Chapter 28 Leaving "You...you?" Mary trembled with her index finger...
"You...you?" Mary pointed at Diego with her trembling index finger, her expression as if she had seen a ghost: "What did you say?"
Diego bit Mary's fingertip, but without applying force. It was so light that it barely left a mark, yet the atmosphere was even more ambiguous than before.
The smile on his face was very proud: "Mary, you have never kissed anyone, have you?" Like a proud cat: "I didn't expect that your first kiss would be from me, DIO!"
"No, no, no," Mary shook her head, her eyes filled with suspicion. "Compensation? You actually want to compensate me with yourself?"
Knowing someone was sleeping, she lowered her voice: "Do you know what compensation means? It means that you and all your property belong to me. As someone who wants to cut my salary in half, I reasonably doubt your motives."
“…”
Diego felt that he had never been so speechless in his life. He was too lazy to explain. He closed his eyes, hugged the wooden man and continued to sleep.
He felt that if he argued with Mary a few more times, he would be pissed off to death by this fool with no common sense.
Mary felt a sense of relief when she realized Diego refused to communicate. Diego wasn't a bad guy, but he was definitely not a good person. He had an unimaginable obsession with money and power, though she didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of poverty in the past?
Mary didn't know Diego's background, but she knew the character of this kind of person.
He, the President, and the Sound Man were essentially similar: they were all unscrupulous individuals. They'd stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even abandoning their humanity. Being targeted by such people was like being caught by dodder; getting away from them was a real hassle.
But, Diego is weaker than her, looks so handsome, and can give her money, so she really doesn't hate this guy.
Forget it, I don’t want to think about it anymore.
Mary continued to sleep with her head resting on Diego's arm and soon fell asleep.
The next day, it was not the chirping of birds outside the window that woke Mary up, but the push of the musician.
Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, Mary looked at the boy in front of her and said softly, "What's wrong?" Yinren pressed his index finger on Mary's mouth, signaling her to be quiet.
Looking at Diego and Lilith sleeping soundly on the ground, Mary closed her mouth and stood up silently. Yin Ren hooked his finger, and the two of them quietly left the tent.
Although Yinren was Indian, his appearance was surprisingly superior to many white people. Mary loved his green eyes, which resembled a rare spring of fresh water in the desert. But for some reason, Yinren looked very melancholy today. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was troubled.
They climbed over several sand dunes before Yin Ren stopped.
The sun was already rising, blazing across the desert. Mary knew that in two hours, the temperature would rise dramatically, and people would become even more irritable than usual due to such extreme weather.
"Mary..."
"Um?"
"I don't know what's right or wrong anymore..." The once resolute young man lowered his head, like a frustrated puppy. The green in his eyes trembled, and an indescribable loneliness enveloped him. He was clearly in his hometown, yet he felt like a lost stranger.
This was not the boy Mary knew. In her memory, he was calm, strong, and filled with rage against white people. He was always at the forefront of conflicts with white people.
"What's the matter?" Mary asked.
"I..." Yinren sat on the sand dune, not looking at Mary, but gazing out at the boundless desert. "I feel like I'd be a traitor. According to the rules, someone like me should be scalped. But... I still think this is the right thing to do."
Still confused, Mary felt a surge of impatience rising in her heart. Why couldn't these people always make themselves clear? Was it so difficult to get straight to the point?
"Why do you feel like a betrayer?" She was puzzled. "You once strongly rejected your sister Ah Bian's methods."
That was five years ago. The desert then was not as peaceful as it is now.
The white army used extremely powerful weapons to drive out the Indians. Even the strongest hunters were completely defenseless against the guns and were beaten back step by step.
Amidst the blood and chaos, Ah Bian came up with a plan: "All of us Indians can become white people, then blend into the army and defeat those bastards one by one!"
Yinren was always respectful to his sister, but this time he lost his temper: "Are you kidding me?! By becoming white, we've essentially destroyed ourselves!"
"Just because our appearance has changed doesn't mean our inner self has changed. As long as our spiritual beliefs remain unchanged, we're still Indians!" The younger brother was furious, and his sister followed suit: "Then what do you say we should do? Hundreds of our people are dying every day. If we don't do this, we'll die too! If you do what I say, we at least have a glimmer of hope!"
"No..." Yinren shook his head. "When our outward appearance changes, our inner self will inevitably change." He pointed at himself. "For example, to blend in with the white community, we have to wear their clothes, and to avoid being seen, we have to learn their culture. Even if I love my own people, there will definitely be a day when I betray myself."
Yinren's words were irrefutable. Ah Bian sat dejectedly on the ground, his eyes filled with despair.
"How about I sneak in?" Mary asked in a low voice, sensing the solemn atmosphere.
Ah Bian and Yin Ren looked at Mary at the same time.
"Yes... yes!" Looking at Mary's white skin, he suddenly had a better idea.
"Actually, there shouldn't be much difference between countries and ethnic groups. Kill one group of soldiers, and another will come. The one most worthy of killing should be the spiritual leader of the white people, that is, their president!" The voice man said in a passionate tone: "That's the person you should kill, Mary."
…………
"Five years ago... I was the one who asked you to assassinate the President. Actually, I never thought you would survive, Mary," the Voice Man whispered, "but you made my dream come true. This barren land finally belongs to us. We no longer have to be massacred and expelled... But why are you so unwilling to make progress?"
Mary didn't say anything, and Yinren didn't need to respond. He just needed an outlet. "Why won't they change even a little bit? It's just a simple matter of heating the water to reduce bacteria, and no one wants to do it."
He looked at Mary, a bewilderment he had never seen in her eyes before. "It was only after I read white people's books that I realized why so many children in my tribe died young. We can reduce the number of deaths by simply changing a few habits. Why doesn't anyone understand such a simple thing?"
Listening to Yinren's words, Mary thought back to five years ago. Back then, Yinren hid himself in a cave, and often, her breakfast, lunch, and dinner consisted of dried meat. She thought everything was normal then, but it wasn't until she entered society that she gradually realized something was amiss.
Stroking Yinren's head, Mary encouraged him, "You're already amazing. You can discover things that others can't. You're the only one willing to think about things that others never consider. That's what we call... a pioneer."
Instead of smiling, Yin Ren took a deep breath. "I just want everyone to improve, but everyone calls me a white man's lackey... I don't know how to convince them anymore. Am I really a traitor to my tribe?"
"I don't know..." Mary sat next to Yinren and put her head on his shoulder: "I am different from you. I don't belong, so I can't answer your confusion."
"Still can't remember anything?"
"No."
The voice man noticed the sadness in Mary's eyes and returned to the original topic: "How long can our tribe survive?" The voice man turned and looked at Mary. "The white people invented guns, dynamite, and so many other devices I have never seen. As much as I don't want to admit it, they are far more powerful than us. If we continue to refuse to make progress, we are doomed to be destroyed one day."
The complexity contained in his green pupils was difficult to understand: "Mary, if it weren't for you, our situation would definitely be much more difficult than we imagined."
Mary pursed her lips habitually: "Don't think too much. Taking one step at a time is also a good choice occasionally."
Yinren didn't respond, but stood up from the sand and said, "Let's go back. Thank you for accompanying me today."
"It doesn't matter."
…………………………
When they returned, Diego was already standing outside the tent. He looked quite irritated, and if he had a cat's tail, I wonder how he would wag it.
"What's wrong?" Mary came to Diego and asked.
Diego raised his eyebrows. Although he didn't say anything, Mary somehow understood what he meant: How dare you ask?
Lilith also heard the noise and ran out quickly, approaching Mary. She was afraid of Diego, because only women could bring real security to women.
Although he knew that Lilith's core was a woman, Diego still felt that her current actions were an eyesore.
"Hey, don't dawdle, hurry up and get the things out." He said, "I don't have time to waste with you."
Although she knew she couldn't afford such a large sum, the pain she felt when she actually had to hand it over to someone else was indescribable. Lilith pinched her fingertips, trying not to show her sadness. "I don't have a horse, and my stamina is very low. I'll have to trouble you to give me a ride."
"No problem." Mary called over her horse, Lulu, and shoved the slender boy aboard with one hand. He didn't waste time exchanging pleasantries, but simply began giving directions. Even though Yinren didn't want to do this, he followed, much to Diego's displeasure.
If this ugly native dared to covet his money, he would let him know what death is.
Perhaps sensing the murderous intent, the man who effortlessly caught up to the horse with his legs looked back with a grim expression. If it weren't for Mary, this man wouldn't even have left a complete corpse.
Both sides looked at each other unwillingly. If they hadn't wanted to catch up with Mary who was running faster and faster, they would really fight.
Mary, who was so focused on getting on her way, didn't realize that she had accidentally resolved a crisis. However, Lilith sensed the undercurrent and carefully suppressed her presence.
Lilith was able to bring millions of dollars to the desert by herself, so her ability to hide things is better than that of ordinary people.
She did not put the money and treasures together, but scattered them like stars in the sky, everywhere.
Some were hidden in bird nests, others tucked into tree holes. Mary didn't have much patience for this meticulous search, but Diego, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed it. A delighted glint danced not only in his mouth but also in his eyes.
He really likes money.
They spent an entire day searching, stopping and starting, but only managed to find $200,000. Mary felt this was ridiculously inefficient and couldn't help but ask, "Where did you hide the rest of your money? You didn't hide it everywhere since you started running, did you?"
Lilith stretched out her finger and shook it in the air. "I wouldn't be so crazy." Looking at Mary's expressionless face, she pouted and tapped the corner of Mary's mouth with her fingertips. "I'm just trying to make you laugh. At least give me some reaction."
Before Mary could even smile, she quickly clamped Diego's hand, "What are you doing?"
Diego ignored her and just stared at the pale Lilith. "Now that you've become a man, it's better to act like one. If you don't want to be the object of everyone's ridicule, you'd better not be so pretentious."
This statement was irrefutable; Diego always got to the heart of the matter. Lilith then realized she hadn't fully integrated into her new identity, and her expression became even more bitter than before.
Yinren looked at everything in front of him silently, without stopping or speaking.
After a while, Lilith sat up straight, imitating Diego's example. Her voice was even deeper than before. "Ms. Mary, follow my instructions. You will soon get what you want, and I can embark on a new life."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
