Chapter 5: Humdrum joy. Edited*

Looking at Alice's radiant smile, she felt refreshed and blessed. The word pride did not finish describing what she felt for her, that besides love, of course. As her mother, Ana, was the one who best understood her daughter. She could guess exactly what her daughter would do with the money. She had earned it from her work and the payment agreements made between the mayor and Alice.

It seemed that the young lady not only had a green thumb, but also an eye for business. She still remembered how surprised she was when Alice came to tell her about it, and with the contributions she had made with her observations about plants and their characteristics, it made sense that she would get involved in their cultivation.

Normally, a mother would be worried that her daughter would soon have so much money in her hands, but this was not the case. Alice was different from other children her age, who only know how to get into trouble and question their parents' teachings. The always cheerful and quiet girl loved to learn new things, she never found the words of her elders boring.

Ana knew that her beloved daughter seemed to have a natural gift for farming, and Alice was smart enough to understand the importance of hard work. Also, she was sensible when it came to her limits, so it wasn't until this year that she asked to be in charge of the special herb fields. Now, with Alice participating in the fields, the harvests only improved, especially those of special herbs.

With motherly love filling her whole being, Ana called her daughter, who clearly needed a bath. "Come and take a break, Alice! It's time for you to eat something! You can continue when the sun settles!" The notion of even rejecting her mother's suggestion never crossed Alice's mind, she simply nodded with a quiet joy and a little expectant for what her mother would have made for lunch that day.

Seeing that Alice was retiring from the field, other farmers wished her a good and well-deserved rest, but not before reminding her of the importance of the next day and that she was to be in her best condition and disposition for the festivities.

Ana remembered, with a reluctant smile, the moment when all the townspeople agreed to move the festivities slightly forward. This in order to have a decent excuse to make a big party for Alice's birthday, without her having any way to refuse it. Although Alice didn't consider it necessary to do much for her birthday, she had eventually given in to the insistence of the townspeople.

Birthdays were not a great cause for celebration in the culture of the empire, they were commemorated in some way, but they were rarely cause for a great party. The only exception being the fifteenth and seventeenth birthdays, the latter quite significant for young people, as it signaled their entry into adult life.

As it had become routine for the mother and daughter couple, they prepared to have lunch here before continuing with their work. Away from her work area, field and other farmers, Alice came to her mother's side, who had arranged a small blanket under the shade of a tree, right at the edge of the field.

Ana gave the sweaty Alice a handkerchief to wipe her face. "Tomorrow we start with the early festivals for planting, are you sure you don't want to take the rest of the day off?" She couldn't help but comment. It was evident that the subject made Alice uncomfortable.

Ignoring her mother's words, "Even if my physical endurance is not the best, I can still do at least this." Alice babbled as she removed dirt stains from her cheeks.

Accustomed to her daughter's stubbornness, Ana gave up and decided to change the subject. "Well, if you're going to work so much, at least you should eat well." She said, while passing Alice a small bowl with some quail stew with fresh vegetables and some dry bread.

Looking at her daughter with the love that only a mother could feel, Ana felt a mixture of joy and nostalgia to see the kind of woman Alice was becoming. "Tomorrow you will be fifteen years old Alice, the whole village is very excited, I myself am very excited." In an attempt to break the silence, she decided to return to the subject that seemed so uncomfortable to her daughter.

Under her mother's piercing gaze, those somewhat childish pouts had no result. Alice swallowing her last bite, at last chuckled, "I know that the big feast is for the planting season, but that everyone in the village always tries to give me many gifts; It doesn't feel right that I'm the only one being treated like that."

Any other youngling would be more than happy to be treated in a special way, to be loved and spoiled by everyone around them. However, Ana knew very well how to cheer her up. "I guess you're old enough to still believe the excuses we used to celebrate your birthday as if it were all part of the planting festival." She said to try to get those worries out of his head. After all, she knew her daughter better than anyone else.

Alice nodded to her mother's words, she had realized it a couple of years ago. "Alice, you will always be my greatest joy and pride, you are a kind and intelligent girl, although somewhat stubborn. Look at it this way, you feel bad for being treated in a special way, but you work the special part of planting, it is logical that you have a special mention in everything related to this, don't you think." Ana continued, looking at her daughter, expecting any kind of reaction.

Alice stood suddenly, putting down the food, and blinked a couple of times, rapidly, while processing her mother's words. Miraculous as it seemed, what her mother told her made all the sense in the world; "I just have to work really hard and earn to be treated that way, so I won't let anyone down in town."

Maybe not the line of thinking her mother would have hoped for, but it worked. Seeing Alice's fighting spirit completely ignited, Ana only shook her head. Her daughter was a good girl, but she was too stubborn and enthusiastic about this particular topic.

Ana retired to continue with her tasks, while Alice returned to the field with the flames of ambition burning deep within her being. For a couple of hours, the villagers could only watch worriedly as Alice worked non-stop. No matter what the girl was told, she didn't stop until the sun began to set.