Chapter 7 Chapter Six

Here is a story told by two brothers in Norway: "This story has been passed down from our ancestors, and many old people in the Bergen fish market know something about it. Bergen was much more important then than it is now, although small, It is one of the four major commercial stations of the Hanseatic League, and its geographical location is very important. Our protagonist, like his companions, came to Bergen with his employer when he was about thirteen or fourteen years old, hoping to be able to Seeking a decent career in the chamber of commerce. So he worked hard from morning till night, working hard without complaint.

"For the sake of narrative, let us call him Hans. "At that time, the goods exported from Bergen, in addition to leather and wood, were mainly dried cod. Luckily for Hans, his employer was the largest dried cod processor in Bergen, located in Floyan Mountain. A huge factory. At that time, two-thirds of the dried cod exported from Bergen were processed by their factory. "Drying cod is a traditional industry in Bergen, and the production method is rigid and rigorous. First, the head and internal organs are removed, and then the skin and bones are carefully removed, fully washed, blood and dirt are removed, and then dehydrated. Process. Workers sprinkle 5% to 10% salt according to the weight of each fish, marinate for a certain number of days, and then dry it by machine. Sometimes the process of salting and drying needs to be repeated several times to achieve the final Standards. Hans’ employer has strict regulations on all of these, and every process needs to be completed without any mistakes, and the requirements for temperature and humidity are meticulous.

"One winter, the weather was very cold. Under the gloomy sky, the wind was mixed with rain and snow, and people couldn't open their eyes. Hans had chilblains on his hands and feet, and his ten fingers were swollen like carrots. Itching. But the indoors are worse than the outdoors. Because the house of the Chamber of Commerce is a wooden structure, the headquarters stipulates that no fire should be lit in the room. The room is as cold as an ice cellar, and the surface of the bucket hanging on the beam is frozen. "That night, Hans curled up as usual, half-sitting and sleeping in the wooden cabinet that served as the apprentice's bed. His teeth chattered and shivered from the cold throughout the night, and finally he felt a little sleepy. Suddenly pulled away. The master apprentice came to wake Hans up with a lamp in his hand. He was also a young man, a few years older than Hans, and had been working here a little longer. He usually slept outside In his room, the apprentices would only be woken up in the morning by opening the cupboard door. Hans rubbed his eyes to make sure that midnight had not passed, and looked at him wonderingly.

"The head apprentice told Hans that the manager had left the ledger in the warehouse and asked him to get it. Hans knew that the person who was assigned the task must be the other party, not himself, who was of low status. But it was precisely because of his low status that he did not There was no room for evasion. Without saying a word, Hans immediately put on his boots and ran out. "As early as the Viking Age, the people of Bergen have learned to use the natural environment to keep food fresh at low temperature, so in winter, the business of the factory is even more prosperous. All unprocessed cod is placed here, waiting for the next tedious work high-quality dried cod produced in short supply and exported to all over Europe. The workers employed in the warehouse are local fishermen from Bergen. Compared with the thin Hans, they are huge and have rough skin, and they have already adapted to the harsh environment here. climate.

"Hans rubbed his frozen unconscious hands and searched in the cold warehouse. Fortunately, it didn't take long before he found the ledger left behind by the manager. Not only that, near the ledger, he also found There are countless exquisitely carved wooden boxes, which contain small pieces of dried cod. Hans recognized that this is the most expensive product they produced, such a small box less than the size of a palm can sell ten whole sheets of dried cod The price. Even the boxes themselves were expensive. Hans had heard from the manager that they were custom-made from a craftsman in Italy, using local olive wood with a unique grain.

"As an apprentice to a dried cod processor, whether it is raw, cooked or marinated in various ways, Hans has eaten countless cod. During the fishing season, he basically has it for dinner every day, because his employer Often the unsalable or not fresh goods are left to the apprentices for private settlement. But Hans has never tried high-end goods packed in small wooden boxes like this. This kind of cod is too expensive, let alone edible, like his This kind of low-status apprentice has only been seen once or twice over the years. "The colder you get, the more hungry you get. Hans' stomach growled uncontrollably, and there was no one in the warehouse. There were countless small boxes in front of him, piled up from the workbench almost to the ceiling. It doesn't matter if you only eat a small piece." ?Just a small piece... Before the thought entered his frozen brain, his teeth had already begun to chew. The fish fillet melted in his mouth, and Hans was amazed. He suddenly realized that he had never tried it since he was born. After experiencing such a heavenly delicacy, it was as if the sense of taste suddenly turned into music, flowing like a fountain on the tip of his tongue. He ate the second and third slices without thinking... When he came back to his senses, the The little wooden box was empty.

"Hans didn't feel hungry anymore, his body wasn't cold anymore, and even the stubborn chilblains on his fingers didn't hurt much anymore. A strange fragrance rushed into Hans' head, just like the fragrance lingering on the tip of his tongue, It’s just that it’s many times stronger. Driven by this mysterious aroma, Hans put down the box and continued to walk into the warehouse in a mysterious way. After walking a few steps, he bumped into a cod hanging from the beam. This cod It was several times bigger than what he usually saw, more than one meter long, and exuded a strong fragrance from top to bottom.

"These cods are still fresh. The surface of the fish is slippery. It seems that they have just been hung for a long time. They just went through the first process of removing the head and scraping the scales. Hans was dizzy from the strange aroma, He looked up at those huge fish bodies, and suddenly there was only one thought in his mind, he wanted to find these cut off fish heads. Because of such exquisite delicacy, it would be a pity to throw them away. "Hans thought like this, and continued to walk into the depths of the warehouse. A full moon was high above his head, and the dazzling cold light shone in from the long windows on both sides. The washed ground was as bright as a mirror, reflecting the whole warehouse as bright as day. The strong aroma just now seemed to be a cover, because under the aroma, the smell of fish and blood filled the room, and Hans staggered and groped in the warehouse, looking for possible garbage dumps, A workbench, or anywhere else you might have a cut cod head.

"Hans finally found the garbage dump, but the strong stench made him almost unable to open his eyes. There is no cod head here. Or, not only the head, but also the body. It is not a fish body, but a human body. At least they looked human. Heads, shoulders, arms, and waists. All the corpses were naked, they had been brutally chopped up in the middle, and they were gathered in a small hillock in the white There was a terrible stench in the moonlight. "Hans' first thought was to report to the chief apprentice. He said that there was a murderer in the warehouse. It would be better to call the police and the mayor. With so many corpses, it must be a terrible case. But soon, Mixed with the rancid smell, a familiar aroma rushed into Hans' nose again, bringing a burst of magnificent music like heaven and hell, high pitched and classical. He forced himself to open his eyes wide and stared at the pile of corpses in front of him. Here All the corpses had no legs. All the corpses were cut down at the middle. All the corpses carried the aroma that still lingered on the tip of their tongues.

"It was only then that Hans realized that the 'high-end goods' packed in a wooden box were not cod. His employer was selling mermaid meat on the black market. Hans' eyes turned black, and he almost fell because of his unsteady standing. He hurriedly supported the workbench next to him, and a strange touch climbed up his arm. The fish scales just scraped off the workbench stuck to his hands. Those scales as big as shells showed strange colorful colors under the moonlight, isn’t that Scales of cod. "Hans felt sick for a while, and the restless aroma on the tip of his tongue began to tease his nerves again. He leaned on the workbench and vomited violently, but nothing came out. His stomach was overwhelmed, and all the fish he had just eaten It seemed to come alive, biting his stomach, his esophagus, his tongue, his mouth. His eyes went black, and he felt like he was going to die. He started running. Out of the dumpster, out of the Warehouse, ran out of Brigham Market.

"No one has seen Hans since. Some say that he froze to death that winter night, which was a rare winter in Bergen in a hundred years; others say that he went mad after being stimulated, fell into the sea and drowned; But some people say that he ate mermaid meat, which can make people live forever, and became a fairy." Brother Avatar shrugged his shoulders at this point, "My story is over." He said. "Can mermaid meat really make people live forever?" Emily asked.Her face was serious, her big eyes blinked, and she seemed fascinated. "It's just a legend." Brother Avatar yawned, "It seems that there have been different opinions about the existence of mermaids. But if there are really mermaids in this world, I would rather believe that it is a panacea for immortality." "It's really a wonderful legend." Heath concluded in the dark, the candlelight reflected his face from below, looking very strange, "It's getting late, let's get here today and continue tomorrow night? " Everyone said yes.I looked at the long shadow behind him, is it my illusion?There seemed to be a moment when the shadow's movements did not match Heath's.Moreover, the ten people here should have ten shadows. Why do I feel that there are more shadows than the people here?Am I dazzled?I was about to start counting again when someone suddenly blew out the candle.Immediately afterwards, everyone present stood up and left the restaurant one after another.