Around nine o’clock, the tables inside the food stall were brought outside. Unlike in the early hours of opening when only a few dishes were available, by this time the menu was more complete. There were fried tempeh and tofu, and three types of vegetable dishes as well. People who were too busy to cook would buy ready-made meals from her stall.

Before she realized it, the day had turned to noon, and quite a few customers had come to buy food. The three of them had lunch inside the stall while watching people pass by on the street. Lana planned to stay a bit longer, waiting until more food was sold.

When there were no customers, she used the time to rest and sometimes think about her future. How would she live her life? Working directly in the stall felt like a demanding job. She thought she might need to postpone her education for a while in order to save some money.

It wasn’t that her late parents hadn’t saved anything, but somehow, she felt the savings were too precious to be used now. She remembered how hard they had worked all their lives but never got to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Once again, pain struck her heart, and sadness showed clearly on her face.

“Miss, cheer up. We’re here to help you,” Audy said, trying to comfort her.

She smiled, confused as to why Audy said that. Were her emotions really that obvious? She felt uneasy for some reason. Audy and Herman were people hired by the father of the male protagonist in this novel world, though now their job was to help her.

“Of course. I must stay strong. If not, how could I possibly survive this?” she said with confidence, though it could also come across as arrogance to someone who didn’t know her. Regardless of what others might think, the words she spoke made her sadness fade and reignited a fire of determination within her.

They finally packed up once only a little food was left. Lana saved the rest for their dinner. It was already four in the afternoon, so she felt the day’s work was enough.

When she counted the day’s earnings, she was surprised to see that they had made over five hundred thousand rupiah. She furrowed her brows, finding the number surprisingly high.

“Herman, do you think it’s normal that our gross income today was over five hundred thousand?”

Herman, who had just finished washing kangkung, paused for a moment. After spending the day working together, they had started to feel more comfortable with each other.

“You sell each rice pack for twelve thousand. There were ten portions of tuna, plenty of mackerel, some chicken and eggs. Tempeh, tofu, stir-fried vegetables. Some of them were sold separately. I think that kind of income per day is quite reasonable.”

Lana was stunned by the reality in front of her. She stayed silent for a while, recounted the money again, and separated the profit from the morning’s expenses.

“Maybe living on my own effort is more than possible,” she thought. Her eyes lit up with new energy. Herman and Audy saw a girl who once looked broken, now showing potential to become someone strong.

“Tomorrow I’ll get up earlier to go to the market. Audy, please wake me up if I forget, okay? I also want to check on my father’s garden—it hasn’t been checked in a few days.”

Lana stood up and went to the storage room, grabbing a woven hat, the towel hanging around her neck, a small grass cutter, and her rubber boots. She put them on and left.

Audy, worried, got up and followed her.

“What if she’s pushing herself too hard?” she murmured in concern, half frustrated and half in disbelief.

***

Her father used to check the garden in the late afternoons. Remembering that habit gave Lana the drive to do the same. She hadn’t seen much of how her father worked, but there were certain things she remembered. Once a week, the plants were fertilized with a diluted solution and sprayed with insecticide, fungicide, and antibacterial treatments.

The garden also needed to be checked for fallen branches or loosened tree ties. Seeing the grass growing taller, Lana thought she had to cut them down. Holding a large machete in her hand, she got to work. The afternoon sun wasn’t too hot, but cutting grass manually took time, so she had to stop once it started to get dark.

She called Audy, who was pulling weeds near the chili trees, to go home. She showered as soon as she got back and laid down on her bed to rest.

Maybe because she was too tired, Lana eventually fell asleep. She woke up when Audy called her for dinner. She ate half-asleep. The spiciness of the chili sauce snapped her wide awake.

Yes. The sambal was spicy—but it tasted so good. If other people shared her taste, maybe she should add sambal to her meal packs. It would cost a bit more, but if it helped keep the customers, wouldn’t it be worth it?

“Miss, what are you doing?”

After dinner, she returned to her room. Audy knocked on the door, carrying a suspicious-looking plate of mango slices. Lana frowned at the tempting, already-cut mangoes.

But Audy’s eyes were fixed on a schoolbook and a notebook spread open on the small desk in front of Lana.

“Oh, you’re studying?” Audy’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“I just remembered there’s homework I haven’t done. Since I’ve missed school for four days, the others have probably already turned it in.”

“Do your classmates know that you’ve been absent because your parents passed away?”

“Maybe some of them do, maybe some don’t. I haven’t had the chance to tell them. But one of my teachers lives in this neighborhood.”

“Oh, then your other teachers probably already know too. If needed, I can inform your homeroom teacher.”

Lana smiled at Audy’s kindness.

“Thank you, Audy. Please let her know I’m sorry for not informing her sooner. I was hospitalized for three days right after my parents’ funeral. Then I had to take a look at the situation going forward… I might not be able to return to school anytime soon. I’ll have to postpone it for now.”

Lana had to adjust to the work at the stall and the garden, then manage her activities so that she could eventually return to school—if she could make it happen.