Chapter 400

Chapter 400: The Four People in the Small Courtyard

Three people followed the little fatty towards the seaside. After turning several corners, they slowly entered a cluster of low-rise buildings. The ground here was not as clean as before; it was somewhat dirty and messy with a fishy smell.

It wasn’t hard to guess that this place was where the city’s fishermen lived, and it was relatively poor.

“The people living here aren’t very wealthy, so they don’t have the leisure to keep things clean. I suggest the young ladies not follow,” someone said.

“It’s indeed ordinary, but it’s still much better than a slum,” Alena said lightly as she jumped over a small puddle, sharing her thoughts.

Unlike Letis, who came from a good family and was delicate, she adapted well to this environment. Lily, however, was less accustomed to it. She covered her nose and looked around.

Lolan Hill followed at the back, wearing a veil on her face as she observed the surroundings.

The houses made of yellowish-brown mud bricks were mostly one or two stories tall. Some had clothes drying on them, and some women sat in front of their doors mending things, occasionally looking up at passersby on the street.

As they walked down the road, a woman in a purple-red dress approached them. She wore copper bracelets on her wrists and looked quite presentable.

“What are you doing, Triton?” she asked casually, clearly familiar with the little fatty.

“And who are these几位?” she then turned her gaze to the three girls behind them.

“Wow, big sister, you finally arrived! I went out to work today and didn’t do a good job. The young ladies caught me and wouldn’t let go. I had no choice but to come find you for help,” she said, winking at the woman.

“Uh,” the woman hesitated slightly, then turned to Alena and the others. “I’m sorry, my brother just started a new job recently and might not be doing well. I hope you can understand.”

Alena did not respond. She turned slightly, observing the woman, then said, “Do you know what your brother is doing?”

“Shouldn’t it be something major?” The woman’s tone was uncertain under the girl’s scrutiny.

“Do you want to explain yourself, or shall I talk to your sister?” Alena looked at the little fatty beside her.

The woman frowned and looked seriously at the little fatty. “Triton, did you do something bad?”

“No, really not, Sulys.”

Is this woman named Sulys? Lolan Hill watched the scene unfold as they were led by the woman into a small courtyard.

The courtyard was not large but quite clean, with only a few patches of green moss in the corners.

“Would you like to come in and sit for a while?” The woman pushed open the door, revealing a small table inside.

They stepped in, curious about the room.

The room contained an old wooden cabinet, with a table and two stools in the middle, and several rows of wooden boards nailed to the walls, on which were placed pottery jugs and cups.

“Now you can tell me what really happened,” the woman said to Triton, who was the chubby boy just mentioned.

After some conversation and explanation, the woman finally understood what had transpired and scolded the chubby boy.

“In fact, I’m not his sister; we’re just quite familiar with each other.” Then Sulis recounted their backgrounds.

Triton used to be a doorman at a large hotel (high-end inn) owned by the Ubell family. The owner of this hotel was also a major merchant in the city, so he lived a comfortable life, growing plump and well-liked as a result.

But two years ago, Ubell experienced a sudden upheaval and civil unrest. Several major merchants were swallowed up and collapsed, leading to a major shake-up in the hotel’s management. The new supervisor didn’t like these ‘old-timers,’ and Triton, being marginalized and oppressed, lost his job. Now he could only do odd jobs to make ends meet.

As for the woman, she was a third-rate actor who sometimes assisted in performances at the city’s opera house, earning a meager income.

“Actually, Sister Sulis has great acting skills, but no one appreciates her, so she’s not famous,” the chubby boy chimed in.

“So how did you two meet?” Lolan Hill asked curiously.

“Before, I was once a member of an opera troupe and often came to the hotel with my companions, so I got to know him. But now I’ve left the troupe, so life isn’t very good.”

“Was it because of that upheaval two years ago?”

“Sort of. Before, the wealthy merchants enjoyed watching entertaining performances, so the opera troupe earned quite well. But after the group of mages arrived, they didn’t approve of such performances, and gradually, there were fewer and fewer performances in the city. The opera troupe kept cutting staff, making life difficult.”

“It’s because they haven’t seen a real performance. I’ve seen the performances of the Dusk Troupe,” the chubby boy stated confidently. He had once served this well-known opera performance troupe.

“Dusk Troupe,” Alena raised her finger, thinking.

“They are indeed very famous. I’ve heard my father mention them too,” she said.

At this point, Lily spoke up, “My mother has seen their performance; it was amazing. It’s said they tour the world performing, with an unpredictable itinerary.”

Lolan Hill recalled her experience in Hope Lane. At that time, many people compared her performances to those of the Dusk Troupe. This opera troupe was indeed impressive.

“Alright, that’s enough. It’s almost dark, and we need to leave,” she said.

Several people looked out the window at the sky, remembering their previous agreement, and decided not to stay any longer, rising to bid farewell.

“Don’t do this kind of thing anymore. Learn a skill and find a stable job,” Lily returned the money bag, and Alena and Lolan Hill added some more, then warned.

“Thank you, ladies. But I don’t want this,” Sulis pushed the money bag back.

“Oh no, Sister Sulis, please keep it,”

“Where’s my own money?” Triton said somewhat unwillingly.

“You’ve already called me big sister, so I definitely have to take care of you,” Sulis glared at the little fatty and continued, “Also, did you say earlier that you have an older sister who can’t get married?”

“This…” The little fatty was momentarily speechless, looking left and right.

“Haha.” After a few moments of laughter, they all bid farewell again and left the courtyard for the seaside dock to meet up with another group of companions.

Not long after they left, a plain carriage entered the courtyard and stopped.

A young man driving the carriage jumped down from it; his white shirt was already drenched in sweat.

“I’m back, Allen,” Sulis waved her hand and went back inside to start cooking.

“Hmm.” The young man drew a bucket of water from the well, drank deeply before slowly putting it down. Although he was dressed simply, his appearance was quite good, exuding a sunny charm.

“Big brother Allen.” The door to another room in the courtyard opened, and a little girl walked out. She wore a blue and white dress which looked nice, but the edges were worn out and faded.

“Hmm, did Little Luna behave well today?” He squatted down, stroking the little girl’s head.

“Yes.” The little girl nodded.

“Haha, that’s good. Unfortunately, you still can’t move around freely for now. When you’re older, we’ll find a good family for you.” His voice carried a hint of affection.

“What good family? I think it would be better if she could earn her own money and live independently. That way, she’d be more free,” the little fatty grumbled as he walked over.

“Luna, be good.” He squatted down to pat her head, but she dodged away.

“Hello, Brother Triton.” Luna peeked out from behind Allen and looked at the little fatty.

“Why doesn’t Luna like me? It was me who saved you from the fire back then,” Triton wiped his eyes and pretended to cry.

A small hand rested on Triton’s golden nest of hair, “Don’t cry, Brother Triton. Luna has candy here.”

She stretched out her small hand, revealing a red round candy, and offered it.

Triton immediately turned his tears into a smile, and Sulis, hearing this, came out of the house, snatched the candy from Triton’s hand and gave it back to Luna.

“You should really think about how you’re going to explain yourself tonight. You almost brought the big shots here. If the city’s elders knew where Luna was, they’d probably put us on the wanted list,” she said.

This child was ultimately the only surviving heir of the Filial Chamber of Commerce.

Looking at this obedient girl, Sulis couldn’t help but recall the upheaval and fire two years ago, the chaotic crowds running, the blood and swords, and the collapse of several major chambers of commerce overnight.

The little interlude is already written and posted in the subscription group. Those who want to read it can join the review group 708292984.

This chapter covers buying clothes, and the next will cover the seaside part.

(End of Chapter)