Evetrona's old stories

Just as Stowell was about to answer, he felt a pair of small hands behind him grabbing the hem of his clothes.

Following Si Duo's gaze, Neriwen saw little Naira.The woman and the child looked at each other. Seeing those black bean-like eyes, Neriwen became excited again. She reached out her hand to touch the child in front of her, but saw that the child hid behind Stowell with a look of panic.

"Neravel, is that you?" Neriwen called his name, "Don't you remember me?"

Seeing that the strange woman could call out her name, little Naira poked her head out from behind Stowell. He looked at her suspiciously, then looked up at Stowell again.

Stowell touched little Naira's head.She knelt down, took the little boy by the hand, and pushed him in front of Neriwen.

"What should you call her?" Stowell was persuasive, and she reminded him in a low voice.

Little Naira blinked her eyes, not sure if she was thinking or hesitating.The weather in the south was dry and cold, and his cheeks were flushed.

The wind stopped, and the tree branches stopped rustling.

Nellie looked at the child in front of her, her heart was pounding, she unconsciously made a mouth shape towards him, she was full of anticipation.

"Mom?" Little Naira's tone was tentative.

"Hey, my child..." Nellie smiled and hugged him into her arms.The scene was warm and peaceful, and Nellie Wen himself was also surprised—there was no ecstasy and excitement as expected, only the calmness after being satisfied.

A moment later, a soft sound broke the warm atmosphere at this time. Nellie turned her head and saw Harvey putting two boxes under the steps of the porch. Judging from the sound of shaking, there seemed to be some bottles in the boxes.

"Ma'am." Harvey took off his hat and said in a rather polite tone, "We may not have time to eat, and...in the spirit of being responsible to the employer, I think the less people know about this, the better."

"Oh, good." Nellie stood up and wiped the corners of her red eyes, "Is there always time for a drink? You, and the lady over there..."

"We don't have to. We will save precious time for you and your family." Harvey smiled. "In an hour, we will pick you up on time."

After the Neriwin family returned to the house, Harvey returned to Ji Nuoer.In the cold night, they leaned on the carriage, and the street lamps cast a cloud of cloudy and dim light.

Two moose stood quietly in front of them, chewing and breathing heavily.They ruminate their food, or snort.

Harvey's mood was calm and depressed.The trip to the Infinity Mountains finally consumed his resentment, but at this time the loneliness of being a stranger in a foreign land occupied his heart again.The lights came on in the room, and there was a figure flickering by the window, and Harvey sighed unconsciously——even for such a miserable couple, would he start to be jealous now?

Nellie came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of hot drink. When she was talking with the other party just now, she smelled the familiar smell - mulled wine.

The cold season and the intoxicating aroma of mulled wine reminded Stowell of that winter, but the house was no longer the same house.

"It's been simmering for a long time, so there won't be much smell of wine." Neriwen sat beside her, poured her a cup of hot drink, and their bodies were almost touching each other.Little Naira looked at the steaming crimson liquid in the glass, and began to shake Stowell's sleeve, as if she wanted to try it too.

"You want some too?" Neriwen asked with a smile.

Little Naira looked at her timidly, then nodded.

Naravel's personality is very quiet, even a little taciturn. In Neriwen's view, his personality is very similar to that of Sto.

"He's too young to drink." Seeing Neriwen take out another empty glass, Stowell hurriedly said to her.

"It's okay, just pour him a little." Neriwen looked at little Naira with doting eyes.

Stuart smiled helplessly.

One hour is not long, but it is enough for two people to understand each other's current situation.

Nellie Wen said she was "the same as before" and that the move was just a change of mood - she said nothing about the unbearable "hysterical period".Neriwen felt that she had nothing to talk about here, and she wanted to know about Stowell's situation - she felt that there seemed to be some changes in Stowell, but she couldn't tell exactly what had changed.

Stowell told her that he had obtained the "citizenship" of the city of Intioch. When Neriwen heard the news, he was happy for her at first, and then his eyes quickly dimmed.

If it could be concealed, Stowell would never tell her the fact that he had become "Iosha", but if he didn't tell her the truth, many things could not be explained.

She told Neriwen that she is now in charge of "sanitation work" on a certain street in Intioch. Although she is not as glamorous as she was at the Opera House, fortunately, the salary is not low, and it is more than enough to support herself and her children.

Back then, Ji Nuoer personally arranged the arrangement of Stowell and Little Naila.The northern city-states have a higher degree of acceptance of foreigners, and Ji Nuoer took advantage of this, allowing Stowell to play the role of a "persecuted exile", allowing the father and son to have a temporary relationship in Intiou. of foothold.In the following year, Stowell performed several surgeries in the local hospital according to the agreement signed before entering the city, and finally completed the transformation from "An Bolin" to "Iosha", and obtained the "Pale Pink Card"— - The so-called "city-state citizenship certificate".

As for that job, Stowell didn't hate it.People in the northern city-states are slightly more tolerant of men than those in the south, perhaps because they understand the situation of men in the city-state better.Among Stowell's colleagues, there are Ann Bolin, Iosha, and real female citizens, and they are all friendly.Compared with being bullied at the opera house, although the work here is not decent, Stowell's mood is much better.

One day, when she passed by a window on the street, she was attracted by the dazzling array of bottled wine in the store.If it was in the past, when she was still An Pulin, she wouldn't even have the courage to stop outside the window.Now, she has a salaried job and doesn't get questioned about her identity when making purchases - she's thrilled to be able to get what she wants in exchange for her own labor endlessly.

Nellie was fond of drinking, she remembered it vividly.When she was still in Toklandas, Stowell also thought that if she could give Neriwin a bottle of good wine, she would be happy.But even such a small wish was difficult for Stowell - she was just a little An Pulin at the time, and the law did not give them the right to surprise their sweetheart.

After get off work that day, she walked into the store and bought her first bottle of wine.The clerk put the wine into the wooden box, tied it carefully with a red ribbon, and tied a big bow on it. The scene at that time seems to be vivid.That bottle of wine cost her five weeks' salary, but she didn't feel bad at all.

"If one day, I can see Neriwen again..." She thought to herself, "I must give her a big surprise."

Except for the necessary expenses in life, almost all of Stowell's money was used to buy high-end wine, and she didn't even save savings.Stowell's behavior may seem a bit weird to her colleagues, but every time they see her high spirits after buying wine, they also express their understanding-one female colleague even gave her two bottles of wine.Stowell carefully wrapped all these accumulated bottled wines and carefully sealed them in the secret compartment under the floor.She planned to give these wines to Neriwen when she had the opportunity in the future.

Stowell felt that there were not many things she could do for Neriwen, but as long as there was one thing, she would definitely do it.

That night, the two talked about many things, but they didn't mention the situation when they parted that year-it happened so hastily that neither of them actually understood the whole picture of the incident at that time-in fact, it was really useless to discuss the past. Necessary, all they can do now is to live in the present, waiting for the moment when the family can really be reunited one day.

No matter how much they cherish this hour, the moment of parting will come.After hearing the sound of Harvey knocking on the window, Stowell stood up.Neriwen looked extremely reluctant, she gently hugged Stowell, and kissed little Naira's forehead.Wet tears dripped down Narivere's cheeks—the little boy looked at Neriwen in amazement, wondering why she was acting so sad.

"I still remember when you left." Nellie Wen helped Stowell put on her coat, her voice was so soft that it was almost hard to hear, "You were holding Naravel, but he kept crying and pulling me He refused to let go of his hand. Later I took off my scarf and wrapped it around his neck..." She squatted down again and asked little Naira, "Do you remember the past? You always Stick to me, and I will make a lot of noise when I go away." Little Naira didn't answer her question, but his blank expression also showed the answer.

Neriwen forced a smile, "It's okay, then don't forget about me in the future."

Little Naira looked into her eyes and nodded emphatically.

Before leaving, Nellie Wen stood under the porch and gave Stowell a hug again.Perhaps no one dares to guarantee when they will meet next time.

"Life will always get better and better, won't it?" Neriwen whispered in Stowell's ear.She was comforting Stu, and at the same time comforting herself - at least Stu and Naraville are doing well now, and that's enough.

Under the night, Stowell and Naira got into the car, and Neriwen stood beside the huge wheel, holding Stowell's hand like this, and followed the moose cart slowly.

"Madam, go back quickly." Harvey persuaded her, "You will be reunited one day, not so long ago."

After hearing his words, Neriwen became agitated. Two lines of tears rolled down her cheeks. She raised her face and asked Harvein who was sitting in front, "Then tell me, when will we be reunited? What else can I do for you?"

Of course Harvey couldn't answer this question, and Ji Nuoer couldn't guarantee it either.So they were all silent at the time.

Now is the season of warm and cold, the temperature fluctuates up and down.The originally cloudy sky was clearing up, and the lavender moon was surrounded by water vapor under the mottled night sky, and it was coated with an imperceptible colored halo.The southerly wind gusts, and a mist rises from the land on the outskirts of Tocolandas. The moose cart is driving on the straight main road, and its hooves hit the asphalt road, making regular and intensive noises.On the right side of the black road, a freight train was driving in the same direction as them. At first, the two were running side by side, but soon, the train overtook them and disappeared into the hazy tree shadows.

After leaving Toklandas, Stowell was completely depressed, like a deflated ball, sitting in a corner of the carriage without any reaction.

A few days later, early in the morning in the wilderness, the weather was clear.The chirping of insects and birds can be heard endlessly, and there is a mixed smell of morning dew and green grass in the mountains and forests.The moose walked slowly along the dirt road in the forest, and little Naira sat next to Harveyn, dozing off from getting up so early.

For some reason, Harvey suddenly remembered the scene when he was walking with the members of the "harmonious coexistence" team in his early years-maybe he was just homesick.

He took out a violin from the storage box and played the ditty of his hometown.He hadn't played the piano for a long time, and since Egran's accident, he had played it only twice—once in the Infinity Mountains, and again today.

The sound of the qin echoed in the mountains and forests, and little Naila slowly opened her eyes, looking at the little qin in his hand with surprise.Without blinking, he watched his plucking fingers, the strings vibrate on the box.

Stowell was also attracted by the sound of his piano in the carriage, and looked towards him with his head.When the song was over, Harvey turned around and smiled at her.

Stowell subconsciously wanted to look away, but since the other party had noticed it, she could no longer pretend not to see it.

"You play very well," she said. "I have never seen Alegre as talented as you."

"In our area, there is no such name as Alig." Harvey said.

"What about An Pulin?"

"No." Hawein said, "There are no such titles as 'Alige', 'Ambulin' and 'Citizen of the City'. We only have 'Mr.' and 'Ms.', 'Master' and 'Miss' here."

"Then... what should I call you?" Stowell asked.

"Just call me... 'brother'."

When Stowell heard his answer, he couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Sure enough, you're one of the Silent Ones," Harvein said.

In the underground base, the title "brother" is used most frequently and widely, not only between men and men, but also between women and women—maybe they think that by doing this, they can get those weak city-states group recognition.

"It used to be, but it isn't anymore," Stowell admitted, "and I've always hated the term 'brother'."

"Indeed, in your case, the term 'brother' means more of a 'colleague', but in our case, those who can be called 'brothers' are either very close peers or people who are related."

"I understand, just like me and Nalanke." Stowell said.

"You and Nalanke? Which Nalanke? Are you talking about Jinor's husband?"

"Yes, that's him, we are brothers."

Just when Harvey was still a little puzzled, Ji Nuoer couldn't help explaining, "Both Stowell and Nalanke are the sons of the old man, and they are brothers."

"Unexpectedly!" Harvey was a little surprised. He stared at Stowell for a while and said, "No wonder I always think who you look like——I really want to know...Which of you is the elder brother?"

"Of course it's him. Nalanke is much older than me." Stowell said.

"When you were in the city just now, why didn't you go back and see him?"

"We have some... some disagreements."

Stowell seemed unwilling to explain so much, so Hawein looked at Ji Nuoer again.

"Don't ask, if you want to know, you can ask Nalanke yourself in the future." Ji Nuoer said.

"Why do I care about this?" Harvey turned his head back and began to play the banjo in his hand again.

"You play so well, are you a musician among you?" Stowell asked him.The topic went back to the beginning.

"Thank you, I used to be a cobbler." Harvey kept his eyes on the front and didn't stop playing.

When Nellie came home that night, she was devastated.

Loneliness does not take any interest in those who have been alone for a long time, it prefers to patronize those who are alone.

Neriwen sat alone on the sofa, staring at the window sill in a daze.At this time, there was a feeling of nostalgia in the room: the place where Stowell had just sat, the empty wine glass on the table, and the crushed orange peel that Naraville had squeezed——she looked at the small mess The still life of her heart is as warm as spring—this is the most humble charity bestowed on her by fate.She gratefully accepted.

Time is still ticking by.

This year's spring is still a rainy spring, and the damp and cold air seems to be pervasive.Walking on the street is like soaking in a cold stream, making people's hands and feet cold.

A blue and yellow cleaning vehicle was parked at the corner of the street, and several sanitation workers in one-piece overalls were chatting against the guardrail.Not long after, a white car stopped on the side of the road behind them.

Several workers turned around and saw the owner of the car opened the door, holding a small incubator in his hand.

"Good morning, Ms. Nellie Win." The workers greeted the owner of the car.Recently, for some unknown reason, this Huaihua District official suddenly became interested in them.

Nellie is wearing a knee-length dark gray woolen coat today, with a row of lacquered red horn buttons hanging on the chest. The bright color is very eye-catching.She smiled at them as a response to their greetings.The workers took away the hot drinks in the incubator and thanked her one by one.

A few days ago, someone asked her the purpose of doing this, so Neriwen replied that it was because she had a friend who was also doing sanitation work-when she saw them, she thought of this friend.

This is also true.

For her behavior, some even praised her, while others felt it was unnecessary.In the city-state, doing sanitation work is not shameful, and with the assistance of cleaning machines, it is not even considered tiring-in the eyes of some people, this job is actually not bad, but it is not decent enough.You know, the weekly salary of a sanitation worker is even higher than that of a mid-level official.

But after observing for a long time, you can find that some things really cannot be discussed in terms of money.From the perspective of a city-state woman—that is, a "citizen", the original city-state system is really beautiful and desirable. "Eliminate the country, eliminate capital; everyone is equal, and occupations are equal..." At that time, the city-states had not yet been divided, and there were no law enforcement bureaus in the cities. Everyone consciously contributed to the society, cared for each other, and knew how to tolerate.Everyone performs their duties and respects others—researchers and auto mechanics are neighbors, bosses care about their subordinates, officials and sanitation workers eat in the same restaurant...People all have a beautiful yearning for the future in their hearts. They are a On the whole, they treat everyone they meet with a tolerant heart, so that society can function as usual without the constraints of laws and dogma.

Indeed, such a life did persist for a while, but that was all.Just as human beings will one day grow old-a city-state, no matter how carefully maintained and repaired, will eventually tend to chaos.As generations pass, cities accumulate entropy in every dispute and conflict.The citizens of the new generation cannot understand the meaning of the contributions of the older generation. They are selfish, trample on the blood and sweat of their predecessors with confidence, and always have reasons to justify themselves-thus, the building is reduced to dust, and the ideals of the fundamentalist school collapsed , the new successor of the city-state led law enforcement officers with murder weapons on stage, threw away those harmful dross and outdated ideals, and cleaned the city again, and everyone was satisfied with this.

In today's city-state, it seems that no one talks about the topic of "occupational equality".Society lacks care.

Everyone hopes to be affirmed by others - the kindness and care from others constantly nourishes the heart, and the overflowing warmth must flow elsewhere.One day, when Neriwen came home, she suddenly found that the fence around the courtyard had been painted white, as if it looked brand new.At that time, she had the urge to cry, and her long-simmering emotions were finally expressed. For the first time, she realized that in her life, besides waiting, there might still be things to do.

She still remembers what she said to Stuart that night-life will always get better, isn't it?

A few years later, when Eve met Neriwen for the first time, the other party was already the most beloved local official.

On the other side of the city, on a moonless night at the turn of spring and summer, Ji Nuoer took Harvey back to the base, and she was finally relieved now.

Through this mission, Ji Nuoer reassessed Harvein's ability.

If she hadn't known Harvein's level of force in advance, she would even have to consider whether she should get rid of him now to avoid future troubles-this man who always gets himself drunk and foolish, with the help of Based on the extremely one-sided information he can get, he has roughly figured out the details of the Silencer organization.Every time he heard him talking to Stowell, Ji Nuoer sweated; and when he stood in front of Neriwen, Ji Nuoer was even more nervous, lest he say something that shouldn't be said.

It seemed that all conspiracies and schemes had nowhere to hide in front of him—but fortunately, he was not an enemy now.Maybe he should get down to business.Ji Nuoer thought that if he was willing to help, it would definitely be of great use.

During the blooming season, an intoxicating aroma wafts from the restricted area of ​​the Alberd city-state.

The Silent One lurks in Tokolandas, but at this moment, it seems that there are no waves on the surface.

[124] Under the fame (Part [-])

On February [-]th, Eve boarded the train bound for Benlongbao in Yutong City, Sinraig Province.

That month, Nanfen sent her two daughters out of the house one by one.Perhaps because of Miriam's company, she behaved quite straightforwardly this time.

"Let's go, let's go! You two disobedient bad boys..." A few days before leaving, Nanfen helped them pack their luggage while muttering in an impatient tone.Of course, being free and easy is just an appearance. When she said this, maybe she was more angry-it would be a lot less fun if her daughter was not around.

With a whistle, the train started slowly.After waving goodbye to Nanfen and the Luge couple, Eve sat back on the seat in the carriage.There were many people seeing off on the platform, and different unfamiliar faces flashed before her eyes.Eve closed the car window, and with a soft click, the world became much quieter.

At this time, there were four people sitting in the box - Eve, Awanna, Silinya, and Silinya's younger brother Oleden.

No one in the car was talking.Xilinya was taking care of a bunch of lilies stuck in a water bottle at this time, and the rest of the people were silently watching the movements of her hands—watching her pick off the leaves below the stem and add nutrient solution to the water .Six or seven pale yellow flowers bloomed on the upper ends of these two cut-root plants, and dark red pollen was scattered on the petals below the pistil heads.Xilinya cleaned up the petals patiently, her brows were slightly frowned—because of the bumps along the way, the plant was slightly damaged, and she seemed a little unhappy because of this.The scent of lilies conceals the smell of old wood in the carriage, and the fragrance of the flowers is strong but not smoky.

Eve glanced around in the carriage.In addition to the bouquet of lilies, there were a pair of velvet curtains, a wool rug, a calico tablecloth, and a record player in the carriage.The bed was covered with new quilts with high-grade fabrics, and there was an extra set of tea drinking utensils on the table, which seemed to be expensive.At this time, the environment in the box has changed a lot, and there may be other changes in details that Eve has not noticed yet.

Xilinya seemed to regard this box as a long-term rental room, and she arranged it beautifully and warmly, as if she was going to live here for several years, not just six days.

Xilinya was a little uncomfortable seeing them, so she stopped what she was doing, and said to everyone: "Isn't this a snack, eat it quickly."

Eve nodded at her.At this time, Awanna was already drooling over the box of snacks on the table.Eve picked up the box and handed it to Avanna, but the other party refused to accept it.The colorful macarons are neatly packed in a carved wooden box. This little girl who grew up in a bitter cold area may be a little apprehensive when she sees such an exquisite dessert for the first time.So, Eve took one first, and then Awanna was willing to take it.

The box is for two people, Eve and Xilinya are for one, and Awanna is arranged next door.If it hadn't been for Eve's sudden "falling ill" last year and delaying the trip, the person who traveled with Eve that time would not be Akanlu, but Xilinya—just like last year, this matter was arranged by Eluren.Reminiscent of the things that Xilinya has spent a lot of time doing in the box now, Eve also understands why she had such a big prejudice against herself at the beginning of school.