The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 144 Hello, new friend!

Lucia works for a cooperative that specializes in the food business in Syracuse province. They supply goods from the city to remote villages and collect fresh seasonal agricultural products from the villages to sell in the city.

Her main work area is the seven or eight villages in the Malzamemi area, and she has a general understanding of what each village in this area is like.

The dock in Marzamemi is small, and the ice station closes right after 7 a.m.

Upon learning that Leo wanted ice, Lucia threatened that her colleague would drive her to the neighboring village in a truck to buy it.

At first, my colleagues had some complaints.

But when they heard it was to buy ice for that kid named Leo, they didn't say anything.

Thanks to Vera's efforts, most of the cooperative members knew that Lucia had a rumored boyfriend in Marzamemi.

At first, Rukia would say, "Ugh, you guys are so annoying!" when she heard this.

Later, when it was said in front of her, Rukia did not refute it.

"Is Rukia speechless at us?"

After buying the ice, the delivery guys kept joking with Rukia, but she remained remarkably calm...

Do what you're supposed to do.

Vera adopted the air of a "love expert": "Didn't you ever consider that she was implicitly acquiescing?"

"That's unlikely..." a female colleague whispered. "Rukia is so beautiful, how could she fall for a guy from a fishing village like that?"

"Leo doesn't look ordinary," said another colleague who had met Leo.

Vera scoffed, "They're quite a good match."

The female colleague shook her head: "I don't believe it. No one is good enough for our lovely Rukia."

"Alright, hurry up and think of something for your lovely Lucia to eat for lunch, she'll be asking soon," Vera urged everyone to get to work.

"Hello, is Rukia here?" A handsome guy knocked on their truck door.

The female colleague's eyes lit up at first, then she feigned modesty and said, "She went to deliver goods to another restaurant. Is there something you need?"

What a handsome face... How could such a high-quality boy be found in such a remote fishing village?

The handsome guy across from me politely replied, "Is it the Lighthouse? Okay, I understand, thank you."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The female colleague cautiously followed him for a couple of steps, craning her neck to watch his departing figure, while whispering to her colleagues, "VeraVera, look! Handsome guy! A real handsome guy! He's just as good-looking as all the big handsome guys in the city!!"

Vera and another colleague said in unison, "This is Leo."

"ah"

Leo heard a strange scream and turned to see what was happening.

There was only one truck behind us, and we couldn't see the source of the sound.

He rubbed his ears: "Deep-sea aftereffects?"

Buying ice for Leo delayed the delivery schedule a bit.

To catch up with the schedule, Rukia switched to triple speed mode and took on even more work.

After checking the list with Elena, she hurriedly left, wanting to take advantage of her lunch break to go see Leo.

The kind woman reminded Lucia that Leo would return to the village to rest every day at noon.

I didn't see him last week, so I guess I should at least see him this week, right?

Even just saying one word would be fine.

Unexpectedly, I ran into Leo himself as soon as I stepped outside.

"You're here for dinner?" Rukia was overjoyed.

Leo looked directly into her eyes and said, "No, I came here specifically to thank you."

Rukia fanned herself with the purchase order in her hand: "Buying ice? No problem, no problem, it's nothing."

Why is it so hot today?

Leo pointed to the restaurant behind him and said, "This is no small matter. I heard you went all the way to the next village to help me find ice, so I have to treat you to a meal."

"Really, it's not necessary..." Rukia smiled happily, "It's very close, it won't take up much time."

Leo smiled happily: "And what about the two bags of delicious food you brought?"

"How did you know?" Rukia was already prepared to be an "unsung hero."

Leo pushed her inside: "Want to know? Let's eat and talk. Come on in, I heard your colleagues talking, you haven't eaten yet."

Elena is still the same as always.

Like an NPC in a game, she didn't remember Leo's likes or dislikes, but when she saw him eating with Rukia, she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

Little Monica, on the other hand, became much more enthusiastic and took the initiative to serve as a waitress, probably because she was more familiar with Rukia.

Leo usually gets recommendations from Elena, but with the culinary master here today, he can hand over the task of ordering the food.

Leo pushed the menu toward Lucia: "You order, don't be shy about what you want to eat."

Monica stood beside them and said, "My mom is a great cook; this menu is full of her specialties."

Rukia didn't want Leo to spend too much money, so she ordered herself a salad and a bowl of soup, and for her main course, she ordered the sesame bread that Leo recommended.

Leo, feigning displeasure, said, "What do you mean? Are you trying to lose weight?"

Rukia blocked Monica's view with the menu and whispered to Leo, "Let's just grab something to eat outside."

Leo encouraged her, "I found something very valuable underwater today, which can fetch a lot of money. Consider it a celebration."

Rukia looked troubled, unsure whether Leo had genuinely struck it rich or was just making up an excuse.

Leo snatched the menu from her hand, covered his mouth, and whispered, "I've been on a lucky streak lately, I've even started looking at houses in Marzamemi. Don't skimp on the menu, order more, I'm starving."

Rukia leaned forward, hiding behind the menu as well, and asked in a low voice, "Really?"

Monica, being short, couldn't see clearly, so she went to the kitchen and asked her mother, "Why are they hiding behind the menu to talk?"

Elena glanced back, leaving Monica in the kitchen: "Don't go over there. If you see those two coming to eat in the future, don't go near them."

"But I'm helping..."

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66

"...You're in the way."

At Leo's insistence, Rukia finally ordered something decent.

Monica cleared the menu away, and Lucia asked Leo, "How are the prices in Malzamémi?"

Leo shared the information he knew and the details of the houses Andre had recommended, concluding with, "Although there aren't many new houses, the prices seem reasonable."

Lucia gave me a look that said, "Don't take your good fortune for granted." She replied, "This is already quite cheap, okay? I looked at several old houses of the same size in Noto, and they were twice as expensive as here. The houses were also in worse condition. There aren't many new houses in this area because no developers are investing in them."

Leo was somewhat surprised that Lucia seemed to know so much about the housing market: "You've been looking at houses lately?"

Rukia sighed and said, "I've been looking for a long time, but I'm not looking at houses, I'm looking at shops."

"You want to open a shop?" Leo asked.

The little glutton nodded: "I've wanted to open a shop related to food since I was little."

Leo's eyes lit up; he had found a kindred spirit: "My childhood dream was to own a supermarket."

"When I was a child, I also thought about opening a supermarket, so that I could eat whatever I wanted right away."

"Yes, all the goods we buy must be things I love to eat!"

"That's right! You can also sell refreshing fruits in the summer."

"The fruit must have been chilled."

"In winter, we sell hot pies and hot chocolate."

"And grilled sausages too!"

"What is a grilled sausage?"

"Um... a delicious kind, preferably made with starch, and without any meat at all."

The two were birds of a feather.

They're eating delicious food, talking about delicious food, and their minds are filled with thoughts of delicious food.

The two of them enjoyed their meal at the lighthouse.

Lucia gave it a very high rating: "Elena's cooking is really good."

This was her first time eating at the Lighthouse, and her first impression was very good.

Leo patted his stomach: "The taste is good, but it feels like something's missing."

"Almost the meat was gone."

"Yes, it's delicious, but it's not satisfying without meat and seafood."

"Yes."

The gluttonous boy turned to the little glutton beside him and asked, "Do you still have room for some dessert?"

The little glutton licked its lips: "Of course."

"This is the most luxurious 'dessert' I've ever seen."

Leo took Lucia to the shipyard and treated her to a sea urchin buffet.

Before discovering the mussel bed in the morning, Leo had taken some sea urchins and brought them up, which Rosalia also took back to the shipyard and hoisted up. "But are you sure this is dessert?" Rukia was embarrassed to take it.

Sea urchins are much more expensive than crabs.

Leo opened ten in one go and placed them in front of her: "Why isn't it dessert? It's soaking in water, so cool and refreshing, and it tastes so sweet and delicious. What else could it be but dessert?"

Seeing that she didn't move, Leo held one up to her mouth and urged, "Eat it quickly."

Rukia accepted the gift with both hands, her heart filled with complex emotions.

This scene of being able to enjoy food without restraint and without limit was also one of her childhood dreams...

I never imagined that Leo's dream would come true in Marzamemi.

She ate the sea urchin in small bites and asked Leo across from her, "How did you know those two bags of food were from me?"

During lunch, the two of them talked about houses and food, and didn't have a chance to ask.

Leo continued shuffling the sea urchin, saying, "There can't be anyone else."

"Will no one bring you food?" Rukia asked cautiously.

Last time she came, she saw how nice the people of Marzamemi were to Leo... they even provided him with a private car.

Leo laughed and replied, "No one could clean my kitchen, because no one else has ever been inside."

Rukia asked more cautiously, "Didn't any other friends come over to cook?"

Leo's tone was less cheerful: "I haven't made many friends in Malzamemi... maybe only two or three."

Lucia thought of her own experience when she first arrived in Sicily, and how difficult and painful it was to be accepted. She smiled and comforted her, "Well, now you have another new friend."

"Alright, stop opening it." She confiscated the sea urchin-opening tool from Leo's hand.

"Eat up," Leo said, pointing to the rocks. "There's plenty."

Rukia glanced to the side, not daring to look him in the eye, and complained inwardly that if he kept doing this, his new friend would be reluctant to leave.

The time spent together is always too short.

Lucia is going back to work, and Leo is going to the docks to meet up with Enzo and the others.

.

The two walked together toward the center of the village.

"Nicholas said, 'Are you looking for the delivery truck to Syracuse this afternoon?'"

Leo nodded: "It's easy to find a car, but it's not easy to find a supplier. Seafood merchants who come to Marzamemi to pick up their goods don't want to make an extra trip."

Rukia looked down at the mottled cobblestone path: "I'll go back and ask for you."

Leo didn't want to trouble Rukia too much: "Don't worry too much. If you find something suitable, then look for it. If not, then forget it. Don't let it interfere with your work. But whether you find something or not, I'll take care of all your seafood afterwards. I'll find whatever you want to eat."

No exaggeration, you order, and I'll immediately go into the sea to catch fish for you. They're all fresh, that's how awesome it is.

Rukia muttered to herself, "I definitely have to take this seriously..."

'

If I find it, I can come to Marzamemi a few more times.

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