This is a county and province in the south of the eastern border. Hills and fields alternate in the area. There are various large and small noble fiefdoms. They built castles on the hills and fields, and relying on these castles, there are some sporadic cities and small towns.
embellish it.
Compared to other places, the provinces and territories in the east are relatively peaceful and prosperous. They have a warm maritime climate. Even the provinces in the interior are living well thanks to prosperous commerce.
However, even in relatively peaceful areas, there are still people living in poverty.
In the mountains covered with scattered yellow leaves, a boy of about 14 years old was trekking in the mountains. He was wearing rough linen clothes, and his whole body was light yellow. The color was like dry soil and blended in with the surrounding environment.
Although it is already winter, there is no snow in Viet Sui Province, but there is some coolness in the mountains. This young man's clothes are thin, and sometimes he has to move his hands and feet more to avoid getting cold.
Elio jumped onto a big rock with thick rope straw sandals, searched the grass and shade of trees, and soon discovered the tiny hidden gardenias. This kind of fruit matures late and can usually only be picked in late autumn.
And because of the local climate, he can still find unfallen gardenia fruits in the mountains in winter.
After discovering the target, he jumped off the stone, pushed aside the dry and rough weeds with both hands, held the long branches of the shrub, then ran his hands down the roots of the long branches, peeled off a row of small orange fruits, and slid them into his palms.
.
These fruits are slightly smaller than grapes. They are covered with a layer of translucent and dry skin on the outside. There are separate small green buds at the tips of the fruits. If they are piled together, they will look like orange with a little light green, giving people a sense of
Comfortable visual effects.
Picking up a few fallen gardenias among the dead branches and leaves, the young man put them in his own bag, tied a rope around his waist, and continued to search for the next place with gardenias.
Gardenias can be sold to some herbal workshops, but the volume they receive is not large, so they are more often sold to dyeing shops because they can be used to extract pigments and dye them yellow.
It is worth mentioning that the yellow linen clothes he wears are dyed with gardenia fruits. Most of the ordinary people who work hard, such colors are resistant to dirt and not easy to fade, so they are very popular.
Walking among withered grass and shrubs, Elio grabbed these tiny fruits and put them in a bag. He tried to find as many as possible so that he could exchange them for more money.
Time gradually reached noon. The young man sat down on a clean stone and took out half of the uneaten dry biscuits from his arms. He had very little money on hand, so he could only buy such affordable things to fill his stomach.
.
The teeth struggled to bite down these cold and hard dry biscuits, and then chewed slowly, trying to moisten and soften the food with saliva so as not to choke.
Even though his cheeks were a little sore from chewing, Elio was still a little hungry after eating half of the cake. He licked the crumbs around his mouth. The young man had to stand up again, and continued walking on the mountain with sore steps.
Search between.
This continued until the sun gradually shifted, and it was probably afternoon.
Reaching out to pat down the tiny insects stuck on the bag, Elio looked at the tepid sun in the sky, guessing that it was going to set.
He didn't dare to spend the night in the mountains. Even if there were no wild animals, the low temperature there would still kill him.
He untied the bag, put his hand in, and felt the tiny gardenia fruits rolling down from his hands. When he picked it up, he couldn't even hold it in one hand. He felt satisfied and happy.
With these, I will probably be able to have a full meal tonight. No, I won't be full yet. I have to save some money. Winter is coming.
He is already an adult. After his mother is gone, he can only survive on his own.
Elio grabbed the bag, quickly and skillfully shuttled between rocks and yellow mud and withered grass, slid down the hillside, and rushed forward.
In the distant wilderness, a large city stands beside the flowing river, with green smoke rising from time to time. This is the third largest city in Viet Sui Province, located in Kuyan County.
——————
There were scattered lights on both sides of the street at night, and the windows of some wealthy people's houses illuminated the street. Elio walked out of the workshop door contentedly with a bag of copper coins in his arms.
Looking at the pedestrians around him, he carefully wrapped the coins in his collar and ran past quickly.
You have to go to the backyard of that beautiful bakery, where you can probably buy some expired scraps. Such food can be said to be luxurious and delicious even among poor people.
Those sweet cream mixed with cake crumbs are so sweet and delicious. The first time he tasted it was when he was 9 years old. At that time, his mother was still there and got a little for himself.
Arriving in front of the crowded backyard door, the young man stood on tiptoe and looked inside. When he saw a busy maid, he waved slightly happily.
"Sister Anna."
This is a quite common name. One out of ten girls in the East is named Anna. After hearing the young man's cry, the maid raised her head and looked around, but did not immediately agree. She would have done this to the wrong person.
Just got used to it.
"It's you, Elio." She looked at the boy in surprise, and then walked over. It was almost closing time, and the store was quiet.
"It's me, I want to buy some food." The young man said excitedly.
Anna is someone he has known for a long time. It is said that his mother helped her a little in the past, so they became familiar with each other.
"But it will be very expensive." Anna said worriedly. Although she was a maid in the bakery, she could not take out the items at will. This job was very important to her, and she did not dare to do anything that violated the rules.
"I know." The young man took out a bag containing copper coins. For people who have always been on the food and clothing line, having a good meal is the greatest happiness in life.
"Where did you make the money?" Looking at the bulging bag, which probably contained dozens of copper coins, Anna looked around and saw that no one was paying attention, so she came over to cover him and put it back into the boy's arms.
inside.
"Don't be imitated by those hooligans on the street. If you are really short of money, my sister can lend you some, although it's not much." Anna squatted down and stroked Elio's hair, looking at this thin and good-looking man.
Cheeks, sighing that he has a good mother.
"No, I went to the mountains to find some fruits purchased by the workshop. I know where these things grow. I have been running in those mountains since I was a child, so I am familiar with them." The young man explained, looking at Anna with a smile.
"Well, you still have to be careful in the future. Although there are no magical beasts in the mountains, some ordinary beasts are dangerous enough."
"Yeah, I know, sister Anna." Elio nodded from time to time while looking at the maid in front of him.
"Okay, let me go to the kitchen first. Mr. Andrew will clear away the expired and unsold pastries today, and I will get some for you then. Just wait around for a while."
"Yes." Elio agreed and watched the maid walk back into the yard.
Afterwards, he squatted on a stone beside the street, folding his hands around himself to conserve heat. He looked up at the darkening sky. Blocked by the buildings in the distance, a touch of light purple appeared on the horizon, which was the color of fire clouds.
As time passed, pedestrians occasionally walked by on the street, and none of them paid attention to this ordinary boy. Instead, a few ruffian boys whom Elio was familiar with whistled at him. Seeing that he didn't respond, they also walked away with a smile.
It's over. The weather is so cold, bullying others is no longer fun. Even they will want to get to a warm nest soon.
Just when Elio was in a daze, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Elio."
"I'm here." The young man stood up quickly, but staggered because his feet were numb from cold, and he held on to the wall before he could stand firm.
"It's frozen." Anna walked over in small steps, put something wrapped in oil paper aside, squatted down, and checked Elio. She saw that his arms and body were red from the cold, and his lips were also a little purple.
Rub it lovingly for a while.
"Go home early, it's too cold outside." She reminded the boy, and then handed over the small package.
"Here are the scraps I got from Mr. Andrew. Most of them are probably not broken, but they can't be put away anymore."
"Thank you!" Elio took it excitedly and quickly opened it, revealing the battered bread and cake, with some white cream in them.
Regardless of the coldness, Elio took it out with his hands and put it in his mouth. The sweetness was as soft as cotton and melted in his mouth, disappearing after one gulp.
After that, he grabbed some more and put them in his mouth, finishing the few crumbs in one go. Seeing the boy devouring the food, Anna smiled, and then patted him on the back to prevent him from choking.
"By the way, money." Elio took out the bag of copper coins from his arms and prepared to pay Anna.
"No, I'll treat you as my sister this time. It's getting cold, so you should buy some warm clothes."
"This..." Due to the self-esteem in his heart, Elio wanted to continue giving money to Anna, but thinking that he had been too cold to sleep recently, he hesitated.
"Well, I work in a bakery and I can afford the money." Anna saw Elio's hesitation and continued to add.
"Then, I will repay sister Anna in the future." Elio took the bag back, then waved to Anna and ran towards the place where he usually lives.
It was a remote corner of the slums. Although it was very dirty, it was the only place he could stay. He had also thought about building a cabin in the wild mountains before, but the beasts and monsters in the mountains made him give up.
idea.
At least it's a lot more convenient to work and make money here, and it's probably even colder outside.
The slums are full of sludge and garbage. It is extremely cold and dark at night. Because there are no lights, you often have to walk in the dark. Sometimes you have to be careful of those with malicious intentions.
Fortunately, it is winter now, and there are fewer people wandering outside. Elio trotted through the alley and came to a closed dilapidated courtyard. He found a collapsed place on the side and stepped on the moss and gravel piles.
At the footrest, turn into the yard.
"Is it Elio?" an old voice said.
"Yes." The young man replied, and then looked at the dilapidated house in the corner of the yard. An old man with gray hair looked at him through the drafty window, and then disappeared into the shadows.
This old man is missing a leg and is half-blind. He lives here all year round and makes a living by making some strange 'handicrafts' and selling them. He is Elio's neighbor.
“Going into his small, drafty room, Elio moved stones to block the door so that the draft would be smaller.
He wrapped the tattered old blanket around himself, then curled up in the corner, enduring his still hungry stomach, imagining a beautiful scene, a world where he could eat bread at will, where he had a mother, and a
Warm stone cottage.
Just like that, Elio fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, he went to a place selling used things on the street and found an old coat that didn't fit. Although it had several holes, it could still be a good thing to keep warm as long as it was mended.
In the next week, before the white frost covered the ground, he went to the mountains several times to look for gardenia fruits that could be sold for money, until one day he finally collected a huge fortune of one silver coin.
This was the first time in his life that he had made so much money, a huge amount of wealth that he could barely survive even if he didn't go out for a month.
Taking the money, Elio headed towards the bakery again. He wanted to return the money to sister Anna and buy some delicious food.
"Anna?" A strange maid blocked the backyard door, preventing Elio from entering.
"Oh, I remembered, that maid, she is no longer here."
"Then where did she go?" Elio said anxiously.
"I don't know, I just heard that she quit working, she seems to have got married. You should also know that she is not young. In our place, she should be a mother at such an age." This maid
He explained impatiently and then drove away the dirty boy.
"Don't come here anymore. Customers will be offended if they see you in the future." She said with disgust.
"Sorry..." Elio apologized and ran away.
He vaguely remembered where Anna lived, which was another corner of the city. It seemed to be a place where ordinary civilians gathered. Although it was not wealthy, the houses and streets were good.
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of anyone named Anna." An old woman shook her head and asked the young man to go and inquire elsewhere.
"Ha, who is that? Stop blocking the road." Some people waved impatiently.
"Go away, it's really disgusting." A girl covered her mouth and nose and waved her hands in disgust.
"Anna? There are too many people calling this name." An uncle carrying a prey on his back shook his head.
"I don't know." Passers-by hurried past.
"Who are you?" Some people refused directly.
In this way, Elio asked for a whole day but still got nothing. He squatted on the street corner and thought for a long time, and finally came up with a new idea.
Another evening at dusk, Elio blocked Mr. Andrew, the pastry chef from the bakery, on his way home.
"Hello, I would like to ask about the whereabouts of sister Anna." Elio looked at the man seriously.
"Are you...? Oh, now that I think about it, it seems that Anna really takes care of you." Andrew looked at the thin, dark boy.
"I advise you not to look for her anymore, Anna has gone home."
"Go home, which home?"
"Her hometown is actually in a mountain village in the neighboring county. She actually lives at her uncle's house on weekdays. She only gives her some money for rent."
"Actually, you don't know, Anna worked very hard. Most of the money she earned was taken away by her uncle. Sometimes she would hide part of the money in the store and ask me to help keep it."
"I recently heard that his uncle introduced her to a butcher and married her to him."
"But..." Elio wanted to ask many things, including where he married, how the other person was, whether Sister Anna was happy or sad, etc.
"You don't have to think too much, it's not a good thing to disturb others anymore." Andrew shook his head.
"But I have to pay back the money. I owe sister Anna a lot." Elio looked at Andrew seriously.
"Oh, this..." Andrew wanted to get away, but was stopped by Elio several times, and finally had to tell him the direction.
"It's in a small village not far outside the city, probably to the east?" Andrew said, walking around.
"I'm going to find her." Elio ran away without looking back.
The cold wind blowing in the winter wilderness is like a fine blade brushing across the cheek. Although it is not as cold as in the north, it is still uncomfortable.
Elio carried a few wrapped dough balls and ran along the road in the wilderness, guessing which road might lead to the village based on the simple handwriting on the forks of the road.
After taking many wrong paths, it took him nearly three days to finally find the village that Andrew was talking about.
"There is a white birch tree at the end of the village." The young man recited the village's logo silently, and then walked quickly into it.
Scattered houses are scattered on the hillside. It is still late winter, and the doors of every house are closed. Only the rings woven with frozen green are hung on the doors. This is the custom of praying for blessings in winter.
Elio had to knock on every door shamelessly and ask if there was a newly married girl named Anna.
"I don't know." Someone shook his head.
"Go away, kid." Some people didn't want to pay attention.
"I haven't heard of anyone getting married recently."
"Are you talking about the butcher? It's very simple. It's the house in the back of the village, near the big stone and the sheepfold."
"Thank you." Elio saluted gratefully and ran over quickly.
Taking tiring steps, Elio finally stopped in front of a house, where frightening curses came from inside.
"Do you know how to serve others? I spent a lot of money to buy you, not to raise a waste." After saying this, you could hear the sound of the basin turning over, followed by a slap.
The door opened, and Anna, dressed as a woman, squatted in the basin and came out, pouring water outside the door. At this time, she saw the child standing outside the house.
"Are you... Elio?" There was some disbelief in the voice.
"It's me, sister Anna." The young man wanted to step forward to speak, but Anna quickly winked and waved her hand.
Then he stood there and watched Anna put the basin back into the house. After a while, she quietly walked out of the back door and pulled him under the hidden shade of a tree.
"Why are you here?"
"I want to return the money to you." Elio took out the money bag from his arms, which was still a little warm.
"No, just take it yourself." Anna waved her hand.
Elio was stunned in place, a little at a loss, but finally asked.
"Is sister Anna okay now?"
"It's okay, you don't have to worry about me, you should think more about yourself." Anna hesitated, then continued.
"Actually, you don't need to thank me specifically, because your mother helped me in the past, and I was just repaying the kindness."
"Don't come here again. It will arouse suspicion and affect your reputation." She said it a little harshly, but then added.
"It's not that I hate it, it's just that it would be better this way. If you have money, remember to learn a trade so that you can find a place to settle down and live a good life in the future. This way you won't be living up to your mother."
Anna put her hands in front of her and recalled that more than ten years ago, when she was just a little girl who had just grown up. And the beautiful lady passing by the village with her child was a stunning scene that she would never forget in her life.
.
After saying that, Anna waved her hand, said goodbye to Elio and walked into the house again. Soon after, there was another sound of scolding and apology.
Listening to this sad sound, Elio stood under the tree for a long time before leaving silently.
The Winter Festival celebrations are here, he is one year older, and life seems to have become a little lonely again.
Two weeks later, the Winter Festival celebration was held in the city. People from many nearby villages also came here to watch and participate. The large and small shops on the streets were hung with frozen green woven garlands, and the dark green branches, leaves and berries were dotted with colors.
The gloomy world brings a rare smile to the residents of the city.
At this time of year, it is difficult to go out due to the weather, so it is also a rare time to rest. Everyone sits together and discusses recent current events, such as harvests, interesting things, etc., and then sits in a lively bar, warming up and drinking.
Beer and listen to the minstrels playing various stories.
Chirp——
Along with the long sound that broke through the sky, the nobles' attendants lit the fireworks made by the alchemists, and then everyone in the city began to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the night sky.
Bang! Red fireworks bloomed high in the sky, and dark red meteors flashed across like rain. Then another bright yellow firework exploded, bringing with it a large shower of stars.
Amidst the tiny crackling sounds, residents from nearby areas stood on the street to watch, and some even clapped slightly.
"These mages are quite useful. No wonder those nobles want to protect these people who escaped from Lurna."
"But these things can only be used by noble gentlemen."
"But it's nice to look at it. It's really beautiful."
"Haha, this is the same." The civilians in the city whispered.
"Hello." Elio saw a familiar face in the crowd. It was the person who gave him directions in Anna's village some time ago.
"Oh, hello, it's you." He seemed to recognize Elio.
"Yes." Elio nodded, and then asked about Anna's situation.
"Well...well, I advise you to be more open-minded." He sighed and then wanted to avoid it.
"What happened?" Elio felt worried and scared.
"It's nothing. That Anna is probably gone now."
The calm words exploded in Elio's mind like thunder, so much so that he didn't even listen to anything the man said later.
He ran under the dark night, his body like red-hot coals, panting for heat, and ran in the direction he remembered before.
The small village outside the city was hazy under the cold starry sky. He was far away from the noisy and bustling city and plunged into the cold night. The cold winter air rolled in his lungs and made him feel a pain, but the one shaking in his mind was
The sight of his back made him even more miserable.
Why?
Why?
Why do people who were alive some time ago suddenly disappear? Even in such a difficult winter, didn't they survive one by one?
Why did it happen this time...
"The girl named Anna committed suicide." The uncle's sighing words still lingered in his ears, making Elio unable to let go for a long time.
He went crazy and ran to that village, rushed into that house, and argued with people amidst shouting and fighting, and then he was hit on the head with a thick wooden stick and his head was bleeding.
The warm blood gradually became cold in the winter night, and the pain on the top of his head gradually became numb. He stiffened his body and walked step by step towards the hillside behind the village, where Anna was said to be buried.
Walking in a dark mountain forest, Elio's hands and feet gradually became cold. He only felt that the mass of flesh on his feet seemed to belong to someone else. It was cold and stiff, and it no longer hurt when he held his hands on the rough bark of the tree.
Is this winter? It's so cold.
Even if his frozen lips were slightly opened, there was a burst of pain, which stimulated Elio's gradually numb nerves and prevented him from falling over.
Unable to see in the dark night, he could not find the place where Anna was buried. He could only walk in the forest and disappear into the darkness step by step.
Behind this young man, in the distant city, grand fireworks are rising one by one, blooming with joyful brilliance. These light rains falling down in pieces arouse countless beautiful reveries in people's hearts.
