"The good news is that Mr. Kraft's assistant will stop by the manor today. Maybe you can ask him to put in a good word."
"It's not necessary, it's just daily work. Even farmers know not to boast about the land that has not yet been harvested." Dominic looked down at the basin, pushed the hair from his forehead to the top of his head, tightened the collar of the monk's robe, and straightened the cloak button in the style of a religious emblem.
ring.
"Our best strategy would be to completely disappear from the monastery's sight for a few months. Once Mr. Craft has almost forgotten about the devil-cursed carriage, the manor will have some visible results."
"Then where are you going now?"
"Go and see old John's house."
The figure in the water is well-dressed and has a shiny forehead, which fits the image of a monk who comes to visit on official business. "Let's go together?"
"No, do you really plan to continue to take care of this matter?"
"Are you going or not?"
"go."
...
...
After leaving the main road and walking half a circle around the outskirts of the settlement, you can see Old John's house near a sluggish and uncared-for wheat field. To be precise, it is now the home of Little John, Old John's son.
Although they have had many contacts with local residents, the monks still know very little about this family.
Women will mention who is the most skillful at needlework, men will compare each other's drinking and strength, and children will talk about which family grows fruits that can be eaten secretly.
As long as you delve into the trivial matters, you will find that the seemingly complicated villages and towns are actually very small, like a finely woven spider web. Due to the lack of entertainment activities, any trivial matter or anecdote will be quickly passed from one end to the other. You will see different perspectives from different people.
Learn the same thing over and over again.
However, there will always be some people who are always on the edge of this network, whether because of their own lack of interest or the subconscious alienation of others.
Their residence, like mine, is in a place that receives little attention. It is old and ordinary, and it is difficult to find anything commendable about it.
Although the owner of the house could not be called easy-going, fortunately, he was not as eccentric as expected. After explaining his identity, the two monks quickly received permission to enter.
Pushing open the ajar wooden door, Dominic saw "Little John", a man who looked older than a stonemason, sitting on a wooden bench by the window, holding a half-finished object on his chest with his legs.
It looked like a basket, made of hazel strips picked from the mountains and woven into circles. It had not yet been sealed, so he could not stand up and open the door. He did not mean to ignore the visitors.
The lighting effect of the house is limited. From bright to dark, the field of vision is dim and blurred. Only half of the figure and the winding soft branches can be seen.
"May the Lord favor you, my friend."
"Thank you, may I ask what this is?"
"We are new monks who have settled in the monastery. We are planning to organize a mass recently to reconnect the church with believers, so we hope to meet every friend who shares the same faith and send invitations in person."
Dominic observed the other person, especially when he mentioned "Faith" and "Heavenly Father". He didn't know what he was waiting for, like a rock climber longing for the uneven ridges or depressions above for him to go further and look closer.
A destination that cannot be reached.
"Oh, of course." Little John replied matter-of-factly, and moved his hands again, pulling the soft and fresh hazel branches, overlapping them and knitting them into the embryonic utensils.
His technique is skillful, alternating left and right, and he can arrange the tendons into a dazzling pattern without any deliberate control, expanding in circles from the inside out. It is not like occasionally making up for personal use, but this is what he should do as a career.
"When is it? I will attend on time."
"We will hold several small gatherings every weekend. If everyone responds well, after the autumn harvest is over, Consecration Day will be a good day to hold celebrations." This is an event that has been planned, and it is also very suitable for it.
Lead to other content.
"In addition to praying together and sharing blessings, it is also a good opportunity to communicate with neighbors." After my eyes adapted to the indoor environment, my field of vision finally became more comfortable, and my peripheral vision began to wander around.
"Conflicts that are usually difficult to resolve can be resolved smoothly under the witness of Heavenly Father."
There are a lot of knitting items piled up in the room. The large ones are stacked together, similar to the things in Little John's hands, they should be storage baskets; the small and flat ones are hung on the wall. I have seen these before, and they were received by Field before.
A wide-brimmed hat, but the technique is more professional. The spiral vortex texture from the center outward is smooth and has a unique decorative effect.
As the weaving goes outward, the density decreases slightly, forming a loose but untidy edge. The raw edges are not trimmed away, giving a soft feeling that is still expanding outward.
"Yes, I will go." Little John replied calmly, without any emotion.
The topic is basically over. According to the process, it is time to leave a small gift and leave. However, the monk is not ready to stop here and has to find a topic now.
"Good craftsmanship. Are you a basket maker?"
Cities and villages need this kind of people to turn cheap materials into daily baskets, baskets, hats, and even beehives and backpacks. Some of the exquisite ones will appear in ceremonies and become sacred baskets.
I have used it and seen it a lot in the past, but I really have no impression of this style. The technique is more complex, and the finished product is thicker and has a sense of layering and three-dimensionality.
"It's a craft inherited from our ancestors, and I can only make up these." As he spoke, Little John completed another circle.
The methods of basket weaving and hats seem to have a lot in common. They are complex but follow a roughly similar spiral.
Most of his attention is on his work, and the repeated circles and crossings show his devotion to his craft, as if an ascetic immersed in meditation is turning his rosary beads in silence.
Dominic is too embarrassed to continue disturbing the family. Most of these craftsman families who focus on craftsmanship have relatively stable religious beliefs and economic conditions. Seeing a son is like seeing a father, so there is a high possibility of misunderstanding about tomb robbing.
It would be a good idea to invite the stone masons and basket makers together next Sunday and explain everything in person.
"Then let's take our leave first. May Heavenly Father bless you."
Taking out the pre-prepared hand-engraved Holy Emblem amulet pendant, Dominic was about to give it away, but realized that the other party did not pick it up empty-handed.
He looked around, trying to find an empty spot to hang up temporarily.
The room is full of similar vortices, slowly rotating under the optical illusion caused by low light, layered, light and complicated.
This reminded him of what Field said, about the origin of the shape of the straw hat. The vortex is like some kind of abnormal cloud, which is driven by airflow or other things to rotate and curl up, confusing up and down everywhere within sight, causing nausea and dizziness.
Pour into nasopharynx.
But it would be rude to leave in a hurry, so Dominic threw his head upward, trying to escape the shape and nausea.
What comes into view is the roof paved with hay. The straw and wheat straw are twisted and converging, shrinking inward like a spiral, forming a sky...