manager said, though he hesitated slightly. “You are from the Feng Kingdom, aren’t you? I mean, you aren’t… from an island settled by the previous dynasty?”

Translator’s Notes