In early winter, the wind is cold. Walking on the campus of Ulster University of Technology, Weiss not only does not feel cold, but also has an inexplicable sense of intimacy. The journey from Lorraine to Villefranche was first to visit Nikolai, and then to visit several technical experts from the School of Metallurgy of the Ulster University of Technology, where they were asked about the results of research in the field of new metallic materials. Although their daily teaching and research are two concepts from commercial practicability, the properties of alloy materials need to be better determined through a combination of research and practice. Weiss's arrival this time is no longer simply to sponsor and discuss cooperation, but also to visit the state governor in the hope of getting help from experts from an official standpoint, and the intensity and significance are different from before.

The negotiations went smoothly and the technical advice provided by the experts was very helpful for the Lorrainians to speed up the industrial application of metallurgy. After talking about business, Weiss strolled around the campus and before he knew it, he had arrived at the nursery. I found a "commanding height" and looked over the fence to see the children playing inside. Not long after, when it was time for school to end, he saw Professor Xiao Yang walking this way while thinking from a distance, adding something like a lesson plan to his armpit, and then saw Xiao Candy stretching his neck and waiting in the line.

This scene, whether he comes or not, whether it appears in their lives or not, happens day after day. However, standing here, looking at all this, I have an indescribable feeling in my heart. Weiss took out the small toys he had bought for Little Candy in advance from his bag and walked to the front of the nursery school, where Professor Yang greeted him with a smile when he walked over with Little Candy. Little Candy has sharp eyes, and happily calls "Daddy is here" from a distance. Weiss crouched down, not correcting the little candy for calling him wrong.

For Weiss's appearance, Professor Xiao Yang did not show joy like a little candy, but showed an unpredictable look. Weiss couldn't see her true inner activity, hugged the little candy and said: "Nikolai had an accident, was injured, and was hospitalized in Liberty City, I got the news and came to visit, and by the way, I discussed technical problems with the professors of the Metallurgical Institute, and I came over just after I was busy." Grab another Professor Yang from your family and go out for dinner in the evening! ”

"No need." Professor Xiao Yang refused Weiss's invitation almost without thinking about it, and after two seconds, she said calmly: "The meal is already being cooked, you can eat it when you go back, there is no need to go outside." ”

It turned out to be this meaning, Weiss couldn't help but be curious when he heard it: she and Professor Lao Yang were both busy people, and they were not good at cooking, and they usually made do in the cafeteria, which they had heard before. What's going on today? Could it be that Professor Yang is more leisurely, and he is interested in coming and cooking by himself? I don't think it's likely, or maybe they hired a maid, or maybe Professor Yang found a suitable wife? Divergent thinking in Weiss's mind speculated one possible answer after another.

The three of them walked all the way to the faculty dormitory. Professor Yang's family lived in a small bungalow with a small courtyard, and it seemed a bit luxurious for three people to live, but it is not surprising considering that the two Yang professors each had a large studio full of books, manuscript papers, and materials.

The school cafeteria has good food, and Xiao Candy has two meals a day in the nursery, and they really don't need to hire someone to cook for them, this kind of scholar-type family must have been accustomed to this simple way of life. It's no wonder that Little Candy ate and slept soundly during the time in Clenberg-Heisenberg.

There are so many people in such a big castle that there is a real breath of life!

Back at his residence, Professor Yang politely said "We're back" in front of the foyer. Weiss saw a pair of men's leather boots on the shoe rack, judging from the style, it was obvious that they did not belong to the old Professor Yang's age, and after Professor Yang spoke, a young man's voice came from inside: "Are you hungry?" Do you want to start dinner now? ”

"There's a guest here today." Professor Xiao Yang still said in that polite voice, "Wheat cakes need to be prepared more, and there is wine in the wine cabinet, so you can drink a little today." ”

Weiss didn't ask who this person was, but asked about Professor Yang. Professor Xiao Yang said that he went to the Ministry of Education today to attend the meeting of the Professors' Committee and did not come back for dinner.

If Professor Yang wasn't there, wouldn't Professor Yang, Candy and the young man inside have dinner together? What is the relationship?

Weiss is another series of question marks, but there seems to be nothing wrong with seeing Professor Xiao Yang so calm.

After entering the house, Weiss saw a young and handsome face poking out of the kitchen and smiled at him: "Sorry, I'm cooking, it's inconvenient to shake hands with you, we'll talk later!" ”

Weiss nodded at him, there are very few men in the Federation who can cook, and this restaurant and kitchen are filled with an extraordinarily enticing aroma, which seems to be fried cutlets, vegetables, and soup. It can be smelled that the steak is fried just right, and it is sprinkled with sweet wine to remove the fishy taste, and the vegetables are also cooked and fried before processing, so there is a faint sweet smell. As for the soup, it feels like the craft is definitely not under Weiss.

Weiss asked Professor Yang, "This is ......?"

"He was Little Candy's uncle and my late husband's younger brother. This time happened to be on vacation, so I came to visit Little Candy. ”

Xiao Yang explained like this, Weiss nodded, and it was reasonable and reasonable. It's just that Uncle Xiao is sunny and handsome, and Professor Xiao Yang is beautiful and generous, coupled with this relatively lonely environment, it is difficult for people not to think about it.

"Drink something?" Professor Yang asked Weiss.

"Don't bother, the simplest water will do." Weiss bent down and said to Little Candy, "Will you take me to your room?" ”

Little Candy, of course, happily agreed. She lived in the room next to Professor Xiao Yang and slept alone very early. In her room, there are childlike graffiti on the walls, as well as drawings that are clearly drawn by adults. As an expert in geography and geology, Professor Xiao Yang's hard stroke skills are quite good, and those drawings are not only beautiful, but also have a concise and generous style that is different from sketches.

"Would you like to sleep with me today?" Little Candy asked Weiss with his head up.

"I sleep in a hotel at night." Weiss replied.

"Is it the same as uncle?" Little Candy asked, tilting her head.

It seems that the little uncle is also staying in the hotel, and Weiss secretly breathes a sigh of relief.

"yes, that's courtesy." He explained to Little Candy.

Little Candy took a handmade picture book from his small desk and gave it to Weiss, a childlike crayon drawing, drawing a lot of pictures about the castle. Obviously, Candy still misses the time spent at Château Clumberg-Haysen and her friends.

Weiss played a game with Little Candy for a while, chatted with some very simple questions, and then saw Professor Yang standing quietly at the door of the room watching them play, and after a while, she smiled and said, "Come out to eat!" ”

When they arrived at the restaurant, the young and handsome face had already taken off his apron and was wearing a casual shirt and waistcoat, with a sunny smile: "Introduce myself, my name is Batraar, Batrar-Sain, and I work in the federal government. ”

Little Candy's full name is Alice Sain, which means that this Batraar is a fake uncle. Weiss shook hands warmly and introduced himself: "Long Clumber Heisen, who works for the state government of Lorraine. ”

The federal government worker doesn't seem to have an impression of the name, perhaps because he is not familiar with the new governor, or because he usually works in some specialized field, or for some other reason. Weiss was not surprised at all, nor did he question his identity because of this, but felt that the contours of his eyebrows were familiar. After thinking about it carefully, and then looking at the little candy, it suddenly dawned on me - the blood relationship made them look a little similar in appearance. However, judging from the performance of the small candy, the two are not particularly close.

"Batelar is a diplomat, and it's rare to come back." Professor Xiao Yang's words immediately solved Weiss's doubts.

"Five years in Wessex." With a warm smile on his face, Batelar said, "According to the usual practice, I should rotate my post next year, maybe I will be sent to other countries, maybe I will return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." ”

"Did you stay in Wessex during the war?" Weiss asked curiously.

Batelar replied, "Yes, our embassy and the royal family and government of Wessex have been withdrawn to the north, where it is freezing cold. We had a very difficult time during the war, but in any case, the war is over. I hope there will be no more wars, and may peace come forever! ”

Since he is a diplomat, he is abroad all the year round, and it is rare to take a vacation, so he should accompany his parents when he returns home. Could it be ...... Both parents died, so this little niece is his dearest relative? Weiss didn't want to ask these questions in person, but he just talked about work but not confidentiality.

Batelar went on to "break the news" that the people of Wessex had a kind of pride in being obsessed. In the Cold Age of Weapons, the Wessex Soldiers were probably the bravest warriors on the planet, small in number, but brave and good at fighting, and always accompanied by the honor of victory wherever they went. With the beginning of the industrial age, this physical strength is no longer the key to determining the outcome of the battle, so Wessex has not fared well in the last two wars: in the first war, although they were the victorious nation, they lost more than they gained; In the second war, they were defeated by the Norman Empire and nearly collapsed, and the current situation is also very embarrassing for them. As a matter of fact, the situation in the north is still in a delicate situation, which places high demands on the development of diplomatic work. Therefore, they have to be careful and extra cautious in everything they do.

After saying this, Baral looked at the little candy and said with a smile: "I have often heard my little niece mention you these days, a great hero. ”

Weiss thought to himself, this must be what Kemp Jr. said to Little Candy. Children always have some innocent thoughts, and feel that their uncles are worthy of learning and worship, and some descriptions are inevitably exaggerated and distorted. Therefore, he said in a modest and correct manner: "In times of war, I am just a few thousand people of the Federation who rose up to resist the enemy's aggression, and I assumed the responsibility of containing law and order within the scope of my ability. The truly great are those who have given their lives for their country. ”

At this point, Batraar put away the smile on his face and sighed with a sad expression: "Poor Paul, he should have enjoyed a good life, but he died on the battlefield...... Let us pray for those who have tragically lost in this war! ”

After a moment of silence, dinner began with a slightly heavy atmosphere. Looking at the dishes on the table, Weiss was full of emotion, it was hard to imagine that such a handsome diplomat could make such a table of delicious dishes, and he must be the best at cooking among diplomats, just as he was the best at designing firearms among governors. Those wild barbecues, minatos and thick soups can't be compared to the exquisite dishes on the table - the lamb chops have a golden sheen, and the mouth is full of fragrance, the vegetables are green like jasper, which perfectly retains the sweetness of the vegetables, the consistency of the soup is just right, and the taste is impeccable. This made Weiss wonder if the diplomats were worried that the chefs they hired would not be safe, so they practiced a good ability to cook.

Sometimes, food doesn't need to be praised, and people can tell how satisfied they are with the food by the way they behave. The heavy atmosphere did not completely dissipate, and there was no smile on Batraar's face, only the corners of his mouth were slightly curled: "Before becoming a diplomat, I worked as a cook in the best hotel in Liberty City for three years. At that time, I attended classes at school during the day and helped cook at the hotel at night. Paul was already an army officer at the time, and he paid for my school fees, giving me 20 crowns a month for living expenses, which was actually enough, but we didn't have a mother when we were young, and my father was busy with our lives, and we all had a good meal all year round, so my dream as a child was to be a chef. Taking the opportunity to help the chef learned a lot from the grumpy but very good head chef, which is one of the things I am most proud of. ”

Hearing this, Weiss was a little moved, remembering the moment Batelar poked his head out of the kitchen when he first entered the door, with a big smile on his face, which was the expression of sincere happiness with his loved ones.

From the military academy to the battlefield, from the battlefield to the shopping mall, Weiss slowly learned to drink and taste wine. What Professor Yang asked Batelar to bring out to entertain the guests was the "Golden Cannonball" that the officers often drank, a strong liquor with a strong mouth and a long aftertaste. Professor Xiao Yang didn't drink much, Weiss and Batraar chatted while pushing the cup and changing the glass, and before they knew it, they actually drank a bottle, and both of them had entered a slightly drunken state. Professor Xiao Yang coaxed Xiao Candy back to the room to sleep, and when no third person was present, Batraar suddenly cried alone: "Before, I have always been curious about why Xiao Candy called you Dad, but when we met today, I found that you and Paul are indeed somewhat similar. You all have the same military temperament, and your expressions are the same proud and calm, and you are all excellent. If...... I hope you will take good care of them for Paul, and promise me to take good care of them! ”