South Bay Township.

The early morning sun is just shining through the thin air conditioning.

Holding a cup of hot tea in her hand, Nansi sat lazily on the head of the bed, looking at the back of Mrs. Li helping him fold his clothes in the room, and felt that the "gentleness" temperament on her body became more and more attractive.

Taking a sip of the fragrant tea, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"The ancients did not deceive me......"

"Full of warmth and desire...... Phew, born in sorrow and died in peace. ”

These days, he has been nesting in the town of South Bay, and has not exercised much except for the occasional farm work.

When he was at home, he was a twenty-year-old man, and he was taken care of by Mrs. Li when he was eating, dressing or bathing, which caused him to become a little lazy.

Let's be honest.

Nance resisted at first.

He is a big man, and the most important thing he lacks is the ability to take care of himself, and he even severely scolded Mrs. Li and asked her to stop serving herself.

But under the gentle cannonballs she continued to deliver, he eventually fell, after all...... It's so nice to have a woman doing laundry and cooking at home!

And most importantly!

- Mrs. Li, she is not a bad woman!

But alas, Nance is going back today.

Mrs. Lee was bending over to sort out her suitcase.

The hip-hugging skirt is paired with home leggings that hug the waist tightly and perfectly outline her mature curves.

She doesn't go out at home all the year round, which makes her skin a little sickly white.

Stacking Nance's clothes one by one into the suitcase, she tilted her head and smiled gently, "I've packed all your things." ”

"Thank you, ma'am." Nance set the empty teacup aside.

When Mrs. Li saw it, she immediately stood up and made him another cup of tea.

Then she bent down again, crossed her hips, put the waterproof deerskin bags she had sewn with her own hands into the suitcase, and spoke to Nance softly: "I have sorted all these seeds, and each bag is marked with the name of the variety, you don't have to worry about confusion." ”

Nance pondered for a moment and said, "Madame, why don't you come with me to Shin-Yokohama?" ”

Mrs. Lee's weak shoulders fluttered, and she shook her head with her back to Nance.

"Have you ever heard an old ballad before, which begins with "The bells of the church of St. Clément say, oranges and lemons?" Her feeble voice, with a little seriousness, sang with the politeness of a singer: "The bells of the church of St. Clément say, oranges and lemons, the bells of the church of St. Martin say, you owe me three plates, and the bells of the old Balai church say, When will you return?" The bell of the church in the Shorey district said, "Wait until I get rich." ”

"Do you know the next lyrics?" Nance asked.

"Yes, I know. When will I get rich? Wait until the water boils out the salt. Mrs. Li turned around, smiled slightly, and the corners of her mouth hooked a shallow dimple: "Clear water will not boil out salt, I think you have to leave now." Let's go, go to the experimental field and load the livestock seedlings, and then take Kiyoaki back to Shin-Yokohama. ”

Nance raised the teacup in his hand and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hospitality." ”

In this place in Nanwan Town, Mrs. Li is an extremely ordinary woman, who looks a little weak like air. It's just that no one will find out that in the depths of such a woman's heart, there is such a stubborn disposition.

He originally wanted her to follow her back to New Yokohama, set up a new company in her name to cooperate with Du Xiuxian, and all the future profits would go to their mother and daughter.

But Madame didn't want to go, and he couldn't force it.

My sister is still young, and the benefits of these seeds can only fall on my sister's head...... Madame does not go back, in fact, it is more beneficial to him.

Outside the Li family's courtyard, an off-road vehicle and a truck were parked.

Miss Su is sorting out the trunk of the SUV.

The color of the tight leather jacket wraps the tall figure, the texture is soft and elastic, plus a set of small shoulder sills, like a mercenary ready to do a vote. In fact, what was moved to the car was just some ordinary farm specialties......

She was busy, Li Qingxian and Shadow each carried a musical instrument out and put it in the trunk.

After a while, Nance also came out and checked the second-hand van he had bought from the town to make sure it didn't break down halfway.

"No problem, let's go." Miss Su got into the cab of the SUV and knocked on the steering wheel and shouted, "The road is not easy, we have to hurry up and test the field to load things and get back to Shin-Yokohama before dark." ”

Nance climbed into the cab of the truck, started the engine, and clicked on the electronic screen to start ventilation, positioning, radio, and so on.

As she was about to drive, Mrs. Lee came out of the house and handed Nance a crystal pendant carved with a harp.

"Please pass it on to Qinglian." She blinked twice, staring at Nance expectantly.

Nance nodded and stepped on the gas.

The two cars drove out one after the other, and Mrs. Li put her hands on her chest and smiled.

※※※※※

There is only one narrow road in the town of South Bay, and there are poor small markets, poor handicraft workshops, poor hotels, and ...... In the early morning, the poor innkeeper sits in the doorway, chopping a small amount of onions, and washes the meagre food that the land can grow in the sink.

The root causes of poverty in small towns are similar to those in most wilderness areas.

Not only are these places scarce in resources, but they also have to pay taxes to the government, donations to churches, and rents to the old men...... It is a miracle that a small town can survive.

The winter sun touches the calm treetops and pours its rays overhead.

The sleeping town gradually woke up, and the cold shotguns and hunting knives glowed red as usual, shining clearly in the morning light; In the stable, with the doors and windows open, the horses looked back at the light and freshness pouring in from the doorway.

Snowflakes shimmer on the lattice windows, and the wind rustles.

The dogs in the kennel tugged at the chains and stood up impatiently, trying to be free.

All these trivial activities were the fireworks of the morning light, the windows opened, the crumbling doors opened, the steps went up and down, the figures flickered, and then the sound of footsteps rang out everywhere.

People shivered out, and the fresh, cold air made them shiver.

The day's work began in the beautiful morning glow, and almost all the men and women went to the fields.

Some were digging in the ground, others were tending to the poor animals, leading the emaciated cows to the meadows they could find by the roadside. In the town's only church, two simple beds were erected in front of the cross, on which were two corpses......

The middle-aged mayor and an old priest examine the body.

There were many frustrated or sad people standing nearby, talking quietly, and no other emotion could be revealed except to show worrying curiosity and surprise.

I don't know whose cow lies in the snow in front of the church and ruminates, chewing on something that doesn't taste good in her mouth.

After a long time, a young man came out of the church and rode his bicycle to the foot of the hill north of the town.

The rest of the people were more or less armed, huddled nervously in the small church, but they were all idle and doing nothing. It's not that they don't want to do things, it's just that they can't do anything about it.

※※※※※

The dirt road leading to the test field.

Two worn-out used cars, rocking one after the other.

It was followed by a van truck, which was so old that the suspension performance was almost equal to zero, and it was very bumpy to walk on dirt roads.

On both sides of the road, there are bare fields.

The figures of men and women, who were tossing in the fields, looked very sad - in this town with no future in sight, they relied on the minimum conditions to survive, and finally died here.

The inside of the carriage.

Li Qingxian clasped his hands behind his head and chewed bubble gum boredly.

Kiss!

Blow a pink bubble.

"Uncle, what did Mom just give you?" She asked suddenly.

"A pendant." Nance reached out of his pocket and showed it to her.

"Boring."

Li Qingxian yawned, straightened his slender legs, and put his two little feet on the dashboard.

"Put it down." Nance scolded.

Li Qingxian shrugged disdainfully.

But after a while, she still relented, and her legs were retracted peacefully.

There was a bottle of soda on the dashboard, and she unscrewed the lid and drank it, muttering, "Eh, what do you think of my mother?" ”

"Frankly, the impression is good, but it's still graspable." Nance thought for a moment and laughed, "Why are you asking these things?" ”

"I thought you'd let your mom go back to Shin-Yokohama with you."

"To be honest, I made a request."

“？”

The pink-haired girl blinked.

After being stunned for a few seconds, she shifted her body in extreme disgust and assumed a vigilant posture.

"Uncle, are you really interested in my mother? It's so perverted......"

"Stop, I want her to take your father's research results to cooperate with Mr. Du." Nance held the steering wheel and glanced at the girl helplessly, "With your mother here, your father's hard work can protect the future life of your mother and daughter, understand?" ”

Li Qingxian held a soda bottle in his lips: "Well, my mother is not here, you can eat our sisters without any scruples......"

“……”

"Look at you, you can't refute it, can you?"

"I said you're young, how do you think people are so bad?"

"I have a keen heart, uncle, you can't hide it from me!" Li Qingxian threw the chewed gum out of the car window, stuffed another slice into his mouth, and then said: "But I want to warn you, I'm not an adult, be careful of being caught!" ”

"Little girls are so annoying." Nance scolded with a laugh.

"You speak like my dad." Li Qingxian pursed his lips and said.

Nance sighed, "Maybe you can try to reconcile with your parents. ”

Li Qingxian chewed gum and said lazily, "Maybe." As a family, we all thought we had to do something, but we didn't know how to do it. ”

"It seems that everyone is wrong, but no one knows how to admit it."

"Do you know what to do?"

"I thought I might as well ask the old heifer who ruminated in front of the church."

The girl's fingertips *** on the corner of her blouse, after thinking for a while, she still didn't understand what she meant, and asked Nance: "What do you mean?" ”

"The cow will definitely not give you the answer, and you don't know what to do yourself, so you can only wait." Nance reluctantly explained, "The day when everything comes to fruition, it will either be a matter of course, or the dust will settle." There are some things that cannot be done by brute force, so you can only drag it out, and when the time comes, you will naturally find a solution. ”

Li Qingxian listened quietly with his chin tilted, and then smiled like a Persian cat that had just woken up.

"So, uncle with rich emotional experience, I still want to ask you what should I do?"

Nance looked back at her: "Then I'll say it, don't put on a dismissive look, or I'll beat you." ”

She playfully spat out her little pink tongue.

This posture is as seductive as a little goblin, and there is a charming temperament that does not match her age.

"Your mother loves you very much, that's what I've observed." Nance said slowly, "I don't know the details, after all, I've only been staying at your house for ten days. But let me put it simply, she will not hesitate to sacrifice herself for you and her sister. ”

Li Qingxian's gaze lingered for a moment, and then asked him: "My mother is so good, do you really have thoughts about my mother?" ”

"It doesn't matter what I think, the question is what you think." Nance said to her solemnly, "It's up to you to focus on what I see and what you think. Don't rush, think slowly before drawing conclusions. ”

"My mother and I have a very stiff relationship...... Li Qingxian still held his chin and said listlessly, "After my sister was arrested, she and I had a quarrel because I couldn't go to school, and then I didn't even talk at all." She is from the eldest lady, and she has a great obsession with the education of her children, but our family has fallen into the middle of the road, and she is anxious for a bite to eat, how can she still enjoy a high-quality education, and I have to find my sister. Uncle, don't you say? ”

"You have a point......

"Yes, as a mother, she does have merit; But there are also those that are really messy, and they are extremely bad. The brain is pedantic and old-fashioned, and the food she cooks is simply unpalatable, only the pigs eat deliciously......"

"Ahem, it's easier to say bad things about your mother." Nance scolded. The food he eats from his wife is quite fragrant.

"It's not light."

"Then tell me about your father."

“……”

When it comes to her father, the aggression in the girl's eyes directly multiplies.

"Daddy, who hates him more than a croaking crow, spends all day caring for his broken seeds. You know, our family had escaped from Shin-Yokohama at that time, and if he hadn't left a bag of seeds at home and had to come back to get them, my sister wouldn't have turned around and gone back alone, and she wouldn't have been caught by the people of the Inagawa Society. I hate him to death......"

Talking emotionally, the girl threw the half-drunk drink out of the car window as if venting.

"Wang!"

The dog who was smashed in the head looked aggrieved.

"I can probably understand what you're saying." Nance sighed slightly, "Your father is probably also afraid to face you and your mother because of guilt. was originally a science and engineering man who would only bury his head in scientific research, and he still had a deep guilt in his heart, no wonder he wanted to live and die with his experimental field. ”

Li Qingxian still held his cheeks in his hands, listlessly looking at the road ahead.

"So I'm irritable." She said in a deep voice.

"I can understand your irritability." Nance nodded, "When we're upset, we adults can use wine to kill our sorrows." You're too young to drink, so I'd suggest you find a hole in a tree and spend the day scolding. ”

"And then?"

"Then you have to have a frank conversation with your parents."

“……”

"Otherwise, you may never see them again. Especially your dad. ”

The girl dragged her cheeks and pondered for a moment.

But she still doesn't seem to be relieved, after all, she is still young.

Getting closer and closer to the test field, there are many cows wandering slowly on the side of the road.

The wheat, which emerges from the snow, is pitiful, and shows a tendency to be reluctant to grow: depressed, listless, and wilted.

The car stopped in front of the gate, and the muddy wind kicked up a cloud of dust and swayed the dry branches.

The girl tied her long pink hair back into a bunch, coiled it forward, and tucked it into her trench coat.

"Your hair is very beautiful." Nance said after jumping out of the car.

"Thank you."

"Someone complimented you on your hair?"

"You're the first."

"What kind of feeling is it to be praised by others?"

"I'm quite happy, but you don't have to comfort me, uncle." Li Qingxian put his hands in his pockets and put on an old-fashioned posture, "Although I am only fifteen years old, I am much stronger than you think. Also, the way you comfort people, it's so silly......"

"No, no, I'm just complimenting your hair." Nance reached out and flicked the ponytail she had hidden in her trench coat, and said happily: "The youthful and romantic pink color matches your face very well, making you look like a little goblin." ”

Li Qingxian tilted his head slightly, and said lazily: "I'm not used to you saying this kind of thing." ”

"It's okay, you'll get used to it soon." Nance said firmly.

Li Ting stepped out of the fence to greet them.

The girl turned and jumped in front of the SUV, holding Susa's hand, avoiding her father as if she were running away from the man-eating monster on her head.

The fat owl squatted on Miss Sue's shoulder, looking curiously at Nance, and then at the girl.

That big-faced plate is really stupid and cute.

"It's more like a cat with wings than a bird." Li Ting smiled, "Beautiful creatures! ”

"That's because you don't know how bad the fat bird's temper is." Nance complained.

"You're cheap, and you're selling well." Li Ting replied to him jokingly, and turned his head to beckon the workers to drive the livestock to the truck.

Healthy bulls and heifers, meat ducks that come out of the house quickly, laying hens that lay more eggs...... He smiled as he saw that his life's work could finally leave this deserted mountain.

Relief, perhaps.

Or liberation.

"Are you really not going to go out?" Nance asked one last time, "Qinglian will wake up, and you still have a chance to apologize to her." ”

"No, you just take care of them, I still have to worry about the livelihood of the hundreds of people in this town......" Li Ting stretched out his rough hand, shook Nance, and returned to his hut alone.

The door closes, and the light fades.

The whole world seems to be quiet, and the only thing that is sealed here with the floating dust is a heart that is about to cool......

The car was loaded, everything was ready and ready for the return trip.

It was ten o'clock in the morning, and Nance was sitting in the cab of the truck, with the engine running.

In the rearview mirror, a young man is speeding over on a bicycle, and the wheels are rolling up a lot of dust. He rode towards the experimental field like a desperate person, and as soon as he entered the door, he shouted loudly: "Master Li, the plague is here again......

Nance was ready to step on the gas pedal and let his foot loose.

At this time, Tokizaki called to inform him of Sister Marlene's injury in the morning, and mentioned the possibility of a large-scale outbreak of plague in Shin-Yokohama. In the end, the adjutant asked him not to come back for the time being until his condition was clear, so as to avoid getting sick.

"Didn't Sister Marlene find out either?"

“…… Sister Marlene deduces that the plague was caused by rats infected with gluttony. Now there is a shortage of food everywhere, and the camp talent of the Gluttony Demon is to cause the plague, because they can't eat enough because of the disaster, and their emotions are not stable control, which causes the Gluttony Demon to run rampant. Rats can move around all corners of Shin-Yokohama, so the plague will spread much faster and more widely than we think. ”

"Understood."

Nance cut off communications and sat in the cab in deep thought.

From ancient times to the present, plague has been a terrible disaster for mankind.

The plague known as the "Black Death" that swept through Europe in the Middle Ages was the plague that directly killed one-third of the total population of Europeans at that time.

In today's era of advanced science and technology, ordinary plague naturally does not cause such serious consequences. However, the plague in this era is a mutated bacterium infected by magic, and many symptoms cannot be cured by medicine......

Looking ahead, Li Ting ran out of the house.

Nance thought for a moment and went out to say hello: "Come over here, I want to find out what's going on." ”

What the young man said just now was "The plague is coming again", judging from Li Ting's reaction, it should not be the first time he has encountered such a situation.

In winter, the mountains are covered by heavy snow, and the animals in the mountains are more difficult to find food than the rats in the city, and the chances of gluttony getting out of control are definitely greater.

Maybe these mountain people have a plan to deal with it......