Alexandria is not far from the capital and is the largest naval base and shipbuilding base in the Kingdom of Braden. It is across the narrow Sunset Strait from the Kingdom of Ferrand.
It was built more than two hundred years ago and played an important role in the century-long battle between the Kingdom of Braden and the Kingdom of Ferrand. After the invention of the magic steam engine, the Kingdom of Braden's first steam ironclad was also built.
Born here.
Today, Alexandria has become a fully functional military seaport with repair shops, docks, supply stations, docks and other facilities.
Howard's home is in a small town called "Cohen Town" more than ten miles away from Alexandria.
By the time the train arrived at Alexandria Railway Station, it was already midnight.
There was silence.
Under the cover of night, this military port became increasingly heavily guarded.
The light from the kerosene lamps on both sides of the railway track filtered through the faint mist and fell on the red-haired young man sitting opposite Howard, dyeing the white roses on his chest a warm yellow.
"It seems we have to say goodbye," the red-haired young man said with a smile when the train stopped. "I have to say, it is really a pleasure to chat with you."
Howard smiled sheepishly, after all, in fact, all the topics of the chat just now were found by the other party.
"Will we have another chance to contact you in the future?" he asked.
"After visiting your relatives, will you return to the Mage Tower?" the red-haired young man asked.
"Of course." Howard replied without thinking.
"Then if I have the chance, I will write a letter and send it to the Mage Tower," the red-haired young man said with a playful smile, "Don't forget to check it!"
"No problem," Howard responded, then hesitated for a moment and asked, "Then... can you also tell me your home address? I would be embarrassed if you were the one writing to me all the time."
"Home..." Upon hearing his words, a self-deprecating smile appeared on the red-haired young man's face, "I am a wanderer who has no home for a long time."
When speaking, the red-haired young man seemed to be trying to control his emotions, but from his face, Howard still saw the sadness that was difficult to conceal.
"I'm sorry," Howard said sincerely, "I shouldn't have brought up these sad things."
"It doesn't matter." After hearing his words, the red-haired young man smiled freely, and the worry on his face suddenly disappeared. "Without home, there are no bonds; without bonds, you can be unscrupulous, right?"
Howard stopped talking.
The two said "goodbye" under the kerosene lamp at the train station and went their separate ways.
Then, Howard came to the side of the road, waved his hand, and called for a public carriage.
"Sir, where are you going?" The coachman stuck his head out and asked.
"Cohen Town."
"It's past midnight now, and you have to pay extra to go to Cohen Town."
"How much more?"
"Sixpence."
Howard thought for a while and felt that compared to his current income, six pence was not much, so he nodded.
"make a deal."
The coachman smiled happily. He looked at Howard like he was looking at a fat sheep.
"Oh, my consumption concept has really been influenced by Allen..." Howard sighed helplessly while sitting in the car.
…………
Although it was late now, Howard was not sleepy at all while sitting in the carriage.
Since he was admitted to Cambridge University with honors, he has not been home for more than a year.
Because of this, he was thinking about whether his mother had bought the scarf she had dreamed of after he sent the money, whether his brother had collected the teaching materials he needed for studying, and whether his sister could wear a brand new scarf.
instead of always wearing my sisters’ old, patched skirts...
After all, Howard is still a young man.
Whenever he thinks that his family's situation has gradually improved due to his own efforts, he will feel particularly happy and begin to look forward to his mother's praise, the adoring expressions on the faces of his younger brothers and sisters, and the clear words written on the faces of his neighbors.
envious.
For example, when his mother wrote to him and told him something like, "Uncle Federman, the neighbor, praised you for your achievements," Howard was happy even though his face was expressionless.
Of course, as Howard studied away from home, he also clearly felt that the differences in vision, concepts, and value orientations between himself and his family were becoming larger and larger, and occasionally some conflicts would arise due to this.
For example, when Alan became nationally famous as the cover of the Braden Morning News supplement, his mother wrote to Howard: "Do you know this Alan York?"
Howard wrote back: "Of course I know him. He is my roommate."
My mother wrote: "That's great. I've heard that the York family is one of the richest families in the entire Braden Kingdom, and Iris Bank is also opened by his family. Howard, since you are so close,
Then we must have a good relationship with him and avoid any conflicts. This way, if our family encounters financial difficulties in the future, it will be easier for us to ask him for help."
At first, when Howard saw his mother's letter, he actually felt a little unhappy.
Howard always believed that his relationship with Allen was that of like-minded friends. That kind of utilitarian description was simply an insult to the friendship between the two.
Unfortunately, the person who wrote the letter was his mother, and Howard could not blame him, so he could only hide his displeasure silently in his heart.
But even so, the family ties that are thicker than water are ultimately indelible.
When the carriage climbed over a hill, a small town dimly visible in the dark night appeared in Howard's field of vision.
Howard stuck his head out of the car window and saw the sparse stars in the sky and the sporadic lights in the small towns. The two complemented each other, both real and illusory.
Farther away, several chimneys rise from the ground, spewing smoke into the starry sky.
Although Howard has been away from home for more than a year, he can still clearly remember every detail of this scene.
"I'm back..." he whispered to himself.
Before the carriage approached the town, he asked the coachman to stop in advance and paid six pence more as agreed.
Then, he walked along the extremely familiar road, stepping on the water-like moonlight, listening to the faint chirping of cicadas in the trees, and walked towards the small town with sparse lights.
.
He felt that he needed to think about what to say to his family later, what to ask them, and how to answer when they asked about his current situation.
When he thought this, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, and he unconsciously showed a happy smile.
However, his smile quickly disappeared.
Just when he entered the small town, his expression suddenly changed.
A piercing cry of a child penetrated his ears from not far away.