Chapter 36: Let’s Take Our Time
BERTINE showed them the process of jarring over and over again. She also checked the five people’s work until she was satisfied with the results. They all worked together in a harmonious environment day after day.
Spending so much time in each other’s company naturally led to their conversations becoming more intimate, to the point that they would talk fondly about their spouses. The first one to reminisce about their love was the old man in his seventies.
“Marrying my woman was my life’s greatest achievement,” he said.
“He never once complimented his wife while she was alive, but he’s been like this ever since she went before him. We were all shocked the first time he said such words.”
“Like I could ever say such things to her face! Woulda embarrassed the heck outta me.”
Bertine couldn’t help smiling at the exchange. She always felt soothed whenever she heard others speak fondly of the ones they loved. Her heart melted even though the words were never about her. Still, it was a thousand times better than being forced to listen to slander.
I think I finally understand why I feel so much calmer and lighter since coming to this country. Because I have yet to hear anyone here gossip maliciously about others. Which brought to mind various experiences she’d had in San Luenne as a member of its high society. The constant insults, rumors, and speculation had me convinced that was just a normal part of life. None of that served any purpose. No, it acted as a silent poison instead.
Bertine had intended to adapt to life in her old home, but it was clear that deep inside her heart, she had grown tired of such skullduggery.
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ON her last day in the Callisto district, Bertine left the five individuals with a final thought. “There’s no rush, so please make the most delicious jarred goods you can.” She had grown close to them during her time here and each gave her a handmade present. Bertine received things like a seashell necklace, a pendant with a polished nut hanging from the chain, and an embroidered drawstring pouch. She gratefully accepted them all.
Her visit to their home had been unplanned, an entirely selfish whim of hers. On top of that, she’d shamelessly asked them to do such a huge favor for her. Yet now she would return to Ybit with their handmade gifts. The kindness in their gifts brought tears to her eyes. But she controlled her emotions and instead thanked them with a smile.
“I’ll cherish each and every one of these. Thank you so very much. This amount should cover the transportation charges once you finish making the products, as well as your labor up until that point. Please, take it.” She pushed the money into their hands, closing her fingers tightly around theirs. Then she left the Callisto district.
The pack Diego carried on his shoulders contained a huge quantity of black and white stingers. Bertine had purchased them fair and square. Cecilio’s family and her five colleagues insisted she didn’t need to pay them, but she was determined to compensate them. Because she knew the stingers would sell for far more than they could ever imagine. The idea that only she would profit never entered Bertine’s mind.
The riverboat sailed upward on their return journey. Though the ship’s crew took advantage of the wind’s direction, they nevertheless operated the sails and rudder the whole way. Their relaxed attitude on the journey down to the south was nowhere to be found as they all strove to do their best managing the boat.
As for the passengers, they were different from the ones Bertine had initially traveled with, but they still played poker. They looked indolent on the surface, yet it was clear they had worked themselves hard in the mines. It was one of the things she learned during her time in the Callisto district. Both the miners and their site foremen worked under harsh conditions. Once they went into the mines, they generally didn’t come out for a whole day or so. Her coworkers in the jarring venture had told her it wasn’t unusual for men to die in cave-ins either.
Bertine thought of a plan to sell the stingers on the return journey. First, she wanted to ask Luca if he would use the condiment in the dishes served at the Rose Hotel he managed. The customers who frequented the hotel would spread news of the seeds through word of mouth, which would be the fastest way for the wealthy to learn about them. Both aristocrats and merchants. They would vie for the lead when it came to purchasing the stingers. Or so she hoped. It was more difficult to predict how luxury grocery items would sell compared to marmalades or wheat.
She occasionally joined a poker game, but the boat’s crew had warned the passengers this time since they had been privy to her prior winning streak. So not many invited her to play with them. Dorothée remarked that it was a good chance for her to rest because she had been working too hard anyway.