I hated to expose my ignorance in front of Matthew, but Maggie failed to realize that.
Fact is, the people of Lang Village don’t care one bit about a child’s pride.
Even Hannah, who taught me sewing, bluntly pried into my personal business, and I had quite the struggle deflecting her questions.
“Hey, are you even listening!”
My mind had wandered because Matthew was there, and Maggie scolded me for it.
Maggie’s a good girl, but... well, she’s the general store owner’s daughter, so she can be a little intimidating sometimes.
“I am listening! You till the soil and make furrows, right?”
Maggie was demonstrating for me. Of course, the hoe she held was gleaming and well-maintained.
“Come on, Zoe, you try it now.”
Phew. My first time doing farm work. Will I do well?
I grip the hoe, raise it high above my head, and bring it down hard into the soil.
Clang! I involuntarily let go. My hands tingle badly.
“Zoe! What are you doing?” Matthew snorts with laughter. I really do hate him.
“Maggie, it looks like you should start by teaching her how to hold it properly.”
And somehow, Matthew ends up being the one to instruct me.
“Maggie can teach me just fine!” I protest, but he keeps pushing.
“You need your seeds planted today, right Maggie? I’ll teach her.”
I shoot Maggie a look pleading for help, but she ignores it.
“That would be great! If I get them planted today, Dad said he’ll take me to Carlton tomorrow!”
“Ugh, lucky! Carlton, huh...” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Huh, the forest witch won’t take you to Carlton?” Matthew is probably asking out of simple curiosity, but it irritates me.
“Zoe only came to Lang Village for the first time this winter,” Maggie explains.
Aaaah, Maggie! Don’t tell him everything! I scream internally.
“Hmm. Well then you should just ask Mr. John to take you along tomorrow!”
Eh?! I think I just saw an angelic glow from Matthew…
“That’s right! It would be fun if Zoe came with us!”
Maggie! Good girl! I love you!
I know I’m being fickle, but I stopped disliking Matthew from that moment. Besides, he’s better at teaching than Maggie.
“Don’t swing it so high—small, controlled movements work better.”
Matthew works through the soil on the opposite side of Maggie’s plot with smooth, efficient strokes. It looks so easy!
“Let me try!”
But sadly, easier said than done!
I’m not as smooth as Matthew, but with a little heave-ho here and a one-two there, I manage well enough—it is my first time, after all.
“For potatoes, you plant them with the eyes facing up. Cut them in half or thirds, and... um, you put ash on the cut parts. You know that, right?”
That’s news to me! Matthew seemed to realize that too.
“Um, doesn’t the forest witch teach you this stuff?” he asks.
“Selina is a witch, so she doesn’t do farming.”
Uh, oops! I forgot I was supposed to call her grandma.
“Huh. Is calling her by name part of witch customs?” Matthew seems to misunderstand, so I quickly nod.
“Well anyway. I’ll teach you how to plant the seeds after we finish making the furrows!”
So I ended up helping Matthew make furrows in Maggie’s field. I only managed one furrow, but yeah.