Battle of the Rhine

Despite repeated claims of refusal to return to the faith, Quincy's performance in the chorus is still remarkable.He fit the church well, Michael had an inexplicable idea.Spires, candlelight, stained glass, hazy singing... like an oil painting.Quincy is right in the center of the frame, catching Michael's line of sight.

"Clean as an angel." Through his shirt, Michael touched the military badge. It is mentioned in the Bible, "Someone touched something unclean, whether it was a person's uncleanness, or an unclean animal. or an unclean abomination, who eats the flesh of the peace offering to the LORD, he shall be cut off from his people." "You are an unclean thing," he gripped his badge, "and, you It will pollute him, dirty together."

After the mass, the priest called Quincy to stop, and the two talked softly for a while. "Karl won't let it go," Charlie whispered. "He was baptized in this church."

Franz Schwarz's parents were standard Germans, and Michael shook hands with them as much as possible with his mouth shut.In America, if he shook hands with such a grim face, the other party would think he had a stomachache or reluctance.They shook hands seriously and greeted each other.For some reason, the Schwartzes had a subtle attitude toward Quincy, like their son.

"Go home." Quincy returned, putting on her scarf and hat. "It's cold."

There was fine snow in the sky, an appropriate white Christmas.Michael drove honestly and slowly.He's committed another crime, and the evidence is in his pocket - he's broken a sprig of mistletoe, though he's not sure it'll do any good.

"I'm not going to give the church a Finney," said Quincy, "the Catholic Church can't take a dime from me."

"Oh, Carl," Charlie pouted, "Father Hoffman is just worried about you!"

"Are you worried about losing a sum of money?" Quincy sneered, "That's what the priests are most concerned about. They are a group of vampires."

"You really sound like a Bolshevik when you talk like that," Michael interjected, drawing immediate strong approval from Charlie, "Brother! You need faith—Mike, what do you think?"

"Well, I can't say anything right now," laughed Michael, "I'm in the wrong church! A Protestant, sitting on a pew in a Catholic church. God, that smell made me sneeze a few times. "

"Is this your first Christmas in Germany?" Charlie changed the subject, chirping happily like a bird. "How do you feel?"

"Gingerbread is delicious." Michael didn't even think about it. "It's more elaborate than my Christmas in America!"

"My brother didn't make that fancy," Charlie muttered. "He didn't even have a Christmas tree."

"There's a lot of leaves," said Quincy. "It's hard to clean."

"That's because you're too clean. There's no carpet that won't get vacuumed, Carl."

"I don't think basic hygiene requirements are 'too clean'."

"For God's sake, please," Michael twisted the car key, "or does the German way of celebrating Christmas require debating?"

This time, even Franz laughed.

Charlie left at 10:30, and Michael thought she would stay. "It's all Karl's fault. I proposed to spend Christmas in the old house." The girl pouted, "We have a lot of people this year, don't we?"

Before that, though, they had a pleasant few hours.Michael was asked to sit on the sofa--the sofa had a new cover, dark burgundy. "Oh, the sofa," he stroked the arm of the sofa, "can I lie down?"

"No." Quincy rolled up his shirt sleeves, "Please be quiet."

"Mike," Charlie said suddenly, "I want to ask a question."

"Excuse me, ma'am." Michael flipped through a novel. "'I will tell you the truth'—is that how it reads?"

"That's right." The little bird Charlie flew in front of him, "Mike, why don't you bring your wife too? She spends Christmas in America alone, won't she be very lonely?"

Michael put down the novel and showed his empty fingers, Xia Li exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't you married?"

"Who told you I was married?" Michael glanced into the kitchen. "I was married, but, sadly, old Mike is a bachelor now. He's had four lonely Christmases, poor old Mike." , Miss, would you like to give him a few more Finney tips?"

"I'm sorry," Charlie rubbed her skirt, "I didn't know—"

"It's okay." Michael looked towards the kitchen again, "I want to give you a piece of advice, dear Charlie——if Franz always likes to lie on the sofa in the future, then you have to make up your mind and get rid of him as soon as possible."

Franz turned his head immediately, and Charlie smiled, "Why?"

"I was divorced just because I was lying on the sofa." Michael raised his voice slightly, and he couldn't understand his behavior, "My ex-wife Mary Jean—she was a good girl, and we are still friends— Hate me sleeping on the sofa. She dumped me so cleanly, I was shocked at the time, I didn't expect that I would be kicked out of the house for being so handsome."

"Stop being glib," Quincy came out of the kitchen and put a plate on the table. "Sit here."

"I'm serious, Charlie," said Michael, with mock seriousness, "and if Franz gets involved with the couch too, you file for a divorce—"

"I won't!" cried Franz. "I hate lying on the sofa!"

"Don't talk too early, young man." Michael squeezed his eyes, "When I got married, my house didn't even have a sofa!"

"Yeah," Quincy interjected, "don't trust men, their only truth is 'like young'—I'm a man, and I know that, Charlie."

"Oh," Xia Li looked at her brother, her face flushed from suppressed laughter, "Carl, do you also 'like young'?"

"Of course," Quincy said firmly, "I've said it all, I'm a man too."

"Then I'm doomed," Michael pretended to cry, "I'm two years older than him... after this meal, old Mike will be kicked out by the king, it's so sad, Charlie, it's so sad .”

Charlie laughed loudly, "You, are you too?" She looked at Franz, "Like, like, year, young?"

"I'm not!" Franz ran up to hold her hand. "Trust me!"

Quincy shrugged, very American. "Stop bullying Franz," Michael followed into the kitchen, "he's going to cry!"

"Get out." Quincy pushed Michael's hand off his shoulder. "Get out of the way."

"Young people need space."

"I need space too."

If the lovely young couple hadn't been in the living room, Michael would have taken out the mistletoe and put it on Quincy's head.He doesn't need a Christmas present, all he wants is a kiss.This is a traditional custom, and Michael felt that Quinnessy would not murder him for it, especially since college students are in a very good mood recently, gentle and lovely.But Xia Li had already flown to the kitchen, "You two have such a good relationship," she said sincerely, "Thank you, Mike, my brother is much happier with you here."

"It won't be anytime soon," said Michael, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm old, little Charlie, and Carl likes young—" making Charlie laugh again.