Mrs. Williams' expression changed subtly, but Xu Yun, who had been watching the Williams couple, noticed it.
As a future visitor well-versed in history, he quickly thought of what Mrs. Williams was worrying about:
Most likely, the rice jar at the Williams household was about to be empty.
According to the normal historical trajectory.
The plague of the Black Death, which William initially thought would last only two or three months, fermented further after the new year, lasting far beyond the economic limits the family could bear.
Therefore, out of necessity.
Young Niu was forced to move to the home of Hanfley Babington to tutor Hanfley Babington's younger brother..... ah, I mean, to provide guidance.
It was a half-work, half-boarding situation where he engaged in research, continuing the outcome in the latter part.
And William's affection for Little Niu was beyond words; he treated Little Niu as if he were his son.
The fact that Little Niu was forced to move out showed the dire state the Williams family was in at that time.
Therefore, the choice now facing Xu Yun was:
To help or not to help?
Emotionally speaking.
The Williams family gave Xu Yun a good impression, and helping them would undoubtedly gain some favor from Little Niu.
Logically speaking.
If Little Niu moved to Hanfley's home, it would present a problem for Xu Yun on how to follow along.
Thus quickly, Xu Yun made a decision in his mind:
Of course, to help!
Although according to the task's hint, he shouldn't easily involve himself in historical events he wasn't a part of.
But this limitation should ultimately affect the task score, rather than being a direct rule-based denial.
In other words, if his main task completion is high enough, this part of the score should be offset—equivalent to an early-stage investment loss.
Improving the economic conditions of William and Newton personally + giving Newton an academic enlightenment at the right time, if still not managing to become friends with Little Niu, then Xu Yun would have nothing more to say.
Of course.
Though that's easy to say, the specific entry point needs careful consideration.
At least some non-essential or historically impactful things shouldn't appear—those who understand, will know, so there's no need for more elaboration.
After all, although this is a parallel universe, Xu Yun still hopes that the local side won't be affected too much by his "butterfly wings."
Returning his gaze to the original scene.
Although the household's food reserves were already scarce, the only ones truly aware of it were Mrs. Williams and the two female members, Lisa and the young one.
And since Lisa was still intermittently click-clacking with Little Niu at this time, the atmosphere of the meal wasn't somber; instead, it was somewhat cheerful.
The hospitable William introduced many of his business experiences to Xu Yun:
For instance, he once slipped on a trip to Liverpool, losing a replica crown he was going to give Lisa, and that he had been to Milan, where he really liked the champagne...
Xu Yun also shared many stories from Central Earth:
For example, in Central Earth's Sichuan Province, every household owned a creature called "Gungun," and neighboring Jin Province had vinegar flowing from their taps...
Mrs. Williams was more interested in Chinese cuisine and asked a few questions similar to Little Niu's, but she didn't suggest that Xu Yun cook—clearly, she still had some doubts about Xu Yun's cooking skills.
Thus, a less-than-ideal lunch ended in a relatively happy atmosphere.
Afterward, Mrs. Williams and her daughters cleared the dishes, while William took Xu Yun and Little Niu out of the house.
"Oh, Mr. Feiyu."
After stepping out, William hesitated for a moment and finally said:
"Mr. Feiyu, three days from now is Sunday, would you like to join us at the town chapel?"
"Uh, chapel?"
Xu Yun blinked upon hearing this, instinctively ready to refuse, but suddenly thought of the national situation in the United Kingdom at the time:
The National Church had detached from the Catholic Church nearly 100 years ago, and the vigorous Protestant and Catholic Thirty Years' War was in full swing, and both Little Niu and his family were devout believers.
Moreover, since the Black Death hadn't reached Woolsop, gathering crowds wasn't much of an issue.
Therefore, Xu Yun considered it and changed his soon-to-be spoken decline to say:
"No problem, I will be there on time." (Originally, I didn't want to affect everyone's reading experience, but to prevent misunderstandings, I'll state first, I respect all beliefs, so I won't bash or promote any domestic or foreign religion. Xu Yun goes to worship to fit in with the situation and a subsequent plot, not to join the faith. I didn't explain this in a similar plot before and was misinterpreted by those with ulterior motives; by the time I noticed, it had already been three hundred comments high.)
William was overjoyed at the response and patted his shoulder:
"Hallelujah! Mr. Feiyu, God will surely be pleased with you!"
Xu Yun gave a dry laugh, choosing not to respond further.
Subsequently, he and Little Niu politely bade farewell to William and left.
As he turned to wave, Xu Yun caught sight of a figure by the attic window still click-clacking towards Little Niu—speaking of which, it's puzzling how those two managed to keep their split a secret, the rest of the five members of the Williams family must be star-level players?
Under normal circumstances, shouldn't Little Niu have already been sent to Germany for some orthopedic consultation by William's cargo ship?