gentleman's servant

Life in the countryside is very monotonous, with sunsets and sunrises, people farming on the endless land, and the falling and lifting of heads seems to never stop.

So wine is an essential thing, it makes people forget all troubles in a short time, forget the tired life, forget the boring days, and even forget themselves.

After my father left the house, my mother, Grace, was intoxicated with this enchanting and eerie liquid, and I guess she was having a hard time dealing with the horrors of life.At that time, I was 13 years old, Angie was nine years old, Ariel was only four years old, three children, barren land, no other income...

At that time, the memory is not deep. My mother always came home tired and handed us a few pieces of black bread. Then she held the wine bottle alone and got drunk until dawn.

Later, she drank more and more until she couldn't do without alcohol anymore, she couldn't go out to work, and of course she couldn't get any food back.The three of us, brothers and sisters, used various methods to fill our stomachs, wild vegetables in spring, river fish in winter, and wild fruits in autumn.

I used to hate such a mother very much. I thought she was a bastard who only knew how to drink and asked for money. She never had anything to do with us, and she didn't look like a mother at all.

Until many years later, when I think of her again, I feel that she is a strong person. If she had not stayed with us three brothers and sisters, but had left like her father and found another man to marry, she would not have fallen into the present situation. this level.So later, no matter how much money she wants, as long as I can afford it, I will give it to her.

I know she has been waiting for her father to come home, and she firmly believes that he will always come home. I don't know where her confidence comes from, but now her expectation has come true.

When I told her, she didn't speak for almost a minute, just looked at me blankly, then she started crying, crying loudly, and finally crying hoarsely, but the crying couldn't stop.

"He has been held hostage, and we have figured out a way to rescue him. But once rescued, you have to leave here and go to other places to hide your identity. You have to take your younger siblings with him." I said.

"Okay, okay." She sobbed and said, "I will follow your arrangement. When can I see him?"

"Tonight." I sighed and said, "Time is short, you and An Qi will wait for him on the boat and leave overnight."

An Qi and Ariel also shed tears together for a long time, but they were dumbfounded when they heard that they were going to leave, as if they didn't understand the meaning of the word.

Angie asked, "Leave? Where are you going?"

"Go to Suge in the north." I said, "It's all arranged, there will be houses and land, don't worry."

"Are you kidding me? I don't want to go to such a desolate place!" An Qi is already a grown girl. She has worked as a maid and seen the world, so of course she doesn't want to leave the prosperous and warm south.

"What about you? Are you going with us?" My mother asked me eagerly regardless of An Qi's complaints.

"I will help you settle down and come back later. I am the viscount's personal servant, no one will trouble me, but you can't, you have to go."

Time is running out, we need to pack our belongings as soon as possible.

Ariel prepared several packages, and she even brought a big doll made of tattered hemp rope. I patted her hand helplessly and took the doll: "These things can't be taken away, dear."

"But... I don't want to go... Everything I like is here..." Ariel obviously didn't understand why she wanted to run away, her big eyes were filled with tears, she looked at me and said, "I can't stay Is it? I can farm, I can be a cook..."

Because I will see my father soon, my mother seemed extremely excited, as if she wanted to grow wings and fly to him immediately, so Ariel made her angry by taking time, and she shouted: "Just bring food and clothes Now, when our family is reunited, what you want, your father will buy you new ones."

The poor girl had to throw away all the 'treasures', leaving only a pitiful little package.

When we packed up everything and were ready to go out, my mother suddenly said, "We can't take him with us."

I didn't understand what my mother meant, so I turned around and asked her, "Who can't I take with me?"

Then I saw her eyes, she was staring at Sam in my arms.

"What? What are you talking about!" I asked in disbelief.

"You heard me, we can't take him and send him...to any place...don't the poorhouse adopt orphans?" the mother said with flustered eyes.

I took a deep breath, and because I didn't plan to argue with her, I said softly: "Don't worry about Mom, Dad will understand, he won't blame you, trust me."

"I want you to send him away!" Mother suddenly yelled, "Send him away! Send him away!"

"It's ridiculous, I wouldn't send Sam to the workhouse, Dad wouldn't care..."

My mother suddenly raised the burden and hit me twice. The burden was full of clothes, so it didn't hurt, but her voice was colder than ever.

"I said, I won't let him follow us. I never gave birth to this child. Your father will never know about it. If you are willing to show your poor mother a little mercy, then Do as I say."

Sam was born three years ago, and his mother gave birth to him on the wooden bed at home, and went out to drink again the same day he was born.When she came home three days later, she didn't even look at him. I named him Sam.

Sam was brought up by Angie and Ariel, and his mother never fed him or hugged him once, I once asked Sam whose child it was, but my mother just said blankly: "I don't know. "

I think she really didn't know, she didn't look at Sam with joy, she didn't hate him, she just ignored him like he never existed, and now, she really wished he didn't exist.

"You want to keep Sam? That's not okay!" Angie said angrily, "Where is the workhouse? Can you still live if you send him in! He is my younger brother, and I don't allow you to abandon him."

With a 'snap', An Qi received a big slap on the face.

This slap stunned everyone, and Sam burst into tears.

The mother said with red eyes: "I said, don't you understand? He is not your brother, he is a disgrace to this family! Your father is back now, we will be reunited as a family, and we will become as happy as before How can we let him destroy us!"

"Mom, don't leave Sam..." Ariel whispered while hiding behind Angie.

The mother became even more angry, and seemed to feel that the whole family was against her. She cried and said, "How could you treat me like this? Do you know what I sacrificed to raise you up?"

Her eyes shifted from me to Angie and then to Ariel.

"What can I do to you? Apart from not having enough to eat, what kind of setbacks have you suffered!" She grabbed Ariel's ear and said, "Such a little girl can get three at a time for the men in the village." And Penny, I have two daughters, and have I spoiled you like other mothers?"

She pushed An Qi and said, "Have I ever let someone bully you? You don't look at me all day long, but have I married you to a bastard man in the village against my conscience? There is a cripple who wants to spend thirty Pounds to marry you, thirty pounds! But I never promised, you know!"

She cried hoarsely, and then tore off the clothes on my chest: "My son, will you treat me like this? I only have this request, and you won't agree to it?"

Sam was crying in my arms, too young to know what was going on.

"I...I see, I will take care of Sam, and we won't tell father." I sighed and said, "It's getting late, let's go."

The mother was finally satisfied, and she urged her two daughters to get into the carriage, looking at the future with joy.

I took Sam to the manor's castle and ordered the maid to take care of him. Then I dressed up and prepared to accompany the Viscount to the banquet tonight.At the banquet, we would take the opportunity to take father away, put him on the boat, and let them escape overnight.

This banquet was hosted by Viscount Vlad.

He is famous for his love of art, especially painting. In order to collect all kinds of antique paintings, he holds similar banquets every year.His banquets are always ingenious, like a gallery, the walls are covered with paintings of various bids, and guests can walk around to admire them.

The painting Mrs. Avril brought tonight is called "The Sisko Girl". In the painting, a girl is sitting in a carriage. The girl is wearing gorgeous costumes and sitting in an open carriage. Her chin is slightly raised because of her arrogance, her eyes are He also squinted proudly.The background is a snowy street with fog everywhere. This is a very beautiful painting, and it is also a famous painting. It can be said that it is the most valuable painting in Baron Uzak's house.

A long time ago, Mrs. Avril announced that she wanted to sell it, but she asked for [-] pounds. This amount is too high. Even if the painting is precious, it is difficult for ordinary people to afford this price.

But tonight, Mrs. Avril brought this priceless painting to the banquet, because a wealthy viscount showed great interest in this painting, and seemed to have a great intention to buy it.

This Lord Viscount is exactly Oscar. He obviously attaches great importance to this deal, so he invited eight professional painters to the banquet to verify the authenticity of this painting.

When the painters surrounded the painting airtightly, Lord Viscount began his critical evaluation.

"Mrs. Avril, if this painting is real, then I am willing to spend [-] pounds to buy it. But I have a few questions, why did this painting spread to your family?"

Madam Avril was really radiant tonight, perhaps because she could finally sell this long-collected painting for a good price, so she had a rare extra patience and began to explain the origin of this painting to everyone.

"I have told every guest about the origin of this painting. It was purchased by my late father from the previous Earl Meryl for three thousand pounds." Mrs. Avril said reservedly: "At that time, the earl was facing Bankruptcy, there are traces to follow."

"But the paint used in this painting seems to be too fresh, and the brushwork is a bit stiff. Is it really authentic?" a painter asked.

"Of course this is the real work, do you understand it or not, don't talk nonsense." Mrs. Avril frowned and said.

Another painter interjected: "There are some cracks, and the preservation is not proper. May I ask what kind of oil is used for conservation?"

Before Mrs. Avril could answer, the next artist said: "This painting must not have been well maintained, look at the dust..."

Soon the lady was overwhelmed, surrounded by painters, eager to argue that the painting was indeed worth ten thousand pounds.

These painters were hired by Oscar to verify the authenticity of the work, but Oscar also expressed a request to them, that is, try to find some faults in this painting, and he hopes to use this to bargain with the owner of the painting.

The painters are very understanding, and because they received money, they worked extra hard.

So when Madam Avril was busy arguing with several painters, 'Baron Uzzak' quietly broke free from her arm, and she didn't realize it at all...

The opportunity came, and my father followed me quietly into the crowd...