23O hard days, please do not come again

Since it was a night arrival, the hurried travelers packed their luggage and checked into the hotel in the dark, there was no lively night market, and the fresh sea breeze only brought tranquility and comfort, and the fatigue was swept into the deep darkness.

It wasn't until dawn that travellers could see what was going on on Sick Island: the thatched-roofed huts kept their Dragon's pristine appearance, and the simple streets were lined not only with houses, but also with huge, stout coconut trees, some of which were so inclined that they almost touched the ground, but which were just right to form a wonderful curve and not touch the ground. There was no shortage of natives in the streets, dressed in cool, linen short-sleeved trousers, dyed sky blue or sea blue, wearing ornaments made of fish bones or shells, dark skin, long hair coiled back their heads, smiling and shouting "welcome" and "how is your doing" and greeting those around them. In the distance, there is still the sea, you can see the reef on the coast, and countless boats haunt the waves, which looks thrilling and vibrant. On the side of the sea, there are high mountains, showing the emerald green of the mountains, full and soft.

The snow dog gestured to Milo: "The only goods here are fish and coconuts." Milo also knew some sign language, and looked at the merchants around her, and sure enough, as the snow dog expressed, most of the merchants had fresh fish and coconuts on their storefronts. Melo was about to ask the others if they wanted to buy some coconuts to drink, only to find that Erin had already walked over with four large coconuts in her hands.

Erin digs open the coconut with the knife she carries with her and enthusiastically distributes it to the other three. Milo gratefully accepted her share, and was glad to see Erin smiling at her, as she rejuvenated.

The group began to tour the island of Sik - rather a trip back and forth, the whole island was inhabited only where they disembarked, and the rest was all forests or beaches, which were not fully developed at all, but remained natural and untouched, and there was no ordinary architectural complex like a mainland country. On this island, even the church is a simple thatched house, and a statue of the god of all sources can be placed for the faithful to pray.

"I'm going to church and pray for a safe trip." Erin said.

Nightfinch then said, "Then Milo, you go with your sister, and the two of us will go and inquire about some news." We've been on the ship for too long, and it's uncomfortable that we haven't heard anything new. With that, she took the snow dog and walked away quickly, leaving Erin and Milo behind.

"Then, let's go!" Erin cheerfully says that she has fully integrated into this happy island of the South Seas.

Milo followed Erin to the church of the Wanyuan Sect, only to see her kneeling reverently, clasping her hands together, and softly reciting her prayer: "May the God of Wanyuan bless all those who are dedicated to goodness, bless my parents and family, and bless those who have been silently helping me in secret......" Erin glanced back at Milo, squinted and smiled sweetly, her cheeks flushed, and she turned her head back again, and continued to pray. Milo realizes that Erin has learned the truth about the handcuffs, but instead of responding, he silently donates some gold coins to the church.

After Erin finished praying and blessings, the two of them walked along the streets, and although there was nothing special to buy, Erin still bought some decorations made of shells, and waited to return to Windwalk Town to give them to the children in the town. The two just had lunch as usual, without much communication, and there were not many topics that could be caused by the monotonous scenery here, but this leisure and relaxation were difficult to enjoy before.

On the other hand, the night sparrow and the snow dog did not collect any information, but should eat and play to relax themselves, usually busy in Fengxing Town, at this time suddenly idle, really a little uncomfortable. Snow Dog gestured: "You deliberately let those two people be alone, right?" ”

"Of course, young people should know how to socialize." Nightfinch said with a little majesty.

"Do you think they're a good fit?" The snow dog gestures again.

"Maybe, but we need to make a match." Nightfinch said that this time she spoke like a seasoned parent.

By the time the two groups got together again, it was already after the afternoon, and all four of them had completely relaxed their minds and bodies and become one with this free, fun-filled, peaceful island.

"We'll go back to the inn before dinner, and we'll talk to the captain about the next trip." Milo said.

"Are we going to keep on the boat?" Erin asked worriedly, she was afraid of the boat.

"Yes, but we're going to split up, I'm going to go to Il, you can visit the two main islands of Dragon, and you can also visit the other small islands." Milo replied.

"Why?!" Erin and Nightfinch asked at the same time, and even the Snow Dog gave her a puzzled look.

"I'm going to Il Island...... Go meet a few friends...... But the current situation of that island is more complicated, in order to ...... For your safety, I'll just go alone. Milo replied a little reluctantly, but said it anyway.

Erin wanted to ask, but was stopped by Nightsparrow. "Then let's make an appointment in advance where we will meet and set a time." Nightfinch said.

"So we're going to talk to the captain." Milo said. As the conversation ended, Erin looked disappointed, and the expression of the moment was keenly captured by Nightsparrow.

The Union was busy resupplying the harbor until the afternoon, when Captain Finn and his crew arrived at the inn, and in the evening a banquet was held to celebrate the successful journey. When Milo and the others returned to the inn, Captain Finn, along with the crew, as well as some of the local fishermen, sailors, and drunkards, sang the song that they often sang during the voyage:

Let us hoist the sails and look back at the ocean that has been crossed;

destitute, destitute, shedding tears of sorrow;

With the sea breeze, we sang a familiar voice-

Oh! It's a hard day, please don't come again!

Let us pluck the oars and cast the hole-pierced fishing nets;

Enjoy medicality, pursue excitement, and shed helpless tears;

The sea breeze is howling, and the song lingers in our ears—

Scold! It's a hard day, please don't come again!

Let's go back to exhaustion and caress the patched sheets;

sigh about life, lament fate, and shed tears of despair;

The breeze blew lightly, and we whispered in our dreams—

Yes! It's a hard day, please don't come again!

……

Milo and his party listened to the singing, and they were fascinated by it. The lyrics sound extremely sad, but they are sung in a very light-hearted and lively tune.

"There is optimism in the sadness, and the seafarers and sailors do all the hard work, battling the rough seas and the bad weather every day, and they get only a little." Night Sparrow said with emotion.

"They're all drunk, do you still have to talk to the captain?" Erin said.

"Hey, beauty!" Captain Finn shouted at Erin, slurring his words, "I'm not drunk yet!" With that, the bottle of wine in his hand fell crookedly on his body, and the wine soaked his clothes, causing the sailors around him to laugh.

"Well, it looks like there's no way to negotiate." "Let's talk about it tomorrow morning, there's no hurry." ”

In the middle of the night, the inn was quiet, and Captain Finn and the sailors were so drunk that they lay down at the dining table and fell asleep, snoring so loudly that it even reached the outside of the inn. As Nightsparrow said, these people who work hard at sea know that they may lose their lives every time they sail, so they are very active in terms of pleasure, much like the soldiers of Milo's team. Although the captains and sailors were vulgar, they were all good people, and in the Dragon Empire, which was dominated by the seafaring industry, there were many such people, silently doing these mundane, hard work, to support themselves and their families......

Melo leaned against the coconut tree outside the inn, he still maintained his old habits, and his sleep time was very irregular, and he did not feel tired even if he did not sleep for days and nights.

At this time, he looked thoughtfully at the starry sky in the south - remember the story of the curse of the stars? For more than two years, he had never forgotten Domi's prophecy, never forgotten that he would have to face a new crisis, and never forgot that he might be sent into the misty jungle...... And not forgetting Heidi.

Memories are like sharp knives, piercing his heart; Like a strong wind, it shatters his dreams; like poison, tormenting his mind...... When he finally gets rid of the pain of his memories for a while, there is always something that triggers his memories to reappear. But now that he is on Sick Island, he can relax for the time being and let his brain empty for a while.

Gentle footsteps approached from behind, and Milo heard it, thinking it was just a drunk or a passerby coming out of the inn. A figure appeared in front of him—the dark-skinned man with blue eyes.

Milo was startled, his eyes instantly widened, and he said in horror: "You...... Why are you here? ”

"Milo?" Woman's voice.

After hearing the response, Milo fixed her eyes on the person in front of her, it was Erin. He breathed a sigh of relief, only to realize that he had just hallucinated, possibly caused by fatigue. And this fright, a cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well? Erin stepped forward and touched Milo's forehead, gently wiping the beads of sweat from her handkerchief.

"It's okay, it's okay," Milo immediately took Erin's hand away, but he was afraid that Erin would misunderstand, so he still took the handkerchief and wiped his forehead and temples vigorously, "It's so late, you're alone?" He cautiously looked around and asked Erin.

"Well, I'm alone. I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a walk. Erin replied, relieved to see that Milo was fine.

"Yes, I'm not used to it after getting off the boat, so I have to hurry up and rest, especially since you've been seasick for so long......" Milo also said with concern, and soon he noticed that he was still holding Erin's handkerchief in his hand, "Oh, I'll go back and wash this and return it to you." ”

"It's okay, you can use it first...... By the way, can you accompany me? I want to ......," Erin said and stopped.

Mello waited quietly for Erin to finish, but the words that followed made his heart pound—

"I want to ...... Go and see the sea. ”