What a blunder ...
Accidentally made a huge slip of the tongue, Lorraine bashful, like a little daughter-in-law seem to follow Haina back to the ship, do not see half of the style of the captain.
Little Pierce looked at the clouds, busy dropping his deck-washing job and running over to gossip, "Captain, you're ..."
"Did you do your 500 fencing strokes today?"
"Eh ... did it!"
"Have you finished tying the knot a hundred times?"
"The fight is over!"
"What about swimming two kilometers?"
"Swimming's over!"
"Charts?"
"The homework is on your desk, it was done last night!"
Lorraine cocked her head and glanced obliquely at the mop lying on the deck, "So that means it's still dark, and all you have left to do is scrub the deck and make dinner?"
"Yes, sir!" Little Pierce's ambition was high.
Lorraine patted him on the shoulder encouragingly, "Very well, increase tomorrow's training by 20%, and remember to inform Keren to supervise."
"It's ... eh!"
The ship has a small, if any, package.
Lorraine smoothed over Pierce Jr. and finally decided to face her dismal life head on.
He found Hina in the evening and solemnly agreed to Hina's proposal.
They agreed that if things hadn't gotten any better after three days, they'd initiate a kidnapping program for Viscount Alfonso's heir.
There are only sixteen words in the script, Haina kidnaps, Lorraine rescues, three cuts and six holes in exchange for friendship.
Early the next morning, a revitalized Lorraine and Haina once more entered the harbor and busied themselves with their futile and well-intentioned salesmanship.
And then, dusk ...
It's still the same square, still the same tired and lost pair of shadows.
Jeep ... Roma people in front of the caravan dancing enthusiastic flamenco, guitar, rattles, songs, and one after another into the clouds "Haleo" to come over, seems to really have the magic, can breathe life into the soul.
Lorraine and Hina were drawn over to the caravan and watched in silence for a long time.
It wasn't until the sun set and Lorraine snapped her fingers and dropped a gold pound towards the spread out guitar case that the smiles returned to both of their faces.
Lorraine flexed her elbow towards Haina, "Beautiful lady, may I invite you to dinner on my ship?"
Hina puffed out her cheeks and took Lorraine's arm, whispering, "Beef for dinner, Spanish beef stew!"
...
The lights are on.
Lorraine walks down the market alley to the docks with Haina on her arm, catching a small black cat with white ears on the way that seems to have been following him for a long time.
Probably ... is following from the square.
He waved suspiciously at the scrawny kitten.
The little guy came real close, taking his furry little head and affectionately arching Lorraine's palm.
Lorraine laughed at its naive appearance.
"Really, aren't you afraid I'll abduct you?"
"Meow."
"Want what?"
"Meow."
"Hungry?"
Lorraine hurriedly sniffed her body.
He is not a fisherman, but because he lives on a boat all the time, he feeds on sea fish most of the time.
If he had to say that he didn't smell like fish at all, he wouldn't believe it himself.
But it's amazing how such a faint, barely detectable odor can abduct a cute kitten ...
Or just a black cat for luck!
Is it time to turn the corner?
Superstitious little Mr. Drake absentmindedly scratched the soft white ears of the little black cat, and suddenly got up and bought a great piece of salmon from the next door's catch-and-release store, tearing it off bit by bit, lest the sweet little fellow should choke.
The little guy ate fast and soon had a huge piece of fish cleaned up.
"Meow."
It licked and rubbed Lorraine's empty palm, growing more intimate with Lorraine.
Lorraine cried and laughed as she poked its head, "Haven't you had enough yet?"
"Meow."
"But I just looked and there are only a few pieces of smoked fish left in the catch store. You can't eat smoked fish, the little one will get sick from the big grains of salt."
"Meow."
"First ... sir, can you release the white ears?"
A timid voice suddenly emerged from the corner of the alley, and Lorraine saw a dirty teenage girl, clutching her sleeve and fumbling there.
She looked to be about thirteen or fourteen, petite, with dark hair and dark eyes.
She had large, long, bright eyes in an almost googly-egg-like face, and below the high bridge of her nose was a slightly wider mouth.
It's the standard Roma look, somewhat Indian and very white.
It was just that most of the Roma were warm and cheerful, and the sudden appearance of such a trembling little girl, with her hasty look and pale face, made Lorraine hesitate to be sure of her judgment again for a moment.
But that seems irrelevant.
Lorraine rubbed the kitten's head and asked the young girl, "Is it your cat?"
"Yes ... please, can you let go of it?"
"I didn't catch it, it was just hungry." Lorraine smiled and stood up.
Seeing that it could no longer ask for food, the kitten meowed pitifully, twisted its head, and scurried like an arrow back into the arms of the young girl.
A smile spread across the young girl's face as she said, "Thank you, sir!"
She bowed to Lorraine, and when she had finished her curtsy she fell backwards into the shadows, and in a moment disappeared at the end of the alleyway, to be found everywhere.
Lorraine eyed the direction in which the young girl disappeared and frowned slightly, "Haina, don't you feel ... that there's something strange about both of them?"
"Huh?" Hina jumped in surprise, "What's weird?"
"I can't believe you got sidetracked ..." Lorraine let out a lost laugh, "Like that cat that much?"
Hina bit her lip lightly.
"It's not really all about the cat, I just ... remembered something."
"Past events?"
"The brother thing."
Hina's voice was a little deep, floating gently on the night breeze, so that if she didn't listen carefully, she wouldn't be able to hear it at all.
But her expression was smiling.
"You know, my brother and I fled to Cherbourg after our father's death, when he was wounded."
"I worked in old Hansa's tavern for a long time to treat his wounds. I helped Old Hansa clean up the tavern during the day, killed people at noon, and worked as a waiter at night, leaving little time for my brother except to change his medicine. It was during that time that he picked up a black cat, all black, much like White Ears."
"He was especially fond of it, and named it Romley, and held it every day, and tore off the meat I bought and fed it little by little, as you just did, as if he were afraid it would choke."
Hina smiled more and more gently as she said that while joining Lorraine in the direction of the pier.
"Then I got sick. Worked like crazy for months, often couldn't sleep for days when I had to kill someone, got a fever if I wasn't careful, and nearly died before my brother did."
"What saved me was a bowl of broth ..."
"That day he was splattered with cat blood all over his body, with a smile on his face, while his tears dripped into the broth. I couldn't forget that scene, so I remembered the flavor of that bowl of broth until he died. It was especially sour, so sour that you couldn't swallow it."
With that said, Lorraine knew that Hina was done with her storytelling.
Her voice stayed calm, so calm that it was pitiful.
Lorraine turned and hugged her, and without struggling, Hina leaned back in Lorraine's arms, listening to the sea breeze and looking at the moon.
Lorraine asked, "Want to cry?"
"Don't want to." Hina answered dryly, "You know what? You two are actually extraordinarily alike, stubborn, smart, and brave, even at the same age."
"But I'm not him."
"I know. I just can't help but think every once in a while how nice it would be if you were him ...."