On January 24, 795 in the New Calendar, at dusk, Duan Qing dragged his tired body back to the association bit by bit.
Although he has mixed feelings in his heart now, the experience of this day is still a bit unbearable to look back on now.
Taking care of a little girl who doesn't speak much and has difficulty communicating is already an extremely difficult task, let alone playing with the little girl and going out to play.
And he was a kid who had never gone out to play.
Well, the last one may be a bit too absolute in hindsight - the little girl named Nina seems to have a basic understanding of the wonderful world outside. At least she didn't touch anything randomly, or Go somewhere strange. But for Duan Qing, leading such a little girl puts a lot of pressure on him.
Because Nina is curious about everything.
She would look at the bluestones on the street, at the signs beside the intersections, at the flying petals, at the various people coming and going - whenever she looked at these things, she would always stare. Those big eyes stood there for a long time, until Duan Qing's legs and feet felt a little numb, then she continued to move forward without saying a word, heading somewhere else.
The whole process was done without saying a word.
Whatever you want to know, just ask... There were several times when Duan Qing's eyelids started to twitch with anxiety, but facing Nina's unchanging eyes, he still couldn't make any request. Occasionally she would stare at some kittens and puppies on the roadside, staring at them so confused that their back hair stood on end, and then run away in panic. Even one or two small stall owners who had no business were attracted by her. The eyes that looked as if they were real made me feel uncomfortable all over.
Then they would glance this way with strange eyes, look at Nina, then look at Duan Qing, and finally turn away, leaving them with an indifferent figure.
So Duan Qing could only smile bitterly.
Some of the townspeople who came and went knew this strange little girl, and they would come over to say hello and get glares from the girl. Those who have had contact with this family before will touch the little girl's head, and then chat with Duan Qing casually, thanking Duan Qing for taking care of him, and thanking the Adventurer Association for their help, for being so enthusiastic about a little girl. So...if you meet someone with ill intentions, you will probably look at them hatefully, leave one or two inexplicable cruel words, and then shake your head and walk away.
"That guy Albert didn't do anything good out there!"
"Your family will not end well..."
What a mess, you must be sick... Duan Qing pouted, then pretended not to hear, holding the little girl's hand and continuing to wander around, or rather being dragged around by her.
At a certain moment, they came to the north of the central area of Fenghua Town. This is the center of Fenghua Town, and also the edge of the hillside. The mountain part of Fenghua Town is located in the northwest section of the entire town. Its dividing line passes through the center, from the northeast corner to the southwest corner, and passes through a road several times. The river flows under the mountain, passing through several bridges and many residential areas. Although the central area is close to the mountain, there are still many buildings placed here. Some of the buildings have quite strange shapes, and they seem to have more statues. Duan Qing has inquired about the origin of this place before. It is said that these buildings have a certain commemorative significance, as if to commemorate a battle that once took place here. However, too much time has passed, so even many townspeople living here No one knows anymore.
Most of them are attracted by the scenery here. It is normal for wealthy families who have immigrated from other places not to have heard of it. But this is not entirely their fault, because the area around this area has now developed into a lively place. In fact, if you walk north from this place for a while, you can reach the famous Hua Lan Street.
Flower Basket Street is an authentic commercial street. In comparison, it is relatively civilian. People who do business here sell insignificant things. For example, various types of clothing for daily living, small furnishings at home, and various daily necessities, etc. The residents of Zhenshan still visit here from time to time, but for players, the things here are really not of much use. Therefore, among the people coming and going, Duan Qing, who had a dagger hanging from his waist, gloves on his hands, and dressed as an adventurer, was quite eye-catching.
But there weren't many stalls he passed by.
Little Nina would not take too many steps every time. She would stop and stare at the things on the stall, biting her fingers and looking hard. From barrels, brooms, clothes drying racks, to all kinds of clothes with different colors and styles, she had to observe them carefully for a while, not knowing what was going on in her little head. If there is a bookstall on the roadside, no matter what kind of books are on it, the little girl will step forward, scan it with her big bright eyes, and then look at Duan Qing, who has a grimace on his face.
Before long, the girl was holding several books of different sizes in her hands.
It seems that the living expenses that were just calculated a few days ago are going to be wasted again... Duan Qing grabbed his collar and thought with some pain. But looking at the two little arms holding the book tightly to his chest, and the little calm face, he felt a little calmer again.
This is enough to take care of me. As a player, I am already very kind. I don’t ask for any extra rewards. I just ask you to let me go...
"You are... Nina."
At the street entrance ahead, an old voice suddenly sounded.
Duan Qing turned around and looked around. The direction leading to that street intersection was the direction of the mountain road going up. Occasionally, people in horse-drawn carriages would get off here and walk towards the mountain on foot. There is a bridge on one side of the intersection. Many people passing by here like to stop and rest on the bridge to admire the flowers and leaves falling from the mountains and the clear river flowing under the bridge. The person standing by the bridge to stop the two of them was an old man with white beard and hair, but only those white beards and hair could prove his old age. The dress he was wearing and the hat on his head, There is also the noble cane standing straight on the ground under the withered palm, which shows in a neat and clean way that the old man in front of him is still full of vitality.
As if she knew this old man, Nina did not look at him steadily as before, but glanced at him briefly and then lowered her head. Duan Qing looked at the old man in black dress, then at the little girl who still didn't say a word, and put on a smile: "Excuse me..."
"I am Rama, the mayor of Fenghua Town."
In the afternoon, crowds of people were passing by this bridge, but no one paid attention to the three people looking at each other. Duan Qing was stunned for a moment, and then nodded with some enlightenment: "It turns out to be the mayor. I have heard about his name for a long time, but he has never had time to visit..."
"You're welcome." The old man raised a hand to stop Duan Qing's polite words: "I've heard about what you... came here before."
Duan Qing said nothing.
"You and your partner are acquaintances of Master Gustan, right?" The old man did not pay attention to Duan Qing's attitude: "Please allow me to apologize for what happened before."
The old man held his cane with both hands and bowed slowly, causing Duan Qing to wave his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, Mayor, you don't have to be like this..."
"You don't need to call me Lord Mayor, just call me Rama." Rama said in a calm tone: "I heard that you have joined the Adventurers Association and established an adventure group. I hope you and your friends will I can make due contributions to the peace of Fenghua Town."
"This is what it should be." Duan Qing didn't hesitate this time and said it directly.
"As for...little Nina." The old man nodded, and then looked at the little girl next to Duan Qing. The latter shrank timidly, which made the old man smile again.
"She is the child of Robin and Rilis. However, she has lived a hard life since childhood, so her temperament is not very... lovable. It's really hard for you to take care of her today."
"This is what we should do." Sensing the strangeness of the little hand he was holding, Duan Qing responded with a smile: "It is the responsibility of us adventurers to complete the commission."
"It's also our belief." He added.
"Young people with ambition." The old man praised: "There are really not many young people like you nowadays."
Along with his smile, two gray beards curled up beside his face, giving him a rather Santa Claus image. Duan Qing also laughed, but quietly glanced to his right side from the corner of his eyes.
Little Nina still lowered her head and remained motionless, like an honest kitten.
"Okay, it's getting late, and I have other things to deal with." The old man looked at the sky, and then said: "If anything happens, you can come to me in the town hall. I guarantee that you will be able to find me smoothly. .”
Duan Qing smiled and nodded.
"Although Richard is...a very capable man, there are definitely some things that he can't solve, so...if there is any trouble, for Gustan's sake, I will It will definitely help you.”
The old man left his last words, then turned and walked towards the mountain road on the other side of the bridge. It wasn't until his figure disappeared at the corner of the street that Duan Qing lost the smile he had maintained for a long time and looked down at the little girl.
The little girl is also looking at herself.
I don’t know when she started staring at his face, or how long she has been looking at it. In short, when Duan Qing found those beautiful eyes staring at him, he was like a frightened bird. He usually lowered his head and then turned to look in another direction.
The little hands clenched tighter.
Duan Qing smiled meaninglessly, and then said: "It is indeed getting late, should we... go home?"
The hesitant turning to one side stopped, and the girl lowered her head again, seeming to be thinking carefully about this issue that did not need to be considered. After a while, Duan Qing used his keen awareness to discover that the black satin hair flowing down to the back of his shoulders had moved imperceptibly.
Phew, no matter what, it's finally over.
Duan Qing took Nina's hand and returned to her dilapidated home.
Although he just walked back and forth that day and didn't do anything too tiring, Duan Qing still felt very tired. The most important thing was that his heart was too tired. This even made him feel a little confused when he sent the little girl back to her room. A feeling like a world away.
"I..." He patted his forehead: "What have I done today..."
The plan was not completed, few tasks were completed, and after spending a whole day with the child, Duan Qing felt that he was simply burning his life. He lowered his head dejectedly. He didn't even have the energy to say hello at the end. He just wanted to close the door for this little girl who had her head lowered all the time, and then leave this place quickly. When he went back, he had to meet several other people in the team. I would like to personally share my painful experience today, and at the same time express my willingness to never accept such a thing again.
It hurts so much...
"gentlemen......"
The voice was a little high-pitched and a little weak. People who haven't spoken for a long time usually make such a sound. Duan Qing turned around in surprise and found that the little girl sitting on the bed was holding a few books he had just bought for her, looking at him with the eyes that he had previously stared at countless kittens and puppies.
"Qingshan...brother."
As if she remembered something, she changed her name and her words became smoother than before, but she covered the lower part of her face with a book, so the voice became even more unclear. But at this time, Duan Qing no longer cared about these details. He turned around, walked slowly in front of the little girl, then squatted down and looked into her eyes nonchalantly.
"What's wrong? You...what's wrong?"
"You...you just said, adventurer..."
"They will complete the commission, right?"
The setting sun brought dusk over the town, and then penetrated through the layers of air and the worn-out windows, shining into the clean small room, illuminating the entire room with warmth. There were occasional sounds of rolling wheels of carriages passing by outside, as well as the excited shouts of adventurers returning from an outing. The perennial mountain breeze brought them into this dim room, but Duan Qing didn't pay attention. He looked at the little girl quietly holding the book he just bought, and suddenly felt something shaking in his heart.
"Yes," he replied.
"So...can I entrust you with it?"
"Although adventurers accept commissions for rewards..." Duan Qing looked at the little girl holding the book tightly and tried to slow down his tone: "But I don't have to pay for it, so... .....”
"Tell me what you want."
The wind blew in through the unclosed window, seeming to be whispering in this quiet space. Although Duan Qing couldn't see it, little Nina bit her lip and looked at him for a long time, and then spoke with a smile as thin as a mosquito's. The voice said:
"I want daddy."
************************
"Uncle, you are finally back! It's such a pity that you didn't go today..." Seeing Duan Qing pushing the door in, Mengzhu, who was sitting at the small table, jumped up suddenly: "City Guards The fight between the people and Kidd’s men was so fierce! It almost turned into a group fight..."
"Mengzhu, the little girl you asked me to take care of before, the one named Nina..."
"Oh, uncle, are you listening to me...Yeah, what's wrong?" Although she was a little dissatisfied with the sudden change of topic, the little girl was obviously in a good mood, so she still swung her ponytail around. : "How about that, that little girl is cute, right? Hehehe...uh."
Sensing that the other person's expression was wrong, the ponytail stopped swaying: "You...you didn't go, right..."
"Nonsense." Duan Qing replied: "Of course I went, and...I received the commission."
"Ah?" After being stunned for a long time, Mengzhu jumped up as if he suddenly understood: "You can still receive tasks from her? She is so powerful, how did you do it..."
"I would rather not have done it." Duan Qing sat on the bench on the other side and sighed in frustration. The smiling uncle next to him asked with some confusion: "What mission makes you so unfavorable..."
"It's not like that... forget it." Duan Qing looked at the rest of the people, and then calmed down: "Let's prepare and go together tomorrow, just think of it as... a group trip ”
"Where to?"
"Lanshan Village." Duan Qing said, "Go and ask her father to go home."
