"I already told you my granddaughter is too young. You haven't given up, have you?"
"No matter how perfect your grandson is, my granddaughter isn't interested, so stop daydreaming."
Professor Dalton smiled easily. "We're just having breakfast together. What kind of ulterior motive could I possibly have?"
"Mr. James, if you're too broke to treat, I'll pay for it."
"Actually, since this is my first time meeting your granddaughter, treating her to breakfast is the least I can do."
Since Professor Dalton put it that way, how could Padgett refuse?
It was just a cheap breakfast, anyway.
"Fine, let's eat. It's not like we're afraid of you."
With Padgett's agreement, Professor Dalton tagged along, and the three of them sat down for breakfast.
They ordered a large bowl of lamb stew, personal bowls of dumpling soup, and a plate of Wild Herb Wraps.
"These Wild Herb Wraps taste incredibly fresh. Where do you get the herbs, boss?" Padgett felt a wave of nostalgia for the rougher days of his youth.
Back when he was banished to the fields for labor, he had eaten plenty of this stuff. Hardly anyone could replicate that authentic, rustic flavor nowadays.
"Delicious, right? My wife went out to the countryside to pick these herbs herself."
"The ones closer to town are too tough, so she specifically picked the most tender ones."
"Everyone who tries my herb wraps loves them."
The owner looked incredibly proud of himself.
He had been running this breakfast joint for decades, and no one had ever complained about his food.
"I only use genuine, top-quality ingredients."
"Even this lamb stew-I pre-ordered it to make sure the lamb was freshly butchered this morning."
Padgett gave the owner a thumbs-up. "No wonder I always say your lamb soup is the best. And these herb wraps are perfectly fresh, too."
"It's only available today, though. I didn't have any in stock for the past two days."
The owner gave a good-natured laugh. "I couldn't offer them the last two days because I didn't have time to head down to the countryside."
"These herbs are fantastic. If you have them tomorrow, I'll definitely be back."
Padgett ultimately refrained from asking to buy a raw batch for his own chefs. It was clear the owner only gathered enough to make his daily quota of wraps.
The wraps really were delicious, and the owner probably wanted as many customers to enjoy them as possible.
"I'll definitely have them tomorrow!" the owner promised with a bright smile. He'd just have his wife go back to the countryside this afternoon to pick more. Honestly, rich people these days absolutely loved whole grains and wild herbs. The wilder, the better.
They called it 'nostalgia for harder times,' but the truth was, their lives were so comfortab able and they had eaten so many delicacies that they were just bored of luxury food.
The owner prided himself on being a good judge of character. These two old men might have been dressed plainly, but their table manners made it obvious they were far from ordinary.
They were probably sitting on a mountain of wealth.
"Then we'll be back tomorrow."
Padgett had grown accustomed to the breakfast here, mainly because the herb wraps were so fresh.
Claire couldn't even find a moment to object.
Whatever her grandfather wanted to eat was fine by her. He was still in good health,
so if he found something he liked, he should enjoy as much of it as he wanted.
The breakfast really was fantastic, and even Professor Dalton finished his meal completely satisfied.
"During my own exile to the fields,
ate so many wild herbs I practically turned green. I never thought I'd find
II
myself savoring a wrap like this, Professor Dalton mused,
Belongs
Professor Dalton had been betrayed by his own students. After being banished, his
life had been a nightmare of hardship.
Managing to survive those years hadn't been easy.
He owed it entirely to the kindness of the local villagers.
Some of his colleagues hadn't survived their banishment.
In other areas, the locals would ruthlessly bully those forced into the labor camps, leaving them without food or water until they perished.
But the villagers Professor Dalton had encountered were not only kind-hearted but also respected education.
The children there had all been secretly taught by Professor Dalton.
He had provided them with their basic education. The villagers couldn't pay him with money, but they would secretly trade food with him.
Especially wild herbs, which the children would eagerly forage for him on their own.