Less than a minute after the rusty copper bell of this small settlement rang, Hayes found that they were surrounded by Fitz's tribe.
These people generally have deformities. Recalling Fitz's appearance, Hayes found that Fitz was actually very normal in comparison. The average height of these fishermen from the Buyan Clan is no more than 1.5 meters, and
The eyes are all very big, and some even have no eyelids. The pupils in the eyeballs are as small as pinholes, and the whites of the eyes are so big in the protruding eye sockets that they feel as if they will fall off at any time.
The second most conspicuous thing is the big mouth, which is also reflected in Fizz. At the same time, their skin also has psoriasis and spots similar to fish scales.
In the past, Hayes would have been scared to death when faced with this kind of scene, but now he just answered each of their questions gently.
But they are actually all asking the same thing.
Where's Fitz?
Obviously, this means one thing, the death notice was not sent to them.
"Fitz. Fitz is back?"
Just when Hayes didn't know how to answer, an old voice made the crowd part ways.
The person who had been talking to Hayes earlier came over with a figure that was even more stooped than him. When he arrived in front of Hayes, the man opened the hood of his heavy cloak, revealing a head of slender white hair and a face eroded by the wind and rain.
.
She looks relatively normal and somewhat similar to Fitz.
But the old woman still has some mutant characteristics, her skin is sunken and scarred, her gray dead flesh is shining, her eyes are wider than normal, and so is her mouth.
"you are."
"Oh, sir, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Fitz's grandmother. Just call me Mwamaka."
Hayes didn't say anything, he just took out Fitz's expedition manual, the copper pendant he was holding before he died, and his nameplate.
The moment she saw these three things, the old woman suddenly started to shake. People around her quickly helped her up, and then she began to cry.
Hayes never thought that he would take on the role of a mourner. This made him feel sad, but also blamed himself. If it hadn't been for him, would Fitz's family have always held on to hope?
even false hope
Later, he learned that these could all be said to be Fitz's family. They were a large and ever-growing family. He had just met the cousin who was Fitz. Their family had settled here for hundreds of years, but they had always been there.
Suffering from mutations and deformities, Fitz is the young man with the lowest degree of mutation among them. In a sense, he is also the only "hope" for this tragic family.
In the eyes of other people, such mutations often represent ungodliness and depravity. For the Buoyan people who have little knowledge, the suffering they have suffered since birth has gradually formed a theory of original sin by blood under the subtle influence of their surroundings.
, and this argument became a firm statement after repeated claims by the priests.
In order to atone for their sins, they often donated half of their harvest to the church in Linhu Town, hoping to gain salvation.
But after hundreds of years, redemption never came.
They still suffer from the mutation, and they still continue to donate the fish they got with their blood and sweat to the church, and endure poverty and discrimination. Only Fitz hopes to change all this.
But Fitz also didn't understand anything. All he could do was listen to the priests' propaganda, and finally went to the battlefield with his deceased mother's pendant.
After hearing this, Hayes felt very bad, but he could not describe his inner emotions in words.
The scene when Fitz died in battle rolled through his mind like waves, and all he could say was to tell these miserable people that their Fitz died like a hero, and everyone was proud of him. The God Emperor would
Blessing everyone.
That's all.
Knowing that it would be difficult to use deposit certificates in the bottom nest, Hayes had already exchanged those precious metal currencies before coming, put them in a small sturdy bag, and gave them to Fitz's family, saying that this was what Fitz had left behind.
In order to thank Hayes, the Buoyan clan specially prepared the best food to entertain him in the largest and cleanest house.
Although Hayes was a little resistant to those "fish", he couldn't refuse them directly. Fortunately, there weren't many, just two or three.
His two wives were definitely not willing to eat it, so he peeled off the boiled red shell, picked up the pale meat inside and put it into his mouth.
In fact, apart from a fishy smell, there is nothing much about it, and the taste is even quite tender.
But soon Hayes discovered that he seemed to be the only one eating "fish" in the village, while the others were shrinking in the distance, gathering in the shadows.
When he walked over and took a look, he found that they were all eating something that was simply boiled in water, similar to algae and water plants, including the children. Then he curiously asked Fitz's cousin, but the other party hesitated.
Reluctant to say it, he finally told Hayes after his request that fish was very precious and the only way for them to obtain various daily necessities, so they daily ate the salty algae caught in the water - and the fish was
Part of it has to be handed over to the church, and part to the town. Finally, a little bit should be left to dry and be eaten during certain festivals or sold in the town for a good price.
"We are used to everything. We can eat it without hurting our tongues."
Hayes squatted down wordlessly, and under their astonished gazes, he picked up a piece of wet salty algae from a pottery basin that looked like some kind of filthy swamp and put it into his mouth.
The moment he entered the mouth, he felt as if he had been given a mouthful of salt. After a moment of rejection, he felt that his tongue and upper teeth were almost numb, as if his mouth was not a weed but a whole dry hemp rope.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't swallow it. Even in the most difficult moments of the regiment, he had never eaten anything so bad.
But these people of the Buoyan clan have been eating it for hundreds of years!
Before leaving the Buoyan clan, Hayes repeatedly asked if anyone would come to deliver letters or anything during this period, but they all answered that no one would come to deliver letters here, and they would all deliver them to the church in the town. However, the church
Then notify them to pick it up.
It's always been like this.
Hayes finally understood something, but he said nothing and said goodbye to these fishermen who looked ugly but were actually simple, kind and even a little cowardly.
When we returned to Linhu Town, it happened to be the time for mass in the church. The towering white church was already surrounded by people. The bishop in sacrificial robes stood on the high platform and chanted. The priests all looked very strong and shiny. During the mass,
At the end, several people in military green uniforms walked to the bishop and knelt down in front of the bishop to receive the blessing. They were all children of prominent families in the town. After returning from the battlefield, they would become the protectors of the town, that is, the public security.