Garu laughed, feeling funny from time to time.
At the same time, Menmo nodded at Juan, signaling him to continue.
"Thank you." Juan expressed his thanks.
"The building that we'll be planning must be big and two stories high."
"Why?"
Menmo asked directly. Garu was just listening seriously by the side, waiting for him to continue.
"Because the next generations of Village Chief will also be using it. By then, the village would have expanded several times."
"The village chief's hand and feet won't be enough to handle everything."
Garu nodded in realization. So is Menmo, looking at Juan in appreciation.
A change in expression for the first time, albeit the look only and not the entire expression.
"The Village Chief building's main purpose is governance; it's where the whole power of the village is concentrated."
"It's where the people make decisions and choose the next development of the village."
"It's more important than what every villager may think."
Menmo raised his hand and interjected.
"I get it, so can you stop the further explanation? Just give me the short story."
It looks like Menmo isn't the one who wants to listen to a long explanation.
"Ha ha ha, that's right, Menmo wasn't the one who was willing to hear a lengthy explanation after all."
"Lately, I'm getting forgetful, aren't I? Juan, just tell us the most important details for now. Also, make sure it's useful and not just there to wait for future generations."
"Let the future village chief make the improvements himself. For now, well, build what should be needed."
Hearing Garu's words made Juan realize that he has been thinking so much of the future that he has forgotten the present.
Juan bowed, apologetic.
"I'll remember your words, Village Chief."
"Good. Let's continue." Garu nodded as he patted Juan's shoulder.
This Garu, aside from always laughing, seems to have some kink in patting someone's shoulder.
"The first floor naturally needs to be spacious, at least spacious enough for ten people to walk side by side."
"It's for people to lobby and for reception. In short, for the villagers to line up and wait as they ask for someone for help."
"The reception will lead them to the answer or help they need. Then we will add another room connected by the side through a door; this one will be just half the size of a spacious hall."
"Here will be where those people who will assist the village chief work from then on. Then well built a toilet room on the other empty side of the hall."
"Lastly, there will be two rooms on the second floor. One is for the Village Chief office room, and the other is the village treasury."
"The last room can only be accessed inside the village chief's office room. That means it is always safe under the protection of the village chief."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"That's amazing, Juan! It's a better plan than what I had in mind. No, it's more like mine is flour, but yours has already been baked into bread. It's far apart!"
Garu felt truly amazed in his heart after hearing Juan's plan. In his mind, it was enough to just build a one-room house for him and Juan to work in.
However, he forgets about other things, such as the toilet, the villagers asking for help, which naturally needs to be arranged, and more.
Menmo also looked at Juan in surprise as he nodded in agreement with his plan.
"Let's do that; still, the plan is still a plan. I need village chief and this young man—Juan, right?"
Juan nodded happily inside after being acknowledged for his plan.
Though it wasn't that hard for him because of his experience, it's not that easily thought of in this era.
"I will be needing you both in construction for any changes later. For now, I'll draw a new blueprint and give me suggestions or point out any flaws."
"Yes," Juan agreed. He also wants to partake in this kind of historical moment.
"Alright," Garu agreed happily.
For him, nothing is more important than easy things.
Then, just like that, together with Menmo and Garu.
Juan spent the whole afternoon in the former's house discussing and making the blueprint for the building.
It was a tiring job, but Juan felt happy inside. To experience working while feeling happy and enjoyable at the same time.
This is the first time, after a long time, that he feels this way. There's no need to fear making mistakes, because people won't blame you here.
There's no pressure at work when people are more understanding.
Menmo always likes to hear suggestions, while Garu will search for flaws while Juan comes up with ideas.
The three hit it off, and their building blueprint went off smoothly by the time the sun was about to start setting.
"It's finally done. Well, start searching for laborers tomorrow and also start preparing the materials needed."
Menmo cleaned up the table and kept the drawing blueprint carefully on the side.
"Well then, let's gather in front of my house tomorrow morning. For now, we shall take this to an end for today."
Garu noticed the orange sunlight through the window, so he decided, that's it for today.
"Hmm. I'll come to your house tomorrow." Menmo nodded as he led them out before he closed the door.
Juan bowed in goodbye before he followed Garu away. It's not that he didn't want to return to his house and rest.
But because Garu hasn't told him to return home yet, he had no dinner tonight, too.
"Juan, you can have dinner at my home today too. Anyway, I already told my wife to prepare more before."
Garu patted Juan on the shoulder as he softly said.
"For now, you'll eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in my place before you receive your first pay next week."
"Is that okay with you? Also, I had a request to ask you too. But that would be for the next time."
Juan looked at the hand grasping his shoulder and wryly looked at Garu's expectant face.
He really had no choice from the beginning, right? Juan sighed; actually, he wasn't adverse to free food too.
He was just embarrassed to do that for a whole week in front of Garu's wife and his daughter —Ceth.
It made him feel inferior and ashamed of himself as a man.
There's also the chance of him being poisoned, which made him nervous inside.
However, all of those thoughts were nothing since he would be living under this village rule.
"Although it's embarrassing for me to leech in your food. Still, let me thank you so much this early then, Village Chief."
Juan bowed, thinking he seemed to be bowing too much lately, like a tradition of a certain country.
"I hope I won't be hated and disliked by your family."
However, Garu only laughed as he spoke confidently.
"No problem; I already explained everything, and they said they understood. They also gave their approval without any hindrance."
"My wife even urged me to come home early with you so we could have lunch together. Your worry is unnecessary."
Well, if he says so, Juan could only grit his teeth and gladly accept the hospitality.
"Let's go! I can already smell my wife's cooking from a distance away."
Juan rolled his eyes inwardly; clearly, that was the aroma of someone's cooking from the house they passed by.
The two figures, one big and tall, and the other lean and short, walked together with their back facing the orange sun.
?
...
After returning to his home, Garu found his wife preparing food on the table with his second daughter.
"Your back. How's work?" Garu's wife came forward and gave him a bowl of water.
"Yes, I'm back. But it's tiring as always," Garu answered before he drank some water to quench his thirsty throat.
At the side, Juan felt out of place and could only smile lightly while looking elsewhere.
'I want to be invisible! 'Juan screamed inwardly. It was too embarrassing.
As a single dog through out his whole life, he always had this kind of disgust towards couples showing their lewdness in public.
And instead of the couple that should be embarrassed or ashamed, It was instead Juan, the witness, who felt that way.
'I'm too embarrassed to be of the same species as you! '
That said, he won't say that outside. It's just his shame flaring up after all. He actually didn't mean it.
"Here."
Juan was pulled out of his thoughts after someone called him just now.
He immediately realized Ceth was standing before him, holding a bowl of water clearly meant for him to drink.
Although there are other possibilities of an unmarried lady giving water to a young man like him.
However, the first thought that appeared in Juan's mind was...
'Did she put poison in it? '
Still, he accepted it with a faint smile. He had no choice; he could only gamble.
"Thank you."
Garu's family is just way too hospitable. It made him too suspicious of them.
Adding to the fact that he was still an outsider yesterday, Garu and Jura's easy acceptance of his story.
This afternoon's meeting and the suspicious looks they gave him.
Garu in particular has these dangerous vibes around him and his strange kindness to him.
'Sigh, no matter what. Since I'm already here; I can't survive alone, even if I escape. I should just behave and follow their lead.'