Chapter 6 first quarter

west havnor barge where is my love I also follow Where is he paddling I go with we will laugh together will cry together He gave birth to me He dies and I die where is my love I also follow Where is he paddling I go with To the west of Havnor, among the hills thick with oaks and chestnuts, is the town of Biyuan.Once upon a time, there was a rich man named Ah Jin who was a merchant in the town.Arkin has a mill that cuts planks of oak for ships built in Havnor South and Havnor Great Harbours.He owns the most extensive chestnut grove, owns many trailers, employs many coachmen, and sells timber and chestnuts across the hills.Ah Jin made a lot of money in the timber business, so when the son was born, the mother asked, "How about we call him Ah Li or Ah Oak?" But Ah Jin said, "Call him Diamond." , Only diamonds are more precious than gold.

So, Little Diamond grew up in the most beautiful house in Biyuan Town, first as a fat doll with bright eyes, and later as a rosy and cheerful boy.He has a sweet singing voice, keen hearing, and love of music, so his mother Tori called him by affectionate nicknames such as "Singing Sparrow" and "Skylark".Mother never liked the name "Diamond".Diamond twirled and sang softly around the house, humming the melody if he heard it, and making up ballads if he couldn't hear the melody.His mother asked the wise woman Achan to teach him "Iya Creation Song" and "Young King's Friendship". Winter Song".The prince and wife of Xilu praised the child's singing and gave him a small gold box with a diamond on the lid.It seemed like a gracious and beautiful gift to Diamond and his mother, but Jin had no interest in singing or gadgets. "Son, you have more important things to do," he said. "There are bigger rewards to come."

Diamond thought his father meant business, the lumberjacks, sawmills, sawmills, chestnut groves, fruit pickers, coachmen, wagons, and a whole host of jobs, discussions, plans, and so on, complicated grown-up business.He never felt that those things had much to do with him, so how should he accomplish the great things his father expected?Maybe when I grow up, I will understand. But Ah Jin was not only thinking about his career, he observed a certain quality in his son.He doesn't set his eyes above the top and set some lofty goals, but occasionally takes a few glances at that goal and then closes his eyes.

At first, he thought Diamond was like other children, a fleeting magic that would soon wear off.When he was young, Ah Jin could also make his own shadow shine, and his family praised him for it, and asked him to perform for visitors, but when he was seven or eight years old, he lost this ability and could not cast spells ever since. Ah Jin thought he was dazzled when he saw that the diamond was able to go downstairs without touching the stairs, but a few days later, he saw the child gently slide over the oak handrail with just one finger and float up the stairs. "Can you go downstairs in this way?" Ah Jin asked.Diamond replied: "Yes, just like this." Immediately, it slid down smoothly like a cloud floating on the south wind.

"How did you learn it?" "Accidentally found out," said the boy, clearly not sure his father approved. Ah Jin didn't praise the child, and didn't want him to be self-conscious and arrogant because it might just be a short-lived talent in childhood. Too many people have already made a fuss about his sweet and high-pitched voice. About a year later, Ah Jin saw Diamond and his playmate Rose outside in the backyard.The two children were squatting, leaning their heads against each other, laughing loudly.There was an unknown and strong mysterious atmosphere between the two, which made him stop and observe in front of the stairwell window: something was jumping up and down.Is it a frog?Toad?big cricket?He walked out into the garden and approached the two of them.Although he was tall, his movements were extremely quiet, and the two of them who were engrossed in him didn't notice it.It was a rock bouncing up and down between their bare toes.Diamond raised his hand, and the stone jumped into the air; he flicked his hand slightly, and the stone hovered in the air; he swung his finger down, and the stone fell back to the ground.

"It's your turn," said Diamond to the rose.The rose began to follow suit, but the stone rolled only slightly. "Oh," she whispered, "your father is here." "It's amazing." Ah Jin said. "Diamond figured it out," said Rose. Ah Jin doesn't like roses.She is direct, defensive, impulsive and timid.The girl was a year younger than Diamond, and was the daughter of a witch.He hoped that his son could play with boys of the same age, with his kind, and with the children of prominent families in Biyuan Town.Tori insists on calling the witch a "wise woman," but a witch is a witch, and a witch's daughter is no good playmate for Diamond.However, seeing his son teaching witch children little tricks, he couldn't help but feel a little moved.

"Diamond, what else can you do?" Ajin asked. "Play the flute." Diamond replied immediately, and took out of his pocket the small fife that his mother had given him on his twelfth birthday.He raised the fife to his mouth, fluttered his fingers, and blew out a sweet melody "Where is the Lover" that is popular in the West Bank. "Very well," said the father, "but anyone can play the fife." Diamond glanced at Rose.The girl turned her head away and looked at the ground. "I learned it right away," said Diamond. Ah Jin snorted twice, unmoved.

"It will play by itself," said Diamond, lifting the fife from his mouth.His fingers fluttered over the sound holes, and the fife played a brief jig.During the period, he played several wrong notes, and the last high note made a harsh sound. "I haven't learned yet," said Diamond, annoyed and ashamed. "Not bad, not bad," Ah Jin said, "Continue to practice." With that, he left the two of them.He wasn't sure what to say.He didn't want to encourage the kids to spend more time with the music or the girl, too much time wasted and neither the music nor the girl would help them get ahead.But this talent, this undoubted talent--the floating stone or the unplaying fife--maybe it's wrong to encourage too much, but it shouldn't be discouraged either.

In Ah Jin's view, wealth is power, but not the only power.There are also two powers, one equal to wealth and the other greater.First of all, wealth: when Prince Xilu came to the territory near Biyuan Town, Ajin was very happy to show his loyalty.The lord was born to rule Wei'an, just like A Jin was born to do business and make money.Both have their own strengths, regardless of nobles and commoners, as long as they perform their duties and do things honestly, they should be honored and respected; but there are also some small lords, Ajin can buy or sell, lend or let them beg. Nobility, but not worthy of allegiance or honor.The source of wealth and wealth are accidental, and you must work hard to earn them so as not to lose them.

But besides the rich and noble, there are also powerful people, namely wizards.Their power is seldom used, but absolute.The wizard holds in the hands of the fate of the long-empted kingdom of the archipelago. If diamonds are born with this kind of power, if this is talent, then all of Ah Jin’s dreams and plans, including training diamonds to be a businessman, asking him to help expand the route of the convoy, securing a deal with Nangang, buying the chestnut forest above Ruiqi, etc., will be reduced to trifles.Would Diamond go to the Wizarding Academy on Roke, like his great-uncle?Can he also win glory for the family, or surpass the nobles and commoners, and become the royal mage of the Regent of the Great Port of Havnor?Ah Jin was full of longing and floated, only barely able to float up the stairs.

But Ah Jin said nothing about his children and his wife.He is by nature reticent and distrusts desires unless they can be translated into action.Although Tori is a conscientious and gentle wife, mother, and housekeeper, she has overplayed Diamond's abilities and achievements.Moreover, like all women, she likes to gossip and is careless in making friends.The girl named Rose would stay by Diamond's side all day long, precisely because Tori encouraged Rose's mother, the witch Achan, to visit; Tell her too much about housework, things that neither Chan nor anyone should know, that his business has nothing to do with the witch.But on the other hand, A Chan may be able to tell him whether his son really has potential and talent for magic... However, the mere thought of asking the witch's opinion makes him shy away, let alone judge his son. Ah Jin decided to wait and see.Patiently and persistently, he waited for four years until Diamond was sixteen years old.Diamond grows into a tall and strong young man, good at sports and schoolwork, still has a ruddy complexion, bright eyes, and a cheerful personality. When he changed his voice, he was hit hard, because his sweet and high-pitched singing voice became rough and hoarse.Ah Jin hoped that the child would never sing again, but he continued to hang out with cloud musicians or folk singers, learning useless things.This kind of life is not suitable for the son of a merchant, who will inherit and manage his father's estate, sawmill and business.Ah Jin told the truth: "Son, the singing time is over, you should think about adult things." Diamond received his real name at Amiya Spring in the mountains above Biyuan Town.Wizard Hemlock knew his great-uncle and had come from Southport to name him.Hemlock was also invited to the naming party for the coming year, a grand occasion, with beer and food and new clothes, a new shirt, skirt or shirt for every child, an old tradition in West Havnor, and finally, in the warm autumn On the evening of the 1st, everyone danced on the village green.Diamond has many friends, including all the boys and girls in town his age.Young people danced, some drank a little too much beer, but no one went too far, it was a fun night and one to remember.The next morning, Ah Jin reminded his son again that he should think about adult matters. "I've thought about it," the boy said hoarsely. "and then?" "Well, I..." Diamond just opened his mouth, and then fell silent. "I've always believed that you would join the family business." Ah Jin said calmly, while Diamond said nothing. "Have you thought about what to do?" "Sometimes." "Have you talked to Master Hemlock?" Diamond hesitated a little, and said, "No." He looked at his father with doubts. "I talked to him last night," Arkin said, "and he said that suppressing certain talents is not only difficult, but actually wrong and harmful." The light returned to the diamond's dark eyes. "The master says that these talents or abilities, if left untrained, are not only wasted, but can be dangerous. Skills, he says, must be learned and practiced." Diamond looked bright. "But, he said, the craft must be learned and practiced for its own sake." Diamond nodded eagerly. "This is all the more important if it's a true talent, a rare ability. A witch who uses a love potion won't cause much disaster, but even a country warlock must be careful... Skills used for dastardly purposes are It will decay and lose morality... Of course, warlocks can also get paid. You also understand that wizards live with nobles, and they can get what they want." Diamond was listening intently, frowning slightly. "So, to put it bluntly. Diamond, if you have this talent, it is not directly useful to your career. This talent must be cultivated, controlled, learned, and mastered according to your own conditions. Hemlock said, until then, you Only a good teacher can start telling you how to use this skill and what benefits it will bring to you. Or what benefits it will bring to others.” A Jin deliberately added. There was a long silence. "I told Hemlock," Akin said, "I have seen you turn a wooden bird into a flying and singing bird with a flip of your hand and a casual word; I have seen you create a ball of light in the sky. You Didn't know I was looking at you. I've been watching for a long time and I don't say anything. I don't want to oversell child's stuff. But I believe you have talent, maybe a great talent. I'll see it with my own eyes I told Master Hemshan, and he also agreed with me, he said that you can go to Nangang with him to practice for a year, or even longer." "Training with Master Hemlock?" Diamond asked, his voice raised half a step. "if you are willing to." "I... I... I've never thought about it. Can I think about it? Think about it for a... day?" "Of course." Ah Jin was relieved by his son's prudence, thinking that Diamond would be eager to accept the proposal.This may be taken for granted, but for the owl father who hatched the eagle, it was quite painful. Ah Jin really respected the art of magic, and believed that it was far beyond his own ability, not just a thing like music or storytelling, but a practical career with unlimited potential, and his own career would never be comparable.Moreover, although he didn't say it verbally, Ah Jin was actually afraid of wizards.He despises sorcerers who juggle tricks, illusions, and gibberish, but fears wizards. "Does mother know?" Diamond asked. "She will know when the time comes. Diamond, she has no right to intervene in your decisions. Women don't understand these things, and they have nothing to do with them. You have to act like a man and make decisions on your own. Do you understand?" Ajin was very serious and thought This is the time to wean your son.Tori is a woman and clings on; but he is a man and has to learn to let go.Although Diamond looked thoughtful, nodding his head firmly was enough to satisfy his father. "Master Hemlock said, I... said he thought I had... I might have a gift, a talent...?" Ah Jin assured that the wizard had indeed said so, but what kind of talent remained to be seen.He was greatly relieved by the child's humility.Already aware of his fear that the diamond would overpower him, and immediately display its power—mysterious, dangerous, unpredictable power, Ah Jin's wealth, dominion, and dignity paled in comparison. "Thank you dad," said the boy.Ah Jin hugged him and left, full of relief. The two met by the Amiya River flowing under the blacksmith shop, in a grove of gray and yellow willows.No sooner had the rose arrived than Diamond said, "He wants me to study with Master Hemlock! What shall I do?" "Practice with a wizard?" "He thinks I have great and extraordinary talents, in magic!" "Who thinks so?" "Dad. He saw something we were practicing, and said Hemlock thought I should follow along, because it might be dangerous not to. Oh!" Diamond struck his head with both hands. "But you do have talent." Diamond whined, scratched his scalp with his knuckles, and sat on the mud of the two's old playground, a small shaded space deep in the willows.The two could clearly hear the river leaping over the adjacent stones, and the clanging and tapping of the blacksmith's shop in the distance.The girl sat facing him. "Look at all the things you can do," she said. "If you don't have talent, you can't do anything." "Clever," said Diamond vaguely, "just enough for tricks." "how do you know?" Rose's skin is very dark, with thick curly hair like a cloud, thin lips, and a face that is focused and serious.Limbs were bare and dirty, skirts and coats were in tatters.Her dirty toes and fingers were slender and graceful, and an amethyst necklace gleamed under her tattered, button-free coat.Her mother, A Tang, earns a lot of living expenses by relying on healing techniques, medical treatment, bone delivery, or selling search spells, love elixirs, sleeping potions, etc.She had money to keep herself and her daughter in new clothes, shoes, and cleanliness, but she never wanted to, and housework wasn't her passion.She and Rose mostly live on boiled chicken and scrambled eggs, because people often pay with poultry.Chickens and cats run rampant in the courtyard of the two-bedroom house.She likes cats, toads, jewelry.The amethyst necklace was her reward for successfully delivering the son of Ajin's lumberjack.When Ah Tang impatiently gestured a spell, the chains and bracelets on his hand flickered and tapped.Sometimes she would let a kitten sit on her shoulder.She is not the kind of mother who takes care of her children.Rose asked her when she was seven years old: "If you don't want me, why did you give birth to me?" "How can you deliver a baby if you haven't given birth before?" her mother said. "So I'm just an exercise!" Rose growled. "Everything is practice." Ah Chan said.She has no surly personality. Although she seldom thinks of doing anything for her daughter, she never hurts her or scolds her. Her daughter asks for dinner, her own toad, an amethyst necklace, and witchcraft courses.She also provides new clothes if Rose asks for them, but Rose never asks for them.She took care of herself from an early age, which is one of the reasons Diamond loves her.With her, he knows what freedom is; without her, he can only gain freedom by listening to music, singing, and playing music. "I do have talent," he says now, rubbing his temples and tugging at his hair. "Stop torturing your head," Rose told him. "I know Terry thinks I have." "Of course you do! So what does Terry think? You've played the harp nine times better than he has ever played in his life!" This is another reason Diamond loves her. "Any wizard musicians?" he asked, looking up. She mused, "I don't know." "I don't know either. Morad and Yephren sing to each other, and he's a mage. I think Roke has a master chant, who teaches songs, history. But I've never heard a wizard as a musician." "I don't think there's anything wrong with it." She always feels that nothing is wrong.Another reason to love her. "I've always felt that the two seemed alike. Magic and music, spells and tunes. One thing is: you have to get both of them exactly right." "Practice," Rose said in a sour tone, "I know." She bounced a pebble towards the diamond, and the pebble turned into a butterfly in the air; , and fell back to the earth and became stone.Diamond and Rose have played several tricks with the stone. "You should go, Diamond," she said, "and see what's going on." "I know." "If only you could be a wizard! Oh! Think of the things you can teach me! Shapeshifting...we can be all kinds of things! Be a horse! Be a bear!" "Become a mole," said Diamond. "Honestly, I really want to hide in the field. I always thought that when I got my real name, Dad would tell me to learn his stuff. But all year, he kept putting it off. I Guess he's been thinking about it for a long time. But what if I go there and find that I'm no better a wizard than I am a bookkeeper? Why can't I do what I'm sure of?" "Well, why can't you do both? At least magic with music? Bookkeepers are always available." She laughed, her thin face brightened, her thin lips parted, her eyes narrowed. "Oh, Black Rose," said Diamond, "I love you." "Of course you love me. You'd better love me. If not, I'll put a spell on you." The two kneeled forward, face to face, arms hanging down, hands connected, kissing each other's faces.Under Rose's lips, Diamond's face is as smooth and plump as a plum, with a slight tingle on the lips and the side of his chin, where he just started shaving; under Diamond's lips, Rose's face is as smooth as silk, with only one cheek slightly tingling. Rough, she had just wiped it with her dirty hands.The two moved closer, their chests touching, but their arms still hanging by their sides.They continue to kiss. "Black Rose." He whispered in her ear, the secret name he gave her.