The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

I've been in Marzamemi for a few days now, and things are finally starting to look promising for the future.

Leo was in a good mood. As he left, he saw his boss, Marco, standing at the door smoking again. This was probably his umpteenth cigarette of the afternoon. He offered Marco a word of advice:

"Smoke less. You know how to advise Andrei to take care of his health, but don't you know how to take care of your own?"

Marco waved his hand dismissively:

"It's tough. I opened a coffee shop, and I really can't make it to closing time without smoking a few cigarettes. I don't believe you can last from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. without using anything."

Leo asked curiously:

"Then you should close earlier. Who's going to drink coffee that late?"

He understood that it started at around 5 a.m.

The villagers get up early and enjoy the bustling morning fish market, where a cup of coffee can keep them going.

But why are you closing so late?

But he suddenly realized... the nights in Marzamemi are indeed longer than in other places.

Even when I came out around 8 p.m., I could still see people just starting to eat dinner.

Marco, unusually, joked with Leo:

"Want to know why? Ask Andrei!"

"Never mind," Leo waved goodbye. "I'm not curious at all anymore."

Marco chased after Leo, giggling.

"Now you're scared? Why did you provoke him in the first place? I've been listening to history all afternoon, and it's giving me a headache! Next time I see Andrei, I have to tell him—your 'little fox' has a new problem waiting for your advice!"

This little interaction gave Leo the feeling that they had crossed the line from strangers to friends.

He stopped, turned around, and wanted to chat with Marco a bit more to solidify their 'friendship'.

But then his gaze suddenly fell on a beautiful figure on the beach, and he couldn't look away, his mouth shut.

In the outdoor area of ​​the restaurant next door, a graceful woman sat, her back hidden in the interplay of light and shadow, making her indistinct.

Even though nothing is clearly visible, it still gives the impression that the beautiful sea under the setting sun is only fit to be her backdrop.

"Who is that person?" Leo asked his new friend.

Marco glanced at it, then left impatiently.

"How would I know? Go ask her yourself!"

......

Leo was inclined to ask.

But when I turned around, the person was gone.

It was as if what I just saw was an illusion.

I looked around but didn't find any suspicious figures.

"Never mind, it's none of my business who it is." Leo left the cafe with his unfinished chocolate ice cream.

.......

After an afternoon of hard work, Leo successfully completed the [Limited-Time Mission] and gained two [Reputation Points].

[Host: Leo Volpe]

[Identity: Anonymous]

[Reputation: 6]

[Faction: 0]

[Skills: Precision strikes, torture to extract confessions]

"We're getting closer to meeting the requirements for upgrading our skills."

Completing two tasks in one day boosted Leo's confidence.

Moreover, he discovered that as long as he went into crowds, the frequency of tasks assigned by the system would increase significantly, which meant he had found some tricks.

Today was a very fruitful day in every sense of the word, and Leo decided to splurge—he wouldn't be going back to the shipyard for dinner tonight.

But he couldn't be too extravagant, so he went to the "Lighthouse" again, because there was no seafood there, which could well cover up his "poor man" nature.

Leo pushed open the door and went inside, only to find that there were still no guests.

But this time, we didn't see the boss, Elena; there was only a little girl drawing on the table.

Coincidentally, Leo had met this girl before, just this morning—the one who fed stray cats in a secluded alley this morning.

"What a coincidence." Leo sat down at the table next to the girl.

She was actually Elena's child.

The little girl did not react when she heard someone push the door open and come in.

But upon hearing Leo's voice, she immediately stopped painting and began looking around as if searching for someone.

Seeing that she was a little nervous, Leo wanted to take the initiative to close the distance, so he pointed to something on the drawing paper and asked:

"What are you drawing?"

The little girl's drawing style is consistent with the illustrations on the menus and business cards, so she is clearly the little illustrator.

But the items on the menu are easy to understand; you can recognize them at a glance.

What she's drawing now looks like both vegetables and flowers, and I didn't recognize it at first glance.

"Monica, go to your bedroom." The boss, Elena, heard the stranger's voice and stepped out from behind a wooden door.

She answered Leo's questions while helping her daughter tidy up her paintbrushes and paper:

"This is an artichoke, a specialty vegetable of Sicily. It's just come into season and is at its freshest. Would you like to try some?"

Watching the little girl run to a wooden door, Leo nodded and said:

"Try it."

Vegetables are great, and they're cheap.

Elena blocked Leo's view:

"Should we bake it, stuff it, add it to pasta, or make it into a salad?"

Leo quickly turned his head away and looked elsewhere:

"Let's cook it the way the locals like it; I've never had it before."

Only after Elena saw that Leo had looked away did she leave her spot and head towards the kitchen.

"What else would you like to eat?"

Leo didn't hold back his praise:

"I bought sesame bread from a bakery once, and it tastes completely different from yours. I'm going to eat a few more today; I've been craving it for days."

......

Locals typically cook artichokes by frying, which is quite time-consuming.

While Elena was cooking, her daughter Monica peeked at Leo through the crack in the door several times, all of which Leo keenly noticed.

At first, he thought the little girl was curious about him, an outsider, but later he realized that the child was looking at the chocolate ice cream in his hand—wherever Leo's hand was, that's where her gaze was.

Unfortunately... he's already eaten it, so he can't share it with the children.

"Sesame bread." The fried artichokes were already done, just needing some seasoning. Elena was the first to put the bread on the plate.

Leo took a bite of bread and asked her:

"How is this bread made? Can you teach me?"

Sicilians won't answer questions about themselves when faced with strangers, but they can share recipes, right?

In the kitchen, Elena grabbed a handful of sea salt and sprinkled it on the fried artichokes:

"You might not be able to do it well. I've taught many people, and none of them can replicate this flavor."

Goodbye then.

Leo was well aware of his own cooking skills.

But he genuinely loved the taste of Elena's sesame bread, and couldn't stop eating it once he started.

"I'll buy a few more to take away today, but you have to pay this time."

Elena sprinkled some more parsley, then wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen carrying the plate.

"Would you like some fried artichokes? I have plenty of ingredients; I should be able to make one more serving."

Leo waved his hand.

Eating out is already a luxury, and then they pack food to take home... What kind of family is this?

But upon seeing what Elena was bringing, Leo made a "wait a minute" gesture:

"Let me try it first."

Are these vegetables?

This is clearly a work of art!

Such beautifully presented dishes, arranged like flowers... they must taste delicious!