"My beautiful Elder sister, what are you doing?" Little Cree looked at me with curiosity.
I scooped the slightly softened lard from the tiger's meat and mixed it with some wood ash. Then, I asked my twin to pound the soapwort flower to extract its juice, while everyone watched me work.
"This is called soap. It can be used for bathing or washing," I explained, dividing the mixture into two portions. I asked Cree to grind some mint leaves to add to one portion, along with lemon zest and juice.
" But most importantly, it will make us rich!" I exclaimed. I had originally planned to add lavender to the other portion, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any.
" I don't know what to add to the other one to give it a sweet smell for the ladies to use," I pondered aloud.
" Hmm. Did you see any sweet-smelling flowers anywhere in this village? I really need them," I asked.
" I only saw wildflowers in the nearby forest. I didn't even come across a normal sunflower, so I don't think they have what you're looking for," Older brother replied.
" I know where to find some!" Cree immediately took off. He often talked with Big Brother Zhong, so he was more knowledgeable about things in the village.
The three of us followed him, leaving Uncle Jiang behind to continue stirring the soap mixture so it wouldn't cool off and set.
Since Cree had heard a few minutes ago, we didn't know where he had run off to.
" We should separate and find him," I suggested. They both nodded and went their separate ways. Older brother headed towards the mountain, Seeley ran off to the small river in the valley, and I made my way to the village square.
Soon, I spotted Cree's silhouette, but I also saw a teenage girl pushing him down. I rushed over and supported my little brother.
" Hey! You brat! How dare you pick my flowers!" she shouted like a shrew.
Making sure Cree wasn't injured, I gently patted some dirt off his robe.
" Are you his sister? It's great that you're here. Now you can see what that 'rat' did to my flowers," she said, pointing at Cree. He had picked some ordinary yellow daisies, which were nice but certainly not worth hurting a child over.
I turned my back to her and helped Cree walk away, but she tried to grab my hand.
" Aren't you going to apologize? Huh! You little we—" She was shocked when she got a clear view of my face, and jealousy quickly filled her eyes.
" Don't you dare touch me," I gave her a cold stare, and I could sense her fear as she took a step back.
" I didn't account for you hurting my younger brother, as he was somewhat at fault for picking the flowers without your permission. I'll just pretend I didn't see that, so consider yourselves even. But don't you dare take advantage of my kindness," I declared firmly, and we walked away, leaving her behind. I still held the silent Little Cree as we made our way home.
" Sister," he softly tugged at my arm. " I'm sorry," He looked down and whimpered silently.
" Do you know what your mistake was?"
" I'm sorry for causing you harm. Are you mad at me?" he asked.
" You little fool!" I lightly poked his forehead and giggled.
" I'm mad, not because you picked some flowers, but because you let her hurt you. If you let anyone hurt you, then what's the point of practicing martial arts?"
" Eh? You're not mad at me for causing trouble?" Little Cree blinked his cute little eyes and looked up at me.
" Of course not. Why would I be mad at you? As your beautiful Elder sister, I'll support anything you do and even shoulder the sky for you," I knelt down to his level.
" What if I cause you a lot of trouble? Or do bad things, will you still support me?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
" Then so be it. I'll clean up all your messes. But honestly, I doubt you would do bad things or be an irresponsible kid. How can my younger brother be bad? HAHAHA! I'm so beautiful and amazing, so my brother would also be handsome and great too," I chuckled and playfully kissed his cheeks.
" Elder sister, you're right. How can I be bad when I'm your most loved and favorite younger brother?" he nodded and mumbled. Pfft! He's so cute.
" Hao! No matter what you want in the future, your pretty Elder sister will support you!" I vowed and pulled him inside.
Older brother and Seeley came back, one after another.
" Bal, is this flower okay? I saw that it was quite beautiful and it smelled good, so I brought some home." I saw a freesia flower in his hand. It released a pleasant smell, and if I added it to the soap, it would give a lovely shade of light purple that is pleasing to the eye.
After finishing the soap mixture, I asked Little Cree to borrow two rice molders from Uncle He's house. I planned to shape the scented soap into flowers, while the other one would be round. It would take at least a week or two for the soap to take form.
I started feeding Little White with rice water since I didn't have any milk to sustain it. Little Bai nestled against my bosom, seeking warmth. With winter approaching, the wilderness grew chilly, especially at night.
" Uncle Jiang, can you check if we can borrow Uncle He's ox cart to go to the town? We need winter clothes and some new quilts. I also need a mother goat to feed milk to this little guy," I patted Little White's head and played with its fur.
We were always together; when I slept, it slept on top of me. And those viper's eggs, I named them 'One and Two.' I had a feeling they would hatch soon.