Chapter 70 Rumors of the Card-Clip Inn Town (Part 1) Searching for an inn, spending the night...
Ray and Lamb walked down the almost deserted street, each carrying a handheld glass lampshade.
Jack kindly lent it to them. A half-lit candle placed inside provides illumination, and the lampshade, made of glass and thin metal, provides excellent wind protection.
The moon was obscured by thick clouds, and without moonlight, the town was unusually dark tonight.
To save money on candles, everyone went to bed early. Only a few houses on the street still had a few candles lit in their windows.
The footsteps of the two Rayles and Lamb were amplified as they turned into a narrow street corner.
Tap tap, tap tap.
Lamb nervously swallowed.
"Brother, it's really dark in town. The streets are so empty. I feel a chill down my back, like someone is blowing cold air on the back of my neck."
Are you afraid of the dark?
I hadn't noticed this problem with Lamb before. He usually goes home alone when he stays up late at home.
Lei muttered to himself.
"No, I'm not afraid of the dark. It's just that this pitch blackness is a bit creepy."
"I'm still here, what are you afraid of?"
A staunch materialist is not afraid of any fabricated demons or monsters.
"Brother, let's walk faster."
A gust of cold wind blew by, just enough to extinguish the candle in Ray's hand through the crack in the glass, startling Lamb, who was over six feet tall, into gripping Ray's sleeve tightly.
"Brother, let's go!"
The narrow alley was only a few dozen meters long. After turning out of it, the two of them were on the main road. There were more shops on the street, and the candles in each shop were lit very brightly. They must have arrived at a commercial street or something similar.
That's good, at least the two of them won't have to continue walking in the dark at night.
"Brother, there's a hotel over there!"
"Let's go take a look."
Ray and Lamb pushed open the hotel door. The lobby was noisy, filled with the smell of alcohol and tobacco.
A group of burly men were drinking in a circle, while a scantily clad woman stood on the table, dancing a slightly provocative dance to the rhythm of lively drums.
Lei: "......"
Lamb: "!"
"Let's go, let's find another hotel."
"good."
Ray and Lamb turned around and quickly pushed open the door of the inn, leaving behind the smoky and polluted air.
"Has anyone come in?"
The hotel owner, a man with a small mustache, drunkenly asked the bartender at the front desk who was pouring drinks for the guests.
"Yes, those two brats who haven't even grown up yet are gone."
"Hahaha, Selena, dance that dance again! Musicians, give it your all and play the music!"
The owner didn't care what the bartender said, and loudly shouted to bring the atmosphere in the hall to its peak. The guests raised their glasses and whistled excitedly.
The bartender shook his head helplessly and refilled the glass that had been knocked off the counter.
Selena's tiny waist will definitely empty the pockets of every man in town someday.
Ray led Lamb, whose face was flushed red, back onto the cold street. It was unclear whether Lamb's red face was due to shyness or the cold.
The two walked in silence for a long time, neither of them mentioning the scene they had just witnessed.
"We've arrived. Let's go inside and take a look."
Lamb looked up and saw the words "Clark Hotel" written on the wooden sign.
"Ah, okay, okay. Let's go inside quickly, it's freezing outside."
As Lai pushed open the hotel door, a jingling sound rang out as the open door struck the copper bell on the doorframe.
The crisp sound woke up the old woman who was sitting at the narrow bar counter by the door, who had already fallen into a light sleep.
She raised her forehead, which was about to touch the table, and slowly picked up the silver-rimmed glasses that were on the table, then put them on her face.
"Who is it? What do you want?"
Her aged, hoarse voice was reminiscent of a forest witch living deep in the swamp.
"Hello, we are villagers from a small mountain village. It's getting late and we can't get back home, so we're staying overnight in town. Do you have any rooms available?"
Lai politely asked the old woman for her opinion.
"Oh, young man, I'm so sorry, we only serve female guests here."
The old man adjusted the candle wick to make the candlelight brighter.
"You've come at a really bad time. A group of fur traders and timber buyers recently arrived, and all the nearby hotels are already full. If you don't mind, you can try asking at the Kakou Hotel; they should have plenty of rooms available."
The old woman gave a strange smile. This smile made her look more like a witch tempting an innocent young girl to buy a love potion.
"Or you can walk another kilometer and take a look in the south of the city."
Hearing her words, Lei looked regretful.
Lamb subtly tugged at the back of his clothes from behind, signaling him to leave quickly.
"Thank you, Grandma."
"It's alright, polite young people. I hope you have a comfortable bed tonight."
Ray and Lamb turned and left the Clark Hotel. The cold air outside contrasted sharply with the warm room temperature of the hotel, and a slight breeze made them both shiver.
"Brother, that old lady was so scary!"
Shh, don't talk.
The two had been away from the hotel for quite some time before Ray finally spoke.
"Do you want to walk a kilometer to stay at a hotel in the south of the city, or should we set off to find the 'Kakou Hotel'?"
Lamb hesitated.
They still had a long way to go to reach the one-kilometer mark, and according to the old woman, they might not even have a place to stay when they got to the south of the city.
"The Kouch Inn!" That's a place steeped in the town's terrifying legends; staying there would definitely be a daring and novel experience. I can even brag about it to George, Neil, and Luna afterwards...
"Kakou Inn".
As expected, Ray's gaze made Lamb feel that Ray had seen through his little scheme.
"Okay. Let's go."
The two continued their journey, but neither Ray nor Lamb knew the exact location of the inn. Ray spotted an open bakery, bought two jam-filled breads and two thick slices of smoked sausage, and successfully asked for directions.
After finishing their late-night snack at the shop and drinking a cup of hot water provided by the owner, the two headed straight for the Kakou Inn without further delay.
The location of the Kakou Inn is excellent, situated on a street corner, easily visible at a glance. From the outside, it looks no different from the other shops on the street.
"arrive?"
Lamb asked, somewhat puzzled.
The wooden gate and the brass sign were so ordinary and casual, lacking the aura of a famous place he had heard about, which made him somewhat doubtful.
"We're here, let's go in."
Lamb pushed open the door, and the familiar tinkling of the copper bells filled the air.
Upon entering, you'll find a beautifully decorated hall, with a small dining area separated by greenery on one side.
The fireplace in the hall was very large, with exaggerated carvings of large patterns on it, and the round logs inside were burning brightly.
Every meter along the walls of the hall, an iron candlestick was suspended, each holding a lit white candle to illuminate the living room.
The empty walls between the candlesticks are not empty either; they are decorated with portraits of various figures and some landscape paintings.
The painting is very realistic and lifelike; I wonder which painter it is.
In short, the Kako Inn is the best-decorated place Lai has ever been to. The all-wood interior and exquisite furnishings make one feel as if they are in the home of a nobleman in ancient Europe.
Judging from this, it seems that neither I nor Lamb can afford it.
Ray prepared to retreat with Lamb.
"Distinguished guests, would you like to stay at the hotel?"
Before he arrived, his voice preceded him. A well-dressed but somewhat balding middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere.
"I am the housekeeper of Kako Inn. Feel free to ask me any questions."
"Do you have any rooms available?"
Lamb asked back.
"Yes, would you like one room or two rooms?"
"Two rooms, how much is the room rate?"
"Ray asked."
"A single room costs one silver coin and fifty copper coins per night. A hearty breakfast will be provided in the morning, and hot water will also be available in the room."
The price is acceptable, even cheaper than some hotels.
"Want to stay, brother?"
Lamb asked in a low voice.
Lamb's voice was loud enough for the butler to hear, but he maintained a polite smile throughout, making them seem like they were trying too hard to hide something.
“Give us two guest rooms.”
"Yes, sir."
After paying the room fee, the butler took two keys with brass tags, a candlestick, and led the two up to the third floor.
Although candles were lit on the walls, the hallway was still very dark.
Fortunately, the shop owner didn't do anything shady; he simply hung a portrait on the wall directly opposite the stairwell. Otherwise, the realistic portrait paired with the dim candlelight... a gentle breeze, flickering candlelight, and the slightly upturned lips of the person in the portrait...
It feels a bit like a horror movie.
Looking up the stairs, there seemed to be another floor, but there were no candles lit on the walls, so it was probably a floor for employees.
"Guests, we've arrived."
Rooms 301 and 303 are two adjacent rooms.
The butler used the key to open the door and lit the candles in the room with the candlestick in his hand.
"Hot water is in the bathroom; you can use it freely."
The butler left the key to room 301 with Lamb and then took Ray to room 303, with Lamb following behind.
"Honorable guests, may you have sweet dreams tonight."
The butler finished giving instructions and turned to leave.
Are there any other people on the third floor?
"Ray asked."
"Yes. But I would like to remind our guests that if you hear any noise outside the hallway in the middle of the night, it is best not to go out out of curiosity."
After speaking, the butler went downstairs under the questioning gazes of Lai and Lamb, leaving only a long shadow in the corridor.
The sincere advice, coupled with the dim lighting, would have created an absolutely terrifying atmosphere in a movie. However, the butler's gleaming head was a bit distracting for Ray, making it impossible for him to maintain a serious demeanor.
"Pfft, hahahahaha!"
Lamb closed the door and began to laugh after the butler left.
"What? Are you trying to scare us like we're little kids? It seems this place isn't as scary as the rumors say."
Lamb shrugged and began his continuous吐槽 (tu cao, a form of online commentary/criticism).
"The animal head specimens on the wall are somewhat interesting, but I've seen plenty of wild animals, both alive and dead, since I was a child. It's quite boring to have so many rumors circulating about them."
Leie remained reserved and declined to comment.
Lamb's eyes lit up, and a terrible idea popped into his head.
"Brother, how about we do a night raid on 'Kakou Inn' tonight?"
Lamb became more and more excited as he thought about it, and began to gesticulate wildly as he described his plan.
Ah... rebellious kids with lots of energy are the most difficult creatures to deal with.
Ray had to pour cold water on Lamb's restless heart; he didn't want to cause any trouble by staying in town for just one night.
"Lamb, I'm really tired from taking Gug to the clinic today. Let's explore again next time."
Lamb was taken aback, but quickly composed himself and began to apologize, like a big dog admitting its mistake.
"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away."
"It's okay, Lamb. You're still young, it's normal for you to like these things."
Ray's maturity and composure beyond his years always make people forget that he is only in his early twenties.
"Alright, go back and rest. We still need to deliver breakfast to Uncle Haig and Grandpa Gug tomorrow."
"Okay, bro."
Lamb returned to his room, and only then did Ray sit down and rest for a while.
A lot happened today. Running around all afternoon left Lai a little tired.
"Take a shower."
"I'm talking to myself," Ray said as he went to the bathroom.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 05:38:06 on August 29, 2023 and 17:03:27 on August 30, 2023!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 20 bottles of "New Wife Every Day"; 5 bottles of Patricio; 1 bottle of Lonin;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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