Old Grandmother's Tavern.

Joe ate and drank to his heart's content, spitting clouds and mist with a large cigar in his mouth.

Several policemen in black uniforms, carrying batons and tweed cloaks, stood under the lamppoles on the sidewalks outside, laughing in low voices. Around them, groups of students came and went carrying large bags of things.

The business of the old grandmother's tavern gradually picked up, and the huge hall was already full of energetic young men and women.

Some people are making loud noises, showing off the lively scenes of the New Year's celebrations in their hometowns to their companions. Some people are reciting poems, remembering their relatives, friends, and lovers in their hometown. Of course, there are also people who are already drunk and staggering around talking, and they see that if they don't get it right, they will start a conflict.

The territory of the Delen Empire was too vast, and it took more than a month to reach some frontier provinces from Hydrerabor, even by special trains that kept going day and night, and it took three months to travel back and forth.

The winter vacation of several universities in the imperial capital adds up to a little more than a month, and many students are destined to be unable to go home.

Therefore, the food street is still lively.

It's even more lively than in classes on weekdays.

"I like the way they look." Joe's face was obscured by the green smoke, and his voice became erratic.

"Well, that unfortunate guy named McCan, who said to me before he died, made me think that these guys, though sometimes annoying...... Like, those Fourth University bastards who besieged me for some reason. ”

"But they're not bad like this."

A burly young man who drank too much, and another thin young man who drank too much, began to tug and pull because of the question of whether the people from the south of the empire drank a lot of alcohol or the people from the north of the empire.

The good fellow had the maid serve two beers, each of which was a one-liter bronze goblet, and each of which was twelve.

Two good men who claimed to represent the amount of alcohol in the south and north of the empire stood at the long table with red eyes amid the cheers of a group of fox friends and dogs, burping loudly and holding up their beer glasses.

"Look at these idiots, stupid, but funny, funny, cute." Qiao said leisurely: "Unrestrained, you can release your nature to your heart's content...... Well, I'm a little younger than them, but I always feel like I'm out of place with them. ”

"Why is that?" Weima knelt on the stool, petite and thin like bean sprouts, she writhed around, and the kitchen knife kept cutting a leg of mutton bone that had been gnawed by Joe so shiny that there was not even a trace of tendon left.

"Probably...... Killing too much? Joe's voice became very slight: "If you do too many things like this, you always feel that it is difficult to get close to ordinary people." ”

Tifa narrowed her eyes and looked at Joe very seriously.

"Joe, don't be cranky, look at the clothes on you, you're an Imperial soldier." Tifa was silent for a while, and she finally held back a reassuring word to appease Joe: "Those who are killed by you are all damned people." ”

"Perhaps." Joe picked up his glass and took a big sip.

He patted his belly briskly and muttered, "So, I like to come here...... The old grandmother's food is delicious, and the people here are very happy. Sitting here, I feel relaxed and feel ...... I'm away from all those weird things, I'm still a, flesh and blood, living people. ”

The corners of Tifa's eyes drooped, and Qingli's face wrinkled: "Why did you become the same as Gorkin?" ”

"Really? My melancholy temperament? Joe laughed, his smile was like a thriving cabbage, raw, chubby, and tender, which made people quite appetizing.

Tifa rolled her eyes.

Weima was already standing at the table, dancing and cheering on the two men who had already drunk three glasses of beer.

She even took out a small handful of gold marks and shouted at the nearby students, "Who's going to gamble with me?" I can win by pressing this skinny monkey...... Haha, he'll be able to stand last! ”

A large crowd of students rushed towards this direction, all waving gold marks and silver finnigs, and shouting at Weima.

Dancing with her hands, Weima asked the maid for a pen and paper, and quickly wrote down the bets made by the students.

The two good men over there drank a little faster.

Especially the burly northern man, he was even more drinking, and at the same time staring at the busy Weima here-the little girl, she actually looked down on herself, so she must win!

The atmosphere in the tavern became more and more lively.

Joe stood up, he stretched out his thick arms, protected in front of Weima, and shouted loudly: "Come one by one, come one by one, don't mess up, don't mess up...... Where, how much do you bet? Five gold marks, bet on which gorilla to win? So, this beautiful girl, are you betting on this skinny monkey? ”

"Oh, oh, the fight between the gorilla and the skinny monkey, hurry, while they are not drunk, hurry up and place a bet!"

Joe laughed so hard that his teeth were bared.

Heading north from the port of Tulum, the chaos in the Ruhr City, the troubles in the Imperial Capital, the carnage in the Lanyin Corridor, and the tragic scenes encountered in the turmoil in the Imperial Capital......

There are big and small troubles.

All the negative emotions, the pressure accumulated in the heart, are dissipated in the laughter, in the impact of alcohol.

Joe smiled brightly, waving his arms and sweating faintly on his forehead.

His white skin turned red, and at this moment, like those college students around him, he really had the appearance of a young man.

Old Lady Mary stood at the door of the back kitchen with a smile, quietly watching Joe dancing and Weima who was busy collecting bets and recording the names of bettors.

"Hehe, youthful vitality, it's really beautiful."

"So, I like this little guy, smoking, drinking, and having a temper...... But, a good lad. ”

"So, I don't like Marg...... Hehe, it's too perfect, it's actually a kind of falsehood. ”

"Idiot, what an idiot, you're going too far."

"If it weren't for Mata's obstruction, I would definitely put the black cauldron of the turmoil in the imperial capital on your head, and then take Hillman, who was imprisoned in the Blood Kapok Castle, to ...... you all."

A deep glow flashed in Old Lady Mary's eyes.

Her body shook slightly, and then her face returned to normal. She looked at the busy Joe and Weima, and nodded lightly: "Weima, this little girl, is also quite cute...... Ho ho ho At this age, you should be naughty and mischievous. ”

"Well, Tifa, little girl...... Well, when I was younger, I would have admired her. ”

"But now, well, I still like to be a little more mischievous."

"Naughty and mischievous, but never mischievous."

"Ah, Mackay, Magnum, you little bastards, you just like to do things too much."

"Hmph, hum, hum."

The old lady sneered softly.

There was a crisp alarm sound from behind, and the old lady hurriedly turned around, hurriedly put on thick cotton gloves, ran to the oven, opened the heavy oven door quickly, and pulled out a huge iron plate.

On the iron plate, pieces of butter bread the length of an arm exuded a rich aroma, and the old lady shouted happily: "Old grandmother's butter bread of love...... Little bastards, were those tables the main food just now? ”

"Hey, do you want garlic sauce or cherry sauce?"

"I'm sorry, Strawberry Jam is sold out, wait until next year!"

"Wow, there's a little bastard for barbecue sauce? It's a heavy taste. Well, give them a generous portion of the spicy barbecue sauce...... I wish them the same as the bears that are preparing to hibernate, raising themselves to be white and fat. ”

The bustle of the Old Grandmother's Tavern lasted until three o'clock in the afternoon.

The drunken students gradually dispersed, and Weima sat down at the table in frustration.

She lost all the pocket money she had saved for three months, and she didn't even have a fountain Su left.

Not only that, but she also borrowed more than a hundred gold marks from Joe before she could pay off the lost money.

"It doesn't make sense...... "Weima looked at Tifa pitifully, "My dearest sister......"

"Borrow money? Oh, last time I took on a loan shark case in Port Tulum...... Eight out of fifteen, seven days and one knot, profit rolling. During the repayment of the debt, you are prohibited from making any purchases. Tifa stared at his sister with cold eyes, and said slowly: "Don't blame me, Liya said, if you lose your gambling money, you must be educated!" ”

"How much are you going to borrow, my dearest sister?"

Tifa smiled slightly, her smile was as beautiful as a flower, but in Weima's opinion, she was as hideous as a demon.

"Uh......" Weima hesitated.

Old Mrs. Mary stood behind the counter with a smile and looked at the two sisters who were bargaining: "Well, it's a very interesting educational method, and if you suffer a little more, this little girl won't get into trouble in the future...... However, in my opinion, children still have to be beaten every once in a while, so that they can remember it for a long time. ”

Jo took out a thick checkbook, according to the bookkeeping that the blonde maid had taken out, according to the total amount of the bill he had signed at the old grandmother's tavern, and added twenty percent of the tip, and carefully wrote a check, and handed it to the old lady with a smile on her face.

Placing the checkbook, Joe pulled out an invitation card made of metal with an iron gray frame and a blood border from his chest pocket.

He gently placed the invitation in front of the old lady.

"Old Grandmother, this is an invitation to the New Year's Celebration at Hydra Palace...... Well, I've done something for the Empire lately, so my father and my brother and I will all be canonized by the Empire. ”

"My father, the title is about to be promoted, and my brother and I will get our own titles."

"At this good time, according to the rules, everyone who has been knighted can invite a few relatives and friends to meet the ceremony."

"I'm in the imperial capital, and your only relative and friend is you."

"So, I solemnly invite you to tomorrow's celebration banquet."

Old Lady Mary looked at Joe with a stunned expression: "Huh? You invited me, an old country woman, to ...... New Year's celebration at Hydra Palace? ”

"Can't you? You're my grandmother. Joe smiled brightly: "Oh, what about the package I just brought in?" There is my New Year's gift to you, according to your figure, a set of customized dresses for you, you see, how is the workmanship? ”

Joe smiled, smugly.

Old Lady Mary clicked her lips, blinked her eyes, and gave a deep look at the smiling little fat man.

"If you're not afraid that I'll embarrass you in front of those big shots."