Anlong and Dora in the room looked surprised and rushed forward to hug her: "Mingna! Are you back?!" Anlong also asked: "The mission is completed? Is everything going well?"
"It went very well, and we also solved another additional task." Mingna leaned close to her father's ear and whispered, "Dad, I met a son from the Heda family."
"Heda? What is his son doing in Shaonan?!" An Long was a little stunned, "Are they playing some tricks again? I knew that apart from Etta, there are no good people in his family!"
"Etta is not a good person either." Dora said something disdainfully, then turned around and called the nanny loudly, "Winnie, Winnie! Minna is back, please bring an extra breakfast."
Winnie's reply came from the kitchen, and then the fat nanny ran out in her apron with wet eyes: "Oh, Miss Minna, you are finally back! Are you okay? Are you not hurt? Are you hungry? Are you cold? Not cold? Are you tired? Do you want to take a shower first? Look at how thin you have become and how tanned you are..."
Ming Na hurriedly stopped her blabbering. In the past three years, she had long been afraid of Winnie's "concern": "It's okay, I'm fine, I'm not hurt or tired. I just came back after taking a shower. If you get too much sun, your skin will inevitably get darker. When I have time to recuperate at home for a few months, I can get it back in vain. I'm starving, Winnie, please bring me something delicious."
Winnie was still wiping away tears. After hearing her words, she hurriedly jumped back to the kitchen. Ming Na looked at her parents funnyly, both of them looking helpless. Sitting down at the dining table, Ming Na said to her father: "The son of the Heda family must not be playing tricks. He is only fifteen or sixteen years old, not much older than me. It seems that he was abducted by slave traders together with the daughter of another declining noble. They just arrived at my place, and the superiors asked me to help them so that they would not suffer. Now they have all returned to their families."
"That's good." Anlong breathed a sigh of relief, "Although the Heda family are our enemies, Etta has been my best friend for several years. If something happens to his brother, I can't bear to ignore it." He paused. Suddenly, he was a little curious: "Speaking of which, where did you go to perform the mission? How did you confront the slave traders? Were you investigating the abduction case in Shaonan?"
Mingna stretched out a finger and said "Shh": "I'm sorry, Dad, I can't tell you." After saying that, she blinked her left eye.
Anlong was speechless. He knew that the Security Agency had confidentiality regulations, but his daughter's not telling him about this "colleague" might be retaliation for hiding the fact that her family worked for the Security Agency, so Xiaoxiao stopped mentioning it.
Winnie brought a large plate of food. Except bread, eggs and milk. There are also several small round rice dishes. Urging Minna to eat more. Drink more milk. Get fatter. Whiter.
Minna looked at the plate. Then take a look at your parents. I saw them all immersed in eating. He had no intention of helping. Then he raised a big smile and said to Winnie: "Thank you Winnie. But I always eat bread as solid food on the road. I have long been tired of it. I can't fit so much. Otherwise... you can cook me a big meal tonight." ?”
Winnie's eyes lit up: "You're right! I'm going to the market right now. Do you want to eat chicken legs or veal steak?"
Finally got rid of Winnie. Mingna turned back and glared at her snickering parents. He looked at the large plate in front of him distressedly.
Dora coughed lightly: "Okay. Winnie feels sorry for you too. You are indeed too thin. Eat more."
Ming Na curled her lips: "I am not thin because of weakness. I am in good health. Teacher Solon gave me a lot of magic potions that are good for my body. I am even stronger than my father now!" Speaking of Solon. She remembered something: "By the way. This time I went out. I got a lot of precious materials. I will send them to Teacher Sauron later."
"No!" Dora's face darkened, "You went to his place, it must have been another whole day! Aren't you tired after being away for half a month? Just stay at home and rest today. Go see your grandpa tomorrow. He I will go back to Matt in a few days, and I always want to see you again. You go and stay with him. As for Professor Solon, just go there when you are free."
Mingna blinked and turned to look at her father, but Anlong was peeling the egg shell intently, as if what he was holding was not an egg but a work of art, so she had no choice but to remain silent.
When she was in the Magic City, Dora met Sauron as a parent. She always felt that he had a bad temper. Three years ago, she sent Anlong to seek medical treatment because Sauron would not allow Dora, who had not been trained, to do it himself. She took care of her husband and spoke harshly, so conflicts arose between the two. Although Dora did not stop her daughter from continuing to learn from Sauron, she never had a good face.
Therefore, as long as Dora brings up the topic of Sauron, as long as it is not in front of Sauron himself, it is best not to refute, otherwise you will have to be mentally prepared to withstand the storm. Anlong, who has been with his wife day and night for the past three years, knows this best.
Mingna ate her breakfast quietly. After a while, she pretended to casually ask: "Dad, your hands are very steady when holding the knife and fork. Is it completely healed?"
Speaking of this, Anlong couldn't hold back the joy in his heart: "Yes, I have fully recovered. Yesterday, that boy Happy challenged me to compete with me and almost beat him to tears." Dora on the side also showed her face smile.
Ming Na opened her mouth wide: "Happy wants to compete with you?!"
Happy, who had only learned a little bit from a third-rate swordsman, usually loved to compete with others, but this time he actually dared to challenge Anlong, who had been personally coached by the mainland's top master Xiao Tianjian. He was really courageous, but Ming Na But he couldn't help but shed tears of sympathy for this old friend he had known for many years. Seeing the satisfied look on his father's face, Happy must have been beaten badly, right
"I'll be very busy today. I'll send a few bottles of medicine over tomorrow." She thought a little unconscionably.
After breakfast, Mingna chatted with her parents for a while, and then wanted to go to Sauron, but was stopped by Dora again. She had to say: "I drank a lot of appearance-changing potions when I went out this time. I don't know. Will it be harmful to the body? I want to ask the teacher to take a look and ask him to give me a few more bottles of tonic so that my father and I can recover."
Dora thought for a while and then relaxed, but she still complained a little: "You shouldn't have drank that kind of magic potion in the first place! Don't drink it again in the future." Mingna stuck out her tongue, packed her things and went out.
When he arrived at Sauron's residence, he had already gone to class. Ming Na walked around and naturally picked up the potion materials and started processing them. She saw the two pots of potion on the stove. After judging the type, she helped adjust the heat.
Sauron returned to the room after class. Seeing this scene, his original anger subsided a little, but he still cursed habitually: "Come when you like, leave when you want. How dare you say that you are my student like this?" ?! Can potions be learned with such a careless attitude?! If you don’t really want to learn it, get out of here!”
Ming Na lowered her head and listened obediently to the instruction. When he finished cursing and wanted to drink tea to catch his breath before scolding again, she hurriedly handed over the materials she had prepared: "This is the material I found on the road. There is golden foxtail in it." Seeds and the tail bone of the black-bone snake, haven’t you wanted these two for a long time?”
Sauron was suddenly moved. He grabbed the package and took a closer look. After confirming that it was indeed what he wanted, he let out a long "hmm" and immediately put the items in a crystal bottle, forgetting what he was going to say. .
Ming Na breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this, and asked a few questions about the potion. Seeing that Sauron was in a good mood, she boldly said: "Teacher, the transformation potion you helped me improve last time has indeed become longer effective. Yes, it’s been almost half a month since I changed this time! If I add more lasting agent, can I change for a month?”
Suo Lun's face suddenly darkened again, Ming Na secretly thought something bad, and she heard the other party yelling: "Are you out of your mind?! Think you are actually a boy?! It's not enough to change for a few days, you want to Change for a month?! I said it a long time ago. You are not yet a minor. Changing around at this time will cause great harm to your bones! I don’t care what dangerous things you want to do. You are not allowed to do it in front of me!"
Ming Na shrank her neck as she was scolded, and did not dare to say another word. Ten minutes later, Soran finally scolded her enough and threw a bottle of medicine to her: "Drink it!" with a fierce look in his eyes, as if to say, if she doesn't drink it. I can't see the sun tomorrow.
Ming Na shuddered. I hurriedly drank it down, and my whole body was trembling with coldness. But a warmth rose from his lower abdomen, and then all the bones in his body seemed to be soaked in warm water. The dull pain after drinking the recovery potion completely disappeared, and his whole body was refreshed. She looked at Soran with some excitement: "Teacher, this is..."
"Huh!" Sauron didn't answer. He pointed at the corner of the room with his wand, and a large cooking table appeared there. "You must learn these two recipes for me today! Otherwise, you will not be allowed to leave!" After saying that, he waved his hand. Then I picked up a few books and went to class.
Ming Na walked over and took a look. She saw two potion recipes that she had never learned before. The methods were very complicated. One was a potion to replenish physical strength, and the other was the "bone-protecting potion" she just drank. She remembered that she was beaten last time. Sauron was forced to learn how to make the blood replenishing potion and detoxifying agent. She understood that although he didn't say anything, he was consciously teaching her some life-saving medicines. She couldn't help but feel a little moved. She hurriedly followed the requirements of the formula and started processing the materials.
She was so busy that the whole day passed. When she finally succeeded in formulating a potion that Sauron could approve, it was already evening. Sauron threw a book to her and waved his hand: "Let's go back and read the book. Next time you come back, if you answer If it doesn’t matter to me, you can skin that vat of slugs for me!”
Ming Na thought of the large water tank full of live slugs, shuddered again, hurriedly put the book away and left.
On the way home, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't visited her grandfather yet, so she turned onto a side road and walked towards the local store opened by Zhu Fa's family, which happened to be the building where Xiao's branch used to be.
Viscount Zhufa is nearly sixty years old this year. He is tall and thin, with gray hair, but he is mentally strong and physically strong. He is well-informed, gentle and cheerful. Although there is always some distance between him and his son-in-law, he is not very fond of his granddaughter. But he loved it very much. When she saw Ming Na, she beamed with joy and said, "I'm just missing you. Come over here and let grandpa see you."
Ming Na smiled and curtsied to him - her grandfather liked elegant and polite girls - then she rushed over and hugged his neck and acted coquettishly, making Viscount Zhufa very happy: "You kid, you haven't come to see him for so long. Grandpa, your father always says that you go out to play. You said that you are a child, why do you always go out alone? Your father is really irresponsible. "
Viscount Zhufa didn't know about the "side job" of his son-in-law and granddaughter. Mingna couldn't say anything, so she could only hug his neck and said: "Grandpa, mother said you were leaving. Why are you leaving so fast? When will you come back?"
"What are you doing back here? Isn't your father already well? He will return to China soon. Then you can come to Matt to stay with grandpa for a while, okay?"
Ming Na thought for a while, then smiled and nodded in agreement.
The grandfather and grandson chatted for a while, and then Viscount Zhufa added: "Over in Anchor City, Father Riddle asked someone to send a letter and a few children. I asked the steward to ask, and they all know how to write and calculate. , he is quite clever. Let me let him arrange it. You can reply to the priest and tell him to rest assured."
Ming Na was overjoyed when she heard this: "Really? That's great! Thank you, grandpa!"
Viscount Zhu Fa smiled: "It's nothing. Anyway, the store and the fleet need manpower. But there are more and more children there. After all, the demand here is limited. Even if I ask a friend I know, it is impossible to send every child Everything has been arranged. Let me tell you, your father still refuses to contact there? If you can inherit part of the Xiao family business, you don't have to worry about this. "
Ming Na pouted and said: "The Xiao family business is different now. My uncle only left half of the store in his hands, 20% was in the hands of the stewards, and the rest of the land belonged to others, even the branch here in the Magic City. , wasn’t it also bought by your grandpa? The uncle and the manager are having a fierce dispute. They never take my father seriously. Why should we care about them?!"
Viscount Zhufa sighed: "If it were before, it would be okay to ignore it. You have inherited a fortune anyway, but now, even if I can help resettle the orphans from Father Riddle's side, what about Marshall's side?" I don’t have much influence in Ito City.”
This was a problem, Ming Na couldn't help but frown.
Grandpa Marshall lost his memory. No longer suitable to be a housekeeper, he wanted to stay in the temple, but since he was not a monk, his status was awkward and he could only help with some chores. Minna didn't want to see him suffer, so she came up with an idea to let him follow Father Riddle's example and run an orphanage to provide food and beds for homeless orphans and street children. Teach them literacy and numeracy. Let them find a legitimate job to make a living and avoid living on the streets and being bullied by gangsters. Marshall loved the job. Busy every day. There was no big problem at first, but as the number of children increased, funds and manpower became insufficient.
Later, Anlong took out a sum of money, and the Security Administration also took a large sum, and arranged for some family members of the staff, such as the Morris family, to come to help, and the problem was solved. However, it is indeed not easy to arrange the whereabouts of the children. Ming Na thought about it and decided to ask the department first. As for Uncle Yilong and the Xiao Family Trading Company, they were not the right people to ask for help.
Seeing that his granddaughter was troubled, Viscount Zhu Fa softened his heart and said: "Forget it, I recently made a big business and the profits are quite huge. Let's donate 20% to the orphanage as a good deed."
Mingna happily kissed him a few times: "Thank you, grandpa." Viscount Zhu Fa happily touched his granddaughter's head.
Mingna asked curiously: "Grandpa, what big business have you done?"
"It's a thousand kilograms of fine spices, sold to Nuojia. I heard that the customer is a big noble, and he paid very readily. He paid the full price as soon as the goods were inspected, and we didn't need to transport them."
"A thousand kilograms?!" Ming Na opened her eyes wide, "Why did he buy so many spices?!"
"Who knows?" Viscount Zhufa didn't care. "Maybe there is some important celebration? But the people escorting the people seemed to be from Weishadi, probably from both countries. I actually found it a little strange. They didn't do anything at all. None of them look like businessmen. They walk in weird ways and have a peculiar smell on their bodies. My men even suspected that they bought spices for their own use. But since Van A opened the country to allow caravans to pass, it has become increasingly difficult to do business. It's rare to have such generous customers, so I don't care about that." He actually also doubted whether his peers would take the opportunity to purchase goods and then sell them at a high price after returning to China, but he didn't care about being taken advantage of. .
After hearing this, Mingna felt something was wrong, but she couldn't tell where it was. She was thinking hard when her grandfather tapped her head lightly: "Aren't you hungry? Come and eat! I asked the chef to make your favorite roast. Chicken legs, drizzled with fragrant mushroom sauce."
Ming Na immediately beamed, and secretly apologized to Winnie in her heart. I was afraid that she would be sorry for her feast tonight.
After dinner and chatting for a while, Mingna said goodbye to her grandfather and went home. As she walked on the road, she felt a cool breeze blowing in her face, mixed with the fragrance of flowers from nearby gardens, and she felt relaxed.
It was already quite late, and there were no pedestrians on the road. Ming Na quickened her pace, and as soon as she turned a corner, she saw a black shadow flashing past her. She paused, and the black shadow suddenly rushed towards her. She quickly jumped back. , with a shake of his hand, he held a slender ice arrow in his hand, sending chills all over him.
She stared at the black shadow and asked, "Who are you?!"
(ticket)