The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

"Flat noodles, macaroni, fusilli, canned goods, cheese..."

As she mentioned each item, Rukia crossed it off on the purchase order. After crossing off most of the page, she suddenly stopped:

"Did Nicholas also order a pack of towels? I forgot to write it down..."

Standing next to her was a girl who was half a head taller than Rukia. She shook her head and said:

"It's okay, Nicholas will understand. Our 'little glutton' only remembers things related to food. He's always missing one or two daily necessities. I'll go explain to him and he'll make up for it next week."

Rukia pressed down hard on the cap of the ballpoint pen:

"Don't give me nicknames! You've ruined my reputation, Vera!"

Vera, walking towards the grocery store, patted her trousers:

"The fruit candies in your pocket are showing."

"Damn it!" Rukia stuffed the snacks in her pockets further in and looked down at the purchase order.

"Hello there."

The sound startled Rukia, and she instinctively took a step back.

Upon seeing the speaker's face clearly, the leg that was about to step back stopped... but remained vigilant:

"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

Leo pointed to the open truck next to her and asked:

"I heard you came from town to deliver goods to Karzamemi. May I buy these things?"

Rukia seemed to be asking this question for the first time, and she fell into a brief moment of contemplation as she looked at the goods around her.

Leo, sitting opposite her, gave a barely perceptible smile.

Actually, Leo has been here for a few minutes.

Seeing that she was diligently counting the goods, I didn't feel comfortable disturbing her.

From a distance, the girl beside her appeared exceptionally tall, and Leo was still wondering how there could be such a tall woman in Sicily.

I only realized it when it got closer...

It's not that she's tall; it's that Lucia is petite.

He looked at the top of Rukia's head, then looked down at himself, and compared the heights... estimating he was at most 1.6 meters tall.

This further aligns with the nickname "Little Glutton."

"Wait a moment, I need to ask my colleague." Lucia replied seriously after thinking for a moment. "These goods are for the shops. Although we usually bring more things with us, I'm just an employee and can't make the decision. Vera takes longer to deliver than me. She'll be back soon. I'll ask her and then let you know."

Leo followed up on her topic and asked:

"Are you Pachino's wholesalers? Or Noto's cooperative?"

Pachino is the prefecture-level city of Marzamemi, and Noto is the nearest town to Marzamemi; both answers are possible.

The moment the question left his mouth, Leo suddenly realized he had committed a major taboo in Sicily.

How can you ask personal questions?

"Noto." As Lucia uttered the name, she realized she had committed a major taboo in Sicily. After answering with the city name, she immediately stopped and looked in the direction Vera had left, looking like she was saying, "I'm so cool."

"Okay, sure."

"Uh-huh......"

The surrounding air suddenly became quiet.

A young couple nervously pondered the same question—would he/she realize I wasn't a native of Sicily?

Vera didn't return for a long time, making Lucia feel somewhat awkward and uncomfortable.

She kept looking to the left and then to the right, shaking her head back and forth, but she wouldn't look at Leo.

Leo kept making awkward little movements, glancing at the ants on the ground and the birds in the sky...

Suddenly, he sniffed twice.

"Where's the citrus flavor coming from?"

"Who is this person?" Vera appeared as if a divine warrior had descended from the heavens.

Rukia quickly relayed Leo's request.

Vera became wary and asked Leo:

"There are shops right here, why are you buying from us?"

"Because you supply shops," Leo said frankly, "I guess maybe you can get a lower price?"

Vera blurted out:

"You know we supply goods to shops, so we can't sell to you."

Leo's answer touched Rukia.

As fellow travelers from out of town seeking their fortune in Sicily, Lucia had also come alone to this foreign land because she couldn't make a living in the big city. Therefore, she deeply resonated with and understood the importance of "saving money."

So he whispered to Vera:

"Let's see what he wants to buy first. If it's something we brought extra, selling it to him isn't a bad idea... what's the harm in making money off him?"

Vera secretly glared at her.

I was thinking, "What's wrong with you?"

Have you forgotten all the Sicilian rules I taught you?

One of the rules in Sicily is—don't talk to strangers...

Lucia, with her back to Leo, mouthed to Vera:

"He doesn't seem like a bad person."

Vera sighed, jumped into the truck, and said to Leo:

"You can't take it yourself. I'll get whatever you want for you, but I can't guarantee I can sell it to you."

"Thank you!" Leo looked at Lucia gratefully.

.......

On a country road 5 kilometers from Marzamemi.

Vera glanced at Lucia in the passenger seat, noticing her thoughtful expression, and suppressed a laugh as she asked:

"Thinking about that handsome guy?"

Rukia snapped out of her daze and said angrily:

"I'm thinking about when I'll save enough money to open my own shop! What are you thinking about?!"

"You haven't said a word since we left Malzamemi. I don't think anything happened there, except for running into that handsome guy." Vera giggled. "He was pretty handsome, wasn't he?"

Rukia sighed:

"I find making money too difficult, and saving money is even harder. It's the same in Lazio, and it's the same in Sicily. Look at that handsome... that local boy, isn't he also coming to us because he wants to save some money?"

"Actually, it's the same everywhere," Vera said, looking at the blue sky and the sea outside. "We locals want to go to big cities to make a living, while you city folks want to come to Sicily to try your luck. We're all under the same blue sky, facing the same problems, just with different choices and different solutions."

"Sigh—" Rukia slapped her leg cutely, "Life is really tough!"

"Life is already so tough, why don't you find something fun to cheer yourself up? I'm serious, that boy is about your age, and his looks are a good match for you. Although he seems to be struggling financially, you're in the same boat, so you're a good match... It's not easy to meet someone so suitable, don't miss out! Do you want to get to know him? I can help you." Vera suggested earnestly.

Rukia's face flushed instantly, and she refused in a flash:

"My views on dating don't align with yours. In Sicily, young men and women need the approval of both sets of parents and elders before they can even date, and they're always followed by all sorts of relatives... God, just thinking about that scene makes me want to suffocate. I will never date a local boy, I swear!"

Vera suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"

"Okay, okay, I got it. Enough chatting! Now tell me which way to go at the next fork in the road!"

"To the left," Lucia pointed, "you have to take this 'Mint Trail' to get to Potopalo."

Vera obediently drove onto the left-hand side road:

"This food-themed route-finding method is amazing! It never misses a beat. How did you come up with the idea of ​​naming these roads after food, you little glutton?"

As she spoke, she turned her head to the side:

"Give me a piece of candy; I know you have some in your pocket."

Rukia took a bag of fruit candies out of her pocket:

"Today's flavor is my favorite citrus!"

......

After parting ways with Rukia, Leo returned to the café.

Walking down the street, he could always smell a faint citrus scent, and even when he entered the coffee shop, he was still sniffing it deeply.

Seeing his "behavior," Marco mocked:

"Still sniffing that girl's scent? If you want to develop a relationship, shouldn't you invite her to dinner before you leave?"

"You're crazy—" Leo put a bag on the counter, and turned to leave before Marco could open it.

Marco opened the bag and found it contained a carton of cigarettes. He immediately shouted outside:

"You weren't going there to pick up girls?"

Leo turned around and answered as he backed away:

"I told you you were crazy. I went to buy some things... I don't want seafood, and I don't believe you don't want cigarettes anymore. Thanks for breakfast!"

He turned his head and took two steps, then turned back again:

"But smoke less."

"Hey!" Marco chased after him. "It's still early, come in and sit for a while. Your coffee...you haven't had your coffee yet!"

As the sun set, Leo raised his hand and waved to Marco:

"I'm not drinking anymore. I need to go to bed early tonight; I have a date with someone."

The setting sun fell on his shoulders, enveloping his entire figure in light.

For some reason, Marini felt... the sun was really dazzling today.