So, the potatoes aren't only just good in quality, but in quantity, too? As if Alhai would believe that.
"What about the other sack?" Alhai spoke up, eyeing the other sack on the sink, still in denial that their wife is a changed person.
Coco could have put it on the table with potatoes, but she didn't. It must have been something else because why else would she put it on the sink?
Realizing that he was gushing so much over the potato, Heiren perked up and blinked.
"You're right." Heiren said, dropping the potato back on the sack and walking to the sink, he pulled the thin tie open and peeked inside, once he did, he was so shocked that he stumbled back.
His lower back had hit the edge of the table and his hand shot up to cover his mouth.
"What?" Alhai asked, frowning at the sight of the second husband's understandable reaction, "As I expected, it's not good, isn't it?"
Zaque walked to Heiren, his hand reached out to rub Heiren's back to offer some comfort and hoped for his gesture to help the second husband recover from whatever shocked him.
Since the distance of the table and the sink wasn't that far, Zaque had the chance to look at the contents of the sack.
His red eyes widened at the sight of meat inside the sack, red and plump, freshly butchered and cleaned, it was obvious by how red it was— the smell, too. It doesn't smell bad.
It's probably why they couldn't tell what it was at first because the meat was freshly cut and cleaned.
"It's meat." Zaque gasped out, eyes still wide from shock, his rubbing motion on Heiren's back freezing as he kept staring at the meat.
"What?" Alhai couldn't believe what he was hearing so he promptly made his way towards the first and second husband, he dropped the pouch of money on the table and snatched the opening of the sack to look at the content.
As soon as he peeked inside, the metallic scent of meat had filled his nostrils, and it wasn't an unfamiliar smell because he could smell it in the air whenever he walked past the wet market everyday.
However, the sight alone had his jaw drop.
"What— how— but— w-what.." Alhai couldn't utter a proper sentence, the words died on his tongue before it could form a comprehensive sentence.
Meat in their village is very expensive.
It's a luxury that only nobility could dulge in because the sources of the meat can only be found outside the village's wall— in the forest, up in the mountains— where dangerous predators are lurking.
Predators like poison tiger, earth boar, tough crocodile, farming rabbits, flying pigs, and goat ivy are dangerous because all of them attack humans the moment they find out that there is one in their territory.
A group of farming rabbits and flying pigs may be harmless at first sight, but their gigantic size says otherwise.
Someone as small, incompetent, and weak like Coco wouldn't be able to take down predators, but from the meat alone, Zaque knows that it was indeed caught by his wife.
But how? Zaque wondered, his hands getting clammy by the thought of Coco dying in the forest while hunting to bring home something for her husbands.
He wasn't nervous because Coco will die for them, but he was nervous at the thought of shouldering the unbelievable amount of money under Coco's name.
She had spent their three years of marriage downing every existing alcohol in the town, false promises falling from her lips saying that she will pay the owner the next day, but ultimately not doing so.
"How could this be?" Alhai could only frown once more, the crease of his eyebrows seemingly permanently at this point, "She can't give this to us unless we know where she got it."
From the tone in Alhai's voice, Zaque could tell that the third husband was serious, but looking back at the meat inside the sack, Zaque decided to swallow his pride.
"Heiren will cook it or else the meat will get soiled." Zaque pulled his hand away from Heiren's back and snatched the sack from Alhai's grasp, "You'll have to eat or else the remaining bruises and wounds on your back won't heal."
Again, Zaque has the most power among the husbands, and his words are a must, whether they like it or not.
Meanwhile, Coco and Lala are on their way down to the village inn where the pub is located, going there to sleep for the night.
"I'm so happy that you didn't give everything to them!" Lala squealed loudly, giggling and bubbling with happiness as she hugged Coco's head, standing on her shoulder.
"I'm also happy that we don't have to sleep in that house! We can sleep together in the bed and enjoy the money you earned!" The fairy has been babbling for a while now.
Saying things about how happy and excited she is that Coco will spend the night in a village inn instead of the house of Coco Hughes.
Coco couldn't help, but smile to herself, not speaking or opening her mouth to respond to the fairy because she is currently walking in the bustling street of the village, she can't make them think that she is a lunatic— not yet at least.
The unfamiliar yet familiar sign of the village inn came to view, the wooden sign has intricate carvings on it that forms a majestic horse with flowing locks behind it.
Below the intricate carvings, the name of the inn was written in cursive writing.
Red Horse Inn.
The name made Coco's face twist in confusion because it reminded her of a certain alcoholic beverage in her past life that was very popular among the alcoholic old men in her country.
She cleared her throat, ignoring the sign's name and made a beeline towards the inn's entrance.
Ding.
Ding.