SC1 3.1 – Good Breakfast

While putting their best effort, Yunno and Yui followed me. Climbing South Ridges was not easy even when they already had their breakfast, but now they did it when their stomach was empty. Not to mention, they also had to carry their morning workload as usual.

Their breath became heavier with each step, but I didn’t give them time to rest. After reaching the peak we immediately descended to the hut. Only when we entered the yard of the hut I calmly said, “Let’s rest and eat our breakfast.”

“Yeah.”

Yunno replied after catching her breath, while Yui weakly nodded. Then, I helped them to wash their hands and face using water in the water jar. I still hadn’t built bath hut, so we could only use a corner in the yard when we wanted to wash our self.

After that, I asked Yunno and Yui to sit on the dry ground next to the hut, while I took bowls, pickled-bamboo shoot, and six boiled pigeon eggs from the hut.

As I put the boiled eggs and pickled-bamboo shoot in front of them, Yunno and Yui looked at me with big question mark.

After swallowing her saliva Yui asked me, “Big Bro Sanno, can we really eat the eggs and the pickled?”

“We can,” I happily replied. “Warrior Deitoro provide it for us because we help him, but of course we have to eat it moderately.”

““Okay,”” Yunno and Yui replied happily.

“Now help me peel the egg’s shell.”

After nodding at the same time, Yunno and Yui took one egg each and peeled it. It was only peeling egg’s shell, but Yunno and Yui did it with brimming face. Well, even for me who ate boiled egg regularly when I was a toddler, peeling egg’s shell could made me very happy. There was also a time when I cried because I woke up late and my mother had already peeled the boiled egg for my breakfast.

Therefore, I could understand why Yunno and Yui were so happy about it. Not to mention, the last time they peeling boiled eggs was when their mother still alive. The two helped her preparing breakfast and they also had big smiles in their face like right now.

And so, even if I had finished dividing the bean curd into three bowls and topping it with pickled bamboo shoot, I didn’t help Yunno and Yui peeled the remaining eggs. I just calmly waited for them to finish the job.

Then, a moment later we started our breakfast. It was our usual damnable bean curd, but the pickled bamboo shoot had neutralized its unpleasant smell and even enhanced its flavor. Whoever made it, I believed he or she must be a pickle master.

The ingredient was only bamboo shot in matchstick cuts, ginger, green chili, salted fish flake, sugar, and black vinegar. However, the taste was so good, the smell was fragrant, and it went very well with boiled eggs.

Stolen story; please report.

Yunno and Yui also ate their breakfast heartily. Even if Yuko filled the food container to the brim and I even added my share from yesterday breakfast, they could wolf down the big amount of bean curd with ease. When they realized I was looking at them, they instantly smiled and it was big and bright smile.

“The pickled-bamboo shoot is very good, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” The usually quiet Yui happily replied.

And Yunno added, “It’s very delicious.”

“Do you want some more?”

“Can we really have another serving?”

“You can.”

Wasting no time, I put another serving of pickled bamboo shoot into Yunno and Yui plate, and they heartily enjoyed it. However, other than a sense of happiness, their smile also made me sighed inwardly.

A small jar of pickled-bamboo shoot was only 3 monn and a family of four could use it as side dish for 5-6 times, but Tadaoka Household couldn’t enjoy it. The Damnable Kazuyori refused to buy ready to eat pickled vegetable. She even refused buying vinegar and spices so my sister-in-laws could make our own pickled and ease our daily diet.

Well, I couldn’t change the Damnable Kazuyori’s unreasonable way of thinking, but I definitely refused to live under it. I would ensure, me, Yunno, and Yui had our share of happiness to the fullest.

Once we finished our breakfast I said, “Now, you have to take a bath before doing breathing exercise.” As Yunno and Yui gave me big question gaze I continued, “Warrior Deitoro has set a rule. To help him with his work, you two have to take a bath two times a day, and eat three times a day.”

“Take a bath two times a day and eat three times a day?” Yunno curiously asked.

“Yes, breakfast, dinner, and snack at noon, along with morning and afternoon bath.”

“Okay,” Yunno firmly nodded after looking at bundle in my bag. “Do we take a bath in the closest creek?”

“No, you two just take a bath here using the remaining water in the jar.”

“Big Bro Sanno, if we use the remaining water in the jar, we will have to use it all.”

“No worry, I will refill it later.”

Yunno still wanted to say something, but I already got up and moved the water jar to the corner where previously we washed our hand and face. Then, I took the bundle in my back and neatly put Yunno and Yui spare clothes and towel to the fence.

A moment later, I helped the two took their clothes off and pouring water on them using wooden ladle. I also taught them how to use body soap and brushed their teeth. It made them so happy because brushing their teeth using toothbrush and toothpaste was far more comfortable compared to when they used coarse husk. The body soap also made their body felt fresher and cleaner after the bath.

Then, while Yunno and Yui carried out the breathing exercise, I did the dish, washing the clothes, hanging the laundry on the fence, refill the water jar, and then took a bath. After that, I sat in the hut, took a pencil and a few sheets of oiled paper and preparing the first study material for Yunno and Yui.

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“Aa.”

“”Aa.””

“Bb.”

““Bb.””

“Cc.”

“”Cc.””

“Dd.”

“”Dd.””

…

One by one, while pointing at the letter I wrote on the oiled paper, I pronounced it and Yunno and Yui would repeat me. Normally, it would require a few hundred repetitions before a child started to properly remember the letter they pronounced. However, Yunno and Yui had already remembered all 26 letters in alphabet system only after a dozen repetitions.

After that, I taught them how to write each letter. Their hand writing had curly tendency, but it was still easy enough to read it, and it also formed a neatly line and row. They were also able to write each letter properly after just some repetitions. Then, I gave them some example of simple sentence and ask them to write it repeatedly to polish their writing skill.

I’m not surprised that in less than two hours, Yunno and Yui had already able to write and read properly. Their learning speed was pretty similar to mine. Even though I had hide it from my parent because I worried they would thought me as a freak.

Tomorrow, I could starting teach them the basic math, and if everything went smoothly, in a few month they would have education level equal to high school kid on earth. As for today, I had to continue the lesson with physical exercise.

“Yunno, Yui, let’s stop here and tidy up your writing equipment.”

“Do we really have to stop?”

Yui asked as she gave me an expectant gaze. It seemed she was really enjoying the study session. Well, they didn’t have lot of other thing to do, and they had heard that study was very important but not many people had a chance to experience it, so they really appreciated it.

After a smile I said, “We will continue it tomorrow. There are lots of thing you have to study.”

“Really?” Yui happily asked.

“Really,” I firmly replied. “As for now, you have to help Warrior Deitoro.”

““Okay,”” Yunno and Yui happily replied.

“I have to check the snares. You just wait here. Warrior Deitoro will come soon.”

“Big Bro Sanno will check the snares alone?” Yunno warily asked, maybe because this was the first time I would leave them.

“Yes, but have no worry, I’ll be fine. You also will be fine.”

Even though wariness was still visible in their eyes, Yunno and Yui obediently nodded. After explaining Warrior Deitoro’s appearance to them, I left the hut.

*****