Chapter 3
Early in the morning, Pastor Kavan picked some wild flowers still covered with dew from the woods, which he would later prepare and offer to the statue.
It's a pity that he doesn't have any rare flowers, treasures, sweet springs and fine wines here, but Xiao Ai'er is right. The God of Light is so powerful that he can be the master of the world. What good things doesn't he have? For a benevolent god, a pious heart is what matters.
Breakfast was cooking in a pot in the kitchen shed and would be ready when the remaining wood burned out.
Outside the shed, the young boy, who had grown taller, was slowly moving his body in various strange postures.
No matter how many times he watched it, Kaven was always confused, "Al, why do you always like to do this weird dance? It's not graceful at all."
Kevin didn't want to say it so harshly, but the child had insisted on dancing this self-created dance for many years without any improvement. The old man was worried that Al would not give up and would be laughed at by people in the big city in the future.
Alphis was used to this kind of comments. He continued to slowly move his palms together in the air, and said in a calm tone: "Grandpa, I am really practicing martial arts, not dancing."
In this world, the pronunciations of "Wu" and "Wu" are different. Pastor Kevin clearly understood what the child meant, although he still couldn't understand who could be defeated by such slow moves. But Al has always been very well-behaved and it was rare for him to have a hobby, so Kevin thought he should just let him be.
Elphis is eight years old. He has been practicing Ba Duan Jin in the morning and Tai Chi in the evening, and has been doing so for many years.
After his sudden death, Elphis deeply understood the importance of health preservation, especially in the ancient world where medical means were not well developed. He did not dare to get sick. What if he was so unlucky that he could not afford the disease?
Therefore, Elphis put the plan of physical exercise on the agenda early.
I learned these things from my teacher when I was in middle school.
The couple is used to going to the small park next to the community to exercise with other elderly people after dinner. Thinking of today's students sitting in the classroom all day and suffering from back pain, they asked Xiao Ai to exercise with them.
Without the supervision of a teacher, Elphis only practiced occasionally during college, and never practiced at all after graduation.
Now that he has traveled through time, his pace of life is very leisurely, and he can persist in practicing. He feels that it is still useful, after all, he has been in good health over the years.
The weather is gloomy today and it looks like it's going to rain, so I guess Uncle Martin won't go hunting.
After breakfast, Elphis cleaned up the dishes and prepared to go to Uncle Martin's house to practice archery.
He was looking forward to hunting, and with weapons that could fight wild beasts, he would be able to go deep into the forest, wondering how many new species he could find there.
Before visiting Uncle Martin, Alfies specially picked out a fat rabbit to take as tuition. Yes, he picked one - because he started breeding.
Last year, he built a simple shed next to the vegetable garden, laid some flat stones on the ground to prevent rabbits from digging holes, and erected tightly connected wooden stakes on the side to prevent them from jumping out.
After making all the arrangements in advance, Elphis went to the woods and set up several traps, waiting for the hares to run into them.
It is not easy to catch them like this. The forest is so big, and it took almost two months of perseverance to gather both males and females.
However, during this period, we also caught a species similar to domestic chickens, called the running bird. When it was young, it could fly, but because it was lazy and greedy, it could no longer fly when it grew up.
This bird is clumsy and easily preyed upon by wild animals, so there are not many of them. Elphis was lucky to have one lured into the trap with bait, which means he can eat eggs often!
Because the female bird can lay eggs alone like a hen, although the frequency of laying eggs is not as frequent as modern domestic chickens, it is better than eating them only once in the past. He is at the age of growing up, and it is great to have eggs to eat.
Therefore, the yard behind Pastor Kaven's originally solemn chapel was filled with all kinds of messy materials that Elphis had studied. Not far from the church, vegetables were planted and birds and rabbits were raised. The most atmospheric place in the town of Lisse gradually became ordinary.
Martin looked at the live rabbit that was handed to him and said helplessly, "Al, I am happy to teach you archery, and I look forward to hunting with you in the future. You don't need to prepare a thank-you gift. Sell the rabbit to Lev's tavern and you can get 20 copper coins."
Seeing that he didn't answer, Elphis took the initiative to go into the yard and put the rabbit into the cage, "Uncle Martin, you're welcome. I have a lot of rabbits."
Martin exclaimed in disbelief, "You actually raise rabbits. Too many of them won't be easy to sell."
Martin's father used to value the fact that rabbits reproduce quickly and wanted to make a small fortune by raising rabbits.
Unfortunately, not many people in the town have the spare money to buy meat, and if they really want to eat it, they would rather try their luck in the forest.
His father also entrusted a merchant who raised horses to take them to the city, but it was not easy to sell the horses in the city because there was a market there with everything, including meat. The money from the sales had to be shared as commission to the merchant. As a result, Martin's father gave up raising the horses after a few months and kept the rest for himself.
Elphis had heard Martin talk about this before, and the young boy smiled and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Martin, I know what's going on."
The new plants found in the forest must be fed to the rabbits first to see if they are poisonous. The fur can be used to make winter clothes. He plans to take the meat to the city to make it into cooked food and sell it. It can also be used as bait when hunting, using the smell of blood to attract carnivorous beasts. One rabbit has multiple uses. He really has to raise this rabbit.
Martin did not try to persuade him much. Although Al was young, he was very capable. Maybe he could come up with a good idea to make money. He wondered if people with noble blood were naturally so smart?
The little boy holding the bow and arrow had his silver hair tied up high and stood upright. He pursed his soft, pink lips and looked so focused that he was charming and dangerous. It was hard to imagine how handsome he would be when he grew up.
Martin felt that all the girls in the town would compete to have Al as their husband in the future. Fortunately, he and little Al were not from the same generation, and he already had a wife, so there was no competitive pressure.
Watching the child repeatedly pulling the bow and fixing the arrow at a fixed angle, Martin couldn't help but praise him, "Al, your arm strength is very stable, which is really suitable for practicing archery! Oh, dear, you will definitely learn it soon. I can't wait to take you hunting. I remember that my father took me hunting when I was about the same age as you."
Martin has been wandering in the forest alone for these years, which is quite boring, but he believes that he will soon have a companion.
Elphis nodded in his heart: Here are the benefits of practicing Tai Chi and Ba Duan Jin every day.
"Uncle Martin, you know I've been looking forward to going deep into the forest. Don't worry, I will practice hard."
Elphis practiced archery at Martin's house for half a day and went back to cook when it was almost time for dinner. It rained in the afternoon, so he stayed in his room and thought about his money-making plan.
Over the years, Elphis had learned all the necessary words, memorized all the necessary scriptures and corny hymns, and finished reading all the books in the church. Calvin relaxed his teaching of the child, so Elphis had a lot of free time.
He couldn't sit still (mainly because there was no entertainment to pass the time), so he was either tinkering with things or planning for the future.
In the next ten years or so, I will probably make money in the small town of Lisse and the city of Raphael, which takes half a day to reach by horseback.
When he saves enough money, he will open a small restaurant in the city. Compared with the natives of this other world whose cooking methods are limited to stewing, boiling and roasting, and whose recipes have not been innovative for a long time, he, a flower-growing family with a heart of foodie blood, will definitely win, right?
How did he develop his cooking skills? I would like to thank the teacher and his wife for their careful teaching.
Elphis had not thought about developing a larger city. Firstly, this world was dominated by royal power and divine power, and laws and priestly rules were mostly meaningless.
If his business development affects the interests of others, he might be labeled as a dark race and "purified".
In Elphis's opinion, the Vatican's process of identifying, reporting, and executing the so-called dark bloodline is similar to the witch trials in Europe. As a powerless commoner, he dare not act in front of the big shots.
Secondly, his appearance was really eye-catching. The woman who wanted to kill him at the beginning was not an ordinary person judging from her dress and temperament. If he was unlucky enough to be noticed by her, he might be killed by her again.
So Elphis planned to live a low-key life and just hang out in the remote town of Raphi. After opening a restaurant, he would hire people to help and become a lazy boss. Occasionally, he could cover up and travel far away to experience the unique cultural landscape of other worlds.
If Elphis had started a business in his previous life and had the ambition to make it bigger and stronger, in this life, he thought it would be good enough to die peacefully, so he should forget about ambitions, because the situation was stronger than people...
Elphis was thinking about the arrangements for the next few days. The light was dim and the sound of rain was soothing. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
When he woke up from his nap, the rain had stopped. Elphis prepared to go and see if his birds and rabbits had taken shelter in the shed in time. His golden nuggets must not get sick.
When Alphis came out from the back room, he saw Kevin standing at the church door with a sad look on his face. He followed his gaze and saw Aunt Maggie's hurriedly leaving.
Elphis asked casually, "It just rained and the road is hard to walk on. What is Aunt Maggie doing here now?"
Kevin sighed, "Little Willy had a fever yesterday, and it hasn't gone down. He has a headache, and he had an uncontrollable convulsion this morning. Maggie is very worried."
Elphis couldn't help but frown, "Could it be that Auntie is here to ask for God's blessing?"
"Yes, Willy's father went to the forest to collect herbs and boiled water to feed him, but the little guy vomited it out. He basically didn't eat anything in the past two days. Madam Maggie wanted to stay in front of the statue and pray, asking the gods to pay attention to this place and eliminate the disease, but I asked her to go to Raphael City to buy internal healing potion."
Elphis opened his eyes slightly, looking a little unbelievable - you actually stood on the side of science this time? ?
As far as Elphis knew, the medical treatment in this world was a variety of bitter magic potions, such as the internal healing potion mentioned by Pastor Kaven just now, which was used to treat cold symptoms such as cough, runny nose, headache, etc. There was also an external healing potion, which was poured on the wound to promote the healing of external injuries.
Elphis had never seen it, but he thought those things should be similar to traditional Chinese medicine. They made up some magic elements to deceive civilians by saying that ordinary people couldn’t make them. Then they monopolized the market and sold them at extremely high prices. A low-level internal healing potion sold for three gold coins!
The annual food and clothing expenses of a civilian family of several only add up to three or five gold coins!
Elphis couldn't stand the capitalists' money-grabbing behavior, but he could do nothing about it. If magic potion is the main medical treatment in this world, it means that it is indeed effective. He hopes that Aunt Maggie can buy it.
Elphis teased Pastor Kavan with great satisfaction, "Grandpa, it seems that you don't think that the gods can help us get rid of the disease now?"
Kevin looked at him solemnly: "Al, Lord God of Light is omnipotent, we cannot question that! It's just that the world is vast, and there are tens of thousands of believers who call upon his holy name. It's normal that God can't pay attention to us for a while. Madam Maggie can just take care of little Willy, and we can still do the praying."
The corner of Elphis' mouth twitched. Could it be that he also wanted...
"Al, come here quickly."
Elphis immediately changed his expression to one of worry. "Grandpa, I'm worried about Willy. You just said that he hasn't eaten much in the past two days. I want to make some porridge and steam some sweet bread for him. Is that okay?"
"Oh, my sweet Al, of course that's fine, I'll just go and pray, and you go and prepare food for Willy."
Other people bake their bread, but Al steams the dough over water and adds a little honey from the forest to the dough. It is so soft and sweet. I hope poor little Willy will like it.
Elphis cooked porridge, steamed some buns with rye flour, and put a small dish of pickles in it. He then carried the tray to Aunt Maggie's house.
Willy is six years old this year. He has always been a healthy and lively little boy. But he has never felt so uncomfortable as he does now. He has a headache and keeps coughing. He can’t eat or take medicine. He is getting weaker and weaker. The little guy can feel his parents’ panic and he can’t help but feel a little scared - is he going to die? Woo woo woo woo…
When Alphis arrived, he saw Willy sobbing weakly and Aunt Maggie sitting by the bed, comforting him.
"Aunt, I came to see how Willy is doing. Grandpa Kawen is praying for him in the church. Did Uncle Kunnier go into town to buy medicine?"
Maggie was somewhat happy that there were other people who cared about her children, and her frown relaxed a little.
"Thank you for visiting Willy, Al. Please thank the Reverend for me. Kunnier went to the forest to look for herbs because Mrs. Betty said that the merchant went into the city yesterday and was supposed to come back today, but it rained again today and he will not come back. We can't find horses and can't go into the city."
As she spoke, Maggie's expression became even uglier.
Elphis sighed in his heart, but did not show his pessimism. "Willy, I brought you some food. Get up and eat something. Only when you are full will you have the strength to defeat the disease."
Willy looked at Alphis' usual smile, and his fear was relieved a little. The little guy acted pitifully and said, "Brother Al, I can't eat."
Elphis handed over a steamed bun and said, "This is sweet. Try it."
Children all like sweet food. Willy took the bread out of curiosity. Huh? So soft! He took a bite, and the sweet aroma of wheat and honey gave the child's taste buds a huge shock.
"It's really sweet! Brother Al, this bread is so delicious! Ahem..."
Elphis smiled and didn't correct it. It was called "mantou". Let everyone think whatever they want. He couldn't correct it every time someone called it wrong.
In fact, the ingredients are not white flour, and there is no better fermentation. The texture and taste are far inferior to modern steamed buns, but it is much better than toast. People in this world are easily satisfied with food.
Elphis touched the child's burning forehead and said, "Just finish your meal and you will feel much better."
The children in the town all admired Alphis, and Willy was no exception. He was infected by his brother Al's calm and confident mood, and suddenly he was not so scared anymore. He nodded vigorously, "Yes, I will finish it!"
Seeing that Willy was in better spirits, Maggie finally smiled, "Al, thank you so much!"
"You're welcome, Auntie."
Elphis dug out the little medical knowledge he had from the depths of his memory...
"Willie, do you feel hot?"
The little fellow chewed the sweet bread and mumbled, "It was a little cold yesterday, and it's a little hot today."
Then we need to dissipate the heat... Elphis patted Willy's messy head and said, "Eat first. I'll get you something to treat your illness and I'll be back in a while."
When he said this, not only Willy was happy, but Maggie was also looking forward to it. Everyone in the town knew that Al was raised by a pastor and was one of the most educated people in the town.
Although he is young, he is very reliable. Sometimes when the adults encounter difficulties, they will go and talk to Al, and maybe they can get a good idea.
Elphis went to the only tavern in town and bought a glass of wine to take away. The owner kindly invited him to drink it with him and he would send the little guy back after he got drunk.
Elphis twitched his lips, didn't say much, paid a copper coin and ran away. Fortunately, people in ancient times were more casual about raising children, otherwise he wouldn't be able to buy wine.
"Come and wipe your body."
Willy let his brother Al wipe him with a wet cloth, "Brother, don't I have to drink this medicine?" He sniffed, the medicine smelled really like alcohol.
"No, just take a nap and you won't have a fever when you wake up."
Willy's eyes lit up. He felt reassured by Elphis' calmness. "Okay, I'll listen to you, brother!"
Elphis wrung out the linen again, folded it and placed it on the child's forehead. The alcohol method of dissipating heat might not be effective for Willy. He said this just in the hope of triggering a placebo effect.
I told Aunt Maggie the truth, but she was still in much better spirits than before.
While Willy was sleeping, Elphis rubbed his body with wine several times and waited for Uncle Kunnier to come back from collecting herbs.
Brown thread grass looks like thin and long dead grass. Elphis heard from Grandpa Kavin that this is the most common material used in internal healing potions. It has no growth requirements for elemental purity and is a low-level magical plant.
Anyway, Elphis looked at this unprepossessing medicinal herb and felt that it was no different from a weed. It was not a magical plant, as it was exaggerated to say the least. Boiling it in water and drinking it might not even work to relieve cough.
To everyone's relief, Willy slept for half the afternoon and his fever really went away. He looked much more energetic and, apart from some cold symptoms, seemed to have no other problems.
Elphis still let him drink a bowl of water boiled with brown thread grass. After all, there was no other medicine, so he might as well give it a try.
After finally dealing with the Willy family's enthusiastic gratitude, Elphis returned to the chapel. As expected, he saw his grandfather still praying in front of the statue, talking about how good Willy's family was, how pitiful the child was, how devout their faith was, praising the God of Light for being kind and merciful, and that defeating the disease was a piece of cake...
Elphis's mouth twitched: I suspect you are using moral blackmail.
He really couldn't understand why the old man had so much to say. If there really was a God of Light, he would have blocked out humans long ago, otherwise he would have been killed by the noise...
"Grandpa, Willy's fever has gone down."
"Huh? Didn't you use the potion?" This amount of time was not enough to go into the city to buy medicine.
"No, I gave the little guy some food to cool him down, and he felt much better after he woke up from a good sleep."
Kevin showed joy on his face, turned around and looked at the statue with gratitude, "Oh! This must be a miracle, the Lord God of Light heard our prayers!"
“……” I’m used to it and my mood remains calm.
The young boy's lazy expression suddenly froze, his eyes slowly moved, watching the pale white halo that suddenly appeared, slowly drifting from Grandpa Kaven's body to the roof, and then disappeared...
Elphis was stunned. How come this situation is a bit like floaters...
He doesn’t understand, how can he still have eye disease without the harm of electronic products??!
Elphis took a deep breath, sat on the bench next to him with a stern face, and did a set of eye exercises for himself - take care of your eyes, from now on.
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