The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Today is Leo's day off, and he went to the lighthouse for dinner tonight.

The fishing competition in the morning only changed the attitude of the merchants and a very few villagers towards him.

Most villagers still treated Leo the same as always, including Elena, the lighthouse owner.

No matter how many times Leo comes, it's always the same 'process'.

"Take the menu yourself, my hands are dirty." When Leo came in, Elena was standing on a chair wiping the chandelier.

Leo looked up and saw that the chandelier was cleaner than his face; he wondered why it was being wiped clean.

Leo casually found a table and sat down:

"Give me some recommendations, seasonal vegetables or local specialties are fine, I don't need to look at the menu."

Elena got down from the chair and thought for a moment:

"A local specialty...couscous?"

Leo actually knew about this local Sicilian delicacy.

He had heard Andrei tell the old men about the "past and present life" of Kuskus.

In 827 AD, the Agrab dynasty launched a full-scale invasion of Sicily from North Africa. The ruling class of this dynasty was composed of descendants of the nobility of the Arabian Peninsula.

The new rulers brought Couscus to Sicily after conquering it.

Kuskus is similar to millet, which is eaten in China, but it is made by hand from durum wheat.

Leo nodded and said "okay," it would be good to try this local specialty.

Elena immediately followed up with:

"You want it grilled, boiled...?"

Leo silently counted how many times this conversation had gone through the same pattern:

"Make it the way the locals like it."

Elena went to the kitchen to wash her hands and continued to ask:

"and you--"

Leo blurted out:

"Sesame bread, your sesame bread is especially delicious."

.......

Marco said that Elena was Enzo's sister, and Leo was particularly eager to get some information about Enzo from her.

Ideally, it should be something embarrassing, to repay his kindness as a "Didi driver" today.

But after trying to start a conversation a few times, the other party didn't seem interested in responding, so I had to give up.

A short while later, Monica returned from playing outside.

The little guy's eyes lit up when he saw Leo, and he immediately ran off, I don't know what he did next.

Ten minutes later, Elena brought out the couscous and sesame bread.

Leo was enjoying his meal when Monica returned, followed by a person in a white shirt.

Kuskus was already choking, and Leo was also startled by the person at the door. He took a couple of sips of water to swallow the food in his mouth.

"What a coincidence."

The person who went to church with Mrs. Rosa was Bianchi.

But Leo still prefers the image of him shirtless and muscular.

Bianchi flashed a set of pearly white teeth:

"I came here specifically to find you. I was just asking around at the coffee shop where you were when Monica heard me and brought me here."

He stood next to Leo and asked very politely:

"May I sit here?"

Leo nodded:

"sure."

Monica smiled at Leo, revealing a tooth that was missing a front tooth.

Leo smiled and said "thank you" to her.

The last time I saw her, Monica still had her front teeth. I didn't realize she was so young... still at the age of losing her baby teeth.

Leo turned to Bianchi and asked:

"Did you need something?"

Bianchi shook his head:

"It's nothing, my mom just asked me to introduce you."

Leo felt something was off, but didn't know what to say, so he continued to ask:

"Are you recovering well?"

Bianchi was in very poor condition in the morning; by the end, her face was pale and her lips were purple.

Bianchi shook his head:

"It's alright now. I've been through much more dangerous situations than this."

Leo grinned with a complicated expression, thinking to himself that he really was a "workaholic".

Bianchi also politely asked:

"Are you alright now?"

"I'm fine now," Leo said, pointing to the three sesame breads in front of him. "I have a really good appetite."

The two stared at each other for two or three seconds, neither able to find a new topic to talk about.

Leo lowered his head awkwardly.

"Then I'll continue eating."

Leo ate quietly, while Bianchi ordered a juice. Both of them tried hard to find topics to talk about, but the more they talked, the more suffocating the atmosphere became.

Elena couldn't stand it anymore and came over to ask Bianchi:

"How is Mrs. Rosa doing lately? I went to church yesterday evening but didn't see her."

Bianchi said with remorse:

"My mom has been worrying about me a lot lately. Knowing I had a competition today, she cooked my favorite food at home last night."

Elena asked Bianchi a few more questions, and Bianchi's answers always started with "Mom".

Leo, who was eating silently, had an unpredictable expression.

Bianchi kept calling her "Mom," and used a term that only children would use. It was also her "Mom's" suggestion that she came to him.

Considering his valiant performance that morning, this scene seems too disjointed.

After finishing his meal, Leo paid and left.

Bianchi followed him away, seemingly intending to go back to the shipyard with him.

Leo didn't need a "protector of flowers," and stopped him:

"You should go home too."

Bianchi stopped on the side of the road:

"Okay, I'll be going now. My mom told me to spend more time with you, and I'll come see you again in a few days."

Leo made a questioning nasal sound:

"Why did Mrs. Rosa ask you to have more contact with me?"

"Actually, I don't understand either." Bianchi shrugged. "But Mom is the wisest person in Marzamemi. She can always see the essence that others can't see. There must be a reason for her saying that."

Leo watched Bianchi leave.

I thought to myself that Sandro's sons were all quite eccentric.

......

The next morning, Leo went out fishing as usual.

Around 10 a.m., I rowed back in a small boat and found Enzo standing on the shore near the beach.

"You didn't go out on the boat today?" Leo jumped down and pushed the boat.

Enzo did not answer the question, nor did he offer to help pull the boat.

He was wearing dress pants and leather shoes today, as if he were going to some formal occasion.

"We have already notified the Cumanso family in Messina. You should leave next Tuesday. I will give you the address."

Leo nodded:

"OK."

Enzo had come to deliver a message, and after delivering it, he was about to turn and leave.

But after taking only a few steps, he heard Leo calling him from behind.

Looking back, he saw that Leo's ship was still floating in the sea. He jogged over, as if he had something urgent to attend to.

"What is it?" Enzo asked nervously.

You're not going to back out of this, are you?

Leo crossed the beach and stood before Enzo, asking:

"Does Malzamemi have a blacksmith?"

Enzo shook his head:

"There are no professionals, but there are people who can hit things."

Leo clicked his tongue in disappointment, as if he had encountered some trouble. After thinking for a moment, he continued to ask:

Do you know how to fish?

Enzo hesitated for a moment and asked:

"What do you want to hit?"

Leo responded eagerly:

"I want to make a new harpoon."

Enzo didn't seem surprised; Leo made his living by harpooning.

Are there any special requirements?

Leo thought for a moment and replied:

"I haven't decided what the harpoon should look like yet, but I have one requirement: I must be present during the forging process."