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70.8% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 228: Chapter Twenty Eight - She wants to make trouble

Chapter 228: Chapter Twenty Eight - She wants to make trouble

Lessa was the first born of Leonard and his deceased wife, who passed due to an illness not long after his second child celebrated her first birthday.  He chose not to remarry and his old mother never pressured him to, being aware just how much he missed the woman greatly.  So the two girls became the apple of his eye and he worked hard so that he could spoil them, especially his eldest, who resembled her dear mother so much. 

When his old mother passed, he chose to move from town into the village of his father's birth. This old courtyard house was in his family's name, while the townhouse was rented; he hoped to save the extra money for his daughter's dowries when they were old enough to wed. As for their husbands... truly, he only wanted them to be happy and looked around at prospective son-in-law's with this in mind. However one daughter had one eye on the ground and the other at the heavens and the other daughter was a bit of a wild child who did not want to settle and be some little wife at all!

Thus his older daughter married a widower for his wealth and his younger daughter ran away seeking adventure. The whole village felt pity for the old man, who was otherwise respected in their village for he knew some letters, would even help them read messages sent from loved ones who'd gone away for work or to enlist in the armies.

And then his younger daughter reappeared in his life, carrying a two month old baby; his grandson Leo.

Lessa never liked her sister. Aleonara was not a pretty girl, she looked too much like their father and acted more like a boy than a girl. She would sneak away when there were chores to be done, yet would avoid getting into trouble with peace offerings of wild mushrooms and vegetables to grace the pot. So the boys of the village would flatter Lessa with words regarding her appearance, suggesting they wanted to marry her when they grew up, but it was Aleonara they turned to when seeking wild plums in autumn.

After Lessa married into her husband's family, she had a hard time with her new mother-in-law because she was a peasant girl; all of the respect her father had from the village meant nothing in her husband's home. It became easier once she had given birth to her first son and better still after her second was born. But then Aleonara had to spoil things by bringing home a wild child of who knew what ancestry. Lessa tried to convince her old father to throw the brat away to an orphanage, claim he died or something, anything to improve the reputation of her birth family that had soured her relationship with her mother-in-law so badly. Leonard had refused.

When Leo was just five, Aleonara passed away, destined to die young and in a similar manner as her mother. A lot of villagers also lost family that year for the sickness that passed through the village was cruel. That left only Lessa's father and nephew in the old courtyard house and the old man was even more determined to raise him as the successor to their family.

Lessa felt that was unfair. She had always hoped to inherit her father's possessions and give them to her own children as her husband had already declared his eldest son from his first marriage would inherit his land and head the family. But now this wild child was going to take his things and his house and there was nothing she could do about it. So she bullied her nephew more in retaliation and tried to sway her father's mind, make him dislike the brat as much as she did. Leonard was not a stupid man, he knew that his daughter was unhappy with his decision, but he was not about to change his mind. A married daughter was like spilled water after all; her family was her husband's family, her children took his name and were part of his ancestry. Leo was Leonard's hope for his bloodline's future.

There was probably no one happier when Leo went away than Lessa, the woman thinking that his absence allowed her more opportunities to get the old man to change his mind or for accidents to happen;who knew if the little bastard would ever come home at all?!  But there was also no one unhappier when he then showed up out of no where and on a carriage that outshined any her husband could even hope to own.

The woman who came to gossip that morning hinted that Leo had been kicked out of his school and that he had become indentured to a wealthy young master, who brought Leo here along with many other servants.  However, Lessa was not a fool, she knew just how warped words spread from tongue to tongue could become through exaggeration and embellishment.  She came to see what was going on herself.  Just seeing that brat all comfortable, no master around and acting all loving and filial to her father, she was transported back to before the boy had left this place and blurted out what was on her mind.  But she did mean her suggestion of taking the boy away and making him work for her family.  She'd let him know his place then!

However, those two youths returned, the smaller one dressed in fine silks and wearing leather boots was definitely a notch above her landlord husband in social status and the taller one had an air about him.  She reckoned he was an illegitimate noble boy, acting as a companion to the young master.  She sneered when her nephew became subservient to the tall boy thinking that her nephew was so useless, couldn't even become a servant of the silk dressed young Master.

"Here G-Grandfather," Leo stuttered, handing a cup of hot and fragrant tea to the old man.  "This t-tea p-p-promotes b-blood circulation and warms the ch-chest.  G-g-good for w-winter ch-chills."  The old man couldn't help but smile as his grandson served him.  Lessa's eyes narrowed and brows lowered; she was the idiot boys' elder too, where was her tea?  Actually, Leon had not forgotten and did pour her a cup, passing it to her with a few words.  "I added honey t-t-to yours, Aunt.  T-to c-c-c... reduce the b-b-bitterness."

Leonard snorted with mirth.  His good grandson had gained a bit of backbone in school it seemed, perhaps gaining it after the bullying incident he'd mentioned.  He had no idea that the boy was still being bullied, just behind closed doors.  That person would also get retribution on any who dare attempt to harm what was his.

Whether Lessa decided to ignore the insult or whether she just was not aware of the double meaning, only she knew.  She placed down the cup, angry that the beverage was definitely of a quality that even her husband had never touched before inquiring; "Now that your plans to become educated have fallen through, what are your plans now, nephew?  I assume there's a reason you brought your masters here to this poor village?"

Said 'masters' looked at the woman with confusion.  Leon, on the other hand, barely looked over his shoulder at her, busy chopping the skinned hare into portions ready to cook.  He hadn't cooked with it before, but he figured one couldn't go wrong braising it into a stew.

"Why do ye insist on sayin' tha' Leo is no longer at school?" Leonard asked in a low tone.  A heavy sigh escaped him.  This eldest daughter of his so resembled her mother in face, but she had none of that woman's cheerful and optimistic temperament.  He could grudgingly admit that her sourness came from him as did her stubbornness, but her avarice nature and constant dissatisfaction with her lot, that was nothing to do with him nor his wife at all.  Perhaps it came from his own father, that man died chasing the next silver coin.  Either way, Lessa disappointed him.

"Isn't that why he's return all of a sudden?" She blinked as if surprised that her thought dared be questioned.  "Otherwise why didn't he come back before?"

"The Institute is s-several d-d-day's journey from here, Aunt," Leon advised her.  "And the j-journey c-c-can c-cost a lot.  This t-t-time, I had s-saved some m-m-money and had help from m-m-my friends as well.  B-b-but I have t-to g-g-go b-back to school after winter b-b-break."

"Yeah, there's no way Leon's Teacher and the Headmaster will let him leave school now!" Sun added, brightly.  "He's invaluable to the school!"  He really just wanted to help his friend get this unpleasant woman off his back, just as Leon and Jin Li had helped him cope with some of the drama in his own household.  Unfortunately, some words have a tendency to backfire.

"Invaluable you say..."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Ebonsolaris Ebonsolaris

Second of double update x

Chapter 229: Chapter Twenty Nine - We think about matters of money

"En," Sun continued, breezily. He was quite proud of his association with Leon, their previously and very one sided enmity at the beginning of their relationship completely forgotten. "Teacher Corne of the martial arts school considers Leon.. Leo very reliable and consistent. And I heard from my Teacher, Corvus, that Healer Lepus likes to keep a stockpile of Leo's pills in stock for emergencies."

"Pills?" Lessa latched onto the word in the paragraph with some fervour.

"Leo's a part of the alchemist school..." Sun tilted his head realising that something was amiss.

"Sun, shut up," Jin Li commanded, before refilling their cups, but it was too late to retract his words.

Men and women of the countryside relied on herbal medicines for ailments, which were almost always bitter and unpalatable and unfortunately not always reliable. Herbal medicine relied upon the prescription, thus the knowledge of the doctor, the quality of the herbs as well as in small part, the skill of the one to boil it into medicine. However, it's not as if they did not know about pills. But in comparison to Herbal medicine, many pills were that much more expensive and then a reliable pharmacist would not sell too many freely. Who would purchase a soft ice pill for fevers when herbal medicine coupled with cooling towels cost half the price, even after paying a doctor's fee? Granted a pill would ease the fever in the time it took to burn two sticks of incense, while the latter method could take a couple of days. But that extra money could provide food for the rest of the family for a few days, so it could not be easily parted with.

However, if she could get her hands on pills for free...

Her lips curved into a smile that seemed so out of place upon a face etched with scowling lines, it terrified Sun. The boy looked over his shoulder to offer an apology with his eyes, sorry that he had inadvertently dug a huge pit for his friend rather than helped him out as was his original intention. Leon simply shook his head; it wasn't Sun's fault. His aunt was just that sort of person. If you were a hinderance, she hated you. If you were useless, she had no time for you. But if you had something she wanted, a bloodsucking leech would be easier to get rid of.

"My dear Nephew," she beamed and rose from her seat, though Leonard glared at her as if he could ensure she remained. Such was futile to a woman with determined intent.  "You know Aunty was hard on you because I could see you had potential but not the will to succeed."  Leon noticed the avarice in her eyes and shuddered in distaste.  It was even more unpleasant than dealing with the hare's guts and organs in order to provide the two Coeurl a meal.

Jin Li also noticed her behaviour and immediately moved to shield his small alchemist.  How dare she covert his things!  Of course Lessa did not want to provoke the Martial Artist, she knew where the line was even if she did not like it, she could only force down the dissatisfaction in her heart. 

"Lessa, go home," Leonard sighed, grouchily from his rocking chair.  "This house cannae cope with a big woman such as ye self."  The woman sent her father an unhappy look, before waltzing out of the door, though not before declaring that she would return to see them both soon.  Those young master's wouldn't stick around in the poor village for long, it was all a novelty for them, they'd soon understand the difference between them and the villagers.  And then Leo would only have her father as a pillar of support.  The old man was crumbling, how could he compare with her husband's household?

And naturally her husband thought it would be an excellent boon to his family and heir that an alchemist be related to them, it would be good for both connections and reputation.  Even her mother-in-law insisted that the youth be invited to visit as soon as possible.  Lessa glanced at the beaded bracelet on her wrist which she had coveted for an age, but the old biddy would never have let her touch before.  Now it was hers, a reward for being her nephew's aunt.  Now she just had to figure out how to improve the ties between them, too aware that blood was not everything.

*****

Just after the lunch of hare stew, Sun grudgingly left the village with his drivers and servant-guard. He planned to stay in town for the night before making his way back to the city, where they should arrive a few hours after dusk the next day.

If Leonard was surprised that Jin Li did not go with him, instead staying with his grandson, he did not mention anything.

The two Coeurl, as well the refreshed supplies of coal, rice, corn and dried peas were reallocated into the cleaned out side building. Leon had purchased a new belt and teacups as gifts for the old man, but he had been unaware just how impoverished he and his grandfather had been and how matters had worsened since.

He recalled that a few times, before he became Leon, he had swapped pills for brass coins with fellow students when they needed some to make up quotas for requests that they had undertaken. These coins he'd dutifully sent to his old grandfather with a letter saying how he was doing. But after he was targeted by Caprian, he was seldom approached for help, plus he often got lost in his own pill making and research even before that, so he couldn't say he sent much money.  He had no excuses, just never had much of a concept of money.

Before, as a child, he'd grown simple vegetables in the courtyard to supplement their meals of rice and potatoes, while grandfather had earned their money with his craft. When he had grown older, he'd scavenged for herbs with Russ in the woods and sometimes by himself, Russ would then take them to sell in town and hand him money, which he in turn gave to his grandfather. Sometimes grandfather would try to make him take some if not all of the bronze coins back, but Leo never had any plans to buy anything so just made his Grandfather keep it all, while he happily returned to the garden or practiced letters in the scrap paper book the old man had made him for new year each and every year. These had later become his collection of diaries, some of the older versions could still be found in his room, dusty and worn.

When Leo had become Leon, understanding about money came along with the knowledge from his past life, so he was frantic to earn it in order to live comfortably. But he had forgotten about his grandfather and his home so had no way of sharing his earnings with the old man. He now had the ability to rectify this and planned to do so in the morning. He spoke of his plans to Jin Li as they lay upon the heated brick bed together that evening.

"Good," Jin Li complimented his suggestion. "That old man raised you. It's only right to now take care of him in turn. This place is lacking, but I also wouldn't purchase too much."

"Why n-n-not?" Leon questioned, snuggling deeper against Jin Li's warm chest. The thin blanket of the bed did little to keep him warm, he could only rely on his lover's body for much needed warmth.

"Do you really think your grandfather would except it if you threw around your money at him?" Jin Li pointed out, bluntly. The old man was clearly a proud individual who did not like to ask for assistance or favours. Even if help was offered, it was doubtful that he'd accept. The grain was different; they needed to eat too and Leonard's stores had been practically empty until the next time he could exchange the blank books for money and the money for rice. He'd only accepted Sun's people fixing up the side building as it was really hard to reject the jubilant boy. Jin Li understood that more personally than anyone. Of course, he was not so easily swayed by Sun's enthusiasm, but that was a different matter entirely.

Leon understood what Jin Li was getting at and murmured softly in assent as he drowsily breathed in the other man's scent. He felt Jin Li's fingers comb through his long hair once or twice, before succumbing to sleep.


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