Unknown Intrusion

Chapter 4 Dating Fees

As I was going downstairs, I inadvertently saw the view outside the window in the stairwell.

The ground was damp; it had rained last night.

"Su Yu, bring your mother a newspaper while she's outside."

In the kitchen, Su Yu heard her mother's voice. Her heart stirred. Even after a night's rest, she could still feel her mother's exhaustion.

"Ok."

I walked briskly through the corridor and into the kitchen, which was filled with the smell of cooking. There was a woman who looked to be in her forties, wearing an apron and preparing a meal with a knife in her hand.

She skillfully wielded the pot in her hands, adding sauces and various chopped spices, instantly filling the air with an irresistible aroma.

She barely exerted any effort, yet the various vegetables were easily cut and arranged into an artfully carved platter.

Standing quietly in place, watching this scene, Su Yu felt a pang of sadness, and his vision gradually blurred as the water mist filled his eyes.

"Is this... the original owner's feeling?"

Theoretically speaking, Su Yu is the root of the tree, and the natives are the new branches that sprout from the root.

Although there are differences, they are still interconnected.

This is especially true when the tree roots have absorbed the buds.

"what happened?"

Receiving no response, the woman put down her cutlery, turned around, and looked at him.

"The holiday is over, don't forget to hand in your homework."

"It's nothing, I finished my homework a long time ago."

"It's just... the smoke made my glasses sting." Su Yu awkwardly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Despite looking tired, it's been such a long, long time since I've seen her so energetic...

Sure enough, I really did go back to being fourteen years old.

This is not a dream.

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" The mother's tone was a little irritated. "Hurry up and go to school. This semester's studies are very important. Whether you can get into high school depends on how well you do this year!"

"It's getting late, you should go pray quickly before eating!"

Still the same.

Su Yu thought to himself.

Normally, when I say goodbye to my mother, she is always busy and will only respond from the kitchen, but today she made a special effort to tell me.

However, according to the natives' memories, this was one of the few normal days their mother had ever had... It seemed like a final burst of energy before death, and in any case, the situation deteriorated afterward.

Perhaps this is not just so-called depression, but more likely the influence of mystery.

Su Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

"My understanding of the mysticism, whether it be me or the natives, is still too shallow, and I cannot be certain yet. In short, I need to acquire more knowledge as soon as possible!"

"Su Yu!" The voice woke him from his reverie.

"What's wrong?" Su Yu looked up, his thoughts interrupted.

His mother looked at him with a hint of displeasure.

"How are things between you and Qiaoqiao?" she asked.

"what?"

The sudden question left Su Yu stunned for a moment.

"What? Cheng Qiaoqiao!" Mom frowned and sighed, looking quite helpless. "If you want to buy a bouquet of flowers, Mom can help you prepare them."

Upon hearing the word "bouquet," Su Yu immediately thought of graduation ceremonies, or... bouquets of flowers for congratulations.

In short, I couldn't understand it for a while.

"Qiaoqiao has given you gifts before, and you haven't even sent her a bouquet in return? Aren't you...aren't you good friends?"

The abrupt change of topic finally caught Su Yu off guard.

It probably refers to sending flowers?

Memories are like faded old photographs; everything fades except for important things, especially feelings.

At this time, Qiaoqiao... and I should be very close, right?
In the end, Su Yu still couldn't remember why he had sent the flowers at this time.

"Um, my friend, do I really need to send flowers?"

"Is it……"

Seeing her mother's slightly reproachful expression and noticing her demeanor, it seemed she had different thoughts from her own.

That's probably not what she meant to say.

Su Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

Could it be that I was carrying a bouquet of flowers at that time? But I really don't remember.

After all, a full ten years have passed since then. Busy with work and family, it's really hard to remember small things.

As I reached for the plate, there was a loud thud.

"Pray before you eat!"

"You're so old, and you still don't remember?"

"what?"

Su Yu was truly shocked this time. He looked around in a daze. The apartment-style house had two bedrooms and a living room, and seemed quite ordinary.

On one wall, a shrine occupies most of the space, inside which is placed a pyramid.

The pyramids are quite peculiar; firstly, they are upside down, and at the very top are faces.

The second layer features a golden lion wearing a crown.

The third floor is a castle adorned with colorful flags.

The fourth level is a sailboat.

Su Yu paused slightly, and under her mother's gaze, the familiar sentences came to mind.

"...In the name of saints, the crown, Blackshire, and the Sailing Guild, hear my prayer!"

“I will act according to your laws, pay my taxes, and ask for forgiveness for my transgressions, purification from my sins, and protection for my home.”

After Su Yu finished speaking, there was no further movement.

"This is so strange!"

Su Yu flipped through the native host's memories.

In the natives' memory, this was a matter of course, as normal as rain, but he naturally found it very strange.

"Something feels off. Is there something missing in my memory?"

I absentmindedly tore open a piece of buttered bread, drank a large glass of milk, and ate a platter of vegetables and fruits.

"I am going out."

"Be careful on the road, and remember to give this to Qiaoqiao."

They insisted on stuffing a bunch of roses into his schoolbag.

“She said she liked this when she came last time, so take it with you.”

It turns out it was something I had promised.

After saying goodbye to her mother, Su Yu turned around and pushed open the door. She touched the rose and felt something was wrong; there were two silver coins inside.

"Are they two silver sea monsters?"

The price of pork is 0.06 silver serpents per pound right now. Two silver serpents are enough to last me a week. This is my dating allowance from my mom.
Su Yu wasn't originally confused, but since his body was only fourteen years old, he couldn't think of it at the time. Now, he naturally understands.

"Putting aside what he remembers, is it really that open-minded to encourage a fourteen-year-old to pursue girls?"

"No, from an adult's perspective, perhaps Mom sensed a crisis and wanted to leverage some resources?"

Although the sun was out, the air in this coastal city was damp and cold, with a fog-like atmosphere. Yesterday's rain was quite heavy, leaving a lot of water on the ground. The asphalt roads were full of puddles, and the roadside trees along the school route looked listless and wilted.

It takes about 30 minutes to walk from home to school.

Students gradually gathered along the way, and familiar people greeted each other.

Su Yu groped the back of his hand, lost in thought as he walked.

"Some things can be dealt with later. Right now, my most important tasks are honing my talent and making money. These two things need to be done almost simultaneously..."

“According to the indigenous people’s memories, once my father was declared missing, the creditors would soon come knocking on our door and take away a lot of our property, even selling our house. This would make things very difficult for my family.”

"More importantly, it's about learning. According to the host's memories, this test is actually very crucial and will greatly influence the course of his life."

"This must be taken seriously."

With that thought in mind, the school gate came into view.

"Walls and forests!"

The campus was surrounded by stone walls, and Su Yu immediately noticed the reliefs on the walls.

The natives might think it's normal, but Su Yu thinks it's extremely abnormal.

"The reliefs, the style seems similar to those in the house."

"It has faces, crowns, and castles, but those aren't the point. The point is the markings on the books!"

"And Saint Francis!"

I learned about St. Francis in class, but the explanation was very simple, only saying that he established a group to spread knowledge and became a protector of some schools.

"Strange, if it's so important, why is the introduction so simple?"

(End of this chapter)