1. Frustrated people

Our story takes place in a small fishing village

But this is another small fishing village

The main character also became him

He, a sculptor

Poverty, despair, and helplessness pervaded his life

His carving skills are outstanding

So he was jealous and ostracized to this remote fishing village

I didn't even have the money to buy a stone, so I had to practice with wood every day, so that my craft would not be wasted

He firmly believed that one day his work would bring him wealth

And he's working it

He's on the verge of success

2. Ordinary life

He has a younger sister

Smart, cute, well-behaved

But for a long time, my sister was frail and sickly, and it was only by virtue of her skill and the sympathy of the village chief that she worked as a helper in the only boatyard in the small fishing village

The wood he usually needs for practice is also picked up by his sister in the shipyard

Even the wood left over from the repair of the boat is many times better than the branches that are picked up on the side of the road

And he went to sea with the village's fleet to help, but he was able to support his family

If you happen to meet a few overseas collectors

Then his wood carving can also be bought for a price, which is considered extra money

3. Opportunity

On this day he went to sea as usual

The fleet was an alien caravan that was caught in a storm while passing through a small fishing village, stopping to wait for the storm to pass, and replenish fresh water and food by the way

The merchant took a fancy to his carving skills and invited him to go to sea to meet a wealthy collector

Before leaving, his sister gave him a stone

The caravan fell, and his sister picked it up and gave it to his brother

He was impressed

"Don't worry! I will definitely use this stone to carve the most beautiful piece in the world to impress that collector!! ”

He said this and said goodbye to his sister

4. Turn

Things are always unexpected

As soon as the fleet went to sea, they encountered another storm, and they lost their way at sea and drifted for more than ten days without seeing the coast

5. The beginning of a sentence

"Huh? Little carpenter, why did you see you holding a stone today? ”

One sailor quipped, "Do you want to change your career to become a stonemason?"

"Little Carpenter" was the nickname given to him by the sailors, because he held a piece of wood in his hand every day

"I'm not a carpenter, I'm a sculptor!"

He retorted every time

"I'm going to use this stone! Sculpture the most beautiful statue in the world! ”

He was ambitious and spoke wildly

An old sailor happened to come to the deck to pour water, heard his words, and smiled

"If you can carve a mermaid, then we won't suffer on this sea, I heard that mermaid is the most beautiful creature in the world!"

6. The figure of the past

"Old fellow, you're a fool again! Where did the mermaid come from? It's the same as you've seen it..."

The young sailors who were new to the fleet laughed mercilessly at the old sailors

"There really is! I've seen it!! ”

Perhaps it was him, an outsider, who was present, and the old sailor was also anxious, and the old sailor's eyes widened and he shouted.

"Wait for the old man to show you the evidence!!"

"Evidence?"

A few young sailors looked at the old sailors, but they didn't stop them, they had never seen a mermaid anyway

I just wanted to see it

7. Mermaids

Here's a picture

The photo shows the setting sun, and a black shadow leaps high above the water

Arms and fishtails can be seen faintly

Said the old sailor

The escort was similar to today, the ship hit the rocks, and everyone was desperate

But by chance, he met another merchant ship, and the old sailor was saved

And only the old sailor saw the scene in this picture

And it happened that the cargo was a batch of new things called cameras, so the old sailor spent half a year's salary begging the owner to wash out the photo

But the photo was not clear, it was blurry, and it seemed to be obscured by moisture

Especially if it's far away in the first place

This makes the figure of the mermaid even more ridiculous

"It's just an outline, maybe it's a fish..."

The sailors waved their hands boredly and went back to work

All that remained was him borrowing the picture from the old sailor with interest

A man looked closely

8. Miracles

"The most beautiful creatures..."

He stared at the blurry figure in the photo, and the figure of his sister came to mind

What the old sailor said made him a little uncomfortable

Is that old sailor looking down on my carving?

The more he thought about it, the more angry he became

The eyes staring at the photo also showed more and more surprise

Oh, my God!!

The originally vague figure suddenly became clear, like a flesh-and-blood creature lying on top of the photograph, threatening to jump out at any moment

He couldn't even control his hands at the moment

The carving knife moves

The tip of the knife pressed against the surface of the stone in his hand