"There they are, again!"
"I was wondering when they would be going to town again!"
"It doesn't seem like they have much to sell this time."
"I just want to know what that vixen usually does when she is in town."
"I heard she is having an affair with some merchant. That is why she is always loaded."
"It's a good thing we got rid of such a bane years ago!"
"Pftui. If I was part of the Greens, I would have advocated for her to be drowned. She is shameless!"
As they passed by the village, Calista's eyes reddened as she listened to these shameless people denouncing her so loudly as if she didn't exist.
"Dear, ignore them. You know how loud they are always!"
"Umph! I will remember all of them. Pretty soon, I will make them bow to me and call me respectfully. Just wait and see!" Calista was sick and tired of these people.
It wasn't like she took their husbands, so why were they so sour to her like that?
Even her former co-wife wasn't so bitter the way most of these women were. She didn't even remember the last time she had a showdown with Mary, Ma Benita, the only woman who had a right to call her names.
So, it really hurt most of the time despite her 'I don't care attitude' to hear these people calling her names like that.
"Um. Let's jot them down and teach them a lesson. Okay!" Susan could only coax, doing her best to cool her friend down.
"Um!" Calista grunted before she started serving the millet porridge.
Since she was angry, she might as well eat some food and focus on something else.
….
Time trickled by and hours passed and in those five hours, Calista even slept for one and a half hours, though there was no comfort.
Somewhere around eleven, before noon, the ox-cart finally reached Silverbroke town. Looking at the prosperous place when compared to what she had seen, Calista felt alive, as if she was finally seeing some hope.
Silverbroke Town was nothing when compared to other towns. In fact, it more or so looked like a growth point considering how the town was the only place where eight villages could go and find whatever they wanted.
Silverbroke town wasn't as a big town as other people might think. There weren't a lot of shops to talk about. One thing that mainly stood out was the school, which provided dorm stays for the kids who were mainly boys.
In this era, boys were more invested in than girls. Boys could go to school and learn a variety of crafts while the girls would receive lessons from their aunts, grandmothers and other female elder relatives on how to take care of their husbands and raise the kids.
This was especially serious in villages and the countryside. As in cities, girls could also get teachers who would teach them how to read, write and learn about the world.
Schools were very expensive at the same time, so the luxury of sending even a boy to school was something that only a few could achieve.
Apart from the school that meant honor to the families who could afford to send their kids there, there were two restaurants, two inns, and a market area where villagers could set their stalls to sell vegetables, grains, snacks or trinkets they made at home or even livestock.
There were also clothing shops which sold ready-made clothes as well as fabrics. Some general dealers sold food and other items which people loved buying a lot, despite not having enough.
The town was small, but it had the necessary shops which provided the basics and essentials.
Frank parked the ox-cart under a big tree with enough shade before Susan and Calista climbed down the cart.
"You ladies, you can go and see what you want. I will wait here while I sell the items we have brought today!" Frank said to the two friends who were already itching to go and tour around.
Susan didn't stand on ceremony before she dragged Calista away after making sure that her husband would be okay.
Frank seeing his wife mercilessly leaving him to deal with the dried vegetables and salted peanuts they had brought to sell that day, he could only sigh helplessly before his focus was turned to the customers already approaching.
"I thought I wouldn't be able to see you anytime soon. What did you bring this time?"
Meanwhile, on the ladies' side, Susan was busy yapping while Calista listened with a smile.
"There is a lot that needs to be bought. Tell me, what kind of wedding dress do you want? If it wasn't something done in a rush, we could have visited the city and bought a nicer one. What more things do you want?"
Susan seemed to be the kind of person who never got tired easily seeing how she was talking a lot without giving Calista a moment to respond.
Calista didn't find her friend annoying, as she knew Susan pretty well. Whenever she was like that, she was nervous and the only way to keep her calm was to do it like that.
So, she didn't interfere in the middle but earnestly listened and let the girl just calm down on her own.
Calista's purpose of going to town that day was very simple, buy wedding clothes, some more food and buy her husband some clothes. There weren't a lot of clothes at home. Besides, she bought those clothes for her late husband, though he was unfortunate to never wear them.
The thought that they were bought for John, she didn't feel comfortable letting Orson wear them when she could just buy appropriate clothes for him.
The first shop they went to sell clothes and fabrics. Since the town was small, not many business people were too eager to open their shops. So it wasn't that surprising to find literally everything being sold in one place.