A Bountiful Harvest and Shared Meals

“Are they delicious?”

Watching Phini devour three dumplings in quick succession, Angela rested her chin in her hand and asked with a soft, content smile.

“Mm, delicious!”

The combination of the savory filling and the tangy sauce was, to Phini, nothing short of perfection. That was why she devoured them with such an eager appetite.

“Eat more if they’re delicious!”

Seeing how much Phini enjoyed them, Angela showed no inclination to start eating herself, content to simply watch her guest.

“You should eat too.”

Noticing Angela hadn’t touched her food—perhaps feeling a touch of awkwardness—Phini paused, looking up to prompt her. It felt impolite for only her to be eating. Angela was not only the hostess but also the chef who had prepared the meal. While Phini had helped wrap the dough, most of the credit undoubtedly belonged to Angela.

“It’s fine, I’ll eat after you’ve had your fill, Phini!”

Angela smiled gently, seemingly unconcerned. She appeared content to wait for Phini to finish before she began.

“If I eat until I’m stuffed, there might not be any left. Are you sure?”

Perhaps it was the deliciousness of the food, but Phini, in an unusually good mood, playfully teased her. Under normal circumstances, she likely would never have uttered such a remark.

“It’s fine, there are plenty more in the kitchen, and you definitely can’t eat that many, Phini!” Angela seemed unfazed by the playful threat, knowing Phini was only joking.

“Indeed, I can’t eat that many.” Phini didn’t deny it, shrugging in silent agreement.

Without further restraint, she continued to pop the dumplings into her mouth, one after another. After swallowing her fifteenth dumpling, she slowly stopped, no longer reaching toward the plate.

“Full?” Angela curiously inquired.

“Mm, I’m full.”

Phini patted her stomach. While she wasn’t entirely stuffed, she chose not to continue. She knew the total count; there were thirty in all. If she ate more, Angela would have proportionately less. Unwilling to see her benefactor shortchanged, she stopped after fifteen.

“Really?” Angela seemed to disbelieve her.

“Really, I’m quite full.” Phini replied expressionlessly, her face betraying no sign of a lie.

“Hmm, then I’ll start eating!”

After repeatedly confirming Phini was truly done, Angela dove into the feast with gusto. Since the dumplings were still fresh from the pot, they retained a slight warmth, making this meal far more satisfying than the last time they had eaten together.

By the time Angela had cleared every last dumpling from the plate, she let out a satisfied sigh, gently patting her stomach.

“Full?” Phini echoed the question.

“Mm, completely full! They were truly delicious!”

Angela nodded, offering her own assessment. After all, they were her own recipe; it would be remiss not to give them a good review. Moreover, since Phini had helped, Angela felt compelled to give the effort full marks.

Incidentally, the dumplings Phini had wrapped were rather peculiar in shape. Angela could easily distinguish which were her own neat creations and which were Phini’s odd, lopsided attempts. Despite their appearance, the taste was identical.

“Were they really that good?” Phini found Angela’s high praise a little exaggerated. To her, the dumplings were merely ‘not bad.’

“Haven’t you heard? The fruits of one’s own labor are the sweetest! That’s why food you make yourself tastes especially good!” Seeing Phini’s skepticism, Angela crossed her arms and lectured her with the tone of a senior. She seemed intent on making Phini understand the inherent joy of effort.

“Is that so?”

“Don’t keep asking ‘is that so?’ I need to go out in a bit.” Noticing Phini’s thoughtful expression, Angela promptly interrupted her musings to reveal her plans.

“Go out? To outside the village?” Phini instinctively wondered if she meant leaving the protection of the settlement.

“No, not at all. I need to go help Aunt Cafino with some chores.” Angela explained the reason for her outing.

“Oh…”

“Oh, and Phini, if you’re free, could you hunt some wild game? We’ve already finished the last of the fox meat.” Angela bit her finger, recalling the bare larder. She made the suggestion tentatively; Phini had recovered well, and keeping her restricted felt excessive. Moreover, Phini wouldn’t be staying here indefinitely, so finding ways to practice her skills and contribute was necessary.

“Hmm, that’s certainly an option.” Phini stroked her chin, not refusing. Indeed, if she wanted meat, hunting it herself was the best approach. She didn’t want to rely on the village hunters, who weren’t necessarily generous enough to share, and she didn’t want to make Angela feel awkward by begging for food.

With that, Phini decided to go for a walk outside. She also wanted to check on the forest; with the temple in the swamp gone, there shouldn’t be any more anomalies there.

Just as she was passing the village entrance, a voice feigning familiarity called out, stopping her in her tracks.

“Good afternoon, Phini! Are you heading to the forest?”

Following the sound, Phini saw Magua smiling at her.

“Mm.” Recognizing him, she replied with an expressionless grunt.

“Hunting again?”

“Mm.”

“Then be careful.”

Phini nodded to Magua, then turned and walked directly toward the forest without looking back. They weren’t particularly close—at most, they had met a few times—but since the man greeted her warmly, it felt impolite not to respond.

“Phini-chan is really quite aloof.” Magua scratched his head in confusion, but returned to guarding the entrance.

Passing the gate and entering the forest, Phini noticed a change. Perhaps because the temple in the swamp had been destroyed, the woods now seemed to burst with renewed vitality. The chirping of insects and the calls of birds could be heard intermittently.

“Has it truly returned to normal?”

Listening to the surrounding sounds, Phini murmured thoughtfully. The forest was teeming with wild animals today. After an afternoon of hunting, her harvest was bountiful: two rabbits and a wild boar.

“That should be enough. Time to head back.”

She picked up her final trophies, then looked up at the sky. Deciding she had done enough for the day, she turned and headed back toward the village. Because she had spent so long in the forest, Magua and his team had already finished their shift by the time she arrived.

Only a closed wooden barricade remained. Climbing over the low wall was simple enough, and she returned to the village streets unnoticed. Walking down the quiet path, she soon arrived back at Angela’s house.

“I’m home!” she called out.

“Phini! You’re back quite late!” Angela’s head popped out from the kitchen, sounding relieved.

“My apologies.”

“It’s fine, but you’re back just in time!” Angela emerged from the kitchen, carrying the rest of the dumplings. It seemed she had finished cooking them just as Phini returned.

“Here. The spoils of the hunt.” Phini presented the game she had caught.

“Wow, such a big harvest today?!” Angela’s eyes lit up, and she cheered with excitement.

“Yes, the forest was quite lively today.” Phini nodded, a faint ghost of a smile touching her lips.

“This haul is enough to feed us for many meals!” Angela looked over the game, assessing it. She wondered how Phini had managed to carry the boar back, given its size!

“Let’s eat first, then deal with the game.” Processing the carcasses was important, but filling their stomachs was even more so.