Warm bread shop.

Flying snow outside, lonely and cold, stained Twilight City with an endless frost white.

It's 3:12 a.m., dawn is approaching, and the whole city is asleep, except for Chino and the others.

Faphore's eyes were red and bloodshot, obviously he hadn't slept for several days, his cheeks had lost a lot of weight, and his whole spirit was very low.

She took out the freshly baked bread from the oven and brought it to Chino's table with the buffalo milk: "My lord, please eat." ”

"Thank you." Chino exhaled into his cold little hand, picked up the hot honey oat bread with his fork, and took a bite to chew it on.

Faphora asked with concern, "How does it taste?" ”

"Very good." Chino paused and said apologetically, "But forgive me for being blunt, today's bread is still a little worse than before." ”

Faphorean wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and said softly: "Your breakfast was made by Wendy before, this child is very talented in cooking, and I am ashamed to say that I am a mother, and my cooking skills are not as good as hers." ”

As he ate, Chino noticed a sword hanging from the wall of the kitchen, pointed at it and asked, "What is that?" ”

Faphora glanced back and said, "Oh, that one was left by my husband." Wendy often took the sword off and played with it, and she always said that when she grew up, she wanted to learn from her father and be a brave warrior. But I think, girls, it's not good to learn to bake and bake bread every day, and there is no need to go out and work hard like men. ”

Chino smiled and said: "Every child has their own dreams when they are children, which is not surprising, as long as you respect her and give her some guidance when necessary." ”

Faphora picked up the knitting needle next to him, as if he was knitting something: "Wendy, this child, in fact, has been very bitter since she was a child, our family has no money, she began to learn to make bread with me at the age of 3, and she gets up early every day to be greedy for darkness, just to earn a few more iron moons." Later, when her father died, the government mansion gave us such a large pension, and it was all silver moon, and I wanted to send her to school..."

There are such institutions as "schools" in the Kingdom of Doguland, but according to the Dogurand Education Act, all schools can only be run by the government, and the so-called "private schools" are illegal.

At the same time, the school's tuition fees can only be settled in silver months, not copper or iron months.

This also means that in addition to the middle and upper classes such as aristocrats, officials, and big businessmen with social status, the common class has no way to send their children to study, and it is useless to earn money for a lifetime, and it is useless how much you earn, because all you earn is copper and iron month, and the school does not accept it.

Of course, not all commoner children cannot go to school, and if nobles see potential in commoner children, they will often sponsor Silver Moon for them to study.

Correspondingly, the children of commoners are sponsored, and after graduating from school, if they stand out in the written test and interview and become officials of the kingdom, they will generally repay the favor to the sponsor, and in a sense, they will become the "doorman" of this noble.

It has to be said that the rulers of Dogurand were very clever, and a simple monetary policy divided the social classes.

Who can be educated to become an official or even a member of the upper ruling class.

Who is not able to possess knowledge, rely on a craft to support social supply and demand, or act as a low-level laborer?

All aspects are clearly divided.

In addition to the aristocratic funding, of course, there are also people like Wendy, who for some reason, such as a pension, get a large amount of silver, can afford school tuition, and get the opportunity to change their fate with knowledge.

But this is only a tiny minority.

Normally, the death pension of ordinary soldiers is still settled in copper months, and the original standard in Twilight City was 3,000 copper moons for each fallen soldier.

can meet a silver month, and it is 300 coins when you die, it's just that Chino, a refuser, is not stupid and has a lot of money.

However, now that Wendy is dead, it's useless to say anything.

Chino looked up at Faphora and silently asked, "Do you hate me for that?" ”

Faphora was stunned: "My lord, why do you think so?" Why should I hate you? ”

Chino: "For example... If it weren't for me in Twilight, Visitors from Beyond might not be here, and Wendy wouldn't have died, but would have had a different life. ”

"You're overthinking. Even if I want to hate, I hate visitors from all over the world, how can I hate you? Faphora rubbed his eyes and continued knitting, "You solved the murder so quickly and brutally made them desperate to death, I thank you that it was too late. ”

"Actually, from the legal code, my behavior crossed the line. But with human nature against animal nature, it is always the former who despairs. Chino's eyes were deep, "It just so happens that mastering bestiality is my specialty." ”

"They are right, your words and deeds are really like the embodiment of death walking in the world." Fa Vran couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, his eyes seemed to fall into memory, "Speaking of which, the person Wendy admired the most in the past was you, when you wiped out the horse bandits with inferior forces in Shilin Town, she saw the news from the newspaper, it was called an excitement!" Later, when she heard that you were coming to Twilight to be the administrator, she got up before dawn and said that she would go to the city gate to meet you. ”

Faphora remembered something and patted his forehead: "By the way, you should have seen it at the time, I remember that she sent you flowers, and you dismounted to collect them." ”

Chino reacted: "Oh... It turned out to be her? I said that the first time I came to the warm bread shop, I always thought Wendy was very familiar. ”

"Yes, she has met quite a few noble officials before, but they are all indifferent to her, and you are the first nobleman to smile kindly at her. So, when you came to our store for breakfast, she insisted on making bread for you herself, getting up early and working late every day, rain or shine. Faphora spoke, rubbing his eyes with his hands, and his voice began to be hoarse, "This child is so kind, why is she..."

It was quiet all around, only the sound of wind and snow howling and whimpering, and Baixa and the others were also red-eyed.

Faphore wiped away her tears and continued to weave what she had in her hand, which had been woven into long strips.

She said, "I'm sorry, I lost my temper. It's okay, those two villains have paid the debt with blood, and I have no regrets. ”

After eating the last bite of bread, drinking the milk, wiping his mouth with a tissue, and arranging the dishes, Chino got up and said, "Have you finished eating?" Time to go. ”

"I'm done." Baixa rubbed his reddened eyes, took out the money and handed it to Faphore, "Madame Faphore, give you the money." ”

Faphora didn't take the money, and continued to weave what he had at hand: "It's okay, no need, just let me invite you." ”

Baixa hurriedly stuffed money into her pocket: "No, no, no, what's so embarrassing?" ”

"I really don't need to, let's go back quickly, don't freeze in the snow." Faphora gently pushed the money back, without raising his head, and continued to weave.

At this moment, Chino's call came: "Baiza, listen to Madame Faphorene, and go." ”

Baixa was a little puzzled, and in his impression, Chino would never ask for nothing in the face of civilians, and he was polite. If he really encounters a kind gift, he will also give back with something of equivalent value openly and secretly, why is it so abnormal today?

Baixa and Lugo glanced at each other, obviously seeing each other's doubts, but they didn't think much of it, saying goodbye to Fafran and turning to leave the store.

"Madame Favrean," Chino looked back at the shop in the snow, his amber eyes as deep as the sea, "thank you for your breakfast, goodbye." ”

Baiza was stunned when he heard the sound, goodbye?

Shouldn't it be goodbye?

What does it mean to say goodbye...

Baixa subconsciously turned his head and looked at the warm bakery.

The shop was still the same shop, but the warmth of the past had long since faded, the snow was getting heavier and the view was beginning to be blocked, and Faphora sat alone in the shop, weaving silently.

And just like that, gradually, the snow obscured everything.

...