8mi Chapter 14 Cafeteria
Chapter 14 Cafeteria
"Sister Fanning, may I ask why the dining hall is open in the afternoon? Is it to prepare for tonight's dinner?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm really hungry. May I ask which restaurant you bought your lunch from? I'm not familiar with this area at all."
Sister Fanning smiled slightly: "Bought from the cafeteria."
……
Fafnir wandered around the campus for a while before realizing that the cafeteria wasn't on campus.
He asked passersby for directions while groping his way around.
Fafnir found the cafeteria about 200 meters from the school gate.
The canteen is a large two-story building constructed of light-colored sandstone.
Fafner had assumed this was the grammar school's private dining hall, but the metal plaque at the entrance read:
"The third public canteen and grammar school catering point under Ryan City"
It's lunchtime now, and there are quite a few people coming and going.
Once inside, Fafnir found that the first floor of the cafeteria was a spacious hall with a smooth, light-colored stone floor. Rows of long tables and benches were neatly arranged, seating about a hundred people, and it was already full.
Fafnir saw a large group of young people and children dressed in uniform grey robes eating at tables in one area.
However, half of the people in the hall were dressed as ordinary laborers—aprons, coarse cloth clothes, and dusty boots; the young people and children in gray uniforms sat at the long table by the window, their uniforms clean and tidy, seemingly out of place with their surroundings.
Fafner guessed they might be students from grammar school; after all, school starts tomorrow, and the students should all be at school by now.
The standard gray robe must be a school uniform.
Of course, there were also many people with different clothes and expressions, who were probably not from a grammar school or ordinary workers.
Fafner noticed that at the far end of the lobby on the first floor were several food display windows, and there weren't many people queuing up anymore.
As Fafnir approached, the aroma wafting from the window made his stomach rumble—it was the smell of stewed meat, mixed with the smoky aroma of toasted bread, and a sweetness he couldn't quite place, like some kind of fruit.
"Next!"
Fafnir had reached the window and saw a man in a white apron staring at him expressionlessly.
"What would you like to order?"
Fafner glanced at the food displayed in the window.
A large pot of thick soup, a small mountain of mixed wheat flour bread and white bread placed separately, a large bowl of boiled beans, a salad mixed with various vegetables, and a separate small bowl containing thick slices of meat drizzled with brown gravy.
"Excuse me, sir, I'd like a slice of mixed wheat bread and a bowl of soup. How much would that cost?"
"One copper coin for a bowl of soup, and two copper coins for a mixed wheat bread! Wait, little guy... are you... a student at the grammar school? A freshman? Don't you know the cafeteria payment rules yet?"
The man in the white apron looked down at Fafnir and explained, "As a catering point for the grammar school, the prices here are very different for grammar school students. They use points to pay for meals."
One copper coin is equivalent to two cafeteria points. One point buys one bowl of soup, one point buys one white bread, and mixed wheat bread is provided free of charge without limit.
"No, I'm a volunteer at the grammar school."
"A volunteer?" The man was somewhat surprised: "So young, a volunteer?"
Are you considered an employee of the grammar school? If so, you have 6 free meal credits per meal.
Fafnir was secretly pleased to hear this.
"Can unused credit accumulate?"
"Oh, of course not. Free credits can't be accumulated, but paid credits can. By the way, you can redeem cafeteria points at the logistics office on the second floor. Use your copper coins to exchange for credit vouchers."
"How much... oh no, how many points does this meat with sauce cost?"
"This piece of fried meat is worth four points. By the way, the window next door also sells fish. They offer two or three kinds of meat every day."
"Well then, please give me a mixed wheat bread, a bowl of soup, and a plate of fried meat, thank you. And one point, whatever you like."
Fafnir was already eager to eat.
"Little one, the vegetable salad costs two points, and there's also a small fruit pie next door, which also costs two points. Let me get you a bowl of soup too, since it's not easy to accumulate just one point."
"Okay, thank you!"
"Then, let me see your employee ID."
"..."
"Forgot to bring it? Little one, don't do it again. Give me your employee number so I can reimburse you from the grammar school."
"No, I don't have it yet. I'm sorry, I just started yesterday and my credentials haven't been issued yet."
"I'm sorry! Without a grammar school employee ID or employee number, I cannot provide you with a meal."
Although I trust you, our cafeteria has been scammed a few times before.
The man shook his head.
Fafner was somewhat frustrated. "Sigh, my employee ID card is definitely not ready yet, since I just started yesterday."
Although I had originally planned to pay for lunch, I felt a little uncomfortable when I learned that I could have eaten for free.
I'll have to pay for it myself now. I'll try the fried meat again in a while.
"So, I'll pay then. A bowl of soup and a mixed wheat bread, two copper coins, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"He is an employee of the grammar school."
A loud voice rang out.
It's Viktor Zaitsev!
"Hello, Mr. Victor!"
"I was having lunch in the cafeteria when I sensed you, little Fafnir!"
Victor smiled and said, "Sir, I can vouch for Fafner Beckett as an employee of the grammar school. He just started working there, and his credentials haven't been completed yet."
When you apply for reimbursement from the grammar school, just use Fafnir's name.
"Oh, my esteemed Bishop Victor, no problem."
"Little one, a mixed wheat bread, a bowl of soup, a plate of fried meat, and I'll use the other point to get you a fruit pie, the price is about the same anyway."
……
"Mr. Victor, thank you so much!"
Fafnir was overjoyed to have his lost item back.
"Haha, it's nothing, just eat your food."
Fafnir carried his tray and followed Mr. Victor, who invited him to sit next to him for lunch.
"By the way, Mr. Victor, what about Allen and Martha...?"
"I'm not sure how they were doing at lunchtime; they might not have come to the cafeteria. I haven't been keeping an eye on them."
Fafnir, you too, it was just a coincidence today. I couldn't keep an eye on you all the time.
Victor smiled and said, "You should have thought this through more carefully today. Since you knew the cafeteria was open today, you should have asked the staff in the logistics department or other students about the cafeteria rules beforehand."
You can't just fumble around on your own; you need to talk to other people, okay?
"Thank you, Mr. Victor, I understand."