The sun sets, the night falls, and the bright yellow bonfires shroud the courtyard.

The four of them sat in a circle around the grill and enjoyed the barbecue, beer, and juice.

"I haven't seen you for more than half a year, but I've grown a lot taller and my body is stronger." Pakui picked up a bloody rib with both hands, took a bite, and chewed it with a greasy mouth, "The strength is amazing, and the wrestling skills have not been left behind." Worthy of being a descendant of our Glenn family. ”

"This kid is capable of much more than that." Jacob took a sip of beer, his eyes sharpened in his bushy beard, "Andrei's Struggle Field Range is his yard for him, and he goes there for hours every day. ”

"If you were a normal person, you would have abolished your wrist training, and he is still like a person who has nothing to do, his shooting skills have advanced rapidly, and he is proficient in pistols, rifles, and sniper rifles. According to Andrey, you can go to the battlefield with a steel helmet. ”

Dean glanced warily at the bearded man, a kind and harmless look but a spy.

"What's so strange?" Pa Kui raised his eyebrows and said with pride, "Our Glenn family are all born warriors, as long as it is related to the combat aspect, we are all geniuses. ”

"Dean used to inherit his father's weak temperament, like a glass bottle, it shatters when touched, and he hides in the house and cries at every turn."

Paqui's big oil-stained hand patted Dean on the shoulder, throwing him an appreciative look,

"Now that you've grown up, you're finally like a real man!"

Dean chewed on the roast and smiled, and Paqui was so open-minded that he didn't have to bother to explain.

"Shooting and combat training must always be persistent, the world is full of deep malice towards our race. Although many white-skinned people don't say it, they want us all to die in their hearts, of course, Jacob and Tang Ya are not among them. ”

Paquiyu's eyes narrowed, and the bonfire made his tense face extremely serious, like a deep persecuted paranoia

"The law of the jungle is the truth in this world, and if you don't take the initiative to seek progress, you will definitely be eliminated in the future."

Dean nodded sympathetically, after all, the original body had been eliminated.

"Enough, Paqui, don't spread this extreme idea and teach Dean badly." Tang Ya drew a cross on her chest with both hands, "This poor child has been hospitalized twice in half a year, don't learn anything about fighting and killing." ”

"Don't worry, my injuries have long healed." He puffed out his strong biceps muscles at the three of them, "I'm healthier and stronger than nine out of nine men, and you should have seen it just now." ”

"No matter how strong you are, it's just flesh and blood, and if you're not careful, you will eat a gun and turn it into a sieve, and you, the savior of Lake Mead, likes to be heroes too much." Paqui took a sip of his beer and said to Dean in a commanding tone, "In case you suddenly have an accident, the Glenn family is desperate, you must change a few more girlfriends while you are young, and have a few children by yourself, starting with the dark-haired girl who has been looking for you a lot recently." She's the daughter of a policeman, right, she's healthy, and her offspring must be strong. ”

Brunette girl, Gretchen?

Dean was stunned, his mouth opened wide to reveal a mouthful of white teeth, and the remaining half of the beef fell to the ground.

"Where did you hear that?"

Pakui smiled without saying a word, and the bearded man raised his left hand with a smile and waved it carefully,

"Out of concern, I asked my old friend to help pay attention a little, I didn't expect you to be a yellow-skinned kid very popular."

Dean smiled and reversed the army,

"I'm not twenty yet, so there's no hurry. But you, in your forties, are still single, which is a serious violation of the Glenn family tradition, and you must find me an aunt to come back by the end of this year, and I will see at least two younger siblings next winter. ”

"It's not big, it's not small!" Pa Kui glared at a pair of bull's eyes, and his fists clenched, "Dare to urge your uncle to get married, and you owe a beating?" ”

"You haven't been thrown enough?" Dean defiantly bared his big white teeth at him,

"Dean is right," Jacob suddenly changed sides, "he is still young, more than enough to play for more than ten years, and you, there is not much time left to 'do'." ”

"Dean has never asked us for living expenses in the past six months, and he has grown up. You should care about yourself. Tang Ya still has a kind look of "I'm good for you", and made up for it intimately, "I've been running in the field for 20 years, and I haven't gotten tired of eating fast food and cold rice?" Settle down and find a partner to spend the rest of your life with. ”

Dean admired his uncle's face from red to black with great interest, opened a can of juice, and toasted to the two wingmen.

Paqui propped his chin in his right fist and gasped through his nose as he stared angrily at the campfire.

For a long time, with a long sigh,

"You think I don't want to? But I'm old, I have a bad temper, I don't have much money, and I'm still an aborigine. Where can I easily find a wife? ”

"Not enough money? Never mind. Jacob patted his chest, "Tang Ya and I have savings that can support you." ”

"Leave it to yourself. I'll go out a few more times, well, only a few times..."

"Don't try hard," Jacob glanced at his waist, "personal bodyguards aren't so easy to be these days, and they won't hire anyone if their lives aren't in danger." Your back injury has recurred, right? ”

"By the way, how many guys have died in the past six months?"

Paqui silently threw a few twigs into the campfire, and a delicate sadness appeared on his big rugged face, "Three. ”

Di An's head froze, what kind of bodyguard work is so dangerous?

Pakui continued,

"No way, I can't do any other job except being a bodyguard, if I don't do this, will I kneel on the side of the street and be a beggar? But I've always been lucky that I know how to protect myself. ”

Talking about Paqui's work.

The originally warm atmosphere of the party became depressing and depressing, and a faint sadness surged in the air.

Jacob, Paqui, and Tang Ya, three middle-aged and elderly people who are one hundred or forty years old, looked at the bonfire that exploded on Mars, and were relatively speechless.

"Don't do the job of a bodyguard, you should retire and enjoy life when you are full of injuries and illnesses." Dean broke the silence, stared at the black eyes that were exactly the same as himself, and said in an unquestioning tone, "Listen to me, Paqui, pick a big house in Las Vegas, live in it for retirement, and find a wife." Well, I'll pay. ”

"In the past six months, I have been a volunteer for LVPD, and I have also taken on some private detectives, maybe I have a good talent and earn a lot of money."

Silly uncle of the predecessor, I won't allow you to set a flag in front of you.

Pakui's face froze, and for a moment, his eyes were slightly red, and then he waved his hand in front of him, and scolded with a smile,

"Stinky boy, the grill is too hot and you are in a mess, how do you start talking nonsense? Even if you sell yourself, you can't afford to buy a big house. ”

"Don't discourage your nephew like that." Jacob's eyes softened as he saw Dean, and said with relief, "At least he has a better conscience than his peers who only know how to eat, drink, and be merry and ask for money." ”

Paqui took a sip of beer and looked at his nephew and smiled disapprehantly,

"How much have you earned, is this year's living expenses enough?"

"It doesn't matter how much you earn, you can also set a small goal first," without waiting for him to answer, Tang Ya and Jacob preemptively encouraged, "For example, earn him 10,000 dollars a year." ”

Dean's gaze swept over the three of them, and for a moment it was as bright as day,

"Actually, I don't earn much, only 100,000."

100,000...

The calm sound is accompanied by a howling cold wind through the courtyard covered by winter nights and campfires.

The three middle-aged men in the courtyard were stunned and fell into a petrified state.

……

Tonight, the sky is dark, the campfire in the yard is quietly extinguished, and the barbecue grill is quiet.

The white-roofed house.

In the bright hall, four people sit around the sofa.

Tang Ya lifted the reading glasses on the bridge of her nose, put down the contract in her hand, and looked at the old guy who was looking at the side with a strained face.

Dean wasn't lying. Congratulations, Paqui, your family has a detective. ”

"10,000 dollars for one contract."

Paqui looked at Dean with an unfamiliar look in his dark eyes, as if he was getting to know this nephew again,

"I've taken care of you for seven or eight years, why never knew you could eat the detective's bowl of rice?"

Tang Ya next to her glanced at the big man angrily,

"You take care of Dean, how do you take care of it? Leaving him in school all day long, paying some living expenses every month, busy with work by himself, not seeing anyone for ten days and half a month, especially in the past two years, often not going home for several months. ”

"You never cared about Dean's hobbies and worries."

Tang Ya reprimanded unceremoniously,

"You don't call it care, you call it free-range. You don't know anything about this kid... Don't quibble! Otherwise, tell me what your nephew likes to eat the most? ”

"Uh..."

Paqui suddenly froze, and his rough face seemed to have been slapped in the face, and it was visibly red and swollen to the naked eye.

"This kid has grown up and found a job that he is good at... You should congratulate him and celebrate him," Tang Ya taught Paqui as she taught her students, "instead of questioning and criticizing!" ”

Dean lowered his eyebrows and offered a cup of hot water to his aunt,

Paqui's face was black and red, his mouth moved several times, but he couldn't make a sound, and after a while, he held back a shameful smile,

"Well, congratulations, Dean! I shouldn't have doubted you. ”

"But I have the impression that a private detective is only about 20,000 a year, where can I earn 100,000?" His eyes shot a complicated light, and he sighed unwillingly, "I risked being shot in the head and stayed up all night working, and I only earned 30,000 or 40,000 yuan a year, including medical expenses..."

"Don't you understand? We are all a group of old antiques who can't keep up with the times, and our backward eyes can't see through the current development. Jacob put his arm around Paqui's shoulders and leaned back on the couch, his bearded eyes as deep as a philosopher,

"Okay, I've proven my earning power," Dean put away the contract, full of confidence, "Now Paqui, pick a house in Las Vegas that you like, and I'll pay for it." ”

This time, no one questioned his strength, in this era, an ordinary house in the urban area is enough for fifty or sixty thousand dollars.

Paqui opened his mouth and was silent for a long time, his mood was complicated and indescribable, and for a moment, they seemed to be gagged and speechless.

"Paqui, you've been taking care of me since Lena and Glenn went missing." Dean paced around the hall, his voice warm but powerful, "If it weren't for my oil bottle, you would have married and had a wife and children." ”

The residual feelings made Di An's head welled up with a trace of longing, and he occupied the body of the predecessor and controlled the soul of the predecessor as a superpower.

So helping the family of the predecessor improve their lives is beyond reproach.

What's more, he helped Paqui, so that he could let the other party cooperate with him to deal with the gold bars and go to the shooting range to purchase powerful weapons.

"In our hometown, there is an old saying that the grace of a drop of water should be reciprocated by a spring."

He looked at the big man who was at a loss,

"You have taken care of me for so many years, raised me, and it is my turn to repay you, uncle."

The emotional voice echoed in the living room, quietly melting the ice in my heart.

The big man was stunned for a moment, suddenly turned his head, and rubbed the corners of his eyes,

Well, no matter how much his personality changes, Dean is also family.

"When did the stinky boy become so sensational? Having a girlfriend has changed so much? ”

"Don't be stubborn!" The bearded man glanced at Paqui, and then at Dean, and the envy in his eyes flashed, "With such a good nephew, what kind of bodyguard are you going to do, retire honestly and enjoy life!" ”

"When you buy a house, don't forget to invite an old friend to visit!" Tang Ya smiled heartily, but her eyes were slightly red.

"The stinky boy has made a lot of money and is willing to help my uncle, who is not a good person, and I am happy to accept it." Paqui looked at Dean, the whole person was withdrawn from the previous tense state, and the corners of his mouth were relaxed with a smile,

"But I've been running around for most of my life, and I don't have much time to stay in Las Vegas, and since Lena and Bright don't know where to go, my feelings for Las Vegas have become weaker, and the only thing I miss is this nephew."

He smiled at Dean

"I've had enough of the hustle and bustle of the big city, the hollowness under the bustle, and the crowd of racists. If you want to buy a house and settle down, you must choose another place with deeper bonds. ”

Leaving Las Vegas?

Dean bared his teeth, he didn't expect that he had guessed his uncle's mind wrong from the beginning.

"You want to go back to your hometown?" Jacob's eyes suddenly lit up,

Pakui nodded, rubbed the dreamcatcher tattoo on his neck, and laughed at himself,

"When I was a teenager, Lena and I left home without hesitation, determined never to go back, but we couldn't help but sneak back many times along the way, and it has always been there, but it has changed a lot."

"More than 20 years have passed, and lately, I miss the place where I was born and raised."

"I even dreamed of a high school basketball stadium where I had a few fights."

He closed his eyes wistfully, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth,

"That's where I belong. I'm going to go back and see my old classmates and the buildings I remember, and then buy a quiet house in the suburbs, surrounded by natural lawn, where you can walk your dog at any time, close to the forest, fresh air, you can hunt with a gun, the stream tinkles by, and you can catch a fish when you are interested. ”

"Dean, my good nephew, will you fulfill me?"

Paqui was nervous and expectant, but saw the other party nodding heavily,

"Returning to your hometown to settle down and returning to your roots is a very traditional approach, and I understand and support you 100%."

Dean paused, stared at him and said solemnly,

"When I go back, I don't have to save money. Pick a good house, sturdy and spacious, enough to fit your future wife, children, your brothers and friends, and me. ”

"After picking, I will personally inspect it, if it is not qualified, then don't blame me for repairing a building for you."

Paqui breathed a sigh of relief, and Jacob and Donya were happy for him, wrapping their arms around him left and right.

"Let's get the house clean, and we'll go and have some fun when the time comes."

"I'm here for you," Paqui said with a smile as he began to envision a bright future, "I'll prepare a full set of barbecue equipment for you in advance." ”

"Hey, my dear uncle, should you tell me something first?" Dean crossed his hands on his hips, "I grew up knowing that you and Lena were from Indiana, but I didn't know exactly where they were. ”

"Don't blame your mother, she just didn't have time to tell you the answer... It's not too late to tell. Paqui's eyes flashed with melancholy, "Well, our hometown is a beautiful town in Indiana, Hawkins. ”

"It's all year round, unlike Las Vegas, where it's full of dry desert and sun-scanned skin."

Hawkinstown, Indiana?

Dean's temples twitched, and he had no impression of the place.

In fact, he had extremely limited knowledge of most of the cities in the United States.

"There is a secondary school, a hospital, and a full range of shops in the town, and the transportation is very convenient, and the cost is not high." Paqui was full of praise for the place, "And the people are very simple. ”

"You described Hawkins so well, so why did you and Lena leave in the first place?" Dean was puzzled,

Paqui's face darkened,

"At that time, your grandmother had just died, and we were so sad that we sold the house to the government, and then the Ministry of Energy was built near the house."

"Your mother and I came to Las Vegas with the money from the sale of the house to pan for gold."

"Who hasn't been rebellious and impulsive when he's young?"

He sighed, looked at Dean and recalled,

"Your parents love to travel, and after giving birth to you, they kept this habit by driving past Hawkins for a few days every year, and then continuing to travel east or west for a week or two, and I helped take care of you."

"Eight years ago, during the summer vacation when you were 10 years old, they were on their way to the East Coast and never looked back."

"Where exactly did you go missing?" Dean looked moved and sat up straight, "Hawkins, Indiana? Or is it somewhere else? ”

……

In the night, if someone sneaks close to this small two-story building, peek in through the courtyard window.

Then, by the bright light, you can see a burly man with yellow skin telling stories of the past with emotion, shaking his ponytail in excitement from time to time, or covering his face with sighs.

A young man, a bearded woman, and a thin middle-aged woman, listened intently.

Until the dead of night.

(End of chapter)