I really don't want to be a novelist

Chapter 437

"Little Gretel, isn't it?"

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Raleigh has other things to do, maybe there is something you can tell me?"

"I want to mortgage or sell my family's land to Mr. Raleigh for some money."

Little Gerrit had the courage to knock on the door of Mr. Raleigh's house.

But instead of seeing Mr. Raleigh, he saw Mr. Raleigh's butler.

The butler faced Little Gerrit with a smile on his face.

"Exchange the fields for money? But Mr. Raleigh already has a lot of fields, and many people want to sell their fields to Mr. Raleigh."

"Mr. Raleigh doesn't really need the fields any more."

The butler still had a smile on his face.

Little Gerrit lowered his head a little,
"Please help me."

"Well, how many fields do you have that you can sell to Mr. Raleigh?"

"Five fields."

"Is that so? Little Gerrit, I just visited your village a while ago, and you should know the price we paid for five fields."

"If it is someone else, I can only give you half a bag of grain, but poor little Gerrit, I can give you a bag of grain, if it is exchanged for money, well, the price of grain is very high now, I can I'll give you five hundred copper coins."

The smile on the butler's face never disappeared. He opened his hands and said to little Gerrit in a somewhat exaggerated manner.

Little Gerrit hesitated.

If it was before, five fields would be enough to exchange for five silver coins for Little Gerrit to continue his studies for a year.

But now, too many people are willing to sell their fields to Mr. Raleigh for very little food.

The five hundred copper coins that the steward was willing to give were far from enough if they wanted to use the money to treat Hoth's illness.

"Mr. Steward, please, can you give me some more."

Little Gerrit lowered his head a little more.

"what……"

The butler laughed.

But at this moment, there was another voice next to him.

"...Our poor child, is there something to do here?"

It was Mr. Raleigh who came over at this moment.

The butler turned his head and lowered his body to answer,

"It's Little Gerrit, the little Gerrit of the Howth family. He hopes to sell five pieces of land in his family, but the five hundred copper coins are still too little. I hope that Mr. Raleigh can give a higher price."

"Little Gretel."

Mr. Raleigh, who seemed to remember little Gerrit, read aloud, and then said with a smile,

"If you still have fields to sell to me, I'm willing to pay one silver coin. But it seems that your family has no more fields to sell to me."

Little Gerrit raised his head and looked at Mr. Raleigh,

I saw Mr. Raleigh and the housekeeper smiling at him.

"I remember that there were only five fields left in your family before, and in the morning, your father had sold all five fields to me."

"So sorry, I can't help you, little Gerrit."

Little Gerrit was taken aback by the sudden news,

Facing the laughter of the housekeeper, Mr. Raleigh, and even the people around,
It turned out that they already knew about this.

"Please leave, little Gerrit. When there are some fields to sell to me, maybe you can come to me again."

Somewhat in a trance, little Gerrit left Mr. Raleigh's house.

Standing on the road outside Mr. Raleigh's house, little Gerrit stood on his feet in a daze.

Father Hawes had been to Mr. Raleigh in the morning,

Father Hawes has sold the remaining five fields to Mr Raleigh.

What now?
There was a dazed look in Little Gerrit's eyes.

In the end, I just followed the road and left the town.

And his father, who was seriously ill, naturally did not wait for him at the entrance of the town today.

Bewildered and at a loss all the way, little Gerrit just went to the village with some last hopes, and walked back home—maybe his father sold those fields to heal himself?Perhaps when he returned, his father had already been treated.

that's it,
Little Gerrit hurried all the way back to the village.

But when he was about to walk to his house, little Gerrit gradually slowed down.

He had already seen his father Hoss and Aunt Leina in front of his house.

Father Hoss was sitting at the door of the house, his rough face was originally sickly red, but now it had completely turned pale, his eyes were tired and he seemed to be unable to open them.

Sitting there, wrapped in thick clothes, seemed to be unable to sit still, and Aunt Leiina supported him by the side.

Aunt Leina still had some small wounds on her face, her hair was a little messy and she was a little embarrassed,

Most of the time, his eyes were fixed on Hoth, and he seemed to be talking to Hoth.

"...Little Gerrit, you are back? Your father is waiting for you."

Aunt Leina was the first to see little Gretel.

Hearing Aunt Leina's shout, little Gerrit's footsteps were a little slower, but he still walked up to his father Hoss step by step.

Father Hoss also panted heavily, turned his head, barely opened his heavy eyes, and looked at little Gerrit who was coming home.

"Father, I went to Mr. Raleigh's."

"I know...I know you're going, so I went early."

Hoss was talking to little Gerrit, with some smiles on his face,
It seems that because he, a father, guessed his child's behavior.

"Father... Howth..."

Little Gerrit squatted down, squatting in front of his father Hoss, calling Hoss, but didn't know what to say.

Hoss just barely raised his hand, and just this action made him panting heavily,
"Little Gerrit, I know you want to pay for my treatment."

"But... I am a sinner. Even if I find Dr. Monk to treat me, I cannot escape the pious trial."

"Just let me stay at home."

Hoss tried to put his hand on Little Gerrit's head, but he couldn't lift it up, and just put it on Little Gerrit's shoulder.

"In the morning, I could barely leave the bed, but at noon, I had to be supported by Leiina before I could move."

"I was afraid that I would not be able to go to Mr. Raleigh's house at night, so at noon, I asked Leina to take me to Mr. Raleigh's place."

"Look now, I was right, it's hard to move my body now."

"The money shouldn't be spent on me. Take it, Gerrit."

As Hoss was talking, he struggled to find some money from his clothes. The money was far more than what little Gerrit had learned from Mr. Raleigh, and he could get a lot more money from selling the fields.

"There are three silver coins in total here."

"There is money from the sale of our field, and there is money from the sale of Leiina's field."

Hoss was talking, then turned his head to look at Leina who was still supporting him with her hand,
Leina just supported Hoss with her hand, and then looked at little Gerrit.

"And your savings from Dr. Monk's and my work in town."

"Here it is. Take it, little Gerrit."

Little Gerrit looked at the money handed over by his father Hoss, but did not reach out to accept it.

Just looking at his tired and sick father Hoth,

"Why give it to me, and Aunt Leina's money?"

Father Hoss didn't take his hand back, but he was so tired that he dropped it.

Looking at Little Gretel's face, Hoss paused for a long time.

"Little Gretel, take this money, go away and go further afield."

Hoth's cloudy and tired eyes were closed at this time, and he was talking.

"why?"

Little Gerrit couldn't take it.

"Here, there are no more fields, and you can no longer survive."

"Take this money, bring the food left at home, and leave, go to a further place to find the answers to those questions."

"Little Gerrit, I have had too many problems in my life. When I was working in the fields and in the towns, I was too tired to think about it."

"I have spent my whole life in ignorance, and I hope you can help me find the answer."

Hoss said something similar to young Gerrit when he woke up in the morning.

"Take it."

He took a deep breath, as if exhausting all his strength,
Hoss raised his hanging hand again, and stuffed the money bag containing three silver coins into Little Gerrit's hand.

Little Gretel looked at his exhausted father who was panting heavily, and then at the money in his hand,

His eyes were full of bewilderment.

"Little Gerrit, let's go, get out of here."

"Just now. There's all the rest of the food there, and I don't have the strength to bring it to you, my little Gretel."

"Remember that bard I met once?"

"Ah."

That might be a dream in Hoss's heart.

"Go far away like him. Wait until one day, when you find the answers to those questions, come back and tell me."

"Your grandfather Medioc, your grandma Milia, and I will all be waiting for your answer."

"Little Gerrit. You go. I'm tired and want to rest."

After finishing his last words, Hoss closed his cloudy, tired and heavy eyes,

The body that could no longer sit still was only supported by Leina's hand.

As soon as he closed his eyes, Hoth, who was still awake before, seemed to have fallen into a nightmare,

The whole person was in a daze, trembling all over and showing fear on his face.

"Hoth...Hoth..."

Little Gerrit called his father Hoth's name.

But Hoth didn't answer him any more,

Just dreaming that nightmare, murmuring names,
"Mediouc...Father...Why, Medioc..."

"...Save him, save Medioc..."

The nightmare that entangled Hoss all his life seemed to reappear before his eyes.

Calling his father Hoss, little Gerrit, who has never received a response, paused,

He looked at the money in his hand, still at a loss.

Father is tired and needs to rest.

Where is he going, and if he leaves, where will he go to find the answer.

Little Gerrit is also full of doubts, he also has many problems.

For Medioc's death, for Grandma Milia's death, for Leina, for Howth.

"Little Gretel, you go away, the food is over there."

At this time, Leina, who was supporting Hoss, said to Little Gretel again.

"It's like your father said, you can't live here if you stay here. Just leave now."

"What about Aunt Leiena, you, and Hoss?"

Aunt Leiena didn't answer, but said to little Gretel,

"Stay here, and after the food is gone, you can only wait for death. Or be called into battle by the king and the church."

"Hoth he...he's tired, let him rest here. He'll wait for you to come back, and you'll bring him answers to his questions."

"Remember what you said to me, little Gerrit? I can't figure it out either... Maybe you can tell me one day."

Looking at Hoth again, Hoth closed his eyes tightly and hadn't woken up yet.

Little Gerrit lowered his head, remained silent, and stood up.

From the moment the seriously ill Hoth made his choice, it seemed he had no choice.

In other words, it was already like this earlier.

Grandma Milia may have been busy in the fields every night, and finally died of a serious illness due to the cold wind and dew at night.

Father Hoss, who was still working because of hunger, finally fell ill from overwork, and became seriously ill like this.

Knowing that he would desperately treat him, Hoss went to Mr. Raleigh to sell the field when he was still able to move.

Howth he was afraid of himself.

Afraid that I would follow his path and end up seriously ill or even die,
So want him to leave.

Finally, little Gerrit stretched out his hand and held the trembling hand of his father Hoss hanging beside him.

"Father, I'm leaving."

It seems to feel the movement of little Gerrit,
Hoth's nightmare seemed to fade a bit, and the fear on his face was less,
The calmer ones closed their eyes and rested.

"Aunt Leina...I'm leaving."

In the end, little Gerrit left here.

Left home.

Taking a small amount of food and the money, he left the village in the dark.

Maybe he will die like this after leaving the village, maybe he can come back.

step by step,
Even little Gerrit walked slowly, and at last, when he looked back again,
The house at home was still submerged in the darkness.

……

"...Hoth, Hoth...Little Gerrit is gone."

Watching little Gerrit walking away, Leina repeatedly called Hoss,

In the end, Hoth was reawakened.

"Um... have you left?"

Hoss reluctantly opened his heavy eyes. He could no longer see the figure of little Gerrit, and fell silent for a while.Only then did he answer again.

"Well... I'm leaving too, Hoss."

"Can you do me another favor, there's a stump of candle in the room, and I want you to light it."

"it is good."

Leina looked at Hoss and replied,

He did as Hoss said.

Finally, put the short candle on Hoth's side,
The warm candle flame danced beside Hoss, reflecting his pale and tired face.

"I'm leaving, Howth."

Standing up, Leina no longer stayed here with Hoss,

Instead, he turned around, found a direction, and walked away.

Hoth watched Leina go away until he was alone.

struggling to open the eyes, to keep the heavy eyes from closing again,

Hoss gradually turned his head again, looking at the candle beside him.

The candlelight danced gently with the gusts of wind, changing its appearance,

Looking at the candlelight, Hoss' eyes were in a trance.

The candle flame reflected in his cloudy eyes brought back long memories in his mind.

still remember,
When he was still young, he set foot in church.

The scene of burning, moving, rows of candles in the church,
Let him stare intently,

He had never seen so many candles,
That candlelight is really beautiful.

Hoss held out his hand,

The candlelight is getting closer.

Finally, with the dripping wax oil, it dripped on Hoth's body.

He seems to be returning to that day,
I saw those beautiful candlelights, but this time, the priest who turned his back was gone.

"It's beautiful."

These were Hoth's last words.

……

"Hoth...Hoth..."

Little Gretel, who has left the village, even if he leaves,
He still thought about it, so he took the money in his hand and went to find Dr. Monk to help treat his father.

But when he looked back at the village again,
He saw the bright fire in the dark village,
The fire was so dazzling that it wanted to dispel the darkness of the entire village.
Brighten up the entire dark night sky.

Just by seeing the fire, little Gerrit guessed what might have happened.

He went mad and ran back.

In the end, I just saw the firelight reflecting through the sky.

……

In the village where Hoss lives, the residents of the village are only awakened by the fire at night,

In the end, the flames were shining in the sky, and there was nothing to save them.

Just looking at this rare fire that shines through the sky.

The fire grew from small to large, and then gradually became smaller, burning for a whole night.

Fortunately, the Howth family was there alone, along with Melia's original house.

Waiting for the next morning.

The people in the village never saw Hoss and Little Gretel again.

The people in the village just thought that little Gerrit and Howth were burned to ashes together by the fire.

(End of this chapter)