The sun had just begun to rise over the quiet fields, painting the sky in soft hues of gold. Velina stood at the edge of her small vegetable garden, a straw hat shading her face from the gentle morning light.

After feeding her only cow, she had carried four buckets of water from the river behind her house, setting them neatly by the garden’s edge. Dressed in her floral blouse and denim overalls, she worked steadily, dipping a wooden ladle into the buckets and pouring water over the rows of leafy greens. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of damp soil, and the sound of water splashing against the plants. She looked up briefly, her hazel-brown eyes warm but reserved.

"Ah, I hope this harvest goes smoothly," Velina said to herself.