Chapter 16 Chapter Eleven

The spring rain in Shanghai is still continuous, pattering against the window eaves, like the tide on the river bank in the morning. Lin Hai opened his eyes in a trance, only feeling a pain all over his body, he struggled to straighten up, and found himself lying on a small bed, wrapped in a thin quilt, with very little clothing on his body. The morning light shone in through the rain-washed window panes, revealing his body like a shelled clam.His heartbeat quickened suddenly, he jumped up from the bed like a spring, recalling everything that happened last night—— He remembered that Margaret curled up on the bed last night, and he himself spent the night in a chair. How could he wake up like this in the morning?

Where is Margaret? He quickly got dressed, rushed out the door and yelled, "Margueritte!" The light in the corridor on the second floor was full of ambiguous atmosphere, which made Lin Hai feel dizzy for a while.Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Margaret came out in a pajamas. Lin Hai didn't care about anything anymore, and immediately hugged Margaret, and whispered in her ear, "Where have you been?" "I'm just going to wash my face." "What happened last night? How did I stay in bed?" Margaret lowered her head, with a slight blush on her cheeks, she said quietly, "What did you say happened?"

These words stimulated Lin Hai's heart, and he was shocked and frightened for a moment. He knew the legends about Margaret, could it be—— No, that won't work. She was born four hundred years ago. How could such a thing happen to modern people? "What's wrong with you, don't you like me?" Marguerite looked him straight in the eyes and it made him spin.Lin Hai stumbled back into the room, the rain outside the window kept hitting the glass, making a thin sound, he said to himself silently: Just pretend that nothing happened. Suddenly, a gentle hand put on his shoulder, but he threw it away roughly, and he said loudly, "I am not your Lamor."

But Lin Hai immediately grabbed her again and said softly, "I'm sorry. I was too impulsive." Margaret lowered her head and said after a long silence, "Let's go quickly, don't stay in one place for too long, or Nostradamus will smell us." "Our smell?" Lin Hai nodded, maybe he was lucky to survive last night. After a hasty wash, he took Margaret and ran downstairs, where his father had already prepared breakfast for them. He finished his breakfast as fast as he could, and then said to his father, "I'm sorry, Dad, I have to get out of here."

Father seemed to understand him for the first time, and nodded helplessly: "Go, come to me anytime you encounter any difficulties." Lin Hai gently hugged his father, then took two umbrellas and left here with Margaret. The fields in the rain were filled with the moisture of the soil, and they all closed their eyes and took a few deep breaths.Marguerite said with blurred eyes: "Smelling this smell, it's like returning to the Royal Manor outside Paris." "Isn't that where you and Lamour had a tryst?" Margaret seemed to have been shocked by electricity, and then stopped talking, and the atmosphere between the two became tense again.

Lin Hai was silent for a while and said, "I'm sorry. Let's go quickly." "Where are you going?" "The bank, of course—open my grandpa's safe!" He patted his schoolbag, and the one with the safe certificate was in it. Holding umbrellas and coming to the road, they boarded a bus back to the city.In the middle, I changed the car twice, and it was not until 10 am that I found the bank on the voucher. This is it! Lin Hai took Margaret's hand and stepped carefully into the bank's gate. There was indeed a safe room inside, and he had to submit a certificate to enter.

Although the certificate left by grandpa was issued ten years ago, it is still valid today.Walking into the small safe room, Lin Hai suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu, as if he had come to the secret room where the oil painting "Marguerite" was displayed in the Western Art Museum. According to the number on the certificate, they quickly found the safe, which was under the row of urn-like drawers, and the number was "091313". There is a small window for pressing the password on the outside of the safe. You must have the password to open the box, but Lin Hai can't find any password on the certificate.

What to do?Lin also disturbed his head. When grandpa handled this safe, he must have set a password, but why didn't he leave the password? Could it be that grandpa's illness was so sudden that he passed away before he could tell his father the password?If so, the secret in the safe went to the grave with Grandpa. Naturally, Margaret had never been to such a place, and she didn't quite understand the meaning of the password, so she could only stare at Lin Hai in a daze. The cramped safe room was suffocating, and if the two of them stayed too long, the bank security outside would have paid special attention.

No, the password must be unlocked quickly. Lin Hai suddenly remembered the French version, and quickly took it out of his schoolbag. He had already folded a corner of the page with the safe certificate, so he quickly found this page. This page is the tenth chapter "Queen Marguerite" of the second volume. The content of the text is that De La Mole was beheaded in 1574, and Queen Marguerite carried his head to bury him.On the first line on the left side of the page, there is such a date as April 30, 1574. This was the day when de La Mole was beheaded! Lin Hai looked at the context again. This passage was spoken to Julien by an academician, and it was translated into Chinese as: "Do you really not know what happened on April 30, 1574?"

This is also the part most relevant to Margaret in the whole novel. Why did grandpa put the safe certificate on this page? Does the text on this page contain some special meaning? Lin Hai suddenly thought of a certain book, which also contained the plot of cracking the password of the safe.Yeah, maybe Grandpa did leave the combination to the safe, and the combination is hidden in this page with the safe certificate? He read this page carefully again, and the most conspicuous figure was "April 30, 1574" on the first line. If you remove the year, month, day and read it in the order of the current Chinese, it will be "15740430".

Is this number the password? It was really hard for Lin Hai to be sure. He lowered his head and walked a few steps. What if the password is wrong?If it is wrong to lose three times in a row, the security will definitely detain them.Do you want to take a risk? However, if this important date is not a password, why did grandpa put the credentials on this page? He looked at his watch again, the second hand was moving little by little, and the time was running out. At this time, Margaret urged him anxiously: "What's the matter? Nostradamus may be about to find us." I can't wait any longer, I'm afraid that if Nostradamus doesn't come, the bank security will come looking for them.Anyway, this is something left by my grandfather. As a grandson, Lin Hai certainly has the right to open it and have a look. It's time to gamble. Lin Hai squatted down slowly, held his breath, and tremblingly pressed the password—— 15740430 The machine paused for about two seconds, and the word "PASS" suddenly appeared on the display, and then the safe door clicked. Open Sesame! Lin Hai and Margaret stared tremblingly at the safe door, which opened slowly like the door of an ancient tomb. However, what surprised them was that what was hidden in the safe was neither banknotes nor antiques, but a letter. a letter?Lin Hai still had some doubts about his own eyes. He carefully put his hand into the safe, and there were indeed no other items. There was only this letter in the huge safe. The envelope is made of yellow kraft paper, with a line of grandpa's words written on it-"My grandson Lin Hai kisses me". In an instant, Lin Hai's heart seemed to be stabbed by something, and his grandfather's face in memory suddenly became clear, and his nose seemed to smell the smell of that old paint again. Sure enough, it was a letter from his grandfather. Lin Hai buried his head between his knees, his chest filled with a touch of sadness.Margaret patted him gently: "What's wrong with you? What is this?" Lin Hai stood up tremblingly, raised his head, took a few deep breaths, and said softly, "Let's get out of here quickly." He took Margaret and ran out of the bank with the letter left by his grandfather in his arms. On the road outside the bank, Lin Hai looked around in bewilderment. He knew he couldn't stay here for a long time. He had already left a scent nearby, and Nostradamus would probably find it here. Lin Hai stopped a taxi while hesitating, and pulled Margaret into the car.The taxi galloped for more than half an hour in the rain, and finally stopped at the back gate of Lin Hai's university. But he didn't want to go back to school, because it was too conspicuous to take Margaret with him, and teachers and classmates couldn't see her.Lin Hai went to the cafe opposite the back door of the school. In the first two novels of this book, the author mentioned this semi-basement cafe, and many important plots were explained here. Lin Hai chose the most inconspicuous corner to sit down. Even if some classmates came to the cafe, it would be difficult to find their existence.He ordered two cups of coffee and some snacks. In the 16th century, France did not have the habit of drinking coffee, so Marguerite drank the first cup with a frown. She didn't know that this drink had long been known to Europeans. Loved for hundreds of years. Grabbing some snacks for lunch, and then asking the waiter to wipe the table clean, Lin Hai slowly took out the letter.The seal of the envelope was still tight. He carefully opened the letter and took out a stack of manuscript paper from the envelope. Although ten years have passed, the safe made the paper look like new, and the blue pen writing clearly appeared. Lin Hai was sure that it was Grandpa's handwriting. What important information is hidden in this letter, which is worthy of being kept so secret by Grandpa?Lin Hai took another deep breath, and tremblingly read the ten-year-late letter: My grandson Lin Hai: When you read this letter, grandpa has passed away for many years, but grandpa will watch you from another world and watch everything you have experienced today. Yesterday, grandpa saw the report from the hospital and knew that he would not live long, and that death would soon take grandpa away.I have never been afraid of death, but what I am afraid of are other things, secrets that have been hidden for many years, and those secrets are so important that some people will not be willing to die.For decades, I have kept secrets from anyone, and when I go to the grave, those secrets will be buried forever. But do I really want to bury those secrets forever?Perhaps it's unfair to the rest of the world that I have no right to take secrets to my grave.Therefore, I will record the secret here, and I believe you will have the opportunity to read this letter. Lin Hai, Grandpa never talked about his past, and you don't know what happened to Grandpa when he was young.In fact, when my grandfather was in his twenties, he studied abroad in France for four years, and that experience was unforgettable. In 1932, after graduating from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, I embarked on a work-study ship to France.Not long after I arrived in Paris, France, I was lucky enough to be admitted to the Art Department of the University of Voltaire. I was a poor student with no background. I could only study at school during the day and work in pubs or coffee shops at night. Living in a Parisian environment forced me to learn French very quickly.I suddenly discovered my love for French literature, so I often went to second-hand bookstalls to buy French novels to read.Sometimes I also go to Montemar, where I often meet Picasso and others, but what I studied was classical realistic oil painting, and was not accepted by modernist painters.I feel that I was born in the wrong era. I like the works of masters before the 19th century so much, so I put my mind on museums and often go to the Louvre to see classical oil paintings. Once I went to the famous St. Louis Museum, because there are some French court paintings in the collection, including an oil painting called "Marguerite".Nearly sixty years have passed, and I still can’t forget the moment when I saw the painting for the first time, as if I was facing a living life, and her name was Margaret!Yes, I was deeply shocked by this oil painting, it is not a painting at all, but a raging flame, which has never stopped since more than 400 years ago, let everything see her people fall for it. At that time, I stood stupidly in front of the oil painting for dozens of minutes, as if there was a kind of magic in the painting that attracted me, and it immediately took away my three souls and six souls.When I woke up again, I saw the brief introduction of the work below. It turns out that the woman in this painting is the French Queen Margaret at the end of the 16th century.I was deeply attracted by the people in the painting. After leaving the St. Louis Museum, I immediately went to the library of the University of Voltaire. After spending a whole day, I finally found several books about Marguerite. Know something about Queen Margaret in history.At the same time, I also found that Marguerite was mentioned in this book, especially about the person de La Mole. In the next few days, the shadow of Margaret in the oil painting always appeared in front of my eyes, and I found myself fascinated by the person in this painting, and I couldn't help but go to the St. Louis Museum again.It was very late that day, and I stood in front of the "Marguerite" oil painting for half an hour. By the time the museum closed and drove me out, night had already fallen in Paris.As soon as I walked out of the gate of the museum, I saw a black figure flashing in the alley next to me. I subconsciously took a few steps forward, and the figure rushed towards me.There happened to be a gas street lamp next to it, illuminating the face of that figure. To my surprise, it turned out to be a beautiful French girl. Although it was just a passing moment, my heart was caught by her, because she has a pair of very charming eyes.When she walked past me, our eyes met, and I was embarrassed by her bold and stern eyes, so I could only take a step back to let her pass.With her long black hair and a long black dress, she looks like a ghost from the era of Louis XIV on the cold and deserted streets of Paris. So many years have passed, and I still can't accurately describe my mood at that time. I felt that I couldn't control myself, and I couldn't help following her, turning into an alley like her shadow.I have lived in Paris for several years, and I know that the law and order in such alleys is very bad, and robbers often come and rob single women at night.While he was in fear, two black shadows appeared in front of him, blocking the girl's way.The two robbers started to move on her, I rushed up without hesitation, yelled and punched a guy hard in the face.The two robbers were stunned by me, and immediately turned and fled. The girl also looked quite frightened. Although I couldn't see her face clearly in the dark, I could feel her rapid breathing.I asked her where she lived and if I would take her home, and she just nodded sheepishly.I took her through the alley. It turned out that this is the only way to walk from the museum to the nearby street. No wonder I walked from here.She reported her address, which turned out to be a hotel, and I walked with her for tens of minutes, and returned to the hotel room. She said her name was Mathilde, she was from a small town in the south of France, and she was very grateful to me for saving her.I suddenly became a little stiff and didn't know what to say. She said that it was the first time she met a Chinese, so she stared at me for a long time.Although she lived in a small hotel, she was very elegant in conversation, and I soon fell in love with her.After chatting for a long time before I knew it, I left her room. I didn't sleep well that night, and went to see her again the next morning.We got to know each other very quickly, and she even came to Voltaire University to see me draw a few times.I found myself falling in love with her irresistibly, I forgot the differences between our races and nationalities, and she accepted me without reservation.She asked me to go back to my hometown with her, and I immediately agreed, and set off south with her. We arrived at that small town in the south of France. Her family lived in a very remote old manor in a valley outside the small town.Her father, who seemed to be of noble descent, received me very warmly, and didn't seem to mind that I was Chinese.Only then did I know the family's surname-Lamor, which reminded me of the Marquis of Lamor in the novel.I always feel that this family looks a little strange, it seems that they have little contact with the outside world, and even the tone of their speech has the characteristics of Old French. On the second day after I came here, I heard that the court paintings of the Saint-Louis Museum were exhibited in a nearby city.Mathilde took me there. It was a dark and windy night, and she led me quietly to the back of the exhibition hall. It turned out that someone opened an iron door.We broke into the exhibition hall and found the oil painting "Margot" in the dark.I carried an easel, brushes and paints with me, and under the care of Mathilde, I lit a dim kerosene lamp and copied "Marguerite". I don't know why she does it, but I love her so much that I do everything she says.Facing "Marguerite" in the dark night, the feeling is like talking to someone four hundred years ago. I copied it with all my concentration, and it seemed that every stroke bears the imprint of that year.The copying of this painting was very difficult, and it was impossible to complete it overnight. When it was almost dawn, Mathilde urged me to leave quickly, leaving no trace of outsiders breaking in. On the second night, we did the same thing again, breaking into the exhibition hall to copy "Marguerite".After going on like this for about a week, I finally finished a "Marguerite" that was almost fake, so that I couldn't tell which one was real and which one was fake.I gave the completed facsimile to Mathilde's father, and he said that it would be further processed to make the paint on the painting look older, no different from the painting four hundred years ago. So far I have vaguely understood that they were going to make a fake "Marguerite", and I became their tool for making a fake.A few days later my copy of "Marguerite" disappeared, and the exhibition of the court paintings at the Musée de Saint-Louis was over, and they all returned to Paris, as if nothing had gone wrong.Only then did Mathilde take out the real work of "Marguerite". It turned out that they had already replaced the real work with the fake one I painted.The museum was completely kept in the dark that the "Margarita" that is now on display in Paris is actually a copy of my painting.As for the real "Marguerite" four hundred years ago, it remained in the estate of the Lamor family. This frightens me so much that the Lamors are all thieves!And Mathilde, whom I love, used me at all.When I was distraught and desperate, Mathilde came to me and secretly brought the real "Marguerite". She said that she was tired of the lifeless life in the family, Willing to follow me to the ends of the earth.The look in her eyes as she spoke made me believe I was dying of joy.So we left the manor with the real "Marguerite" and quietly boarded the train to Marseille. Mathilde not only took away the original "Marguerite", but also stole an ancestral parchment from the Lamor family. She said that a certain important secret was recorded in it, and it might be used for the future. We are useful.I know that the Lamor family will catch up soon, and the only way is to escape from Europe as soon as possible, and Mathilde is willing to elope with me and live in distant China.We hid the real "Marguerite" in a large picture folder, passed through customs and boarded the ship, and embarked on the road to the East from the port of Marseille. In this way, the two of us came to Shanghai. In order to prevent Mathilde's father from looking for us, we both changed our identities, kept our identities incognito, and cut off contact with our family.We cherished that oil painting and parchment, and spent a sweet life that will never be forgotten.But a year later, the Anti-Japanese War broke out, and Shanghai fell into the flames of war. One day in September 1937, Mathilde went out to buy things, and happened to be bombed by Japanese planes, and she left me forever.At that time, I was so sad that I really didn't know how to live, but I thought of the oil painting "Marguerite" and the parchment, and I had to live for them. During the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, I hid the oil paintings and parchments in a secret place to ensure that they were not destroyed by the war.After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, I met a Chinese woman by chance. Although I still miss Mathilde in my heart, I know that life must go on.I married this Chinese woman and gave birth to your father. Now you should know that she is your grandma who died many years ago. After liberation, I became a university art teacher, but I always kept that secret. I never mentioned my past to anyone, and I never spoke any foreign language. I just lived in obscurity and spent the rest of my life. So many years have passed, and when I think back to that night in Paris, it seems like yesterday. Mathilde's face is so clear, which makes me dream again.Is this a sign that I am about to enter another world?Where will I reunite with her after the catastrophe?If this is the case, then I will die without regret. Lin Hai, my dear grandson, have you ever seen a portrait in the small attic?That is copied from the oil painting "Margot", I always hang it in the attic, because my youth is buried there.I have not allowed you to climb into the attic, because I don't want you to be fascinated by the woman in that painting. I know that you have completely inherited my appearance and personality.Although you are only eleven years old this year, you are exactly the same as me when I was a child. I am afraid that you will fall into the same pain as me in the future. As for the parchment I brought from France, I hid it under the dormer window in the attic of the old house, where you can find it in a little mezzanine. What you want to know most now must be the real oil painting of "Marguerite" four hundred years ago - I have already hidden it in a place that no one can think of. At this moment, my heart is very contradictory, should I also tell you the whereabouts of the oil painting?I'm worried that once you discover that painting, it will bring you endless trouble and even danger! So, I decided not to tell you the answer, but I can give you a hint - she has returned to the mother's womb. Think for yourself, fate will let you find out the answer. I will put this letter in the bank safe, because the secrets contained in the letter cannot be seen by anyone except you as a grown-up. Before I die, I will give your father the portrait hanging in the attic and the certificate of the bank safe, and take care that he will never give these two things to you unless it is absolutely necessary. But I know that one day you will get into trouble, and you will feel a splitting headache and a dilemma. Only by exploring Grandpa's past can you solve your predicament. Lin Hai, after you read this letter, you will definitely understand Grandpa. Grandpa will always love you and bless you in another world. Lin Danqing January 10, 1995 In the dark cafe, Lin Hai read the whole letter tremblingly, as if there was a certain ghost whispering words in his ear.This is Grandpa's letter, which was ten years late, and his eyes couldn't help but feel a little sore, as if some ancient liquid was about to burst out of his eyes. While reading the letter, Lin Hai also translated the contents of the letter into French and told Margaret.Many of the contents involved in the letter were incomprehensible to Margaret, so Lin Hai patiently explained them to her.When he finished reading the letter, Margaret's face changed a little. She moved her body back, shook her head and said, "It's incredible." But she didn't get an answer from Lin Hai. Lin Hai just stared at the letter in a daze, looking like he had become a fool. After a long time, he nodded meaningfully and said, "I understand." "Understand what?" "Although not all of them, I have already thought of some." Lin Hai stopped talking. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, especially the whereabouts of the oil painting "Marguerite" four hundred years ago. Grandpa didn't say it clearly, but said, "It's hidden in a place that no one can think of." , then where is it? There is a reminder at the end of the letter—she has returned to her mother's body. God knows what this "maternal body" refers to. Could it be that he has returned to France?Lin Hai shook his head helplessly, really unable to understand what Grandpa said.Maybe Grandpa didn't want to tell him at all, to keep the painting a mystery forever. However, there may be another person who can help him solve the problem. The man is in Paris. Yes, why not tell him the contents of the letter?Since Grandpa's stories all happened in France, it is entirely possible to investigate the Lamor family in France, and maybe there will be new discoveries? Thinking of this, Lin Hai had already made up his mind to send all the contents of this letter to Paris. It was very hard to read the letter in the cafe, and it took a long time to translate Marguerite, and it was getting dark outside.They ordered some more snacks and ate them for dinner. At 7 o'clock in the evening, they ran out of the cafe in a hurry. It was still raining outside, and there were no people on the road behind the university's back gate. Lin Hai took Margaret to a trot all the way, and got into an Internet cafe by the side of the road. Margaret was still curious about this, and asked this and that quietly, but Lin Hai didn't answer much.He sat in front of a computer, opened his mailbox, wrote what his grandfather said in the letter into an email of more than a thousand words, and then sent the email to the writer in Paris— —It is also under. Lin Hai hurriedly called Paris again, it was the afternoon of European time, and I was at the foot of Notre Dame de Paris. After the phone call, Lin Hai and Margaret sat in the Internet cafe for a while.Lin Hai's mood was very depressed, he stared at the computer screen indifferently, and did not answer any questions raised by Margaret. Until Margaret asked in a strange tone: "Lin Hai, did you see it?" Lin Hai has always been reluctant to hear this sentence, his heart felt as if he had been pricked by a needle, he nodded slowly and said: "Yes, I can see it——Grandpa wrote in the letter that the four-hundred-year-old painting The previous oil painting of "Marguerite" had been subcontracted as early as the 1930s, and the real one had been brought to China, but what was left on display in the St. Louis Museum in France was just a fake of my grandfather's painting!" Margaret seemed to be mentally prepared, and she fought back not to make a sound. Lin Hai shook his head and continued to speak in pain: "Since the oil painting exhibited in the St. Louis Museum is fake, how could the ghost of Princess Margaret four hundred years ago be completed in the 1930s? What about the counterfeit?" She was speechless, just lowered her head and trembled. "Look up!" Lin Hai said loudly in French, which made other Internet cafes notice them, "If the ghost in the oil painting really exists, it should also exist in the real one that my grandfather brought to China .And the "Marguerite" exhibited in the Western Art Museum is actually a fake, so all the lies you made up to me before are all self-defeating!" "I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Margaret's expression was extremely painful, she was forced to raise her head, but tried her best to avoid Lin Hai's gaze. "Tell me, what is the reason? Why are you lying to me?" But Margaret still shook her head, turned around and rushed out of the Internet cafe. Lin Hai threw down the money in a hurry, ran after him, and shouted loudly: "Margueritte!" In Shanghai at night, it was raining heavily.