Chapter 24 Hard Work vs Talent

Inside the Hill residence, Stefani was still trying hard not to cry. Emerald and her other siblings ages 3, 5, and 8 were trying to calm the shaking youth. Stefani, upon being comforted by little children, couldn't help but feel more emotional. She started bawling her eyes out.

"I don't care about him anymore!" Stefani cried out, "why... -hic- why did he have to treat me like that? I'm not useless! I'm not handicapped!" She cried even louder. What upset her the most wasn’t the fact that she couldn’t do the tasks given to her well but it was that Jonathan was treating her as if she couldn’t do anything right at all.

Emerald shook her head, her little hands caressing Stefani's back. "Calm down, Big Sister. Maybe big brother Jonathan is just trying to help you since you're younger than him..."

Stefani bawled her fists, her face contorted in anger. "I'm not a kid anymore!!" Then she started crying loudly again. "I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!!!"

It was lunchtime when Ruby came from her work and found Stefani playing with the little kids.

"Why is she here?" Ruby asked, giving a cold glance at Stefani.

"She and big brother Jonathan fought," Emerald explained.

Now a bit distracted from her fight with her fiance, Stefani pouted, "P-Please let me stay here for a while, Big Sister!"

Ruby looked away, giving a cold shoulder to Stefani whom she finds useless. She really hates people who can't do anything.

"Big sis! I saw your favorite model on TV! But only for a second, hehehe," Emerald cheerfully exclaimed.

Ruby glared at Emerald, "Why don't you help mother in the field instead of playing, Emerald?!"

Emerald looked hurt, looking down.

Stefani frowned. "Y-You shouldn't yell at your sister like that!"

Ruby glared at Stefani next. "Stay out of this. And it's not like you understand. If you can't do anything, you're useless. This is why your husband always has to take your parts. You can't do anything right!"

Stefani felt her chest stabbed multiple times. She didn't expect words to hurt her physically like this. Emerald and the other kids circled around her, trying to calm her down again and prevent her from crying. They too were startled by their older sister's angry voice.

Ruby gave them all a cold dismissing glance and headed to their small kitchen area and started cooking.

While preparing lunch for the entire family, Ruby wondered what her life could be if she had left and gone to the city to pursue her dreams. She had dreamt of chasing after her goals, her dreams, to be a successful fashion designer someday but there was that hindrance. Poverty. Now she began to wonder, if she had completed her studies before, maybe she could've been a better person right now. Better than tending the fields and cooking for the entire family every single day.

She was too occupied with her own thoughts she didn't notice Stefani had already appeared behind her.

"U-Umm," Stefani fidgeted, looking down. "C-Can I help-"

Ruby glared at Stefani, "No." Her parents had received a good amount of money from Jonathan and because of that, they became responsible to feed the couple during their stay.

"But I want to help!" Stefani said, voice full of determination unlike the one she had previously that ticked Ruby off to the core.

Ruby gave a dissing look at Stefani and turned around, "Tch. Do whatever you want."

Stefani, now in a lighter mood, smiled and began to help Ruby prepare their lunch. There were times Stefani felt almost giving up, with all her mistakes making some food going to waste that received a hell of a scolding from Ruby, but Ruby still patiently taught the younger. It was an extremely fun thing for Stefani, being able to learn new things, trying and accomplishing them herself.

"Big sister... Thank you," Stefani said, smiling at the woman who just taught her how to make a radish soup when everyone was already on the table and started eating.

Ruby looked away, "Whatever. Just eat."

Everyone dug into their meals with a few chats and jokes and laughs exchanged around. It was peaceful and suddenly Stefani was reminded of home. What was her father thinking right now? With his overly protective nature, Stefani became worried. Her father, friends, and everyone in the city who cares for her and Jonathan must be extremely worried right now. And... Stefani won't admit it ever but they kind of missed them.

"That's right, Big sis. I saw Lisa on TV this morning! But only for a swish swash because the tv is acting funny again," Emerald said, earning a laugh from everyone.

"Lisa?" Stefani blinked, feeling familiar with the name.

"Yes! The model from HE Cosmetics! Lisa is big sis' idol! Big sis wants to be a fashion designer!" Emerald declared proudly.

"Emerald!" Ruby warned, though a bit blushing as her secret was now out.

Stefani paused upon hearing her family's company. HE Cosmetics. Now she remembered. Lisa is indeed one of their models. Not that she usually cared because she didn't know much of her father's business but now that it was mentioned, Stefani couldn't help but feel excitement deep in her.

Before she could utter a word, Mrs. Hill and Uncle Han came with Jonathan who was kind of drenched from sweat.

Finding Jonathan, Stefani looked away, frowning and visibly still angry at the man.

Jonathan sighed, taking his seat next to Stefani who was purposely not giving him even a single glance after washing his hands.

"Jonathan here is really good in tending the soil. Can't you believe we're almost done planting our last batch in only two days? Ah, I wonder where you get all this energy, Jonathan?" Uncle Han asked, still amazed how everything he teaches Jonathan, Jonathan would learn them all quickly and accurately. It was like he could memorize every step and every instruction Uncle Han would give and it was amazing because Uncle Han himself couldn't do all those works as fast and as accurately as Jonathan did when he was around Jonathan's age.

Jonathan only humbly smiled at that. For him, everything was business. He only needed to cooperate and do his (and Stefani's) tasks until the bus or Mr. Ten's mini truck came that would take them back to the city. Until then, he would need to cooperate with the people of this village and help them in their jobs as much as he could.

"Ah, that's right. big brother, big sis Stefani helped big sis Ruby prepare our lunch today. The soup is really yummy!" Jade, the Hill’s five-year-old kid, said, smiling brightly.

Jonathan glanced at his fiancee, finding her blushing hard on her seat while telling Jade to not say anything anymore.

"Really?" Jonathan asked, glancing down the said soup, amazed how it really did look like a radish soup.

"Y-You don't have to eat it if you don't want to! Since you think I can't do anything right anyway!" Stefani said sulkily, still hurt how Jonathan treated her like a handicapped person.

Jonathan, without thinking twice, tasted the said soup and started eating lunch as he too was hungry after working for straight hours. All the while Stefani kept glancing at him secretly, noticing how Jonathan didn't say anything bad about her cooking, feeling an incredible warmth in her heart.

"Good job," Jonathan suddenly said in a low voice, giving a soft pat on Stefani's head.

Stefani's heart started beating wildly against her chest and Stefani wondered, feeling a lump in her throat, afraid, so so afraid anyone could hear it besides her.