Rebel Demon King

Chapter 857 Asgard and the Book of Wisdom (3)

Xie Minyun went back to his room to take a shower and change clothes. Cheng Mo held a sandwich with one hand, and opened the "Le Monde" placed on the edge of the table with the other hand. For those who have studied French, the internationally famous "Le Monde" It is one of the best reading materials, because the main readers are mostly intellectuals, officials and other social elites, so it is a very serious and prestigious newspaper.

Cheng Mo flipped through it roughly. Today’s content mainly focuses on the increase in French higher education tuition fees, mainly aimed at international students; followed by an article on oil prices, which occupies a large space; in addition, there are some analysis of technological trends wait.

Cheng defaulted to reading only one article about Chinese companies entering Tianzhu, which was very long. Those who often read Le Monde know that the French elite know more about China than ordinary people, and compared to ordinary foreign media, they all like to belittle Huaxia, the elite media is relatively neutral, but they never say words of praise, and they are extremely vigilant in their use of words. Worry about Huaxia is a common sentiment among Western elites
In addition, Cheng Mo also observed a detail. The "Le Monde", which never advertised before and said to maintain its spiritual independence, not only has far more pictures than before, but also advertisements can be said to be a must-see on every page.Perhaps ordinary people would not notice such insignificant details, but Cheng Mo knew that this meant that "Le Monde" was no longer pure.

Generally speaking, today’s newspapers are no different from those in the past. The world is peaceful and boring, and the things worth noticing are all inexplicable things. They are so boring that people feel that the contents of today’s newspapers seem familiar, just like reading a copy of the same one a long time ago. .

Cheng Mo ate his breakfast slowly, browsed the "Le Monde", and then folded the newspapers in the original order. Cheng Mo didn't have such a habit at first, but under the subtle influence of Xie Minyun, he also started to do so.

When Cheng Mo put the tableware into the sink, Xie Minyun also finished washing up. Compared with the grand banquet yesterday, today's Xie Minyun not only does not wear makeup, but also dresses very simply. A black woolen short coat and jeans are very simple. The outfit did not damage her beauty at all, which is completely different from those Internet celebrities who have no beauty filters and skin-blending make-up.

Cheng Mo thinks that the most unique thing about Xie Minyun is that wearing mature clothes will make her look girly, and wearing girly clothes will make her look mature. No matter how she dresses, she can stand between youthful and mature just right.

When the two went out, Jiang Jun was already waiting at the elevator, and the three of them went downstairs to the Vanves flea market together.

Winter in Paris is lazy and warm, especially on such a sunny morning, the cotton-like clouds are not as palpable as in summer, but make the blue sky look vast and high.The atmosphere of Christmas is everywhere on the street. There are Christmas trees at the entrance of the shopping malls, and Santa Claus is pasted on the glass windows, and the festive atmosphere is blowing.
Jiang Jun drove the car to a parking lot in District [-]. Cheng Mo opened the door and got off, noticing the words on the parking space for the disabled beside: Si tuprends ma place, tuprendsmon handicap (You took my place, you will also have my disability).Cheng Mo thought: Paris' warning has turned into a curse, making people feel that the city is not peaceful and full of hostility.

Cheng Mo didn't look much, and walked side by side with Xie Minyun to the second-hand goods stall not far away, and Jiang Jun followed behind him not far or near.The two are shoulder to shoulder, but they don't hold hands. Usually, they rarely hold hands in school, and they rarely even come and go together. Unlike most couples who like to be tired of being together, the two will definitely meet every day. But the time and length of the meeting are as accurate as a clock, like two mechanical gears, which will only bite together briefly at a certain time.

In addition, both Cheng Mo and Xie Minyun are cold-tempered people, so they don't feel like a couple in love at all, but like an old couple who are busy with their respective jobs.

The two of them didn't speak, they walked on the cobblestone road, with sycamore trees with all their leaves on both sides, and the cold wind passed by, bringing a bit of chill.

There are many stalls in the Porte de Vanves flea market. Although it is open-air and it is cold in winter, it is still very lively. There are Parisians with street stalls on both sides of the long street. Professionals come here in small trucks, and unprofessional ones spread on the ground. There is a layer of plastic film, and there are often food stalls such as Turkish barbecue, burritos, and hot dogs between the stalls. There are people of all colors and accents, and occasionally there are police patrols, full of life.

What Cheng Mo needs are old books. According to the Internet, there is a small area that specializes in printed materials, but there is no accurate location. Cheng Mo can only take Xie Minyun to search slowly. However, the crowd is crowded. If two people want to get together, they have to rely on closer.After what happened last night, the slightly estranged way of getting along between the two of them was destroyed a lot, so after repeated hand-to-hand contact, Cheng Mo struggled for a while, and still held Xie Minyun hand, he stared at the front intently, pretending to be nonchalant.

Xie Minyun was browsing the goods on the stall, felt his hand was grabbed by Cheng Mo, just about to say something, then seemed to suddenly forget what he wanted to say, his slightly parted lips immediately closed tightly, and stared unnaturally ahead .

Holding Xie Minyun's warm hand, Cheng Mo slowed down, and was no longer in a hurry to find the print area. He and Xie Minyun wandered the long street together. For two people who don't like shopping, shopping for fleas The market is not boring at all. Compared with the rigid shopping malls, the flea market not only has everything, but also cheap gadgets such as old photos, postcards, glassware, masks, and dolls, as well as paintings, sculptures, ceramics, musical instruments, and jewelry. , clocks, cameras, silver tableware and other artworks, you can also find children's toys, handicrafts, French lace needlework, currency, etc., all kinds of exquisite antiques you can imagine.

More importantly, the flea market is also a microcosm of Paris. Unlike a shopping mall, it is just the end of the assembly line. The products in the flea market are no longer products made by cold and ruthless machines. After years of refinement, it has become a history.The salesmen here are not those salesmen who are desperately trying to sell for a commission. Their eyes and expressions are full of stories.

At this time, Xie Minyun stopped in front of a small stall. The stall owner had just opened the folding table and was sorting out the items he brought: silk scarves, earrings, evening handbags...

Seeing Cheng Mo and Xie Minyun standing in front, the stall owner didn't mean to say hello, but just raised his head to glance at Xie Minyun and Cheng Mo, and continued to keep silently neatly tidying up those luxury goods that seemed to be some years old. Arrange on a folding table.

Cheng Mo also glanced at the stall owner. This is a French woman in her early 50s. Her chestnut hair is combed meticulously. She does not lack a piece of jewelry that should be worn. The temperature in Paris in early December is relatively low, and she still wears light and elegant clothes. She wore a silk skirt, a blue cashmere coat, and a pair of white gloves.

There is no doubt that she used to be very rich, but now why she is reduced to setting up a stall in the flea market and selling the things that she once cherished, Cheng Mo doesn't know.

Xie Minyun raised his finger and pointed to the crystal ball shining brightly in the sun and asked softly, "Can I have a look at this?"

The stall owner raised her head again. She took a deep look at Xie Minyun and then at Cheng Mo, then carefully pressed the base of the crystal ball and held it up to Xie Minyun.

The base of the crystal ball is composed of white porcelain and hollowed-out metal carvings. The crystal ball is also equipped with a shiny white porcelain carousel and lifelike villains. A girl wearing a crown is riding on a wooden horse, and a bear is wearing a tuxedo. The Beast stands aside holding a rose, no doubt a character from "Beauty and the Beast."

The entire crystal ball is perfectly preserved, it can be said to be exactly the same as the new one.Xie Minyun tightened the spring under the base, and the carousel in the crystal ball began to rotate, and the light "Beauty and the Beast" floated out of it, and as the carousel rotated, the crystal ball reflected changing colorful halos, which was very beautiful.

"How much?" Xie Minyun asked.

"300 Euros." The stall owner didn't look up, but said lightly. After a pause, she immediately added, "No bargaining."

300 euros is a very expensive price, and it is even more prohibitive in a flea market like Porte de Venves, which tends to be cheap and cheap, but her tone is very firm, revealing an elegant stubbornness.

Xie Minyun turned to look at Cheng Mo, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Cheng, it's time to buy your wife a Christmas present."

Cheng Mo naturally didn't care about 300 Euros, even though the price seemed outrageous, he took out his wallet from the inner pocket of his leather jacket, took out [-] Euros and handed it to the stall owner.

The stall owner didn't seem to have expected the two Asians to be so forthright. He stared blankly at the euro in Cheng Mo's hand for a long time. It wasn't until Cheng Mo gave her the money again that the stall owner took the money with a sad expression on his face.She bent down and took out an Hermès paper bag from the canvas travel bag next to the folding stool, handed it to Xie Minyun and said lightly: "Please cherish it."

"Thank you, I will." Xie Minyun said, she handed the crystal ball to Cheng Mo, took off the scarf tied around her neck, wrapped the crystal ball and put it in a paper bag, and continued to move forward with Cheng Mo Walk.

"Even if it's [-] Euros, it's quite rare to be able to buy a JARLL-Disney collaboration crystal ball. I remember that there are several in Diva's house, but it's not "Beauty and the Beast."

"As long as you like it." Cheng Mo said, "However, I'm a little surprised that you also like things from such a little girl."

"I just think there must be a story behind this crystal ball. Whether it's her attitude or her clothes, it gives people a very sad feeling. I guess what she sold may be a gift from her former lover. It is hidden in the bones of the French nation. The relationship between people and things is still delicate, even though they have to be sold, and this is what I find very interesting about flea markets.”

"I don't think so, I just think that the economic situation in France is very bad. You see, even the middle class is forced to sell their beloved things to make ends meet. This shows that this great country in the past has faded away."

"Although the current economy in France is indeed not good, you are mistaken. French people love to collect antiques. Whether they have money or not, shopping for treasures in flea markets and thrift stores is one of the important activities in their daily life. If you judge that the economic situation in France is not good because of these, it is not entirely correct."

"The shopping mall is full of Chinese people, and the flea market is full of French people. Isn't that enough?"

At this time, a black woman happened to be bargaining with the stall owner with a pair of old sneakers worn by children. The two were very involved in arguing, just because the shoes were worth 1 Euro or 0.5 Euro.
In the end, the black woman took out one euro to buy the sneakers, and the stall owner gave her an old coat. Immediately, the fat black woman put the coat on her body, and left happily with the shoes.

Cheng Mo and Xie Minyun were silent at the same time, and the two continued to walk forward. After a while, Xie Minyun said: "Actually, sometimes... I don't know what I like or what I want to pursue. "Xie Minyun lowered his head slightly, "Maybe to me, only those grand and indescribable things can attract people. Everyone is the same, keen to pursue those things that cannot be obtained, just like when I was a child, I always asked myself to study. First, not only is there a reason for me to be excellent, but also because pleasure is too boring. I can only find my sense of existence by pursuing those things that I deliberately pursue and cannot easily obtain. Perhaps excellent grades and extensive knowledge are my Valuable note to prove yourself"

"I'm different from you! For me, getting excellent grades is almost the only way to protect myself. Reading so many books is only because this is the only way to preserve myself." Cheng Mo recalled that he used to feel inferior Swaying in the gap between the sense of selfishness and the sense of superiority, his spirit is violently turbulent, and he lives in anxiety every moment.However, it seems that he is still trapped in it now, and has not found a way to get rid of the past. Maybe this is because of the imminent death that may be imminent at any moment, or maybe it is because of his sense of crisis that is different from ordinary people.

Xie Minyun smiled and said: "Is it hypocritical for the two of us to say these things now? I feel very groaning."

"You're really hypocritical, but I'm really sick!" Cheng defaulted sincerely.

Xie Minyun bit her lip and chuckled: "I won't deny it this time, you win."

"What is counting? I won with confidence and integrity."

"Cheng Mo." Xie Minyun suddenly stopped.

Cheng Mo also stopped, turned his head to look at Xie Minyun, and said "huh?"

"I don't know how you understand this world. After entering the inner world, my previous world view has been completely subverted. I can no longer be sure of the composition of this world, but there is no doubt that you and I are part of this world. Although it is full of dangers lurking everywhere, it is also full of all kinds of pain and contradictions, making us feel that this world has no way to a bright future, only darkness. But it is not scary. I am your light, and I will serve you You change it."

Cheng Mo stared at Xie Minyun, the pedestrians around him were constantly flowing, the sun and wind passed through the dry treetops, and the stall owners were waving their goods and making noise. Cheng Mo smiled very naturally, and said in a low voice: "You are really hypocritical. Very moaning”

Xie Minyun also smiled, which was also very natural, and there was a rare tenderness in her smile.

Cheng Mo stretched out his hand to Xie Minyun, and the two held hands again, and continued to walk along the crowded long street.

"You still owe me a Christmas present." Cheng Mo said.

"Didn't I give it to you in the morning?"

"That's what you lost to me, it's not a gift."

"Losing? If I don't release the water, do you think you have a chance to win?"

"Xie Xiaojin, you can't be such a rascal!"

"Hmph! I'm a rascal? I've tried to deceive my wife, so I'm ashamed to say it!"

"I call it outsmarting! You are stupid and blame me."

"Cheng Mo!!!"

"what?"

Xie Minyun shook off Cheng Mo's hand and sneered, "Don't touch me for three days!"

————————————————————————

Cheng Mo managed to find an area that sells printed materials. This is not a street, nor is it open-air. It used to be a factory or a warehouse, with a large area and high floors.The vertical rows inside are devoted to buying printed matter, some people only sell books, some sell pictorials and magazines, and some only sell newspapers of various years.

For Cheng Mo and Xie Minyun, this is a paradise full of rare treasures. The two walked more and more slowly, chatting while walking until they reached the corner by the wall. Cheng Mo noticed Aleister Ke at a glance. Lauley's poster, the bald man with fierce eyes was also watching him.Cheng Mo moved his eyes down, and saw a thin and crooked old man under the poster. At the moment, he was sitting at the desk reading a book with a black pipe in his mouth and a magnifying glass. He was surrounded by books, all kinds of books. , are all old books and magazines, and the number is unmatched by the previous bookstalls.

Cheng Mo took Xie Minyun to the front of the bookstall. The old man who was smoking a pipe looked up at them, smiled, and said in roll-tongued English, "Just look at it."

Cheng Mo nodded, and casually picked up a magazine thrown on the top of the pile of books. The cover turned out to be the French hero Joffre. Cheng Mo looked at the publication time on June 1939, 6. This time, Paris was occupied by the Germans. There is about a year left.Cheng Mo opened the old magazine with some curiosity. To his surprise, a third of it was advertisements.These include perfume, underwear, cigarettes and cameras.Those old advertisements showed handsome boys and young girls, and the air was full of the hormones of Riviera summer, without the haze of economic crisis or war.

I flipped back, and finally found the content about the current situation, which talked about the Jews, and about the military parade. On the middle page, there is a photo of the S35 medium tank passing the Avenue Jeanne d’Arc. The text of the photo is "peaceful France is incomparable powerful".Cheng Mo smiled. At that time, no one would have guessed that a year later, Paris would fall, and Dunkirk would soon stage the bitterest "victory" in the history of human war.

Cheng Mo continued to turn backwards, and soon turned to the report on Germany, which was not too big and not too small, and there was a small accompanying picture. Cheng Mo finally saw the head of state standing on the podium, with a row of windward on the left The fluttering gun, below is the black army, and their team is very neat.The magazine lightly expressed concern, but did not take it too seriously.

Cheng Mo closed the book and found that the content was inexplicably similar to the newspaper he read in the morning.

"Do you need it? Fifteen euros, this is a good thing in 1939. There are not many in France." The wrinkled old man put down the magnifying glass, pushed down the peaked cap on his head, put on the reading glasses on the table, and then used muffled voice.

The old man's voice was extremely hoarse, as if the wind had blown through two pieces of parchment. Cheng Mo felt that this was not a normal human voice, and it should be the sequelae of throat surgery.

Cheng Mo put the magazine on the table, nodded and said in French: "No problem, I want this one, but I also need some books about occultism, do you have any here?"

Hearing Cheng Mo speaking French, the old man laughed. His eyes were a little cloudy, but his eyes flashed with wisdom. He turned his head to look at Xie Minyun beside Cheng Mo, then looked at Cheng Mo again, grinned and said : "Young man, your French is good, it seems that you know our France very well."

Cheng Mo shrugged his shoulders and said, "I still understand it!"

"Then do you understand occultism?" the old man asked.

"Of course." Cheng Mo replied ambiguously, he was not sure of the old man's intention.

The old man smiled again, pointed to the pile of books under the bookshelf against the wall, and said, "You can look there, maybe there is something you want."

"Thank you." Cheng Mo walked over.

"However, I advise you not to study these. Most of the rotten organizations of mysticism are scamming money. Some are extreme. They will even teach new members to shoot to hunt and kill members of hostile organizations, and teach you to inject certain blood into your blood. A YY hormone, euphemistically called 'Chemical Wedding', I am not alarmist, these organizations do exist, and some of them are very famous, some are even world-class, all have public websites, and the surface is very beautiful, They are very friendly and harmonious. However, these organizations are no different from the Shoe Sect.” The old man paused and looked at Xie Minyun, “You really need to think about it, especially if you have such a beautiful girlfriend. If you don’t For her sake, I won't even open my mouth."

Before Cheng Mo could speak, Xie Minyun replied, "Thank you for your advice. We are only interested in occultism, and not at all interested in joining any organization."

The old man's attitude towards Xie Minyun was much more kind, and his hoarse voice softened: "Then tell me, which aspect of occultism are you interested in? Don't say it's because of 'Harry Potter', although I'm sure There is magic, but the Harry Potter stories must be fake."

"Magic?" Cheng Mo, who was flipping through a book in the corner, turned around and asked.

"Of course, if you don't even believe in magic, why do you study occultism?" The old man closed the book in his hand, and a line of gilt English was stamped on the blood-red cardboard—"The Book of the Law" book).

(End of this chapter)