Fisherman's Secret

Thursday, August 200, 8x at 20:[-] pm.

A middle-aged man over forty years old with faint signs of baldness came to Dongzhuang.

He was wearing a plain white short-sleeved shirt and gray suit pants.His right hand was inserted into the trouser pocket, and the pocket was bulging, as if he was holding something in his hand hidden in the pocket.

Because of the hot weather, the smooth forehead was covered with fine and dense sweat.There was an unbelievable light in his eyes, until now that he stepped on the art department of Haida thousands of miles away, he still felt unreal.

Just three days ago, a well-known old man in their town, his [-]-year-old grandmother, cried bitterly after seeing the black-and-white photo that her son accidentally clicked, and became sober for a short time , Intermittently told a sad past.

How is this possible?

It's unbelievable that the man in that photo is his long-dead grandfather.

But when his grandmother tremblingly handed him a red lacquered wooden box wrapped in a gray cloth handkerchief that was too old to see its original color, he believed it was true.

It was my grandmother's favorite thing. For so many years, because the living conditions have improved, they have moved several times one after another. Every time they have to clear out a lot of cumbersome old antiques, only this dilapidated red lacquered wooden box has been kept Carried around so preciously by his grandmother, never discarded.

Grandma's most precious memories are kept in this wooden box.

A barrette with peeling paint, a pearl flower, a small lock of hair, and a few graying black-and-white photographs.

In the photo is a photo of a young couple.

At that time, both the equipment and the technique of taking photos were very rough. Even in the photos of couples, the expressions of the two people seemed very serious, but their eyebrows and eyes were surprisingly clear.

This is a photo taken by my grandmother and grandfather when he was young. The man in the photo is roughly similar to the young father in his impression, with a square face, honest eyebrows, single eyelids, and even ears are exactly the same.

Although Song Guoqiang said he didn't believe it, when he saw the photo, he suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart. This man, the man in this photo, is very likely to be his legendary grandmother who left behind the young woman and disappeared. The missing grandpa.

After my grandma disappeared, she inquired everywhere about his whereabouts and went door-to-door, but year after year she was disappointed, time passed, hope turned into despair, concern turned into resentment, resentment for the man who left his wife, children and widows at home , never looked back, wishful thinking that the man might not be able to bear the hardships at home, left the burden behind, went to another place, met a younger, gentler and more beautiful woman, reorganized the family, maybe the wife and children are perfect, completely Forgot his wife and children who were still eating bran swallowed vegetables in his hometown and waiting for him to come back.

To this day, the truth is revealed.

The man didn't abandon his family, he just boarded the wrong ship at the wrong time and—

There is no more, from now on, heaven and man will be separated forever. Because of the concern for the relatives in the hometown, even if the man died for decades, the ghost still refuses to dissipate. The best traveler can bring his news to his relatives back home, telling them that he has not abandoned them, but that he can no longer care for them.

Song Guoqiang was originally a software engineer, so he is more familiar with the Internet than ordinary people. He has checked a lot of news materials on the Internet in the past two days, and understands the ins and outs of missing person notices that popped up suddenly in just a few days, including Fang Jing's salvaged one. A shipwreck with countless skulls.

It was a modern transport ship. The people on board originally wanted to cross the Pacific Ocean and start a new life on the other side of the ocean.

A total of more than 700 human lives disappeared silently in the cold Pacific Ocean.

This is just one of the shipwrecks. Under the vast Pacific Ocean, how many souls like his grandfather who died unjustly are still buried?

Brother Bao of Uncle Gen’s family happened to come back from the town on something. His wife’s due date is these few days. This morning, the daughter-in-law had a stomachache and felt uncomfortable. He and his mother hurriedly sent her to the hospital in the town. The doctor It was nothing to see, it was just a false alarm, but Brother Bao still decided to let his wife live in the hospital now, there are doctors in the hospital anyway.

Aunt Gen was worried about the child in her daughter-in-law's belly, so she stayed in the hospital to take care of her daughter-in-law. Brother Bao borrowed a bicycle from the owner of the small supermarket next door, and went home to get a change of clothes for his mother and wife.

When I entered the village, I saw a strange middle-aged man standing on the side of the road. He was sweating all over his body on a hot day. Are you looking for someone or entering the village?"

Song Guoqiang came back to his senses, wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the young man in front of him, and said, "Are you from this village? Excuse me, is there a man named Fang Jing in your village?" Young man? It’s the one who fished out a bunch of skeletons from the salvage boat and put them on TV.”

Because he is going to be a father soon, Brother Bao is in a good mood. Even the hot weather can't stop him from being in a good mood. He is also very enthusiastic, and everything he sees is beautiful.Hearing that Song Guoqiang wanted to find Fang Jing, he immediately smiled: "Look for Xiao Jing, go straight into the village, the most beautifully decorated five-story small western-style building belongs to their family, oh, yes, it's called Jiufang The inn, if it’s not there, you go out and turn left, they must be in the old house.”

Brother Bao said, laughing: "Brother, my daughter-in-law is going to have a baby, I have to pack her things for the hospital quickly, and I won't be with you, see you later!"

As he kicked his long legs, the two-wheeled bicycle was forced out of the four-wheeled speed by him, and it disappeared with a "swoosh".

Song Guoqiang: "..."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and walked forward as Brother Bao said. After a while, he saw a small five-story bungalow with a large yard, and a quaint sign was hung outside the yard. Like the ancient inn, the sign says Jiufang Inn.

It seems that this is what the young man said.

The yard door was ajar, and he pushed it in. A half-grown boy wearing a straw hat was weeding the flowers in the yard. Seeing him coming in, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Would you like to eat or not?" Are you staying at the store?"

Song Guoqiang: "No, no, I'm looking for someone."

"Oh." Fang Xiaole asked curiously, "Uncle, who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Fang Jing's home?"

The young man didn't answer yes or no, he stretched out his hand and pointed to his left hand: "Go out and turn left, go straight ahead, pass an old locust tree, turn right, and you will see the old courtyard with a car parked outside.

Song Guoqiang smiled: "Thank you, little classmate."

As he spoke, he lifted his foot and walked outside.

After he left, Fang Xiaole immediately took out his mobile phone and called his brother: "Brother, a middle-aged uncle came to look for you."

Ever since the news of Fang Jing's fishing boat got out, strangers would come to the village from time to time, sometimes to interview, sometimes to buy something. , it is inevitable that there will be more double-mindedness, and it is a trivial matter to send his brother a message in advance.

As long as Brother Jiu was around, he wasn't worried about his brother's safety at all.

Fang Jing received a call from his younger brother, and when he went out, he saw a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved white shirt standing at the gate of the Fang family's old house, wiping his sweat vigorously.The expression on the man's face was very strange, both excited and apprehensive, with an inexplicable uneasiness.

He narrowed his eyes and asked vigilantly, "Who are you looking for?"

Song Guoqiang looked at the young man who came out, and he was slightly relieved when he knew that he was the young man in the news.

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Fang Jing?"

"I am, what's the matter?" Fang Jing relaxed slightly.

The honorifics are used, at least they seem to be quite polite, so they shouldn't be here to find fault.

"Ah, my surname is Song, and my name is Song Guoqiang. I'm from Sucheng." Song Guoqiang introduced himself first.

Fang Jing was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, and asked tentatively, "You came to me after reading the missing persons notice on the Internet?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The middle-aged man seemed to be relieved, and the expression on his face was much more relaxed.

Fang Jing's attitude suddenly became more enthusiastic, and he said immediately: "Hello, hello, it's hot outside, let's talk in the room first."

Song Guoqiang followed Fang Jing into the house anxiously, feeling much more at ease.

Anyone who just relied on a photo on the Internet and the words of the old grandmother who was already too old to understand, decided that an unknown skeleton was his unseen grandfather who had been missing for nearly a century. A very mysterious thing.

Fang Jing's attitude at least shows that this matter is real, not someone's prank.

"Well, I saw the photos on the Internet, and one of them is probably my grandfather. I wonder if I can take a look?" Song Guoqiang swallowed. This middle-aged otaku who only dealt with numbers all his life is actually right. Skeletons and dead people are quite frightening, but this is the wish and request of the old grandmother after all, no matter what, he has to find a way to confirm it.

For the first person who came to ask for the bones of the elders, Fang Jing still welcomed the person. This is not like a treasure, and generally no one will pretend to claim it. Moreover, this person seems to be honest, not like someone who likes to talk nonsense.

However, people should not be judged by appearances. In order to avoid any disputes in the future, Fang Jing still needs to ask someone to confirm.

He made a phone call to the laboratory, confirmed that Professor Liao had been in the laboratory all day, and said: "The skulls have been sent to the laboratory. If you want to see them, you should go to Haicheng. The contact information over there is also written on the hanging missing persons notice.”

Fang Jing felt very strange, why did this middle-aged man still find the fishing village?

"Ah?" Song Guoqiang had a look of disappointment, and a little rejoicing amidst the disappointment.

To be honest, he hasn't made enough mental preparations to deal with all this now, so it's better to slow down a bit.

"It's not early today, why don't you rest here tonight, and I'll drive you to Haicheng tomorrow." Fang Jing suggested.

No matter what, he was the first one to lead the leader, so it was reasonable to give some preferential treatment. Besides, he had an appointment with a fruit forest nursery boss in Haicheng to discuss business, and it would not take too much trouble to drop him there.

It's really too hot, and it's already evening when you go to Haicheng at this point, so your lab is probably off work.

Song Guoqiang thought for a while, and agreed: "That's fine, please trouble Mr. Fang Jing."

Fang Jing nodded, thought of something, and asked again: "Has Mr. Song booked a hotel yet?"

"No." He just arrived here and was unfamiliar with everything. He thought that he would be able to bring his grandfather's skeleton home when he came here.

"If you don't mind, just stay at my house for one night, and go directly to Haicheng tomorrow morning when the weather is cool."

"That's fine, thank you, Mr. Fang Jing."

Fang Jing took him to the farmhouse and asked Ye Chi to open a standard room for his account.

Ye Chi didn't say anything, took the key and took Song Guoqiang upstairs.

Fang Xiaole is mopping the floor in the hall with a mop. Since this child came to work in the farmhouse, the floor in the hall has always been clean and spotless. It can be used as a mirror.

"Brother, is this person a descendant of one of the pile of skeletons you fished up...?" Fang Xiaole said cautiously.

The dead are the greatest, and anyway, we should be more polite to those who have passed away.

"Hmm." Fang Jing patted his head and said, "I'll go to Haicheng early tomorrow. Is there anything you want to buy? I'll bring it back for you."

Fang Xiaole thought for a while, then shook his head: "There is nothing special I want."

Compared with the past, the current situation of the family is like heaven and earth. There is everything. As long as he wants, his brother buys it for him, and they are all the best. He really doesn't think there is anything special in need. .

"Okay, then I'll see and buy it." Fang Jing was very busy, greeted Ye Chi who came downstairs, and then went back to his own business.

The next day, Fang Jing got up early in the morning, took his boyfriend and personal bodyguard Cen Jiu, and prepared to go out to Haicheng to drag the saplings.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the door, he found a figure standing outside the door.

Song Guoqiang changed into a plaid short-sleeved shirt, carrying a small travel bag in his hand, and stood outside the door for an unknown how long.

"So early? Why didn't you call me when you came? Have you had breakfast? If you haven't eaten, you can eat something at home." Fang Jing said, poking Cen Jiu beside him with a knife.

He didn't believe it, Song Guoqiang had been standing at the gate of his house for a long time, but Cen Jiuhui didn't know that this man didn't remind himself at all, it was really embarrassing for people to wait at the door.

Cen Jiu put his hands in his trouser pockets, with an indifferent expression on his face.

If it wasn't for this person, he and Fang Jing would be the only ones going to Haicheng today - driving their newly bought car.

He had bought a car for less than a month, and he didn't take it a few times, so he was upset that he was going to pick up an outsider.

Knowing that his boyfriend probably had something wrong, Fang Jing raised his foot and kicked Cen Jiu's calf.

In order to look cool, he wore a white T-shirt with a beautiful woman twisting her buttocks on the chest - this was Fang Xiaole's when he and Ye Chi went to the city to visit Aunt Fang a few days ago, and he bought it at a street stall for 15 yuan. Yes, a pair of brightly colored beach pants with flower heads, and a pair of plastic sandals and slippers on the feet, that image looks really horrible.

Fang Jing thought he was cool, so he forced Cen Jiu to wear the same clothes. The two stood side by side, like two idiots.

Song Guoqiang was a little dazed, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses, and said, "I just came here, and I already had breakfast at the inn."

Mother Fang and Aunt Gen felt that Fang Jing set the room price of the farmhouse so high, and the two simple women felt uneasy, so they agreed to get up early and provide guests with free breakfast, boiled millet porridge, and ground rice porridge by themselves. Soy milk is not a delicate thing, but it's all made by myself, so it's clean anyway.

Fang Jing never cared about this kind of trivial matter, he didn't care about Fang's mother and the others, as long as he kept the account every day and added it to the account at the end of the month.

It seems that Song Guoqiang is very serious about taking his ancestor home, Fang Jing's perception of him has risen, and his attitude has improved a lot.

"Or, let's start now, the sun will be too hot later."

Song Guoqiang still had to go to work, and he only took leave until tomorrow. He also hoped to bring his grandfather's skull home as soon as possible. He nodded and said, "Then I'm sorry, and I'll take advantage of Mr. Fang Jing."

Men in science and engineering are more down-to-earth, they don’t have so much thoughtfulness, and they are dull, but Fang Jing feels more comfortable dealing with such people. If it is someone like Zhu’s elder brother, he will not even feel comfortable staying with them for a while. .

Thinking of this, Fang Jing remembered that the eldest brother of the Zhu family was coming to the fishing village this weekend, and his head suddenly became dizzy.

Unlike Zhu Zhi's character of being shrewd on the outside but stupid on the inside, the eldest brother of the Zhu family is shrewd on the outside and inside, a smart man among men, and very difficult to deal with.

A big man like him suddenly proposed to come to the fishing village. Fang Jing always suspected that there must be an ulterior conspiracy in it.

Forget it, it's useless to think too much, soldiers come to block, water comes to flood the earth, he'd better take care of his eyes first.

They left the city early, and it was only ten o'clock in the morning when they arrived in Jingcheng.

Professor Liao received a call from Fang Jing the day before, and was waiting for them in the research room in the morning. The first thing he said when he saw them was: "Is there someone in your family with polydactyly?"

Fang Jing: "?!!"

Cen Jiu: "..."

The face of the middle-aged man changed slightly: "How do you know?"

When his son was born, he had one more toe than others. At that time, medical conditions were already very advanced. He was afraid that his son would be ridiculed for this reason, which would adversely affect his growth. At that time, he was asked to have an operation, and now his son's left foot is in normal condition, and there is only a faint scar at the place where the operation was performed, which cannot be seen unless you look carefully.

"It's like this. When I checked one of the skeletons, I found that this skeleton had abnormal bones and suffered from polydactyly. This chromosomal disease is usually related to genetics, so I asked one more question."

Fang Jing: "?!!"

Well... Tired!

To know so much from a single bone.

At this moment, Fang Jing really gave birth to a kind of regret and emotion that he didn't study much. Sure enough, knowledge is wealth. If I knew this, I should have studied back then.

Professor Liao led them to the workbench. There were five skeletons on the stage. On the background wall of each skeleton, there was a stack of materials, clay statues restored according to the characteristics of the bones, and speculation about the appearance of their descendants. And similar to Professor Liao's deduction that Song Guoqiang's family members will have polydactyly just now, etc., there is a thick stack.

Approaching the workbench, Song Guoqiang's eyes fell on a skeleton in the middle.

It's really strange to say that he has never seen it before, and even the old grandmother seldom mentioned it before, but he can confirm the resonance between the skeleton in front of him and him at a glance.

This is a very strange feeling, obviously he is not particularly courageous at ordinary times, sometimes his wife wants to watch a horror movie, and she will try her best to push back when she takes him as a company, but now standing in front of this eerie skeleton, he has nothing at all I felt scared, and there was only an unspeakable sadness spreading in my heart.

This is his grandfather, the grandfather who everyone thought was the one who abandoned his family, his wife and children at the most critical time, and left his hometown without hearing from him.

He hadn't abandoned his family, he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, bumped into by the wrong people, and taken forcibly on the wrong boat.

All good fortune tricks people.

The eyes of the middle-aged man were moist, and he took out an old photo from his pocket tremblingly. Under the dim light, a man in shorts and a beautiful woman leaned together, and let the photographer take a picture of this warm A moment, and then this moment becomes eternity.

He placed the photo in front of the skeleton, and the man over forty couldn't help but have red eyes.

"Grandpa, I'll take you home, grandma has been waiting for you."