"Does it feel familiar......

Professor Voss, who is interested in the fact that I may have other works,

I opened the English version of "Ordinary and Great".

If he wants to say that he is familiar, he must be familiar, because of his love for this work and the work of literary translation, Professor Voss has read this book many times.

The content of the book, the author I's narrative is naturally very familiar,

But to extend from this familiarity to other works that may be I,

Professor Voss was a little unsure.

Unless it's time to put two of I's works together for him to compare,

That might be a straightforward way to tell. Now in this vast sea of books, where to find other works that may also be I's works.

"Are there any other works that have a similar style to The Ordinary and the Great?"

Professor Voss held the spread out book of "The Ordinary and the Great" in his hand, and was a little puzzled and skeptical of the discussion on the Internet.

Has this similar style been seen elsewhere?

Professor Voss felt that the suspicion on the Internet was a little unreliable.

Can't it be that "Ordinary and Great" really has to be the first work of I?

Although I's writing is extraordinarily sophisticated, although the writing is extremely good and fluent,

But can't you be a genius?

Like some other writers, did they have a bad first book?

No matter how bad it is, can't it be that I has published some works in China before the release of "Ordinary and Great"?

Well, like the 'dog author'.

Professor Voss couldn't stop complaining, refuting the unreliable discussions on the Internet one by one.

But I still couldn't suppress the curiosity in my heart, and while opening "Ordinary and Great" in my hand, I also thought of works that might have a similar style in my mind.

It's really a thing...... It's interesting.

But

Thinking while watching like this, Professor Voss didn't think of any works similar to "The Ordinary and the Great".

was first attracted by the story in "Ordinary and Great", and then attracted attention

Even after reading "The Ordinary and the Great" many times, after opening and reading a few paragraphs, I can't help but continue to read.

When immersed in the story, it's like forgetting the plot that you already know later, and you're still nervous about the development of the story.

Professor Voss, who was sitting in the study, was slowly turning the pages of the book page by page.

There was silence in the study.

As for what, I may have written other books, Professor Voss has long since forgotten about it.

……

The plot of "Ordinary and Great",

Before that, a foreign war broke out in the country of Little Gerrit and Hoss.

After the knights of the Church arrived in the village to announce the harvest of the crops in a few months, the Church and the King raised the levy of grain to fifty percent.

And now I have to make up for 20% of the previous year.

Because the previous year was still ten fields of grain harvest, and at this moment, there is no one in the family, Grandma Milia,

Little Gerrit and Hoss still barely paid the twenty percent of the grain.

According to the request of the church's grain collectors, little Gerritt and his father Hoss carried 20% of the grain to the carriage at the entrance of the village.

Looking at the grain that no longer belonged to his family, he stood up, and his father Hoss left with little Glitter.

Before leaving, little Gerrit looked back at the entrance of the village.

At the entrance of the village, except for those who left after paying the grain,

And there were many who had paid their rations, and they stood there asking about the Kingdom and the Church's conscription.

That's a person who has paid 20% of the food, and the family has no food to survive.

You can also see some women from the village, wearing long-sleeved clothes and covering their faces with cloths, standing far away and looking at them from afar.

Among the men who are being questioned about conscription there may be their husbands or their sons.

“…… Father, Hoss, if the husbands and children of those people go to the battlefield, and they have no food at home, what will happen to the rest of them? ”

Little Glitter knew the answer, but turned his head and couldn't help but ask.

Father Hoth faced little Gerritt's question, did not speak, but reached out and touched little Gerritt's hair.

Both of them know the answer to this question.

"Hoss, little Gerritt...... Have you finished paying your food? ”

It was Grandma Valina who greeted Hoss and Little Glitter,

She, Grandpa Burton, and her children, were carrying a lot of food to the entrance of the village.

Valina and Burton's family own the largest number of fields in the village and have the most food to pay.

In the past, when the price of food was rising, Valina and Burton also sold a lot of surplus food.

Now, it may be a bit reluctant to take out so much food.

Grandma Valina and Grandpa Burton didn't have a very good look on their faces, and they only smiled reluctantly at Hoth and Little Glitter.

"Hmm...... Barely paid...... I don't know if the rest of the grain will survive until the time of the grain harvest. ”

Little Gerrit looked at Grandma Valina and Grandpa Burton, and Hoss nodded in response.

Valina and Burton smiled reluctantly, and then took their children to carry the food and pay it.

Hoss looked back, and then stretched out his hand to stop little Gerrit,

I walked back home.

……

"Gollum ......"

The next day at school, it was afternoon.

Little Gerritt's stomach couldn't help but grow.

Although there is still some food left at home, in order to keep the remaining food until the harvest season,

Hoss still began to reduce the amount of food that two people ate at each meal,

Although Hoss had tried to stuff his portion to little Gerrit last night and this morning,

But little Gerrit firmly refused,

Just tell Hoss that Hoss has the strength to work, and the money in exchange for more food can be bought so that they can survive until the time of harvest.

Hoth had the strength to work in the fields, so that they could have the harvest of the fields.

And he, when he is fine, does not move and lies in bed, and he will not be hungry so fast.

After listening to little Gerritt's words, Hoss didn't say anything more, but just ate the food that should be eaten in one gulp.

At noon today, little Gerrit also found two bowls of water in the school and poured them into his stomach.

But who knows, just so soon to get hungry.

Covered his stomach,

Little Glitter raised his head again and looked ahead,

A little farther away, the students from the town who came to the school to study were still together at the moment or playing, talking, or concentrating on studying.

It's like nothing happened yesterday.

But Ammon, who was sitting next to little Gerrit, had a look of disgruntleness on his face.

"It's really a clever and good idea, collect the grain first, and the food is not enough to eat at home, then you can go to the battlefield, and it will be convenient for the king to recruit troops."

Ammon was also a very smart man, and said with some indignation,

I don't know if it's because this incident has made his family have a lot less food, or because he didn't wear the new clothes of the previous two days today.

Little Gerrit clutched his stomach and reached out to pull Ammon,

At the same time, he looked behind Ammon, not far away, the teacher from the school, the teacher sent by the bigger city, didn't know when he came over,

It seemed that he heard Ammon's words, and his face sank instantly,

Ammon, who was still indignant just now, noticed the teacher's expression under the reminder of little Glitter,

In an instant, his face turned pale with fright, and the flesh all over his body trembled,

"It is forbidden to talk about the decisions of the king and the church, this is a holy war!"

The teacher said to Ammon with a gloomy face and some fanaticism.

Aemon nodded tremblingly, not daring to speak.

Little Glitter, whose hand was removed from his stomach, raised his head and looked at the teacher,

He had never seen this teacher from a bigger town so angry, as if Aemon had stimulated his bottom line.

The originally noisy surroundings also became silent under the teacher's words.

"Remember, don't let me hear anything like that again."

After reprimanding Ammon one more time, the teacher left.

Little Gerrit raised his head and looked at the teacher walking away again,

And then I covered my stomach,

The stomach barked again.

I'm so hungry,

It's so uncomfortable.

"Thank you...... This one is for you to eat. ”

Ammon, whose face was still a little white, was still a little trembling,

Turning his head, he took the food out of his pocket and handed it to little Gerritt.

Little Glitter raised his head at once, saw the food, and his eyes were a little red,

As soon as he took it, he devoured it and stuffed it into his mouth.

"You...... Are you alright? ”

Ammon was startled again, and his face, which was already a little bloody, turned a little white with fright.

"No, it's fine......"

Little Gerrit, who had stuffed the food Amon had given him into his stomach, looked up and shook his head.

……

“…… Come on, come in, we have a lot of patients waiting for us this afternoon. ”

After finishing the day's study at school, little Gerrit left school and went straight to Dr. Munch's office.

As soon as he walked to the door of the consultation room, Dr. Munch, who saw Little Gerrit, beckoned Little Gerrit to hurry in.

Little Glitter watched as he entered the examination room and came to Dr. Munch's side.

In the examination room, the audience was still as large as usual, crowded around the examination room, and there were more patients than usual, and Dr. Munch was clearly delighted,

He even forgot to put on a face for little Gerrit, a less devout believer.

“…… In the next few days, there will be more patients, and the clinic will be busier, so when you leave your school, you can come to me, you know? ”

"Don't stay for a moment, or you leave school early every day and come to me early."

Dr. Munch said excitedly to little Gerritt as a patient was being immobilized on the operating chair next to him.

"Why, why are there so many more patients than usual?"

Little Glitter looked up at Dr. Munch, a little puzzled.

"Ha ......"

Dr. Munch laughed, then leaned over to little Gerritt and lowered his voice,

"Because another 'good doctor' in the town was taken away by the church to be a military doctor."

"Haha......"

Dr. Munch finished speaking and laughed again.

Little Glitter still looked at Dr. Munch suspiciously,

"What about you, Doctor Munch?"

"Me? I'm probably not as religious as that guy. ”

Dr. Munch said with a smile.

Munch, who had always professed to be a devout disciple of the Lord, replied in this way.

Little Glitter looked up again and looked at Dr. Munch.

By this time, the patient on the operating chair had been immobilized.

"Little Glitter, do you want to come again?"

Dr. Munch was obviously very happy, and did not take the surgical axe handed to him by Little Glitter.

Instead, he asked with a smile.

Little Gerrit shook his head.

The patient also said dissatisfied,

"I'll give you enough money, Dr. Munch."

"Okay, okay, I know, I'm just joking, kidding you know, haha......"

Dr. Munch smiled, not caring about the patient's dissatisfaction,

took the sharp axe handed over by Little Glitter and began the operation.

……

"Alright...... Take it, this is your pay today, and if you like it every day, you'll get it every day from now on. ”

It was already night, and it was getting dark.

Little Glitter ended his work with Dr. Munch,

Dr. Munch handed the ten copper coins to Little Glitter.

Little Glitter took it and looked at it.

He doesn't remember, what is different about him today.

It may just be Dr. Munch himself pleased.

"Thank you."

"Let's go, get out of here. Do you want me to send you back? ”

Dr. Munch waved.

Little Glitter grabbed the money and turned away.

With the salary of ten copper coins, little Gerritt who wants to exchange the money for grain,

deliberately looked more than when he passed by the shops selling grain in some towns,

I just don't know if it's too late, or if these shops selling grain just haven't opened.

The doors of these shops are closed.

But even so, you can still see some people holding bags in their hands,

Wait at that door.

The men also cast their eyes on little Glitter,

Little Glitter clenched the money in his hand and hurried over.

……

"Father's ......"

At the entrance to the town, little Gerrit saw his father, Hoss,

Even though it was a little late, Hoss was still waiting for him.

"Well, let's go, let's go back."

"Hmm."

The two walked in the direction of the village, and his father, Hoss, asked little Gerrit why he was so late.

"Why is it later than usual today?"

"Dr. Munch's is busy today."

"Hmm...... I'll wait for you outside Dr. Munch's office later. ”

That's what Father Hoss said.

Little Gerrit hesitated, then nodded,

Then he handed the ten copper coins in his hand to his father Hoss,

"Father, this is today's salary, and Dr. Munch is more happy today, so he gives a lot."

"I wanted to exchange these for food, but none of the grain stores were open."

"Hmm."

Hoss was silent, and did not refuse, but just put away the money handed over by Little Glitter.

"Father...... Are you saying that the increase in food prices is due to the war? ”

"Well, probably."

Little Gerrit asked again about his previous doubts,

The reason for the previous increase in food prices seems to have been found,

It is because the kingdom is about to wage war against its neighbors.

Hoss couldn't answer the question, nodded, and just said again,

"Maybe you'll need to find out for yourself and tell me."

"Hmmm......"

Just like that, he talks as usual,

Little Glitter and Hoss walked back to the village at night.

But

After entering the village, there are still some things that are different.

The village was quieter than usual.

At night,

Almost all the inhabitants of the village have their doors closed, and there is no sound in the closed house.

Occasionally

I can see a few, and the door is wide open,

Either a younger woman, or an old woman,

Either standing at the door of the house, or sitting in the place before the door of the house,

Motionless, like a sculpture made of stone.

When I walked in front of the houses,

Little Glitter tilted his head sideways and looked at it a few more times.

Most of the women who stood in the courtyard were alone, and they could not see their husbands, nor their children.

There was no expression on their faces, and they couldn't see the slightest sparkle in their eyes.

The numb sat there, stood there.

“…… Let's hurry up. ”

When they passed by the front of the women's houses,

Hoss just hugged little Gerrit and said this,

But after a few quick steps forward, Hoss told little Gerrit something,

"The soldiers who were conscripted by the church and the king have left the village, just today."

Hearing Hoss's words,

Little Gerrit grabbed his head again, and looked at the woman sitting in front of the door of the house in the nearest courtyard, numb, expressionless,

The woman seemed to be dead, unresponsive to what happened to Little Glitter and Hoss.

"Father, I remember it was Aunt Leyna's house, that was Aunt Leyna."

"I remember Aunt Leyna's house, it was just her and Uncle Hughton, and they didn't have children yet."

"Well, Hugh left with the others in the morning."