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My attention is on theup froot rocks in your mouth?"

"I said twenty-five!"

"Well, shout it out"

"Fuck you! It ain’t easy pulling on a cow’s ear while reading a o on like this? The brothers?"

"Yeah They’re a quarrelsoet used to it" Cora pulls the pack of Pall Malls out again and lights one, then pinches the woodenit across the barn floor

"So, you think I could still have a baby even if Aran’s an old man?"

"How old is he? He looks fit"

"Forty-five"

"I would say yes Does he want to be a father?"

The woet inspecial I should do?"

"Goddammit!" It’s Earl, the bald one this tietting tense, and there are still eight ative

I turn back to Cora "Well, you want to eat a lot of healthy food, etables, corn bread, and beans Then you want to have relations often" I don’t knohy I don’t say intercourse It’s not like Cora is a church lady or so

"Like every day?"

"No, three times a ould be fine Also, don’t drink moonshine"

"Not at all?" Cora asks

"Wo and they’re not too sood for your baby’s bones and, also, the midwife says, raspberry tea You can pick the leaves now if you can find a stand of berries, then put theauze to steep in boiled water Do you have a tea ball, one of those little s on a chain that you dip in your cup?"

"Aran will get hts up "He loves me that much!"

"Last cow," yells Hester He leans over her flank, studying the area that he’d shaved three days ago "Blum," he calls "What do you think?"