Looking at the crude wooden bear Aroura seemed to have stars shining in her eyes. At this moment Jason's father stopped talking with Edmund as he looked at Jason with a frown.
With a serious tone, he spoke firmly, "Jason. I told you to stop this childish practice."
Jack was a decently large merchant to whom Edmund had started to sell a lot of his extra produce to. Edmund only spends a single day selling his products which limits what he can sell, so many of his extra products are sold to merchants like Jack. Jack offered a better price for his produce if he consistently brought more to sell to him, so Edmund agreed.
This has led to fruitful cooperation, especially with how much produce Edmund is producing with the help of Ambrose. Having more and more extra produce every time he sold helped in their blossoming friendship.
"Come now Jack. How much harm can a little whittling do?" Edmund spoke up defending the boy who was entertaining his daughter.
Jack frowned, but still explained himself, "Unless he becomes a decent mage I won't go easy on him. We are merchants after all."
Edmund smiled as he spoke with slight pride, "Well, you never know what hobbies can bring. I mean my kids left me to do their hobbies for the first five years of their lives, but now they made their hobbies into something useful. Just look at the farms here! Haha!
Everything is designed by my son Ambrose! Every plant is juicier or gives more fruit thanks to my daughter Lily! My youngest daughter Aroura here is on her journey to be a scholar with how much knowledge she learns daily!
I think your son Jason here will likely gain something good as well. After all, whittling takes time and focus. If he can learn to focus while he is this young he can learn to focus on other things when he is older. For example, focusing on ledgers or something of the sort."
Jack's frown disappeared as he considered deeply what was being told to him. He knew that Edmund wasn't a fool. He had observed Edmund for a while before offering him the deal they have now.
He watched as many merchants wanted to scam his produce by buying at a lower price, but instead, he gave it all away in front of them just to show the other merchants what it meant to give him such a low price.
When too many merchants tried to scam him he sold everything at half price to anyone besides the merchants to show them that they wouldn't earn a cent from him. This ended up working decently as they saw their profits disappearing and they relented after a single year.
Everything showed that Edmund knew what he was doing when it came to reading people and getting what he wanted. This gave him credit in Jack's mind about what hobbies could do for his child in the future. Although he had only ever wanted to be a merchant growing up, he knew his son wasn't so keen.
Jason was only his oldest son currently, he had two other children who were just babies. Although they would start later, it wasn't impossible to have Jason become something else. Though it would be inconvenient, he hoped that listening to Edmund would bring him profit.
After thinking of all of this Jack nodded his head and spoke, "Alright, but have your daughter there to make sure he learns more. If she is truly becoming the scholar you claim I would be happy for her to teach my son a thing or two. If they get closer I will even give her more books so she can study more, then we can talk about a closer connection."
Edmund looked at Jack for a moment and nodded his head. Looking at his daughter who was getting along well with Jason he nodded again as he spoke, "You hear that? Aroura you are now in charge of Jason's study. Make sure to teach him everything you know about math, reading, writing, and maybe a bit about the edible plants your siblings taught you about. In return, Jason make sure to teach Aroura everything you know about whittling."
***
"*hah* Finally no one is saying their name!"
"Yes! *hah*"
Breathing heavily, the twins spoke about surviving the waves of people introducing themselves. Just as they thought they could rest, many of the children's parents started crowding them to introduce themselves.
Many acted like they already knew everything about them despite needing an introduction. Others simply introduced themselves and left. Others still ignored them since, well, they were children.
A few tried to pinch their cheeks and baby them to which the twins ran away and picked up some farming tools to defend themselves. Only after a woman started bleeding from a cut from Ambrose's scythe and a lecture from their mother did the baby stop. Not because their mother did something, but instead because no one wanted a possible infection.
Luckily they knew enough about the medical plants that they quickly brought back a medical salve that would prevent infections. Unfortunately, no one trusted the children who attacked with farming tools as if their lives depended on it when all that was happening was a little babying. Especially because the twins nearly threw the salve at the woman telling her to apply it to herself while standing a meter away.
This had caused a ruckus as many started complaining and some were asking what reparations they should ask for. Luckily Adeline made sure to tell everyone that this salve was in fact great at healing and preventing infections. Otherwise, things could have gone further.
Yet this display didn't frighten the children, instead, they acted even more interested as they crowded the pair once again as they tried to talk to them. Some calling them cool while others wondering if they should do the same to defend themselves from their parents.
Safe to say many parents weren't going to have fun when they returned home with their children.