Bianca sighed, amused. "And what about the price?"
Lara tapped her pen thoughtfully. "That's tricky. Too cheap, and people won't value it. Too expensive, and it feels wrong. We need a balance. Enough to sustain the farm, but not so much it becomes unreachable."
Bianca nodded slowly. "Maybe… we can create tiers. Ordinary fruits, priced like normal produce. And special batches, the ones with stronger effects, for those who really need them. That way, it's fair."
Lara beamed. "Brilliant. That's exactly it."
---
Later, they walked through the orchard together, baskets in hand. The guava trees were heavy with fruit, glowing faintly in the dappled sunlight. Bianca plucked one gently, holding it up.
"Do you ever wonder," she murmured, "why the land chose me? Why it waited until now to awaken?"
Lara looked at her fondly. "Maybe because you're the only one who loved it enough to stay. Everyone else saw a burden. You saw home."
Bianca felt warmth in her chest. Home. Yes, that was what it felt like now.
Kaloy appeared suddenly from the branches, yawning as if he had just woken from a nap.
"Talking about me again?" he teased.
Lara gasped. "Kaloy! You startled me."
The guardian grinned mischievously. "The fruits are eager. They like being picked. But remember—each fruit carries the land's spirit. Treat them with care, and they will reward you."
Bianca bowed her head. "I will."
---
As the days passed, preparations continued.
Ramon and Lydia helped polish the veranda, scrubbing old wood until it gleamed. Paolo painted cheerful designs on small baskets, his childish drawings adding a charm Lara declared "perfect for marketing."
At night, Bianca and Lara rehearsed their live selling lines.
"Good evening, everyone! Welcome to Hacienda Rodriguez's first ever live selling—" Lara announced dramatically, only to burst into giggles.
Bianca rolled her eyes, holding up a guava. "This is not theater, Lara."
"It's entertainment!" Lara countered. "People watch because it's fun. You'll see."
---
One afternoon, while they arranged fruit baskets, Lydia approached with her cousin Rosa in tow.
"Bianca," Lydia said warmly, "Rosa wanted to thank you again for the guavas. She says her knees feel lighter every day."
Aling Rosa clasped Bianca's hands, her eyes shining. "Dios ko, hija, I can walk to market without pain again. I can even dance a little. I don't know what you've done, but may the heavens bless you."
Bianca blushed, touched. "It's not me, Tiya Rosa. It's the land. The fruits."
Rosa shook her head. "Then thank the land for me. Truly, it is a miracle."
Lara caught Bianca's eye with a triumphant grin. See? Miracle Fruits.
---
End of Chapter 23