Although the sun is still shining in December, the cold snap from the north still casts a thin layer of hoar frost over the vegetation of the new pine.

Because of the weather, Father Ann and the others were almost all crammed around a charcoal stove in the living room.

Since the battle of the broken temple, Yu Siqi has never taken half a step out of the gate. This is still a little uncomfortable for him, a young man who doesn't like to squat at home. But fortunately, Gong Chen often brings some interesting stories to share with them, so that he can avoid the embarrassment of being overly bored.

Just after noon, Father Ann was already drowsy in his chair, and the newspaper in his hand fell to the ground. Seeing this scene, Ah Zhe silently picked up the newspaper and put it aside. Ah Zhen, who was originally knitting a scarf, also put the half-slipped blanket back on the priest and continued the work in hand.

Yu Siqi was actually a little sleepy, after all, it was difficult to avoid dozing off next to such an excessively warm fire. But he didn't want to be like Father An, who couldn't sleep in the middle of the night to find food and was caught by Ah Zhen. So he leaned forward slightly and took the newspaper on the table.

It's an old newspaper, the date on it is not legible, and it is clear that its owner does not know what cherishing is. However, judging from the newness of the paper, it should not be more than a month.

A huge headline took up the first page of the entire newspaper—

Homicide on the Ihara Ferry?

Recently, this reporter learned of a strange homicide case at the Ihara Ferry. A middle-aged man of about 47 years old died mysteriously at the gate of his home, and the cause of death was unknown.

At present, the police still do not plan to release the autopsy report, and they have taken the liberty to send the body to the crematorium for destruction without the family signing it.

Many of the local residents have kept their mouths shut about it, and we are convinced that they must have been under pressure from the outside world to do so.

Still, we learned some additional details during a chance unannounced visit.

An enthusiastic citizen, who did not want to be named, said that the body was found by his brother-in-law, and he heard from his brother-in-law that there were many suspicious holes in the body, especially the hole in the chest that was the size of a bowl, which was strange and scary.

Although we still have no more favorable truth, and even the authorities have declined our request to access the relevant files, insisting that it was just an ordinary incident of accidental fall to death, we still feel that this incident has a more reasonable explanation, like the suicide case that occurred on the banks of the Jinshui River.

"Where is the Ihara Ferry?" Yu Siqi raised his head and asked.

"I don't know, don't ask me." Shi Yizhe shook his head, put his hand near the fire and said, "Is it any interesting news?" ”

"Didn't you go last time, how... Look at your memory. Xie Baozhen also raised her head, yawned and said, "The priest asked you to go around that area not long ago, but you said that there were too many investigators and you couldn't get close at all." ”

"Oh... You said that place, it was not called Yiyuan Ferry, but now it is called Xiangu Port. Shi Yizhe rubbed his hands and said, "But it is said that only people who have lived there will call it Chengyiyuan Ferry, and they firmly believe that the name is more flavorful than the port of Xianggu." ”

"You even know this and say you don't know where that place is, what about me?" Yu Siqi squeezed.

"I really didn't react, it's cold, and my whole brain is a little uncomfortable." Shi Yizhe explained with a guilty face.

"It's fine, just asking." Yu Siqi smiled and said, "To be honest, I'm a little confused, and I can't finish the homework assigned by the priest at all. ”

"What's he being asked to read lately?" Shi Yizhe asked with interest.

"It's still those Latin Biani books, and I now see the chapter on the Lost Dynasty." Yu Siqi said happily: "In some ways, I personally like that country, and all the people in it are geniuses." ”

"It's because they're so clever that they are doomed." Father An, who didn't know when he had woken up, put away the blanket covering his body and said: "Everyone is very smart, and when everyone has wisdom that is not inferior to others, people's comparison will lead them to destruction. ”

"But weren't they destroyed by other races?" Shi Yizhe asked curiously, when I used to read that book, you explained it to me like this.

"Foreign objects from the abyss, indeed—they are indeed another race. But have you ever noticed where the abyss came from, a realm created by the Lamenshiani themselves? "Never forget what they bring, whether it is a gift or a curse, we must accept and deal with it," said Father Ann. ”

"You mean everything I've been through is a legacy of theirs?" Yu Siqi asked.

"It is quite possible," said Father Ann with a smile, "though I cannot give you any assurance by patting my chest, but there are signs that something is being found in this land, but something is hidden too deep for a mere mortal like me to lift the veil on its face by my own intellect alone." ”

"Then you may need me," Gong Chen took off his coat and hung it on the stand by the door, walked quickly to the fire and said, "I really envy you people who can gather to roast the fire, do you know?" I've been standing all night in the cold wind. ”

"Why, if you don't come home at night, Xiaofang doesn't doubt it? It seems that she has acquiesced to your unusual behavior. Father Ann pulled a chair and placed it on his right hand and said, "Sit down, don't stand and talk." ”

"She's going back to her parents' house, and she won't be back until next year." Gong Chen unceremoniously sat down on a chair and said, "If it's convenient, can you get me something to eat?" But it starves me. ”

"Do you want sausages?" Xie Baozhen got up and asked, "I'll bring you some coffee by the way, I'm a little sleepy myself." ”

"Whatever, it's just a thing." Gong Chen stretched out his hand to the fire and said, "That, where did you just go?" ”

"The part that needs you," Fr. Ann reminded.

"Oh, by the way—that's true," Gong Chen asked tentatively, "I arranged for you what you asked me to do last time." How about we find a time, let's go for a spin? ”

"So fast?" Father Ann looked skeptical.

"Hmm... That's the case, I had to wait for about half a month, but recently there is a serious shortage of manpower, and the security monitoring work over there has been removed. It's like an unattended place now, and all I have to do is get this thing out of the storage room. Gong Chen took out a bunch of keys from his pocket and said, "I'm very reliable." ”

"Did anyone say you're a good thief?" Shi Yizhe asked.

"I don't think you, a guy who doesn't follow the usual path every day, are qualified to talk about me," Gong Chen put away the key and said, "If you don't like it, I can put it back." ”

"It's too much of a surprise to say that," said Fr. Ann gently, "don't you think today is a very special day? ”

"How?" Gong Chen took a plate of sausages handed by Xie Baozhen, said thank you, and started moving.

"Probably everyone is very idle," Yu Siqi said as he picked up the hot coffee on the table and took a sip.