Chapter 155 – Rest Day
I previously asked Suuru if she wanted to join me to spend a day of rest in the bunnies’ village and she eventually agreed despite initially feeling anxious about closing the stall. Our booth wasn’t an issue, though. We simply announced beforehand we would be closed on that day and our customers didn’t complain about it, for the most part. There were always a few people who would use any opportunity to grumble but they were in a minority. It wasn’t that odd for stall owners to have a day off, after all.
On the day itself, we teleported to the village, and I convinced the guards to let her come in as my partner in business. The mood was light, with most of the bunnies smiling and chatting with their neighbors. I was greeted warmly, as usual, but my companion attracted more attention than me. Both sides were interested since Suuru marveled at the small bunnies in front of her too.
“Welcome, Tila! You’re not alone today? Who’s she?”
“She’s my business partner, Suuru. Suuru, this is Mr. Nime and this is Mrs. Caob.”
She smiled gently at the white-furred species, now more used to encountering non-human people.
“Nice to meet you two. I’m Suuru.”
As expected, her gentle demeanor and total lack of animosity didn’t go unnoticed. The two bunnies immediately grinned back and introduced themselves. After a bit more chatting, they offered us some snacks, which we gladly took, returning those with small gifts I had stocked beforehand in anticipation of the event.
We continued our way forward, coming across many other relaxed bunnies. I didn’t know all of them by name since their number was too high but tried to introduce anyone I had previous interactions with. They were all interested in Suuru and it seemed the news spread quickly since more and more villagers came our way to get a look at the new arrival.
The Muyal family was one of these groups and they seemed surprised by Suuru’s presence, especially Waja and Kuini.
“Welcome, Tila. Please introduce us.”
“Of course. This is Suuru, my business partner. Suuru, this is the Muyal family, from whom I buy the crops.”
I went through each family member and Suuru introduced herself. Zay started talking to me after that and the two women in the family used the opportunity to take Suuru aside and chat with her in a low voice. More men came to our side while some other women joined their side and our group ended up divided into two.
“Here, try this, Tila. It’s my family’s specialty.”
One bunny I often greeted gave me a small piece of bread filled with a mix of vegetables and sauce. I gave him a little something back before putting the whole thing in my mouth. The flavors of freshly baked wheat bread together with delicious warm vegetables exploded in my mouth, filling me with bliss. I engulfed the whole thing at high speed while the men laughed at my reaction.
“It’s so good! What’s this called?”
“I’m glad you liked it. We call it babin. We eat this almost every day.”
“You could sell this for money!”
“Haha, is that the first thing you think about? As expected of a merchant.”
“Tila, try this next.”
For the next few minutes, I was given one food after the other without any break. It was barely the start of the day and I was feeling full already. A while later, the women seemed to have ended their side of the conversation as they came to mix with us. A lot of the women seemed more relaxed now, including Waja and Kuini, and many of them came to invite us to their house for some snacks and drinks.
This was how we spent a large part of the morning, going from one house to the other, discussing anything and everything while exchanging gifts and food. This wasn’t a festival in the strict sense but it also did feel much different from one. At the very least, these sorts of social exchanges fit perfectly with me, and I was right into my element.
Suuru was sometimes taken away by a group of women, leaving me to accept the invitation of some other bunny. Right now, I ended up in the house of Mrs. Fitak, one of the women bunnies I had the most interactions with. She was a woman who always invited me for a snack every time I was in the village and we were pleased I finally had enough leeway to accept her invitation.
She made me sit on a stool before bringing me a drink and some food. The drink wasn’t a problem but I had to force myself to eat the snack. Fortunately, these were small biscuit-like sweets, and they tasted amazing.
“Wow, are they made from almonds? They’re so tasty! Did you ever think about opening a sweets shop?”
“Ah, Tila, dear. Your mind is only filled with business and money. But I’m happy you enjoy them. You can eat as many as you want.”
Despite the seemingly rebuking words, her face and the tone of her voice revealed her mood. She was delighted, watching me with a full blooming smile.
“Thank you!”
Despite being full, I couldn’t help trying another one.
“So, tell me, how are you doing these days?”
“Relatively good in these circumstances, I guess. I can’t do any trading in Geola but, except for that, I’m managing well.”
“How’s your health? Are you eating correctly?”
“How could I not be healthy? I eat food grown in this village every day.”
“That’s good. Crops grown by bunnies are the best. You should keep doing that.”
“What about you, ma’am? Are you doing well?”
Her smile faltered a little.
“I’m doing… well. Everyone’s very nice to me.”
I sensed something and couldn’t help asking her.
“Is there something bothering you? Maybe I can help?”
Her reaction, however, exceeded my expectations. She stared at me for a long time before her eyes filled with tears.
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