The Lost Mermaid [Zhongyingmei]

"Karl Hockley? Is this the buyer you found for me? Are you really so eager to sell me?" the red-haired young woman angrily yanked off the emerald on her earlobe. , fell hard into the jewelry box.The earlobe was torn and bleeding, she gasped, and tears overflowed the corners of her eyes.

"Luth! Be obedient!" the lady snapped, but she was not angry at all, and even smiled, bending down to look at her daughter in the mirror, "'Sell'? How could I sell you, Ruth , You really hurt my mother's heart by saying that."

Ruth Bukett said nothing, her gray-blue eyes were burning with anger.

"Ruth, have pity on your mother. Your father left us and walked away, leaving only a noble name and a lot of debts. Do you really want to see your mother kicked out of Booker?" Is it Manor?" The lady -- Rufu wiped away the tears that didn't exist in the corner of her eyes, and choked up, "I've seen the photos of Carl Hockley. He's a good-looking man, and he's a perfect match for you! What's more, his My father was the steel magnate of America..."

"Father? Father!" Ruth finally couldn't help crying.

A trace of unbearableness flashed in Rufu's eyes, but he still said forcefully: "Old Hockley has only this one son, and his wealth cannot flow into other people's hands. Ruth, think about it! His assistant revealed that Carl Hockley You intend to marry a noble lady to improve your status, and your little sisters are all staring at him!"

"Whoever wants to marry him can marry! Anyway, I don't want to!"

"Ruth!"

Rufu was furious at her stubborn temper, and she was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently.Ruth really didn't understand why Ruth resisted so much!You know, ever since Sir Bucket left his wife and only daughter to meet God, Ruth has had nightmares all night long, fearing that her creditors would drive her out of the manor.Sir Bukett left a mess, and she and Ruth need money to communicate with each other. The snow pile is getting bigger and bigger, and the debt has reached millions of dollars!

Even if they sell all their jewelry and skirts, they still can't afford it!If this is really done, Lu Fu would rather die than make a fool of herself in front of her former good sisters!

She quietly inquired about the news, and Yankee, who was rich but not aristocratic, was a perfect match for them.

Mrs. Rufu stomped her feet irritably, leaving only one sentence: "Think of Mrs. Grantham of Downton Abbey, Ruth." After she finished speaking, she fanned herself and walked quickly with her long skirt After leaving, the maid also flinched out of Ruth's room.

Ruth lay on the dresser, weeping.

She understood her mother's last words.The Countess Grantham of Downton Abbey was also the daughter of a Yankee, and she came to England with a large dowry to marry the Earl of Grantham, whom she did not love, and used her dowry to save the impoverished Downton Abbey.

Yes, she looks happy now.

'But will I be so lucky? ' Ruth thought desperately, 'I can work too!I can support myself and my mother, why does she insist that I marry someone I have never met! '

Ruth was tired from crying. She looked at the crows flying freely in the setting sun outside the window, and fell asleep lying on the table with tears on her snow-white cheeks.

"Karl Hockley?" Doris repeated the name. "That name sounds familiar."

1900 helped her out of the car, picked her up horizontally, and gently placed her on the wheelchair.He tipped the driver five dollars. With a flattering smile on his face, the driver graciously picked up the big bags and carried them to the second floor of the hotel.

"Old Hockley wanted to invite me to his banquet more than once." 1900 snorted coldly, pushing the wheelchair slowly through the garden in front of the hotel, "He is the King of Steel, yes. But I am really too lazy to deal with him Those women, they are scarier than schoolgirls!"

Those white skins and coquettish laughter flashed through 1900's mind, and he couldn't help frowning.

"Does Mrs Hockley care?"

"She died long ago, when Carl Hockley was a child."

"Oh! How pitiful." Doris couldn't help sighing pitifully.

1900 lifted one side of the wheelchair, and with a little force, let it pass a step.His tone was very indifferent: "Perhaps, but I heard that this little Mr. Hockley has also inherited his father's love, and the women around him have never stopped."

"Huh." Doris frowned, subconsciously showing disgust, "I'm sorry, should I be more tolerant?" She was always too direct, and when she first came to land, she would not hide herself This mood has attracted a lot of groundless accusations for my brother!

"It's not necessary, Doris, I despise him, too."

"...Maybe he lacks the correct guidance from his mother." Doris struggled for a long time, and found a reason for him, "Well, even if this is the case, I can't make myself look at him differently—is he married? "

"No, but I think, he probably wants to find a noble lady in England as his fiancée—the property has reached the level of the Hockley family, and it always needs a noble status to match it."

"I hope he treats his future wife well," Doris said dryly.

Although Doris has only been on land for only one year, she has also met many people of all kinds in 1900.Although she doesn't understand "nobility", "status" and "identity", she has also seen those multi-faceted businessmen and rich people in the United States. "Money" is always an eternal topic. Doris never cared about it before. After all, when she was a fish living on the bottom of the sea, she could hunt by singing alone. The green ones are all piled up in the caves under the sea, and it doesn't even look good.

But on land, it seems that everything can be bought with money.

Doris was ignorant, unable to accept this value.

1900 sent Doris to the door of the room, and when he was about to say goodbye, he suddenly remembered something: "By the way, you want 'Heart of the Ocean'?"

"That was mine!" Doris said angrily. "It's something my ancestors left me. I don't know why. I haven't found it for a long time. I thought it was eaten by a shark." It fell! I didn’t expect it to fall into the hands of humans.” That’s not just a blue diamond!

1900 frowned and said, "I believe you, Doris. It's just that we don't have evidence to claim it back. I'm afraid we can only go to the auction to buy it back."

"I would have brought more gems with me when I knew I was leaving the bottom of the sea!" Doris was extremely annoyed.

"I don't need your money, Doris, I'm your 'brother'." 1900 touched her head, the corners of his mouth curled up, "I'm going to visit Mr. Prior tomorrow, maybe I can't make a reservation Come down, but you can also inquire about the reserve price of your competitors. Now, take a good rest, you must have a headache after blowing the sea breeze—I have already ordered the hotel to turn on the hot water, and take a bath."

Doris nodded obediently.

"Good night, brother." She hugged him, watched him go back to the room, and steered the wheelchair into the bathroom.

The two brothers and sisters were not short of money, so they chose to live in a single-family hotel early.The rooms are huge, no worse than the ones they have on farms in the US.The servants were not fully equipped yet, so Doris skillfully placed the hot water on her own, and moved herself from the wheelchair to the bathtub with the help of the brace she had prepared earlier.

As soon as her numb legs touched the warm and somewhat scalding water, she finally relaxed.

It's not that she can't walk, but once she puts the weight of her whole body on her feet, the soles of her feet are like stepping on the edge of a knife, and the pain is unbearable.Doris learned the effect of this poison from the books left by her ancestors, and she still drank the poison willingly because of her longing for the land.

'At least I can stand up, at least I can talk.Even if it hurts, even if my voice becomes so ugly. '

After a brief whining, she slowly forced herself to accept it all.

Although she never showed pain and regret in front of 1900, when she finally relaxed in the hot water after a tense day, she couldn't help but feel sour in her heart, and she felt so wronged that she wanted to cry impulse.

Her eyes were swollen, and Doris bit her lower lip tightly, sinking herself into the bottom of the bathtub.The ripples made the pattern of the bathroom ceiling tiles crooked, and the overhead light flickered on her face, as if Doris occasionally approached the sea when she was still in the sea, secretly watching the sun and the free-flying seagulls.

She longed for those life-and-death love stories in 1900's mouth, no matter rich or poor, high or low - but the sensual dogs and horses she had seen in the United States gradually dispelled her hope.Do love and freedom only exist in fairy tales?

She lost the voice she was most proud of, and no one will fall in love with her.

The effect of that cup of poison is far from physical damage—only love can break all curses, and she only has one chance.She yearned for love, but was afraid of love.Only when that person is willing to go against the wishes of her parents for her, can she obtain an eternal soul, otherwise she will turn into foam on the sea in the early morning of the wedding day of her sweetheart and someone else, and disappear from the world.

Originally, she could live like a human for decades, even if there was a curse, but she didn't know what went wrong. Doris could feel her energy draining away bit by bit, and her legs became more and more numb. The voice is getting worse and worse.She couldn't find any way to slow it down, and Doris feared that one day soon, she would lose her voice completely and never walk again.

To this day, Doris saw the heart of the ocean in the newspaper.

Seeing it for the first time, Doris suddenly remembered that her ancestors had recorded in the scroll that this blue diamond itself contains the huge potential of the ocean: if humans possess it, it will bring disaster, and only mermaids can master it through it. The mysteries of the ocean.

'I have to get it back. ' Doris thought drowsily as she was about to fall asleep in the water, 'maybe it's the key to breaking the curse. '

In the past few days, 1900 has been wandering around London, looking for news everywhere.

He was not good at dealing with people when he was on the ship. He had seen too many stories, but he was not interested in the intrigues of the upper class. If it wasn't for Doris, he would rather stay by the piano every day, or press a string of notes at will , or appreciate the works of predecessors.

However, after inquiring like this, he really heard a lot of gossip stories.

"That Carl Hockley seems to be very close to the Bucket family recently. Someone saw Miss Bucket chatting happily with Hockley in a French restaurant." 1900 sat at the dining table, casually giving bread Buttering on it, he said casually, "It seems that Hockley's good news is coming soon. Miss Bookett is a great beauty. Maybe he will take a photo of the heart of the ocean and give it to his fiancée—for the title of the Bookett family."

Doris quietly rubbed her stiff legs, and repeated: "The title of the Bookett family?"

"Exchanging a jewel and a million debts for a beauty and a title is not a good deal."

"Maybe Hockley fell in love with her." Doris said with pretentiousness, "It's often the case in stories that some people will give up everything for love."

"This is not Hockley's style, dear Doris, he is a businessman, and nothing is more important than the money and gems in his warehouse." 1900 chewed the bread in his mouth, poured another cup of coffee, "This butter is good."

Doris didn't like to eat dry bread. She sipped the hot black tea in the cup and said in a low voice, "It seems that he is bound to win the heart of the ocean? What should we do?" She was a little flustered.At the same time, Doris felt pity again, "Miss Bucket is so pitiful.If she didn't love Mr. Hockley, she wouldn't be happy with her inexhaustible wealth, would she? '

1900 said reassuringly, "Don't worry, I've already announced that I will participate in tomorrow's auction—Mr. Hockley, who is concerned about his father, will not show any mercy. Even if he is determined to rob me, It's hard to say whether he will offer a higher price than me."

Doris felt relieved, her brother would never let her down.

After breakfast, 1900 packed up his manuscripts and left. He found another interesting place, where he might gain some creative inspiration.With the help of the temporary maid, Doris stepped over the steps in a wheelchair and came to the garden outside the door.

Naturally, there are not many green plants in London in winter, but the gardeners of the hotel are very creative. Even the dead leaves and branches are arranged into strange landscapes.Just after Christmas, the lush and green Christmas tree was still parked in the yard, and it was too late to remove it. The decorations and gift boxes left by the previous guests were wrapped around the branches.

Doris walked around the Christmas tree with great interest.She spent Christmas last year with her brother on a boat.She didn't know anything about human holidays, and when the guests on the ship were complaining that they couldn't spend Christmas with their families this year, she learned that it was a family day.

Doris does not have the concept of "home". Of course she knows that she has ancestors, but she has always been alone, without parents and siblings—until she met the dying 1900.

Doris squinted her eyes and looked up, and found exquisite greeting cards hanging on the note high above.

Just as a gust of winter wind blew, a greeting card inlaid with gold edging slowly floated down and landed on her lap.

"Hey?"

Doris smiled with crooked eyebrows, her sea-blue eyes were narrowed, and she happened to be curious about what was written on the greeting card!After flipping through the front and back, she opened the greeting card with shame and curiosity.This is a greeting card written by a wife to her husband, full of affection between the lines.

Doris blushed with embarrassment at her bold and sweet rhetoric. She secretly blamed herself for not reading other people's letters and greeting cards, but complained in a low voice about the wife's frankness, and couldn't help it from beginning to end. Read it again.

Doris groaned annoyedly, and covered her scorching cheeks with her cold hands.

She manipulated the wheelchair and took two steps back. Looking up, there was a silver-bordered greeting card dangling on the branch.Doris was extremely curious!That must be the wife's husband's response to her!

Do you want to take it down and have a look?Doris was very entangled - 1900 said that one should not read other people's letters, that would be too impolite.But the previous one fell on her lap, maybe she had a reason to peek at it.What about the other one on the tree?

She looked back at the house, there was no one at the window, the servant was probably working in the kitchen.So she was cruel, her right hand was supported on the armrest of the wheelchair, her feet were off the pedals, and they were placed on the ground.

As soon as she exerted force, a sharp needle-pricking pain rushed from the soles of her feet to her heart. Doris groaned and fell onto the wheelchair.

"Ah!" She cried out in a low voice, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

Reluctantly, Doris raised her head and looked at the decorations on the Christmas tree swaying in the wind. The bells made a crisp and sweet sound when they collided, but in her ears, it seemed that the wind was laughing at her incompetence.

She decided to try again, and this time, she lifted the blanket from her lap and tossed it aside.Grasping the armrests of the wheelchair with both hands, he slowly shifted the weight from the arms to the feet.The expected pain came layer upon layer from bottom to top, and her face flushed red.

Doris slowly got used to the pain and finally stood up.

Before she had time to be happy, she heard an urgent and stern male voice: "What are you doing!"

"Ah!!!" Doris was startled, her heart skipped a beat.She turned her head suddenly, and at some point, there was a tall strange man standing on the path in front of the door!Doris fell down in a panic before she could stand still for a while.

The expected pain did not come, and there was a strong warmth in the waist.