Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 649 Weaving Bamboo Baskets

A week later, the workers arrived at the back mountain by helicopter and started the project once all the materials had been delivered.

Violeta lived and ate alongside them, seamlessly fitting into their routine.

At first, Elden assumed Violeta was quite delicate, given her refined appearance. However, he was surprised to see how quickly she adapted and showed no signs of discomfort. "Why did you assume I was delicate?" Violeta asked.

"The last person from Glorialand who visited brought two attendants with him," Elden replied while fetching water. "Those attendants complained about our food and insisted on cooking their meals, always demanding meat dishes."

The Hermitage has always maintained a vegetarian diet. Once accustomed to this way of eating, Elden found the smell of meat quite unpleasant.

This made him somewhat irritated with the attendants.

However, since it was the Master's request, he had to put up with it.

"Just two attendants?"

Violeta shook her head, sensing that James might have experienced a decline in status.

After all, he was the esteemed Your Highness of Glorialand. In today's world, how many places still use such a grand title as Your Highness? Being a ruler naturally means having the luxury of being selective.

Nowadays, even those who are just moderately wealthy often indulge in luxuries like fine food, expensive wine, and beautiful companions.

Violeta felt that James bringing only two attendants showed a lot of sincerity, which is why Terrel mentioned his genuine nature.

It was just that Elden and the others didn't understand this, leading them to see James as delicate.

Violeta didn't elaborate further and said, "By the way, I noticed some unfinished bamboo baskets in the room. Are you slacking off? Would you like me to help you finish them?"

From Violeta's past experiences, Elden was always the least eager to do bamboo weaving because he struggled with the delicate work. Every time he tried, his creations turned out poorly and looked misshapen, making them difficult to sell. Over time, he grew to dislike the task.

However, Terrel always encouraged him to develop patience and not to rush things, as this was also part of their training.

Elden would pretend to listen, but he often secretly stored his failed attempts in an unused bamboo shed.

Now that Violeta was staying in the small bamboo house, she noticed Elden's failed attempts.

When Elden heard her comments, he looked initially shocked. A brief moment of awkwardness crossed his face before he blushed and said, "You ... you saw everything? Do you want to help me with weaving? Never mind, do you know how to weave? I'll handle it myself once I'm done with my current tasks. My third senior brother will be coming down the mountain soon. I need to speed up so that he can sell more. Maybe I should offer a discount? Sigh."

Violeta grinned and said, "I know how to weave. How about you let me give it a shot? I'll work on one and show you later."

Elden didn't take her seriously and headed to the dining hall with the water.

Violeta entered the small bamboo house, grabbed the half-finished basket Elden had left, and settled in to finish weaving it with care.

As she wove, her thoughts drifted

back to her past life. Every time she

worked with bamboo in the backyard, her mind replayed her experiences since Zelena returned to the Blake family. The more she thought about it, the stronger the sense of dread she felt about Zelena.

She had been completely under her control, like a puppet on a string.

What hurt even more was how biased Mr. and Mrs. Blake were, which left her feeling cold and eventually numb.

But in this life, things have changed. As Violeta picked up bamboo weaving again, her thoughts wandered to the happy times since her rebirth, from her school days to her debut in acting. The more she thought about those memories, the more fulfilled and content she felt.

By the time Elden came back, Violeta had already finished weaving a bamboo basket.

Amazed at her skill, Elden said, "Wow, this looks great! Where did you learn to weave like that?"

The basket in her hands was one of Elden's failed attempts. Not only had Violeta repaired his faulty work, but she had also corrected the mistakes he made during the weaving process. Seeing Violeta's delicate hands, Elden couldn't believe she had experience with this kind of work, making him even more curious about her.

Violeta replied, "I learned a while back. Looks good, right?"

Elden didn't hold back his praise, saying, "Yes, it's lovely, even nicer than what I can make."

With a faint smile, Violeta glanced past Elden to see Terrel approaching with measured steps.

Elden, not realizing that Terrel was walking up behind him, cheerfully held up the basket and said, "There are a few more messed-up baskets in the bamboo house. Why don't you help me fix them too? In return, could heat some bathwater for you tonight. How does that sound?"

"Elden."

Elden froze for a moment, his smile suddenly stiffening.