Chapter 11: 11. Gaining new skill?
''Mina. Is this how you plan to live your life? What about if something happens? I will give you an offer. You can see that my medicinal knowledge is a bit... different than most people. That is because I met so many foreigners in my life. Some gave me knowledge about this, some about that.'' She opened one bag and took a leather scroll and put in front of Mina together with one book. ''I know now you have many things to do. About the book, don't do it. It is too dangerous to have such a thing at your home. If someone finds out they will try to have it and as the book itself is a national treasure, if something happens to it, you'll die. That fool doesn't even know such basic things.''
Mina sighed. ''I planned to refuse it anyway. I want to embroider a few things as I promised to the seamstress. I will come often to your home and write the documents you need.''
Elder Kang pushed the book and leader roll towards her. ''I know how to read and write. Do you think I am one of these illiterate beings? Take this. After you learn from first book I will test you. Come back in a month. I am sure you can learn basic stuff in one month.''
Mina shook her head. ''I do not plan to become a healer. It's bothersome. I would have to speak to people and I hate to do so.''
She pushed the two things back while her expression clearly showed rejection. But she didn't know that Elder Kang can sometimes be just very stubborn. ''I don't say you have to become a healer. Am I a healer? I am not! But I hate not knowing what people might do to me in my ignorance. I have sons.I adopted children that no one wanted. Long ago they caught a strange disease and almost died. The funny thing on the story is, they were not sick. They were poisoned, by my own best friend that came every day to my house, her children played with my children and we actually grew up together. She paid my house doctor to poison my kids in the hope I would grieve for a long time and adopt one of her children that could inherit all I own.''
Her story didn't stop just there it continued as Mina saw a self despising smile on Elder Kang's face. ''The doctor was one of her family members so I never even had the tiniest doubt in his words. I bought expensive medicine, strange herbs from different countries, medicine that only small amount of people knew about it and almost wasted all my fortune because of it, but my boys went from bad to worse. Finally, one day a foreigner came to me with a new batch of herbs and asked me if he could check on them as he was wondering about the sickness they had.''
Elder Kang stood up and pushed the book and Leader roll towards her again and looked trough window as she put her hand behind her back. ''The moment he told me they were poisoned many things became clear from one second to another. The fury that I felt at that moment was not even towards that fake friend, or towards so calling doctor, it was towards myself as I was so stupid not to realize such simple thing. I punished them accordingly and started learning. I was already an old woman when I adopted children. So the learning took me years. Mina, you are young and maybe you will never need this in your life, but at least think about it.''
Mina slightly stroke the book and started talking almost to herself. ''I never thought I would need to cooking but I do, I never knew I would need embroidery in my life, but I do, to survive this strange, cruel world... there is no such thing as too much. But I can't learn it in one month. I really can't. I know my abilities and even tho I look smart, I am a seriously slow learner. When I am done learning it, I will ask you to test me and then for the next book. There is something else I need first to know.''
Elder Kang turned her head and saw the serious expression on Mina's face. ''Tell me...''
''I need information about all the healing, edible and dangerous plants here on the north. I have no wish to die because I ate the wrong plant.'' She pointed at the root thing that Elder Kang had on one of the tables. ''Few of kids taught me about the plants, but listening to their words there seems to be more. Much more...''
Elder Kang just shook her head. ''There is no book. And leaning directly in the forest from the young one is not bad for you. In the book, it doesn't say how you can find those plants and how they look when they are in the forest. Where they hide and so on. By the way, gather some water from Unpredictable river for wintertime. It is perfect water for the healing tea.''
She had of course so many more questions but then saw a bunch of papers that were brought by Elder Kang's servants. ''Take these home as the villagers need to see that you are working as a small scribe. About your embroidery, do it comfortably. It's not like you gonna run somewhere. Eat well, drink well and enjoy your life. By the way, is there anything I can do for you?"
Mina became red. "I... I forgot to buy meat. I wanted to ask is there any butcher nearby or maybe someone who sells life animals, or something..."
Elder Kang was curious. "Did you ever kill an animal?"
Mina shook her head." I never did, but mother taught me that everything can be used on a pig except dirt."
Elder Kang started laughing. "True. I heard that the Lei family will kill a pig today. I don't know if they already did that, but you can go and ask to buy fresh meat. And I will see to let you get a couple of piglets and a few chickens."
Mina gratefully smiled at her and started bowing. "Thank you, thank you..." She was truly grateful for all Elder Kang did for her, including her advice.
Elder Kang just pushed her out of the house with a smile and stretched a bit. ''I am going to rest as I am an old woman. Now go, go, go...'' Mina was pushed out the gate and as soon the big gates were closed Elder Kang's face changed. ''What happened with that fool, did he really drink poison...?'' She rushed to the underground passage with a cold expression...
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ZeljkaZZ
ZeljkaZZ I am not sure did I make it right...If you want to support me so I write more often :)
ImTheOne on P4tre0n
or should I open any other account...sigh I do not think I will get contract any time soon :))
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone