"Will you be hated if you give money?" This statement made Liu Ling unable to understand. You said that the money was less, which made people angry, and there were extenuating circumstances. Isn't it natural to buy things and give money? How can it be hated?

"If you give money, then if someone else comes to buy it, will you have to give money? Originally, you didn't want money, but you gave it, and it disrupted the original rules. Jones saw that Liu Ling hadn't turned the corner yet, so he explained.

Liu Ling was speechless by this strange truth, and said after a while: "What's the difference between that and robbing?" ”

Jones said: "There is no difference, there is still a difference, rob, you may meet resistance." If you can't rob it, how can you grab something with a slave, and lose your aristocratic status! ”

"No," the fat aunt heard their conversation, and took over the conversation, and said, "It costs money to get a few children, and I can't afford to lose that person." ”

"So, what about you?" Liu Ling looked at Maria.

"I don't dare," said Maria, shaking her head, "if it's not the main member of the family, you'll have to buy it." If it is an important member of the family, for example, the heir, or the main wife, it is troublesome. Except, of course, for slaves. Slaves were the property of their masters, as were their children, who could give them away or sell them. Don't dare to rob, it's illegal to rob things. ”

"Then the one you brought, was it given or bought?"

"Well, hehehe," said Maria, smiling proudly, "I won from the gladiatorial arena!" ”

"Win?" This topic immediately aroused the interest of the other three, including Liu Chang, he had heard about the gladiatorial arena, when he was in Luoyang, the big white job named Andrew told him that he knew that the gladiatorial arena could win money, but he didn't expect to win people, and the four of them immediately surrounded Maria, no longer ignoring those children who were playing, and listened to Maria's story of winning with great interest.

The child's name was George Hamus, and he was born into a noble family in Rome, and his ancestors had studied under Archimedes in Alexandria, Egypt... He caught my attention from the moment he was born, and I thought he would be the second chosen one, and all the indicators were perfect. Alas! Maria sighed helplessly before continuing her story.

Like her other three sisters, Liu Chang understood their usual hardships and gave them three months off, one to make them easy and the other to give them time to think about their future.

There is money in their pockets, and there is convenient transportation where to go, and the three sisters don't know if they think about their future, but it's true that they are crazy to walk around.

The travel outfit is similar to Liu Ling's, carrying a huge box, which contains gold and precious stones in addition to clothes. The only difference with Liu Ling is that Liu Ling has a small attendant--- Liu Chang carries the boxes, while Maria hires people to carry the boxes and hires eight people to carry the boxes for her.

Wherever she went, Mary became a sight, a beautiful maiden, opening the way in front, eight big men carrying a huge box to follow, knowing, knowing that this was our eldest sister Mary shopping; I don't know, I thought whose matchmaker came to the door to give the dowry.

"I thought I would be happy," said Maria, "and I carried a chest full of gold, and I swore that I would not hesitate to buy it as long as it was first sighted, whatever it was, whether it was useful or not, and I would not spend money for anything." However, I turned the whole city of Pompeii, and I didn't even spend a tael of gold. Mary was a little gloomy, and then said: "Perhaps it is because of a different vision, that I find that things that are out of step with the world and that many people are eager to see, are worthless in my eyes. There is not the slightest desire to possess. ”

"Father," one day, when I had nowhere else to go, I came to the largest central square in Pompeii, and while I was wandering, I heard someone talking around me, and there was a choked voice in his tone, which aroused my curiosity, and I saw that it was a man of about forty, and a young man in his twenties was talking, and it was the young man who spoke, and I only heard him say, "You have thought about it, do you want me to live?" ”

"Yes, I want you to do it," replied the man in the prime of life, "and it is your duty. My child, you have a calm and strong mind. Frank, you're not an ordinary person. I don't want anything, I don't have any orders, I just want to say to you, son, it's time for you to take on the responsibility of this family. ”

The young man thought for a moment, his eyes revealing a sublime expression of resignation, and said, "Well, then, father," he said, extending his hand to his father, "go in peace, father." I'm going to live. ”

The middle-aged man almost knelt in front of his son, but his son hugged him, so the hearts of father and son were tightly pressed together in an instant.

"You know, it's not my fault." Father said.

The son smiled and said, "I know, father, you are the most respectable person I have ever known in my life. ”

"All right, my son, now that everything is clear, now go back to your mother and your son."

"Father," said the young man on one knee, "bless me! ”

The father took his head by the hands and drew him closer, kissed him a few times on the forehead, and said, "Oh, yes, yes, I bless you in my own name and in the name of three generations of blameless ancestors: 'The edifice destroyed by the calamity, the destiny of heaven will rebuild it.'" ’。 ”

"Father! Father! The young man finally couldn't hold back and cried, "Why did you choose this way, why can't you live?" ”

"If I live, everything will change, and if I live, concern will turn to suspicion, pity to hostility. If I lived, I would just be a man who didn't keep his word. On the other hand, if I die, remember, Frank, that I chose to die because I couldn't keep my promise, and I will be respected by everyone. This respect is very important, and they will open a door for the survival of your mother and child. If I lived, even my best friend would avoid my house and die, and all of Pompeii would tearfully send me to my final resting place. Alive, you will be ashamed of my name, and when you die, you can hold your head high and say: 'My father fulfilled his promise with his life.'" ’”

The young man let out a groan, but seemed to have given in.

"Now," said the father, "let me be left here alone, and I think I will take your mother and them all away." ”

"Don't you see your grandson again?" The young man named Frank asked, and in this meeting there was still a last dim hope hidden in the young man's heart, and that was the reason for him to suggest it.

Father shook his head.

"I've seen him this morning," he said, "and I've said goodbye to him." ”

"Don't you have a special order for me, father?" Frank asked, hoarse.

"Yes, my child, I have another important request."

"Say, father. I won't let your reputation be tarnished. ”

"Whether I live or die, whether it is a bonus or a pension, you will give this money to that person, my child, this is my last dignity."

"Father, I will." The son said with tears in his eyes.

"Now I say to you again, farewell," said the father. "Go ahead! Go ahead! ”

The young man still stood motionless, wanting to obey but not having the courage to do it.

"The conversation between their father and son was so attentive that they didn't even notice that I, an outsider, were eavesdropping." "But I also understood," said Maria, "that father, for some unknown reason, that he was going to go down to the gladiatorial arena, and that he was going to gamble his life to pay off his debts. Either pay off your debts or pay your life. ”

Maria continued: "This situation is very common throughout the empire, after all, it is an empire that recognizes money. At the end of the day, I lost interest and was about to walk away. At this time, a child appeared. Yes, that's him, George Hamus."

The four of them looked at the boy named George Hamus almost at the same time, who was playing with the other children, and the snow was flying all over the sky without any trace of sorrow, and it seemed that the ending should not be very bad.

"Later, later," the four of them looked at each other with their own inquiries and concerns.

"I have an impression of this child," Maria continued, "and I followed him from the time he was born until he was more than four years old, until a year ago. It is clear that the child was brought by the young father in an attempt to shake his father's determination with affection. ”

"Grandfather, you're going to fight tigers, is that true?" The child, with innocent eyes open and craned his neck, looked at his grandfather and asked.

"Yes, my dear Hammus, yes, grandfather is going to fight tigers." His grandfather squatted down and took his grandson in his arms, tears streaming back.

"I don't want my grandfather to go, my father said, our family still has money. Daddy said that if you sell this, you will have a lot of money. The little boy confidently patted the baggage that might have been stuffed in his father's arms.

"No" The middle-aged man put his hands on the small shoulders, although the tears were still flowing, his tone was unusually firm, as if he was not talking to a child, he said: "This is the relic that the ancestor exchanged for his life, this is the hard work of the grandfather." Remember, my child, that even if you lose your life, you have to protect it. ”

Maria said: "These words have aroused the curiosity of many people, what kind of treasure is it that is worth guarding with life? Among many people, including me. ”

"Obviously, you need money," I said, "and I, on the contrary, want to know what that thing is?" I wanted to know how much I would have to spend to satisfy my curiosity. ”

I didn't want to possess it, I just wanted to see what it was.

My words managed to attract his attention, and others thought the same way.

"This..." The man seemed to have just noticed a pair of tigerish eyes around him, and suddenly became a little flustered, and hurriedly pulled his grandson behind him to hide. The Romans liked to flaunt their wealth, but that had to happen in an environment where they felt safe, and it was clear that it wasn't.

"So be it," I said, "I'll play for you, I'll win, and the prize money will be yours, but you'll have to show me your stuff." If I lose, I'll give you your winnings. What do you think? ”

"And this good thing?" The people around him obviously didn't believe it, including the man: "Is this woman crazy, just to take a look, to pay such a big price." ”

"Do you know how much money is awarded for a gladiatorial fight? At least five Quiore. ”

"Madame" may have seen too many people making a fuss, maybe... Hey, anyway, I don't know what that person thinks, maybe he feels dangerous, after all, so many people, in full view of everyone, know that they have treasures, after all, it's not a good thing.

The man pulled the child out from behind him, took out the burden from his arms, and said to me, "You have misunderstood, this is not a treasure, this is just some manuscripts left by the ancestor back then, and to you, it is even more useless. ”

A small wooden box was opened, and inside was a thick stack of parchment rolls, on which were painted various figures, and there were all kinds of strange symbols next to the figures. One of them, which caught Mary's attention, was a whole parchment, and a circle was drawn on it, on which was clearly written: Go away, don't touch my circle.

Looking at the excitement, I saw that there was no excitement to see, and I couldn't understand the things on the parchment roll, but it was obviously not a map like a treasure map, and I left disappointed one by one.

"What does that mean?" I picked up the picture and looked at it again and again, but I couldn't figure it out, and besides, this sheepskin was obviously different from the other sheepskins, and the handwriting was also different.

"Madame, this is a sad story," the man took the picture, his eyes filled with tears, which were not shed for himself, and he seemed to have forgotten his situation, "It was a dark day, and on this day the devil came to earth. The patriarch is in his own home, he is studying on his own, and as you can see, the patriarch is studying the circle. A Roman soldier rushed in, yes, they had just taken the city, and the soldier had come in to loot the people's money.

'Old thing, hand over all the things of value,' was what the soldier said himself when he was put on trial.

'Whatever you want, take it yourself, please don't affect my work' The patriarch didn't even raise his head, still thinking.

The soldier also looted a lot of things, you know, the ancestor was also a nobleman, and the family had a lot of wealth. How can people who are desperate for life have time to pursue their ideals?

It was supposed to end perfectly, but, man, greedy heart, never know satisfaction, the greedy robber wanted more, and when he saw that the patriarch was drawing a circle, he angrily snatched it, and he asked the patriarch to hand over more property.

"Go away, don't touch my circle!" The patriarch was furious and shouted at the robber.

And the robber stabbed the long knife in his hand into the chest of the patriarch.

"Later," said the young man, who had long since stopped crying, "the robber was at last tried by the Roman government and hanged. In order to express repentance, the last words of the patriarch are written next to the circle drawn by the patriarch. ”

After hearing this, Maria lost interest in the strange shapes and the illustrations of the forks and circles.

"At this moment, I suddenly felt very lonely and bored" Maria adjusted her posture, stretched out her hand flat, and a few snowflakes landed in her palm, slowly melting, Maria looked at the little trace of water left in her palm, and said: "I am too far away from that world, it can't accommodate me, I can't tolerate it." Someone gambled his life for a few Ole. And I, carrying a box of gold, didn't know how to spend it. ”

Jones stood up excitedly, walked around the snow a few times, picked up a handful of snow, and then threw it into the sky, saying, "Now, I declare that even if you kill me, I won't leave, this is my home!" ”

Liu Ling and Ganni Du also nodded.

"And then, and then?" Liu Chang is not in the mood to care where the four sisters want to live, where they like to live, the base is big, and there are many of them with four beds. What he is concerned about now is that Maria's story is not finished yet, and he vaguely feels that this story will be of some help to the base to train these children in the future. Like Jones, the practice of using knives at every turn will definitely not work in the future, not to mention anything else, just more than 100 people, not enough for these sisters to kill, so he urged Maria to tell the story.

"What, didn't it be Maria who brought that kid back, this cold and snowy place, the most suitable for barbecue." Jones was very unimpressed with recruiting a few disciples. If you like it, you can start directly, and you have to bet to win, sister, I don't have time! The fat aunt must be one who thinks the same way as her, because, hearing Jones's voice, the fat aunt immediately responded and stood up.

"Three, you and your Aunt Mary are chatting here, and we will take the children to prepare for food, and call you when they are ready." In order not to embarrass Maria and Liu Chang, Liu Ling also took the initiative to stand up.