It should be almost evening, and the light in the sky is slowly beginning to sink in the west, and the thick clouds characteristic of the fire season set off the western sunlight extremely red, and at the same time form a few mottled bright spots on the ground, showing the beauty of flow.

Two figures walked side by side on a field road leading to a hill. If it was in normal times, Jiang Heng might still be in the mood to enjoy this beautiful scenery. But now, except for Lottie, who has been holding a lot of things next to her, crying and shouting, "Spent another five gold coins, woo, how should I spend this month!" Jiang Heng's eyes only had a string of black bracelets in his hand.

A large black round bead that feels like a stone to the touch, is pierced by a red silk thread, and two stone beads of the same color on the left and right look very ordinary, but what attracts Jiang Hong is a brown pattern like a beast's horn on the big black bead. A very familiar feeling is born from within.

He couldn't help but think back to the ...... just now

"Sister Aelita," Jiang Heng took the bracelet off the shelf and put it in his hand, "This bracelet of yours is really chic." ”

Sister Alita knocked on the abacus with her left hand and recorded it in the account book with her right hand, showing her true character as a strong woman. She glanced back at the bracelet in Jiang Heng's hand.

"Xiao Jiangheng, if you like it, just take it directly, count it as a gift I gave you as a thank you for saving Sugar Beads. Although such a string of beads is not worth it. Sister Alita said with a smile.

"Then thank you, Sister Elita. Jiang Heng quietly put the string of beads into his pocket, and then quietly put a small bag on the shelf.

"Sister Aelita, where did you buy this bracelet from?" Jiang Heng pretended to be curious and asked, Aelita didn't suspect anything, and replied directly, "I didn't buy it." ”

A proud smile appeared on Aelita's face, "I made it myself. ”

"What, Sister Alita is really a good craft, then the raw materials of this bracelet should be very precious, right?" Jiang Heng deliberately exclaimed.

Alita waved her hand, "Well, I just made it when I was bored with the rocks I picked up in the Grand Canyon of Eya, don't you think it's good? ”

Does this stone come from the Grand Canyon of Eya? Could it have something to do with the purpose of the trip? What is that inexplicable sense of familiarity? And ......

"By the way, Sister Aelita, why didn't you see the sugar beads?" Jiang Heng put away the bracelet and asked casually.

Sister Aelita's eyes passed behind Jiang Heng and Lottie, and her gaze went straight to a hill behind Charles Town, "That girl, she is studying with Pastor Eli now!"

Speaking of Sugar Beads, Sister Alita's face showed a smile of relief. Jiang Heng, however, noticed the name, "Pastor Eli, is he the priest of any temple?"

"We don't know for sure, but it's anyone's guess that Mr. Eli should be the priest of the Temple of Light, as he is always surrounded by a warm circle of light. Lottie wiped away her tears and lifted her head off the cupboard.

"Yes, Mr. Eli is such a good man, not only treating the people of the town for free, but also imparting knowledge to the children of the town. ”......

Time back to the present, Jiang Heng and Lottie are being entrusted by Sister Alita to go to the back mountain to pick up Tangzhu and a group of children.

Silently taking back the bracelet, Jiang Heng once again set his eyes on the farmland on both sides of the road, there were many trees planted in the fields, most of them were of two kinds.

A tall, white bark with black spots, and its verdant branches hung with many green and yellow fruits the size of a grapefruit, and the most striking thing was that its roots were full and thick, and even broke free from the shackles of the land and exposed to the air. The other is much shorter, with a patchwork of brown-red branches, and many reddish-brown, orange-sized fruits hanging high and low on the branches.

"Haven't you seen these things?" Jiang Heng noticed Jiang Heng's gaze, "After all, many people in the city have never seen them, let alone people like you." ”

Looking at the slightly mocking smile on Lottie's face, Jiang Heng calmly pointed to the tall tree, "This kind of tree is called the root tree, it mainly produces the staple food in our daily life, and the particulate matter produced in the fruit in the high place is called fruit rice, which is yellow in color and has a fruity aroma, and the fruit rice porridge we eat at noon today is boiled; its branches can be ground into flour, called root tree powder, which is used to bake pasta; as for its most eye-catching root." ”

Jiang Heng walked to the root tree, took out a knife, and stabbed it lightly at a small black dot on the root of the tree, and a white particle flowed out, "This is what we call root rice, and the nutrition and taste are above the fruit rice." ”

"What are you doing?!" Seeing him poke the bark open, Lottie's eyes showed a fierce light, "It's not time to harvest yet, aren't you wasting food?"

Seeing that Lottie was about to strangle herself, Jiang Heng hurriedly closed the small hole with his hand, "The small black dot on the root tree is a place rich in resin and thinner, as long as the hole is not too big, after closing, it will be like having not been cut." When I let go of my hand, I saw that it was as if nothing had happened to the incision just now.

Lottie was a little shocked, "This is the first time I've heard of it. ”

"There is also this kind of tree next to it," Jiang Heng walked to a relatively short tree again, "We call it an oil tree, this fruit is rich in vegetable oil, and the oil that we eat can be refined through a series of purification reactions." ”

"You kid, you know a lot. Lottie had an appreciative look on her face.

"It's you," Jiang Heng asked, deliberately smiling, "Why don't you even know the black fat spots on the tree, and you don't seem to know as much as me." As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere became strange.

He didn't get an immediate response.

Lottie slowly walked back down the road from the farmland, her back to Jiang Heng, "You know more about this than I do," she turned, and there was an indescribable heaviness in her eyes (she was trying to express herself).

"Do you know these things? Fruit rice costs only five copper coins a lot, and root tree rice costs five silver coins. A tree grows twice a year, and each ripening can produce 100 pallets of fruit rice, while the root rice is less than 2 pallets. "This ......"

He also knows the market price and yield of crops, and one pallet here is about equal to a pound in another world, but it's better not to say it now.

"The price of pit oil and pulp oil is different, the pulp oil is 15 copper coins a tot, the pit oil is a gold coin a toa, the oil tree is ripe once a year, and the fruit produced by each oil tree can produce 50 torp, but the pit oil is less than a tot. ”

"So?" Jiang Heng was a little puzzled why Lottie was saying these common senses.

"But because we are in a remote area, we have no other products than grain, and besides, there is not much in terms of quantity and variety, so in order to attract merchants, we keep the worst for ourselves, and sell the best at a price far below the market price. Last year, the whole town only harvested more than 700 toats of fruit and kernel oil, and sold all of them without keeping any of them, only in exchange for less than 300 gold coins. ”

Jiang Heng really didn't know that there was such an inside story, "We use the most inferior, and the best transfer through the hands of businessmen, to your mouths, you so-called upper-class people!"

Jiang Heng was a little moved, he seemed to understand Lottie a little, "But buying and selling is a voluntary matter between the two parties, and this shouldn't be a reason for you to be hostile to others." ”

Lottie's face became a little cold, and she turned around, "Hmph, it's true that the aristocracy controls the tariffs and prices, and supporting the merchants behind those who are asking for extortions is just one of the reasons why I am hostile to you. She didn't continue to say anything more, but began to continue on to the back mountain.

Jiang Heng didn't say anything, and he didn't dare to say anything more, so he could only follow silently. Lottie's words just now were actually quite moving, but she made a cold expression while holding a large pile of objects in her hands, which made people feel that she couldn't be serious at all.

The two walked farther and farther, and the sunset pulled the shadows of the two of them to the elder. When the remnants of the setting sun swept past the summit of the mountain, the two of them could faintly see a building halfway up the mountain.

"That's Mr. Eli's church. Lottie waved to Jiang Heng behind him with some excitement, only to see Jiang Heng following behind with difficulty, "It's obvious that you bought so many things yourself, why do you want me to carry them?"

"Nonsense, I forgot just now, you're my junior who won't let you carry, who will come?" Lottie said justifiably.

Come on, it seems that the life of my junior will not be so easy in the future. Anyway, she grew up eating, and this pile of things doesn't look so heavy in her hands, why does it feel like a big stone when she holds it?

Walking to Lottie's side, Jiang Heng had the time to take a look at the titular church.

Simple, very simple, more humble than any church Jiang Heng had seen before.

There were no towering walls, no ornate carvings, no grand buildings, but a small white house, with a roof made of stone tiles everywhere, spread out like fish scales, and on closer inspection, it seemed to be made of clay, and the doors of a white wood were open, and the voices of children seemed to be heard from inside.

The house is very small, only 50 square meters by sight. There is also a small vegetable garden at the back, surrounded by a fence. If it weren't for the coat of arms hanging above the gate like Yao in the sky, Jiang Heng would not believe it no matter what he said, this was actually a temple of light.

The two walked to the door, stuck their heads out, and the first thing they saw was a group of children, who gathered in a circle, as if discussing something, and in the center of the circle stood a person, it was Sugar Bead.

I saw that she was holding a sky-blue grass in her hand, showing it to the other children, "You remember, this is the ice orchid, it looks very similar to the water orchid, but its temperature will be lower, and its color will be darker blue." The juice extracted from it can play a role in quickly healing wounds and treating bone wounds. ”

And then I saw a bunch of kids there, "Oh. "That's amazing, Sister Sugar Bead. ”......

"Hey, kids!" Lottie waved his hand and walked in, Jiang Heng also followed, those children saw Lottie and surrounded him, "It's Sister Lottie!" Then they soon saw Jiang Heng behind Lottie, staring at him with curious eyes.

"Brother Jiang Heng is the new sheriff in our town. Sugar Bead explained for the children.

Immediately after that, Sugar Bead asked again, "Sister Lottie, Brother Jiang Heng, why are you here?" "It's not because you're too scary today," Lottie touched Sugar Bead's head, "It's been a little rough in the neighborhood in the past two days, and we will pick you up and drop off the mountain in the future." ”

"Yay!" a group of children cried.

When you come to the inside of the church, you won't miss the opportunity to observe. But the interior is also very simple, with two rows and three rows of small wooden benches, a small podium of less than three square meters, a one-man tall statue of the god and a pedestal about the height of the base, except for the oil lamp hanging from the roof, this should be all the configuration of this room.

In terms of the configuration of the church, it seems to be a little too shabby, revealing the smell of poverty everywhere, not even the floor, and the feet are all compacted soil.

However, the statue of the god attracted Jiang Heng's attention, it was a goddess image that seemed to want to sprinkle the light on her hand to the earth, with long soft hair, wearing a simple long skirt, made of rough white stone material.

The statues of the Temple of Light are standard for every Temple of Light church, which is not surprising, after all, there are also wealth gaps between churches, geographical similarities and differences, so their idol materials are also different.

But......

This idol has no face!

Jiang Heng was about to approach and take a closer look when a figure walked out of a door behind the podium.

Judging from the appearance, this is an uncle with a beard, who looks nearly forty years old, with messy short hair black and white, and a cold face that rejects people, and at first glance it is a white rough priest's uniform made of linen, Jiang Heng instinctively feels that this is not a person who is easy to get along with.

He just glanced at Jiang Heng and Lottie, didn't say anything, walked straight to the idol, took out a small book, as if it was a holy scripture, closed his eyes, lowered his head, and began to pray.

Jiang Heng looked at his back a little distracted.

"Mr. Eli, I'll pick up the kids first. Lottie said to him. After waiting for a while, he didn't do anything to respond.

"Alright, kids, let's go. With that, the children and Lottie walked softly and slowly out of the chapel.

By the way, Lottie pulled out Jiang Heng, who was staring at them. "You've been staring at Mr. Eli's back just now, that's rude. ”

Facing Lottie's question, Jiang Heng just smiled, "It's nothing, it's just that you can still see the priests of the Temple of Light in this kind of place, it's just a little curious." ”

Lottie turned to look at the church that was getting farther away, turned back to Jiang Heng and said: "Mr. Eli is a good person, according to the residents of the town, he came here six years ago, originally thought he was here to preach, but he didn't do anything, just came here, built this small church with his own hands, and later often came to the town to help the sick residents, and never took money, the residents of the town are grateful to him, so they often send Mr. Eli the necessary materials for life." ”

At this time, Sugar Bead hurriedly said, "Just five years ago, when Sister Alita and I first moved in, the teacher took a fancy to my talent in medical skills, so he took me as an apprentice. ”

"Don't blow it," Lottie flicked Sugardrop's forehead, "When it was obvious that someone else was healing, you followed others to ask questions, and Mr. Eli was so entangled by you that he couldn't accept you as an apprentice, which you are embarrassed to mention." ”

Sugarbead playfully stuck out her tongue and grimaced, "That's not because I'm smart, so when the other kids were sent over, the teacher asked me to teach." ”

"You," Lottie was a little crying and laughing, but she thought for a while and said to Jiang Heng: "Although Mr. Eli uses herbs for most of his treatments, sometimes he also uses some magic techniques, I have seen it once or twice, and it is not a zero-order magic that ordinary people can use, so I can conclude that he is also an extraordinary person, and it is no less than the white feather level." ”

As a priest of the Temple of Light, it is normal to be an extraordinary being, but ...... "He should not be as simple as it seems. Jiang Heng thought to himself.

The group managed to get back to the town when it was dark, but it was pitch black at this point.

No matter how poor the town is, it won't be impossible for every household to light a lamp, right?

Jiang Heng cast a puzzled look at Lottie, who looked innocent, "Don't ask me, I don't know." ”

After knocking on a few doors and sensing the fluctuations of the demon source in the house, Jiang Heng finally determined that there was no one in these houses. A hint of vigilance could not help but rise in his heart.

"Hey, come here, there's light!" Lottie's voice came from afar. Jiang Heng hurriedly ran over, only to see Lottie and the children standing outside a building.

The building was larger than the other houses in the town, two stories high, and the sightings of several fluorite lamps and a wine glass hanging from the doorway indicated that it was a tavern.

Why is there no light elsewhere, but here?

"Senior Lottie, you take care of the children, I'll go in and check it out. "Okay, you have to be careful. ”

Also sensing it, there was no demon source fluctuation inside, but the possibility of danger was not ruled out, Jiang Heng took out a small knife from his body, stepped forward cautiously, and slowly pushed the door open.

The door creaked open, revealing pitch darkness when Jiang Heng was about to turn on his night vision skills.

Suddenly, the light lit up, it was so sudden, it made Jiang Heng's eyes tremble, and then he heard a scream in his ears, "Welcome to Sheriff Jiang Heng to our Shire Town!"

When Jiang Heng came back to his senses, he saw that the tavern was crowded with people, all kinds of faces, those he had seen today, those he hadn't seen today but would have met in the future, including Aunt Rona, Sister Eleta, and even Mesha, all of whom were here.

Jiang Heng felt a little dizzy, and the knife fell to the ground. He cast a pleading look at Lottie, "What is this?"

Lottie smiled and walked up to him, "Welcome to our town." ”