"Little Glitter, right?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Raleigh has other things to do, maybe there's something you can tell me?"

"I want to mortgage or sell my family's land to Mr. Raleigh for some money."

Little Gerrett had the courage to knock at the door of Mr. Raleigh's house.

But instead of seeing Mr. Raleigh, he saw Mr. Raleigh's butler.

The butler looked at little Glitter, smiling all the time.

"Do you exchange the land for money? But Mr. Raleigh now has many fields, and many people want to sell their own fields to Mr. Raleigh. ”

"Mr. Raleigh doesn't really need these fields that much."

The butler still had a smile on his face.

Little Gerrit lowered his head a little,

"Please help."

"Well, how many fields do you have to sell to Mr. Raleigh?"

"Five fields."

"Is that so. Little Gerrit, I have been to your village some time ago, and you should know the price at which we buy five fields. ”

"If it were someone else, I would only give half a bag of grain, but poor little Gerrit, I can give you a bag of grain, if it is exchanged for money, well, now that the price of grain is very high, I can give you five hundred copper coins."

The smile on the butler's face never disappeared, and he opened his hand and said to Little Glitter with some exaggeration.

Little Gerrit hesitated.

If it had been before, five fields would have been enough in exchange for five silver coins for little Gerrit to continue his studies for a year.

But now, too many people are willing to sell their fields to Mr. Raleigh for very little grain.

The five hundred copper coins that the steward was willing to give, if he wanted to use them to treat Hoth, it was far from enough.

"Mr. Butler, please, can you give me more."

Little Glitter lowered his head a little more.

"Ha ......"

The butler laughed.

But at this moment, another voice sounded next to him.

“…… Our poor boy, is there something here that is the matter? ”

It was Mr. Raleigh who came over at this time.

The butler turned his head and bowed his body in response,

"It's Little Gerrit, Little Gerrit of the Hoth family, he wants to sell the family's five fields, but five hundred copper coins still feel that it is less, and I hope Mr. Raleigh can give a higher price."

"Little Glitter."

Mr. Raleigh seemed to remember little Gerrit, read it, and then said with a smile,

"If you have a field to sell me, I'll pay you a silver coin. But it seems that your family has no more land to sell to me. ”

Little Gerrit raised his head and looked at Mr. Raleigh,

He saw that Mr. Raleigh and the butler were all smiling at him.

"I remember that there were only five fields left in your house, and in the morning, your father had already sold all five fields to me."

"So I'm sorry, I can't help you, little Glitter."

Little Glitter was stunned by the sudden news,

Facing the laughter of the butler and Mr. Raleigh, and even the people around him,

It turned out that they had known about it for a long time.

"Please leave, little Gerrit. When there is any more land to sell to me, perhaps you can come back to me. ”

In a moment's time, little Gerrit left Mr. Raleigh's house.

Standing on the road outside Mr. Raleigh's house, little Gerrit stood on his feet in a daze.

Father Hawes had been to Mr. Raleigh in the morning.

His father, Horse, had sold the remaining five fields to Mr. Raleigh.

So what now?

Little Gerritt had a blank look in his eyes.

In the end, I just followed the road and got out of town.

And his father, who was seriously ill, naturally did not wait for him at the entrance of the town today.

Confused all the way, little Gerrit just walked to the village and back home with the last of his hopes - maybe his father sold the fields to treat himself? Perhaps his father had already been treated when he returned.

That's it

Little Gerrit hurried all the way back to the village.

It was only as he was about to reach his house that little Gerrit gradually slowed down.

He had already seen his father, Hoss, and Aunt Laiyina in front of his house.

His father, Hoss, sat at the door of the house, his rough face, which had been sickly red, had now turned completely pale, and his eyes were open tiredly, as if he could not open them a little.

Sitting there, wrapped in thick clothes, he didn't seem to be able to sit steadily, and Aunt Yin Na was beside him to support him.

Aunt Yin Na still has some small wounds on her face, her hair is a little messy and her whole person is a little embarrassed.

His eyes were fixed on Hoss most of the time, as if he were talking to Hoss.

“…… Little Glitter, you're back? Your father is waiting for you. ”

The first person to see little Glitter was Aunt Yinna.

Listening to Aunt Yinna's shout, Little Gerrit's steps slowed down a little, but he still walked in front of his father Hoth step by step,

Father Hoss also gasped, turned his head, and barely opened heavy eyes, looking at little Gerritt who was returning home.

"Father, I went to Mr. Raleigh's house."

"I know...... I knew you were going, so I went early. ”

Hoss spoke to little Gerritt with a smile on his face,

It's like because he, as a father, guessed his child's behavior.

"Father...... Hoth ......"

Little Gerrit crouched down and crouched in front of his father, Hoss, and shouted Hoss, but he didn't know what to say.

Hoss only barely raised his hand, and just such a movement made him gasp heavily,

"Little Glitter, I know you want to pay for my treatment."

"But...... I am a sinner, and even if I find Dr. Munch to treat me, I will not escape the judgment of piety. ”

"Just let me stay home."

Hoss's hand tried to land on little Gerritt's head, but it couldn't lift it up, and just rested on little Gerrit's shoulder.

"In the morning, I can barely get out of bed, and by noon, I already have to be supported by Yin Na to move."

"I was afraid that I would not be able to go to Mr. Raleigh's house at night, so at noon, I asked Yin Na to take me to Mr. Raleigh's."

"Now look, I'm right, it's hard for me to move my body now."

"This money shouldn't be spent on me. Take it, Gretel. ”

As he spoke, Hawes laboriously pulled out some money from his clothes, far more than little Gerrett had learned from Mr. Raleigh that he could get by selling the fields.

"There's three silver coins here."

"There is money from the sale of our family's land, and there is also money from the sale of Yin Na's field."

As he spoke, Hoss turned his head to look at Yin Na, who was still holding him by hand.

Laiyina just held Hoss with her hand, and then looked at little Gerritt.

"And your savings from Dr. Munch's, my work in town."

"It's all here. Little Glitter, take it. ”

Little Gerrit looked at the money handed over by his father Hoss, and did not reach out to take it.

Just looking at his tired and seriously ill father, Hoss,

"Why did you give me the money from Aunt Yin Na?"

Father Hoss didn't go back, but he was really tired and hung down.

Looking at little Gretel's face, Hoss paused for a long time.

"Little Gretel, you take the money, go away, go further afield."

Hoss's cloudy and tired eyes closed at this time, and his mouth spoke.

"Why?"

Little Gerrit was hard to accept.

"Here, there are no more fields, and you can't continue to survive."

"Take the money, take the food that's left at home, and leave, go farther afield, and look for answers to those questions."

"Little Gerrit, there are so many problems in my life, when I work in the fields, when I work in the town, I don't have time to think because of the exhausting labor."

"I've spent my whole life in ignorance, and I hope you can help me find an answer."

Hoss said something similar to that when he woke up in the morning, Hoss said something similar to that when he woke up in the morning.

"Take it."

took a deep breath and seemed to use all his strength,

Hoss lifted his drooping hand again, and stuffed the money bag containing the three silver coins into Little Gerrit's hand.

Little Glitter looked at his father, who was panting and already very tired, and then looked at the money in his hand,

His eyes were full of confusion.

"Little Glitter, let's go, get out of here."

"Right now. The rest of the food is there, and I don't have the strength to bring it to you, my little Glitter. ”

"Remember the bard I once met?"

"Hmm."

That may have been a dream in Hoss's heart.

"Go far away like him. One day, when you find the answers to those questions, come back and tell me. ”

"Your grandfather Mediaoc, your grandmother Miria, and I will all be waiting for your answer."

"Little Gerritt. Let's go. I'm tired and want to rest. ”

After saying the last words, Hoss closed his cloudy, tired and heavy eyes,

The body that couldn't sit still anymore just leaned on Yin Na and stretched out her hand to support it.

And as soon as he closed his eyes, Hoss, who was still awake before, seemed to have fallen into a nightmare,

The whole person was in a daze, trembling and showing fear.

"Hoss...... Hoth ......"

Little Gerrit shouted the name of his father, Hoss.

But Hoss didn't answer him anymore,

Just having that nightmare, muttering some names in my mouth,

"Medioc...... Father...... Why, Medioc ......"

“…… Save him, save Medioc ......"

The nightmare that had haunted Hoss all his life seemed to reappear before his eyes.

Calling out to his father, Little Gretel, who had not received a response, paused,

He looked at the money in his hand, still dazed.

When my father is tired, he wants to rest.

Where is he going, and where is he going to find the answer if he leaves?

Little Glitter was also full of doubts, and he also had many questions.

For the death of Mediaoc, for the death of Grandma Milia, for the Coming of Yina, for the Hoth.

"Little Gretel, you go, the food is there."

At this time, Yin Na, who was holding Hoss, said to little Glitter again.

"It's like your father said, if you stay here, you won't survive. Leave now. ”

"Then Aunt Yinna, what about you, and Hoss."

Aunt Yoona didn't answer, but said to little Glitter,

"Stay here, and after you have eaten all this food, you can only wait for death to come. Or be conscripted into battle by the king and the church. ”

"Hotha ...... He's tired, so let him rest here. He will wait for you to come back and wait for you to answer his questions. ”

"Remember the question you told me, little Glitter? I don't understand it either...... Maybe one day you'll be able to tell me. ”

Looking at Hoss again, Hoss closed his eyes tightly, and had not yet woken up,

Little Glitter bowed his head, fell silent, and stood up.

After making a choice from the seriously ill Hoss, it seemed that he had no choice.

Or rather, much earlier, it was already like this.

Grandma Milia may have died of a serious illness due to the cold wind and dew of the night, perhaps because of the busy work in the fields every night.

His father, Hoss, was still working because of hunger, and finally became ill from overwork, so he became seriously ill.

Knowing that he would do anything to treat him, Hoss went to Mr. Raleigh to sell the field while he could still move.

Hoss: He was afraid of himself.

Afraid that he will follow his path and end up seriously ill or even dying,

So I want him to leave.

Finally, little Gerrit reached out and took the trembling hand of his father, Hoss, who was hanging beside him.

"Father, I'm leaving."

It seems to feel the movements of little Gerritt,

Hoss's nightmare seemed to fade a little, and the fear on his face was a little less,

Slightly calmer, with your eyes closed, resting.

"Aunt Yinna...... I'm leaving. ”

In the end, little Gerrit left the place.

Left home.

With the little food and the money, he took advantage of the night and left the village.

Maybe he will die like this when he leaves the village, or maybe he will be able to come back.

One step at a time,

Even though little Gerrit walked slowly, at last, when he looked back again,

The house was still drowning in the night.

……

“…… Hoss, Hoss...... Little Glitter is gone. ”

Seeing little Gerrit gradually walking away, Yin Na repeatedly called Hoss,

In the end, Hoss was reawakened.

"Hmm...... Gone? ”

Hoss barely opened his heavy eyes, and was no longer in sight of little Gretel, and was silent for a while. Only then did he answer again.

"Hmm...... I'm gone, too, Hoss. ”

"Can you please do me another favor, there's a candle in the house, and I want you to light it."

"Okay."

Lai Yin Na looked at Hoss and answered,

Did as Hoss said.

Finally, he put the short candle at Hoss's side,

A candle flame with some warmth danced at Hoss's side, reflecting his pale and tired face.

"I'm leaving, Hoss."

Standing up, Yin Na didn't stay here with Hoss anymore,

Instead, he turned around, looked for a direction, and walked away.

Hoss watched as Yoona walked away, and in the end he was the only one left.

Laboriously keep your eyes open, so that your heavy eyes don't close again,

Hoss gradually turned his head again, looking at the candle flame beside him.

The candle flame danced gently with the slight wind, changing its appearance,

Looking at the candle flame, Hoss's eyes flickered.

The candle flame reflected in his cloudy eyes evoked a long memory in his mind.

Remember,

When he was young, he set foot in church.

The scene of lit, flickering, rows of candles in the church,

Let him look intently,

He'd never seen so many candles,

The candle flame is so beautiful.

Hoss stretched out his hand,

The candle flame is getting closer.

Finally, with the dripping wax oil, it dripped onto Hoss's body.

He seems to be going back to that day,

I saw those beautiful candles, only this time, without the priest who had his back to him.

"It's beautiful."

These were the last words of Hoss.

……

"Hoss...... Hoth ......"

Little Glitter, who has left the village, even if he leaves,

He still thought about it, so he took the money in his hand and went to find Dr. Munch to help treat his father.

But just as he looked back at the village again,

He saw a bright fire in the dark village,

The fire was so dazzling that it was about to dispel the darkness of the whole village.

Illuminate the entire dark night sky.

Just by seeing the fire, little Glitter guessed what might have happened.

He went crazy and ran back.

In the end, I only saw the light of the fire that reflected the sky.

……

In the village where Hoss is located, the inhabitants of the village are only awakened by the light of the fire at night,

In the end, the fire shone brightly, and there was nothing to put out.

Just looking at this rare, reflecting the fire in the sky.

The fire grew from small to large, and gradually became smaller, and burned all night,

Luckily, the Hoth family was there alone with Miria's original house.

Wait for the next morning.

The people of the village never saw Hoth and Little Glitter again.

The people in the village just thought that little Gerrit and Hoss had been burned to ashes along with the fire.