"Oh, I caught three snowcoat bugs the other day, each as thick as my index finger."

Mamura was shaving some snow with a twig, and he seemed to be thinking about something, and his delicate face like a girl showed a hesitant expression.

"Oh? And then what? ”

I was a little careless, but I still pretended to be interested in asking. The snowcoat he refers to is a bug that is active at low temperatures, but dies as soon as the temperature warms up. The insect looks like a fluffy cotton ball, like a white snowcoat.

This is a very peculiar insect that I have studied the "snowcoat" on its body and found that this "snowsuit" is actually composed of eggs and secretions of snowcoats, which they use to protect against the cold winter. However, when the cold winter passes and the temperature rises, the eggs in the "snowsuit" will begin to hatch, and the "snowsuit" itself will also expand, so that the snowsuit insects wrapped in the "snowsuit" cannot breathe and eat, and eventually suffocate to death in the protective clothing they made. ，

After that, the eggs in the snow suit hatch into larvae, and these larvae feed on the secretions and corpses left behind by their dead mothers, and when they grow to a certain extent, they leave one after another, each looking for a nest to weave their own "snow suit", forming a new cycle of life.

"And then ......"

Mamura suddenly stopped talking, he looked away at the Tone River waterway in the distance, and looked around again, as if to make sure there was no one. After observing all directions, he cautiously spoke: "Fold, I...... I've seen the rats, and ...... I, I stepped out of the eight...... Eight....... ”

His words after that were unspeakable, but I looked at his expression and immediately understood what he wanted to say, so my heart sank and I lowered my voice: "You stepped out of the bading mark?" ”

My parents, including some adults who know me, have warned that once you step out of the bad-ding standard, you will encounter terrible things. It sounds like a scare to children, but judging from the disappearance of several children I know, this "terrible thing" may not be false - just is this danger from the outside world, or from the adults who warn them?

I haven't verified it myself, so I can't be sure of the facts, and I don't know if any of the children who disappeared disappeared because they stepped out of the Eight Ding Mark. Either way, I was worried about Mamura's situation, so I kept an eye on him, hoping for a definite answer.

Mamura was silent and did not speak, he was a smart child, much more psychologically mature than children of the same age. But after all, he was just a child, and that ugly expression couldn't hide his inner thoughts at all. Getting the answer from his face, my heart grew heavier and heavier, and I repeated again: "Yes, or no?" ”

Perhaps my tone was too harsh, he whispered a soft "yes" and nodded, but his eyes dodged and did not dare to look at me directly.

"When?"

I continued to ask, I don't think it would be a recent thing, because it has been snowing heavily for the past few days, and he can't go out even if he wants to.

"Eight days ago, it was about five o'clock in the afternoon."

"No one sees?"

"No, I looked around carefully and made sure there was no one else before I walked out."

His tone was very convinced, but I didn't dare to relax easily, and continued to stare at him: "Which position is the Bading standard?" ”

"It's the one behind the cedar grove in front of my house. Fow, everything has passed, am I not standing here well? ”

Mamura tried to make a relaxed appearance, but I couldn't take it easy at all, because in his eyes, the danger came from outside the Hachicho standard, and now it was over. In my eyes, the danger came from the Hatcho standard, and it might be imminent - but I couldn't tell him that I couldn't tell him for sure, or even if I told him that the danger came from the authorities in the town, he probably wouldn't believe it.

"Just ask a few more questions, and you will answer me seriously."

I slowed my tone as low as I could, reached out and patted him on the shoulder, and out of the corner of my eye, I glanced in the direction of Saya and Mika to make sure they were still happily decorating the snowman before relieving myself - not that I didn't trust them, but that there were a lot of people, and I knew that it wouldn't do them any good.

"Yes, okay."

Mamura nodded solemnly.

"If you think about it, there really wasn't anyone around at that time?"

"Yes, no. Except for ......"

"Except for what?"

"Ratification...... There was no one around, but there was a rat. ”

My eyebrows jumped violently and I frowned: "What's the matter with the rats?" What does it have to do with you stepping out of the Eight Ding Mark? ”

The rat that Mamura said is said to be an intelligent life, and I have heard from some adults that they have an IQ similar to that of humans, and they belong to social animals, and the social system is similar to that of bees and human matriarchal clans, and there is only one female rat in each rat nest, which is responsible for mating and reproduction, and is called the queen.

At first, I didn't believe that an intelligent life could be born in just a thousand years, but then when I discovered many creatures that had never been seen thousands of years ago, I began to believe that there may indeed be such a rodent that can complete the evolution of human beings for millions of years in a thousand years, after all, rodents are also a kind of mammals, their reproduction and environmental adaptability are very strong, they can survive in most harsh environments, and their IQ is not low. Some rats even know how to get around traps created by humans – and when you think about it, it doesn't seem unacceptable for rodents to metamorphose and evolve further.

However, since I have never seen rats with my own eyes, I have always had great doubts about their level of intelligence, and perhaps they are only equivalent to chimpanzees, but because they are more reproductive, somewhat human-like, and can walk upright, I have made them special - the reason why I think this is only because I can't easily accept the fact that human beings are special and their uniqueness has been broken.

I have to say that when Mamura mentioned the rat, I had a strong curiosity in my heart, and I had the urge to step out of the Eight Ding Marks to find an adventure, but this impulse was curbed by me in a blink of an eye.

"When I went to the cedar forest that day to catch snowcoat insects, I saw a wounded and fainted rat outside the badging mark, and if it was allowed to stay there, it would soon die. So I walked out of the bad-label and moved it to a tree hole not far away. ”

Mamura lowered his head and drew on the snow with a branch, and he muttered, "I don't know how it is now." ”

It is already clear that a child sees an injured humanoid while catching insects, and he has a kind heart and saves a dying humanoid life regardless of the danger, and then the two become good friends and partners who transcend race relations, and experience all kinds of adventures and adventures together. It's like the main character in a fairy tale, it's really gratifying, it's gratifying.

But......

"You said it was badly injured, but if nothing happened it was dead now. Severely injured and bleeding, coupled with seven days of heavy snow, no food or herbs could be found in the ice and snow, even if the wound was not inflamed, it would not survive in this condition. It is estimated that it was buried by snow the next day. ”

I shrugged my shoulders, and although I didn't want to hit Mamura, I still tried not to let him take chances - but it was better to die, and completely cut off the witnesses, and then as long as he didn't leak it himself, the matter would be over. God knows, you know and I know, if he doesn't say it, I don't say it, no one will know.

"I know that kind of thing, too."

Mamura hung his head in frustration, he dropped the branch and clenched his fists: "But I was so unwilling, at that time I would have been able to go back and tell the adults, I was so scared that I dared to carry it to the hollow of the tree, and then ran home like a coward." Is...... Like a coward. ”

I was speechless, and suddenly I realized that, no matter how disguised I was, I had always seen the world as an adult and an egoist at heart. No matter how much I pretend to be a child, the pure and simple way of thinking of a real child is something I can't simulate.

They don't think too much about things a lot of the time, they are naïve like little animals who believe in everything in the world, and they have some kind of justice that is not disturbed by other factors. They don't think about gains and losses, they don't have too many complicated thoughts, and they don't even think that they will be hurt by it. This goodness is the good of ignorance and the evil of ignorance - but who can judge their good and evil?

Mencius said that human nature is inherently good, because everyone is the same when they are born, and the personalities of babies and children are like blank sheets of paper, their minds are the purest and simplest, they have no laziness, no anger, no greed...... There are no seven kinds of evils.

And Xunzi's human nature is irrefutable, because the innocence and innocence of children can sometimes be the most cruel behavior, they can laugh and torture all kinds of animals, because they don't understand the horror and pain of hurting life.

Their nature is actually animal nature, just as wild beasts eat people and their own kind are not condemned by conscience, because they are natural creatures, and babies and children who follow their nature are original sin, because they do not know "false", then for them morality and law are meaningless.

If all people follow this natural evil, then the world will be disordered and chaotic, there will be chaos everywhere, and society will not be able to form order.

But who can tell what is good and what is evil? The fruit of wisdom is called sin, and Eve Adam was driven out of the Garden of Esun after swallowing the fruit of wisdom and being free from his ignorant nature.

I can't think of an answer, I can only smile bitterly, this eternal debate between right and wrong is itself an unsolvable puzzle, it is not mathematics, there is no equation with a single answer and solution, anyone can make sense of the two from any angle - or in other words, what about human nature?

When people are just born, they don't know dignity and honor, even if they are insulted, they won't get angry, like a gas basket, isn't this "cheap"? Moreover, the newborn child only has nature, does not have any labor, and cannot create any value, which is "cheap" in a sense.

I pulled my thoughts back to reality, threw all the strange thoughts out of my mind, and continued to ask Mamura, "Did you tell anyone else about it after that?" ”

"I was afraid of being scolded by adults, so I only told you."

Mamura shook his head. I finally calmed down, and I put my hands on his shoulders, made eye contact with him, and told him in a serious tone: "Mamura, don't continue to tell anyone else about this matter, and you must try to forget it yourself, otherwise something very dangerous will happen, understand?" ”

"I ......"

Mamura's mouth had just opened, and his words were interrupted by Mika's complaint: "Fold, Mamura, what are you two talking about there?" Really, I didn't come to help, Saya and I were almost exhausted. ”

"Alright, alright, soon."

I turned my head and waved my hand at Mika and Sa, who were not far away, then stood up and patted Mamura's shoulder: "This is a secret that belongs to the two of us, and we must not tell anyone else, remember it clearly." ”

"Yes, I see."

Mamura nodded vigorously, and I patted him on the shoulder again and smiled at him encouragingly, "Also, Mamura is not a coward, you are brave and smart. ”

"Fold, thank you."

Mamura's delicate face was flushed, and he looked like both a boy and a girl before he had yet developed.

"If later...... Kindness. ”

I paused and put my words in a more plain way: "If you feel that something is exposed, come and tell me immediately." Pay special attention to adults, and if they repeatedly ask you questions about this matter, tell them that they have forgotten - where you went that day, what you did, what you ate, what clothes you wore...... Everything about that day, you said you forgot. ”

This is a precautionary shot, which is one of the most common questioning techniques, in which the interviewer repeatedly asks the person about the details and gets the answer from the details little by little. Or it is repeated questioning of various questions, which eventually makes people mentally exhausted, and the lies are linked one by one, and when the links are not solid, then the whole lie will be exposed in an instant.

A lie requires countless lies to cover up, so there are two best lies, one is not remembering anything, and the other is plausible - but this technique requires extremely high psychological quality and dialogue skills, which is too difficult for Mamura now, so the first option is the best choice for him. Jing is a special example, not every child has the same psychological qualities as her.

Children are very forgetful, as long as they say that they don't remember, even if someone doubts it, there is no way. Of course, I noticed that the adults in the town had been hypnotizing the child—and if it did, I would have hypnotized him to replace his memories of that day in order to save the village.

After all, when it comes to hypnosis, I'm also a veteran.