New World with Four Husbands
Chapter 28: Pranked

Chapter 28: Pranked

"Old man!" Coco called out to the frail old man who she brought the sack of potatoes from yesterday morning, her hand raised in the air and waving at him with so much energy.

The old man stopped dragging a dirty sack towards the wooden stand where the vegetables and seeds are place, and looked in the direction of Coco, making him raise his eyebrows to his declining hairline.

"Mrs. Hughes." The old man croaked out, his voice and knees shaking as he turned his body to her as she approached him, "You’re up so early. Are you here to buy something again?"

"Yes, sir! I brought potatoes yesterday so I’m going to buy something else today." Coco said, smiling softly towards the old man.

"I see.." The old man brightened up slightly, his lips curling up into a small smile, "What would you like to buy then?"

Now that she was inquired, Coco realized that she hadn’t thought about what kind of seed she needed or wanted to buy.

She just made her way to the old man’s shop to give him some leftover fruit last night, but considering Coco Hughes’s reputation, she’s sure that the old man will be reluctant to accept the leftover.

She let out a sigh through her nose and tightened her grip on her tattered robe, her head turning to the right to look at seeds on the wooden display.

Back in her previous world, basil, lettuce, radish, bitter gourd, and malabar spinach or alugbati are the most common types of vegetables that grow easily, but looking at the old man’s variety of seeds..

"Do you have lettuce and radish seeds, sir?" Coco asked, looking at the old man.

"Lettuce..?" The old man repeated the name of the green leaves vegetable, his voice sounding uncertain and confused, "What is that? And radish? Are those fruits? Or vegetables?"

Oh, shit. Coco cussed in her mind, feeling her blood turn cold and her hands get clammy.

Don’t tell me they don’t have that kind of vegetables in this world?! Coco asked herself, forcing a smile on her face to not let the old man be suspicious of her.

"Nevermind that, sir." Coco chuckled nervously and looked at the available seeds on the display, "I would like to buy some seeds of carrots and cucumbers."

Instead of moving to wrap what she ordered, the old man remained standing in front of her.

His eyebrows are furrowed and his dark eyes are squinted, staring suspiciously at her. He moved his head slightly to the side, making Coco’s heart race in fear, nervous that she might have sold herself out.

Although, she wasn’t hiding that she wasn’t Coco Hughes anymore by flaunting the fruits she grew in the mountain and bringing home the poison tiger she killed— she basically announced to the whole village that she’s changing.

Of course, she wants them to know that she’s changing for the better good, but she doesn’t want them to know that she’s not Coco Hughes anymore!

In most cases, old people are very perceptive and sharp, so the old man inspecting her closely had left her heart dropped to her stomach from anxiousness— she only wanted to give him fruits! Why can’t she do something good without being accused of something?!

The old man continued to observe her with squinted eyes. He even started rubbing his long white beard, looking like those old wise men in anime she watched in her previous life.

Inhaling deeply, Coco opened her mouth to repeat what she earlier, "Sir—"

Only to be cut off by the old man burst out laughing.

"Haha! You looked so white and scared!" The old man laughed and laughed, clutching his beard with his other hand clutching his stomach, "You should have seen your face! You looked like you were going to die! You were so scared! Haha!"

Coco blinked rapidly, watching as the old man hunched forward, laughing heartily.

Did I just get pranked? Coco wondered, blinking owlishly, trying to process what just happened. Did she seriously get pranked by an old man?

"Child, of course— Haha!" The old man wheezed, inhaling sharply as he spoke, "Of course, I have lettuce and radish! Who wouldn’t have those? Hahaha! Oh, silly you! Why did you look so scared? Did you think you offended me because you thought I don’t sell that? Haha!"

Okay, I really got pranked. Coco grumbled in her mind, her face turning into a grimace as she narrowed her eyes towards the old man.

However, even if she felt like an idiot for falling for the old man’s tomfoolery, she couldn’t help, but feel relieved. So, radishes and lettuce exist in this world— she doesn’t have to worry about not eating salad!

The relief was so relieving that her shoulders slumped forward, her back hunching, making her body slot into a bad posture. The relief washed over her like a wave crashing over her body, it was unexpected, but brought her a sense of solace.

For a frail and thin old man like him, he sure has the guts and energy to be joking around with the pretentious trash of the Yogusho Village.

"Haha— haha!" He kept laughing, stumbling to the side, closer to the wooden display to stabilize himself, still wheezing, "Oh, goodness, child! Haha! You’re so silly— hahaha!"

Coco let out a sigh, relieved and thankful, she would rather get laughed out for thinking that a certain vegetable doesn’t exist instead of being outed for getting found out that she’s a soul from another world.

"Okay, okay, okay, you got me." Coco said, sounding tired and offended, but inside, she was cheering and singing praises to the clouds above.

"Haha! My stomach hurts..." The old man wheezed out, his knees shaking as he continued to stabilize himself on the wooden structure and let out a deep sigh, smiling softly at her direction.

"I haven’t laughed that hard since my husband’s and wife’s passing.. Thank you, Mrs. Hughes."