Lucky Coin

" Hurry up! I've already ironed your clothes, and you still haven't gotten ready?" A woman stood at the foot of the stairs, looking up and shouting loudly. The woman appeared to be in her thirties. She must have been beautiful in her youth, but years of hard work had made her look haggard. She wore a long dress patched in many places, clearly indicating that this family's situation was not good. Behind the woman, a middle-aged man in his forties was adjusting his bow tie in front of a mirror. He wore a formal suit that looked quite presentable, but if you got a little closer, you could smell a musty odor, suggesting it had been stored away for a long time. He likely didn’t wear it much, only bringing it out for special occasions. On a chair, there was a smaller suit. As footsteps echoed, a boy ran down the stairs. His name was Sod Lape, and he was fourteen years old. Lape had already put on his shirt, which seemed to have come from an unknown source. The collar and cuffs were adorned with lace trim, clearly not something this less affluent family could afford. His lower half was clad in tight pants, and he wore a pair of leather shoes. Although they had just been polished and looked shiny, the creases on the shoes' surface revealed that they were quite old. The boy was quite handsome, having inherited his mother’s features: a narrow face, a high forehead, and a straight nose. The only thing that detracted from his looks was his gray eyes. “Look at your hair; it’s a mess,” the boy's mother lightly complained. She pulled her son closer, snatched the wooden comb from her husband’s hand, and began to comb her son’s hair. Another set of footsteps came down from upstairs. This time, a girl, around eleven or twelve years old, ran down. She had a heart-shaped face, big eyes, and rosy cheeks. Though still young, it was clear she would grow up to be beautiful, but her worn-out dress significantly detracted from her attractiveness. “When will I ever have a dress like that?” the girl said, her face full of envy. “You don’t need one,” the mother scolded. The girl pouted in grievance. When the father saw this, he quickly walked over to his daughter and said gently, “My dear Susan, you’re still growing. The clothes you have this year won’t fit you next year… How about this? Just wait a few more years, and when you’ve stopped growing, I’ll buy you a new dress.” “I want a floral one, with a bow at the waist,” the girl began to make her requests. “I promise you,” the father said, stroking his daughter’s cheek. “Don’t make promises like that; it’s a waste of money,” the mother interjected, feeling a bit pained. A hint of sorrow appeared in the father’s eyes as he turned to his wife and said, “I’m sorry for marrying you and making you suffer.” “Don’t say that. You know… I’m already very content,” the mother replied softly. Lape was clever; he knew it was best not to disturb his parents at that moment. So, he signaled to his sister with a glance, indicating she should go upstairs to her room. Then he picked up the clothes his mother had prepared for him and stepped out the door. As he put on his clothes, Lape looked at the carriages passing by on the street. The Lape family didn’t have a carriage and couldn’t even afford to ride in one, but today was special, and his father would surely indulge a little. Lape's biggest wish was to make money; he wanted to earn a lot of it. The Lape family wasn’t exactly poor. His father worked at the post office as an office employee, and his salary was enough to keep the family fed and even allowed Lape to attend school for a few years. As a result, Lape could read and write and do simple arithmetic. His sister wasn’t as fortunate, but thankfully their mother knew how to read, so she often taught her. Watching the carriages come and go, especially the private ones, Lape felt a sense of envy. Once he made some money, the first thing he wanted to do was buy a carriage. After waiting for five or six minutes, Lape saw a taxi carriage coming and quickly waved it down. He turned to call out, “Dad, the carriage is here!” Lape’s father immediately ran out and shouted to the driver, “To Rudenheim Square!” Rudenheim Square was in the city center. It would take over half an hour to walk there, but taking a carriage was much quicker. However, as they approached the square, the roads became increasingly congested, with carriages filling the streets as if all the carriages in the city had gathered in one place. Lape looked through the window at the nearby carriages, noticing that the people inside were all dressed elegantly, as if it were a festival. “What’s going on? Is there a big shot arriving today?” the driver asked, puzzled. “Indeed, there is a big shot coming. He’s coming from Mane, and my son and I are going to welcome him,” Lape’s father said proudly. “Coming from Mane? Then it must be a special envoy!” the driver exclaimed in surprise. This was understandable, as Taren was just a small place, a second-tier city that had only been a tiny fishing village over a hundred years ago. With the shift of overseas trade, it had gradually become lively, transforming from a village to a town, and then from a town to a city. “A special envoy is pushing it; he’s merely the king’s emissary,” Lape’s father replied, looking knowledgeable. “A special envoy must carry the king’s decree, able to represent the king in decision-making and possess supreme authority. An emissary simply conveys a message and takes a look around; their status is high, but their power is limited.” “That’s still something, after all, they are representing the king,” the driver said, showing a humble understanding of his position. “Dad, it’s not far now. Shouldn’t we get off and walk?” Lape suggested as he saw the carriage moving at a snail's pace. His father hesitated; after all, walking didn’t seem very dignified. “Indeed, you should get off. At this speed, it’ll take at least half an hour to get there, but walking will only take five or six minutes. It’s good for me too; I can turn around directly,” the driver advised, pointing to the clock on the carriage, as taxi fares were charged by the minute. Lape’s father relented, paid the fare, and got out of the carriage.