Chapter 3 Melissa

After confirming the plan, Zhou Mingrui suddenly had the backbone, and panic, wandering and insecurity were all curled up in the corner.

Until this time, he was in the mood to carefully examine Klein's remaining memory fragments.

Zhou Mingrui stood up habitually, closed the pipe valve, watched the wall light slowly dim until it went out, and sat down again, while unconsciously rubbing the brass wheel of the pistol, while holding down the side of his head, he was drenched in crimson. Quietly "reminiscing" in the dark, like the most attentive audience in the cinema.

Perhaps affected by the bullet passing through, Klein's memory was like broken glass. Not only did it lose its coherence, but there was also a clear lack of content in many places, such as where did the exquisitely crafted revolver come from, whether it was suicide or homicide, on the notebook. What does the phrase "everyone will die, including me" mean, and did you participate in strange things two days before the incident?

Not only did these specific memories become fragmented and incomplete, but even the knowledge he had mastered was the same. Judging from the current state, Zhou Mingrui believed that if Klein returned to the university, he might not be able to graduate, even if he actually left the campus. For a few days, and without the slightest relaxation of myself.

"In two days, I'm going to interview for the history department of Tingen University..."

"The universities in the Ruen Kingdom have a tradition that graduates do not stay in the school directly... The tutor gave a recommendation letter from Tingen University and Backlund University..."

...

While Zhou Mingrui silently "watching", the red moon outside the window slanted westward and gradually sank, until there was a faint light in the east, and the horizon was dyed golden.

At this time, there was movement in the room inside, and soon, footsteps approached the isolation door.

"Melissa is awake... She is really punctual as always." Zhou Mingrui smiled slightly. Affected by Klein's memory, he felt like he was looking at his own sister for Melissa.

However, I don't have a biological sister... He immediately complained.

Melissa is different from Benson and Klein. Enlightenment education is not completed in the Sunday school of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. When she reached the age of school, the Kingdom of Loen promulgated the "Elementary Education Law" and established a middle and lower education committee. , and specially provided funds to increase investment.

But in three years, under the premise of incorporating many church schools, many public elementary schools were established, strictly maintaining the principle of religious neutrality, and not involving the disputes between the Lord of the Storm, the Goddess of the Evernight, and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.

Compared with Sunday school, which only uses one copper penny a week, the tuition fee of three pence a week in a public primary school is quite expensive, but the former only studies one day a week on Sunday, while the latter has a full six days a week. Look, it's cheap to almost free.

Unlike most girls, Melissa likes gears, clockwork, bearings and other things since she was a child, and she aspires to be a steam mechanic.

He has suffered cultural losses and understands the importance of education. The elder brother, Benson, is like supporting Klein to go to university. He supports his sister's dream. After all, Tingen Technical School can only be regarded as secondary education, and there is no need for grammar school or public school. do accumulation.

In July last year, fifteen-year-old Melissa passed the entrance exam and got her wish to become a member of the steam and mechanics department of Tingen Technical School, and the weekly tuition fee was also increased to ninepence.

At the same time, the import and export company Benson worked for was affected by the situation in the Southern Continent. Both profit and business volume had shrunk significantly, and had to lay off more than one-third of its employees. In order to keep his job and maintain his life, Benson only Can accept heavier tasks, must often work overtime, or travel to places with harsh environments, just like these days.

It's not that Klein never thought about helping his brother, but he was born a commoner and was admitted to a common grammar school. As soon as he entered university, he felt a strong sense of his own inadequacies. For example, ancient Feysak, which is the source language of all countries in the Northern Continent, For the children of the aristocracy, for the children of the rich class, that is what they have to learn from childhood, and he went to university,

first contact.

There are many similar aspects. Klein used almost all his strength, often staying up late and getting up early, only to barely catch up with others and graduate with an average grade.

The memory of his brother and sister jumped in Zhou Mingrui's mind, until he turned the handle, and the door of the room inside creaked open, and he suddenly woke up, remembering that he was holding a revolver in his palm.

This is a semi-regulated item!

It will frighten children!

And, and the wound on my head!

Seeing that Melissa was about to come out, Zhou Mingrui hurriedly opened the desk drawer while holding down his temple, threw the revolver in, and smashed it with a bang.

"What happened?" Melissa looked over suspiciously when she heard the movement.

She is at the most youthful stage. Even if she can't eat anything good, her face is thin and slightly pale, and her skin is still full of luster, exuding a girlish atmosphere.

Seeing his younger sister's brown eyes, Zhou Mingrui tried to calm down, picked up the things close to his hand, and closed the drawer calmly to cover up the existence of the revolver, and the touch of his other hand on the temple made him sure of the wound Has healed!

He took out a silver-white pocket watch with a pattern of vine branches and leaves from the drawer. When the top was pressed lightly, the cover of the watch popped open.

It is the father of the three siblings, the most valuable item left by the Royal Army sergeant, but second-hand goods are second-hand goods after all. In recent years, problems have arisen from time to time, even if they have been repaired by a clock craftsman, it is the same. Benson, who used it to elevate his identity, made a lot of embarrassment and simply left it at home.

I have to say that Melissa may really have a talent for mechanics. After mastering the theoretical knowledge, she began to use the tools of the technical school to fiddle with this pocket watch, and recently claimed to have repaired it!

Zhou Mingrui watched the watch cover pop open, saw that the second hand was still, and turned the top subconsciously, intending to wind the pocket watch.

However, after twisting it a few times, there was still no sound of the clockwork tightening, and the second hand remained motionless.

"It seems to be broken again." He looked at his sister without words.

Melissa glanced at him expressionlessly, walked over quickly, and took the pocket watch away.

She stood on the spot, first pulled up the button on the top of the pocket watch, and after only turning it a few times, there was a sound of the second hand moving.

Normally, pulling up should not be to adjust the time... Zhou Mingrui's expression suddenly became dull.

At this moment, the bell of the cathedral in the distance rang, six times in a row, distant and ethereal.

After Melissa listened to it, she raised the button on the top of the pocket watch a bit, and then twisted it continuously to set the time.

"Okay." She said briefly and without any emotion, then pressed back to the top and returned the pocket watch to Zhou Mingrui.

Zhou Mingrui smiled awkwardly and politely.

Melissa took another deep look at her brother, turned around and walked to the cupboard, grabbed the toothbrush, towels, etc., and pulled out the door to the public bathroom.

"Why did her expression just now smell of disgust and helplessness?"

"Caring for the eyes of the mentally handicapped brother?"

Zhou Mingrui shook his head with a low laugh, closed the watch cover with a clatter, and opened it with a clatter.

Repeating this action, he thought of a problem divergently.

Without the silencer, Klein committed suicide, um, it's considered suicide for the time being. He committed suicide by no means small, and Melissa, who was separated by a wall, didn't even notice it.

Is she sleeping too fast? Or is Klein's suicide itself full of weirdness?

Slap, open, slap, close... Melissa came back from washing up, and what she saw was the unconscious movement of her brother opening and closing the cover of the pocket watch.

Her eyes were filled with helplessness again, and her voice sweetly said:

"Klein, take out all the rest of the bread, remember to buy new ones today, as well as meat and peas. You are about to attend the interview. I'll make you stewed lamb with peas."

While speaking, she moved the stove out of the corner, used the remaining charcoal to make a fire, and boiled a pot of hot water.

Before the water was about to boil, she opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet, took out a can of inferior tea like a baby, and sprinkled a dozen pieces into the pot, pretending that it was real tea.

One person poured two cups, Melissa and Zhou Mingrui shared two rye bread with tea.

There is no mixed sawdust, and there is not too much gluten, but it still does not taste good... Zhou Mingrui is now weak and hungry, relying on tea, and forcibly swallowing the bread while belly slander.

After a few minutes, Melissa finished eating, she gathered her black hair that fell to her vest, looked at Zhou Mingrui and said:

"Remember to buy new bread, as long as eight pounds, the weather is hot, too much is easy to spoil, and lamb and peas, UU reading www.uukanshu.com remember!"

Really caring for the nerd brother, I have to emphasize it again... Zhou Mingrui smiled and nodded:

"OK."

Regarding a pound of Loen Kingdom, Zhou Mingrui, based on Klein's memorabilia and his own comparison, believes that it is close to the pound he is used to, which is 0.5 kilograms.

Melissa didn't say more, got up and packed up, packed the last loaf of bread for lunch, put on the shabby gauze hat left by her mother, picked up the bag she sewed for books and stationery, and was ready to go out.

Today is not Sunday, she has to go to class all day.

It takes about 50 minutes to walk from this apartment to the Tingen Technical School. There are public carriages, one penny per kilometer, the maximum limit of 4 pence in the city, and 6 pence in the suburbs. In order to save money, Melissa went out early and walked over by herself. .

As soon as the door was opened, she stopped again, turned her body halfway and said:

"Klein, don't buy too much lamb and peas. Benson may not be back until Sunday, um, remember that the bread is only eight pounds."

"Okay, okay." Zhou Mingrui replied helplessly.

At the same time, he recited the word "Sunday" a few times in his mind.

In the Northern Continent, a year is also divided into twelve months, ranging from three hundred and sixty-five days to three hundred and sixty-six days, and there are also seven days in a week.

The former is the result of astronomy, which makes Zhou Mingrui suspect that this is a parallel world, and the latter is derived from religion, because there are seven orthodox gods in the Northern Continent: Eternal Sun, Lord of Storms, God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Goddess of Evernight, Earth Goddess of Mother, God of War, God of Steam and Machinery.

Watching his sister close the door and leave, Zhou Mingrui sighed suddenly, and quickly shifted his mind to the transfer ceremony.

Sorry, I really want to go home...

PS: Ask for recommended tickets on Monday~