章節 41: Persistence
The boy looked at Joe with a mix of sadness and curiosity, but his mother pulled him away before he could protest. Joe stood there, holding the apple, feeling his heart break. It didn't take long before several boys, along with that mother's son, came and tried to take Joe's apples by force. This time, he tried to fight back, but weak as he was, he took a beating without even being able to defend himself. Another failure.
Later that same day, the blue screen reappeared. Joe was almost too afraid to see what his rank would be now.
"You failed again in your third attempt and have earned a new title: *Trinket Trader*. Lower than a peddler, you can only make insignificant trades, usually of items with almost no value. Your trades are seen as desperate and without a future.
Status reduced. Updated: Strength 0.07 / Agility 0.07 / Vitality 0.13 / Defense 0.07 / Luck 0.01 / Skill -3."
Now, his abilities were nearly depleted. **What else could he do?**
When he got home, he found his mother in the kitchen, making broquitos — small bean-filled bread rolls that she made with expertise. They were Joe's favorite dish and loved by many in town.
"Mom, why don't you ever sell these broquitos?" Joe asked, an idea starting to form in his mind.
His mother laughed.
"Who would be interested in something so simple, son?"
"I think people will love them, mom. Can I try selling them at the market tomorrow?"
She hesitated, but after seeing the determination in Joe's eyes, she agreed. The next morning, with a basket full of broquitos, Joe went to the market once again. This time, he didn't shout or call for attention. He just waited, patiently.
Soon, the smell of the broquitos caught the attention of some passersby. Curious, they began to ask:
"What are you selling, boy?"
"Broquitos! Filled with beans! Made by my mom! They're delicious!"
Soon, the aroma of the broquitos caught the attention of some curious onlookers. An old woman bought one, then another, and soon Joe had a line of customers. For the first time, he would go home with a smile on his face and coins in his pocket. He had finally found something people wanted, something that set him apart.
Success came slowly, but at last, Joe managed to sell the entire basket. For the first time, he hadn't failed.
He thought about this while humming a random tune.
As he headed home, exhausted but happy, and just before the blue screen could shine again, he was suddenly trampled by a herd of wild boars, and his coins scattered across the ground as he desperately tried to shield himself from the animals' stomping.
"You have failed once more in your fourth and final attempt, earning the lowest title there is: *Caringalinha Cleaner*.
Description: A title given to those incapable of dealing with items of little importance and low prestige, serving only to clean the areas where small birds are raised and to collect their droppings for sale. It is regarded as the most humiliating position among merchants, synonymous with failure and despair in the business world.
Status reduced. Updated: Strength 0.01 / Agility 0.01 / Vitality 0.1 / Defense 0.00 / Luck 0.00 / Skill -4.
The system believes you didn't try hard enough and are completely unfit for this role."
Joe wanted to cry, but he didn't even have the strength for that; he just smiled. It wasn't easy, but he believed he was on the right path. He wanted to get up, but bruised as he was, it was impossible. All he did was close his eyes and fall asleep right there.
When he opened his eyes, he was all warm in his bed, with no one bothering him.
Dawn broke, and he found it strange that his father and mother were not present.
Still with his body aching, he tried to get up and, with great difficulty, managed to sit on the bed. But before he could make any further effort, the door suddenly opened as a familiar pair came toward him.
It was Ylsean and her brother Dimmy, who quickly came to give him the bad news that his father and mother were detained by the royal guards, whom many didn't even know existed.
The reason was that Joe's father had followed a herd of wild boars and exterminated them all, which brought unwanted attention upon him.
"My friend Joe, we will have to return to our home as soon as possible. Things are getting complicated here, and our father thought this was the best thing for us," Dimmy said, showing sadness.
"But before we go, we'll leave you with some things that will help you for a while," Ylsean said, placing a heavy suitcase on the bed.
Embarrassed, but with no way to refuse, Joe scratched his head, unsure of what to do.
"Why don't you just open it?" said young Ylsean, noticing her little friend's embarrassment.
And when he opened the suitcase, a beautiful smile formed on his lips, for the suitcase seemed more like a treasure chest, full of sweets, treats, and packages of various kinds of food.
But as soon as he remembered that he wouldn't have his father or mother to share these things with, he felt sad again.
"Is there anything else you'd like to have?" Ylsean asked, eager.
"I want you to teach me everything you can about trade. I want to learn to sell and also to buy because I'm going to get rich and powerful to help my father get out of the place where they imprisoned him."
Ylsean started to smile, but when she felt the conviction in Joe's words, she realized he was serious.
"Do you really think your father will be imprisoned for long?" Dimmy asked, holding his little hands.
"My father is not an ordinary person, so I'm sure they'll imprison him for a long time until they're sure he doesn't have any strong support. After that, there's no certainty about what they'll do, but it won't be anything good."
The minds of the baron's children were racing with that information, and they wanted to delve deeper into the subject, but seeing all the sadness and loneliness of little Joe, they decided to leave it for another time
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