Martha, Doreen, and Kate came forward to greet them.
"You're home so late—must be starving!" Martha said as she took the items from Clara's hands and placed them beside the door so she could carry them home later.
Clara nodded honestly. "Very hungry."
Doreen immediately headed to the kitchen, taking down the apron hanging behind the door. As she lit the fire, she called out, "I'll make you both some dumpling soup with two extra eggs. Go wash your faces—look at you both, all dusty and dirty."
Martha led Clara and Adam to the water vat, while Kate fetched a clean face towel and handed it to Clara. "Here, wipe up."
"Thank you, Second Sister-in-law," Clara said with a polite smile, waving Kate off. "No need to fuss, go have a seat."
Martha filled the washbasin with cold water. Clara wrung the towel and first wiped her own face before handing it to Adam. "Wash your face and hair too. Don't waste the water."
They'd use hot water for a proper bath at home later.
Adam responded with an eager "Okay!" but before he could wash, his siblings swarmed him.
Ryder asked, "What did you catch? Was it a tiger? A black bear?"
Ben and Chad also asked excitedly, "Did you two go to the county town?"
Deb and Rosie crouched by the basin, eyes wide. "Mom, you brought pastries. I can smell them!"
Adam had been about to answer, but quickly realized there were too many questions to handle. He wisely shut his mouth and began washing his hair first.
In the main hall, Martha lit an oil lamp to brighten the space.
Clara sat at the table across from Old Walter and his three sons. Kate sat beside her. When Clara recounted the tiger encounter in the mountains, the men couldn't hide their excitement.
Quietly, Martha entered the room and handed Clara four unopened letters.
"They're from Lester. He sent them from the county town. You weren't home, so we held onto them. He sent one every other day—maybe something urgent happened. You'd best check."
Clara took the letters and glanced at the words "To my beloved wife" on the envelope. She snorted and set them aside. "No rush. I just came from the county. He's perfectly fine."
Since Clara didn't seem concerned, Old Walter and Martha relaxed too. "Is dinner ready yet?" he asked.
"Coming!" Doreen's voice rang out as she brought in two bowls of noodle soup. Each bowl had two golden, crispy fried eggs—one for Clara, one for Adam.
Adam had finished washing up. Ben and Chad insisted on drying his hair, and the three boys entered the room laughing.
Clara gestured to the package of pastries by the door and told Ben to bring them over to share.
"I bought a kilogram worth. Better we all eat them together. No sense trying to divide them."
Martha protested, "Oh, no need for that—" but the younger boys had already torn open the oiled paper. She sighed helplessly. "These greedy little things, can't walk past anything tasty."
"No wonder they're always asking when their Third Auntie is coming home," Doreen teased. "Ryder asks at least twice a day—'Is Third Auntie back yet? When is she coming back?'"
The room buzzed with cheerful chatter as Clara and Adam filled their bellies, not even leaving a drop of soup.
After eating, Clara fetched the pork belly and fabric she'd bought. She left the fabric on the table and took the meat to the kitchen, slicing off a kilogram and storing them neatly in the cupboard under a cover.
Everyone was used to Clara's ways by now, so no one fussed. Doreen fetched a measuring tape and called the four children over to take their sizes.
"The weather's cooling. Everyone needs a pair of thick-soled shoes," Clara said as she packed the remaining 1.5 kg of pork into her bundle.
"Your second sister-in-law has some time these days—let her make them for you," Doreen said naturally.
Kate nodded and turned to Deb. "Any style you like?"
"There are styles?" Deb asked, eyes lighting up in delight.
"There's pointed toes, flat ones, and some with embroidered patterns," Kate explained. "I can embroider too. I could add a few flowers if you like."
Deb had never worn such shoes before and was overjoyed. "I want flowers!"
Kate smiled. "How about two morning glory blossoms?"
"Yes, yes!" Deb beamed. "Thank you, Second Aunt!"
"Oh hush, no need to thank me. Just wait—your Second Aunt will make them beautiful." Kate pinched her cheek, finding Deb more and more endearing these days. She was polite, sweet, and full of charm.
Rosie pouted. "Mama, I want morning glory shoes too—just like Deb!"
Kate gave her a side glance. "Didn't I already make you a pair? You burned a hole in the toe within two days! If you won't take care of them, I won't bother."
Rosie immediately snuggled into Kate's arms like a squirmy pepper from Clara's garden. "Please, Mama, make me another pair. I promise I'll take good care of them this time—cross my heart!"
Kate gave in with a sigh.
Rosie and Deb exchanged gleeful glances—matching shoes, at last!
Doreen finished taking the children's measurements. Clara called Deb over, ready to head home.
Before leaving, she asked Old Walter to keep an ear out for any villagers looking to sell land.
Old Walter was briefly stunned. Looks like Clara made another good haul from the mountain.
But he was pleased. Owning land was essential for a farming family. Renting wasn't a long-term solution. Best to have land of their own.
"Don't worry," he promised solemnly. "I'll let you know the moment I hear anything."
As Clara and her children left, Martha and Old Walter exchanged a relieved smile. With Clara around, Lester's family was in good hands—they had nothing to worry about.
Back home, Clara was visibly more relaxed. She stored the meat in the kitchen. With the nights now cooler, the meat would keep until morning.
She lit the stove and heated several vats of water. The whole family bathed that night.
While she'd been gone, there had been no adults to help fetch water, so the kids hadn't bathed. As for the old house—once every two weeks was considered frequent. Doreen wouldn't have thought of it.
After everyone had bathed, it was already late. Yet none of the children seemed sleepy. They lay on the bed, listening to Adam recount their mountain adventures, utterly captivated.
Clara checked on the horse, gave it a bit of night grass, and then secured the doors and windows. After reminding the children to put out the lamp, she finally returned to her own room, letting her hair down as she laid back and opened the letters.
She had only been gone eight days, and Lester had written her four times.
Clara opened all the letters and arranged them in order of date before reading.
The first letter was dated the day after she last left the county town. It was brief: he asked why she hadn't sent his living allowance through the coachman.
The second letter, written a day later, wondered whether something had happened at home and they couldn't spare the money. He ended by asking if she was doing well.
The third, again a day apart, mentioned he thought he had seen her in town and asked whether she'd been there recently.
The fourth took on a pitiful and understanding tone. He wrote that he had borrowed money from a classmate and told her to prioritize the family's needs if they were struggling. She didn't need to worry about him.
(End of Chapter)
Enjoying the story? Get early access to new chapters on my Patreon: patreon.com/c/TinaWriterXD
Thank you for your support! 💛