Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 716 - 104: Guilt (Third Update, Seeking Subscription)

"Originally, there were three pieces of black bread, but the aroma on the way home was too tempting, so I couldn't resist taking a bite... The taste was truly delicious, so I couldn't help but bite more..."

Little York lowered his head and pushed the two and a half pieces of black bread he was holding tightly in his arms towards his mother, his face full of guilt, like a child seeking forgiveness from his mother for doing something wrong.

Two and a half pieces of black bread,

One of them already had half missing,

With neat bite marks on the edge.

Little York was an understanding child; ever since his father's death, a huge portion of the workforce at home was lost, but the amount of work didn't diminish at all, all tasks fell on his mother.

Though he couldn't do much, Little York still tried his best to do what he could.

He knew that compared to himself, his mother was even more hard-working, leaving early and returning late, toiling from dawn till dusk.

Being too small to do heavy work,

He would collect pig grass and hay, gather branches, and with great effort, tie them into small bundles and slowly carry them home bit by bit, working until late at night, with sweat soaking his clothes and numb limbs, yet Little York endured it without saying anything.

After his father was beaten to death, as the eldest male in the family, he matured overnight.

Upon coming out of the castle,

Little York's steps became especially quick,

He knew that the food needed to be brought home quickly, handed to his mother, who hadn't eaten for two days, and who also needed to feed his young siblings at home.

This food would be enough for the family for many days,

But life's wisdom taught Little York that this tasty food could be exchanged for more; whether it's black bread or wheat, it could be traded with the wealthy mill owner on the east side of the village for cheaper beans, allowing them to eat for longer.

In the past, the family rarely ate wheat; the harvested wheat from the field, after giving 80% to the lord, left only 20%, besides leaving a little for next year's seeds and making black bread during the harvest festival, the rest was traded with slightly wealthier families for cheap beans.

Beans had high yield, were cheap, and although they didn't taste as good as wheat, at least they could fill the stomach.

Little York couldn't do calculations, but he roughly felt that if they traded the three long pieces of black bread and that small bag of wheat for beans, combined with wild vegetables and tree roots collected from outside, they could at least eat for half a month.

All the way, Little York counted in his heart, enduring the hunger in his stomach.

But the smell of black bread,

Was really tempting!

Little York held onto the three pieces of black bread, afraid that they would drop to the ground, as he walked along the way, the aroma of the bread continuously drifted into his nose, making his stomach hungrier.

His stomach growled loudly, voicing strong protests.

Perhaps, just take a bite,

Just one bite,

After all, there are still three pieces of black bread and a small bag of wheat, a bite shouldn't be a big deal.

In his memory, 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The taste of black bread that could only be tasted during the harvest festival rolled in his mind along with the aroma continuously drifting into his nose, making Little York drool.

He finally couldn't resist,

Brought one piece of black bread to his mouth and took a bite.

Mm!

So soft!

So fragrant!

So sweet!

A small bite of black bread held in the mouth, soaked by saliva, the baked wheat starch aroma exploded on his taste buds, breaking down through amylase, producing a faint sweet taste, the unprecedented flavor affecting the hungry Little York's sense of taste, nearly mesmerizing him.

Little York only felt his steps floating, it was a flavor that went straight to the core, almost as intense as an unforgettable taste.

In fact,

The Village Chief didn't add any seasonings to these black breads; the taste could only be considered average, slightly bitter and coarse to affluent families who usually ate white bread, quite ordinary black bread.

But,

Who was Little York?

A peasant's son, whose father passed away months ago, leaving only his mother as the adult labor force in the family, besides Little York, who was six or seven years old, he also had a three-year-old brother and a newborn sister less than half a year old.

Poor, impoverished.

The lowest of the low.

Every day's food was a small handful of beans and wild vegetable roots boiled together into a green paste, its taste even the animals in the lord's barn were reluctant to eat,

The lord's animals ate plain boiled beans, sometimes even with a little salt.

In these days of food shortage at home, Little York rarely even tasted the paste with added beans, relying on some wild vegetables from outside to sustain himself.

In this context, the black bread that was only tasted during holidays naturally became the most blissful delicacy for Little York, who was hungry for several days!

This flavor is one that no one who hasn't experienced hunger can ever understand.

That bite of black bread lingered in his mouth for a long time before he reluctantly swallowed it.

However,

After eating a bite of black bread, his stomach did not settle; instead, it fanned the flames, and the feeling of hunger became more intense.

The irresistible craving,

Made Little York unable to resist taking a second bite,

And then a third bite...

Little York knew what he did was wrong,

He should have brought the black bread back home and given it to his mother to trade with the mill owner for beans, instead of putting it into his stomach.

The guilt welled up from within,

But the body's hungry instincts were something Little York couldn't resist.

As a result,

From leaving the lord's castle to arriving home, the three long pieces of black bread were reduced to only two and a half.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have sneak-eaten, but I really couldn't help it..."

Little York lowered his head, his eyes a bit red, never looking at the broken table with one leg missing where the black bread lay, speaking softly.

Looking at the guilty son in front of her,

Monia felt a pang in her heart,

This child has been understanding since he was young, especially after his father's passing, he matured a lot overnight.

While she hurried to work early and late, Little York would stay at home, taking care of his toddling brother, with his babbling sister on his back, going to the wild grassland outside the village to cut hay.

His hands got cut, his back marked with red welts, all just to trade the hay with the village's cattleherds for a little bean to help the family.

At night when sleeping, the wounds nearly caused Little York to be unable to sleep,

Yet he always endured without making a sound.