Chapter 852: Ending (Part 2)

Just after an autumn wind, a cold rain came again. The next morning, the coldness came through the gaps in the window frame, but was eliminated by the warm air in the house.

Jason got out of the soft and comfortable quilt, stretched out his hand to gather his messy hair like a bird's nest, stood by the bed and stretched, and opened the window.

The moment the cold air came in, he shivered, and then hurriedly closed the gap in the window a little smaller.

He slipped on his slippers, opened the door, and walked towards the public water room at the end of the corridor without turning back to close the door.

The area of ​​the water room is about the size of two bedrooms, with four rows of faucets in the middle and faucets hanging on the walls. At this time, the water room was full of children, some were washing their faces, some were wiping their faces after washing their faces, and some were holding cups to get hot water.

Jason yawned and saw that there was a faucet nearby. He walked over, turned on the faucet, washed his face twice with cold water, and then walked to the cabinet at the end of the bathroom, took out his own cup and toothbrush to wash.

The two children next to him were brushing their teeth with foam in their mouths, laughing and spraying bubbles at each other. Most of them were very curious about brushing their teeth, especially because the toothpaste bought by the Wanshiwu was very foamy. After brushing, they could pretend to be Santa Claus.

After washing, Jason went back to the room to change clothes, and then went to the office of the Wanshiwu and took a look around, and found that everything was normal here.

The children were like fish swimming one after another, passing through corals and seaweeds. The strong wind outside the window did not affect them at all. Some of them were even sweating because of running back and forth.

At this time, the rosy faces and hope in their eyes were never seen before.

After a while, Jason led the younger children to the daycare center, handed them over to several older girls there, and then went to the school downstairs to urge other children to read.

After finishing the work in the building, he left the building again, rode a bicycle, and rushed to the Iceberg Restaurant.

"Dinglingling" the wind chime rang, and the waiter hurried up and took Jason to the office upstairs in the restaurant.

In addition to Cobert, there were several children there, who were the little beggars rescued by Cobert before.

They were still very thin, but their complexion and physical condition had improved a lot. At this time, they were talking in a low voice.

Cobert and Jason led them out, and Jason waved to them and said, "Follow me, we have two children there, and they paid extra money to get a better house in the second phase. Their room is empty, you can live there first, and come back after your renovation is completed..."

The children were a little scared, but Cobert got on the car first. They obviously trusted this leader very much, so they pushed and shoved each other into the car.

After sending the children to Jason's Wanshiwu, Cobert did not take the car when he came out of the building, but planned to take a walk in the East District.

Going around the Phase I and Phase II buildings, behind them is the Phase III and Phase IV construction site. At this time, the building has been built for almost half, and going further ahead is the Phase V and Phase VI project not far from the Iceberg Restaurant.

One after another, construction sites are emerging from the ground like bamboo shoots, and tall buildings are rising from the ground. Nothing is more shocking than this.

Cobert has not read many books, but he can still feel the magnificence of the changing times. The roar of huge machines is like the rolling wheels of history. The bigger and taller buildings are like the branches of human society that keep climbing upwards.

After returning to the Iceberg Restaurant, he drove to the North District alone. Compared with the East District where projects are everywhere, this place seems very quiet, or a little lifeless.

The car was driving very slowly, so Cobert could see from the car window that many of the heads of the twelve families in the windows of the manor were concentrating on appreciating the collections they had just obtained.

Beautiful oil paintings, exquisite sculptures, and antiques full of historical atmosphere, but they stood on the bridge to enjoy the scenery, and the people standing upstairs also looked at them.

Cobert felt that the heads of the twelve families were like antiques left over from the last era, with the hazy and dim atmosphere of the last century, exquisite and fragile.

The most solid barriers that fought against the wind and waves in the last century were vulnerable to the roar of the machines in the new era. If they could wake up early, they might still have a place in the new era, but if they were unwilling to do so, the museum would be their best destination.

The car stopped in front of the door of the Falcone Manor. When Cobert walked out of the car door, he subconsciously adjusted his tie and stamped his feet, then he paused, shook his head, and strode into the manor.

He met Alberto in the reception room. Cobblepot walked up to him, shook his hand and said, "I heard you are engaged? Congratulations, but I don't know which family the girl belongs to..." Alberto shook his head and said, "No, she is not from Gotham. She is a girl from the Metropolitan City that Evans met when he was rehearsing a play. They fell in love, and the Godfather did not object."

Cobblepot raised his eyebrows, as if he had some doubts about the last sentence. Alberto said, "I know that there are rumors that the Godfather relied on his wife's family to gain power, but in fact, my mother is not a native of Gotham, nor is she from a wealthy family. She is just a fisherman's daughter from a small seaside town."

"You two brothers... I mean, your disease... well, don't you have any objections?" Cobblepot asked tactfully, referring to Alberto and Evans' dissociative identity disorder.

Alberto shook his head and said, "I can't understand love, and I don't intend to pursue someone who is my true love. I hope that the Falcone family can stand in a broader world, transcend the rules and laws of Gotham, and gain true glory."

"When will the engagement ceremony be held?" Cobblepot asked again.

"How about choosing the Iceberg Restaurant in a week? By then, all the celebrities in Gotham will gather there, which will be good for your business."

Who knows, Cobblepot shook his head and said, "I don't want to deal with the people of the Twelve Families now. They are full of Renaissance and Impressionism. God, do they still remember that they are a gangster family?"

Alberto smiled and said, "People are like this. After gaining the wealth accumulated for them by violence and blood, they desperately want to get rid of their origins and use all kinds of things to prove their nobility."

"You don't have to feel bored with them. Maybe soon, you won't see most of them again." Alberto shook his head and said, "Wayne won't wait too long."

As he looked out the window, red leaves fell, and golden ginkgo leaves covered the sermon. On the day of the engagement ceremony, the entire Iceberg Restaurant was covered with colorful fallen leaves, as if celebrating the couple.

Pairs of shiny leather shoes stepped onto the red carpet, and one after another, the leaders in suits and leather shoes walked into the brightly lit hall.

Laughter, blessings and music sounded at the same time, and the blood-red poppies, the golden chandeliers, and the curtains in the deep twilight, all kinds of colors complemented each other.

"...My student, a sincere, upright, and energetic young man, and such a beautiful, dignified, and noble girl will make a lifelong promise to each other today..."

"As Mr. Falcone's teacher, I feel very gratified that such an excellent student, a junior who deserves love, a son loved by God, a believer and a righteous man, should receive loyal love..."

At the front of the hall, Schiller glanced at Evans, then at the future Mrs. Falcone, and then turned his gaze to the godfather standing behind Evans.

This was the first time the old godfather stood behind someone, but he seemed very calm, with some nostalgia in his expression.

Then, Schiller began to pray. He said, "I am here under the guidance of the merciful Heavenly Father. I will witness the promise of a couple here. St. Peter once said..."

Accompanied by the somewhat obscure prayer, Evans turned around holding his fiancee's hand and looked at the photographer's camera.

Cobert, Bruce, Dick, Jason, and many of Evans' classmates all came up and stood in several rows.

With a "click", accompanied by applause and cheers, the photo flew out of the camera and landed on a brown table.

A hand wearing a black leather glove gently stroked the surface of the photo with its fingertips. He put down the violin case in his hand, took off the felt hat on his head, and sat on the seat of the train carriage.

The distant whistle sounded, white smoke rose, and the red carriage passed through the valley.

"Hello, sir, do you want a cigarette?" The smoking boy on the train knocked on the door of the carriage, and the door slowly opened, revealing an old face inside. Although his temples were gray, he was majestic without anger.

The boy saw the cigar box next to him, so he smiled apologetically and was about to leave, but the old man stopped him, handed him a roll of money, and asked in Italian: "When will the train arrive?"

"Sir, if you mean the next station, there are still ten minutes."

The boy left after saying that, and when the next station arrived, another person came into the carriage.

Seeing the old man opposite him dressed like this, his fingertips trembled slightly, took off his hat and put it on his chest, and said: "Sir, can I sit here?"

"Of course."

The man opposite heard it, and the old man's Italian always had a sinking ending, just like people in the last era.

"Do you know when the next station will arrive?" The Italian with a classical accent echoed in the carriage, and the man opposite replied, "It will be about twenty minutes later. If it is the terminal, it may take a few hours..."

"It doesn't matter, as long as it can arrive."

The carriage fell silent, and the man opposite him glanced at the violin case under the table, and his fingers clenched.

"Relax, kid, God bless you."

The old man opposite lit a cigar, put it in his mouth, and said incoherently.

He turned his head to the window, watching the scenery that looked like an impressionist oil painting, rapidly receding around him.

The sound of the carriage doors colliding with each other, the noisy sound coming from outside, the aroma of leather and cigars in the carriage, the occasional bell, the waiter's loud greetings... everything was like when he was young.

He thought that the legend of the past forty years had finally come to an end, and in the smoke of the cigar, he saw the peaceful and tranquil coast, the fishing boats in the sunset, and the beautiful girls in the small town...

In front of the window of the Falcone Manor, Alberto saw that the lighthouse of Gotham was lit up, emitting a hazy light, guiding the ship back on another cold rainy night.

The young godfather looked far away, beyond the blurred coastline in the rain line, and saw the protagonist of the legendary story, the distant and beautiful Sicily that he had told him many times.

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