A Terrible Lunch and Night (Complete)

Mrs. William's expression changed subtly, but Xu Yun, who had been keeping a close eye on the Williams, noticed.

As someone from the future who knew history well, he quickly realized what Mrs. William was worried about:

If nothing unexpected had happened, the Williams' grain jar was probably almost empty.

According to the usual course of history,

the Black Death, which William had originally thought would last only two or three months, worsened after the new year and dragged on far beyond what the family could afford.

So, with no other choice,

Young Newton was forced to move in with Humphrey Babington and tutor his younger brother. No, not "guide"—tutor.

He more or less worked in exchange for room and board, carrying on with his research and producing the later results.

William's affection for Young Newton was beyond question. He had been the best sort of relative, treating Young Newton almost like his own son.

The fact that Young Newton had been forced to move away showed just how desperate the Williams' circumstances had become.

So Xu Yun now faced a choice:

Should he help or not?

On the personal side,

he had a good impression of the Williams, and helping them would obviously earn him some favor with Young Newton.

On the practical side,

if Young Newton moved into Humphrey's home, how was Xu Yun supposed to follow him there?

So Xu Yun quickly made up his mind:

Of course he would help!

According to the quest prompt, he wasn't supposed to meddle too freely in historical events he hadn't been involved in.

But the penalty for breaking that restriction would probably be a lower quest score, not an outright rejection by the rules.

In other words, if he did well enough on the main quest, he could probably make up for those lost points—like recouping an early investment loss.

Improve William and Newton's financial situation, then give Newton a timely introduction to academic thinking. If doing both still didn't make Xu Yun friends with Young Newton, then he had nothing more to say.

Of course,

that was easier said than done. He still needed to think carefully about how to get involved.

At the very least, he shouldn't introduce things unrelated to daily life that had no place in this era and might deeply affect history. The specifics were obvious to anyone who knew, so there was no need to elaborate.

After all, even though this was a parallel world, Xu Yun still hoped his butterfly wings wouldn't affect the world back home too much.

Back to the present.

Although the household's food stores were nearly depleted, only two people at the table really knew it: Mrs. William and Lisa, the older and younger women.

On top of that, Lisa was still chatting away with Young Newton every now and then, so lunch wasn't gloomy at all. If anything, the mood was rather cheerful.

The hospitable William also told Xu Yun plenty about his business and travels:

For instance, he'd once slipped and fallen while visiting Liverpool, losing a replica crown he'd meant to give Lisa. He'd also been to Milan and loved the champagne there.

Xu Yun shared plenty of stories about the Central Plains too:

For instance, there was a province called Sichuan where every household kept a creature called a "rolling bear." Next to Sichuan was Jin Province, where vinegar flowed from the people's taps.

Mrs. William was more interested in Chinese food. She asked a few questions like Young Newton's, but didn't suggest Xu Yun take over the cooking. Clearly, she still had some doubts about his culinary skills.

And so, an unremarkable lunch came to an end in a relatively cheerful atmosphere.

Afterward, Mrs. William and her daughters cleared away the dishes, while William led Xu Yun and Young Newton out of the house.

"By the way, Mr. Fat Fish."

Once they were outside, William hesitated for a moment before saying,

"Mr. Fat Fish, Sunday is three days from now. Would you like to come with us to the chapel in town?"

"Uh, the chapel?"

Xu Yun blinked at that and was about to refuse, but then he remembered the state of affairs in England at the time:

The Church of England had separated from the Catholic Church nearly a hundred years earlier, and the fierce Thirty Years' War between Protestants and Catholics was raging. Young Newton and his family were devout believers.

Besides, the Black Death hadn't reached Woolsthorpe yet, so there wasn't much of a problem with crowds gathering.

Xu Yun thought it over, then changed the refusal that had been about to leave his lips:

"No problem. I'll be there on time." (I didn't want to disrupt everyone's reading experience, but I'm worried this might cause trouble, so I'll say this first: I respect all beliefs, and I won't disparage or promote any religion, whether domestic or foreign. Xu Yun is going to the service because it fits the circumstances and because of a later plot point, not because he's converting. I didn't explain this the last time there was a similar scene, and people with ulterior motives took it in the wrong direction. By the time I noticed, there were already over three hundred comments.)

William was delighted. He patted Xu Yun on the shoulder.

"Hallelujah! Mr. Fat Fish, God will surely be pleased with you!"

Xu Yun gave a stiff smile and didn't reply.

Then he and Young Newton politely said goodbye to William and went on their way.

As he turned and waved, Xu Yun caught sight of a figure by the upstairs window out of the corner of his eye. They were still chatting away with Young Newton. How on earth had those two managed to keep their "breakup" secret? Were the other five members of the William family all interstellar players?

Under normal circumstances, shouldn't William's cargo ship have sent Young Newton off to Germany to get his bones set by now?

Puzzled, Xu Yun followed Young Newton away from the Williams' cottage.

Woolsthorpe was livelier after lunch than it had been earlier in the day. Young Newton took Xu Yun along the main road through town, so they inevitably ran into some passersby.

There was an old man pushing a handcart, in his forties or fifties, small and thin, with a face full of wrinkles.

The old man had smiled amiably at another passerby up ahead, but the moment he saw Young Newton, his face turned into a scowl.

There was also a ragged shepherd boy, his exposed ankles red with cold, yet still waving a foxtail grass stalk as though he didn't care.

When he caught sight of Young Newton, he pursed his lips and gave a childish snort.

And with more people on the road, this was far from an isolated incident.

Clearly,

Young Newton had already shown off his talent for cursing over the past little while.

A tongue that could block out the heavens, a venomous mouth that could curse for all eternity—he was unbeatable in every town and village.

That's right. In addition to being a bully, Young Newton was also a trash-talker—and the kind who only got worse with age.

If William hadn't vouched for him, Young Newton would probably have ended up an idle country bumpkin.

And that wasn't all. At Trinity College, a couple often whispered sweet nothings outside his dorm window. (Judging by Trinity College's layout, they were actually forty or fifty meters away.) He once grabbed a jug of water, went to the men's dormitory, and cursed them for hours.

Whenever he got thirsty, he'd take a drink and keep cursing, until he'd literally cursed the young couple into a tearful breakup.

And as for his later war of words with Hooke, there was no need to mention it. It had gone down in history.

In 1715, Old Newton once wrote, "The only person who can point a finger at me and call me guilty is a clergyman." It was a pretty good summary of his character.

Many people back home used "half angel, half devil" to describe theshy, but the phrase suited Old Newton's scholarship and character just as well.

Of course, Old Newton had spent his whole life cursing everyone around him without equal. In the internet age, though, he attracted a whole host of online flamers himself. In a way, it was karma coming full circle.

Of course,

though the passersby looked down on Young Newton, their expressions toward Xu Yun varied:

Some hated him for being associated with Young Newton; others were surprised, frightened, or curious.

After all, not everyone in a small place like Woolsthorpe knew what an Eastern person was.

They did recognize black hair, but they usually associated it with Italians or the Iberian people, like the Portuguese.

Latin people's hair was nearly black, but on close inspection it was actually a very dark brown under bright light, and it was curly. It was clearly different from Xu Yun's hair. When it came to straight black hair, there was only one European group that really fit the bill: Hungarians.

"What, you're asking why Monica Bellucci has straight black hair?"

Ever heard of dye and hair straighteners?

Combined with Xu Yun's distinctly yellow skin, black eyes, and clothing, he certainly attracted plenty of attention as they walked.

If nothing unexpected happened,

the village entrance at Woolsthorpe would be buzzing first thing tomorrow morning. Thankfully, this wasn't thirteenth-century Europe, or some chuunibyou hero might have shown up at any moment to treat him like a boss and try to grind him for experience.

Xu Yun followed Young Newton for a while, then suddenly realized something seemed off.

"Mr. Newton, this isn't the way home, is it?"

Young Newton glanced at him from beneath his eyelids.

"Of course not. We're going to cut reeds first."

"Cut reeds?"

"That's right. Cut reeds."

Perhaps remembering Xu Yun's promise to pay for his keep, or what he'd said about "This Child," Young Newton made the rare effort to explain.

"I can lend you a blanket to sleep under tonight, but you don't plan on lying straight on the ground, do you? If you freeze to death, there'll be no one left to pay me."

Xu Yun scratched his head, finally realizing he'd have to sleep on the floor that night.

Young Newton's Garden house was made entirely of wood, so it would certainly be much less insulated than the Williams' brick house. It was no surprise that drafts blew through it at night.

On top of that, the floor in Young Newton's bedroom was covered in dust tracked in by people coming and going. They definitely needed something to lie on.

They could forget about sheepskins and the like. Young Newton himself only had Hussar pants, so they'd have to find something warm to use as bedding.

Young Newton led them to a marsh where reeds grew.

The moment Xu Yun saw the reeds, his eyes lit up.

It seemed Young Newton had a decent grasp of practical matters after all. At least tonight, they'd have a pretty good "mattress."

Anyone who's lived in the countryside or gone camping often probably knows that reeds make excellent material for a grass mat.

A reed mat kept the heat out in summer and the cold out in winter. It also absorbed moisture, and it was very comfortable to lie on.

Aside from manufactured mattresses and animal hides, reeds were probably one of the best natural materials for making a mattress.

Clearly,

Young Newton's long years of living alone had made him quite skilled at looking after himself.

At the reed marsh, Young Newton handed Xu Yun the axe they'd used to chop down a tree earlier.

"Fat Fish, you cut over there, and I'll cut over here. Once you've cut a clump, set it off to the side to dry.

"The sun sets early in winter, so we need to get the reeds dry within four and a half hours."

Xu Yun took the axe and nodded. He wasn't surprised or thrown off by Young Newton using the word "hours."

Ancient civilizations back home divided the day into twelve double-hours. In Europe, water clocks based on a twenty-four-hour day had appeared in Athens as early as 100 BC, and spring-driven pocket watches had appeared in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1510.

So it wasn't strange for a university student like Young Newton to use measurements like hours and minutes.

Xu Yun took the axe from Young Newton, and the two of them began cutting reeds with gusto.

More than five hours later, the sky had grown dark.

They'd cut and dried the reeds. Xu Yun and Young Newton each carried a huge bundle as they headed back. By the time they reached the Garden house, it was probably close to seven.

Young Newton opened the door with practiced ease. Once inside, he lit the oil lamp and helped Xu Yun lay out the reeds.

Then he took a blanket stuffed with rushes from the storage cupboard and spread it over the reed mat. Xu Yun's little sleeping nook was ready.

"Phew."

Xu Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Mr. Newton, it's so late. Are we still going to have dinner at Mr. William's house?"

Young Newton shook his head, left the living room, and returned a moment later with a basket of bread.

"We're eating this tonight."

Xu Yun looked over the few pieces of bread. The marks baked into them looked familiar, and he asked thoughtfully,

"Where did you get this bread?"

"From my uncle's place. I get some from them once a week. I have a hot bowl of stew at their house for lunch, then eat something with water for dinner."

As he spoke, Young Newton casually handed Xu Yun a piece of bread.

"You only get this one piece for dinner. No more."

After Xu Yun took it, Young Newton picked out two larger pieces and put them on his own plate.

Xu Yun: "..."

Now he understood what those wisecracking readers in his previous life must have thought whenever he posted a paper. Just like you.

Looking at the bread in his hand, Xu Yun suddenly thought of something else.

"Mr. Newton, if this bread came from Mr. William's place, then what did you mean when you said you ground flour at the windmill?"

Young Newton swallowed a small piece of bread with some difficulty and glanced at him.

"Of course I grind flour for my uncle's family. I eat their bread and drink their soup every day. I've got to do something in return, don't I?

"And there's this estate, too. Apple harvest is in a little over a week, so you'll have to come help then. If we can sell some apples, things might get a little easier.

"If we can't sell any..."

At this, a rare trace of worry appeared in Young Newton's eyes.

"I'll be all right, but my uncle's family could be in trouble. There are six of them."

Xu Yun looked at Young Newton in surprise.

He knew Young Newton and William were close, but he hadn't realized they were that close.

Getting Young Newton to do chores of his own accord was an achievement worthy of a difficult game quest. Like that Moon-viewing achievement or whatever.

No wonder Young Newton had rushed back from Switzerland at four in the morning when William died.

The two of them ate their bread slowly, without speaking.

After a while, Young Newton suddenly said,

"Fat Fish, we can go to sleep."

It was already dark outside. Xu Yun couldn't tell the exact time, but he guessed it was around seven thirty.

That was very early by modern standards, but in the seventeenth century, when productivity was low, many people were already asleep by then.

Besides, chopping wood, walking, and cutting reeds for nearly the entire day had worn Xu Yun out.

So he readily agreed.

"No problem, Mr. Newton. I'd like to—"

Before Xu Yun could finish, Young Newton blew out the oil lamp with a whoosh.

Xu Yun: "..."

He hadn't brushed his teeth, washed his face, or washed his feet. He hadn't even changed his clothes.

What a terrible night.

However, given Little Ox's personality, he clearly wasn't going to give Xu Yun another chance to clean himself up.

Xu Yun could only sigh and crawl into his own threadbare bed.

He slept fitfully that night, unable to shake a nagging question:

Why had no one ever told me—

Newton fucking snored in his sleep!!!