Become a cat [Zhan Zhao]

The fishing boat is not big, but it is very strong. The wooden hull is slender and smooth, like a willow leaf.The canopy used to keep out the wind and rain on the boat is bent into a proper arc, and a few irregular oilcloths are randomly spread on it, making the boat look a bit down and out.

When He Lian brought them to the pier, the first thing A Lan saw was this fishing boat.With the high tide at night, the waves became rough, and the black waves continued to smash against the rocks on the shore, scattering into lead gray fragments.The moonlight was shrouded in mist, appearing hesitant.

"It's this boat, let's go aboard." He Lian was carrying an old and worn-out oil lamp, the dim light made the milky white mist warm.There are many fishing boats docked under the wharf, and with the swaying of the sea water, they make the sound of collision from time to time.

Alan followed Zhan Zhao and jumped onto the deck of He Lian's family's fishing boat. The sound of "boom" was the sound of her landing on the ground.And Zhan Zhao is like an elegant and vigorous cat, not only moves lightly, but also lands silently.When the hull of the boat was shaken by A Lan's reckless landing, he reached out to support her, and said in a low voice, "Slow down."

He Lian, who was behind her, showed admiration. She picked up her younger brother who was following her, and jumped onto the deck.Although he was as quiet as Zhan Zhao, he only made a weak sound.

A Lan silently decided to practice lightness kung fu well in the future.

He Lian hung the oil lamp on the stern of the boat, and said to Zhan Zhao and the others while untying the cable: "You guys rest when you are tired, I can do it by myself."

"Let me help you." Alan replied enthusiastically, "Anyway, I can't sleep yet."

He Lian pushed her younger brother into the cabin, then she turned her head and smiled at A Lan: "If you can't sleep, you can sit here for a while, the sea view at night can't be seen at any time." She said from the deck He picked up the two oars from the boat, sat down at the stern, pulled it hard, and the fishing boat slid out quietly, passed the boats on both sides sensitively, and headed for the depths of the sea.

He Zhou poked his head out from the cabin and said dissatisfiedly, "I don't want to sleep either."

"No." He Lian sternly said, "Kids are not in the mood to stay up late, go to bed quickly. Otherwise, I won't take you out in the future."

He Zhou responded sullenly and shrank back.Alan looked at Zhan Zhao hesitantly, wondering if he wanted to go to sleep first or stay on the deck for a while.

Seeing the anticipation in A Lan's eyes, Zhan Zhao said, "Then sit down for a while." He said and sat down on a low stool.

Alan was overjoyed immediately, and hurriedly sat down at Zhan Zhao's feet.She poked her head out to look at the sea in the night, the sound of the oars breaking through the water had a harmonious melody, and the birds hovering in the sea and sky during the day disappeared at night, making this vast sea and sky seem a bit lonely.The dim yellow light from the porcelain oil lamp was surrounded by mist, so it looked weak in the face of darkness, and could only cover that small square of heaven and earth.

"Sister He Lian, it's so dark, can you see the road clearly?" A Lan couldn't help asking, "It feels so foggy, everything is blurry."

He Lian chuckled and said, "Of course I can. I grew up here, and I can't go wrong with my eyes closed."

The wind at sea was a bit strong at night, and the boat kept ups and downs with the waves, but fortunately, it was safe.Alan folded her arms and rubbed her arms, and couldn't help shivering.The sound of waves hit the fishing boat one after another, and then left the boat layer by layer.The wind is always lingering, with a bone-chilling coolness.So Zhan Zhao took off his cloak and put it on A Lan's shoulders, and said in a low voice, "Sit in the cabin for a while, and be careful not to catch a cold."

"Yeah." Ah Lan sniffed, then suddenly pointed to the moon in the sky and said, "It's full moon tonight, isn't it fifteen?"

Zhan Zhao looked up at the faintly yellowed full moon, and after a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "Tomorrow is only fifteen, and today is fourteen. Look, isn't there a corner of the moon missing? "

"Ah, really." A Lan raised her head and rubbed her chin against Zhan Zhao's clothes, "It's a pity, I thought it was a full moon. Speaking of which, isn't it almost Mid-Autumn Festival?" She said, looking at Zhan Zhao, with A little bit of anticipation.

Zhan Zhao couldn't help being taken aback, only to hear He Lian laughing at the side: "Girl, you've been living a foolish life, the Mid-Autumn Festival has already passed."

"That's right." Zhan Zhao came back to his senses and didn't find it amused. He pointed at the tip of A Lan's nose and said softly, "The Mid-Autumn Festival was on the fifteenth day of last month. Did you forget it so quickly?"

A Lan looked at Zhan Zhao hesitantly, brushed the slipped hair, and said blankly: "Really? Why don't I remember at all?"

Zhan Zhao suddenly realized that on the fifteenth day of last month, Ah Lan was probably still in the Mo family martial arts gym, or else he was on the way out of the martial arts gym, so he couldn't help but shut his mouth.Although he himself is a loner and never happy to celebrate these festive seasons, but Alan even forgot the festivities, which made him feel rather uncomfortable.

He Lian glanced at the two of them, and could only helplessly shake her head and sigh in the face of this situation.She changed the subject and said, "Speaking of which, I was surprised that you two were going to Kuguo Island by name. Most people don't know about this place."

"Well, I also found out about this place by chance." Zhan Zhao didn't intend to talk about it, and asked when He Lian mentioned it, "Miss He mentioned before that there has been a gatekeeper in Kuguo Island for generations. But I don't know What kind of door is this gatekeeper guarding?"

He Lian smiled lightly and said: "This Kuguo Island is a wilderness, uninhabited, where there is no gate to guard. The so-called 'gatekeeper' is just a false name, it's just a convenient name." As she spoke, she pulled the paddle, When he was lucky, he didn't feel breathless, and he said calmly, "Before my father passed away, he told me that if anyone came to find Kuguo Island, I would have the responsibility to guide them to the island. However, no one has come to Kuguo Island for so many years. , I always thought no one would come."

Hearing this, Zhan Zhao couldn't help guessing inwardly, fearing that these things were not so simple, there must be something hidden in it.However, he only wants to get the "bitter fruit" that Chen Yin explained, and he doesn't care much about the mystery of this island.

Ah Lan was full of curiosity, and asked He Lian, "Why is this island called Kuguo Island? It sounds weird."

"Bitter fruit is what the Buddhists say. The so-called bitter fruit is the retribution of evil results caused by past bad karma." He Lian replied, "There used to be some legendary stories on this island, although these stories have been annihilated in history However, the name "Bitter Fruit" has survived. I guess, there must have been someone who did some evil things on the island and reaped the bitter fruit, and later generations took it as a warning, so they called this island "Bitter Fruit Island."

A-Lan held her chin and said, "But isn't this island deserted now?"

"Yes." He Lian nodded and said, "That's why few people know the name of this island." She glanced at Zhan Zhao indistinctly as she spoke, and continued, "It is said that this island was once cursed, you two go to the island , you have to be more careful."

Zhan Zhao heard the words and said: "It should be so, thank you Miss He for reminding me." He seemed to be curious as he spoke, and asked her, "Didn't you just say that the legends on this island have been lost? How do you know? Is this island cursed?"

"Although the story has been lost, such things as curses will always be handed down to warn future generations to stay away from this island." He Lian said somewhat inscrutablely, "So for many years, whether you don't know the island, or know No one from this island comes here. You are still the first."

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly: "Really?" Hearing this, not only did he not feel uneasy, but instead felt a faint excitement.Working in Kaifeng Mansion for these years, he has almost forgotten the thrills of life in the Jianghu, and now it is worthwhile to revisit one or two.However, Zhan Zhao looked at A Lan again, feeling a little worried in his heart.

Ah Lan seemed to have sensed Zhan Zhao's gaze, and put her head close to him and said in a low voice, "Don't worry about me, I've been with you for so long, and I still have some skills." Looking at the past, this smile is really silly.

Zhan Zhao couldn't help but patted Ah Lan's head, and said, "Don't be brave. It's getting late, go to sleep."

"Aren't you going to sleep?" A Lan felt complacent because of the intimacy in Zhan Zhao's attitude, so she boldly said, "It's very cold at night."

Zhan Zhao waved his hands and said, "I'll sit for a while, go in and sleep."

A Lan could only say "oh", got up and got into the cabin.After the curtain was lowered, there was almost no light inside. She stood in place and got used to it for a while before she could see the furnishings clearly.The boat was not very big, except for the place where the sundries were piled up, there were only a few bunks squeezed together.

He Zhou slept in the innermost part, huddled into a ball.Alan took a few steps cautiously, and slept in a bunk next to Hezhou.After she lay down, she realized that she was still wrapped in Zhan Zhao's cloak, feeling the thick cloth, she couldn't help but feel a little happy.

Outside, Zhan Zhao waited for Ah Lan to enter the cabin, and then asked He Lian, "I wonder how long the journey will take?"

"If you're lucky, it will take three to five days." He Lian replied briefly, "Don't worry, I brought enough dry food and fresh water, enough for a round trip."

Zhan Zhao nodded, his eyes gliding through the thick fog around him.He was sure that the fog was getting thicker and thicker. He could still see the surroundings of the ship before, but now he couldn't even see the bow of the ship clearly.

"The fog won't stop us." He Lian seemed to have guessed Zhan Zhao's thoughts, "Didn't you go through the fog before? It seems that the fog treats you differently, so why worry?"

Zhan Zhao frowned, and finally questioned He Lian's sense of incongruity in his words: "Miss He said that like 'mist' is a living thing."

"Ha." He Lian laughed, "Don't you know? This sea has been untouched for many years, not only because it is remote enough. Whether it is the fog in the jungle or the fog on the sea, it is to block outsiders. barrier."

Zhan Zhao recalled that the residents in the fishing village expressed surprise when he walked through the jungle, and he knew it clearly: "It seems that except you, as long as outsiders enter this fog, they will lose their way."

"No." He Lian denied Zhan Zhao's statement, and smiled when Zhan Zhao's eyes showed doubts, "Didn't you just pass through the fog?"

Zhan Zhao looked directly at He Lian, and asked without answering, "So Miss He hasn't answered Zhan's question yet." As he spoke, he slightly raised his eyebrows, deliberately making a puzzled look, and asked, "What is this 'mist'? ?”