In one corner of the old city of Aeloria, the streets were bustling. Many merchants lined the streets with small tents set up, and their wares were neatly arranged on tables. They enthusiastically offered their wares to potential buyers.
There were a variety of items sold in the market, such as spices, fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat, to name a few.
Eliana and Louis walked side by side through the market. Their pace was not rushed, but it was not too slow either.
"It's been a while since we bought beef. What if we bought it?" Eliana asked Louis.
"Isn't meat expensive enough? We'd better buy something else," he refused after considering Eliana's offer.
"That's fine, it won't bankrupt me to buy it once a month," Eliana didn't take no for an answer and walked ahead of Louis towards the butcher who was only a few steps away from her.Eliana could smell the aroma of meat as she approached the butcher. Her gaze fell on a middle-aged man holding a large, sharp knife. The butcher's body was slightly chubby and he was wearing an apron. He was cutting meat for a customer.
Eliana waited in line next to a woman who was waiting for her order. Meanwhile, Louis could only surrender and stood behind Eliana.
A few minutes later, the woman left after making payment and receiving her meat. Eliana approached and greeted the butcher, "Good morning, Mr. Frens. Can you wrap me a 1 kg piece of meat?" Eliana asked with a smile.
Frens looked at Eliana, nodded his head in understanding, and returned Eliana's smile, "Morning, El. What kind of meat do you want?" he asked in a friendly voice.
"Please, give me fresh beef," Eliana replied, she pointed to the beef on the table, which was red in color and very fibrous.
"Just a moment," Mr. Frens took a large piece of meat and cut it into pieces with a large knife that made a loud noise as it struck the wooden planks and meat. Eliana moved away slightly so as not to get splashed with blood from the meat that was split into pieces. Then, the pieces of meat were put on a scale to measure their weight.
Once the weight of the meat reached the appropriate weight, Mr. Frens quickly wrapped it in leaves and folded the leaves very neatly, taking care to cover the contents and tie it with rope."It's 50 silver coins, I've added the meat too," said Mr. Frens.
Eliana was used to Mr. Frens' kindness to her, she often gave him extra meat when she bought meat from him. Mr. Frens did it in the name of kindness towards the children of the orphanage.Eliana checked her sling bag, took out a number of silver coins, counted them, and gave them to the butcher. "Thank you very much, Mr. Frens. May the goddess Eldora bless you always," Eliana said as she took the meat.
"Yes, now go and be careful on the road."
Eliana walked away waving her hand, ""See you again!"
Mr. Frens nodded his head, the corners of his lips lifting into a smile as he watched the two children leave. Then, he bowed his head as he murmured softly, "She is a very cheerful child."
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.
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"I don't think I can go back to the orphanage with you today. Go home first," Eliana said, stopping her steps in front of a post office.
Louis, who was carrying the meat he had bought at the market, frowned. He looked at Eliana anxiously, his red eyes showing deep concern.
"Are you okay? I'm worried about you working all the time," he said with concern.
Eliana worked as a pianist in an entertainment house at night and as a mail carrier in the morning. This made Louis very worried about Eliana's health, and he was afraid she would fall ill again.
"I'm fine. Try taking the children to fish in the river today and sell them at the market," Eliana said in a calm voice, showing that she was fine so Louis wouldn't have to worry.
"I understand," Louis responded
Louis' understanding and supportive actions were like a breath of fresh air to Eliana. They had been through a lot together, including the difficult times at the orphanage, and it made their relationship as close and meaningful as blood brothers.
Eliana saw Louis' worried eyes, then she took his hand gently and smiled, "You're the best friend I've ever seen, Louis. I'm so happy to have you by my side."
Louis smiled too, and they both knew that their friendship was strong. Although they might face difficult challenges together, they always found a way to overcome them all.
After they ended their conversation, they went their separate ways. Louis headed to the orphanage with fresh meat for the children, while Eliana continued her journey to the post office to start her work.
Eliana entered the post office with soft steps, stepping onto the marble floor. She looked around the room, in the corner, several people were chatting.
Brukk!
Suddenly Molly, a slender woman, approached in such a hurry that she didn't notice Eliana's presence and bumped into the small body.
"Ah, geez!" Molly was startled as the letters she was carrying fell and scattered on the floor. She immediately turned to Eliana who had fallen and her face became even more panicked.
"I'm sorry Eliana I accidentally bumped into you, are you okay?" asked Molly as she helped Eliana back to her feet.
Eliana nodded her head gently, then opened her mouth, "I'm fine."
However, from the corner of the room, Harry angrily commented, "Hey, Molly. Do your job properly and don't create a mess. Eliana has just recovered,What if she faints after falling because of you?"
Eliana felt insulted by Harry's words and looked sharply at him. "Did he just say I'm weak?" she thought.
Molly immediately responded firmly, "I know, I know! I'm just in a bit of a hurry," Her voice was quite loud, and her hands were busy collecting the letters scattered on the floor.
Eliana carefully collected the letters scattered on the floor to help Molly.
"Sister Molly, why are you in such a hurry?" Eliana asked while tidying up the letters.
Molly replied, "Today all the letters need to be delivered, but unfortunately we don't have enough people to deliver them." She stood up straight after the letters were collected.
Eliana nodded her head with understanding, "How many letters need to be sent today?"Then Molly answered and asked, "There are 44 letters that need to be delivered today. Can you help deliver all these letters?" Her eyes were hopeful as she looked at Eliana.
However, an angry voice from the corner of the room chimed in, "No way! Eli is still a child, how can you give such heavy work to such a small child?"
Eliana was touched by Harry's concern, but she wanted to help. Confidently, she said, "I'll do it, Sister Molly. I can help with the letters."
Molly smiled broadly, and Harry, though still skeptical, spoke no more. Eliana was young, but her spirit and determination were great. She was ready to help to the best of her ability.
Normally, a worker would deliver about 25 letters in a day. However, on that day, one worker was unable to work for some reason. Eliana, who was usually assigned to deliver 20 letters a day because she was considered too young, tried to help resolve the situation. The letters scattered on the floor were letters that had been pending for two days and should not be delayed any longer.
"I know this might be a bit burdensome, but you're my only hope," Molly said in a dramatic tone. The situation was urgent, and she had to ask Eliana to deliver 44 letters that day.
Eliana exhaled softly, "Give me the letters, and don't forget to give me extra pay for today."
Molly smiled brightly, nodding her head in understanding of Eliana's intentions. She quickly handed the letters to Eliana. Eliana received the letters and carefully packed them, arranging them neatly in her bag.
"This is the mailing address list," Molly also handed over a brown piece of paper that contained the mailing address list.
Eliana's hand grabbed the note, rolled it up, and put it in her sling bag. After the mailing preparations were completed, Eliana said goodbye to Molly and Harry, "Alright, I'll be going now. See you soon!"
Seeing Eliana turn to leave, Molly quickly added, "Be careful on the road, El!"
Hearing Molly's voice, Eliana gently turned her body back to face Molly. She smiled cheerfully, like a beautiful spring sunshine. "I'll definitely be careful," she said confidently.
Eliana's bright smile caught the attention of everyone in the room. They all cheered enthusiastically in support of Eliana, before she finally stepped away.
-To Be Continue