Chapter 230 - - He remembers the promise we made (1/2)
Russ came to visit the next morning sporting a rather prominent black eye, sealed to the point that he could barely peek through the swelling and Leon felt aggrieved for him.
”Your d-d-dad?” He wondered whether to rummage around in his pouch for a blood pill, eventually deciding to do so later and more discreetly as he also noticed the other boy was having difficulties getting about.
”It's no' so bad,” Russ lied as he tried not to limb over to his friend.
Leo and Jin Li had made plans to head to town to purchase some things for his grandfather's home and also to help the old man get by this winter. There was also the new year to celebrate. Leonard could cook basic things, but around this time, most villager would eat more festive foods. Those with chickens would find people asking if they could exchange sweet potatoes or herbs for eggs and those with pigs would find people asking if they could spare a trotter or snout from their annual feast in exchange for dried peppers or pickles. Leonard usually relied on the spare bronze he'd saved all year round and most of the villagers accommodated him, selling him dumplings and meat filled steamed buns, pickles and eggs for his and Leo's New Year's Day. After all, he was a man of letters and to be respected. In turn, they'd give a few of these bronze coins in red envelopes to the children under ten in their families as a new year's gift.
Russ had appeared at the wall of the courtyard as Jin Li saddled Wu Ye. Wu Ye was just about big enough to ride and it was more than strong enough to carry it's human and the other one, just that Jin Li did not like to ride it anymore than Wu Ye liked to carry others. Their tactic understanding had them working side by side to hunt and ignoring each other at most other times. However, it was a good couple of hours to ride to town in a carriage, let alone walk by foot. Jin Li had no trouble with it, but his small alchemist could be inconveniently weak at times.
”D-did he st-st-steal all of your earnings?” Leon's memory on something's were much more clear now. Things that involved his grandfather and Russ were more easily remembered, with his aunt as well, but those memories with her mostly involved matters he didn't care to recall.
Russ glanced over his shoulder before leaning forward to whisper; ”I managed t' keep some from him. I give it to me ma.” He grinned brightly and Leon couldn't help but return the smile, not noticing an increasingly darkened expression behind him. ”What are ye up to?”
”G-going to town,” Leon replied. ”Wanted t-t-to b-buy some supplies.”
”Eh, I'll go with ye!” Russ declared and shivered thinking he needed another layer of clothing, the temperature was definitely lower than yesterday. ”Me sister's and me ma go' some cold growin' herbs t' sell and I need t' buy flour and oil. Grandma didna think our lo' needed i' seein' as I were away.”
Leon frowned; ”Not even for your d-d-dad?”
”Ye know tha' big aunt is me grandma's favourite,” Russ scratched his scruffy hair as he spoke. Leon nodded, that woman had given birth to two sons, no daughters and was also the wife of Russ' eldest uncle. ”So big aunt cooks for grandma and me da' and uncles an' by doin' so gets the best stuff for her sons and sneaks a bi' for herself. So grandma gives her mos' of th' oil and flour and tha' while me other aunts and me ma can only ge' a wee bi'.”
”Based on n-number of g-grandsons?” Leon guessed with a heavy sigh. He felt it was really strange when a woman suppressed other women in favour of the males in her family. She had once been in their position after all, why insist on hurting them so? He shook his head. Everyone had family members who were not nice people, but if he had to choose, he'd suffer his horrible aunt who lived in another household than Russ' biased grandmother who made his mother and sisters suffer under her roof so badly.