CHAPTER 160: LEGENDARY

Ava gently zipped the side of her gown as she was getting ready to fetch water so that her husband could bath, she had already taken her bath.

"Avy, are you sure you don’t need any help? What are these muscles for anyways?" Mr. John spoke with a smile as he stood at the passage of the house, shirtless. He raised his arm, flexing his muscles. He had just finished seventy push-ups and press-ups while Ava counted.

"Don’t worry, husband, I can do it. Just rest a bit. You really worked out, and after you’ve calmed your head, you can come join me to fetch," she spoke. Even though Mr. John understood that the tap was just at the side of their house, he still felt he needed to help. But then, he decided to listen to her.

Ava, noticing his hesitation, could not help but smile widely. She tiptoed and pressed a soft kiss to his lips as his face lot up.

"Okay, how about I just fetch one bucket, and you’ll help me with the rest? I just want you to rest," she said. In fact, she looked more worried because she had tried to do what he did, and she couldn’t even last beyond a count of five—yet he did more than fifty. Quite impressive, if you asked her.

"Okay, wife, don’t forget to carry what you can carry."

Ava nodded with a smile as she moved to the end of the corridor, taking the bucket.

"No, take the smaller one," Mr. John spoke.

Ava laughed when she realized he had been watching which bucket she was planning to take.

"As you wish," Ava replied, deepening her voice to sound like him.

Mr. John laughed as Ava stepped outside. The sun rays hit her lightly, but she did not mind. People were busy with their daily lives. Ava moved to the tap and placed her bucket under it. Each two neighbors shared one tap.

She turned as the water rushed in, and just then her neighbor came holding a bucket. Ava minded her business, as she spent most of her time with her husband, so she rarely spoke to these people.

She watched as the lady pushed her bucket aside, even though she knew Ava had placed it there first, and then began fetching her own

Ava’s eyebrows drew together. She had never spoken to this woman, so her behavior was odd. Ava did not like it one bit.

Things had happened to fast that Ava had to take some moment to think and connect what had just happened.

"Put my bucket back," Ava spoke softly, her expression calm and controlled. The lady acted like she didn’t hear as she hummed some kind of unknown song.

Turning her face aside the lady continued humming, Ava waited for the lady to do it but she didn’t.

She laughed to herself. This was really how problems found people. She had been on her own, yet this woman decided to test her. She didn’t want to cause a scene, because in the royal village news spread like wildfire, and that was not what she wanted.

"Can’t you hear?" Ava straightened her posture. She walked passed the lady, gently pushed her bucket aside, turned off the tap, and placed hers back and turned the tap back on.

Then, she turned to the lady, waiting for her to speak. But the woman simply eyed her, giving her a dirty look. Ava smiled in return. She was used to such things and realized she had no reason to be annoyed—it wasn’t like a bad look could shift her bucket.

Ava walked to the bench and sat, legs folded with crossed arms.

The lady stood there, hands on her hips, glaring. Ava already knew this woman must be a troublemaker. Because the very moment Ava stepped out with her bucket, the woman also stepped out—like it was her time to shine.

And why else would a person she didn’t know suddenly pass her, shift her bucket, and not even say "good morning"? Ava would have understood if they had quarreled before, but they had never even talked. Strange.

To her surprise, the woman moved again. This time, she kicked Ava’s bucket aside, spilling the water. The bucket fell into the sand, staining it. Then, the lady moved her own bucket under the tap and turned to Ava with a smug smile, her expression saying clearly: What can you do now?

Ava smiled, holding her anger deep inside. She didn’t want to show this lady her bad side.

"Miss, put back my bucket. Trust me, I pity you. I would break those bones, but they’re too fragile. It would hurt my ego to waste my strength on such weaklings. Where’s the fun in that anyway?" Ava spoke with a devilish smirk on her lips.

The lady finally turned to her and spoke.

"You have to be patient. As you can see, my bucket’s water is still rushing. I need to bathe, so don’t be stupid. Respect yourself."

’Stupid?’

Ava scoffed at the woman’s word.

"Don’t make me repeat myself. Now take that bucket, rinse it thoroughly, and fetch my water. I promise you, if I come for you, there will be more than just a mark on you." Ava’s voice hardened.

She could not understand—did this woman have no idea what it meant to take turns? They could have simply shared. But clearly, the lady loved the hard way. That was what Ava would give her. Still, she waited, hoping maybe the woman would change her mind.

But to her surprise, the woman only smiled. She picked up Ava’s bucket again and, shockingly, threw it down into the sand.

Ava laughed. She stood, walked over, and picked her bucket back up. With a wide smile, she turned to the woman as she walked towards her. Suddenly, she grabbed her by the hair. The woman’s eyes widened in shock as she felt sharp pain.

Before she could react...

SLAP

A tight slap landed on her cheek as a scream tore from the lady’s lips, sharp pain surging through her face. Ava shoved her, and the woman fell to the sandy ground with a loud gasp.

Ava slowly turned the tap off, picked up the woman’s bucket of water, and poured it all over her. A wide smile played on her lips.

"We call this the legendary bath. What do you think?" she asked with a smirk as her eyes glinger with satisfaction.

The woman stood up, her face red from both anger and shame. People had begun gathering, whispering. Just as she moved to grab Ava’s shirt, Ava delivered another sharp slap across her cheek.