The Old Man and the Mermaid

In the short period of time from the station to the beach, Aigre thought a lot.The wound on his arm has started to ache continuously after the effect of the medicine wears off, but he has almost completely ignored the pain. He is thinking about things that can affect his emotions more, and because of this, he feels as if It was as unbearable as something hard was stuck in his throat.

When chasing Robertson, all his attention was on Robertson's back, so he didn't know how much blood he bled.I heard from the captain of the security team that when they went to search for evidence and confirm the situation at the scene, they only saw blood dripping along the way. The arm may no longer be able to lift heavy objects.

No wonder he felt dizzy with his physique at the time.Aigre tried to recall the situation at that time with a headache, but in the end he couldn't remember anything except Robertson's crazy pace.

For this reason, Dr. Jamel reprimanded him unceremoniously again after the security team left, and then carefully told him to go to the clinic to change his dressings regularly.

He is still holding the small snacks Mrs. Irene brought him to fill his stomach, but the doctor ordered him to have a good meal in a stern tone, and then let him take them away with great difficulty those snacks.

Of course, Aigre would not eat those snacks that might stimulate the regeneration of skin and flesh tissue during the injury period, but he did not want to waste Mrs. Irene's kindness, so he just brought it all the way back, turned a corner before entering the gate, and first Went to the beach.

Mr. Mermaid had obviously been here waiting for him.When Aigre walked into the shore and saw Mr. Mermaid leaning out of the sea and stretching out his hand, he relaxed completely. He smiled and asked, "Where is the other gentleman?"

"Alive." Mr. Mermaid replied flatly.

Aigre looked at him dumbfounded, and after taking a breath, he leaned down and exchanged a relaxed kiss with his husband, and then sat down beside a big rock, and put the bag in his hand between them, "Mr. Fish wants Don't try these breads? There are some I haven't had time to ask you to taste before."

The mermaid didn't speak again, but stretched out his hand and gently grabbed Aigre's two fingers, and dragged his arm in front of him - he could only hold his fingers, because Aigre's entire forearm was Wrapped in thick white gauze and protective leather, he wasn't sure how Aigre was hurt, so he didn't dare to touch the places wrapped in white gauze.

"It's okay." Aigre used the same comforting tone as when he comforted Mrs. Irene before, "The wound started from the junction of the back of the hand and the wrist, and spread to the position close to the elbow, but although the wound looks scary, But it shouldn't be too deep... At least I don't feel much pain now."

The mermaid raised her eyes to look at him, with no expression on her face, but there was no hiding the emotion in her eyes that seemed to be more painful than this wound.

"There will definitely be a scar in the future." Aigre still smiled lightly, trying his best to soothe Mr. Mermaid's obviously unstable mood now, "I will try not to let it scare the little girl... …My grandfather also had many deep scars on his back, and now I have one more scar on my arm, which reminds me a lot of things about my grandfather.”

Mr. Mermaid gradually calmed down the anger surging in his chest, turned over and sat next to Aigre, but he never let go of his hand, only raised his chin slightly to show that he was listening.

"I remember that I was very young at the time, and the summer temperature on the island was as hot as it is now, so when my grandfather was rowing out to sea, he would often take off all the clothes on his upper body and stuff them into my hands, asking me to take them back to the lighthouse. "Aigre leaned back on the stone, and said slowly, "Grandpa Pei can't help scolding him occasionally when he and his grandfather go together, saying that sooner or later the poisonous sun will completely burn his skin, making his skin burn. He looked like burnt coal."

Mr. Mermaid recalled the severe burning pain he felt when he was forced to collapse on the beach before, he smiled slightly in agreement with him, and nodded.

"Grandpa is actually quite stubborn, so he never listens to Grandpa Pei's advice... But whether he wears clothes or not has nothing to do with the scar on his back. I just want to talk to Mr. Yu when I think about it." Aigre turned his head and glanced at Mr. Mermaid, and continued, "That day I was sitting in front of the window on the first floor of the lighthouse as usual - the window you usually use to go in and out - I sat there and saw Grandpa I got off his boat exhaustedly, and then propped myself on the ground with the harpoon in my hand, and walked towards the lighthouse step by step. I put down the book in my hand, rushed out the door, and held my grandfather's right arm , and then saw his bloody back."

Aigre paused, and then said: "I still don't know exactly how he was injured, because he was never willing to explain, and even I don't know the details—but his expression that day was very Relaxed, even with unspeakable joy. He told me: 'This is a testimony, Aigre'. I still don't quite understand the meaning of this sentence, but at that time I looked at my grandfather's back with almost no intact skin. Back, I just think that this kind of injury may threaten his life for an old man. After that, I asked the doctor who treated my grandfather's wounds at that time. The doctor told me that those wounds were obviously bitten by the teeth of some kind of sea beast. Injured, and the body is definitely not small, it is a miracle that my grandfather survived, because he was blessed by heaven."

Mr. Mermaid listened quietly.Although Aigre only described a few words and didn't even use any exaggerated adjectives, he seemed to be able to imagine the scene at that time from these few passages of Aigre.

The young Aigre could only run half a meter with each step, and he was too weak to hold a small and slippery fish tightly.He and his grandfather lived peacefully in this lighthouse and spent a childhood that was different from others and the most memorable in life.

"I didn't really believe the doctor's words at the time, but I couldn't find a better explanation, because when my grandfather went ashore, he didn't carry any prey that could be regarded as a trophy. He went to sea alone, and then returned alone." Aigre continued He said in a slow tone, "I once read a world-renowned book, which told the story of an old man fighting a beast in the sea...but I don't know why, but I feel that my grandfather's experience will definitely not be so memorable With a sigh. He came back with a satisfied expression, but it didn't look like the pride he had after fighting a powerful prey before."

Mr. Mermaid raised his eyebrows, and was a little surprised to see Aigre's expression at this time.

"My intuition has always been inexplicable, but it has always been quite accurate." Aigre looked at him and said, "After meeting you—or after seeing your hunt that made my heart beat faster, I suddenly think Come to think of it, those wounds on my grandfather's back are actually not unfamiliar at all."

The mermaid stared at him intently, but still didn't speak.

"I feel," Aigre laughed again, and said softly, "I might not be the first person on Dusk Island to see a mermaid."

Mr. Mermaid remained silent, and pressed the pads of two fingers on the top of Aigre's elbow and rubbed it lightly a few times to help him relax.

"But this is just a guess." Aigre looked at the tiny scales on the back of Mr. Mermaid's hand and the outside of his arm, coughed dryly, and said, "Maybe what grandfather met was a sea elf whose body was like a human child? That's it." It looks cute, but it has a hideous face when it laughs, and it also likes to claw at other creatures with its teeth and claws."

Mermaid: "..."

... This kid still likes to let his mind fly free as always, and he turned into a fantasy fairy tale while talking about it.Mr. Mermaid sighed helplessly, and put Aigre's arm back on his own thigh.

"Even though my grandfather lived to his old age, his body was always very healthy, so after a period of rest, he recovered and continued to chat with other old people and go out to sea, as if the injury had never happened. And the other old people They don’t seem to want to ask clearly—for them, it’s probably enough to see their old friends come back safely.” Aigre finally concluded, “I still remember those scars They look very ferocious, but they make my grandfather's back look majestic... I wasn't hurt because of the existence of Mr. Fish and Mr. Curly, but if this scar can make me look like a scar after a long time Remembering what happened during this period, remembering that I once stopped another person's crazy behavior for the safety of a loved one, then it has meaning."

...It sounds as if she is a princess who can only cry weakly in the castle, and Aigre is the heroic prince who slays dragons and kills enemies with a sword.

Mr. Mermaid completed his fantasy with a blank face, and then deeply thought that he should find a chance to re-establish the dignity of men.

"So it doesn't matter if I'm injured or not, because I feel that as long as I can find a reason for anything, I can be honest." Aigre shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile, "It's the first time I've grown up today. Telling so many lies without blinking an eye...but I don't think I'd mind a more egregious concealment if doing so would keep Mr. Fish and a few other merfolk friends safe."

Mr. Mermaid gave Aigre a focused look, then raised his arm again, and kissed the last piece of bandage wrapped around his elbow.

He knew that Aigre loved him as deeply as he did, so he was very grateful for the young man's desperation to protect him.After listening to Aigle's brief description, he knew that if that human failed to escape to the town, Aige would not necessarily let that guy continue to live—and in order to make Aige's knife worthwhile , he should indeed do something that these people on land cannot do.

Aigre did have the ability to protect him, but he was also willing to give everything for Aigre.

"Actually, I shouldn't have been stabbed like this." After a few seconds of silence, Aigre said regretfully again, "It's been a long time since I have trained in close combat skills, so I'm quite unfamiliar with it. If my If the reaction could be quicker, he would not have been directly cut by his knife."

Mermaid: "..."

...When your wound recovers, I don't mind having a more in-depth and good training with you at all.

Mr. Mermaid looked at him blankly, and decided not to say these words.

"Let's try these snacks first." Aigre pointed to the plastic bag beside them, "Don't worry, Mrs. Irene bought it this time, and there will never be a situation similar to the jelly last time."

Mr. Mermaid smiled at him, nodded, and took out a piece of bread from the plastic bag.

Afterwards, Eigre described the whole process in detail, and Mr. Mermaid also informed Eigre about the situation of his fellow clansmen.The security team had already determined that Robertson was insane after taking drugs, so even if the guy with a low IQ yelled that there are mermaids in the sea whenever he had a chance to speak, he was taken as a joke by the simple team members.

He will be sent inland after the three-day probationary period, to face a series of trials that will follow - and the drug alone will make him feel better.

Aigre didn't know what other residents on the island would think after hearing the news, but according to Mr. Mermaid, he had already wiped all the traces on the shore when he left the coast with his curly hair. It is completely clean and will never leave any evidence, so even if someone wants to check it, they can't find any clues.

The conversation at night was very pleasant, probably because there was less psychological pressure, and Aigre also slept well after going to bed.Mr. Mermaid's low voice, which is slightly different from that of human beings, seemed to echo in his ears all the time, falling into a dream together with him.

In the early morning of the next day, dark clouds quickly gathered in the sky, and the torrential rain quickly poured down, once again covering the entire Dusk Island in a curtain of rain.

Aigre had observed the weather two days ago and also read the weather forecast from the Meteorological Bureau, so he got up early and adjusted all the equipment in the lighthouse to prepare for the heavy rain.

In this bad weather, Aigre needs to keep guarding the lighthouse, and maybe someone will come to the lighthouse to ask him to take over the work, so Mr. Mermaid usually doesn't go ashore.This is just right, before Robertson is sent away, it is safer for the mermaids to appear less in sight.

The heavy rain became more rampant in the afternoon, and the clouds in the sky were so thick that it was almost impossible to see a ray of sunlight. The whole world looked like it was covered with gray and black at night.

And it was in this afternoon that Aigle received a call from the security team.

"Little Payer, the prisoner we are holding is missing, and there is also a member of the security team who disappeared with him. From the analysis of the details of the scene, they should have assisted each other in escaping. We only know that they escaped from the east coast. They set off, but they are not sure which direction they are going.” The captain of the security team said hurriedly, “The situation is urgent, please turn on the warning light of the lighthouse immediately, and assist the team members who rushed to the north coast to find their Tracks. The current wind and waves are so strong, they can't run far."

Aigre was stunned for a moment, then quickly agreed, "No problem."

The sea search capability of the security team on Dusk Island is actually not bad, but in this kind of wind and waves, the anti-wind and wave search and rescue ships they can send are limited, so the first to find Robertson and the security team members Instead, it was Mr. Mermaid who was constantly looking for the source of the big ship's smell in the sea.

After confirming the scent of the small boat again, Mr. Mermaid was about to return to the sea to continue looking for the big boat, but he heard the footsteps of two people not far away, so he immediately dived into the sea, watching the two eager men approaching the boat. The boat was pushed into the sea, and hurriedly boarded to leave.

After seeing their movements clearly, Mr. Mermaid's first thought was that these two humans were probably tired of their jobs.

But after confirming the smell of one of the people on board, his thoughts changed immediately—this guy was the one who hurt Curly and Aigre one after another.

Mr. Mermaid narrowed his eyes, and didn't do anything immediately. Instead, he swam a little further downstream, making sure that the two people on the boat didn't notice him, and then closely followed this small boat that might become a broken boat at any time.

In the process of following, he heard the man picking up the phone and yelling at the person on the other end of the phone. He sighed in his heart how waterproof the modern mobile phone is, but what really caught his attention was the content of their conversation. ——His previous conjecture was completely correct, this man did have accomplices, and these accomplices seemed to be doing things for money, and they didn't know what the man wanted to do when he came to Twilight Island.

The most interesting thing is the identities of the group of people on the big ship—they seem to be the poaching gang that Aigre mentioned occasionally before, which is very rampant in the nearby waters.

The man contacted them, gave them a general location, and then asked the person on the other end of the phone to drive a boat to pick them up.

After knowing the position of the big ship, just in case, Mr. Mermaid still did not act immediately, but patiently waited for them to drive the wrecked ship tottering in the wind and waves, and then slowly drifted towards the northeast.

After following for a while, Mr. Mermaid turned around and raised his head. He could vaguely see the shadow of the big ship. He was about to get rid of the two laughing people on the ship who thought they were about to be full of glory. A shadow was quickly approaching in their direction.

Mr. Mermaid raised his eyebrows, stepped back quickly, and watched his curly-haired fellow overturn the boat, then grabbed a man with one hand, and sprayed him in the sea not far from the sea surface. The man with wolf spray on his face grinned coldly.

The postures of mermaids in the sea are always breathtakingly beautiful and full of oppressive power.Their upper and lower fins spread out around them, enclosing them in the middle, like a few hard shields, and also like noble veils, setting them off like the gods in charge of all winds and waves in the sea.

Curly looked down at the man who was tightly held by his neck, maintained a stiff and weird smile, and said a word in the language of the mermaid.

——Thank you for your hospitality.

The other man had obviously fainted from fright, while the guy facing Curly still had the strength to stare at Curly in horror.

Curly put away the weird smile on his face, looked back at the silent Mr. Mermaid, bit the tip of his tongue recklessly, and dragged the two men into the deep sea quickly.

Mr. Mermaid frowned and watched his back disappear from sight, but he also knew that the two people probably deserved more than death, so he ignored it and swam towards the big ship at full speed.The lights of the ships shone on the surface of the sea, constantly piercing through the huge rolling waves, but they couldn't penetrate the surface of the sea, let alone see the threat that was approaching them.

If he calculated carefully, he hadn't given Aigre a gift for a while.This is not the performance that a qualified lover should have.

The mermaid swam to the bottom of the big ship with a cold expression, thinking so.

——If Aigre doesn't mind, this will be a great gift.

Mr. Aigre Payer, the gift recipient responsible for stamping the seal, is cooperating with several other team members in the lighthouse to search the sea surface carefully in the heavy rain, and can also provide light sources for the search and rescue ships on the sea.This is not an easy task, so each of them is very focused.

"According to the current progress, even if no one can be found by tomorrow morning." One of the team members stood next to Aigre and said anxiously, "The wind and waves are so strong, they may only have a wooden boat to use , we can’t just let the prisoner die like this.”

Aigre continued to stare at the sea while nodding his head, and asked by the way: "What happened to your team member who helped the prisoner escape?"

"That damn guy." The team member gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know whether he listened to the prisoner's words, or whether he didn't have a good heart from the beginning. In short, the crime of helping a prisoner escape from prison is serious. He is lucky this time." If you survived, don’t think about it in the future.”

Aigre was about to say something when he heard another team member shouting: "Little Payer, look! What's going on with that ship on the east side?"

"The lighthouse hasn't received any reports from ships that need to pass through the waters of Twilight Island today." Aigre frowned, turned around and took two steps to the right, and followed the direction of the team member's finger to look at the sea on the east side.

It was obviously a large fishing boat of a common model, and it seemed that it was indeed approaching Dusk Island.

Aigre frowned all the time, and was about to say something, when he saw the fishing boat was swept by the wind and waves and kept rushing towards the opposite direction of the coast, without even the necessary buffering and turning to avoid actions.

The warning lights of the lighthouse only had time to turn to the east when the ship slammed into the shore fiercely, quickly turned over, and collapsed on the beach.

"Damn those guys are crazy!" The team members screamed, and immediately made a phone call to contact the relevant rescue team.

They were all in a tense state, only Egrele looked at the ship lying quietly on the beach in a daze, recalled the extremely abnormal driving route of the ship just now, and felt again when he saw Mr. Mermaid Heart throbbing during hunting scenes.

During those few seconds of being in a trance, he could hardly think of anything else. He just felt that he couldn't see Mr. Mermaid's unreserved posture up close in the sea. Mood.

He looked at the torrential rain that was still raging outside the lighthouse, and recalled the words his grandfather said at that time.

"This is a testimony, Eigre."