Phoenix Revenge System-Chapter 112: PRS 15 Liona

The next day, as Laus waited for the colt, the public transport that would take him to the main market, he heard two men talking not far from where he was standing. That morning, the weather was quite cool, dew still dampened the grass on the side of the road, and the sound of roosters crowing could still be heard from a distance.

"Hey, have you heard the news that Mrs. Parto is seriously ill?" asked the man wearing a faded green plaid shirt, looking at his friend as if seeking an answer. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, like someone who had just received important information.

His friend, who was being stared at in such a manner, spontaneously looked left and right, as if the news he was about to share was very secret. "Don’t tell anyone, okay? This is news from a neighbor who lives near their house," he whispered, leaning closer.

After making sure that no one was listening to their conversation, the man in the dark brown and light brown striped shirt immediately spoke in a very soft voice, but because he was so close to Laus, Laus could still hear the conversation even though he continued to stare at the road, as if he hadn’t heard anything, even though his ears were wide open because he was curious about what the two were talking about.

"Shh...this is a secret. Don’t let it get out. Actually, Mrs. Parto is not seriously ill as people have heard, but she was almost killed by her fourth son-in-law due to a dispute over the sale of an inherited house. You know yourself that when it comes to inheritance, the extended family is bound to argue. Now, the boss’s mother is in the hospital in critical condition. Boss Parto immediately went there to handle the matter because it reportedly involved the police. At the time of the attack, several neighbors happened to see what happened and immediately reported it to the village head. It’s so sad that an elderly person still has to face problems like that," he whispered softly with a concerned tone.

"Oh my God, is it that serious? No wonder Mr. Parto looked so rushed when he left yesterday," replied his friend with a surprised look on his face.

"Yes, that’s why I said this is a secret. The family doesn’t want this to be widely known because they are embarrassed. But, you know, they are neighbors, so they will find out," added the man in the green shirt, shaking his head.

Laus did not expect Mr. Parto’s problem to be this complicated. No wonder Liona said that Mr. Parto would only be back next month. "I feel sorry for him. He is already old and has to deal with such family problems," thought Laus to himself.

Just as the gossip-filled conversation was about to continue, the colt that everyone was waiting for arrived with a loud honk, causing the two men to stop talking and immediately get into the vehicle that would take them to their destination.

Inside the crowded colt, the two men no longer continued their conversation because the issue they were discussing was quite sensitive. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was lively with various conversations from other passengers, some talking about vegetable prices at the market, some complaining about the weather, and others discussing their neighbors’ plans.

Laus, who had been looking forward to some juicy gossip, felt a little disappointed, but what could he do? It was someone else’s family secret, and it was not appropriate for outsiders to pry into their neighbors’ lives, so he began to focus on looking ahead, occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead. It was starting to feel hot even though it was still early in the morning.

In this day and age, public transportation like the Colt was very hard to find. Even if it was available, it could only operate four times a day to pick up passengers, two drops and two pickups per day, due to the steep and dangerous mountain terrain. The winding roads with cliffs on one side made the journey very cautious.

Due to the limited number of public vehicles that can transport residents to other places further away, every time it arrives, the vehicle is immediately filled to capacity, preventing the doors from closing properly. This forces the public transport conductor, who is responsible for collecting fares, to stand holding the doors shut to prevent them from opening wide, which could endanger other road users.

"Sir, please move over a little, there are still people who want to get on," shouted the conductor to the passengers who were already crammed inside.

"Oh, it’s already so full, how can we fit anyone else in?" complained one of the passengers while trying to make room.

After nearly an hour in the crowded vehicle, passing through potholed roads and steep inclines that made the Colt engine work hard, at the final stop—the main market—Laus and several other residents who also had business there quickly got off, relieved to breathe fresh air.

In order to shop quickly, Laus immediately reached into his pocket, took out the list given to him by Lura, and began shopping according to the order. "Two kilos of shallots, one kilo of chilies, one packet of shrimp paste..." he muttered as he read the shopping list while walking into the market, which was already crowded with vendors and buyers.

With the list, shopping time was much more efficient and avoided forgetting to buy the items and ingredients needed for the event. In the modern era, if we forget an ingredient, we can run to the minimarket or buy it online, and the items we need can be delivered in minutes.

But in this era, especially in a remote place like this, just going to the main market takes an hour’s drive. If something is forgotten, how can it be found? Therefore, making a shopping list is considered a smart and very time-saving action.

"How much are the coconuts, ma’am?" Laus asked the vendor.

"Five thousand rupiah each, sir. They’re still fresh, picked this morning," replied the vendor with a friendly smile.

"I’ll take ten, ma’am. Please pick out the good ones." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

After getting all the items and ingredients he needed, his shopping bag was full of various items, so Laus stopped by the cendol vendor’s cart to quench his thirst while waiting for the next colt to arrive. "One cendol, please, with lots of ice," he ordered from the vendor while wiping the sweat from his neck.

Meanwhile, at home, as usual, everyone was busy working. With the wooden house that Laus had built, everyone felt more comfortable working because the rooms were quite spacious and the ceiling was high, making it cooler compared to the kitchen in Laus’s house. Not only was it cramped, but the roof was also low, so when it was time to fry, everyone felt hot, as if they were in an oven.

Everyone worked while chatting and gossiping, so no matter how much work there was, it didn’t feel like much. Before they knew it, they had finished processing several sacks of cassava, sweet potatoes, and corn.

"Hey, did you hear that someone in the next village is getting married again next month?" said one of the women while continuing to peel cassava.

"Who? Lastri? She’s been a widow for a long time," replied another woman.

"Yes, she found a partner from the city who works in an office."

Lura, who had just entered the room, saw her beautiful baby moving restlessly and immediately came over and took her to the bathroom to pee by holding her (helping or supporting her, especially when helping a small child pee or poop by holding them and lifting their legs).

"Come on, dear, let’s go to the bathroom first. You need to pee, don’t you, dear?" whispered Lura softly as she carefully carried Lani.

Since she was one day old, Lani had been trained to use the potty, so she never wet the bed or had bowel movements on the mattress. This made Lura’s work easier and the bed didn’t smell of urine like it did when her three older siblings were babies, who had to be aired out every day because they wet the bed every night.

In those days, diapers weren’t available yet, so if a baby wet the bed, the mother had to be ready every day to wash the diapers and clothes that got wet, making the work of a new mother in that era more difficult compared to today, where everything needed is readily available.

In addition, the advantage of being able to hear Liona’s heartbeat was enormous. They could hear when the baby was hungry, sleepy, or needed to urinate or defecate.

After Liona urinated and was cleaned with warm water, Lura carried her and took her to the production house in the backyard while bringing a pot of freshly made sweet iced tea. "You ladies must be thirsty, I made some sweet tea," she said with a smile.

The women who worked helping Lura were quite familiar with Lani, so when the baby arrived, everyone scrambled to hold her.

"Wow, Liona is here! Come here, come here, with aunty," exclaimed one of the women, reaching out her hand.

"Eh, I was holding her first, now it’s my turn," protested another mother with a laugh.

"Ladies, the day after tomorrow, Lani will be born, so production will be closed for two days. I really need your help, all of you here. You will still be paid for working on the holiday because you will be helping me cook here. I hope you are all willing to help," said Lura softly and hopefully.

"Wow, Liona, it’s already time for the selapan. It feels like it came so quickly," exclaimed one of the mothers as she pinched Lani’s cheek affectionately.

"What are you talking about, Lura? Of course we will all help with Lani’s selapan. You’re just like everyone else, still asking for help," replied another mother in a friendly tone.

"Yes, Lura, just ask us what you need us to do. You don’t need to be shy with anyone. We’re like family," added Budhe Sumiati as she lovingly carried Lani.

"All of us who live in this village are like siblings. Whether it’s big or small, we will work together and share the burden. That has been our tradition since long ago. Never feel alone, Lura."

Hearing these heartwarming words, Lura’s eyes welled up with tears. She had made the right choice in leaving her family for the love and affection of the man she had chosen. Tears were about to fall from her reddened eyes.

Lani, who was in Budhe Sumiati’s arms, also felt that the sense of family and tolerance in the village of Suka was quite high, so she was lucky to be born here.

"Thank God, everyone around my mother and family are good people. If my family becomes successful in the future, we will certainly not forget their kindness and will try to improve the village’s economy in the future with various product development innovations that my mother will sell. It seems that at this event, I have to give my mother some unique and special cake recipes so that she can also take orders for cakes for celebrations like this or sell them directly at school, as usual, through the canteen," thought Lani as she began to search for cake recipes that were easy to make and used ingredients that were commonly available nowadays.

Lura, who heard that Lani was going to give her the recipes, was of course very happy and excited, so she hurried back home with the excuse of putting Lani to bed and letting the mothers in the production house finish their work.

"Ladies, I’ll go inside first to put Liona to bed. I’ll make lunch for all of you later this afternoon," Lura said with a smile as she took Liona back into the house.