Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Strange Sounds
*
The wind blew on the river, the waves surged, and the river surface shrouded in thick fog was gloomy and eerie. Not a trace of light could be seen. It was as if one was in hell, and even the air was suffocating.
“Buzz buzz buzz buzz——”
The engine continued to run, and the huge hum was deafening. The Wind Wing set off again, passing through layers of fog and miasma, like a lonely boat drifting on the sea, riding the wind and waves, all the way to the east.
More than an hour after departure, the Fengyi maintained a steady and even speed. Meng Gaoyang, who was on duty, relaxed and leaned back in the captain's chair to take a rest, his eyes slowly moving from the rudder to the folding chair next to him.
Next to the driving console, Gu Mengran, who was supposed to be resting in the bedroom, suddenly had an idea and set up a folding moon chair in the cab.
He was leisurely nestling in the well-wrapped moon chair, with a folding table next to him, which was covered with snacks and fruits, making it look like a picnic.
The old man was somewhat speechless. If you say he was enjoying himself, he would leave his bedroom to lie down and come to the cockpit to mess around. If you say he was worried about the Wind Wing, he would stare at the ceiling with a dull look in his eyes, and his thoughts had long drifted away.
He couldn't stand it. Others were on duty while he was on vacation. This grandson was an eyesore no matter how he looked at him. Meng Gaoyang coughed lightly and scolded him dissatisfiedly: "You put out a mess and don't eat it. Hurry up and clean up and go back to your room to sleep. Aren't you on night shift tonight?"
Gu Mengran, who was daydreaming in space, turned a deaf ear and stared at the ceiling motionlessly.
"Mengran, Gu Mengran! Did a heavenly dog bite your ears?"
"Ah?" Gu Mengran woke up as if from a dream. He looked around and looked at the old man blankly, "Grandpa, are you calling me?"
Meng Gaoyang: "...There are only two of us in this room, who else could it be besides me?"
After just a few words, Gu Mengran became distracted again.
This kid seemed to have lost his soul after breakfast, and he must have something on his mind. Meng Gaoyang was no longer in a hurry to chase him away. He even straightened his back and slowed down his tone, acting like an elder who cared about the child.
"Meng Ran, did something happen to you? Your grandfather looks worried. Talk to him if you have anything to say. Don't keep it to yourself."
After saying this, Gu Mengran let out a long sigh and immediately sat up.
He looked very conflicted, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but stopped.
After a long while, Gu Mengran glanced at the crystal clear grapes in the fruit bowl and said with difficulty in his hoarse voice: "Grandpa, the older the wine, the better it tastes. Is it the same for people?
A person who has never been involved in cooking may become a great chef after learning, but is it possible for a hard-hearted egoist to become a kind-hearted person who sacrifices himself for others? "
"Hiss." The old man took a breath, pinched his chin and said thoughtfully: "This is still a bit difficult. People are selfish. It's easy for good people to become bad, and bad people to become good... unless their conscience awakens."
Gu Mengran stopped talking, his eyes were wandering around and he looked more and more confused.
The old man cleared his throat and said, "It's not impossible. People are complex and diverse. Maybe he experienced a strong emotional shock, woke up, and decided to be a good person. It's also possible."
What grandpa said may sound reasonable at first glance, but in fact it is completely irrelevant.
Liang Zhao is not a bad person at all, and it is inappropriate to compare good and bad.
Unable to figure it out, Gu Mengran grabbed his hair in annoyance.
Meng Gaoyang saw his reaction. Although the old man didn't show it on his face, he became more and more curious. Seeing that he didn't intend to continue this topic, Meng Gaoyang didn't bother to hide his curiosity and asked tentatively: "This he... is Liang Zhao?"
A stone stirs up a thousand waves. Gu Mengran's eyes widened and he shuddered, "How is it possible! Grandpa, don't talk nonsense. Liang Zhao, he is not selfish."
This reaction is confirmed!
The old man laughed, ignoring Gu Mengran's fierce eyes, and said directly: "Don't be secretive, tell me, is Liang Zhao's personality different from that in your dream?"
The guess was too accurate. Gu Mengran didn't have time to be shocked. He even wanted to struggle, "Grandpa, what are you talking about? Liang Zhao and I have been friends for many years--"
"I don't know him, but how can I not know you?" Meng Gaoyang snorted and laughed, his eyes full of mystery, "Based on the way you usually get along, do you look like old friends? You are only half-acquainted, at most old classmates who haven't seen each other for many years, and you haven't even established a close relationship yet."
Gu Mengran seemed to have lost all his means and strength. He wilted like an eggplant hit by frost in an instant. "Okay, Grandpa, you guessed right."
The old man smiled proudly, "Tell me more about it, and I'll analyze it for you."
He was feeling suffocated because he couldn't solve the mystery. Since his grandfather had guessed it anyway, Gu Mengran simply ignored his own disability and disfigurement and told his grandfather roughly how Liang Zhao risked his life to save him in the "dream" and how he treated him well.
I thought my grandfather was going to analyze the matter with him again, but as soon as he finished speaking, the old man immediately made a "tsk" sound and stared at him as if he was a fool.
"What's wrong?" Gu Mengran's heart skipped a beat.
"I find you a little slow. You have been brooding over Liang Zhao's big personality changes, but have you ever thought that maybe he has never changed, and the problem is actually with you."
Gu Mengran was confused: "Huh?"
The old man was so disappointed that he shook his head helplessly and explained: "You still don't understand this? There is a clear difference in treatment! He doesn't care whether others live or die, but he will do his best to help you when you are in danger."
"Have you ever thought that the boy likes you, too?"
*
After chatting with the old man, Gu Mengran almost didn't sleep for a whole day and night.
He couldn't sleep during the day because he was thinking about things, and he couldn't sleep at night because he was on duty steering the ship. He pinched his arms and forced himself to stay up all night. Gu Mengran was so sleepy that he was blurred in consciousness and began to stagger when he walked.
However, being alone gave him plenty of time to think. Regarding his grandfather's speculation yesterday, Gu Mengran came to the conclusion that it was impossible, absolutely impossible.
Liang Zhao was struggling alone in the cruel end of the world. He felt lonely and wanted a companion to talk to, so he saved him and kept him. He treated him well only out of consideration for their friendship as classmates and because he didn't want him to give up hope of life and live well.
Of course, this is not the most important thing. The main reason that made Gu Mengran certain that Liang Zhao could not like him was that Liang Zhao once said in person that he liked girls.
There is no need to worry about these things if you live your life again.
Regardless of the reasons, regardless of personality, Liang Zhao is still Liang Zhao and will always be his companion and family.
The time jumped to half past seven, and there was still half an hour before "getting off work".
Gu Mengran got up from the chair yawning, twisted his neck and stretched his arms.
He had only done half of a set of stretching exercises when he heard a light cough behind him. Gu Mengran turned his head abruptly and saw Liang Zhao leaning against the door of the cab with a tray in his hand. He had no idea how long he had been watching there.
When their eyes met, the air stagnated for a moment, but the next moment, Gu Mengran's nose moved slightly, and a familiar fragrance came to his nose.
"You made breakfast?" Hunger overcame embarrassment. Gu Mengran put away his half-pressed leg and walked quickly towards Liang Zhao.
Liang Zhao entered the room before him and placed the tray in his hand on the dashboard.
Gu Mengran took a closer look and saw that it was the same as yesterday, still porridge and buns, but these two bowls of porridge... were a little too weird.
The yellow viscous liquid was mixed with black, unidentified lumps of objects with distinct particles. It was more like a bowl of paste than a bowl of porridge. It smelled quite fragrant, with a faint burnt aroma, but the appearance was hard to describe.
Gu Mengran looked at it for a long time but couldn't figure out what kind of porridge it was. He looked at Liang Zhao blankly, "Corn paste? I can smell meat. Meat-grain corn paste?"
"No." Liang Zhao touched his nose unnaturally and said in a pitifully small voice, "I made this century egg and lean meat porridge myself. I didn't control the heat well, so it's a little mushy."
Century egg and lean meat porridge? Who can tell the difference?
Gu Mengran, who had never seen dark cuisine, was stunned, but when he heard that Liang Zhao cooked it himself, he was slightly startled and couldn't help but think of his grandfather's nonsense yesterday.
Liang Zhao cared about his words. He mentioned it casually yesterday, and the preserved egg and lean meat porridge was served today. Gu Mengran was not so narcissistic as to think that Liang Zhao must have some feelings for him, but he just felt strange and his curiosity was about to overflow.
"It's a bit too mushy. Don't eat it yet. I'll go get something new to eat."
The long silence gave Liang Zhao the wrong signal. He turned around and left with the tray. Gu Mengran suddenly came to his senses and stopped him in time.
"No, it's just a mess. It smells good and the taste will be good." Gu Mengran snatched the tray from Liang Zhao and put it back on the dashboard. He picked up the spoon on the tray, scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth.
After swallowing a spoonful of the sticky preserved egg and lean meat paste, Gu Mengran licked his lips with satisfaction when he saw Liang Zhao still looking at him. He smiled and praised, "It's delicious, very crispy and fragrant."
I'm not going to lie, it tastes really good, but it's a bit pungent in the throat.
After breakfast, he had arrived at the place where he got off work. Gu Mengran did not rush back to sleep because the oil tank of Fengyi was almost out of oil and needed to be refilled in time.
Refueling a ship is quite troublesome, and it is usually done by docking with an oil tanker at a port or a water gas station.
But Gu Mengran had the space in his hands. As soon as the Fengyi came to a steady stop, Liang Zhao stayed in the cockpit and stared at the fuel gauge. Gu Mengran went down to the lower deck wearing a gas mask, groped in the thick fog, found and opened the oil tank port, and started to refuel quickly.
The space saved a lot of trouble, but it couldn't keep up with the large oil tank of the Fengyi.
He squatted on the deck for more than two hours. When the oil tank was filled, Gu Mengran's legs were numb, his consciousness was blurred, and his body was no longer his own.
The hatch cover was restored and Gu Mengran walked back with heavy steps.
The distance was not too far, and it only took Gu Mengran five minutes to find the door based on his memory. But just as he grasped the door handle and was about to push the door open, a shrill scream drowned out the hum of the engine and reached his ears.
The sound was very strange, like an animal's howl or hum, it disappeared after it was heard once.
For a moment, Gu Mengran thought he was hallucinating because of staying up all night. He pretended not to hear it and was about to go into the house, but the next second, the scream became louder and louder, echoing in his ears with great clarity.
"Ah ...
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