Chapter 23

The Siamese Don't Have Enough Rice to Eat

John was taken aback by Praewa's straightforward words. She said she didn't hate him, but he felt it wasn't true at all. Now, John was confused.

Or maybe he still wasn't fluent in the Siamese language?

Manfah raised an eyebrow. "See? Even a kid like me knows better than you, Brother Jon."

John reluctantly replied, "Yeah!"

"The emotions of women are delicate. Many women you say you like are really like that. We don't argue about that. But you should think more about what type of woman Sister Prae is."

Mafueang was about to say something, but suddenly she spoke up with irritation.

"My Sister Prae would never close the cake shop because I protested against it. Where would I eat cake if it closed?"

She started off well... Oh, Mafueang!

"Such a foodie," Manfah teased.

"Hee hee," Mafueang laughed mischievously.

Oh, little squirrel! Manfah thought to herself as she watched her friend's antics.

Manfah spread her hands. "How about this, Sister Prae and Brother Jon?"

Both of them turned to look at Manfah simultaneously. "Why don't you two try to understand each other's likes and dislikes? Find out what kind of personalities you both have, what you can tolerate, and what you can't. Just be honest about it. In the end, whether you decide to continue or get married, make sure you talk it through once you've gotten to know each other better."

Manfah observed Praewa's demeanor. She felt that Praewa wasn't really against Brother Jon; Sister Prae was probably just a bit annoyed. If she truly disliked him, her reaction would have been stronger. Praewa herself likely knew that John was actually a good guy.

John's eyes lit up with hope once more. He wished Praewa would give him a chance.

Praewa sighed, "You have quite a status, John. You know I don't like complications."

"Praewa, even though I can't stop others from interfering with us, I will protect you."

Manfah took a big bite of coconut cake. Oh... Brother Jon does have a bit of a hero in him.

Mafueang sipped her drink while watching the two with interest, as if she were watching a soap opera.

Sister Prae agreed to get to know Brother Jon as a potential partner. She already liked him, but she just thought it might not work out.

Manfah secretly smiled to herself.

"John, from tomorrow, you don't need to bring anyone else along anymore."

John nodded without saying anything, but his face was beaming with happiness.

Mafueang laughed, "Your mind's all over the place, Brother Jon. Haha."

Praewa held her head in her hands at John's childlike behavior.

After finishing their cake, the two of them cycled back home. Manfah dropped Mafueang off first before heading back to her own house. Grandpa Puang hadn't returned yet because he was still selling durians. The young girl greeted the two elders in the house.

"Grandfather and Uncle Somyot, have you eaten yet?"

"The cook at the cafeteria had Kaew bring us some food already."

"That's good. I ate so much cake, I'm stuffed. Sister Prae gave me a lot."

"Be careful not to eat too many sweets, or you'll get cavities, Miss. Go take a bath first."

Phraya Decha Damrongsak reminded her again, "And brush your teeth thoroughly."

"Okay," Manfah replied to both of them and went into her room to freshen up.

The next day, Manfah went into the vegetable and fruit garden as usual. She walked around inspecting the work with Wirun. She taught him how to manage and take care of the garden because soon Wirun would have to take over all her responsibilities.

"Uncle Wirun, are you getting along with the workers?"

"Pretty well. They're quite friendly to me, Miss."

"That's good. We need to take good care of them. To ensure they work for us diligently, we must win their hearts first. We can't just do things half-heartedly; that won't last long."

"Yes, Miss Man, I'll treat them well. I won't be a cruel boss like in the dramas, for sure."

"Hehe, I just found out that Uncle Wirun is into dramas too."

"I watch them with everyone else. Who doesn't love a good drama?"

There's not much entertainment around here. In the village, cockfighting is about the only thing that can be called entertainment.

"Miss Man," Kaew greeted with a smile.

"Oh! Did you bring breakfast for Grandfather? Look at you, all tense. Haha."

"You're teasing me again, Miss," Kaew pouted.

"Hehe, are you getting used to Phraya Decha Damrongsak yet?"

"Yes, yes, I'm getting used to it," Kaew nodded. Used to it, indeed.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast with him, Miss?"

"No, Uncle Pai is coming today. I have to go to the town. He said he'd take me to the company and show me the warehouse."

"Wow! It must be huge."

"It should be quite big. I heard it can park several trucks. Oh... and there's a foreign trader who wants to meet me too."

"Can you speak foreign languages, Miss?"

"I can manage, just the basics. But most of them can speak Siamese, even if it's a bit broken."

Kaew nodded. "I'll take the food to Phraya Decha Damrongsak now, Miss."

"Go ahead, and walk carefully."

After that, Manfah took Wirun for a tour of the garden for an hour. It was now eleven o'clock, and she was starting to feel a bit hungry. She headed to the kitchen, intending to find something to snack on.

"Hmm... where did our snacks go?" Manfah scratched her head.

"I bet it's the thief everyone's been talking about lately. Did they really make it to the end of the village?"

"One of these days, we'll have to catch them," Manfah shook her head.

The thief wasn't interested in money, only in small food items. A peculiar kind of thief, really. They came and went without a trace, like a ninja. Manfah took an apple from her dimension to eat and drank some spring water to refresh herself. As she was eating the apple, a pair of small eyes was watching her from behind a bush not far from her house.

Those eyes were fixed on the bottle containing the spring water with a gleam of interest.

Uncle Pai came to pick up Manfah in a car and took the young girl to find something to eat in the provincial town. Manfah chose duck rice, and Uncle Pai was happy to oblige.

Manfah looked at the rice in front of her with sparkling eyes. She hadn't had it in a long time.

Seeing her happy to eat something delicious made Uncle Pai feel pleased.

"Eat it all up, Little Man. If you're not full, you can order more."

"One plate is enough. If I eat another, my stomach might burst."

"You always have a funny way of talking."

"On the way back, can we buy some to take to my grandpa and Uncle Somyot?"

"Of course, that's no problem at all."

After finishing their meal, Prapai took Manfah to his company. Prapai's company was a three-story building filled with documents and office equipment. Uncle Pai's staff stationed here numbered thirty, which was quite a lot.

"Singkhon is a province that distributes agricultural products. We have about this many staff here, but at the warehouse, there are five hundred people."

"That's a lot."

"You probably know, Little Man, that I do many things. Right now, I'm expanding the mall to other provinces."

The mall here was similar to the one in the other world. It had everything from fresh produce to electronics, but most of the items were expensive. However, the products in the mall were guaranteed for quality. It was especially suitable for people with money. Even though other provinces weren't as wealthy as the Capital of Siam, it didn't mean there were no rich people there. Ordinary people sometimes wanted good, expensive things too.

"So, besides fruits and vegetables, there are other things in the warehouse too, right?"

"That's right. Clothes, cosmetics, electronics, children's toys like dolls, and music boxes. Are you interested?"

"No, thanks, heh heh."

"You're still young, you know. You can play with dolls sometimes. I can give you several."

Manfah grinned. "I like looking at the accounts when the money comes in. That's fun enough for me."

Uncle Pai “…”

Manfah giggled, Uncle Pai's expression was truly something to behold.

Uncle Pai took her to his office, and Manfah looked around with interest.

"It's very organized."

"Sometimes my wife comes to tidy up. Why don't you sit and chat with me for a bit, Little Man?"

Manfah sat on the sofa. "It's so comfortable."

"Would you like me to buy you one?"

"My house is too small. Even if I bought one, there'd be no place to put it."

"Ha ha, that's true. By the way, how is Phraya Decha Damrongsak doing? It's a bit cramped there; I wonder if he's managing."

"He's doing well, as you'd expect from an old man. His daily routine is eating, watching TV, and sleeping." Manfah lazily leaned back against the sofa.

Uncle Pai laughed. "Be careful, or you'll get a scolding if he finds out you're gossiping about him like this."

"But it's true. His work is just calling people over there. After giving orders, he hangs up and watches TV. His life is so relaxed."

"Now that he's with you, he must be happy to be with his granddaughter."

"Yes, he enjoys scolding me. Every time I learn manners, I end up with a sore head."

"Keep learning; you'll get it eventually."

"I know."

"Let's get to the point, Little Man... Do you have rice in your dimension?"

"I do. Why do you ask?" Normally, she didn't sell rice because she wanted farmers to earn more. If she sold it, the farmers would earn less, and the price of their rice would be suppressed.

"There's not enough rice. The south and the north are flooded. The same goes for vegetables and fruits."

"The central region isn't flooded, right?"

"Well, it is, just not our province. Our province received a budget three years ago, and the first thing the governor did was build drainage systems and irrigation dams, so we escaped the flooding."

"No wonder…That's why we haven't been flooded."

"In the past, our province flooded every year. Village Headman Phin of Khao Khiao Village and the governor of Singkhon shared the same idea that we should do something about it. Singkhon is a hub for agricultural distribution and a major agricultural area. If the province could establish good drainage and irrigation systems, the people of Singkhon would live well, and the villagers could farm with peace of mind. You know, these days, people don't want to farm anymore. Most prefer regular jobs."

"Yes, our province isn't flooded, but rice will still be expensive, and the villagers will struggle, right?"

"Exactly."

"Sure, it's not a problem. Just tell me how many tons you need."

"Just twenty warehouses. I've already prepared them."

Manfah “…”

With this kind of preparation, no one in Siam would starve.