Chen Yi's method of baking bread is recognized as the best. First, put a small piece of cake on it to test the temperature. When the crust of the cake is burnt red and yellow, with a few burnt spots, it is the best fire, because bread is more delicate than bread. Uncomfortable heat.
He and other strong boys put hundreds of loaves in at once and used a long-handled bread shovel to turn the loaves over. The hot oven, the red walls, and the smoke that kept coming out made Chen Yi sweat.
After a whole morning of work, it was finally time to hand over the shift. Probably thousands of breads were baked, but Chen Yi did not count them.
Before the shift, Chen Yi specially used the remaining heat to bake Lomea's bread so that it would be softer.
"One, three...six, only six loaves of bread." It seemed that she was here to experience life, which Chen Yi was not surprised about.
Ovens are expensive, and maintenance costs are prohibitively high over time. Public ovens are only opened for a long time, and a lot of food is often baked at one time.
The bread that Lomea brought had more wheat bran sifted out than others, and it was not far from white bread.
Chen Yi put his portion back into the basket and stacked hers on top.
Outside the oven, the women who brought the baked bread were chatting under the shade of the trees. The true believers were in one circle, and the pagans were in another circle. Lomea stood and preached to the pagans who were sitting on the roots of the trees.
"The angel under Him said, 'The ones who keep the peace are not those with sickles and plowshares, but those with swords. For those who want to understand are not only the dull but also the wise. Man's body is made of water and soil. Raise your sword for the cause of peace...'"
Every time she spoke, she turned the chanting beads in her hand, and what she said was probably the motto in "Lectures on Peace".
Chen Yi was in trouble now. It was not easy for a man to go to a woman, let alone a pagan.
In desperation, he had no choice but to find Grandma Amy, whom he knew well.
"Yeah, you want me to give the bread to the pepper girl." Grandma Amy glanced at the basket, "This is really white, she is a precious girl."
Grandma Amy had also heard of Miss Pepper. She looked at Chen Yi and then at Lomea, whose hair was swaying in the wind, thoughtfully.
"You still have to be a matchmaker at your age." Grandma Amy mumbled and smiled.
Chen Yi scratched his head in embarrassment.
Grandma Amy carried the basket over and caught Lomea without negotiating with the pagans. After a few words of explanation, the bread came into Lomea's hands.
She raised her face, and her beautiful eyes moved. Several pagans looked at each other, and the daughter of the officiant was looking at a true believer. They silently recited the prayers tacitly.
Chen Yi made a gesture.
Lomea hesitated and nodded.
Turning her head, she turned down her rosary beads and recited the "Lectures on Peace" and explained the verses.
After the women shared the bread in the oven room, they all said goodbye to each other. One of the boys who was baking the bread was left behind to watch over the oven fire. There would be baking in the afternoon and it could not be extinguished for the time being. The oven is not very useful. If it breaks down, it will take several days to repair.
Chen Yi was only on the morning shift, but still waited until almost everyone had left.
The pagans who had listened to her sermon also left.
It was noon, and the sun was infected with the plague-like autumn weather. The sunshine was not poisonous. Under the bleak wind, the sacred and solemn bells rang over the town one after another. The church bell did not ring at noon, it was the lecture hall. The big bell rings before noon prayer.
Lomea leaned against the wall of the warm oven and looked at the far-protruding tower of the Lecture Hall without squinting.
Chen Yi clapped her hands and turned her head leisurely.
"Sir...that gesture of yours...I actually didn't understand it?"
Chen Yi was startled and heard her ask again: "What does that gesture mean?"
"I asked you to wait for me." Chen Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Then I hit it by mistake." Luomea smiled shyly.
Is this why you waited so long to ask? Chen Yi thought about it and decided it would be better not to say such embarrassing words.
"Let's go." After a while, Chen Yi said.
Lomea responded, and she followed him, with more than a meter between them.
Based on past life experience, we should talk about some common topics at this meeting.
Even if you have a good impression of each other, if you always look at each other, you will suddenly become cold.
What to talk about?
Within a few seconds, Chen Yi realized that the two of them had always met in front of the bookstall and had never spoken more than a few words.
Hesitating in his heart, Chen Yi was anxious and hesitated several times.
There was a slightly impatient turning sound of chanting beads behind him.
Unexpectedly, Lomea spoke first: "Sir... you asked me to wait for you, so I should have something to say."
"Ah, uh..." Her words were more like forcing her to have a baby in the current situation. Chen Yi could only say casually: "Lomea, a girl like you should have a surname."
"Yes, my surname is Hansi...it is my grandmother's surname, and I am her adopted granddaughter." Lomea whispered: "My name means follower of faith. Everyone has a name. Meaning, what about you, sir."
The sound of the beads between her fingers slowed down, and she slowly moved them.
"...I don't have a last name." After an awkward silence, Chen Yi could only say.
Most civilians don't have surnames, unless their ancestors were rich enough to have established a large clan, or they chose one themselves, but they were not immune to the ridicule of the lower-level people.
In fact, some nobles do not have surnames, such as Baron Artest. When other nobles call him, they often use "Artest of Resurrection Town" and use the town name as their surname.
Lomea realized that he had said the wrong thing and apologized: "I said the wrong thing...because your name doesn't sound like Kesh or Yavin, so..."
"It's nothing. Actually, I don't know what my name means. Maybe my parents chose it randomly," Chen Yi joked, "Follow believers? Are you following your god?"
"Not only our god, but also your god, sir." Lomea corrected, "After the gods have gone away, there is only one king of our kings. He is all the gods."
Unconsciously finding a topic, Chen Yi wanted to continue the conversation and said, "Actually... what does the Juwang Sect think of the True Sect?... I actually haven't read the scriptures very much."
Luomea became interested and said: "How can you say... In our eyes, true believers are all blind followers. My grandma said that there is a special name in the religion, called stupid. It is because true believers react too slowly. I am stubborn, or I have been bewitched by people with ulterior motives, forgetting that the gods have gone far away, and I am the only king left in the world, so I did not wake up early and take refuge in time."
She plucked the beads, and her words followed a small beat.
"Really? The myth of the giant king says that my king has unified all powers and is already almighty. So why not let everyone wake up?" Chen Yi asked leisurely.
Lomea said with a serious face: "My King is naturally omnipotent and omniscient, but He is kind, so he gives people both the right to be stupid and the right to be smart. This is the choice given by Him. s right."
"It's very similar to what the Zhenjiao pastor said." Chen Yi recalled.
In the true religion, there is also a saying about the gifts and rights of gods. When praying, the town priest always said that if a smart person chooses to be a fool, then he will be holy from head to toe, because he has understood the meaning of the gift, and are holy fools.
"Yeah, the true religion is just backward, and it's not necessarily wrong." Lomea nodded, and she said sternly: "In front of God, people are insignificant and meaningless. Of course, the people I'm talking about include elves, Dwarves, wait..."
Chen Yi wanted to say something, but finally retorted: "Since humans are insignificant and meaningless, why should we live?"
Lomea said piously: "We travel in the world to test our faith. If we can move the gods and be saved, our life will be considered a worthwhile journey."
Chen Yi frowned and said nothing. He didn't expect Luomea to be so serious. Is it because she is the daughter of the officiant?
She argued with difficulty: "God can change good things into evil things and evil things into good things if he wishes. It's just that He is merciful and doesn't want to see such suffering."
"The only thing people can do is faith." She said.
"Really, but..." Chen Yi paused for a long time, and finally said warmly: "Human is the measure of all things."
Lomea turned around, his face full of shock and confusion.
The beads plucked between fingers clattered against each other...
