Chapter 34 Chapter Thirty-Three

"Come and buy, come and buy!" The goblins kept yelling around me. I licked my dry lips, "I really want to buy your fruit," I admitted honestly, "but I don't have any money." I dug out my empty pocket to prove it to them, remembering that my wallet was already in Riyadh It was thrown to the lucky gypsy girl on the bridge.Oh no, maybe it was in Heath's hands, but apparently he didn't give it back to me.I thought about how much it was full of change and discount cards—or how much that new wallet was worth in itself—but whatever it was, I was broke. The goblins stopped peddling, and they squeezed each other's eyes and frowned.The guy who walked like a mouse walked around me crookedly, then suddenly pointed to the head hanging on my waist and said, "This can be mortgaged to us."

The long-tailed goblin held the plate a little higher, and the sweet and attractive fruity aroma rushed to the face.My stomach growled with hunger, I swallowed, and licked my chapped lips again. I put my hand on the skull and I felt it jerk, but otherwise lifeless.I patted it for comfort, and said to the goblins, "I'm sorry, I don't sell this." "Little human girl, you don't know, our fluffy peaches are like velvet, our transparent grapes are completely seedless, these plums are just picked from the branches, and the cold juice of honeydew melons is sweet like sugar. How do you taste them? Absolutely unimaginable, and this whole plate can be given to you," said the goblin with the long tail, "to keep you full."

I stared at the large plate of fruit and shook my head resolutely. The other party let out a disappointed groaning sound, and some of the goblins watching the excitement gradually withdrew from the encirclement, and limped away with their fruits and other small goods.The drinkers continued to go back to drink, the meat eaters continued to eat meat, and a few people who burned incense and poured oil secretly watched me from the cracks in the smoke to see if I, a fool, had changed my mind. But I shook my head again.The goblin with the long tail sighed and stepped back. "Then you have another choice," the cat-faced man took a step forward carrying another plate of fruit on a gold plate, "the fruit here," he purred to me in a cat-like voice, "you can pick it for free One."

I raised my eyebrows, not knowing what the other party meant. "I just want to give you a gift, little human girl." The cat-faced man said with a smile. Although the other party seemed harmless, I didn't dare to act rashly.I clutched the shriveled coconut shell at my waist, hoping it would give me some advice as usual, and I even began to miss its usual curse.But it still hangs there motionless, like a real coconut shell. "Hurry up and pick one!" The cat-faced man moved the plate towards me again. This plate of fruit is completely different from the previous one.There are seven or eight fruits of various shapes piled on this plate, but they are not the usual apples, peaches, or pears, nor are they the wonderful cranberries, raspberry, and jackfruit. Can't name it.Some of their leaves have spiral tendrils and spikes, some have blood-red flowers, some are covered with large and small spots, and some have skin that opens and closes as if alive .Weird as they looked, the fruits smelled just as sweet and alluring as the last plate, with glistening dew glistening on their brightly colored skins.

"What... are they fruits?" I leaned over and looked at them carefully. "The fruit of the mysterious tree," purred the cat-faced man, "grows on the most fragrant grass, watered by the purest waves, where lilies bloom beside the water, and even the sap is sweet as honey. " "Since it's the fruit of the same tree, why do they grow differently?" I asked. "Because they have different effects." The cat-faced man sang, "Some can help you strengthen your body, some can make you look younger, and even more wonderful fruits can make lovers stay together for a long time..."

"Is there anything heartbreaking? For example... died of poisoning?" My heart moved. "Then it's up to the forager to find out." The cat-faced man squeezed his eyes and made a grimace. "I have to get one, don't I?" I stared at the fruit on the plate and took a deep breath. These fruits smell sweet and delicious, but their juice must be poisonous.Now I finally realize my crisis: I must choose one of this plate of strange fruits to eat in full view, otherwise the group of goblins will not let me go.Even if I do get lucky and pick a non-poisonous fruit, I'm not sure they'll live up to their promise.My head-headed friend used to say they were the toughest guys to deal with, and one reason for that was their nature of lying.

I stood in the middle of the market, and the goblins surrounded me in circles.I can't escape.I have no way to refuse.I have already fallen headlong into the other party's trap-the worst thing is that I have asked for all this, and I can't blame others. "Choose one!" the cat-faced man urged me, licking his sharp teeth with his barbed tongue. I avert my eyes and focus on the plate in front of me. The fruit closest to me looks like a fusion of strawberries and plums. There are pretty flowers on the curly leaf stalks, with cute little sesame seeds. Its peel is red and purple, as if touched. It's about to break, and from such a distance, you can already smell the fruity aroma.I can imagine the juice gushing as my teeth sink into its peel, the sweet juice filling my parched mouth and immediately flowing down my parched throat.Almost unable to resist the temptation, I reached out and grabbed it and put it in my mouth.

But just as I stretched out my hand, I suddenly caught a glimpse of an uncontrollable smile from the cat-faced man opposite. The little goblin was ecstatic, so happy that even the cat's beard curled up.I take that to mean that if I take this delicious-looking fruit, the curse on the skull will be fulfilled immediately.So my hand turned a corner halfway and picked up a piece of fruit next to it. It is the most inconspicuous guy in the fruit plate, with ugly brown-green bumps on the surface like a toad, which makes people lose their appetite at first glance.I picked it up from the plate with two fingers, and the long-tailed goblin let out a cry, and the cat-faced man squinted his eyes.

"Have you chosen yet?" he asked gruntingly, as if he was not very happy. "I've chosen." I stared at the fruit in my hand and said without confidence. "Don't want to change it? That fruit is really unpalatable." The other party's eyes were tightly narrowed into a line, making his furry face suddenly become cunning. "If you don't change it, just choose it." I shrugged, put the fruit to my nose and smell it.But its skin is very thick, it feels hard to the touch, and it seems to have no taste at all. The cat-faced man was still looking at me.All the goblins around me are looking at me, and the people in the market.The expressions on everyone's faces were tense and full of anticipation.

I took a deep breath and lifted the fruit to my lips. "Does it have any magical effect?" I still couldn't help but ask before taking the first bite. "Don't you dare to eat it?" The cat-faced man licked its teeth again. I don't know if this guy wants to eat the fruit in my hand or me.I think it's the latter, because the fruit I'm holding is utterly uninvitingly ugly.But I had to swallow it whole in full view. I had no choice but to bite the bullet and take a bite carefully. The cat-faced goblin was still staring at me intently. The good news is that it tastes a lot better than I expected.Although its skin is bumpy, it is sweet and crisp, with plenty of juice, and the flesh inside is soft and glutinous, like a ball of frozen cream that has solidified and melts in the mouth.As for its taste, I have never eaten such a strange fruit. It seems to gather all the flavors I can imagine. At the beginning, it was cherry and melon, green plum and grape. After a few bites, the taste Instead, it seemed to be a cross between mango, avocado and banana.

I took a second bite without thinking.I felt like I was lying in a gorgeous and exquisite pergola, with clusters of crystal clear grape vines hanging down above my head.The transparent and clear sky is at your fingertips. Under the moonlight, you can hear the plucking of the strings and the tinkling of the spring water not far away. I was immersed in this familiar yet unfamiliar night, not knowing where I belonged.I heard the murmur of people, the light footsteps, and the wind brought by the flapping wings of insects.I saw a forest under the moon, and behind the bushes, goblins wearing flower crowns were dancing happily in a circle.The piper gently sent a burst of music from far to near to my ears, which seemed to be some kind of joyful tune, but when I listened carefully, endless sadness came out.But the strange thing is that I can't tell the difference between these two completely different feelings at the moment. I want to laugh and cry again.I silently watched the goblins dancing in the middle of the woodland, whistling and winking at me, one of them seemed to have the face of a furry cat, and another walked like a little mouse.Then the cat-faced people reached out to me and invited me to join them in their dance moves. It was like putting on the never-ending red shoes, and I danced all night with the goblins.I jumped until I couldn't feel my feet at all, and even my fingertips seemed to be numb.The sky was white, the grass was covered with icy dew, and the goblins were about to leave. I opened my mouth, but couldn't make a sound.I can only hear the high-pitched and distant flute sound in my ears, which is still the familiar tune, from weak to strong, rushing into my ears involuntarily, buzzing and trembling in my head, like a long series of horns urging me to set off.I staggered, staggered as if I was drunk, and rushed over. I wanted to chase the goblins. At this moment, I suddenly heard someone calling my name loudly.