Under the Ice Wall
Gao Wenwen twisted his wrist and moved his fingers a few times, feeling his palm getting slightly hot and itchy, and even bending it became a little difficult.
This feeling is very familiar. In the past, when it snowed, I would play in the snow with my friends outside. If our skin was exposed outdoors for a long time, our hands would become like this.
If this situation occurs frequently and is not treated and relieved in time, frostbite will occur in the long run.
He put his hands into his coat pockets to keep warm temporarily.
Shi Yan and Ding Can had been waiting on the deck where they came up, so they came over to check on their health as soon as possible.
"How are you two?" Shi Yan extended her hand to Gao Wenwen who was closer to her.
"It's not a big deal, but you must not stop exercising from now on." Gao Wenwen tried to stand up with his hands on the ground, but he felt his steps were a little weak.
Shi Yan pulled him, and then the two of them shook the boat twice. The big boat finally completely entered the water and began to sail with the waves.
The cabin is located at the bottom of the cabin, where there are ropes and masts for the wooden boat to move. The tribesmen use this to control the direction and speed of travel.
As everyone watched, the ship had already moved away from the sea and began to move steadily southward.
Yin Jiu brought his small medicine bag and came to the tribesmen who came aboard later: "Is there anyone with a hand injury? Stop the bleeding first."
The rope was rough and many people might get scratched during the process. Ding Can saw him treating the wounds quickly. Although the medical conditions were backward, it could be seen that his medical skills were still very proficient, at least enough for survival in the wild.
Ding Can, who was helping him, asked indirectly, "Who did you learn medicine from? Does your tribe have a doctor who is specifically responsible for the health of the tribe members?"
"I wouldn't say I specialize in it. Everyone knows some simple first aid methods, but I used to learn from my aunt. She was very skilled and talented, but after she was chosen to become a priestess, she could no longer heal people, so I didn't learn anything more advanced."
Yin Jiu scratched his head, with a hint of regret in his voice.
Anyone chosen to be a priest of the Bingxi tribe must give up everything in their previous life the moment they take on this role, and all their lives thereafter will be for the entire tribe.
This means that no matter how passionate Meng Qi is about medicine, he can no longer continue his research, use his medical skills to save people, or pass on his medical skills to others.
We can only offer sacrifices to the gods every day and be prepared for miracles to happen or for the gods to condescend to contact humans.
Gao Wenwen really didn't understand this statement: "Saving people is nothing special. Could it be that if someone gets hurt in front of her, she would just watch them die?"
If a priest were performing a ritual and someone fell in front of him, he would not believe that he could really turn a blind eye.
Yin Jiu had already treated the injuries of those people and motioned for them to stand away from the crowd and closer to the bow of the ship.
"Don't ever say this kind of thing in front of others. If others hear it, they'll be upset with you."
These words were obviously unkind to Meng Qi, but Yin Jiu's first reaction was not anger. Instead, he looked even more lonely than before.
"Priests are like demigods who tower over humans. Unlike ordinary humans, they naturally see things more broadly. They prioritize the entire community, and the individual within it comes second."
It is precisely because of this that Yin Jiu, who was originally a relative, was not given priority by Meng Qi, and there was inevitably a gap.
Judging from what Yin Jiu said, he seemed to be dissatisfied with such tradition in his heart.
Ding Can leaned his hands on the railing, feeling the breeze blowing in his face. Looking down, he could see the triangular bow of the ship breaking through the sea water, creating waves on both sides.
"So, becoming a priestess wasn't your aunt's original intention, was it? So how was she chosen?"
Yin Jiu pursed his lips and said, "There is no rule for priests to renew their terms according to a set year. The starting time is decided by the current priest."
The priest has the greatest say among all the members of the Bingxi tribe.
After years of inheritance, to a certain extent, they also have a certain ability to predict, and can judge in advance whether they can continue to be capable of migrating to Fengyang Island next year.
If it is found difficult to achieve, selection should be made from among the entire tribe in advance to avoid affecting the migration in the second year.
On the day of the election ceremony, all the men and women of the tribe who are of marriageable age will leave the gathering place and go to the Holy Gate.
There was a blazing fire on one side of the ice wall, with many long and thin iron skewers inside that had been roasting for a long time and had turned red.
The candidates are decided by the Holy Gate.
Everyone has to use the same red-hot iron skewer to pierce the ice wall. The skewer is extremely long, and under the high temperature after being roasted, it can temporarily melt the ice, allowing it to partially penetrate the ice wall.
After that, the temperature will drop sharply again, the stabbing action will stop, and the person whose iron stick remains in the ice wall the longest will be the one who is chosen.
As for Meng Qi, the length of the iron skewers still in his hand was shorter than those of others, and the result was obvious.
At that time, Yin Jiu was still very young and short. It was the first time he had seen the ceremony of selecting priests since he was born. He was very excited when he watched it among the crowd.
From a very young age, people around him often told him to respect priests, who were very sacred and noble beings.
Every time there is an activity and the priest appears to preside over it, the tribesmen will pray sincerely.
So Yin Jiu subconsciously felt that becoming a priest was a very lucky thing, so when he saw his aunt being chosen, he was particularly happy for her.
After everyone congratulated and left, Yin Jiu finally squeezed next to Meng Qi and took her hand: "Aunt, from now on everyone will have to be respectful when they see you."
In this way, wouldn't I be able to save face in front of my friends?
But Yin Jiu didn't see any joy on Meng Qi's face, so she tugged at her sleeves a few times and asked softly, "Aunt, are you unhappy?"
"No," Meng Qi raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "Let's go home."
Meng Qi took Yin Jiu's hand and left. To this day, Yin Jiu still feels that the journey home was extremely long and his steps were very slow.
Maybe my aunt also hopes to make good use of the last time to get along well with him.
That night, Meng Qi told him a lot of things that he should pay attention to in his life, no matter how big or small.
But at that time, Yin Jiu had no idea about his aunt's life after becoming a priest. It was already very late, and it was far past his usual biological clock for bed.
I was yawning all the time, and I didn't understand why I had to talk to him so much today.
"Auntie, I'm a little sleepy. I can't remember all the things you said. Can we wait until tomorrow?"
As he spoke, his eyelids drooped and he looked like he was about to fall asleep.
But Meng Qi didn't stop there. She just squatted down, held Yin Jiu's shoulders, and said earnestly: "Auntie may not have so much time to accompany you in the future. You are alone at home, so you must take good care of yourself."
"If you need any help, just tell the clan leader, or ask someone else for help."
I guess my aunt will be very busy next, and Xiao Yinjiu didn’t understand the deeper meaning.
The next day, Meng Qi began to seclude himself with the current priest for a month to hand over his identity.
When she came out again, she had become the new priestess of the Bingxi tribe. She finally saw the figure she had been thinking about day and night. Yin Jiu wanted to talk to her again and tell her aunt that everyone had taken good care of him during this period of time.
Delicious food is delivered every day, and at night, they will check whether the fire is in danger of going out.
Come to think of it, I have never been separated from my aunt for such a long time since I can remember.
Unfortunately, he failed to take that step. The neighbor uncle then held Yin Jiu in his arms and told him that unless there was something special in the future, he should not disturb the priest's practice.
Also, do not be so impolite when dealing with priests.
Yin Jiu had no choice but to stay among the crowd. While he felt strange about his uncle's words, he also understood something.
He saw the patriarch walk upright to his aunt and perform a solemn etiquette that was only seen during major events and ceremonies to invite gods.
"Congratulations, new priest. From now on, the safety of the Bingxi tribe will be in your hands."
Meng Qi just nodded silently, without saying much as before. He raised the scepter in his hands into the air with both hands, preparing a blessing ceremony for the tribe.
This is the first thing a new priest must do after officially taking office.
The ancestors of the Bingxi tribe believed that when a priest first took on this responsibility, he was closest to the gods, and it was easier to get a positive answer when making a wish to the gods at this time.
The new priest will then pray to the gods and bless his people, hoping that everyone can live in peace and health.
The environment was very quiet, and everyone closed their eyes quietly, waiting for the arrival of blessings.
Only Yin Jiu stared at the people around him with wide eyes, feeling that their current behavior was very strange.
And aunt... Yin Jiu looked over and it seemed that she had never looked at him directly since the beginning.
My aunt is there, but it seems like she will never come back.
No one mentioned the name "Mengqi" anymore, and instead used the title of priest.
Originally, Yin Jiu's parents had both passed away, and he was raised by his aunt when he was a child. The two of them lived together and had a very happy time.
But now this family has become even more distant. Yin Jiu felt very lonely that day. After returning home, he knew that he would be the only one here from now on.
There was also some bread on the table that an aunt had sent this morning. It was very sweet when it was brought to him, and he ate several pieces.
Now when I smell this scent, it feels much sweeter and I don’t feel hungry at all.
It turns out that the price of being cared for by so many people is to lose a loved one.
Later, Yin Jiu gradually cheered up, and after living with the help of other tribesmen for a period of time, he learned to be independent.
Since I couldn't always be cared for by others, my aunt left a lot of medical books at home. Some of them were ancient books, and some were notes compiled by my aunt during her studies.
There was no one to teach him, but fortunately he still had some basic knowledge. After persisting for such a long time, he really learned a lot. Whenever he saw someone with a headache or fever, he could help solve the problem.
The most important thing is that he felt that this was also fulfilling his aunt's wish.
Yin Jiu had heard her aunt say more than once that she wanted to become a very good doctor, and she hoped that she would be pleased with this.
After so many years, I have really persisted.
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