Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Love Around the Corner

Life in the village was quite relaxed and carefree.

So much so that I almost started to think of myself as an ordinary human girl.

Every day, I would fertilize the farm on time, water the plants, and feed the cows. When it was mealtime, I would help Grandma Claire, and sometimes I would go to the forest to gather some fruits, vegetables, or herbs, or assist Alya and Barry in the wheat fields.

Life in the countryside was monotonous, especially in such a remote little village. Most of the time, people had nothing to do, and they would gather in small groups to chat about trivial matters. I rarely participated in these conversations unless Alya dragged me along. Otherwise, I would choose to daydream or find a secluded place to practice my “lessons.”

Although people here lived in poverty, they did not have much pressure in their lives. They did not worry about their monthly performance, nor were they afraid of being eliminated for walking too slowly. There was no need to strive for a house or a car.

Everyone was the same, and no one looked down on anyone else.

This is what life should be like.

If life could continue like this… it didn’t seem bad at all.

A few days ago, a merchant came to the village. He was a loud-voiced man with a full beard. He and his wife would regularly travel through the surrounding towns and villages, collecting herbs from the villagers at reasonable prices and selling them in far-off big cities. His business methods were very primitive.

If I were doing this, using the uniqueness of Woodward’s Forest, I would first find a master in making wound medicine to partner with, develop my own products, and build a new brand.

Then, I would try to negotiate with nobles or lords to secure their investment for setting up shops and promoting them. At the same time, I would invest a lot of time and money into developing new technologies that could replace existing medical formulas on the market. Only then would there be a chance to expand further and avoid being quickly overshadowed.

Of course, implementing this plan would be difficult, but the chances of success were quite high.

The merchant’s motto was never to let others make money if he could make it himself. With so many opportunities available, it was unacceptable to simply sell raw materials.

But these thoughts were just something I considered when I had nothing better to do. I wouldn’t actually attempt to implement them.

I really didn’t want to get involved in that circle anymore. It was nice to quietly live as a simple village girl.

…

Time passed quietly, and soon it was harvest season.

Before dawn, I got up early and followed Alya and Barry, with Grandma Claire joining us as well. The four of us pulled a cart full of tools towards the wheat fields.

“Good morning, Grandma Claire!”

From afar, another villager family, who was also pushing a cart out, greeted Grandma Claire warmly.

“Good morning, Mr. Doug. May the Mother of Abundance bless us.”

“May the Mother of Abundance bless us. This year will surely be a bountiful harvest, ha ha!”

Grandma Claire smiled and exchanged pleasantries. I subconsciously looked over and saw that Ryan, the leader of the kids, was there too.

At the same time, Ryan spotted me and grinned widely, revealing his large yellow teeth.

I rolled my eyes at him.

Barry noticed my expression and thought that Ryan had been bullying me. He immediately shouted loudly.

“Uncle Doug, can you tell Ryan to stop bullying my sister Hill?”

“What! Ryan, why are you bullying her?” Uncle Doug seemed to have a short temper and immediately glared at Ryan.

“I’m not bullying her!” Ryan retorted, lifting his chin and shouting loudly while glaring fiercely at Barry.

Barry glared back without backing down.

The rivalry between young boys was quite amusing.

“If you’re not bullying anyone, why is Little Barry telling on you!” Uncle Doug kicked Ryan hard on the butt, “I know you! You must be teasing the girl because she’s pretty. Humph, go apologize to her.”

“Why should I! I’m not bullying her, Barry is slandering me! I won’t go!”

Uncle Doug, infuriated, kicked Ryan again.

“You brat, going to apologize is giving you a chance to talk to the girl. Look at how pathetic you are. If you like her, go after her with your own abilities, don’t embarrass me every day!”

“Alright, alright, Doug. Stop hitting Ryan, he’s still young, still young,” Grandma Claire intervened.

“He’s almost nineteen and still young? Your Barry is much more sensible…”

Upon hearing this, Barry looked at me proudly, unable to suppress his smile.

I smiled back at him, and his face turned red, his gaze somewhat evasive.

Huh. How interesting.

It didn’t take long to reach our destination.

One kilometer northeast of the village, the vast wheat fields rippled with golden waves, stretching endlessly. The sturdy stalks held plump heads of grain.

Claire’s family’s land was closest to the village entrance, covering about three to four mu.

“Little Hill, do you know how to harvest wheat?”

With tools in hand, Grandma Claire smiled and asked me as we entered the field.

“No.”

I shook my head in response.

“Come, Grandma will teach you.” Grandma Claire bent down, picked up a sickle, and demonstrated, “This tool is called a sickle. First, use it to hook the stalks. Then, take small steps, steady yourself, bend down, grab with your left hand, and sweep with your right…”

The wheat was placed aside, don’t mess it up. Do you see clearly? You come and try first.”

Grandma picked up another short sickle and handed it to me. I clumsily tried to mimic her, but couldn’t grasp the technique for a long time.

“……No, be careful, the sickle should be held at an angle, apply force quickly, and make sure your hand is steady when cutting.”

I followed Grandma’s instructions, grabbed a handful of wheat with my left hand, and forcefully swept with my right hand… The force was a bit too much, nearly grazing my calf, causing me to break out in a cold sweat.

“Be careful, my little treasure… This is very dangerous, you silly thing. Come, let me show you how to do it…” Grandma walked over and taught me step by step, “stand firmly, bend down, grab with your left hand, sweep with your right hand… That’s right.”

Aria and Barry had already cut a large swath of wheat, and they were watching me laugh secretly now.

I felt a bit depressed and made a face at them. But Grandma’s guidance was meticulous, and soon I grasped the technique, my speed of cutting wheat increasing rapidly.

The sun came out, and the air gradually became a bit stuffy.

I straightened up and wiped the sweat from my forehead, suddenly noticing a large sickle not far away.

“Grandma, what’s that?”

“That’s a scythe, you… can’t use it.” Grandma was getting old, and after cutting a little, she was breathing heavily.

“I want to try. Grandma, let’s take a break.”

The length of the scythe was close to two meters, the blade sharpened to a gleaming finish. I took two steps and picked it up, planting it on the ground. The scythe was taller than my height of one meter sixty, yet it felt well-balanced. I swung it twice and found it very comfortable.

This thing… would be terrifying if used to cut anything else.

“My little ancestor, put it down quickly! This is too dangerous.” Grandma snatched the scythe from my hands, “Just use the sickle to cut, or grandma will get angry.”

“Okay. Grandma, don’t be angry.”

I saw that Grandma Claire seemed really angry, so I put aside any foolish thoughts and continued harvesting earnestly with the sickle.

“Grandma, give me the scythe!” Barry suddenly shouted from the side.

Grandma Claire took the scythe and a net-like object and handed it to Barry.

“I’m taking a rest. Don’t give the scythe to little Hill!”

Barry responded and then fitted the net onto the blade, swinging the scythe across the wheat field in front of him, a large swath of wheat falling down.

“Hill sister, only someone with strength can use this scythe, and it requires skill. You’ll definitely be unable to swing it twice. Only I can use it in this house, not even my sister can.”

Barry spoke with a hint of pride, tilting his head to look at me as if he were a child showing off candy.

“Barry, you’re amazing.”

I satisfied his vanity, but my mind was on something else.

Did I need a weapon?

If one day I faced those strong church knights again, with my small frame, if we both used swords, my arms and legs would be shorter and I would surely be at a disadvantage.

If there was some weapon that could both stab and slash, with a length to compensate for my physical “flaws”… I looked again at the scythe in Barry’s hand.

Then I saw Barry sneak a glance at me out of the corner of his eye, swinging the blade even more vigorously…

…………

The four of us worked at a decent pace, and with the scythe, the three to four acres of land were soon harvested. I glanced at the large bundles of wheat lying in the field, thinking about how we would have to haul them back one cartload at a time by manpower, feeling a headache coming on.

But the sky was already turning yellow, and night would fall soon, so any remaining work would have to wait until tomorrow.

“Little Hill, you’re amazing, you’ve cut more than me since the afternoon started.”

On the way back, Aria stretched out and looked at me with surprise.

“I didn’t expect you to be so strong. Last night I bet Barry whether you could last for an hour, good job!”

“Grandma, you teach well.”

Hmph, there’s still a lot you don’t know.

“Aren’t you tired? I feel so tired… Grandma, what are we going to eat when we get back?”

Aria looked at Grandma with anticipation.

“Just eating…” Barry pouted slightly.

“Barry! Have you been looking at me unfavorably lately? Whatever I say, you oppose! Are you trying to fight with me?” Aria got so angry she rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight Barry right then and there.

“Sister, you’re almost married, why are you acting so shameless… I wonder what Allen sees in you.”

“It’s none of your business!”

“Stop arguing, the wheat is going to fall out.”

“I want meat when we get back!”

“Hehe.”

I looked at the old woman and two children in front of me, the corners of my mouth curling into a pleasant arc, feeling that this was my journey in another world.

Life is nothing but these trivial matters, plain but warm.

Thinking this, I turned my head and my face turned pale, plunging into an ice cave.

Beside the road, a familiar silver figure squatted there, stroking a child’s head and smiling as he said something to him before standing up.

The white cloak behind him fluttered, the style most familiar to me.

He turned his head and looked at me, narrowing his eyes.