Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Settling Down Temporarily

"Oh dear, husband, didn't you go to work? Who's this young man?"

The one who opened the door was Goodman's wife, Mrs. Molly. With her black curly hair and well-defined features, she was busy with household chores, still wearing an apron.

"This is Adrian and his cat Tom. We'll explain the details later. For now, let's get them something to eat," Goodman urged.

Molly nodded and invited Goodman and Adrian inside. She poured two cups of tea and prepared a small dish of water for Tom.

"Have some water first, the food will be ready soon."

"Thank you, Sister Molly." Adrian wasn't sure who told him this, but when he saw a stranger woman older than him, he simply called her sister. Formalities could wait, depending on the situation.

Actually, Mrs. Molly was 37 years old this year, which was the prime of her figure for women in this world.

After reaching forty, there was a high probability that they would be infected with a virus called the 'Oda Curse.' Their bodies and appearances would gradually change, as if they had become a different person. By then, Adrian wondered if he could still call her sister.

"Oh, the young man is quite the talker!" Mrs. Molly cupped her face with her hands, beaming with delight as she went to the kitchen.

Adrian sipped the hot tea, and Tom lapped up water in small sips, behaving like a normal cat for once.

"So, how was my description of Molly? Was it as impressive as I said?" Goodman took advantage of the situation to continue narrating the heroic deeds that made Molly fall for him at first sight.

In less than ten minutes, Mrs. Molly came out with two plates—one large and one small—and placed them in front of Adrian and Tom.

"Still boasting, I see?" Mrs. Molly mercilessly exposed Uncle Goodman, then turned to Adrian and said with a smile, "About one-tenth of what he says might be true! Give it a try, seafood fried rice."

"How can you put it like that..." Goodman complained dissatisfiedly, mumbling, "Thinking back to my younger days..."

Adrian calmly expressed his gratitude, then picked up the spoon to start eating. In a short time, he had become accustomed to Goodman's character. This was probably a warm-hearted old uncle who enjoyed bragging.

"Smells amazing!" Adrian couldn't help but praise after taking a mouthful of fried rice. Fortunately, he hadn't proclaimed any titles, so he wasn't acting like an arrogant character.

Tom also picked up a small spoon and took a bite, his eyes lighting up.

"As long as it suits your tastes," Mrs. Molly chuckled, curiously watching Tom using a spoon. She didn't seem overly surprised.

Adrian, who had been eating raw fish for several days, felt like he was savoring a delicacy as he devoured the fried rice. He couldn't stop spooning it into his mouth.

Tom's diet was quite similar to that of humans, though he had a slight preference for fish and birds. But he still enjoyed cooked food.

As they were enjoying their meal, Goodman explained to Mrs. Molly how he had encountered Adrian.

After he was finished with his work, he had gone to the shore to fetch water. That's when he saw Adrian and Tom paddling over on a wooden board.

Seeing that Adrian didn't seem like a bad person, Goodman had kindly provided him with directions to land, and now he had brought him back.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I haven't had such delicious food in a long time. Uncle Goodman's praise for Sister Molly's cooking is well-deserved," Adrian finished his last bite of food, not even leaving a grain of rice on the plate.

Tom licked off a grain of rice stuck to his whiskers, then slumped on the table, rubbing his little belly in contentment.

"Oh my, the young man is quite the exaggerator!" Mrs. Molly covered her mouth, laughing joyfully.

"I'm just telling the truth." Adrian stood up, feeling his strength returning after a satisfying meal. "I've bothered you for quite a while, and I should take my leave. Thank you, Uncle Goodman and Sister Molly, for your kindness."

"In such a rush?" Mrs. Molly asked. "Uncle Goodman just mentioned that you were looking for work."

Adrian nodded. "Yes, at least the food issue is temporarily resolved. I'll think about the rest later."

Goodman cleared his throat and said with a smile, "In that case, I have a job suitable for you."

Adrian thought Goodman was going to offer him work at the shipyard and shook his head. "I'm not skilled in shipbuilding, and if I don't know carpentry, I'll probably just be a nuisance to you, Uncle."

"Haha, don't worry. I'm not asking you to be a shipwright. Your physique wouldn't suit that," Goodman laughed. In his eyes, Adrian's small build resembled that of a little chick.

I'm really sorry for being so weak... Adrian silently mocked himself. Even a fitness expert from my original world would probably only be a punching bag in front of this shipwright uncle.

Suddenly realizing that making fun of others like this wasn't very polite, Goodman chuckled and continued, "Here's the thing. I sense that you've received a good education, am I right?"

Adrian nodded. "Yes, I was still a student before I came here."

Goodman looked at him expectantly. "That's great! I was actually thinking if you could teach my troublesome boy for a while."

"Me? My level might not be as high as you imagine..." Adrian wasn't sure what he could teach. He didn't know much about the knowledge of this world.

Goodman brushed it off. "No problem. I just need you to teach him reading and basic math."

To tell you the truth, I've just learned the written language of this world... Adrian thought. Teaching reading and math shouldn't be a big problem, and the Goodman family seemed trustworthy. Going out to find a new job might result in encountering unscrupulous bosses.

"In that case, I'll be imposing for a while." Adrian agreed. This way, at least he had a temporary place to stay.

As for relying on others, well, he didn't have money to stay at an inn, right?

...

SPLASH...

Adrian was taking a bath in Goodman's bathroom.

After agreeing to teach here, Mrs. Molly immediately cleaned up a guest room and prepared fresh clothes and bath supplies for Adrian.

When he inquired about their son, Mrs. Molly said that Beir had gone to play at Old Bob's place. She suggested Adrian take a bath and rest since his body didn't seem too well, and they could start classes tomorrow.

Goodman had to head back to work. Before leaving, he mentioned that he would inquire about the salary for private tutors and promised not to mistreat Adrian.

Adrian could only be grateful for encountering good people and proceeded to make himself comfortable.

After finishing applying shampoo to his hair, Adrian used the foam to give Tom a soapy wash. The entire cat was covered in white foam, with only his eyes peeking out.

He had heard that using human shampoo on cats wasn't very good, but... Tom wasn't exactly an

ordinary cat.

At this moment, Tom sat on a small stool, using one hand to prop up his chin as he enjoyed Adrian's bathing service.

Once the foam was rinsed off Tom, he shook off the water and in the blink of an eye, he was a brand new cat again.

Next, it was Adrian's turn. He crouched down while Tom stood on the stool, using a towel to scrub Adrian's back. Despite his small size, Tom's strength was more than sufficient.

As Adrian enjoyed Tom's back scrubbing service and looked at his sunken cheeks in the mirror, he wondered, "Can being hungry for just five days really make such a drastic change?"

Since he had never experienced this before, Adrian couldn't accurately judge, feeling that the change was a bit exaggerated.

"But since Tom has become so thin from hunger, maybe it's normal for me too..."

Suddenly realizing something was amiss, Adrian turned his head and asked, "Tom, how did you recover so quickly?"