The golden sunshine broke in through the window, and was divided into sections by the wooden bars on the window, like gold bricks. And these neat gold bricks were laid out on the bedside, reflecting a slightly pale face.
.
Yuffie stretched out her hand and put it on her cheek, as if stroking the golden light.
The original delicate and soft skin of the hands has gradually been lost, replaced by a layer of hard cutin.
This is a matter of course.
Since she became a housewife, many housework had to be placed on her shoulders.
Her husband is a considerate person and will not let her do heavy work. But she wants to share some of the work for him no matter what, so she can't just relax like this.
Washing dishes, cooking, and cleaning the yard. Days and nights passed like this, and before I knew it, my hands had calluses.
"The sun is nice today, but why are there dark clouds?"
Yuffie kept to herself and spoke words with unclear meaning.
She separated her index and middle fingers, and the narrow gap just accommodated the small sun in the sky. There was an irregular black spot next to the bright sun. If you look closely, it was indeed a dark cloud.
Although the dark cloud was very inconspicuous, ordinary people wouldn't care about it at all, right? But in her opinion, it was unusual, and she couldn't ignore it.
Yuffie felt a little uneasy.
She could feel something disharmonious from that strange dark cloud. This ominous premonition could even be comparable to the signs of approaching "crisis" that she had foreseen.
"Is this a sign of something?"
She wants to feel more clearly, or she wants to "see" more clearly.
So Yuffie closed her eyes and felt her heart.
How many years have passed, she still remembers what the man in the sapphire blue priest uniform once said to her:
"The 'mind's eye' is brighter and wiser than ordinary people's eyes. Similarly, only with the 'mind's eye' can we talk to 'God'. Any confusion and confusion will prevent us from using our 'heart' to see the truth of this world."
He was her teacher and her guide. When they met for the first time as master and apprentice, facing her clumsy and anxious self, the mysterious and erudite man said this to her.
"Teacher, I'm sorry. I can't...see anything now."
After a long time, she opened her eyes again.
Tears overflowed from the eyes and dripped down the corners of the eyes, leaving two inconspicuous water stains on the pillow.
She can no longer "predict".
She obviously knows that she is no longer satisfied with just the premise of perceiving God. Even if she prays over and over again, she will never be able to obtain God's favor.
"I can't do anything anymore..."
Even though she knew something was approaching, no matter how she felt it, all she got back was "chaos" covered by fog.
"But don't be afraid." She looked at her belly, her eyes loving and firm, "Mom will never let anything happen to you."
She gently stroked her bulging belly.
An independent and brand-new life is growing in her womb, and it is her mission to allow this life to be born safely.
"Yuffie, how do you feel?"
At some point, the man came into the house.
"Eh...me."
Yuffie raised the tall pillow so that she could lean against the head of the bed.
She used her arms to hold up her increasingly heavy body, and then pressed her back against the upright pillow so that she could lie half on the bed.
At this time, Belkas also walked to the bed. He bent down and held her cold hands on the quilt.
"I'm fine!"
When her petite hands were held by the man's rough hands, her anxious heart returned to calm.
"Mr. Poros showed it to me and said that I am in good condition now."
Yuffie smiled and looked at him with tender eyes.
"Ah, that's good... um..."
Belkas wanted to ask something else, but when he faced Yuffie's gaze on the bed, Belkas's cheeks felt inexplicably hot. He couldn't help but lower his head and avoid her gaze.
Belkas himself didn't quite understand. They had obviously been husband and wife for a long time, but when he faced his wife alone, he still felt a little at a loss.
"Is Nia back?"
Thinking of Nia, Yuffie looked worried. She asked uneasily: "I saw her going out very early. It's almost time to make lunch. Is something going to happen again?"
"I have asked around before. Her friends will inform her. And Nia is also a sensible child. I think Nia will come back soon.
Belkas sat on the edge of the bed and noticed the worry on her eyebrows. He also remembered that Boros had just warned him not to let Yuffie become emotionally unstable. In order to comfort the person in front of him, he held Yuffie's hands tightly. However,
Even if Boros hadn't said it, he would have done it.
"Don't worry too much, okay? Nothing will happen."
"Um……"
When her hands were once again wrapped in the man's warm hands, Yuffie's cheeks couldn't help but turn rosy.
Her shy look is so cute and lovable.
Since she didn't have time to dress up, Yuffie didn't wear her hair tie as usual.
Her long, smooth light blue hair was casually draped over her slender shoulders. The ends of her long hair hung naturally on the white sheets. If you get closer, you can smell the fragrance of orchids and breast milk in her hair.
.
Yuffie's upright and beautiful face was flushed like a girl, and her smart eyes were a little moist, as if there was a layer of silver mist floating on them.
"Yuffie..."
Belkas was fascinated, he stared at his wife's delicate red lips. His dull chest was just like it was when the two of them first met, and his scorching heart was beating non-stop inside.
"Neil..."
Yuffie also reminded him of something that only the two of them understood - the meaning of that name.
Belkas couldn't help but hold her soft shoulders.
"Dad, Mom...are you here?"
The unexpected sound frightened both of them, and they immediately separated in panic, as if nothing had happened.
Nia stood by the door and did not enter the room. She just looked at the two people beside the bed with curious eyes.
"Ahem!"
The situation was now very embarrassing. Belkas quickly coughed twice. After he recovered from the stimulation, he said:
"Nia, Dad must have taught you to knock on the door when entering a house, right?"
"Well, yes."
Nia nodded.
When Belkas saw this, he wanted to take the opportunity to preach: "So, Nia, you..."
Unexpectedly, Nia said next: "But the door is not closed..."
"Uh?! Ah...really?"
Belkas was discouraged and couldn't help scratching his head again: "Then, then this is dad's fault."
"Pfft!"
Yuffie, who was half lying on the bed, kept covering her face to hide her laughter. Seeing Belkas's surrender, she finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. She glanced at her daughter and husband with gentle eyes... and at her abdomen.
The life she gave birth to was full of happiness and satisfaction in her eyes.
What just happened passed in laughter. Nia walked to the other side of the bed and threw herself into Yuffie's arms.
She buried her face in her mother's warm embrace, and her nose was filled with her mother's scent. Her mother used her slender and nimble fingers to help her comb her slightly messy long hair. Her mother's rounded nails ran through the hair, and from time to time she would
Gently scratch your scalp.
This feeling is very peaceful and comfortable.
"Nia, you are still the same as when you were a child."
Yuffie doted on the girl in her arms very much, and was very skillful in combing her hair. Belkas, who was sitting on the other side of the bed, looked at the mother and daughter embracing each other with doting eyes, and there was also a look on his face.
Show a smile.
"Mom, where is the baby?"
Although Nia buried herself in her mother's comfortable arms and didn't want to leave, she didn't forget that she still had many things she wanted to ask.
"Forehead……"
Belkas and Yuffie turned their heads together in tacit understanding, and their eyes met in the same tacit understanding.
The two made eye contact.
Yuffie frowned: "How should I put this?"
Belkas blinked: "I don't know either."
Yuffie stared at him: "You...explain."
Belkas looked innocent: "Why me?"
However, Yuffie had already turned away and continued combing Nia's hair.
Belkas' facial muscles stiffened for a moment. He lowered his head and saw Nia looking at him with wide eyes.
"Silly boy," he finally broke the silence, "the baby is still in your mother's belly."
"Huh? Didn't you say that mother is about to give birth?"
Nia raised her head and turned her ears to her mother's bulging belly. Sure enough, she heard the child's heartbeat again.
The child's steady and rhythmic heartbeat had appeared in her dreams several times and lingered in her ears - it lingered for a long time.
"Sorry, Nia. Mom knows you are looking forward to it, but the baby is still not born yet."
Yuffie stretched out her hand to smooth Nia's messed up hair, and she apologized for it. Nia had always wanted to have a younger brother and sister, but this time her excitement was in vain.
"The rooster had just crowed early this morning, so inviting Mr. Poros all the way here would be a nuisance to him. Of course, your father is also working very hard."
Yuffie stretched out her other hand to wipe the sweat from Belkas's forehead. Belkas's eyes were still bloodshot. It was obvious that he had not rested today.
"My parents are inexperienced. I'm really sorry, Nia."
Yuffie hugged Nia gently. She was afraid that Nia would be sad or disappointed. However, Nia said in a very brisk tone: "What! It's great if the mother and baby are fine. As long as the mother is safe, nothing else.
Everything is fine..."
When Nia said these words, she felt her mother's slender arms around her waist becoming more powerful. She fell deeply into her mother's warm embrace, and indescribable comfort and happiness filled her heart.
…
Difenni Village, back mountain.
"Jack, are you sure the hive is here?"
Blainey held his stomach and followed Jack on the path in the woods on the mountain behind the village. They walked for a while, and Blainey was already crying again and again.
"Of course! There's nothing wrong with my eyes, and I'm not a wanderlust like Pepino. I won't remember the wrong place."
Jack, who was leading the way, frowned and looked at Blainey behind him with dissatisfaction.
"But where is it?"
Blainey started wailing again, and his stomach growled.
"Well, I'm very hungry already."
"We're almost there! Don't worry!"
Seeing Blainey's hungry look, Jack rubbed his already empty stomach and couldn't help cursing the girl who caused the trouble. If it weren't for her, they wouldn't have gone all the way to the mountains.
Dig out the honeycomb.
"By the way, have you brought everything?"
Jack opened a section of branches blocking the road. It was not far from the location in Honeycomb's memory, so he confirmed with Blaney again.
"Of course I have them all."
"Don't make our trip in vain."
"Won't."
Blainey answered confidently. He patted the package on his shoulder, which contained a torch, flint, gloves and a mask. These tools, which are necessary for digging out honeycombs, were all brought out from home secretly by him, just in case someone was caught at home.
It would be terrible if people found out about him. Therefore, Blainey's constant complaining also has this connection.
"Jack, do you think there are too many footprints on this mountain?"
Following Jack, Blaney looked around at his surroundings in order to distract himself and prevent him from getting hungry.
Now is the late autumn season, and there are fallen leaves everywhere. When people step on these yellow leaves, the sound will be much louder than usual, and it will also leave traces that are difficult to remove.
During this period, it is more troublesome for hunters to hunt. After all, some cunning animals can quickly tell whether the environment here is dangerous.
And now the mountain road is also full of footprints, and there are fallen leaves and broken tree branches that have been roughly trampled on, turning the normally tidy path into a mess.
"Oh? Really? Well...it seems a bit."
Jack also noticed this somewhat unusual situation, and he couldn't help but stop.
"It's strange, there weren't that many a few days ago."
Jack squatted down and observed these scattered footprints. These footprints were very messy, as if they were the result of repeated walking in this area.
"Uncle Mukfu and the others in the village have come to the forest to hunt before. Could it be that they left it behind?"
"How is that possible, unless they lead a few bears and run around here."
Blainey squatted down and compared the footprints with his hands. Many of the footprints were not worn by people wearing shoes, and the marks of toes could also be seen, and the footprints were very deep.
They have been taught before how to judge the shape and weight of the owner of the footprints by the size, depth and shape of the footprints. These footprints are exaggerated in both size and depth. At least even if he presses them with his full open palm, they only take up half the size of a complete footprint.
Jack did not refute Blainey, he searched among the trampled leaves. When Jack's hand reached into the soft soil, he found something incredible.
"This! What is this?"
The hand he put in was covered with thick liquid. When he pulled it out from the soil, the fishy smell of the black-red liquid made him feel sick to his stomach.
"Blood...why is there blood here?"
Blainey was also stunned, and their minds were a little hard to wrap their heads around.
This is the outskirts of the forest, and this is not a place where bloodstains should appear. Because the outskirts of the forest are very close to the village, and people from the village often come here, there are no wild animals here. Because of this, the two of them dare to disagree with the villagers.
When someone says hello, he sneaks out to collect honey.
"Yes, what kind of blood is it? Rabbit or wolf?"
"It feels, it doesn't even feel like..."
Unknowingly, the two of them suddenly felt a chill on the back of their necks, and they started to tremble when they spoke.
"Say, by the way, Jack... in our village yesterday, was there someone who came to the back mountain and didn't come back?"
Blainey's face twitched, and he felt like his whole body was shaking.
"Okay, it seems, it's Bavaria's father? Uncle Mukoff and the others said today that they would go deeper to find him... But why is it almost noon now? He, how come there's no one there..."
Jack suddenly lost his voice as he spoke, and instead pulled up Blainey's sleeves.
Blaney turned his head and looked along Jack's line of sight. Then, his whole body froze. Blaney's gums squeezed against each other and made a squeaking sound, and he finally managed to reach the tip of his tongue in his mouth.
, he bit it hard until the muscles burst and blood dripped.
The pain at the tip of his tongue awakened his limbs. As soon as he regained his strength, he lifted up Jack, who was frozen on one side. He shouted in the ear of Jack, whose eyes were ashen:
"run!!!"
Jack suddenly woke up and realized what had just happened to him.
However, "they" also realize what is happening here.
"Kulevasusa (catch them!)!"
With a roar-like command, these "things" emerged from the shadows one after another.
"Run! Run!"
The two ran quickly, and they didn't know if fear gave them strength. At this moment, they were running faster than ever! However, those huge shadows still shortened the distance with them at an alarming speed.
"You must go back to the village and tell dad! Oh no! Tell the village chief directly!"
Jack gasped. He couldn't imagine that he still had extra energy to speak in this situation.