On June 30, 1856, the seven-day service in Tianxin Church was held as scheduled.
Everyone who was invited by Metien was absent. They all put aside what they were busy doing and appeared in this church that had gone through many hardships but there were always people willing to devote their efforts to it, waiting to witness the moment when it was reborn. A row of people.
The rows of brand-new basswood benches were filled with people, and the corners where dust and cobwebs had accumulated were also cleaned. In the sunlight shining through the stained glass windows, fine dust floated, making the statue of the goddess so holy.
Solemn, with an awe-inspiring and inviting aura.
Under the gaze of the goddess, the atmosphere became unexpectedly serious. Even Alice, who was always out of her way, stopped making noises and sat obediently in her seat, lowering her head and not knowing what she was thinking. Occasionally she would raise her head and take a look.
The goddess on the altar quickly averted her gaze and lowered her head as if she was guilty, a bit like those naughty students at St. Lowood National School who like to peek at their teachers in class.
Saint Xalia was sitting next to her and naturally noticed these little moves. However, with Alice's character, it was not easy to be so calm, so she turned a blind eye and ignored her.
In contrast, there is another issue that deserves more attention.
She looked around, her eyes passing over Semi and Leticia who were glaring at each other, over Oveira who was secretly yawning, and at some point she moved the celebration fireworks to Lorena under the chair.
I passed by... and looked through the entire church, but I still couldn't find those two people.
One is Gloria. It is said that Medien has invited her a few days ago, and she indeed promised to attend today's seven-day ceremony, but for some reason she has not shown up yet. Saint Xalia does not think she will break her promise.
For people, maybe they encountered some trouble and couldn't get out of it for a while?
The other person is Ringo.
If Gloria didn't appear, Saint Xalia could still find reasons to excuse her, then Ringo had no reason at all, because the young man had already made his attitude clear a long time ago: he did not support the restoration of the
After opening Tianxin Church, I never thought about returning to Tianxin Church to continue serving as the pastor. For this reason, I even quarreled with my most important sister and still did not change my mind.
But the contradiction in this matter is that anyone with a discerning eye can see that Ringer's feelings for Tianxin Church are no less than those of Metien, and may even be deeper. Because Mr. Yangke's last wish for the two brothers and sisters is that they hope that
They were able to live peacefully and never asked the young man to inherit or insist on anything. It was he who made the choice to give up his studies and become a pastor. This is enough to show that the young man may regard Tianxin Church as the soul after the death of his adoptive father.
Surrender?
Will the things placed in people's hearts fade away one day? But Linger is not that fickle. Not only Saint Xalia believes this, but also other people on Yunjing Sky Island, and even Metien.
believable.
Because of this, I was puzzled by his indifference and indifference.
In the small room behind the altar, Sister Livia looked through the dim aisle and saw a row of dark heads. She turned back to the pink-haired girl and said: "There are a lot of people here, Metien, it looks like
This seven-day ceremony was very successful."
Metien seemed to be in a trance. After hearing this sentence, he took a moment to react. He raised his head and showed a reluctant smile: "Ah, well, it seems like this. In that case, Sister Livia, we
We have to work harder and not let down everyone’s expectations.”
"That's the truth, but," Livia looked at the little girl with obvious worry in her eyes: "Are you okay, Metien?"
Even the words of encouragement are said so feebly, it's hard not to worry.
"Me? I'm fine. You see, I can't wait any longer!" In order to prove that there was nothing wrong with her emotions, the pink-haired girl tried hard to move the corners of her mouth, trying to make her smile look brighter, but she
After persisting for a while, he finally succumbed, lowered his head and said gloomily: "I'm sorry, Sister Livia..."
"It's okay, it's not your fault." Livia stretched out her hand, gently stroked the little girl's soft hair, and whispered: "Are you feeling uneasy because Mr. Ringer is not here?"
"Well." Metien's voice was very low, and her nod was almost invisible. If Livia hadn't been standing in front of her, she would have thought that she was actually talking to herself: "In the past, Tianxin Church
Lin Ge completed all the seven-day rites by himself. Whether it was receiving believers, praying for them or distributing bread and milk, I could only do simple things such as cleaning and registering names. Now it is my turn to do it myself.
Only when you have done this kind of thing, you will understand how heavy it is. It cannot be done by just memorizing the goddess's "Canon" by heart... In addition..."
"besides?"
"Linge once said that I don't understand faith, nor do I understand the real purpose of my father's opening of Tianxin Church. From faith to life, from ideals to beliefs... I don't understand many things, and I just rely on small things.
It’s just a child’s passion and willfulness. He also said that I need to calm down and think about what I want. However, I didn’t do that. I still stubbornly wanted to reopen Tianxin Church. Maybe, it was me.
His willfulness probably made him angry, so he didn’t want to come over.”
The little pink-haired girl pursed her lips, looking a little lonely where Sister Livia couldn't see her: "Perhaps, the Tianxin Church I have always wanted to inherit is actually completely different from the Tianxin Church in Ringer's mind.
Woolen cloth?"
Who is correct?
Since Metien said this in this tone and on this occasion, it means that she has vaguely identified with the Tianxin Church that Ringer represents in her heart. She feels that no matter what she does, she is just chasing after her brother.
Just imitating his every word and action. What's more, imitating him doesn't look like him at all.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Livia was speechless for a moment.
For matters like this that involve the relationship between brother and sister and the family business, no matter how much she comforts her, it seems that it will not have a very good effect. After all, she is not a party involved, so speaking from the perspective of a bystander seems a bit powerless.
But she can't let her stay depressed. After all, today is a happy day. There are so many people waiting for Metien to appear. If they see the pink-haired girl looking like this, won't they be very distressed?
As the guardian and guide of the Holy Spirit, Livia suddenly felt a strong sense of mission and felt that it was time for her to play a role.
She couldn't protect her companions, she couldn't protect the church of the True Spirit Sect, and she couldn't protect that great but blasphemous ideal... To this day, could it be that she couldn't even protect a little girl?
The nun thought about her words for a moment and suddenly asked: "Medine, do you hate Ringer now?"
"Eh!?" Metien was startled, and then quickly shook his head: "I didn't, how could I hate Ringer?"
This was something she had never dared to think about, as if once she had such an idea, Maidine would no longer be Maidine, but would become another girl she didn't recognize.
"Then I believe that Ling Ge will not hate you." Livia said softly: "Apart from your father, the person Ling Ge loves most in this world must be you, Metien. He
All the indifference and harshness you show must be to help you grow better. When you grow into a strong and independent person one day, I think the most gratified person will probably be him, right?"
"But," the pink-haired little girl pursed her lips: "I have obviously disappointed Ringer..."
"But he is still the person who loves you most in the world. His disappointment in you is also based on expectations, not because he thinks you are unworthy." The nun stretched out her hand and gently put it on the little girl's shoulder, through physical contact and verbal communication.
Strength conveyed to her something called confidence: "It's not terrible to make mistakes. Everyone will make mistakes sometimes. What's terrible is that you know you made a mistake but are unwilling to face it. Metien, if you
If you feel that your choice to insist on reopening Tianxin Church is wrong, then what you have to do is not to blame yourself here, but to try to make it right until one day you can say with your head held high that you have never
I regret making such a decision. I think this must be what Ringer expects from you."
Metien was slightly startled when she heard this, her eyes flashed with uneasiness and thought. She hesitated: "But how can I make it correct?"
Making a wrong thing become right is such profound knowledge that little girls have not yet been exposed to.
But actually, the answer is very simple.
Sister Livia pointed to the door, where people were quietly waiting for the seven-day ceremony to begin, and said: "Let's start from this step first. By understanding everyone's thoughts, understanding the teachings of the goddess, and then understanding what Mr. Ringer said,
What is 'true faith'? Is it in the scriptures, or is it in your heart, Metien?"
The pink-haired girl thought blankly for a while, then suddenly raised her hand and wiped her eyes vigorously. When she let go of her hand, the confusion and insecurity in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a firm look: "
I understand, Miss Livia!"
"I will never let Ringer down!"
She took a deep breath, hugged tightly the "Sacred Book" which recorded the words of the goddess, and said word by word: "Then, I'm going to do it!"
Livia stood there, looking at her back walking towards the aisle, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. It was very difficult to coax a little girl, and it felt even more difficult than teaching the tone-deaf children to sing hymns in the choir in the past.
Fortunately, we got a happy ending in the end. On the one hand, it’s because Metien’s character is much more mature than other girls of the same age. On the other hand, it’s because the relationship between the brother and sister is very deep.
They are the people who love each other the most in the world. If their feelings were not deep, what they just said might not have any effect.
but.
Livia raised her head and looked out the window, her azure eyes seemed a bit deep, and the slanting sunlight formed a series of transparent light pillars under her eyes, illuminating every particle of dust in the narrow space.
If you really are the person who loves Metien most in the world, it's impossible not to show up, right?
Where are you at this moment?
Mr. Ringer.
…
Deep in the woods, the young man raised his head and could just see the spire of Tianxin Church through the gaps between the branches and leaves. It was not majestic, but rather short, but it gave him a vague feeling of déjà vu. Metien was right
The church I grew up in does have such deep emotions that I remember every detail of it clearly, from the appearance to the structure, from the display of furniture to the painted patterns on the stained glass windows, and even this short church.
The spiers... are all completely similar. However, this similarity did not resonate with the young people after the long journey, but only made them sad in vain.
All people's beliefs have their destination, just as every river merges into a different ocean. When the pink-haired little girl persistently wants to paint a new color on the church that has long since died in the painting, she will understand this.
Does it make sense: Gaining comfort is faith.
The wind brought her voice, and her young but firm lips and teeth were pouring out every motto spoken by the goddess, in order to let the believers under the altar understand what faith is, although sometimes even the people standing above could not explain it.
Except for her voice, there was silence in the Tianxin Church. Everyone listened silently, just as the goddess also watched silently. These scenes sometimes reminded Ringer of the homeless people or poor people who lined up to receive bread and milk on time on weekends.
Then I thought of the snow in Linville City, and imagined how they were wandering in the snow, breathing rhythmically just like the wind blowing through the forest and the leaves falling one after another.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! When he came back to his senses, he realized that there was no snow in front of him, only the falling leaves. He calmly withdrew his gaze, turned around and was about to leave, but subconsciously stopped in his steps.
Yes, because he saw a person who shouldn't have appeared here.
"Ah, hahaha..." Miss Gloria smiled awkwardly: "Actually, I was going to Tianxin Church to attend the seven-day ceremony. Meridian also invited me, but I overslept and was late.
I thought I would meet you here, Mr. Ringer..."
"Then you should take the main road." Lin Ge calmly exposed her lie: "No matter how lost you are, you can't get here."
"Well." Her Royal Highness the Third Princess blinked: "It wouldn't be fun to talk about it, wouldn't it?"
"Please."
Ringer said expressionlessly, and then walked away. When he passed by Gloria, he glanced sideways and found that Gloria was holding a little bird with gray feathers in her arms.
There was a bandage on it, and it seemed to have been injured, and its expression was a little depressed. After noticing Lin Ge's gaze, it shrank uneasily into the girl's arms.
Ringer recognized that it was a gray-feathered falcon, a common bird in the land of Renkweil. It must have strayed into the Cloud Whale Sky Island when leaving Renwetting.
"Ah, you discovered it, Mr. Ringer." Gloria, who didn't want to hide it at all, smiled and said: "I picked it up near here a few days ago because it looked very pitiful when it was injured.
It looked like that, so I took it back for treatment, but it seemed to be dependent on me, hahaha. By the way, it also has a name, do you want to guess?"
"Not interested." Lin Ge said coldly.
Someone's threat also came to my mind: "Shut up, Gloria! If you dare to say its name -"
"It's called Xiaobai."
noob?
The young man who wanted to leave couldn't help but take another look at the bird, but he couldn't see anything that matched this characteristic. If it were replaced by Saint Xalia's lamb, it would be almost the same.
"You are also wondering why it is called this name, right? But in fact, Xiaobai's white does not refer to the white of its feathers, but to..."
"Shut up! Don't say it!!!"
"The white night is white."
"..."
The voice in her mind suddenly fell silent. In the unsettling silence, the girl with gray hair and gray eyes smiled happily: "Although I am always abandoned and hurt by others, I don't know where to go."
,Fortunately, it has finally found a home now!"
Boom——
The church bells suddenly sounded in the distance, echoing throughout the Cloud Whale Sky Island, long and peaceful.
The young man raised his head subconsciously, looking disappointed.
He remembered clearly...the original Tianxin Church probably didn't have this bell.
"Oh, I seem to have missed the seven-day ceremony this time." Gloria's leisurely voice came from the side: "But it doesn't matter, you can go there next time. Are you right, Mr. Ringer?"