[Infrastructure] After being mistaken for a god

Inan's life on Enki's "Temple Island" gradually turned into a rivalry.

They no longer tried to "ask" Enki, but directly treated the "lord god" of Eridu coldly.

But they will open a clay pot of freshly brewed beer every day to try out new flavors, original flavor, hopped, honeyed, mixed flavor... all kinds of flavors come in turn.

Sometimes Inan would heat the brewed beer.As soon as the heat is activated, the smell of beer mixed with malt, caramel and hop aromas floats all over the island.

The small courtyard where they stayed temporarily was naturally full of laughter and laughter all day long.

Yinan: Even if the smell of beer can't attract Enji, the noise made by so many of them will sooner or later "argue" Enki out.

She could even imagine Enki, the "Lord God" of Eridu, with a face as black as a pot, standing by the wall that separates the "human world" from the "god world", walking around angrily, but he still couldn't pull his face away from the symbolic world. On the other side of the wall of "God", come over to this half of the island that belongs to "Human".

Who knew that she was completely wrong——

That night, Dumuzi and Hamti worked together to bake delicious bread.Ake and Guda drained the pre-soaked dried fish and baked them on the slate until the fish oozes a layer of fragrant fat.Young people wrap the dried fish in bread and add a few fresh leaves picked from the garden. This ancient version of the "sandwich" is put on the pottery plate and becomes a delicacy.

When the tour group sat down and prepared to eat together, Yi Nan suddenly found that there was an old man beside her.

It was quite sudden - Yi Nan didn't even hear any footsteps, and when he raised his head suddenly, there was such an old man beside him.

Hamti and Guda on the opposite side of her were even talking without stopping.

Dumuzi had already reacted, stretched out his arms to grab Yi Nan's waist, snatched the middle between Yi Nan and the old man, and sat down on his knees—he protected Yi Nan without being humble, but he did not show timidity in front of outsiders. .

It wasn't until Yinan and Dumuzi switched places that the Hamti were surprised to find that there was one more person among them.There was a pause in the chatter, and the courtyard was instantly quiet, so quiet that only the sound of the Euphrates River was left in everyone's ears.

This is an old man with a strange appearance, with a lush white beard, but not much white hair left on his head.His attire was also very simple, and he looked like an ordinary Eridu fisherman.

The sudden silence obviously did not affect the mood of the old gentleman, his pair of nimble eyes turned and turned in the clay plate and cup in front of everyone.

When he found that the pottery cups in front of Yinan and the others contained only clear water, the old man seemed unable to bear such a blow, and suddenly let out a "wow" and burst into tears.

Hamti, who was sitting opposite him, was frightened by the crying, and scrambled to hide behind Guda, but couldn't help being curious, so he poked his head out to hear what this man was crying about.

"You have been greedy for me for so many days, I finally came today, why not, why not... that kind of fragrant..."

Yinan and Dumuzi looked at each other, at this time Dumuzi's hand was still around Yinan's waist, and he quickly retracted.

He gave Yi Nan a look and said, "It's warming in the kitchen...I'll get it!"

The temperature is relatively low at night, and the beer of the tour group has been heated to temperature before, and it is being buried in the ashes of the stove to keep warm, and everyone is going to drink it at night to keep out the cold.

Holding the ears of the clay pot with both hands, Dumuzi brought out a full pot of "hot" beer.The aroma of malt and alcohol instantly filled the entire small courtyard.

The old man stopped crying immediately, his eyes lit up, he took a breath intoxicated, and stretched out his hand to hold the clay pot in front of him——

Yi Nan hurriedly stopped him: "No, this wine hasn't been filtered yet."

The beer brewed by Yinan and the others with the local method has quite a lot of impurities in it - the remains of bread used as a starter are floating on the surface of the beer, and yeast is deposited at the bottom.

Therefore, when Yinan and the others drink beer, they will cover a clay cup with a layer of linen to filter out impurities and pour pure beer into the clay cup.

Seeing that the old man was about to pick up the pot and drink it up, Yi Nan hurriedly stopped him.

Unexpectedly, the old man had already prepared for it, and he actually took out a reed stalk from the big pocket sewn on his robe.The reed stem is hollow and can be used as a straw.The old man poked the reed into the clay pot, sucked a big mouthful with his cheeks——

He blushed suddenly, because Yinan suddenly reached out to him and pinched the reed from the middle.

The old man winked at Yi Nan innocently, and Yi Nan smiled mischievously at him: "It's called beer, and it's for sharing among good friends. It's not a sacrifice to a certain god, let him monopolize it."

The old man immediately let go of the reed, said "oh", showing a clear expression, and said, "So you are Inanna of Uruk!"

——You are the goddess Inanna!

It seems that this old man has already figured out the details of the tour group.The obstinacy he showed when he was crying and making noise just now can't hide his shrewd and sober temperament at all.

The young people in the tour group were angry when they heard the old man call Inanna by her name without any respect at all.Guda immediately retorted: "How can you belittle our goddess so much, what would you think if we called your main god of Eridu 'that old man Enki'?"

Unexpectedly, the old man nodded: "Yes, I am that old man Enki."

Yi Nan laughed immediately: Sure enough, blocking the straw to prevent people from drinking can still tell the truth.

But the guys across from her gasped.Gu Da stretched out his hand to cover his mouth, and opened his eyes wide in horror. It must have never occurred to him that Enki would have such an image, and would come to them in such a rascally way to beg for drinks.

—My God, this is the main god of Eridu!

"And I can represent Inanna of Uruk." Inan nodded and admitted his identity, reaching out to embrace the beer can in front of Enki, "I, can I?"

Before Enki could agree, she turned around and handed the clay jug to Dumuzi. Dumuzi had already taken out the clay cup and linen cloth, and then carefully filtered the beer and poured it into the cup one by one.

Inan didn't pass the clay cup to Enki right away, but waited until everyone had a clay cup containing beer in front of them, then pushed a cup to him, and at the same time raised the cup solemnly, saying loudly: "For Ellie's sake!" Both and Uruk."

Everyone raised their glasses, and the young people drank it down, and handed all the glasses to Dumuzi habitually, which was a signal for "refill".

Enki took a sip, smashed his mouth, and took another sip.

In the end, he raised his neck and drank it all in one gulp, with a blush on his face. He also imitated others and asked Du Muzi for a "refill".

"Bitter and sweet...delicious." Enki commented.The current can is just a "hybrid type" with hops and honey added. It has both the unique slightly bitter flavor of hops and the floral and sweet taste brought by honey.

Yinan gave Dumuzi a wink, and the shepherd immediately went to fetch two cans of freshly brewed beer, indicating that there was enough beer for them.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to see you all this morning—"

After two glasses of beer, Enji started talking: "But I am busy solving a difficult problem. I have been thinking about it for many days, but I couldn't figure it out, so I was delayed."

"I ordered the sheepskin raft to bring you here one by one. I thought I would come to see you after I solved this problem...but I haven't been able to figure it out yet."

"And you guys are greedy for me next door all day long!"

Enki pointed to the young people in front of him, looking quite aggrieved.It seems that the "lord god" of Eridu really resented the tour group's "shameless behavior".

Yi Nan twitched the corners of his mouth: "But if you come to see us earlier, maybe your problem will be solved?"

She reached out and counted: "We have one, two, three, four, five, plus you have six people. Isn't the strength of six people stronger than you alone?"

Enji was stunned: "It seems...it makes sense."

"Among you, some are brave and tenacious, some know how to use tools, and some are very good at counting people..."

Sure enough, Enki was very clear about the experience of the tour group on the road, as if he had personally seen it.

"There are also people who are not only smart, but also sincere." Enki said at the end, looked at Dumuzi and nodded.Dumuzi bowed his head modestly to express his gratitude.

Yi Nan looked at Enki with wide eyes, as if he was waiting for Enki to praise himself.

Who knew that Enji said casually: "There are still people who are beautiful..."

Yi Nan: ...That's it?

"He is very considerate, very united with those around him, and knows how to let them play to their strengths."

Yi Nan immediately showed a bright and bright smile, which even Enki was stunned by, and he paused for a moment before saying, "It was my fault for keeping you waiting so long, and I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to you. "

"Since you have traveled such a long way, come here to buy me a drink, this...beer," Enki finally knew the name of the drink in the glass under Dumuzi's guidance.

"Then, we will write off the old story of Uruk's interception of Eridu's goods and never mention it again."

As he spoke, Enki drank the beer in his glass.

All members of the tour group raised their glasses together and drank the "wine of reconciliation".

If the residents of Uruk heard that they used a clay pot of "beer" to dissolve the festival between the Uruk and the Eridu people, they would definitely be surprised—of course everyone will be together after the surprise. To inquire about the recipe for this "beer".

"Okay, that's it for tonight. Tomorrow I will meet you on my territory, let the people of Eridu know that our two families have reconciled, and then I will send you back to Uruk."

Enki stood up and indicated that he was leaving.

——how can this work?Yinan thought, she still has a lot of questions here, waiting for this "lord god" to answer them.

Dumuzi understood, and immediately patted another clay pot: "God of Eridu, we also have different flavors of beer here, and the one you tasted just now is just one of them. Don't you want to try other beers?" ?"

This beer attracted Enki from the next door just by its aroma, so it naturally possessed an irresistible allure.

Hearing this, Enki finally sat down again and let Dumuzi stuff another clay mug full of beer into his hand.

Next, it's time to ask about Beibi.

"We are here this time not only for those old things, but I also want to ask about these shells."

She stretched out a hand, and there was a smooth and white shell in the palm of her hand.

"We almost had a big mess in Uruk a while ago, because this shell was not recognized by you Eridu people. I personally don't think that the Eridu people did this to target Uruk specifically, but I hope you can learn from it. Get proof here."

"Aiming at Uruk?" Enki himself probably didn't think of this, so he uttered in astonishment, and then laughed after being stunned for a moment.

"No, not against you Uruk at all. We Eridians ourselves no longer use these shells."

According to Enki, this white shell is a rare seafood produced along the coast of Eridu. Before that, Eridu's annual output was very small, and "the fishermen have to work hard for a year to catch a small pot."

This kind of shell has become a kind of "currency" of the Eridu people because of its easy identification of color, and the fact that it is portable and can be stored for a long time.This currency was widely used in Eridu, and the Eridu people often exchanged goods with the Uruk people. Over time, the shell coin was handed down to Uruk, and it can also be used in Uruk.

But just the year before last, a large number of these shells were found in a bay near Eridu, which triggered crazy fishing by Eridu people.

"I've never seen such a crazy scene." Enki drank beer, lost in memory. "The fishermen no longer fished, but guarded the seaside day and night, catching these shells."

"Whoever catches the shells thinks he has made a fortune, and even spends it without working."

"Those who didn't catch the shells felt it was unfair, and they fought with their neighbors and friends in order to seize a better bay."

"There are more and more shells on the market. Gradually, the dried fish that can be exchanged for one shell needs two or three to be exchanged..."

"People continue to fish for shellfish in the bay while complaining that dried fish is getting more expensive..."

"I just feel that if this continues, the white and beautiful aquatic products that Eridu once produced will become extinct and will never be caught again."

"As a last resort, in the name of the gods, I declare that these shells no longer have value in Eridu."

"If the people of Eridu need food and daily necessities, they can directly exchange the items for items, as long as the two parties have discussed it, there is really no need to measure the value of the shells in the middle."

"I made this decision out of necessity, but I really didn't consider that this kind of shell has been spread to Uruk, which has caused trouble to you. I, Enki, hereby apologize to you."

"Although the Eridu and Uruk people had some festivals, the Eridu people are honest and trustworthy. If the Uruk people want, they can also send the shells in their hands to Eridu, Eridu Men will compensate them for their losses according to their former value."

Enki solemnly bowed his head to Yi Nan, facing Yi Nan with his bald head, sincerely apologizing.

But the next moment he found that the beer in his clay cup had spilled out, and he hurried to help it.

Yi Nan: It's comfortable——

The truth is indeed as she had imagined in advance, there is something else hidden.

This is because of the financial disorder and inflation caused by the discovery of a large number of shells in a short period of time.

Enki resolved the crisis for Eridu with his wise and decisive decision.

What moved Yinan even more was that in 5500 BC, Enki could show such foresight. He knew the dangers of overfishing, had the awareness of ecological protection, and was willing to leave more precious species for their future generations.

Although this concept is very simple, it is enough to make Yinan respectful.

So she bowed solemnly to Enki and said sincerely, "I totally approve of what you do."

"Don't worry about Uruk, the shell coins over there have been backed by the credit of the Inanna Temple, and will gradually withdraw from circulation in the future..."

She spoke slowly, and Enki understood bit by bit what she meant by "credit support" and "withdrawal from circulation".

The current "Lord God" of Eridu fully understood what Inan said, and there was an expression of admiration on his face—although Uruk was only affected, but he was able to solve the problem so smoothly in a hasty fight. He couldn't help not admiring it.

In the end, Yinan said: "As long as Eridu and Uruk don't rashly clash because of their different beliefs in the main gods, I can rest assured."

When Enki heard this, he straightened his face and said, "I think our two cities can still have a good debate about who is the originator."

Yi Nan: "Oh, then tell me? I'll accompany you!"

Inan and Enki, the two "fairies" quarreled, and Dumuzi and the others couldn't intervene at all.Hearing these two talking about the "God of Origin" and discussing where the wizard Dan built the earliest Sumerian tribe, everyone could only look at each other in blank dismay.

"After all, Eli was prophesied that 'kingdom descended from heaven to Eridu'. Eli will appear as the first king of the Sumerians."

When Enki said this, Inan happened to be thirsty and took a sip of beer. Hearing Enki solemnly recite the opening sentence of the "Sumerian King List", Inan almost spit out his wine come out.

If she hadn't had a frank conversation with Enki just now, now that she heard him "reciting" the Sumerian King List, she might recognize him as a time traveler.

It's just that she never knew that this sentence had already appeared in Eridu as a "prophecy" before the Sumerians began to record their ancestors in writing.

Yi Nan's eyes rolled, she was never willing to take such a loss, not to mention, there were companions from these tour groups beside her who were listening attentively - in front of the group, one should not easily admit defeat and be ashamed.

Inan held this purpose, smiled slightly, and said: "Yes, maybe the kingship will continue to Uruk after Eridu. The Sumerian king accepted the kingship in Eridu, but he will eventually appear What about in Uruk?"

She was just joking for breath, but Enki nodded sadly when he heard it, and said, "It makes sense—"

Enki turned his face away, looked carefully at Dumuzi and the others, and said sadly, "Maybe it's one of these guys."

Yi Nan and all members of the tour group: ...?

Next, Enki was full of melancholy, so he drank his sorrows with wine, and stretched out his hand: "More beer!"

"Beer beer wants beer!" This new term "beer" is already very fluent.

Yi Nan was helpless, so he could only make up for it by himself: "What I just said is only a possibility!"

When Enki heard this, he was immediately happy again, and laughed: "It makes sense—then why should I worry about it?"

The old man immediately stretched out the pottery cup in his hand: "More beer!"

Yinan: ...Good guy, so you want beer when you are sad, and you want beer when you are happy. I dare you to come here specially to beg for beer!

She almost forgot that it was the old man who came here just now after smelling the scent of beer.

Enki ended up getting pretty drunk with them—the beer wasn't high in alcohol, but it was easy to get drunk, both for the first time and for those who drank a lot.

Fortunately, there are many rooms in this courtyard, so Dumuzi picked up the drunken Enki and helped him to rest in an empty room.

At this time Yi Nan also followed him to Enki's house, and she whispered to Dumuzi: "I want to go into the house and ask Enki a few words. You stay here and guard me, don't let others come and hear you. "

There are few secrets in the tour group, and Yi Nan rarely hides them from Hamm.

But today, at this moment, Inan told Dumuzi that she needed to ask Enki a few words alone, and didn't want others to hear.

Dumuzi was obviously stunned, and immediately agreed, with a little confusion in his eyes.

Yi Nan continued to say to him: "If you heard it too, please don't take it to heart, okay?"

The confusion in Dumuzi's eyes was more obvious, but he never said "no" to Yi Nan, but nodded immediately.

Yi Nan smiled, turned and entered the room.She helped Enki up a little, let him lean on a large pile of woolen felt cushions, and asked in a low voice:

"Old man, could you please tell me how many years you have been 'Enki'?"

"From...from the age of 17..."

The drunken "God" replied mutteringly.

"Since... the last 'Enki' selected me..."

The shepherd who was guarding the door had sharp eyes and ears, so it was not difficult for him to hear these questions and answers clearly.

This answer caused a storm in Dumuzi's heart—beginning to become "Enki" at the age of 17, then this means, it means, before becoming "Enki"...

The main god of Eridu, the so-called "god", who lives alone on such a lonely and independent island and is admired by all people, is actually... an ordinary person like himself?

At some point, Yi Nan had come to Dumuzi's side.She noticed Dumuzi's abnormal state, came to Dumuzi's side, and said in a low voice:

"He's not a god—"

Dumuzi's breathing was still a little heavy, and Yi Nan's words seemed to suddenly break some of the preconceptions in his heart, and those things immediately shattered and passed away soundlessly.At this moment, Dumuzi just stared at the dense night in front of him, unable to calm down for a long time.

Soon Yinan's soft voice sounded again: "And I'm not—"

"The prophecy here says that kingship will come down from heaven and fall on Eridu."

"And people in this world will eventually understand that the rise of kingship will soon usher in the day when it will replace the rule of the temple."