Chapter 434 Two wishes cannot be fulfilled at once
After quarreling at the head of the bed, they made up at the foot of the bed. Lin Li and Bai Bufan soon walked towards the church with their arms around each other again and affectionately.
Neither of them looked back at the girls.
It's not that they didn't want to pay attention, but mainly because when the two of them started fighting, the girls didn't even bother trying to stop the fight. Instead, they chose to keep their distance, pretending not to know the two of them, and then took a big C-shaped route and went straight into the church.
He said he would sell out his teammates, and he is not Silver Wing at all. Isn't that ridiculous?
"Lin Li, remember to be tough when you enter the church and don't lose face. This is a critical juncture that determines how we will be treated." Bai Bufan lowered his voice to remind him as he approached the iron gate of the main church building.
"Anything to say?" Lin Li asked without hesitation.
"I heard that if you take the initiative when entering a church, you will be worshipped by the people inside." Bai Bufan said in a slightly mysterious tone as he whispered the secret he had learned.
Lin Li's eyes lit up, it seemed to make sense!
Action speaks louder than words!
"Hey, buddy, this church is mine. The ticket price today is 50 yuan. WeChat or Alipay?" Lin Li turned around, stretched out his hand to randomly stop an unlucky young man, took out his mobile phone to show the payment code, and ordered in a cold voice.
Passerby: “?”
Before the other party could utter the words "your mother", Bai Bufan had already stepped forward, tightly grasped Lin Li's neck with his arm, and forcibly dragged him into the church. While dragging him, he did not forget to look back, with an apologetic smile on his face:
"Sorry, buddy. My friend had a high fever when he was a child, and his mother mistakenly sent him to the veterinary hospital for treatment. As a result, his brain was not fully developed, and his cerebellum was completely underdeveloped. Please be considerate, please be considerate-"
Bai Bufan felt that the girls' decision to abandon him and run away with Lin Li was simply genius and very wise.
If it was him, he would run too.
After crossing the ancient iron gate, you officially enter the church area.
After walking a few steps and entering the church building, we can see the holy water pool. Because today is an open day, there are many non-church members and many people are curious about it, including Chen Yuying and others, who also lined up to experience it.
A mild-mannered administrator stood beside him, introducing:
"Touching the holy water can cleanse the body and mind and commemorate baptism. We welcome everyone to touch the holy water. However, there is no need to make the sign of the cross like us believers. However, if you want to experience it, we will not stop you. The only requirement is that you follow the standard movements and recite the prayers silently in your heart."
Lin Li and Bai Bufan did not step forward.
They really couldn't be pious.
For two people who have been poisoned by the Internet, when they hear the word holy water, the things that come to their minds are not very holy.
The two took advantage of this opportunity to follow the route inside, walked around a stone wall behind the holy water pool, and suddenly they saw the main temple of the church.
There are quite a few people inside at this moment, including men, women, young and old, and it is bustling with activity.
It was only a little after three in the afternoon, and I didn't expect that there were so many Catholic believers in the county town of Nansang.
But think about it, many aunties will be willing to trust you as long as you are willing to give them eggs, and then they will lead others to trust you.
The believers were not praying now, but singing under the guidance of a church member.
However, the lyrics are neither in Chinese nor in English, but judging from the melody, it should be a Christmas carol, and it is currently being rehearsed.
I took an introductory leaflet at the door, scanned the QR code, and my phone immediately displayed a detailed map of the church.
On the left side of the main sanctuary are the temporary theater, activity room and office; on the right side is the statue of the Virgin Mary and...the confessional.
When they saw this word, their eyes focused on each other's faces at the same time, and then turned to the right tacitly.
There is indeed a room marked as a confessional, but the door is now closed. There are two people sitting on the bench opposite the door, and I don’t know if they are waiting.
"pity."
"I searched and found that only priests hear confessions, not sexy nuns in nun uniforms. Theoretically, nuns can't even enter the confessional. Sigh, the internet is a lie."
Bai Bufan quickly took out his cell phone to search, and after a moment, he said dejectedly as if his fantasy was shattered.
"That's such a pity," Lin Li shook his head regretfully, "otherwise I really want to go in and repent."
"Yes, I have done a lot of evil in my life and I really need to repent." Bai Bufan agreed deeply.
"What do you two want to confess?"
The girls just happened to come over after experiencing the Sign of the Cross. When Chen Yuying heard this, she couldn't help laughing and asked with a hint of curiosity.
Then, as if worried that the two had said too much, Ding Sihan quickly added: "Just tell us one thing we haven't heard before, just one, that's enough."
Lin Li: "I once turned the brightness of my grandma's phone down to the lowest setting and asked her for money to fix it."
Bai Bufan: "I once put sleeping pills and laxatives in the water cup of my roommate named Zhou. Then, while he was sniffing, I sprinkled fiberglass and itching powder on his back. When he woke up, he found that if he didn't scratch, it would itch like hell, and if he did, it would hurt like hell."
Chen Yuying, Ding Sihan, Qu Wanqiu: "..."
Sometimes it is really difficult to find out where the moral bottom line of these two people lies.
Satan: You two seem a little too extreme.
“Is it really true that we only need to listen to one? We have many more.
I took a look and saw that reservations were required for this confessional, and that you could only confess with the priest for fifteen minutes at a time. To be honest, it seemed a bit disrespectful."
Lin Li curled his lips and said according to the information he got from his phone.
Fifteen minutes? What a joke! If this gets out to foreigners, they might think the local Catholics can’t afford to confess! Lin Li gave a number: fifteen hours of confession at a time!
"Then you should be more restrained." Chen Yuying smiled and shook her head.
"Alright," Lin Li agreed and looked at the girls, "Where are we going next?"
"The DIY event is in the activity room, but there's no rush. We can go later." Chen Yuying also looked at the map, her eyes moving across the screen. "We can go through the main hall first and check out the courtyard garden at the back. That's where the charity sale is."
Everyone agreed and walked straight through the solemn and dignified main hall and went out through the back door. Suddenly, the view in front of them opened up to a warm and lovely courtyard.
The Christmas tree that was not seen at the main entrance was indeed standing here.
It was a Christmas tree that was not tall but definitely not short. It was a spruce tree that was about two meters tall, almost taller than all the vegetative patients in the hospital.
The church is a big winner in this regard.
The tree has been carefully hung with twinkling lights and various decorations, and a classic golden star on the top shines in the sunlight.
There were many wrapped gift boxes scattered under the tree, and two staff members were registering something nearby.
"Hello, what does this place do?" Five people came forward and asked curiously.
"Oh, this is a caring station for exchanging and giving Christmas gifts," a kind-looking volunteer lady explained with a smile:
"As long as you bring a Christmas gift to us in advance for registration, you can get a voucher. Then on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, you can use this voucher to pick up a Christmas gift and blessing from someone else!"
"What if some people are born bad and deliberately send things that are not gifts at all, or are even vulgar and scary?" Bai Bufan was worried, thinking about others from his own perspective.
"That's right. There are many people in this world who look handsome, sunny and cheerful, but are actually very dark inside." Lin Li judged others by his own experience and deeply agreed with Bai Bufan's concerns.
"We've certainly taken this into consideration," the two aunts smiled at each other. "Actually, whether or not the gift is wrapped, we still need to confirm the specific contents of the gift."
"First, just as you're worried, we need to make sure it's a gift that can really bring happiness to people—"
Wait, is this an illusion?
Why did the two aunts feel that after they said this, the light in the eyes of the two boys in front of them immediately went out and became dull?
Hiss—why don’t these two look like good people?
"...Secondly, we'll suggest that those who gave gifts of particularly high value replace their gifts." After a pause, the two aunts continued:
"This is because we don't want to bring too many profit considerations into the gift exchange.
There were many children participating in this activity, and the gifts they brought might just be a box of paint, a small doll...
If someone feels like they've lost out after receiving their own gift at Christmas, that goes against our original intention, so this needs to be made clear in advance."
"That's a very meaningful event," Qu Wanqiu nodded, with some interest in her eyes, but then she looked at Lin Li: "But you're the only one free on Christmas Day, Lin Li, right? This place is not on the way to your home or school..."
"It's nothing, just a few more pedal strokes. If you want to participate, just join. I'll give it to you when the time comes. Don't worry about whether I'm tired or not."
Lin Li immediately waved his hand to interrupt Qu Wanqiu's words, speaking in a relaxed tone.
Lin Li had long been accustomed to being a day student for Class 4. Those students in the back row probably had no more than twenty times of school breakfast in a semester.
"You don't have to pick it up on the same day. You can pick it up on the weekend." Another aunt added with a smile.
"Can this squeezing toy be a gift? It's fun and relaxing. I just opened it today, so it's very new and not worth much." Ding Sihan rummaged through her small handbag and took out a palm-sized squeezing toy and asked.
"Of course you can," the two aunts nodded immediately. Seeing Ding Sihan handing it over, they reached out to take it. One began to register, and the other handed Ding Sihan a piece of cardboard: "Miss, if it's not too much trouble, please write a blessing and a message for the person who will receive the gift.
Then tell us what kind of gifts you would like and what kind of gifts you would not like to receive."
"Can you make a wish?" Lin Li looked at his aunt in surprise. "Isn't it about exchanging gifts?"
"After all, we know what everyone's gifts are, and we will try our best to match them so that everyone can receive their gifts happily. If the little boy received a Barbie doll, he would definitely not be happy, right?" The aunt explained patiently.
Lin Li suddenly understood and nodded.
Bai Bufan nudged Lin Li with his elbow and raised his chin: "Lin Li, what do you want for Christmas?"
"I'm going to get my driver's license soon, so my wish is a Porsche 911." Lin Li answered immediately.
Bai Bufan frowned: "Isn't it too greedy to make two wishes at once?"
"Then just call 911." Lin Li corrected his mistake as soon as he realized it.
"Okay," Bai Bufan was very pleased, "It seems that Santa Claus will start working in September next year."
"What about you? What gift do you want?" Lin Li asked back.
"I want the Iron Man suit."
"Be realistic and don't make things difficult for Santa Claus." Lin Li sneered.
Bai Bufan: "Then I hope there are girls pursuing me."
Bai Bufan still has no interest in love, but he is very interested in making Qin Zeyu envious, jealous and hateful to the point of madness.
Before Lin Li could say anything, Ding Sihan raised his hand and said, "Bai Bufan, Santa Claus just appeared in my dream and asked me which series of Iron Man suit I wanted."
"……Grass."
Bai Bufan closed his eyes, covered his face with his hands and laughed and cursed helplessly.
The same words spoken by different people can sound different levels of offensive.
If Lin Li had said this, Bai Bufan would have calmly or even sneered and said, "I knew it."
But Ding Sihan still felt a little uncomfortable when he said it.
Lin Li looked at Ding Sihan with satisfaction. It was obvious that Ding Sihan had learned something real from him.
Seeing Lin Li smiling and raising his right palm towards him, Ding Sihan immediately understood and raised his hand to high-five Lin Li.
Hehe, Lin Li made a feint, then immediately clenched his hand into a fist and swung it downward, causing Ding Sihan to miss.
Seeing Ding Sihan's expression of joy suddenly froze and his eyes gradually became malicious, Lin Li nodded complacently. It was obvious that he had not yet learned the real things and it was not time for him to become a master.
"Lin Li! Go to hell!" Ding Sihan screamed and immediately started chasing Lin Li.
"Rebound."
One chasing and the other running, the two began to circle around the "two-person dog" Qin Wang around the pillar until Ding Sihan was exhausted.
"Trash~ Trash~" Lin Li happily hooked his arm around Bai Bufan's shoulder, then looked at him curiously: "Bufan, Ding Zi seemed to have bumped into you during the chase just now, right? How are you still alive? Shouldn't you have been trembling all over and foaming at the mouth, dead on the spot?"
Ding Sihan and Bai Bufan: "What the hell am I? Why would I die if I touch it?"
They said the same thing but not exactly the same. Compared with Ding Sihan, Bai Bufan obviously had a better relationship with his elders.
"I mean your fear of women," Lin Li shrugged. "Okay?"
Bai Bufan was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then looked at Ding Sihan: "Ding Sihan, are you a woman?"
Ding Sihan: “?”
"Hello, ma'am. I'm the translator," Lin Li immediately began simultaneous interpretation. "What Bufan meant just now was that he was asking what your brother is doing right now."
"Huh? My brother?" Ding Sihan was about to explode, but was stunned when he heard that.
Lin Li: "He was the one who asked where your brother was?"
Ding Sihan: “(；☉_☉)?”
"Ding Sihan, are you a woman?"
Lin Li repeated Bai Bufan's words, but he was certain that Ding Sihan had a completely new understanding of this.
Lin Li felt that in future meetings between heads of state, he could be invited to serve as an interpreter, which would surely bring world peace.
I can mediate the sweet and salty tofu pudding war within 24 hours!
Bai Bufan: “?”
"No! No! I didn't mean that! I really didn't! What I wanted to joke about was that we should all send it, bro! But I didn't mean to joke about that!"
Bai Bufan, the translator of the ditch, was worried that Ding Sihan would hunt him down like he did to Lin Li, so he immediately explained in a panic.
——Bai Bufan is still not very good at getting along with girls of the same age. "Three people" is definitely considered good, but it is limited.
For example, if he were asked to walk back to school with one or more of the "three people", Bai Bufan would definitely not be so scared as to kneel down and beg Lin Li like before. He could accept it, but he would definitely not take the initiative to speak or extend the topic along the way. He could only answer when the girls asked questions, and it was estimated that there would be a lot of awkward silences.
As for other girls of the same age, especially those whose familiarity was probably limited to knowing each other's names, Bai Bufan still avoided them like the plague.
Bai Bufan then breathed a sigh of relief because Ding Sihan did not chase him, she killed the man below her.
The most supportive episode.
Bai Bufan made a decision - he would quietly stretch out his leg and trip this evil beast!
Lin Li, go to hell!
Damn, Lin Li stepped on him.
Wow, Wow, he was stepped on again by Ding Sihan who was chasing him from behind.
It hurts so much, it hurts so much, it hurts so much——
…
After the fun, Lin Li failed to outrun Ding Sihan this time. There were several shallow shoe prints on his pants, and he was ordered not to wipe them off. He felt extremely aggrieved.
"Auntie, let's go see if there's anything suitable as a gift and buy some. We'll come back to you later."
After Ding Sihan wrote the blessing on the card, Chen Yuying spoke gently to the two volunteer aunts.
No one knew about this segment beforehand, and apart from Ding Sihan's Nie Nie Le, no one had anything suitable as a gift.
So if you want to participate in this little event, you have to buy a small gift in the church or outside and come back here later.
"Okay, okay, no problem! Although the shift changes at night, there will definitely always be someone here." The aunts responded with a smile.
The church courtyard was bustling with people and filled with all kinds of stalls.
The most eye-catching ones are the stalls full of Christmas elements, including mini Christmas trees, gingerbread men and candy canes, elk headbands, Santa hats, Christmas-themed night lights, mugs...
The second most popular item is items with church elements: cross ornaments or necklaces, statues of the Virgin Mary, bookmarks printed with Bible verses, and candlesticks with simple shapes...
In addition, there are stalls selling fragrant handmade pastries, colorful handmade weaving products, and stalls selling second-hand books and small items spontaneously provided by some believers.
"Come on, kids, try the cake Auntie made!"
The five people had just taken a few steps when they were stopped by an enthusiastic aunt.
She deftly picked up five exquisite little cupcakes from the table next to her and stuffed them into everyone's hands without saying a word.
Noticing the hesitant looks from the five people, the auntie immediately explained with a smile: "This is a free tasting. Just eat it without worry. We are not forcing you to buy."
Although the cake wasn't big, it was quite filling, about the size of a palm. So Lin Li and his companions exchanged glances, then he stepped forward and said with a sincere smile, "Auntie, one is too much for each of us to try. Let's just share two."
"What are you talking about! How is one per person too much?" Upon hearing this, the aunt started to get angry in a classic "passionate way":
"This is originally a charity sale. Auntie made this cake for everyone to eat. Auntie doesn't mind if you try it all you can eat. Just one per person. If you like it, come back for more!
Whether or not I buy it is secondary. As long as I think it tastes good, I’m satisfied! ”
Unable to refuse such a kind offer, the five of them accepted it with a smile and expressed their gratitude.
"What a warm-hearted auntie," Qu Wanqiu whispered.
"Yes, the last time I felt such warm care was in Shanghai." Lin Li nodded.
Upon hearing this, the "Three Dogs" turned their gaze towards Lin Li, waiting for the next words.
Lin Li did not disappoint them. Without waiting for the supporting role, he took a bite of the cake and spoke with a hint of nostalgia:
"That was my first time in the city. After arriving in Shanghai, the first thing I did was go to Mixue Ice City. I wanted to drink the drinks that the upper class drank."
"That was also the first time I saw a lemon. I didn't know what kind of fruit it was, so I asked other customers in the store. However, those outsiders refused to answer me and looked at me strangely."
"Only one Shanghainese man," Lin Li said with gratitude, "was the only one who enthusiastically told me the answer—it's called Fragrant Mist Lemon."
"And let me tell you, the enthusiasm of Shanghai people is the kind that moistens things silently, the highest level of enthusiasm."
"He saw my embarrassment, so instead of telling me the answer directly and embarrassing me, he pretended to be chatting with friends, pointing in my direction and introducing them to them, 'Look, this is the real Citron!'"
"Pretending to help a friend, but actually helping me, how considerate of you." At this point, Lin Li wiped his eyes with his arm.
"I won't say any more. If I continue, I'll start crying again."
(End of this chapter)
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