"Grandma, I'm going to fetch water now."

The young girl, as usual, bid farewell to her only cohabitant before heading out.

And the elderly grandma who was called on replied gently,

"Clair, go ahead, don't worry about grandma."

She comforted the young girl softly, only lifting her hand slightly as she couldn't sit up.

"I understand."

The young girl was about to turn around.

"Grandma, I'm really sorry though."

Unexpectedly, the grandma's voice came, filled with remorseful apologies.

And the young girl tilted her head in confusion.

"What's wrong? Grandma, why do you say that?"

The young girl's words were straightforward, simply not understanding what the grandma meant.

Having spent quite some time with the young girl, the grandma didn't find it strange, and continued,

"Your mother entrusted you to grandma to take good care of you, but in the end, whether in terms of life or finances, it's you who take care of grandma. Grandma feels very ashamed."

Although the grandma's body hadn't moved much, the message was already well conveyed.

"No, grandma, don't say that. If it weren't for you taking me in when my mother passed away, I would have been homeless long ago. I should be grateful to you, grandma."

"But..."

The grandma was about to say something else, but the young girl preempted her.

"Grandma, don't think about these things. Just rest assured and rest, I'll bring back food later."

Seeing how resolute the young girl was, the grandma didn't say anything further.

"Be careful on the way, Clair," she just cautioned the young girl.

"Really, grandma treats me like a child again. Anyway, I'm off."

After saying that, the young girl walked out of the thatched cottage with light steps. She deftly picked up the four buckets of water she had fetched, with a long wooden stick near the well, and walked steadily out of the small courtyard.

Since basically only the young girl could move around in the house, and the grandma couldn't move due to her old ailment, she had been bedridden for years. Because the young girl couldn't leave the grandma alone at home, due to her past issues, and she couldn't go to the city to do odd jobs or other work like other people.

Fortunately, there was a well at home, and the young girl happened to be strong. Most of the young people here had gone to the city to do odd jobs, and labor was somewhat scarce. For these reasons, the young girl started the daily job of fetching water.

Although the wages for this job were not as high as doing odd jobs in the city, and in fact it was more tiring than doing odd jobs, always running around, the young girl was content.

Because this way she could take care of the grandma and sustain herself, it was a win-win situation. In a way, it was also thanks to those people who went out to do odd jobs that she had this job of fetching water.

In fact, there was another important reason why she hadn't gone to do odd jobs in the city, she was not allowed to go there. Although she didn't know why, she only remembered this as her mother's instructions. From the time the young girl could understand, her mother had always cautioned her like this, and before her mother passed away, she once again told her not to go to the city.

But her mother did not explain the reason. Although this behavior might seem unreasonable to outsiders, the young girl did not resent her mother.

Although she didn't know the reason, since her mother said she couldn't go, she wouldn't go.