Time passed by slowly. In the blink of an eye, five to six years had passed.
In these few years, Cheng Hao had participated in the Imperial Examinations twice in a row. However, he had failed both times. The Grand Scholar status was still far away from him.
Gradually, the neighbors around him became familiar with Cheng Hao, the High Scholar who had failed time and time again. There would often be people who would come to the store to sit down and comment on Cheng Hao's calligraphy and paintings. They felt that they had gained a lot of face.
After all, he was a High Scholar. Although he was not considered much in the capital, if he was in a county outside of the city, he would still be a person of status. For a merchant family like them to be friends with a High Scholar was something to be proud of.
That evening, after Cheng Hao and the store owner had dinner, Cheng Hao continued to paint as usual. The old man smiled as he watched from the side. Although the dim oil lamp was not very bright, the interior of the store was very warm and peaceful.
The old man was old, and his energy was not as good as before. After watching from the side for a while, he got up and went back to his room to sleep. Cheng Hao had long been accustomed to this. He immersed himself in the painting, as if this was the only way to eliminate the sadness in his heart that had been tested time and time again.
As he was painting, the sound of a wind chime could be heard. The door of the store was pushed open. A little girl with pigtails, wearing a red dress and holding a wind chime in her hand carefully opened the door and peeked inside.
The little girl looked at Cheng Hao timidly. However, she was quickly attracted by the paintings on the walls. She said timidly, "Uncle, these are all your paintings. They are so beautiful. Can I have one?"
Cheng Hao smiled and stopped the brush in his hand. He walked to the wall and took down one of the scrolls.
In the painting, there was a golden Buddha. He was in the middle of the starry sky. His palms were pressed together and emitted a golden light. It was as if he was the center of the universe. The stars in the sky were all revolving around him.
"This is the Buddha that uncle often dreams of. It is called the Amitabha Buddha. I will give it to you!"
The little girl did not understand the Buddha in the painting. However, the golden Buddha was very beautiful. After receiving the painting, she smiled and said to Cheng Hao, "Thank you uncle. I am from the store next door. My name is Lan Caier!"
Then, the little girl ran out of the store and shouted, "Father, mother, look! Uncle gave this to me."
Cheng Hao stood up and walked to the door. He saw a man and woman coming out of the store....................................................................... of..................
"It's just a painting. I drew it myself. If the child likes it, then keep it. It's not worth much!"
Cheng Hao smiled and waved his hand. Then, he asked, "You just moved here, right? Have we not met before? "
"Yes, we just rented this store yesterday. We sell some cloth and do some small business!" The man smiled and nodded, "That's right, I heard from the neighbors that you're a High Scholar. It's our honor to be your neighbor!"
Cheng Hao could not help but shake his head, "What High Scholar? I am just trying to make a living. It is not worth mentioning!"
"You must be joking. With your status, if you leave the capital, you can definitely live a good life. But it seems that you are ambitious. You will not return home until you become a High Scholar!"
"Hehe, what ambition? It is just that I no longer have any relatives in my hometown. It is the same wherever I live. Also, I have been here for a long time. I am too lazy to change places."
At this point, Cheng Hao's interest waned. He waved his hand and walked towards the grocery store. "By the way, you've just arrived. If there's anything you need, you can come to the store to get it. We're all neighbors, so it's not expensive!"
"Okay, I will be your guest next time!" The middle-aged man laughed heartily. He carried his daughter and walked towards his store.
.....
Ever since that day, every time Cheng Hao was free to write or paint, there would be another visitor in the store.
Other than the old man who could not even walk properly, there was also a little girl with pigtails. She was like the most loyal fan. She supported her cheeks with her hands and watched Cheng Hao's every move without blinking.
Life was like clear water. Although it was plain, it was stable. There were no waves and no surprises.
The days passed one after another. Cheng Hao failed the imperial examination once again, but he was still unable to become a grand scholar. He had already become accustomed to this result. Perhaps it was because he was used to this kind of peaceful life. He even faintly hoped that he would never become a grand scholar in his entire life.
In the evening, Cheng Hao put down the brush in his hand. The hunchbacked old man also stood up and returned to his room. That was when Cai 'er arrived.
"Uncle, old man, I brought food for you!"
Lan Cai 'er, who was already ten years old, had become even more lively. She giggled as she carried a wooden food box. With small, quick steps, she arrived at the grocery store in just a few steps.
"Uncle, my parents have gone to stock up. The rice today was made by Cai 'er herself. It is a little burnt, so please make do with it."
Over the past few years, Cai 'er had taken quite a few paintings from Cheng Hao. To return the favor, Cai 'er's parents would send food to the two of them every meal time. This saved Cheng Hao a lot of trouble. He was very satisfied with this.
The three of them sat around the table. As they ate, they listened to Cai 'er chatter about her happy and unhappy matters.
"Uncle, I'm only ten years old this year, and there are already people coming to my house to propose marriage. Don't you think they're crazy?"
Cai 'er was a little depressed. Because she came to Cheng Hao's place every day to learn painting and calligraphy, after a long time, she had learned quite a few words. Occasionally, under Cheng Hao's guidance, she would be able to draw some pretty good scrolls. In a short period of time, Cai' er's reputation as a talented little girl spread throughout the suburbs of the capital.
Because of this, when Cai 'er turned ten years old this year, some matchmakers couldn't wait to propose marriage. Although her parents used the excuse that the girl was too young to send away many of the matchmakers, looking at this trend, it seemed that they wouldn't be able to stop.
"Hehe, there's nothing we can do about it. Girls should get married when they grow up. Moreover, Cai 'er is so pretty and talented. Which young man wouldn't be moved by her?" Cheng Hao swallowed the rice in his mouth and casually teased.
"Uncle … even you are making fun of me!"
Lan Cai 'er's face reddened slightly. Afterwards, she looked at Cheng Hao with some curiosity. She was a little hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.
"Just say what you want to say. Look at you holding it in!" Looking at Cai 'er's red face, Cheng Hao felt a little funny.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
