After checking the population records, he carefully tucked away the list of names. After bidding farewell to Miller at the archives, Lübeck walked out of the town hall alone.
Turning left along the street in front of the building, he soon reached the bustling marketplace where people gathered daily to trade surplus agricultural products, fishing and hunting spoils, as well as leather goods, handicrafts, and textiles.
Lübeck walked along the street, glancing around. Occasionally, someone would greet him; most regular market-goers recognized him, and Lübeck smiled and nodded in response. The weather was still quite cold, so there weren't many people at the market. They were scattered in small groups along both sides of the road.
As he walked, he saw an old man selling eggs by the roadside. He didn't often see him here, so he must have been one of the first elderly people to come here with their children. However, eggs didn't sell well here because everyone had the means to raise chickens. Lübeck squatted down, flipping through the eggs while chatting casually,
“How are the eggs selling today?”
“Oh, there aren’t many people in the market, so I haven’t sold many.”
Lübeck picked out some eggs, stood up, and pulled a few broad-leaved plant leaves from the roadside to wrap the eggs in. He tucked half of them into his coat pocket, paid for them, pointed at the sun, and smiled at the old man, saying,
“You should probably head home early. it takes time to walk home, and it’s still light out.”
“Yes, yes,” the old man smiled in agreement, but didn’t move.
The conversation had run its course, so there was nothing else to say. Perhaps he would set off for home soon. Thinking this, Lübeck continued on his way.
In the distance, he spotted Reinhardt Meyer, the fish seller, from whom he often bought fish. He wasn't a professional fisherman, but he could weave various baskets and crates from plants, including fishing nets. He would lower them into the river to catch some fish as a side income.
Approaching him, Lübeck looked at his fish, then at him, and greeted him with a smile, asking,
“How's business?”
“Mr. Mayor, are you here to support my business?”
“Haha,” Lübeck said, “It’s been a while. I’ll buy a few extra today,” as he selected fish from Reinhardt’s basket.
Despite the low temperature, the fish, though out of water for some time, still looked fresh. As Lübeck picked them out, Reinhardt tied them with grass rope and carried them.
When he was satisfied, Lübecke took the fish, paid for them, and asked,
“Are you giving away an extra one today?”
“Of course, regular customers deserve special treatment,” Reinhardt said, rummaging through the fish basket with both hands for a moment, pulling out a fish, threading it onto the straw rope, and handing it to Lübecke, then adding a reminder,
“Hold it tight, don’t drop it,”
When Lübeck returned to the courtyard of his own home, he got off the carriage and looked back. Two suns were glowing a dark red, slightly apart, hanging on the horizon. The sky here was also pale blue, but it contained a hint of purple-red, perhaps influenced by the color of the sun.
Upon returning home, he placed the eggs and fish in the kitchen, then washed his hands and went to see his child. Emma was lying in bed, holding some colorful toys to entertain the child. Upon seeing Lübeck arrive, she encouraged the child,
“Look who’s here. Look, he’s your father. Say ‘Daddy,’ say ‘Daddy’ quickly,”
The child lay on the bed, holding the toy in his hand, making cooing sounds. His sparkling eyes darted between Emma and Lübeck, occasionally breaking into a smile, and he happily cried out, “Ah!” as if he also enjoyed Lübeck joining in the fun.
Lübeck played with the child while observing him. It seemed that the child had inherited his mother's sturdy build and might grow up to be like her, but as a boy, he might be even more robust than himself, who was relatively slender. However, the child had inherited his blue-gray eyes and dark brown hair, while his mother had blonde hair and black eyes. The child's facial features also seemed to resemble his own more closely.
Emma was only nineteen, still a child herself, and had not been tested by complex social environments. Lübeck did not know what her potential was, so he hoped that his son Erwin would be like him, intelligent, discerning, and with a strong character. The good news was that at least for now, the child's face resembled his own, and perhaps his mind did too.
After playing with the child for a while, Lübeck turned around and noticed Ruth standing by the doorframe, smiling as she watched him interact with the child. He turned back to tell Emma,
“I bought some fish today. I need to go to the kitchen with Ruth to clean them. Can I spend a little less time with you?”
“Sure, go ahead,” Emma replied. Lü Beck took the opportunity to pinch her chin and kiss her lips, then Emma smiled and went back to playing with the child. She had a great personality, like a big kid herself. As he passed by Ruth, Lü Beck placed his hand on her lower back and walked with her to the kitchen.
The two of them tossed the fish into a wooden basin, each took a small stool, and sat across from the basin. Lübeck rummaged through the basin, first finding the smaller one Reinhardt had given her and holding it in his hand, then looking for the tools to clean the fish. He glanced up and saw Ruth staring at him across the basin.
“Is it my turn?” Ruth asked calmly.
“Huh?” Lübeck didn't understand at first, then laughed, realizing that the same lady needed the same care.
Holding the fish in his hand, he leaned over and embraced her with his forearm and the back of his hand, giving her the same kiss. Then he returned to his seat, took the scissors, and absentmindedly fiddled with the fish in his hand while admiring the light smile on Ruth’s face across from him. Ruth had finished cleaning both fish, but Lübeck still held his fish in his hand. Ruth occasionally looked over at him, neither urging nor complaining. The curve of her lips and the lively flickering of her eyes were beautiful.
Finally, after much hesitation, Lübeck slit open the fish’s head and belly, pulled out a deflated swim bladder, and found a piece of paper inside. He looked at it for a moment before tossing it into the furnace.
Throughout the process, Ruth watched from across the room. The beautiful smile that had been on her face earlier had vanished. She knew how difficult it was for Lübeck to rule over so many people here, so she focused on processing the fish in the wooden basin without expression.
Lübeck noticed her mood and comforted her,
“These are just everyday trivial matters; you don't need to worry,”
while rushing to help her with the work. He even deliberately snatched the fish from her hands, pretending to make a mistake, and held onto her hand. Ruth had no choice but to stop, glaring at Lübeck with a pout, saying nothing, waiting for him to let go. Lübeck was also playful, insisting on teasing her until he saw that beautiful smile return to her face before letting go.
Tonight's special was grilled fish. The cleaned fish sizzled on the fire, filling the room with its aroma. Emma also came out with the baby to join in the fun. Smelling the aroma and watching others put the grilled fish into their mouths, Erwin cried out in his mother's arms, kicking his legs and grabbing with his hands, looking from one thing to another, anxious beyond measure.
Emma had to tend to the child first, picking out pieces of fish without bones, chewing them soft, and then feeding them to the child. Lübeck, meanwhile, held the grilled fish in his hand and fed it to Emma, while Ruth focused more on the fish on the fire. This was the chain of love and care within the family.
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