Chapter 348 The Unrestrained Kindness of the Church of Mother Earth
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Wayne led Hobert down the narrow aisle to the door of a cabin.
Hobert heard the sounds of a man and woman having sex inside. Wayne rudely hammered on the door with his fist: "How many times have I told you not to bring women into the guest rooms?"
"Sorry, Uncle, I, I'll be done right away."
The young man inside kept his word and finished quickly.
The cabin door opened, and a charming woman in bright clothes and light makeup walked out, adjusting her skirt.
She was not shy about the two men standing at the door. Instead, she solicited business, especially from Hobert, who looked fair-skinned and handsome, saying she would give Hobert a discount.
She only left when Wayne waved his hand impatiently.
Then a young man came out, fastening his belt and wearing a flattering smile. Wayne introduced him as his nephew, Seel, who worked as a helper on the ship.
Seeing that there was a guest on this return trip, Seel immediately said, "I'll change the sheets for you right away."
Hobert had originally wanted to go back to the deck to avoid this temporarily, but then he thought that this was the life of the lower class in this era, and there was nothing to avoid.
The so-called guest cabin was just a small cabin with only enough room for a bed and a chair. Fortunately, there was a window, so the cabin didn't feel stuffy.
However, this window was just slightly above the water surface, giving people a feeling of suffocation.
Although Seel changed the sheets, the room still had a musty smell.
Hobert didn't have any psychological barriers, but he wasn't willing to sit on the bed right away.
Wayne instructed: "No matter who asks you along the way, you say you are a crew member on the ship. Remember, if you let it slip, you will have to pay for the extra money."
Hobert nodded first, then asked, "Why do you say that?"
"You'll know when you get into the mountains."
Wayne turned around and began to busy himself with firing up the boiler, oiling the steam engine, and preparing to set sail.
Hobert sat in the chair, listening to the voices of the uncle and nephew as they worked and talked.
Wayne asked: "Didn't you say that the slut was asking for a high price? Why did you still go to her?"
"But she's good-looking, and that moaning sound, by the Earth Mother, I feel like my legs are still shaking."
"You're useless. Next time I'll take you into the city and go to the 'House of Pleasure' so you can see what a real woman is."
"..."
Hobert thought: As an uncle, shouldn't you be stopping your nephew from this kind of behavior? Why are you taking him?
Then he realized that he had been in this world for so long, but his values were still somewhat out of sync with the people of this world.
Hobert had mainly been in contact with conservative Loen gentlemen before. After leaving Backlund, he felt that he was seeing the true face of this world.
At about nine o'clock, with a dull whistle, the "Hippo" officially set sail.
On the not-so-spacious deck of the "Hippo", there were many goods that had been fixed yesterday. Behind the ship, a raft-like structure was connected with iron chains, and it was also neatly filled with goods.
In addition, a live goat was tied to the raft, bleating. Hobert didn't know if it was food or some local custom for boatmen.
Seel worked hard in the cabin to add coal to the boiler. Wayne in the driver's cab above carefully steered away from the port, cursing almost every other sentence, not knowing whether he was cursing the other ships or Seel.
Hobert sighed. He didn't expect his first boat trip to begin with some swear words that he couldn't quite understand with his current Highlander language level, as well as Seel adding coal and the steam engine turning.
Because it was downstream, the ship quickly accelerated. After more than two hours of sailing, there were some hills on both sides of the river, which soon turned into continuous mountains. They officially entered the mountains.
Hobert occasionally went to the deck for some fresh air, but the deck was too narrow, and the river surface in winter was very cold. He stayed in the cabin most of the time.
The boiler was also in the cabin under the deck, so there was no need to worry about heating. Hobert was even sweating a little.
The steamboat continued to sail until dusk, when the boat actually began to dock.
Hobert came to the driver's cab and asked, "Have we reached our destination?"
Wayne said with a cold face, "We have to pay taxes to those bastards!"
He glanced at Hobert: "Remember, just say you are a helper on the ship."
Hobert was stunned. Although he had seen houses on both sides of the river, he didn't expect that there were county government officials collecting taxes here.
Soon, the steamboat approached a simple port. At this time, many people were already standing on the wooden dock. Hobert first saw a person in a bishop's robe standing proudly on the dock, while the others on the dock were either kneeling or bowing.
Hobert was stunned again: Is this the custom here? Just collecting taxes, and they are kneeling and bowing, is it necessary to be so polite?
"Mother Goddess be praised, Seel, am I seeing things right? Is that a bishop?" Wayne asked in surprise.
"Yes, Uncle." Seel was even a little surprised: "A bishop has appeared in Southern Coulson (the local name for the southern part of Coulson County). The light of the Lord has returned."
Hobert then realized that the people on the dock were paying their respects to the bishop of the Earth Mother Church.
As soon as the ship docked, Wayne and Seel almost immediately jumped onto the dock, repeatedly asking the bishop for blessings.
The bishop was a middle-aged man who looked very amiable. He smiled and blessed the uncle and nephew, then asked Hobert on the ship, "Are you Baron Hobert?"
Wayne was surprised. He didn't expect that this passenger, who looked well-dressed, was actually a nobleman! But where was his honor guard? Why wasn't he wearing noble attire?
Hobert nodded: "May I ask who you are?"
"I finally caught up with you. I didn't expect you to travel by water." The bishop smiled and introduced himself: "I am Bishop Simpson. We have received the goodwill you conveyed through Bishop Utravsky. Can we go ashore and talk as we walk?"
"Of course." Hobert jumped ashore, not expecting the Earth Mother Church to react so quickly, and even send a bishop to extend goodwill to him.
The people on the dock watched Bishop Simpson and the young Baron leave, then began to discuss why the Bishop was here.
The people who were originally standing on the dock, as if afraid that Wayne and his nephew would run away, grabbed them and asked questions.
On the other side, Hobert walked along the riverbank with Bishop Simpson.
Simpson said: "I heard that you want to build a church on the side of Full Moon Lake in your territory, and you hope that we can send a bishop?"
Hobert nodded: "Yes, you have also seen the enthusiasm of the locals. I think the church should continue to spread the light of the Earth Mother here."
Bishop Simpson suddenly smiled bitterly: "We withdrew from the mountains because we would be polluted here."
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