The Old Man and the Mermaid

They were sitting on a boulder jutting out in the middle of the sea.It's not too far from the coast here, and Aigre can still see the outline of Twilight Island and his lighthouse.The rays of the morning sun shrouded the sea, and those shimmering light fragments were distributed on every rolled up wave, rushing towards the same direction with the breeze, and finally disappeared at the end of the coast.

The far boundary between the sea and the sky was dyed as dazzling as gold, probably due to illusions and deviations in the line of sight, Aigre always felt that today's sun seemed to be bigger than before.It hasn't rained in the past two days, and the weather is so clear that it doesn't look like the usual Twilight Island, so there are very few clouds in the sky. Occasionally, a few clouds hanging in the sky are also gently embraced by the sun.

In this kind of weather with no wind and rain, the fish seem to like to swim close to the sea surface. The surrounding sea water is clear, and Aigre can even see those small fishes running and jumping directly through the glowing sea surface.

This kind of scene is as beautiful as a painting permanently frozen on paper, which reminds Eigre of some past memories involuntarily.

The merfolk really wanted to know everything about Aigre.He is used to looking around for a way to understand the world, and he will also take the initiative to come into contact with some knowledge about human beings, but no one will take the initiative to explain or tell him something - he can't meet such an opportunity.

So he nodded happily, indicating to Aigre that he was willing to listen.

"I've mentioned my grandfather to many people, and I've talked to you about it before." Aigre began to talk while thinking about it, "Although my childhood lacked the care of my parents, it was still very happy. , because my grandfather gave me all his care and love, and never made me feel alone and helpless. My parents died very early, and when I grew up to an age where I could initially discern the truth, Occasionally, I hear some caring and sympathetic words of comfort from adults-they are kind, although those words also make me feel sad in a certain sense. But I was not negative during that time, because my grandfather was by my side , at least I don’t feel like I’m alone.”

The mermaid listened quietly, and at the same time withdrew the hand that helped Aigre cool down.

"I study in the school in the town, and every day when I go home, I learn various knowledge with my grandfather. Although my grandfather has been guarding the lighthouse for the rest of his life, he was a world-renowned traveler decades ago. .He has been to countless beautiful places, recorded hundreds of materials and picture scrolls, and also learned a lot of knowledge and culture. After returning to Dusk Island, he took over the lighthouse, but he still studied each All kinds of books, pouring into my mind all the knowledge that seems useless but can fill the gap in the soul when I am alone." Aigre continued, "My grandfather is very knowledgeable, and he is also the man I have admired since I was a child. That’s why I was willing to study hard later, and chose a university I liked based on my ability. The college’s scholarships are very generous. The thing I’m most proud of since I grew up is that I haven’t caused any financial burden to my grandfather. .”

When he said this, he couldn't help smiling, the smile was full of happiness and bitterness, and even the depths of his eyes were slightly moist, "Grandfather said that I probably inherited the genes of my parents, because they were alive At the same time, they are also scholars who are willing to study cultures from all walks of life. They are loved by the students of the college, and their published papers are also highly acclaimed. They are as uncompetitive as their grandfathers. Their only goal is to do everything they want to do well... …Unfortunately, in a later scientific research accident, they happened to be in the next room of the chemical laboratory. My mother died on the spot, and my father was sent to the emergency room. After receiving the news, my grandfather took me to the hospital immediately. I waited outside the door for more than seven hours, but unfortunately my father still couldn't make it through... and my mother is an orphan, so after my grandfather passed away, I really don't have any other relatives."

The mermaid can generally understand this young man who lost his parents since childhood.He also has no relatives. For such a long time, he lived alone in the sea. Except for finding a place to live, he seems to spend the rest of his time hunting and having fun.He has no one to contact, and rarely encounters others of his kind who are as uncommunicative as himself, which is probably quite sad for a well-thought-out intelligent creature.

So he stretched out his hand and patted the back of Aigre's head twice to show his understanding.

"Thank you. In fact, I don't feel so uncomfortable anymore. Any creature will leave this world one day. At most, I just hope that they can... stay a little longer." Aigre thanked, and then Sighing, he raised his hand and squeezed Mr. Mermaid's scaly arm, "It feels amazing...Mr. Mermaid, may I ask, the lifespan of mermaids should be the same as the story books say, longer than humans Go up a lot?"

The mermaid nodded, then stretched out five fingers.

"...500 years?" Aigre was a little surprised, and then couldn't help but feel a little bit amused. After holding back for a long time, he still couldn't help laughing, and asked: "So, Mr. Mermaid... he shouldn't be young, right?"

He imagined for a moment how Mr. Mermaid's long black hair would gradually turn white in the near future, and he couldn't restrain the smile that was still gradually expanding on his face.

Mermaid: "..."

If this question just sounds like this, there is no problem at all, but he clearly saw the mocking smile on Aigre's face, so he can fully guess that this young man full of brains is probably thinking about something Outlandish stuff.

Mr. Mermaid kept a calm expression and watched Aigre quietly for a few seconds. Then, when the young man looked over suspiciously, he lifted his tail around his waist and threw him directly into the sea.

Aigre: "..."

He should have been on his guard when Mr. Mermaid made a move.

But the mermaid didn't really intend to let Aigre drown, and when he saw him surfaced, he raised his fish tail again and pulled him up.

Aigre didn't choke on too much water, but he still wiped his face with some discomfort. After opening his eyes again, he found that he was sitting on a piece of Mr. Mermaid's fish tail, with his feet on a rock below, while Mr. Mermaid was If he had to sit a little higher than him, he would be able to see the strong and graceful waist of the mermaid when he turned his head.

"What an unforgettable experience...I mean choking on the water. I grew up by the sea, but I've never been caught off guard like this—I usually throw someone else." He exhaled In a low tone, while wiping the water from his face, he said with a little self-mockery, "I was probably quite naughty when I was young. Because of my relatively strong strength, few children of the same age dared to provoke me casually."

Now probably not many people would dare to provoke you at will after seeing your strength.Mr. Mermaid groaned, bent the tail of the fish and lightly brushed the back of Aigre's neck a few times.

"...It's a little itchy." Aigre laughed a few times, stretched out his hand to grab the mermaid's caudal fin, and pulled it to his eyes for a closer look.

This is the first time that he can observe and even stroke Mr. Mermaid's tail so carefully.Under the sun, it didn't dry out like the first time, but it looked quite shiny, probably because of moisture.

If he gently stroked those firm and hard scales with his hand, Aigre could clearly feel the sharpness and vigor around the scales.He guessed that Mr. Mermaid's scales had probably been replaced, and it might have been more than once.The magic and laws of nature coexist, and probably only after undergoing replacement and elimination can one have such a beautiful and threatening noble fish scale.

"It should be the best help for mermaids to hunt, right?" Aigre raised his hand and stroked the fish's tail a few times, and asked, "For example, to make the swimming speed faster, or to make the fish swim faster like before?" The usefulness of restraining the opponent's movements. It seems to be more useful than the engine."

……engine?

The mermaid narrowed her eyes, but did not refute him.

"Grandfather took me out to sea with me when I came back last time." After a few seconds of silence, Egrele said again, "The rain was not heavy that day, and there was not much wind and waves on the sea, so we We set off at five or six o'clock in the morning. We gradually left Dusk Island in a small boat and tried to fish like the old fishermen. My grandfather and a fisherman in the town have been friends for many years, so we often meet together. He taught me some relevant skills and experience in fishing."

"When we returned that day, we also saw a beautiful sunrise like this one." He looked at the other side of the sea again, and said slowly, "Fish schools are flying around us, the sea is calm and magnificent, The sun is gradually waking up the creatures of the whole world one by one. It feels like the storm last night never existed, but today ushers in a very moving new time."

"...The time here is too slow for us. If we spend our whole life on this small island, it will probably be as long as centuries." He finally laughed, from the words of Mr. Mermaid Yuwei stood up and sat back on the topmost stone.

They felt the tranquility in silence, and Aigre spoke again after a while.

"...There shouldn't be any strange seaweed in the sea that can allow land creatures to breathe underwater as in the legend, right?"

Mermaid: "..."

You have too much brains, my friend.