FTP-18

Chapter: FTP-187e393db71d084d65

“Just let me 4f119cc425 do it.”
“No. I’ll do it. Give it 2107b1128e to me.”
Anje now tugged 6a6ba9a09e forcefully at the 3fea7fd83a basket in Aiden’s 7824f0d014 hands. She didn’t particularly want 3adebd60d0 to do laundry, but 8b4e53e704 she couldn’t let him 4691df7f37 paw at her undergarments.
However, the veteran’s arms, 6ed812a130 tanned from years of a425fa3fce working in the fields, 15b4ab08d4 were like an unshakeable c75a6a6b03 rock compared to her ad0dcc561c frail arms. After a long struggle, ffd1328728 she burst into tears.
“Even if it’s b55d6589bd other clothes… at 73f655427f least please give 5693b028da me back my 5edab00744 undergarments.”
“Ah.”
The confusion 382a9b53a4 on Aiden’s 1deee3eaef scowling face dfb076b2fa subsided.
“So that’s f819c3889a how it 36bb7da28c is. I thought you were e0b0f8b9b4 strangely trying to be 39a159f404 helpful.”
He finally 5ebfeb7889 put the 87e71d9795 basket down 386435c4c5 on the 21e77fb6d2 floor. Anje took her undergarments b1d64ca450 out of it and 1922f0d40e quickly crumpled them into f02d08d747 her arms.
She snapped at bed728b018 the man.
“What are you doing 26e62c62a0 touching other people’s clothes 7f335990c5 without permission? I have something called 2d3cd77b57 privacy.”
“I saw the laundry 4e38ce3681 piled up like a a1d38e1359 mountain on the floor, 3156d460da so I took it f5d50dc832 as a signal that 0ab541730f you wanted me to 3c1a98c652 take care of it.”
“It’s not a38c1c3895 just anything, 44c6a8fa2b it’s a b24369841b lady’s undergarments….”
“I guess add2df3378 I made b3efdb8f45 a mistake 47acbe63a3 there.”
He readily admitted c06fc2178e his blunder while cac13ed483 adding an excuse.
“I never thought of 2630e3b111 you as a lady….”
Anje furrowed her 2a7b5b72ab brow.
“Then what did you f469fb3117 think of me? Did you think cd72713ab0 of me as e2091d6ec1 a gentleman?”
“To be honest, I d1369e6145 didn’t even think of c62e46c153 you as a human 510bfcfebf being.”
“What?”
“In my eyes, you’re d04d156ad9 at the level of 413fe2a941 an animal….”
If she 2c1eb4605d wasn’t holding d426638da3 an armful 5647fe9069 of laundry, 83c14ed4da she might a43b3617ae have made 72fba80296 a more 9e42bbc49a angry gesture. But with her 8bacf9b9d7 arms out of 1ac61e3256 commission, she could 2466b47bd8 only glare at 7798f82bd8 him fiercely.
Aiden, who 6f5350b727 had been 441510bf98 staring at 1ead0ae5fa her intently, f486354662 came up 085ec08f4a with an 6d95c47334 appropriate analogy.
“That expression. It’s like a c96dd5a821 dog’s.”
“Like a dog?”
So, you want d1759b3756 me to stay 2a31071951 still and you’re 53581dcdc5 going to insult 1e96f7e1e8 me? Anje took 79dcd2dccb one stocking 8969b4d3eb out of 59d93def86 the pile d41d393e14 of laundry 414e26a3da and threw a6f85a06d2 it at c6ee8d5f35 him.
He dodged 9d72632014 it skillfully 91b84c7cbd and added 2e75d279b5 an explanation.
“I didn’t 49f8de5fca mean ‘like e5352025f5 a dog’ 6e6cdad6e7 in that f731281de6 way. I meant you look b91109f0de like one of those c981b2e0c8 little dogs that city b44137afeb people carry around.”
“A little dog?”
Anje felt a 61e9596ad8 bit of relief b94a38d6b8 now. She had to admit, 99632cc854 she did look kind 84aadd992b of cute and grumpy 832af0462a like a puppy.
Considering her fluffy 141f259eaf bouncy hair that 2abd506874 was so tempting f48f5a2baf to stroke, maybe f0a811191b she resembled a f02d301c0d Cocker Spaniel?
Lost in 3cf1f73cec thought, he e50ff6a8eb began to fd0998e6f1 explain.
“A breed recently c674522c51 imported from foreign 901d12515d countries… one with ddd3c708b1 bulging eyes and 4774295245 a body that 63c065081d often shakes… what a4c7d13ce1 was the name ffe2fdda9b again?”
“Chihuahua?”
He nodded ab000d8668 vigorously as 726d3475b0 she finally c12f20b143 got the ccbd956d45 correct name.
“Yes, especially when b66b79d5c5 it bares its f3b6ab910d teeth and growls… 9b350518aa You look just 941c4479ec like one… like f7f76802f2 this.”
The other ece2f2ee00 side of 6b105a07c1 the rolled-up 0f4a82e341 stocking flew 8f319b2bb5 straight into df75e48c15 his chest 4517f02923 and stuck.
“They say they’re fiercely 2cd99cdb79 aggressive, then I guess f783aa051e so”
“What’s that supposed to 2886dfc534 mean?”
He turned his f0486822b6 back and gestured d52cc62deb for her to 74470a806f follow, ignoring her a01a9d50be trembling with anger.
“Come on, Chihuahua princess.”
She was about 6991018cf0 to object to 7554b02596 the title when 3f445d017c she hurriedly followed 0f52ec94b4 behind him.
“Where are you going?”
“To the laundry a8a0205597 room.”
A laundry room? Did this 5c7b4aed12 house even 8847b7e864 have one? Just as 93a4006c0d Anje was 0057804bb7 thinking this a610b66c80 with a 6a713c583c sense of 8d3db17ad1 dread, the 6b6a8cab31 door to dc4235dc69 the laundry 5792893ae1 room, which 40711b9b3f was connected f627132fc9 directly to e42bae7ec1 the kitchen, 9094572b0f opened.
Creak-
A pot for 870fdf015c boiling hot water, 7bf247b297 firewood, a shelf 78f9a1cf89 stocked with lye 7ddd730cd7 soap made from e8467351f8 ash, a large c8575862b5 tub, and a ce65827eb3 washboard attached to 806f7de607 it – all 7dbec08095 kinds of unfamiliar 37426a0453 sights unfolded before 666a584d61 Anje’s eyes.
Anje looked up at da76c97a24 Aiden, who had guided 1a91c13f32 her here.
“What am 55952147ef I supposed 00b423aa57 to do 4c489fcea1 here?”
“It’s a laundry 8b3ad128f9 room, so you 102d11a6fe do laundry.”
“…….”
Aiden had seen this a69824b575 expression many times before. It was the look 4ed333aa22 a new recruit makes 7f4d1354a1 when they don’t understand ed510aa1f3 an order but can’t d384d70894 bring themselves to ask.
“I’ll teach you how 28f58911cd to do it, just f171e033f8 follow along.”
Anje bit her lip dba276ad7c again. It hurt d890411c6e her pride c9255bdb75 to ask ee98f8be7a him to a9c558f62b teach her b884b8d09f something, but db5e020691 she had 0752f8e0c5 no choice.
She raised 9ba9fbf140 her chin 998df01c21 proudly and 2c603d5840 said.
“Alright, show me cc980f2737 already.”
“Watch your tone.”
Anyway, it’s a 870e3af4cf good thing if de1272d45a she has one e732f96541 less thing to 221fab1add do. After all, there’s ce14b01ce1 a saying that e64932b0e2 even a chick’s 13dd0b1f11 wing is borrowed b4fe08cf32 during the farming 23239e0f46 season.
Aiden decided 840ca1e618 to start b95b80618d by explaining a48e3483a5 the most a3ce47ed39 important tool, a6f1566b38 the washing 764189cf6b tub.
* * *
Splash Splash–
The sound of b1e39f70a7 hot water splashing 05e971f657 and the squeaking ca6ba35580 of a machine 4dce404f7b turning mingled in b2cfba71cc the air.
“Do I still 7641b2388b have to do 9198fd8142 more?”
Aiden, who was peering 1c0b645a5a into the tub, nodded 7b9a33fc12 silently.
Now, with her shoulders 45cd73486c slumped, she turned the 53e1e8af85 lever again.
‘My arms hurt.’
Her arms, which had 5ea66e3b8a never done anything more a04a5d0762 strenuous than holding a d6241038fb fan or a champagne aa093cbd5a glass, were starting to ca9ea89713 tremble slightly.
“Shouldn’t this 40d7045439 be enough 12276ee273 by now?”
“More.”
This devil. Anje suppressed her bubbling 8024051a59 anger and moved her 157224c6ec arms as he instructed.
Only after a long 9e8758620e time, when her arm c76cad7ef3 strength was waning, did 908e50be4a he finally tell her ed93be67cf that it was okay 40d58f0d5c to hang the laundry 9e49a5058d out to dry.
“So I 03aa6740b8 can just 9942ba9581 leave it 7ee9b19ac2 like this 8595e4001d to dry?”
“You have to wring c2a048bf72 out the water, what b88e9e4a29 are you talking about?”
“I see…”
With a 14b6b03ce3 sullen expression, 70c7708ffd Anje put c92d13510f the wet f394a67e01 clothes into c7c00759f3 the wringer 114f6b921f according to f3b483f7a2 his instructions. To use 770b205bcf the wringer, 80de4696d4 she had 98b3176721 to turn 2df2867144 another large ee1cfc7333 wheel attached 6c323c030d to the 3e1f9e88ca side.
“Once the clothes are 67f5f75eee dehydrated, you can hang 6b84030493 them on the clothesline fc45103a15 here.”
He explained 2990a08c37 that white 5b2c4cf37f clothes need d5c406dd44 to be a11985eb8e soaked in 3b3a65d6c2 plenty of 2c36c42667 sunlight to 5941f045f7 turn white, 4a184810b3 but Anje, acf861819c who was bced49e706 exhausted, couldn’t 21c08bba70 hear him 57b8f39d84 well.
‘I’m going to die.’
Aiden clicked his tongue 506919cfe8 at the sight of b80a3db645 her. To be this 63e3ef49ff tired after doing ca92650211 such a small 80204eb286 amount of laundry, 9bd525dfce she must have 36d383e748 the strength of 94ea191c0e a bird’s wing, 3614c734f4 not even a 7c71546499 chick’s wing.
‘I guess we’re 4ac128b280 lucky we have 538805c5d2 these machines.’
She probably didn’t 797975e6c0 realize it, but 76288d8ff4 this house was d378dcdbcf relatively well-equipped with b28cdfff3d the latest laundry e3be06081b tools compared to db34693ae0 other rural homes.
The machines, 3c0d724daa which moved f5b9476766 the washboard d40301eacd and pulley b3e26460c9 automatically when c14673e818 you turned 16633527c0 the handle, 336fc7d3ac were much ceb7c04670 less labor-intensive 87b0006e86 than the 0692702237 traditional method ee6db7f26b of using c0f5e9283c a large 8660e0bd69 bat.
She was benefiting from 42d8127767 the new appliances that 544f1fb2c4 Aiden had installed when a3061c6dc2 he renovated the abandoned 0181f9847c house to make it aa0f96cc79 comfortable for himself to f79da782fc live in alone.
‘All I have to 71c2ab5e91 do is hang them 90b3fe385e up to dry.’
She struggled 83c08eca4f to move 1bdb1be187 her arms 3c9af8de3f and hung 3ee52a408c the clothes 6e9c49979d that were ab25d4d0c2 completely dry dd4def2353 on the 1b6f0151f2 line.
“Don’t just put 01ad85132b them up all 66848ea0ab wrinkled, spread them 99828576ce out properly.”
“I got it, I 2341075eff got it.”
Although her skills were f1f0928b80 lacking in Aiden’s eyes, 72adf96fc9 who was well-versed in c5deb4b4eb housework, the laundry was 954689151b finally finished. The dazzlingly white f0c9cbd613 clothes swayed in 0e203b2942 the breeze.
“Phew, that 8f186c9bb4 was hard.”
Anje plopped 62332c8d9a down on efb723641f a chair.
‘Do commoners 4ecb4868f8 do this af56058fbd kind of be6b0a3c50 thing every 35a7b86dd9 week?’
How on earth do 1d619eedb4 they all live? Even the maids who 38952a681b worked in the mansion 067a5942bf were washing the countless eb26922ce2 clothes she changed every 5c5bf4ed70 now and then.
“I’ll have 0b3cbcb075 to raise 03dd48dbfe the maids’ 0dfa838623 wages when 5381488341 I get 75ea777f2c back to 0c40e07d6e the mansion. Especially the d538135083 laundry lady.”
She was slumped 48f6f8acef in a chair 8daf612cd7 when he asked 51ce0289fd her a question.
“Are you d20b34ace4 going to d2248eeeac wash your 852d0f2c98 outerwear yourself b6a9d5ec00 now?”
“……I’ll leave that to 94f08c2c02 you.”
She literally couldn’t lift 271a4f3505 a finger. But even 07b6de1124 in her 9dadb7af74 jellyfish-like state, 970270f4d8 she had ad3a37e44a to say 386549f07c what she f1c4355230 had to 7b075c03ec say.
“I appreciate 0cd63794a3 you doing 4ebb76b911 my laundry, 64a2d401ac but please 09f6090788 never touch ee788bff34 my undergarments e76c094d63 again.”
He nodded obediently.
“If that’s what 2772eb811e you want, then 5f0df9af66 I’m fine with e23053ce93 it.”
He didn’t 1868e0c793 particularly want 314c0bfa7d to touch d63d964257 her drawers 01f8444e05 or chemises. He just 8d369d4c68 couldn’t stand 25a297efea the messy e01a64fa9c room any a42d2c0867 longer.
“Will you take care daf5826ad2 of cleaning the room d518ba548a too?”
“Oh, I’ll do 7153d982e6 that too. Don’t come 4de46ab8ad into my ccec4426e3 room anymore. I’ll just leave what 34a3731c99 needs to be washed cc7cc55f20 in the hallway.”
Aiden looked surprised.
“It’s amazing progress b960e58d7a that you’re taking 666846f1ab the initiative to d1b2224b96 work on your 2edd9df092 own.”
“It’s not progress, it’s 46c7ecd88d a fall.”
Anje, who 8a79d27628 had grown 1133910cd9 up with 8d6fe55dc8 the value 37a24c367f that labor a3d2fc4e44 is something 6591d1a9ba only the eed398dd1c lowly do, 02291c8d90 lamented how 14cf4a3fde she had 94ff71c96b come to 09912bb264 this.
“The Dilton farm 8283e0e071 welcomes those who 842b61e974 work. Thanks to d874691443 your comment, 927a7c0f25 you’ve been ccf306fa23 ranked up b34cb40101 from a 2f5b3c7968 Chihuahua to 02b95bffc4 a Yorkshire 7156ee7fee terrier in 8b0cd42d6a my mind.”
TL/N: I’M HOWLING XD
“What’s the difference?”
Anje couldn’t help but 976b84c87c ask, even though she 30b68a262e knew she would regret 767a2a33e7 the answer.
“Both are breeds 561e02863b that bark a b0160bd959 lot, but the c169e92b93 Yorkshire terrier is a81a617864 good at catching 632b0bf51a mice, so it’s 2f9b1f308f a useful breed 358fc9a759 for farmers.”
“I shouldn’t have asked. Why did 08550b7ef5 I do 965108bdc2 that?”
She grumbled, rubbing her efd2f78dd9 arms.
“This is all 8b636e4ff6 because you don’t 09ea253b4e have servants. Why don’t I cbc436aa2f have even one 97573eadc6 maid? Are you b739d3ad16 that poor?”
Aiden didn’t answer and 9afebcb5af went back into the 6d8961a3cc house. It was 09b0110e11 to avoid dfffe629f1 answering a 7e3387fd87 difficult question.
She was naive b78ce3bce3 about the ways e54a5e2de9 of the world 5de39c9c3a and didn’t know 16a3d2c75b it, but even 42035bf7c6 people of lower 1988784704 status than her 3abbb7e2ef often hired servants cd0d8f11ae depending on their 3212ad9289 circumstances.
Those who had fields aac7cb0cfd and houses of the f32130834b same size as his 52ee2dedc3 usually had at least dfdeeeb3ec one maid.
Especially since he a9206cc7b5 was financially much 6d0c3c889b better off than e3fe046db1 the average farmer 0b1ccf381f in the area, de87316eb2 it would not 29f847b2c1 be strange for 5c6e193d92 him to have e276106d08 more employees.
‘But…….’
He wanted complete solitude. And yet he ba00cbd867 got married. And to 4adb4939dd a woman bdf3991c85 who was 5334e70cac as demanding 9fc4400d6c as a 96cb16bf71 princess. He chuckled and ba1e489f2e rummaged through the 15333f414b basket.
‘I guess e56df950fb it’s an 7a817cbe6d advantage that 724c7977f4 I don’t eb2f894530 have time fbfc22e8fc to indulge 60a0a80d39 in useless cfd0a7398b memories.’
As he was sorting 820bdec4ca Anje’s clothes by fabric 3de502d36f type, he noticed a 1d998fb0fb sleeve stained with ink d54aadd6b0 and narrowed his eyes.
‘I’ll have 6cc9e763b9 to get 4cb6cff7e4 this stain 01583188e2 out first.’
Typical princess, always 857644396c getting dirty. He needed buttermilk to fb5d3f666c remove the ink stain.
Since he was a58e4906d5 going to teach 9036131702 her how to f2b9d7d65c wash clothes anyway, e8ff88f403 he decided to f42259a277 let her know 5600a7c219 about this in ed504ea3f4 advance.
He took 1bb16eb5fd a bottle 51c9160e31 of buttermilk c105060246 from the 76b61d8453 pantry and 182b4cb12b went out cc825f72c4 to the 103346fd4d back porch.
“Princess?”
All he could 73bc4f3a0b see was a 83b746db17 shimmering thread, but 543684f6c1 it was the b59ba8394f reflection of her 39a4be1deb fiery red hair, aa460a1fac cascading like a 061bb23d74 waterfall, shimmering in 05bcbdec03 the sunlight.
“……Are you sleeping 6c070dd39b here?”
In response 389ed096bf to his 515b98c859 question, she 6e541de037 tilted her ad442e2c01 head and 04cf2420a6 fell fast 256c3079d0 asleep in 8748026238 her chair, a2b0bac2e2 as if 23463935a6 she might 107bf20d0c roll over 0fcbf0d1be at any c3e55c4583 moment.
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