Dear Sweetheart

Chapter 86

Chapter 86 She Is Simply Too Smart

In no time, Curtis, Murat, and a few other villagers left after breakfast. Rayna stayed at the village. When she saw Aisha doing laundry, she offered to help.

“You’re pregnant, so stay still. Just sit there and hand the clothes to me,” Aisha stated.

She had always kept in mind that Rayna was pregnant and had to be careful, making the latter exceedingly embarrassed. In the end, Rayna found a rock to sit on, where she chatted with Aisha as she watched her doing laundry.

“How long have you all lived here, Ms. Aisha?”

“It’s been almost thirty-nine years.”

“That’s quite a long time,” Rayna commented. Her curiosity was piqued, and she queried, “There are many villagers like you here, but why are there still so few people when you’ve all lived here for decades?”

Logically speaking, the population here should have increased by half after over thirty years since they would have a prolonged lifespan thanks to the plant that can regenerate cells. But I didn’t see many villagers last night. Even kids seemed pitifully few.

“We have no idea why either, but everyone dies at the age of fifty,” Aisha admitted.

Rayna was stunned for a moment. “Fifty?”

I’ve never heard of an age limit for death.

“Yes, it happens to every family. When a child is born, those over fifty years old will die peacefully. For that reason, the number of people in the village hasn’t changed much in the past few decades,” Aisha explained.

“Have you all never considered leaving here? It didn’t seem that far of a journey when we came by car. You should go and have a checkup at the hospital. Perhaps it’s a health problem,” Rayna suggested.

However, Aisha shook her head with a smile. “This place is perfect, and everyone is happy. Why should we leave? Not only will we have to buy land, but we’ll also have to raise a slew of kids if we do so. Furthermore, no one understands our dialect.”

At that, Rayna did not say anything further.

That’s true. Putting aside the matter of education and healthcare, this place is indeed paradise on earth. One can be self-sufficient without having to worry about anything. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t want to leave either.

When Aisha had finished washing a bucket of clothes, Rayna helped her hang them out. Afterward, the older woman brought her to the vegetable garden at the back.

There was a simple shed made of wood in the garden. When one wanted the sunlight, one could remove the wooden plank at the top. Besides some mustard leaves in there, the rest of the place was filled with a particular plant.

At the sight of the two whole rows of bright green plants, Rayna’s heart pounded wildly.

Gosh, all these are priceless treasures! Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Conversely, Aisha did not pay them much mind. She casually plucked two of them and tossed them into the vegetable basket, saying to Rayna, “Despite Mr. Yildiz’s looks, he’s already forty-eight years

old. Everyone in the village eats this plant, so we look very young. I’ll use them to boil some soup for you later.”

“S-So incredible?” Rayna stammered, almost losing the ability to speak. “This is the first time I’m hearing that someone’s age can be reversed in all my years.”

Aisha giggled and replied, “Yes. This is a gift to us from God. However, this plant can only survive in this place. Someone from the village wanted to sell it outside, but it withered and died during the journey.”

Ah, I see.

Finally, Rayna understood why no one harbored any thoughts of selling the priceless treasure. It turned out that it could not survive elsewhere.

If this plant can’t be taken out, it means that Curtis will have to send a research team here. Several factions had been targeting us before we even came here. If a research team were really to be stationed here… Well, this seemingly inconspicuous plant is capable of having the whole world go crazy over it. Humans are selfish. Bound by the restraints of mortality, they would surely want to have it to themselves when they learn of its existence. Wouldn’t that be tantamount to bringing devastation upon this village?

A chill went down her spine, and she dared not continue thinking along those lines. Leaving with Aisha, she asked airily, “How does this plant grow again, Ms. Aisha? Does it also rely on the roots to absorb nutrients?”

In response, Aisha nodded. “Yes. Its reproduction capabilities are amazing. If you cut off the leaves and water it for a few days, it’ll grow back perfectly.”

“Really?”

Rayna glanced over her shoulder at the plants in the shed. An idea took shape in her mind.

In the afternoon, Curtis, Murat, and the others came back.

Curtis drove a jeep. Rayna noticed that the hooded vehicle had been modified. There was tremendous space at the back with all sorts of food.

“Do the few jeeps following behind carry the same things at the back?” She pulled him aside and inquired of him while the villagers were distributing the goods.

Curtis grunted in assent and explained, “After receiving the location you translated, I had someone buy all that was necessary. They don’t need money here, merely food and seeds.”

Rayna pursed her lips. Without warning, she toppled backward.

His expression promptly changed. Swiftly wrapping an arm around her waist, he hurriedly scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the house with no time to spare for the villagers around. Just as he placed her on the bed, she opened her eyes.

He was promptly stupefied.

Is she playing a prank on me?

“You remember the clothes I wore last night, yes? They’re hung outside and have probably dried. Go and take them in,” Rayna whispered.

Upon seeing that she did not appear to be joking, Curtis spun on his heels and went out. Shortly after, he returned with the clothes in his hand.

“Close the door. Keep it shut.”

Again, he was confounded.

When Rayna received her clothes, she immediately removed her earring and used the tiny hook to pick the threads of the flower embroidered on it. A piece of customized paper and some dye were hidden in the unraveled flower.

Straightening the curved earring hook, she dipped it into the dye and used it as a pen to write a few strings of numbers on the paper.

With a single glance, Curtis deciphered her message. “The density of glass? Why are you suddenly writing this? Did something happen?” he questioned.

“Our thinking was too simple in the past,” Rayna answered. She then narrated her conversation with Aisha, telling him about the plant’s survival rate.

“I think it must be an issue with the soil. If we want to transport it out, we need customized glass jars. Figure out a way to go out again and hand this to Mr. Tylinski, Mr. Faymon.”

Hearing that, Curtis frowned deeply.

I’ve never considered that, nor have I ever imagined that there’s such a plant that can only grow in a small part of the land in the same area. If I’d known about it earlier, I would’ve devised a countermeasure.

A long moment passed before he remarked, “In that case, we’ll need to stay here for a few more days.”

“You’re right. We just need to find a chance to puncture the jeep’s tire. I don’t want to destroy someone else’s paradise for the sake of making money,” Rayna murmured.

Lifting his eyes, Curtis stared at the woman in front of him. She was a head shorter than him and had dark brown dye on her face and body, yet she appeared like a tiny sun, emitting light all over. His heart abruptly skipped a beat.

She’s simply too smart.

“M-Mr. Faymon? Is there dirt on me or something?” His gaze was so scorching that Rayna felt like she was some prey under a predator’s watch. A sense of fear pervaded her.

Shaking his head, Curtis stated solemnly, “The three wishes I granted you still hold true, Ms. Garland. Just say the word if you want anything, and I’ll make it happen as long as it’s within my power.”

“There’s nothing I want right now. I’ll think about it after we head back to our country.”

“Sure.”

Rayna had no idea what excuse Curtis used, but he went out again with Murat and the others later in the day. While no one was paying attention, she punctured the jeep’s tire with the hook of her earring.