The blue sky is clear and clear, and the turquoise sea is calm like a mirror.

Above the sea, a 15-meter-high, 60-meter-long passenger ship is wandering quietly, with a bright yellow hull painted with a huge and eye-catching name painted with palm paint -

Gothenburg.

Huge brigs, with white canvas hanging from them, and seabirds still resting on them.

The melodious sound of the piano wafted out through the porthole, and it was heard far away in the sea......

The wide cabin was brightly lit, and the crowd inside stood in groups of three or five, wine glasses in their hands, and talked in low voices.

Waiters wearing red hats and bows around their necks weave through the crowd, serving cups of bubbly fruit wine to passengers.

In the middle of the crowd is a stage elevated above the ground, where a pianist who looks to be in his 40s is playing, his fingers phantom on the keys, and a low, melodious tune lingering through the ballroom.

The pianist wears a black top hat with a blue coat with a light blue waistcoat and a white silk shirt with gold thread rolling around the edges, placket and cuffs of the top hat.

On the pianist's chest, there are three brightly colored feathers, trembling slightly with the beat.

Gollum –

A brass-colored button rolled down the steps and into the crowd of people in the ballroom, weaving under their feet.

Drip-yo-yo –

The brass button was kicked on the toes of several people and eventually came to a stop on the edge of the stage.

Then the pianist was not disturbed by this little episode and continued to play the piece.

Knock Knock Knock –

There was a burst of small footsteps, a pair of small black leather shoes appeared in front of the brass buttons, and the chubby little hands reached out and picked up the brass buttons.

"Luckily I found it. ”

The owner of the voice was a little girl, about 3 or 4 years old, covered in flesh, with big blue eyes, golden hair, and a hairpin on it.

She wears a tutu made of silk and a handkerchief around her neck.

"Mom, I found the button. ”

The child girl pinched the buttons, turned around and ran away, and in her other hand, she was still carrying a bear doll woven of wool.

The pianist who was playing tilted his head slightly and watched the little girl leave.

When the little girl's figure was completely blocked by the figure, the pianist turned around and continued to play.

The little girl ran out of the ballroom, into the hallway outside, and through several doorways, into a half-open cabin.

"Mom, I've found the missing buttons, can you help Anne put them back?"

The little girl tugged at the corner of the woman's skirt in the cabin, raised her head, and looked at the woman expectantly.

The woman who was looking sideways at the scenery lowered her head and reached out to take the button from the little girl's hand.

"My little Anne, when the party in the ballroom is over, I'll borrow a needle and thread from Aunt Greene. ”

The woman's face revealed an unhealthy paleness, her original blonde hair was like a ball of withered yellow hay, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, and she didn't know what made her sad.

The woman reached out and picked up her daughter, put her beside her, and combed little Anne's hair with her fingers.

"My little Annie, is the cake in the banquet hall delicious?"

"Anne didn't eat the cake, I couldn't reach it. ”

The little girl frowned, pulled the latte art on her mother's cuffs, and showed a depressed look on her little face.

"You can ask the gentlemen there for help, little princess's request, and they will definitely agree. ”

The woman carefully arranged little Annie's collar, and her eyes showed doting colors.

"I hate those people, they smell all over alcohol and big .ma. ”

Little Anne leaned into her mother's arms, "That's why my father beat you, I hate him." ”

Hearing her daughter's words, Anne's mother's face flushed with gloom, and then disappeared, resting her chin on Anne's head.

"My daughter, we're out of that bad place. ”

Little Anne broke free from her mother's arms, trotted to the door, and looked out through the porthole.

After a while, he ran back again, "Mother, how long will it be before we get to Huasheng.dun?"

Little Anne's big blue eyes were full of yearning, and she hugged her mother's legs.

"How long will it take to ......?"

The woman was silent for a moment, "Maybe two more nights will come......"

She couldn't say for sure, so she could only comfort her daughter like this.

"Annie, if you want to relieve your boredom, you can go to Mr. Pianist, he likes you very much. ”

"No, he's playing the same tune all the time, it's too monotonous. ”

Little Anne's chubby little hand pointed downward, "I like to play with the black men and boatmen on the lower floors, they always have endless stories to tell." ”

Hearing that her daughter was in contact with the black man, the woman's face suddenly turned serious and terrifying.

"Listen, Anne, we're not of the same class as the Negroes, they're the lowest people, we're the natural nobility. ”

Stretching out her finger, the woman touched Anne's forehead, "Remember, they are lowly slaves. ”

"Oh......"

Little Anne hung her head on the ground, her tone full of reluctance.

"Mom, I'm out playing Bear. ”

The little girl carried the bear and left the cabin with her head down.

Little Anne carried the woolen bear to the aft deck, where several sailors were observing the situation around the sea.

When they saw little Anne, the sailors smiled kindly at her.

Little Anne placed the bear between a pile of cables and grimaceed at the bear.

"Little Bear, shall we play a game together?"

"I'll go over there, and count to 1, 2, 3, and I'll come back to you, okay?"

The bear, made of wool, nodded in the sea breeze.

"Great! You're my best friend. ”

Little Anne clapped her palms happily, then got up and trotted down the corridor in the distance.

“1、2、3！”

A childish voice came, "I'm going to find you!"

The little girl in the distance turned abruptly, smiling, and ran towards this side like a gust of wind.

When she came to the bear and saw that the bear was still in place, the little girl smiled happily.

Squatting down in front of the bear, little Anne picked it up.

"Shall we change the game?"

The sailors not far away, their eyes swept over little Anne flatly, without half a wave.

"I'll just say yes. ”

Little Anne grabbed the bear and ran to the side.

Puff –

The girl tripped over a raised oak deck and fell to the ground, the bear in her hand bumping a few times, and landing at a staircase that led to the bottom.

The sailor, who was right next to little Annie, had an indifferent look in his eyes and was indifferent.

Immediately got up from the ground, little Anne's skirt was glued with red wood paint, but she didn't care.

"This is the staircase that leads to the next floor, but my mother won't let me play with the black uncles below. ”

The little girl struggled at the top of the stairs.

"Hmm...... Just this time, I got the bear back. ”

The little girl tried to convince herself, leaned sideways, stretched out a leg to test the height of the stairs, and then walked down step by step.

There were only a few candles in the hallway, the murky air was accompanied by the sound of coughing, and there was sewage flowing on the floor.

All this contrasts with the exuberance of the ballroom above.

"Qom, Adulon, Uncle Hugan, do you see my bear?"

Little Anne shouted her familiar names in the dim surroundings.

“......”

But this time no one responded to her, and the little girl had to find it herself.

Boom!

There was a muffled sound, and little Anne squatted on the ground with her forehead and an ass.

"Wow, it hurts. ”

Rubbing her forehead, little Anne looked ahead angrily.

In sight, there is a pair of boots with camouflage colors, and above the boots, there are a pair of slender thighs.

"Kid, what are you looking for?"

The long-legged owner crouched down and looked at Anne with a smile.

"Sister, have you seen my bear?"