"benefactor?"
"Fortunately, I picked you up yesterday," Eleven also looked at the road ahead, puffing out her chest proudly, "If I hadn't picked you up, you would be a homeless person now. Being a homeless person is very pitiful... But it doesn’t matter, as long as someone is willing to pick you up, you are not a homeless person.”
These words made Hesta a little confused, "What?"
"...You have to repay me! You have to thank me for picking you up yesterday, you know? Now you have to repay me even more!"
Eleven laughed, and even if Hess didn't understand, she stopped explaining. She ran around and around Hesta, talking a lot of nonsense, and didn't care that she was sweating profusely in the sun.
After walking for more than an hour, Hesta finally arrived near the Mei County workstation.
She smelled some danger when she was still two or three blocks away from her destination. Within a distance of less than a hundred meters, she encountered two groups of patrols armed with live ammunition.
The soldiers marched in groups of five in a rectangular formation, with four occupying the four corners and one person walking in the center. All held guns and looked serious.
When he reached the last corner, Hesta found that the main road leading to the workstation had been blocked. Each exit of the workstation is guarded by soldiers - all male soldiers.
She looked far ahead. The door of the Mei County workstation was tightly closed, and no one came in or out.
"Where are you going?" Eleven asked.
Hesta did not answer immediately, but just held Eleven's hand and turned around as if nothing had happened.
After the street returned to normal, Hesta looked sideways at the girl, "Do you know the hotel? It's cheap."
"I know, but why do you want to stay in a hotel?" The little girl's voice suddenly became louder, "We can go back to the house we stayed in yesterday. Do you think it's not good enough?"
Hesta laughed, and she wagged her finger at the girl confidently.
"Do you want to...eat?"
"You haven't eaten enough!?" Eleven was shocked, "I gave you a whole bag of bread that I didn't open yesterday. Why did you--"
"Bread is not good." Hesta waved her hand firmly, "Do you want to eat a better meal?"
"……how to eat?"
"Hotel." Hesta looked at her, "Looking for a hotel."
…
Eleven led Hesta through the streets and alleys, and finally stopped in front of a somewhat shabby hotel. Eleven seemed to be very familiar with the boss here. She communicated with the boss on behalf of Hesta and even helped pay the price. The room fee was settled per day, which was quite cheap.
When Hesta signed, the boss rested his elbows on the table and raised the corners of his mouth with some unclear meaning.
"Okay." Hesta pushed the registration book back.
"Where are you from? District 1? District 2? District 3?" The boss switched languages and tried with a thick accent.
"You can speak District 3 dialect." Hesta raised her head in surprise.
"Hey, I know a little bit. In the early years, everyone here went to sea, and there was everyone on the ship. Many of my friends are from the third district." The man took two steps towards Hesta, and he stared intently. Holding Hesta's red hair, "If you encounter any difficulties, you can come and talk to me, and I can see if there is anything I can do to help."
"Thanks."
Hesta glanced at the number on the room card, picked up her suitcase and walked to the side stairs.
Eleven followed Hesta for a few steps, then stopped suddenly and ran back to the counter.
"Hey, old guy!"
The boss glanced at Eleven and ignored her.
Eleven was even more annoyed, "Don't think that I don't know what your plans are. Everything comes first, first served. I found her first, so don't even think about intercepting her!"
"...Ha, you haven't been beaten recently, have you? You're no older than me." The man narrowed his eyes mockingly, "Then I'll ask her later to see if she has negotiated with you. ?”
Not far away, Hesta, who had already climbed to the second floor, found that the little tail behind her was missing. She leaned out half of her body and said, "Eleven?"
The girl took two steps back, but before leaving, she did not forget to leave a cruel message behind her: "...Anyway, if you dare to cut off my legs, I will ask my dad to break your legs!"
The boss lowered his lips in disbelief, but he still couldn't help laughing.
…
Walking in the aisle on the second floor, Eleven already regretted bringing Hesta here. She couldn't help but say, "You are just wasting money... You have never had a hard time before, right? I told you that we were here yesterday The house I occupied late is so nice——"
"Here." Hesta handed another room card to Eleven, "Take it."
"I don't want it! I have to go back tonight." Eleven was still a little annoyed, "If there is no fire at our place at night, sooner or later someone else will occupy it again!"
But Hesta's hand still stopped in mid-air.
Eleven reluctantly took the room card.
"Anyway, I agreed, I won't stay here at night, don't try to force me!"
The two entered the house, and Hesta glanced at the room - it was relatively clean.
Just as Eleven was about to jump on the bed, Hesta grabbed her by the collar in time.
"What are you doing?" Eleven fluttered in the air, "Don't ruin my clothes, put me down quickly!"
Hesta carried Eleven to the bathroom, "Take a shower."
"Are you talking about me? I won't wash! Let go!"
Hesta let go, and she half-crouched at the bathroom door, blocking the little girl's way out.
"Why?"
"That's why I'm asking, what should I wash? It will get dirty even if I wash it!" Eleven was even more unhappy, "And I don't have any - I mean, all my clothes are at home and I didn't take them out at all! After washing What should I wear in the shower?”
"Wash." Hesta repeated again. She grabbed Eleven's shoulders and continued to push him into the bathroom. "You and your clothes, wash them together."
"What on earth are you going to do!"
"You don't want to eat it?" Hesta tilted her head slightly, "Real, good stuff."
The little girl looked at Hesta with some suspicion.
"...Are you going to take me to that kind of place," Eleven said in a low voice, "that kind of place where you have to dress like a dog before you can go to eat?"
"uh-huh."
"My clothes can't be washed anymore! They'll be black even if I wash them again!"
"Wash." Hesta still insisted.
Eleven doubtfully began to take off his clothes, while Hesta yawned, threw his suitcase on the bed, and then swooped down and buried his face in the pillow.
Eleven was barefoot, "...I'm taking a shower, so what are you doing?"
"I have to get some more sleep."
Hesta closed her eyes and murmured softly.
…
In the evening, following Hesta's instructions, Eleven walked through the streets.
After crossing the intersection, she couldn't help but look back at Hesta - Hesta was sitting on the open-air round table on the street drinking coffee.
Their eyes met, Hesta held up the coffee cup to Eleven, as if to say "come on".
