Chapter 3 Chapter two

Mr. Bai and his wife are from Edinburgh.Mr. Bai is a Presbyterian pastor and a dedicated scholar, specializing in the customs and customs between the Russian border and the Indian border.Mrs. Bai often said with a smile that when she married Mr. Bai, she thought that she only needed to arrange flowers for the church, and occasionally sent soup to visit sick parishioners. Unexpectedly, she spent almost all her life wandering in the Himalayas after marriage.For the past ten months they had been living in the Rumpur Valley, studying the cosmology of the Kalash, the only unconverted gentry in the Hindu Kush, a pagan island in a sea of ​​Islam.

Since the stone house where Mr. Bai and his wife lived was not much larger than a mailbox, the tea party had to be held outdoors.There was a little Portuguese cook in the Bai family, nicknamed the Marshal, who magically conjured up freshly baked cakes when Leo arrived.Mr. Bai told him that the eggs used in it were smuggled in from a neighboring Islamic village two days ago, because the Kalash people's religion forbids eating chicken and eggs. Leo forced a smile, admiring the Marshal's resourcefulness.Madam Bai returned with a nervous smile.Leo realized that she was waiting for Bernie to join her, and then she would have to ask embarrassing questions.

When Bernie finally appeared, the conversation stopped abruptly.She holds a fishing rod in her right hand and a bucket in her left.When she was fifteen she used to go fishing and sit all day alone with a basket of sandwiches and a water jug.At the age of eleven at the time, he was used to looking at her from the opposite bank, hoping to talk to the silent and serious girl in the manor next door, but he didn't know what to say. For me, you no longer exist. To her he had never existed, except in those wonderful, brief weeks before their marriage, in the distant spring of 1893. He watched her pass between some women.A woman in a brightly embroidered black robe is diverting water to irrigate the wheat fields; a woman in a brightly embroidered black robe shakes branches and shakes ripe mulberries onto the blanket; a woman in a brightly embroidered black robe is cutting hay to prepare winter fodder.

Mrs. Bai said a few words, roughly explaining that the males of Kalash go to the high mountains to graze in summer.Leo nodded, barely hearing what she was saying.Bernie handed the bucket and fishing rod to the marshal, who was cutting carrots on the porch, and she said softly sorry he only caught one.Then he finally walked towards the banquet. He stands up.When he moved a little, the joints all over his body were in pain, which was the result of the long journey.He had had a fever when he left Chitra in the morning, but that had mostly subsided by now, the chills had almost completely gone, and only the headache remained.If I had known earlier, I should have taken a few more painkillers in Ayun Town.

Mrs. Mo, he murmured greeting and pulled out a chair for her. The corner of her mouth tugged.She glanced at him, and then at Mr. Bai and his wife, as if she wanted to judge how many irreversible facts he had said. Oh, that's great, everyone is here, Madam Bai's tone is a little too cheerful. She poured out tea for Bernie, took the cup but put it down immediately.Mr. Bai, do you still have your special whiskey? Mr. Bai cleared his throat.Uh, yes. Can I trouble you to pour some for everyone? It seemed that no matter what decision she was going to make, she would need the help of spirits.

no problem.Mr. Bai seemed a little puzzled.I was going to have it out for dinner, but figured it would be just as good drinking now. He gestured to the Marshal.The Marshal went inside and hurried back with a tray containing a bottle of whiskey and four shot glasses. Mr. Bai poured wine for everyone.What do you want to respect? A toast to the fond memories, Bernie.Mr. Mo and I will be leaving soon, just waiting for my luggage to be packed.I wish to take this opportunity to thank both for their noble and honorable friendships. So fast?Madam Bai said in surprise.Why? Bernie gave Leo a hard look.Mr. Mo should be better at explaining than me.

Sitting across from her, she was sitting upright, as tense as a freshly wound watch.He still remembered a time when her inner tension had been a supreme erotic allure to him, when he believed that a single session of passion would make her soft, relaxed, and happy. Life is so mysterious that people can always learn humility after suffering. Bernie felt in her bones that everyone at the table was looking forward, including her.She had no idea what he would say.But he was not in a hurry to satisfy the audience's curiosity, and he ate the cake on the plate slowly. He reached out to pick up the wine glass but didn't drink it, he just turned it slightly in his hand.Only then did she notice how miserable his hands were.When they were husband and wife, his hands were very delicate and gentle.Today those hands have become rough and chapped, with many small cuts and bruises on the knuckles.

But when he smiled at the audience, she immediately tossed his hand from her mind, because that smile was so sweet and unfeeling.While smiling, his eyes burst into irresistible brilliance. This is Leo who swept London like a whirlwind back then. It's a long story, and he took a sip of Mr Bai's whiskey, so I'll cut it short. Mrs. Mo and I have been neighbors since childhood, and our two estates in Keziwo are next to each other.But Kidzwo, beautiful as he is, has little importance in this story.For we fell in love not in the green and clean country, but in the dark soot of London.Of course, we fall in love at first sight, and the hunger of the soul cannot be ignored.

Bernie's heart skipped a beat.This was not their story, but hers, the resolute old lady who fell under the grace and charm of the young handsome man. He glances at her.You are the bright moon in my life, your joys and sorrows affect my heart. The tides in her heart surged with his words, even though they were nothing but lies. I don't think I have such strong feelings, she said gravely. Yes, of course not, Ruzhirou, Ruzhihe.And the more I build a thick embankment in my heart, the more turbulent the emotional waves will be.Because my love for you is not tender at all, dear Mrs. Mo.

Madam Bai, who was sitting next to her, blushed with embarrassment and her eyes sparkled.Benny was very angry at Leo's outspoken words, and she was even more angry with the joy dripping with pain in her heart. Our wedding ceremony was the happiest moment of my life because from now on we will belong to each other.The church was decorated with hyacinths and camellias everywhere, and there were so many guests that even the steps were crowded.Everyone wants to see who is lucky enough to capture your lofty heart. It's a pity that I didn't really capture your lofty heart, right?I only have it briefly.Soon there was a storm in Paradise.One day, you said to me: My hair has turned white.This is a sign, telling me that I should go wandering far away.Come find me, and if you find me, I will be yours again.

Her heart shook again.How does he know?She did see the graying of her hair as a sign that she had to go.No, he didn't know.He just made it up.However, even Mr. Bai is so fascinated by this ridiculous story.She had forgotten what an intoxicating power Leo possessed when he wanted to captivate his audience. From then on I started searching.Wandering from the North and South Poles to the equator, from the coast of China to the Canadian harbour.I took our wedding photos, regardless of red, white, brown or black, and asked everyone I met: I am looking for a female doctor, she is the love of my life.have you met her He stared into her eyes, she couldn't look away, she was immersed in his magic power, just like the innocent Mr. Bai and his wife. Now I finally found you.He raises his glass.Congratulations on the new beginning of our future life. Leo didn't come alone, he explained to Mrs. Bai that he had hired the necessary manpower in Chitra to ensure Mrs. Mo's journey was comfortable.After the afternoon tea, the coolies he brought would start dismantling Bernie's tent. The rough waterproof tent is very ventilated and cool in summer, and it stands more resolutely in the thirty centimeters of snow in winter. With the help of a thick coat and two kerosene heaters, it protects her from blood clots when she is sleeping . When the tent was taken down, Bernie felt a deep sorrow.Or it could be fear: she's afraid to hit the road with him. Once the tent is down, Sadness's interior is revealed: a camp bed, two boat trunks, and a folding table and chairs.On the desk was a stack of outdated medical journals and her practice bag.On one trunk were a few toiletries, on the other her straw hat, shawl, and two pairs of gloves. He picked up her straw hat casually, turned it with one rough hand, and gently stroked the brim of the hat with the knuckles of the other hand.She swallowed.That action was extremely intimate, almost like stroking her hair and skin. He put down his hat, went to the horse, and came back with another hat.I took it upon myself to buy this for you.You can get sunburned if you are not careful at low altitudes. The hat he offered was actually a helmet, with a long brim at the back that could be rolled up or down to protect the nape of the neck, and a mesh veil on the front to protect the eyes from the sun. His self-assertion annoyed her: before he set foot in Rumple Valley, he had planned how he would force her into submission. She returns the hat to him.I cannot accept clothes from gentlemen. It's a good excuse.He is neither her relative nor her husband, so of course he is not qualified to buy this kind of thing as a gift for her. He looked down at the returned hat.If I remember correctly, this rule should not apply to gentlemen who slept with you. He raised his eyelashes when he talked about sleeping.Brazen guy, she should have slapped him, but a hot current rushed through her body, preventing her from doing so. You are no gentleman at all, sir, she said.Thank you for your kind words, but I don't want to wear that ridiculous hat. He stared at her for a moment, his gray eyes were like misty morning mist, and she couldn't tell whether his expression was disgust, amused, or some kind of emotion that was too dark and deep to name. Whatever you want, he said.Please start unpacking. All her possessions were partly worn on herself, and the rest was carried by a coolie and a mule.Less than an hour after the afternoon tea, they had already shaken hands with Mr. and Mrs. Bai to say goodbye, and promised to communicate frequently. After embracing Mrs. Bai for the last time, she stepped onto the horse Leo had prepared for her.He handed her the reins. Hope you're happy now, she lowered her voice so he could hear it alone. He raised one corner of his mouth, showing a smile that was both intimate and distant.Oh, I'm so happy.