Speaking of the fish and eggs, Sienna was fuming. She felt incredibly slighted, but since she was the one who insisted on joining the farmers' meals, she had no one else to blame.

  Elena had been cold and decisive about it, too. Whenever she started the stove or boiled water, she never included Sienna. If Sienna wanted hot water or firewood, she had to replenish every stick of wood and every drop of water she used herself.

  But now, Sienna realized that this family was ten thousand times more repulsive than Elena.

  "I’m not eating with you people anymore! Give me back my rations!" Sienna snapped, refusing to endure the frustration a second longer.

  Sienna tolerated Elena because she had a long-term scheme in mind, but why should she put up with a bunch of country bumpkins? She was living in the barracks now; she could just eat with Camila and the others. They rotated chores, so she wouldn't even have to cook every day.

  The old woman’s expression shifted, but she knew she wouldn't gain anything by starting a massive brawl. After a quick mental calculation, she lifted her wrinkled eyelids. "Fine. But let’s settle the costs for this past week first. Daughter-in-law, go fetch Sienna’s rations and return them to her."

  The old woman calculated everything—right down to the cost of matches. By the time the old woman was done with her math, Sienna didn't just lose her rations—she actually ended up 180 Pesos in the hole.

  Paying the money was bad enough, but when they brought out her grain bag, Sienna’s lips began to tremble with rage. She had eaten with them for less than ten days, yet her rice bag was nearly empty!

  How is this possible? She had seen the bags when they moved to the camp; Anita and Luis still had half a bag left. Even if she were a glutton, could she really eat more than a grown man like Luis?

  "You stole my rice!" Sienna screamed.

  The old woman’s eyelids drooped as she gave her palm a dismissive slap. "Don't you go talking like that, Sienna. You ate plenty but did precious little. You never even helped start the fire, let alone pick vegetables or wash the dishes. You did absolutely nothing, and did I ever once complain about you being lazy?"

  As soon as she spoke, the whole family fixed their eyes on Sienna, staring her down like a pack of hungry wolves.

  A chill ran down Sienna’s spine. She realized she had to swallow this bitter pill. With reddened eyes, she said she was going back to get the money. When she returned and paid, she noticed the rice in her bag had dwindled even further. She bit her lip and stormed out.

  "Sienna, come back and visit when you're free! I'll whip up some oil tea for you!" the eldest daughter-in-law called out with fake sincerity.

  Sienna wanted nothing more than to smash the grain bag into the woman’s face. She would never step foot in this wolf’s den again. In this "man-eating" place, she had been bruised to the bone this time; next time, they might eat her alive without even spitting out the bones.

  Back in the yard, the old woman grumbled to her family, "That Sienna... she's from the big city but doesn't have a lick of respect for her elders. We looked after her for so long, and she didn't even say thank you."

  Sienna, who had just cleared the gate, stiffened. She took a deep breath to stop herself from going back to scream at them. But she couldn't let it slide. Her eyes darted around, and she lugged her grain bag straight to the Major’s office.

  Unfortunately, Sienna overestimated the status of the Support Corps and underestimated the solidarity of the farmers.

  It wasn't a case of murder or arson. No one had forced Sienna to join their table; it was a mutual agreement, and hadn't she been perfectly happy before? As for the board fee, it was only natural. If she thought it was too high, she should have refused from the start and gone to Major Barda to mediate. Now that the money was paid, did she really expect to get it back?

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  The rice situation was even harder to prove. Everything was cooked in one big pot; how could anyone settle that? You couldn't exactly count the grains of rice per bowl.

  Not only did Sienna fail to get justice, but she was also lectured by the officers. She returned to the barracks full of grievances. With her rations nearly gone, she’d have to find a way to trade for or buy more grain, otherwise, the other female soldiers wouldn't let her join their meals.

  But the misery didn't end there. The next day at work, Sienna overheard people whispering that she was rude and disrespectful—that she had "eaten their food and given them attitude." Hearing this, Sienna nearly cried.

  "Did you know it would end like this?" Anita asked curiously, leaning on her hoe.

  The busy season was winding down, but there was still work. Today, Anita and Elena were assigned to monitor the irrigation ditches, ensuring the water flowed freely and blocking the inlets once the fields were saturated.

  Elena shook her head. "I didn't know. But Sienna treated the farmers like fools. She tried to take advantage of them and got played instead. She only has herself to blame."

  Sienna had started with a greedy mindset—wanting to eat for free without lifting a finger. Nobody is that stupid.There were bound to be some honest and simple farmers out there, but Sienna just didn't have the luck to run into any. Relationships require sincerity. With Sienna’s personality, she might fake sweetness for a day or two, but eventually, she’d stop pretending. Who would keep sacrificing for her?

  "She reaped what she sowed," Anita agreed. After all, wasn't it better to eat with them? Sienna had been spoiled at home since childhood and refused to compromise for the sake of fitting in. Going off to eat with the farmers was her own choice; being bullied now was just the consequence of her own actions.

  Elena agreed, but she didn't have time for Sienna’s drama. As soon as work ended, she rushed back to the camp. The mung bean porridge on the stove was ready—not too thick, but not watery either. She and Lucy carried a large vat of it, along with herbal tea, over to the cabin.

  The camp had sent five soldiers to help Elena repair her mountain-front house. Besides reinforcing the wooden walls, they covered the gaps with planks and nailed them tight to ensure no one could peep inside. Next, they overhauled the roof, replacing broken tiles and sealing gaps against the rain. The broken windows and doors were all mended.

  When Elena and Lucy served each man three large bowls of porridge and tea, the volunteers felt a wave of satisfaction. They whispered among themselves, "The homeowner is a very well-mannered girl."

  After two big bowls of porridge, they worked with even more heart. They even dug a septic tank for Elena’s outdoor toilet so it wouldn't smell in the summer. A job meant for two days was finished in one.

  A tidy house, a clean little yard.

  After finishing, the five men washed their hands, finished their third bowl of porridge, and happily set off back to the barracks.

  The door to the neighboring house stood open. Roan, standing in the doorway, watched the soldiers leave and then swept his gaze over Elena’s beautiful house. His expression was heavy with a solemnity that was hard to describe.

  From now on, hunting in the mountains is going to be difficult. If these new neighbors report me, I’m finished. If I'm sentenced, who will take care of my siblings?

  But if I can't hunt, how can I earn enough to buy grain just by farming? Even if we survive, the kids won't have any meat.

  Roan couldn't think of a way to deal with the neighbors yet, so he considered hunting at night. But trekking up the mountain in total darkness meant he might not see any game—and one slip could be fatal.

  What a nightmare! Now I’m going to be under surveillance by these two women!

  Roan felt a mixture of helplessness and growing rage.