A Terrible Lunch and Night (End)

Mrs. William's expression changed subtly, but Xu Yun, who had been watching the William couple closely, noticed it.

As a visitor from later generations who was well-versed in history, he quickly thought of what Mrs. William was worried about:

If nothing unexpected happened, the rice jar at the William's house should be running low.

According to the normal historical trajectory.

The Black Death epidemic, which William initially thought would only last two or three months, further fermented after the new year, lasting far beyond the economic limit the entire family could bear.

Thus, out of helplessness.

Young Newton was forced to move into Humphrey Babington's house and became a tutor for Humphrey Babington's younger brother. Oh, wait, a tutor.

He conducted his research while living there, essentially half-working and half-boarding, thus completing the latter half of his achievements.

As for William's feelings for Little Ox, they were beyond words. He treated him with the utmost care, basically regarding Little Ox as his own son.

The fact that Little Ox was forced to move away from here showed just how dire the William family's financial situation had become at that time.

Therefore, Xu Yun was faced with a choice:

Help or not help?

Emotionally.

Xu Yun had a good impression of the William family, and helping them would obviously earn him some favor with Little Ox.

Logically.

If Little Ox moved to Humphrey's house, it would be a problem for Xu Yun to follow him.

Therefore, Xu Yun quickly made a decision in his heart:

Of course, he would help!

Although the mission prompt stated that he should not easily get involved in historical events he did not participate in, this restriction should ultimately affect the mission score, not be a direct rule violation.

In other words, if his main quest completion was high enough, this part of the score could offset the penalty--equivalent to an early investment loss.

Improving William's and Newton's financial conditions + providing Newton with academic enlightenment at the right time. If he still couldn't become Little Ox's friend after doing both, then Xu Yun would have nothing more to say.

Of course.

While that was said, the specific entry point still needed careful consideration.

At least in non-livelihood areas, things that shouldn't appear and could profoundly affect history should be avoided--those who understand will understand, and I won't elaborate further.

After all, although this was a parallel world, Xu Yun still hoped that his home world would be as unaffected as possible by his butterfly wings.

Returning to the original scene.

Although the family's reserves were already running low, only Mrs. William and Lisa, one adult and one child, truly knew this.

Moreover, Lisa was still occasionally chatting with Little Ox, so the atmosphere of Xu Yun's meal was not dull, but rather somewhat cheerful.

William, being hospitable, also introduced Xu Yun to many of his business experiences:

For example, when he went to Liverpool, he once slipped and lost a replica crown he had prepared as a gift for Lisa, and for example, he had been to Milan and liked their champagne very much.

Xu Yun also shared many stories from the Middle-earth:

For example, in the Middle-earth, there was a Sichuan province where every household raised a creature called a "Gungun," and next to Sichuan province was Jin province, where people poured vinegar from their faucets.

Mrs. William was more interested in Chinese cuisine and asked a few questions similar to Little Ox's, but she did not suggest that Xu Yun cook--it was clear that she had some doubts about Xu Yun's cooking skills.

And so, a not-so-great lunch ended in a relatively happy atmosphere.

Afterward, Mrs. William and her daughters cleared the plates, while William took Xu Yun and Little Ox out of the house.

"By the way, Mr. Fat Fish."

After leaving the house, William hesitated for a moment before finally saying:

"Mr. Fat Fish, next Sunday is the Sabbath. Would you like to go to the chapel in town with us?"

"Uh, the chapel?"

Xu Yun blinked upon hearing this and instinctively prepared to refuse, but suddenly thought of the current situation in England:

The national church had broken away from the Catholic Church nearly 100 years ago, and the Protestant and Catholic Thirty Years' War was raging. Furthermore, Young Newton and his family were devout believers.

Coupled with the fact that the Black Death had not yet reached Woolsthorpe, gathering people was not a problem.

Therefore, Xu Yun thought for a moment and changed his impending refusal to:

"No problem, I will be there on time." (I didn't want to affect the reading experience, but I was afraid of causing trouble, so I'll say this first. I respect all beliefs and will not denigrate or criticize any religion, domestic or foreign. Xu Yun is going to worship to conform to the facts and for a subsequent plot point, not to join the church. Last time, I didn't explain a similar plot point, and it was deliberately misinterpreted by ill-intentioned people. By the time I realized it, there were already over 300 replies.)

William was overjoyed and patted his shoulder:

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

Xu Yun gave a dry laugh and said nothing more.

Afterward, he and Little Ox politely bid farewell to William and left.

As he turned to wave goodbye, Xu Yun's peripheral vision swept across the second floor, and he saw a figure by the attic window still chatting with Little Ox--speaking of which, how did these two manage to keep their 'breakup' a secret? Were the other five members of the William family interstellar players?

Under normal circumstances, shouldn't Young Newton have already been sent to Germany by William's cargo ship to see a bone doctor?

With this question in mind, Xu Yun followed Young Newton out of William's cabin.

Woolsthorpe was a bit livelier after lunch than during the day. Young Newton took Xu Yun along the town's main road, so they inevitably encountered some passersby.

Among them was an old man pushing a cart, around forty or fifty years old, thin, with a face full of wrinkles.

The old man smiled kindly when he saw another passerby not far away, but his smile turned into a frown the moment he saw Young Newton.

There was also a poorly dressed shepherd boy, his exposed ankles frozen red, yet he nonchalantly waved a dog's tail grass.

When his gaze fell on Young Newton, he pouted and let out a childish grunt.

And as the number of pedestrians increased, this situation was far from isolated.

It was obvious.

During this period, Young Newton had already displayed his talent for verbal abuse.

His curses could cover the sky, his venom could break through eternity, and he was unbeatable in spewing insults throughout the town.

That's right, besides being a bully at school, Young Newton was also a toxic commenter—the kind who grew more formidable with age.

If it weren't for William's vouching for him, Young Newton would likely have been a vagrant in the countryside this time.

And that wasn't all. While at Trinity College, because a couple often cooed outside his dorm window (according to the Trinity College layout, it was actually forty to fifty meters away), he even grabbed a pot of water and stood outside the men's dormitory spewing insults for hours.

He'd drink some water when he got thirsty and continue his rant, forcing the couple to break up in tears.

Not to mention his later verbal battles with Hooke, which were truly etched in history.

In 1715, Old Newton personally wrote a sentence: "Only the pastor has the right to point at my nose and call me a sinner," which was a summary of his personality.

Many people locally describe TheShy as half angel, half devil, but this phrase is equally fitting for describing Old Newton's academics and character.

However, Old Newton, who was unbeatable in verbal sparring his whole life, also attracted a lot of fire from commenters in the internet age. In a sense, it could be said that karma comes around.

Of course.

Although the passersby disdained Young Newton, their gazes towards Xu Yun varied:

Some held hatred stemming from their animosity towards Young Newton, some showed surprise, some fear, and some curiosity.

After all, in a small place like Woolsthorpe, not everyone was familiar with the concept of people from the East.

They did recognize dark hair, but this generally referred to Italians and Iberians, like Portuguese Latin people.

Although Latin people's hair color is close to black, upon closer inspection, it's actually a very dark brown in strong light and tends to be curly, which is clearly different from Xu Yun's situation. If you're talking about true black, straight hair, there's really only one group in Europe that fits: Hungarians.

What, you ask why Monica Bellucci has black, straight hair?

Ever heard of hair dye and straightening?

Coupled with Xu Yun's relatively obvious yellow skin, dark eyes, and attire, he did indeed attract quite a bit of attention along the way.

If nothing unexpected happens.

It's estimated that by tomorrow morning, the entrance to the village of Woolsthorpe will be abuzz—thank goodness it's not the 13th century in Europe, otherwise, who knows when some chuunibyou warrior might show up to treat him as a boss to be farmed.

Xu Yun walked with Young Newton for a while and suddenly realized something was amiss:

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

Young Newton raised his eyelids, glanced at him, and said:

"Of course not, we're going to cut grass first."

"Cut grass?"

"That's right, cut grass."

Perhaps thinking of the living expenses Xu Yun had agreed to, or perhaps recalling the words about "this child," Young Newton, unusually, offered an additional explanation:

"I can lend you bedding for the night, but you're not planning to lie directly on the ground, are you? If you freeze to death, no one will pay me."

Xu Yun scratched his head and only then remembered that he would have to sleep on the floor that night.

Young Newton's entire wooden garden room would surely have far inferior insulation compared to William and the others' red-brick houses. It wasn't surprising that it would be drafty at night.

Furthermore, the floor of Young Newton's bedroom had a lot of dust tracked in from people coming and going, so something would definitely be needed to cushion it.

Forget sheepskin; Young Newton himself only had Hussar pants, so they could only find something relatively warm to use as padding.

Then, led by Young Newton, the two arrived at a pond overgrown with reeds.

Seeing the reeds, Xu Yun's eyes lit up:

It seemed Young Newton's experience was quite useful; he would finally have a decent "mattress" tonight.

Friends who have lived in the countryside or often go camping should know that reeds are a very good material for making grass bedding.

Grass bedding made from reeds insulates against heat in the summer and cold in the winter, while also absorbing moisture. The comfort level when lying on it is very high.

Apart from artificial mattresses and animal furs, reeds are probably among the most suitable natural materials for making mattresses.

It was clear.

Years of living alone had equipped Young Newton with proficiency in many practical life skills.

After arriving at the reed pond, Little Ox handed the axe he had used for chopping wood to Xu Yun:

"Fat Fish, you chop over there, I'll chop over here. Once we finish a cluster, we'll put it aside to dry.

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

Xu Yun took the axe and nodded gently, not surprised or taken aback by the word 'hours' coming from Little Ox's mouth.

The indigenous ancient civilization divided the day into twelve shichen, while Europe saw mechanical clepsydras based on a 24-hour day appear in Athens as early as 100 BC, and Nuremberg, Germany, produced spring-driven pocket watches in 1510 AD.

Therefore, for a university student like Little Ox, it wasn't strange for him to utter terms like hours or minutes.

Afterward, Xu Yun took Little Ox's axe, and the two began to vigorously chop reeds.

More than five hours later, it was getting late.

The reeds were chopped and dried.

Xu Yun and Little Ox, each carrying a large bundle of reeds, began to walk back. When they returned to the garden house, it was estimated to be close to seven o'clock.

Little Ox skillfully opened the door, and upon entering, he first lit an oil lamp and then led Xu Yun to arrange the reeds.

Next, he took out a quilt filled with rushes from the storage cabinet and placed it on the reed mat, thus completing Xu Yun's little nest.

"Hoo"

Xu Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked:

"Mr. Newton, it's so late, are we still going to Mr. William's house for dinner?"

Little Ox shook his head at him, walked out of the living room, and returned a moment later with a basket containing bread:

"We're eating this tonight."

Xu Yun examined the few pieces of bread. The brand marks were familiar, and he asked thoughtfully:

"Where did this bread come from?"

"We got it from my uncle's side. We go once a week. We have a hot stew at their place for lunch, and for dinner, we just eat this with some water."

After speaking, Little Ox casually took a piece of bread and handed it to Xu Yun:

"This is all for dinner, no more,"

After Xu Yun took the bread, Little Ox took out two slightly larger pieces from it and put them on his own plate.

Xu Yun: "."

He now understood what those silly readers from his previous life felt when they saw him toss away his papers—"As expected of you."

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

"Mr. Newton, since the bread is from Mr. William's place, then what about the windmill for grinding flour you mentioned earlier?"

Little Ox swallowed a small piece of bread with some effort, glancing at him:

"Of course, it's for grinding flour for my uncle's family. I eat their bread and drink their soup every day, so I have to do something, right?

And this manor too. In a little over a week, it will be apple harvest season, and you'll have to help then too.

If we can sell some of the apples, the days ahead might be a little easier.

If we can't sell them..."

At this point, a rare hint of worry appeared in Little Ox's eyes:

"It's fine for me, but my uncle's family might be in trouble. There are six of them."

Hearing this, Xu Yun looked at Little Ox with some surprise.

Although he knew Little Ox and William had a good relationship, he hadn't expected it to be this good.

Getting Little Ox to actively do things was like achieving a difficult in-game achievement—like "Moon Viewing Black" or something.

No wonder Little Ox rushed back from Switzerland at four in the morning to attend William's funeral...

After that, the two slowly ate their bread in silence.

After a while, Little Ox suddenly said:

"Fat Fish, it's time to sleep."

The sky outside was already dark. Xu Yun couldn't tell the exact time, but he estimated it was around half-past seven.

Sleeping at this hour was quite early for modern people, but in the low-productivity 17th century, a considerable number of people were already fast asleep by this time.

Coupled with a full day of chopping wood, traveling, and cutting reeds, Xu Yun's body was exhausted.

Therefore, he quickly agreed:

"No problem, Mr. Newton. I want to brush m-"

Before Xu Yun could finish his sentence, Little Ox suddenly blew out the oil lamp.

Xu Yun: "."

No brushing teeth, no washing face, no washing feet, not even changing clothes.

What a terrible night.

However, given Little Ox's personality, it was obviously impossible to give himself another chance to clean his body.

Therefore, Xu Yun could only sigh and burrow into his simple bedding.

That night, Xu Yun didn't sleep soundly, a question lingering in his mind:

Why did no one ever tell me

that Newton snores like a motherfucker when he sleeps!!!