Chapter 67

The Chief quickly visited us with the IOU. I read it carefully, and made sure that everything that was written was what was verbally decided.

The IOU's general idea was: the Ekore family owed the Edris family 10 coins for damages on the latter's property. It had to be paid within a month, else an interest was going to start accumulating each week the Ekore family failed to pay.

I wrote 10% in the interest rate the Chief had purposefully left blank. He was definitely testing me. I certainly did not want the family's money. I just wanted to be left alone by that woman. If she created trouble for her family, did she think they would always support her in her crazy plans?

Once I made sure everything was good and reasonable, I signed it. 

My name was written on the family's representative, anyway.

"If you need help for anything, don't doubt to ask." The Chief reminded. 

The old man probably could not help with money, but if we were truly in dire needs of food, then he had his doors open for us. It warmed my heart. 

"Thank you." I smiled. "I am sorry for being so harsh back then." I apologized.

He waved his hand in dismissal. "I have been too lenient with them. Your words reminded me that I can't be too soft. Though, you could soften a bit." He pointedly looked at me.

"I do not know what you are talking about. I am a soft woman." I blinked at him innocently. He laughed.

"Yes, yes… If you're soft, we have melted." He stood up, throwing those words that made me laugh. "But that's good. The brothers are a hard bone to chew; however, in their need to fit, they sometimes let others run over them." 

I attentively listened to what the Chief said as I accompanied him out. "We will fit wherever we are needed to fit." If the people in Yellow Leaf Village truly did not want us there, I saw no reason to stand their abuse. 

Even if we had to carry the whole house on our backs, I would convince the brothers to leave.

"Let's hope you don't get to that." The Chief encourage me, patting my shoulder. 

With one last pat, he left. Those pats were a bit familiar, as if someone also used to pat my shoulder either with encouragement or in pride. It was a very… fatherly gesture. I would like to think my father somehow accepted me how I was. 

However, my poor memory did not provide me with an answer.

The rest of the afternoon I spent it watching the brothers transport the salvageable plants into the yard. Which were basically just the tomato and the cucumber. They were not touched, perhaps because they looked like weeds as they were still small.

The beans and lettuce were thankfully in vats near the herbs, so they were safe. 

As for the vegetables, many were completely crushed. Maybe a few potatoes and carrots could be eaten. Though, many potatoes were still unripe. 

"The young potatoes can be planted again." Joseph assessed the situation once the transportation was over. "We managed to get some carrot and parsnip seeds. Onions and beets were not able to form seeds yet, so we have none to plant."

The verdict did not look so gloomy. However, we could not eat seeds. If we wanted to see those vegetables, we had to plant them immediately and hope for them to grow by the end of summer or even fall. 

In the meantime, what would we eat.

"Let's plant them." Lucas decided. 

Looking at their resigned countenance, it made me realize it must not have been the first time their patch was destroyed. My stomach churned in anger at the thought and made me regret being too lenient on those clowns. I really should have destroyed their patch!

Right. No need to think about that. I could only move on and make a hearty meal for the depressed brothers.

I took out the last chunks of pork meat we had, cut them in even smaller pieces and spiced them. Then, I cooked them with a bit of oil. Once brown, I put them in a pot. In the same pan where I fried the meat, I put chopped onions, rosemary and some of the baby carrots the brothers brought from the ruined patch.

I also put this mix in the pot once it was finally cooked. I added some broth we had leftover from the chicken soup we ate at lunch and let it slowly cook. In another pot, I put a few washed potatoes in water to soften.

When the brothers finished with their planting, Felix entered the kitchen to help. I ordered him to peel, then mash the potatoes once they were soft. When mashing the potatoes, I told him to add some salt and dried herbs to season it.

For dinner, we had a bed of mashed potatoes with pork stew on top of it. We left some water to boil to drink some chamomile tea after our meal. We needed a soothing and relaxing beverage to wash away the grievances of that day. 

Perhaps because of what happened in the afternoon, the brothers were not as lively as the past few days. Even bathing with Lucas was made in complete silence. 

"We should all talk about what we are going to do." I suggested, putting my new pajamas on. Sleeping with another person made it warmer, so I thought lighter clothes were in utmost need. Silence answered me. "Lucas?"

When I turned to see the too silent brother, I noticed he was standing frozen in the middle of the kitchen. 

"Is something wrong?" I worriedly asked him. 

"No." He croaked, then cleared his throat. I immediately realized what was wrong. 

Well, one yard of fabric was barely enough to cover a body like mine. With my big boobs, I could only cover them with some sort bralette that also covered my stomach – barely at that. And, my perky and round ass was clothed with very short… shorts. 

It had been a while, so I felt a bit mischievous. "Do you like it?" I twirled to show him the whole set. Lucas nodded. I grinned and sashayed towards him. "Do you want to take it off?" I purred. He grunted.

Our lips met midway in a steamy and passionate kiss.

My nails scratched his naked torso, making him hum appreciatively. I also moaned when he grabbed and gropped my ass. I pressed myself even more to him, and he seemed ready to carry me when the door suddenly opened.

"Why'd… Fuck, sorry." Ethan exited as quickly as he came in. 

Lucas and I looked at the closed door, then at each other. He sighed and I huffed a laugh. "Maybe next time." I proposed. Lucas easily nodded. I contemplated his easygoing demeanor and decided not leave him hanging, so I kissed him long and tenderly. "I like you." I softly told him.

"Like you, too." He breathed. 

I gave him one last short kiss, then went to pick up the towel and threw it over my shoulders while Lucas took the candle, and we both walked out.

After he closed the kitchen's door, we headed to the still illuminated house. The moment I entered, three pair of eyes locked on me. I was getting used to their devoted attention, so I nonchalantly walked towards the bed, took off my shoes and got ready to sleep.

"No. Wait! This is definitely unfair." Joseph spoke up. "First, you make clothes for them, and now you show Lucas… this..." He gestured at me.

"You have seen and touched me more than Lucas. What are you dissatisfied about?" I countered. Which was the truth. Lucas had no licked and sucked me like Joseph did. Maybe in the future…

"I mean this! The clothes that can seduce even the dead." Joseph retorted.

I leaned on my side, crossing one leg over the other to give a bit of a glimpse. "What clothes to seduce? These are my pajamas." I blinked innocently. They all sputtered. It was so fun to rile them up. "Have you told Ethan?" I seriously asked.

They immediately felt the seriousness of the topic and calmed down. "I am aware." Ethan replied. He had changed clothes during the time Lucas and I were still in the kitchen. "There's actually very few things we can do in this situation." 

As I guessed, it was not the first time.

"We can only start anew and use money to buy what we're going to eat." Ethan stated what seemed to be everybody's conclusion, including mine.

"Is there no way to prevent that from happening again?" I asked.

"Unless one of us stay in the patch to take care of it. The main issue is that it's a bit far from the house." Joseph commented. He was right. The patch was a couple of minutes away from the house. In an emergency, we would not see or hear anything.

It was mere luck Joseph found the culprits right away. And, leaving one of the brothers in the patch was dangerous.

"Is there no land near us that we can buy?" I asked them. 

They were silent for a moment, until Felix spoke up. "There's the land beside us. However, it's expensive." He pointed to the right. I had seen it. That side was full of trees and shrubbery. Though, compared to the current patch they owned, it looked more fertile.

"How much?" I decisively asked.

"No, Isabelle." Ethan shook his head. "That's… We wanted to gift you that land when we get married." He confessed. I had no idea they had that plan… It was… I looked at the four and my heart melted. 

I got down the bed and kissed the four one by one. "Married or not, we are already together in this. I can put half, too. How much is it?"

They definitely softened their stance. "60 coins." Joseph said.

I nodded. "Then, as soon as you have the 30 coins, we will immediately buy it. Let us not bother with planting vegetables in that patch. Fruit trees can occupy it." I suggested. They all agreed.

After this, I was convinced that they truly were not afraid of starting from nothing.