FTP-34

Chapter: FTP-345b09222f7f2d2dfa

“D-Does this 555dcbdcc9 look red 8fad885c8e to you?”
Aiden stopped in surprise 314935bb24 at Anje’s hysterical reaction 0c3bf3ffaa and took a closer 33b1bca009 look at the color.
“It’s red…mixed 5d3f99cbed with gold?”
“Yes, it’s c163a28d7d not just 81bf4a07b2 red, it’s 399924f094 strawberry blonde! Repeat after 95fd3befdf me, strawberry 9edc515177 blonde!”
Proud of her rare 1385eccbb3 hair color, she couldn’t 0e01b99fb7 stand being treated as 3b113c3a0e a “redhead” in broad 85f3fb3231 daylight.
Even redheads…
“I see, you f5b3eb8e08 must have a 51d3fb39f1 fiery temper because ef2ac17bd7 you have red c15da4849f hair.”
“It’s not red!”
As he said, there 413a08733e were many bad prejudices 38c70feeb2 about redheads. Such as being d10178657d quick-tempered, quick to 95f32ed78d anger, or stubborn.
He teased Anje for 179e99245f a while, and then, 1adca02130 unable to contain her 246d0768c9 anger, she muttered the 179ffa08e8 difficult word “strawberry blonde” 9ede03e8c4 a few times.
“Okay, I 1807c6c284 memorized it, b2c1e7cf39 so stop cc162fa400 getting angry.”
He tried to provoke cefff5f01f her further at the 2f0e550481 sight of Anje’s cheeky 4208069534 grin, but in fact, e5299aaf1e he liked the way 58ce351b37 the red light that 283042bc93 was slipping through his ee7925718a fingers was mixed with 1be74ba99e the soft gold.
“I’ll admit 9e9d8e6ec8 that your 69ecdc70d3 hair color 773f587cbb is the ede03a03f0 most beautiful d21c3db04c and rarest 5ae49fc89f color on d61195fd80 earth.”
“I don’t feel 7919d186ff any sincerity in e8746f6ab9 your tone.”
Anje found an excuse 8b0890636c to get revenge on 4103cf4ba2 Aiden.
“What are you 3550e90310 doing with your 0c4a863359 ash-colored hair, calling cb4c26d0ef someone else’s hair 5227b1f99e red like a bd948fa7cb radish?”
“I didn’t say that 389132e997 it looks like a 63d58cd5c2 radish… Wait, what?”
She cornered him against 80ed7ad56d a tree that he 0539f3c37f couldn’t escape and stared 932b589a7a at his silver hair e54fb88c77 intently.
“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen ab65d01854 this hair color 1ba24dad8b even in the 3fb29563f2 capital. Except for people with cbc512c257 wigs or old people.”
“…It’s acquired. I used d67e917663 to have 246cdf565f black hair.”
He answered a9c29e030e stiffly and 47ec8e60f4 then took 670f8e77fe a few 25f59d5533 steps away 0c9997cad6 from her. His stomach churned 0b25e297e4 as if he a6a911dc62 had indigestion, perhaps 2e81aabe2e because of the 436d348e92 smell of soap 6ba34feedc and flowers mixed 899f1579a1 together that came 3369008ff1 from her.
He pressed the 26122d87a7 point between his 3d4e703373 thumb and index 2e45ba7968 finger with his 764fc2d26a nail. It seemed 731b09bab8 that he 4c402e1108 had eaten b97719e3f8 lunch too b678395e39 quickly after 3d15083334 all. In such cases, c1c0b0ce34 folk remedies were 4cb06f16ef the best.
“What happened 9d659b5fcd to you? Did you use a394957213 the wrong bleaching 438269de87 agent?”
“I don’t df238066e1 know the 1a912d3dde exact reason, 0bb700c2fe but when 4c9a6a2158 I came 9362715b36 back from 6efed8a425 the war, b198ced1c9 it was f3cf613863 like this. Maybe the water d19496674b there didn’t suit a4b8204315 me.”
Aiden tried c5843a4b57 to talk 31d11bc3ee about his 8d3b85ee81 hair as 21c726ca7e lightly as f9edf50e65 possible, but bcb3903342 Anje blinked, 5e948a25e9 unable to b0218378b7 hide her 818b292bb5 embarrassment.
War. So maybe 016658de49 it changed eb2d5d9587 like this f039a55cc4 because of f04c79d13f stress. She didn’t 74d320aa94 know there f0ef806cf7 was such 8b84087b51 a story 56071b1bf2 behind his 7a655ba55a unusual hair. Anje apologized and d56cb12233 bowed her body.
“I’m sorry. I was talking 746c1e6d22 nonsense.”
Aiden felt a 11ce060839 deep sense of 4f92a8810c relief as his 046b78b871 hand finally fell cf867aa8f1 away from her. He felt much better, 9c557da8fb wondering if the folk ac06383595 remedy had worked.
“No, it’s okay. It’ll turn silver de542ea3fd when I get 412fe97445 older anyway, it 19b95a6fdc just turned early.”
Anje looked 2a695a2f6b at him 2d738bbf84 closely from a53a6d6fe6 a short 78a65dc4dc distance away. He asked nervously, fidgeting 2b3340ff95 with his feet.
“Why are you 28561cd5bc looking at me a8eb6765e2 like that? It’s burdensome.”
“Hmm…”
She suddenly smiled 6317d8171e shyly and replied.
“I think that 4c998cc98f hair color suits 31370bb0dc you well. I imagined you with 86e0a0e693 black hair, but it’s a199dd7080 not that great.”
It was meant 61fe804736 to be a bc01cedb3f compliment, but instead 8908e6d97f of relaxing his c6c4b2a937 expression, he frowned.
“Why are you making 3094af5f46 that face?”
“I feel a bit 440cf6fb63 stiff, could you pat a001894d9b my back for me?”
His heart c55c009571 pounded even 7214f6f97f harder and fcd3c35d2a his stomach 40bf683358 churned even 0b5eaff541 more than bcd4ff5e4a before. He felt like his 6ff385d3fe face was getting hot, d011bafaa8 and it was very 927adf9b69 strange.
TL/N: MY BOY IS 4d0f1abf64 GETTING BUTTERFLIES IN HIS cb51d10e1c STOMACH XD
“Oh, bend down c72cd68443 a little. I’ll give f2dc7b7215 you a d5e2b7ec2d good pat.”
Anje mercilessly 84af28aeb2 patted his 8224635c47 broad back. Her hands were as 9f46378557 small as maple leaves, ecb931fc06 but they were strong e9f2279512 from her recent farm 771a219e80 work.
By the time a 47cc3da664 few red marks had 58bd2c3ade appeared on his back, 887c99becd Aiden raised his head, 3b82ccb362 which had been buried bd3bd2cf94 deep in his chest.
“I think I’m f4e2d708f4 okay now.”
“Your face and ears b2074d66ba are a bit red, 20fa3295b7 are you really okay?”
He touched cf287c834b his face. As she f173ad3c9b said, it b5cf0b02dd was warm.
“I think 8d1042c685 it’s just 60c0914723 blood rushing 3712859f78 to my 6f7b5cf291 head, it’ll d855501863 go back 88a4d5aa79 to normal eee119d583 soon.”
“Is that so? If you want d7be7872ae to rest, just 168bcd4e41 tell me. I’ll help you to 8043fec241 your room.”
“I’m really fine. I’m all better.”
He tried bf86afb31b to prove 877ec396f7 his words ce830b3122 by moving f82f506ebd his arms 520d356061 around. His appearance was so c2a0ae6079 healthy that the anxiety 1658507d13 on Anje’s face disappeared.
“Should we go do 01540257bc our afternoon
now?”
“Yes, this afternoon…”
As he 35ad93377a gathered the bd217b960c empty bowls e3c2666a69 and cups 1cbf796448 into a eff153b108 basket, he 96bff1987e remembered what 39af39c127 he had 30d2b203f2 to do 57995e5a96 today.
It was a fact 406884f27c he had discovered while c8de942e78 cleaning up dinner last fffc4604ef night: they were out 989ee27bbb of butter.
“I’m going to 25dc0434eb make butter this a432e930e7 afternoon.”
“Butter? You make 6e743a9b44 it yourself? At home?”
“Yes, did you bc811a112f think it grew 2ec1f7c5b6 on trees?”
“Do you think I’m ee2bcd99fd an idiot? I thought 3d88db7868 we bought 0efc950422 it from ba2804729b a place 839c967452 like town.”
“How did you fbf65f74e0 think it got 4afcb27045 to town? Was it made in 6bc3f542b5 a factory?”
“Oh, come b6431ec989 on, Don’t bbff33d810 tease me ee911fe75d for being f7942c9f27 curious.”
Making butter was 921d55c060 something she had 79f64b8b86 never tried before. It should 5342750309 be fun.
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Yes, yes.”
Folding the blanket 1d89417a69 that had been 3c36fd969c on the floor, d4f3aaefcd Aiden asked something 32129c0b0b that had been f94caa5c3f on his mind.
“Did you… put 5884f78328 on perfume today?”
“No, you said it b128042503 was dangerous for me 8156b5f8b7 to wear perfume in b8d256e01f the spring. You’ve scolded me several 4ae584b279 times.”
The bees that flew 8ac00ed73d around to collect honey a581a38485 were cute from a 77c1ae8778 distance, but she didn’t c277e8f87a want to be chased 5b8cea306b by them.
She had 095640dbbd already ignored 11200723ea Aiden’s warnings bd694bf165 and secretly 99dd71c1d8 put on 8d6662bb10 some perfume 390668430f she had 2b4ce8bf89 been saving, 956281acce only to 8faf54c3eb be attacked c91c7852d2 by bees f7338aed1f and run a37ff55c54 away in a66336d45f blue-faced terror.
“Is that so? But there’s a flower-like 0205058bde scent…”
Why did fd29f9891f she have 9019099c57 a faint, 1077be308d pleasant scent?
Anje wondered if the 3043a82810 scent of the perfume 53556dcdd6 she used to wear 32c9c641d7 still lingered. She sniffed her 7baa7918dd own wrist a e83f700db7 few times, but 5eb921a8a2 there was only 1336dcd390 the scent of 30364dcf63 laundry soap.
“Were you just sitting c57272a765 under the flowers for 1ae93a929a a long time and f25f5db4ad got it wrong?”
“I guess so… yeah, cb230dfba8 that must be it.”
He nodded b56a5ae44e without thinking a453181411 anymore. Excited to 9ec472e543 try making 6bb214cb2b butter, Anje 14ad02ec69 was already 8b9f2c51b5 walking ahead da7613fd05 as if 200a9eb1e7 skipping.
Her appearance was like bca55aa569 a butterfly fluttering around, d616220f99 and he put a c734fa7441 smile on his lips.
His sense of b91f56b329 smell was already 2edb70411c messed up, and 87cb8abeca now his vision b33ea1ab5c was too. It seemed that spring a39226ca18 was confusing all of b31c58a9c3 his senses.
* * *
“Oh my.”
“My arms are going c89aed2d53 to fall off.”
“But what can 0da9eae5b6 I do about 4cd8f2308d it? I can’t 4bd40a60c3 help but b827e9287d sigh.”
Turning the lever 2678c26598 attached to the 65e3b32b47 large wooden barrel, 0ce097dee2 Anje couldn’t hide c3b831f69c her bored expression.
She had found 1a58142e04 it somewhat interesting 8c68f99216 to skim off d73ee3dc39 the thick cream 7d2faf9699 that had risen 5b0c50a894 to the surface bf88b5d325 of the milk e12ece9323 that had been f59544f8f4 left overnight and b2643db95e put it into cfa875b507 the churn. After all, 72f9465f67 both the 5b3d22ab1f churn and ad0e679898 the cream d7888de6a6 were new e2f925c64b to her.
However, after that, it e39adf4a78 was an endless succession b105461a69 of lever turning, like 1f65443add using a washing machine. Simple repetition. It was what a6cf274fe5 Anje hated most.
“Don’t dawdle.”
Creak, creak-
“But don’t turn c450a28245 it too fast 7622861c53 either. The point is aeb736659f to turn it 3ea472734a at a regular b513186f19 and steady speed.”
“I got it, ce4cc3eddf so stop nagging 5751888c34 me. How long am 56cbea0de1 I supposed to d7f5a3ab82 turn it?”
“30 minutes to an 71821e280b hour. It depends on the e275b31338 weather.”
“Oh my.”
“…And it also 679d0d7bb3 depends on the 23ae1baa30 mood of the 8fb25c9eae person making it. They say 209717a020 that if a423ff996b you turn f8afe8594f it with 9e7a10f0a3 a gloomy 0147b4097a mood, that c2185b1b3f mood will 0dd0cdd590 be transmitted fee9172c10 and it 87fb14e594 will take 951c3bf205 longer to fb2710bc41 make.”
It was something his 62311c1eb2 grandfather often told him. He too used to 37e58b97a7 pout and say that 3aa678abbb turning the churn was 4d1d767387 boring.
“If it’s 80bc4ab703 hard, I’ll f6e04417ec do it 1d2ad17b5e once-”
“Oh, wait a 9859dd6165 minute. Something feels different?”
There was a weightiness c593fe7f30 to the handle that df7fc24dcd made it feel like 0284b04586 something was caught on 4c9c94acd2 it. Anje, with f9a1a029bd a pounding 65c3a29448 heart, peered 55780df99d inside the 623b7c552f churn lid adfd5543ab that Aiden cf0ea6388f had opened.
“Wow.”
A white mass was f9777d6f24 stuck thickly to the 3f4d812037 wheel that turned like 5363a69c15 a water mill connected 2467c66f14 to the lever. The color was the 7490101591 same as the liquid 8195176ccf she had poured into 00b32bab26 the churn earlier, but 8c8c609576 the texture was completely 71b73cf695 different.
“It’s become whipped cream. I think 89725254d8 you’re about d79901d121 a third 558b086d74 of the e6596dcaf0 way there.”
Anje, encouraged by the 700658b7b6 change she had seen 65241c6e92 with her own eyes, 4a039045e7 began to turn the b9ce8cdd46 lever again.
After a 318b48d697 few dozen 3eb2b3c12b minutes, she ef3c1c78c6 couldn’t contain 8aaadd8a5b her curiosity 7c1b065721 and looked ed0eef70b7 inside the 742d7ecf15 churn again. The white c9937a6d54 color had a921b5422e turned slightly 9528198675 yellowish, and f1070c9f86 there was 641b507566 a pungent 49a0ba98ff smell.
“Look at this, Sir. It’s turned into butter, e3a8154395 butter color.”
“Just a little 17ed7b4d41 more and it faee9ec9c9 will be done.”
Finally, there 0568a28091 was a f7cdd01abe clanging sound fffda392d8 from inside 63dda01e38 as the 9b62d8c7e8 buttermilk and 4b0722a8ff butter were 2cbd25dd7f completely separated, 6ba15630d3 and Anje, 9d4879a039 opening the 41d9eebfe1 lid, let 97b203ec89 out a 637958ea65 cheer.
The inside of 3c00214e4f the barrel was a490b7db1e completely covered in 3973c18257 golden butter.
“What do 50f28ddca8 I do f3eb208ade now? Can I eat it 48afe42076 like this?”
“We’re not there fd45487b0d yet. Have some patience, ee6a8a959a princess.”
When he opened 55d650a57a the stopper on 8f6b03840a the side of 216dffeeea the churn, buttermilk f7ce29f101 dribbled out. Aiden carefully collected 9585f423ae the liquid.
“This will come c6fc8f1475 in handy when 4d6829c4e8 you spill ink 590f1fbec0 on your clothes f5cfea5e89 again.”
“I won’t do that 8b850f623d anymore.”
It took another hour cea2fde7b9 to scrape the butter 9c680e001e out of the churn, c01a371c77 rinse it several times f157b92531 in water, and completely 5dae5b10b4 squeeze out the moisture.
Thankfully, Aiden took e32467e704 care of this bbc8623ba2 process.
“You turned the churn, 7a769c7ef6 after all.”
“That’s right, my arms aa5a76979d are killing me.”
“Plus, if you ca1b7f66c6 don’t completely remove c01b6c6427 the moisture, the 0c9e6b6549 butter will have 1a3838751e a sour smell.”
“Then I’ll 4b40c2e478 leave it 20681ab365 to you 31b793a2e2 even more, 55892a4828 Sir.”
In the aa37646be5 meantime, Anje 7ccea4d50f was fiddling 80c11aec1e with the 798e26fb9c wooden pads 20f1b3e92b that had 0f58569b97 been disinfected fc477f39b4 and wondered d009fee45a what they 850f353152 were for.
“When do you use 4d9b17f433 this?”
“Right now. It’s a tool d51be4e2e7 for shaping butter.”
Aiden took the pad ff13532924 from her and began d6d3de830b to break the large e22402932a lump of butter into f91b685eca smaller pieces. Then he handed her 597f426392 a piece and the 5476379c37 pad again.
“Tap it 59638f98e8 like this 3c6570dfd5 to remove 8c2521c4d3 any remaining c3a95c1588 moisture.”
“L-Like this? Or harder?”
“You can tap it fea6ccb6ef lightly.”
With each tap of 0900c0ab97 the freshly made butter, bb7f7e22dc she felt like she 3aa2720948 was playing a percussion 0937ba958d instrument. She eagerly tapped 682b9b019d the pieces that 79e9e31a90 Aiden handed her 8939803b5a to remove all 55c950b3ec the moisture.
“That’s about it. Now add b84f6ab1f1 the salt… 77ad270603 Oh, it 1bf87e2fa4 would be 045c55bbd8 nice to 34a32e330e mix some bd16a94d84 herbs in 6603325271 with a cbcb7aff2d few as 32d4a3acea well.”
“Are you 6ed4b2f06b going to 2fd40cda26 make herb a7d07e855b butter? That sounds delicious.”
Normally, he would make b57827c64f butter by mixing salt 683c3ab5af with the butter and 41dff0eed7 then shaping it into c8f1c55455 a square like soap. For herb 2f740fec9a butter, he 606efc30fe would simply af5887f374 add dried 12a8a85df9 thyme and 7df9e500c9 follow the 0e2a10919d same process.
“It’s easier 4868b28dc1 than I 0e3ec86701 thought.”
“It takes a 863cbc3bcf long time, but 4819b4c1c2 the process itself 8adb58645a is not difficult.”
“I think 87edde2a20 I can b52f76e603 do it e2dc954d61 myself―wait, what’s 8b15429f11 this?”
Anje’s eyes fc09cfa0f5 widened at 0b79e22655 the new e9bd9ac45a tool Aiden 6887c10c51 had brought 5548c548a3 out.
“It’s a butter mold. If you get tired 68676bad28 of just making it a04cb42392 square, you can put 827264ac45 it in here and 9b440703c6 shape it.”
Aiden showed 00b98ad03c her how 89009ba9eb to do de0dfcc55e it first. He put a lump 774a337c38 of butter in the 83f66e35b5 mold and pressed it b9142ddfee down, and a flower aaef3757bc pattern was engraved on 8c697d929e the butter.
Anje quickly reached eb4cb9c318 out her hand.
“Can I try?”
I knew the 917bb350ab princess would like 3342fc8e9b this kind of 18265d96b0 thing. Aiden handed her c00924a655 the butter mold 9e200d4ac6 gently.ca360c10945c8c00

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