After comforting Cai 'er, Cheng Hao sighed. He glanced at the increasingly gloomy sky, shook off the snow on his body, and returned to the shop.
Inside the shop, there was a pot of charcoal. It was much warmer than outside.
The old man reclined on a recliner, warming himself by the fire. His entire body shivered, as if he was very afraid of the cold.
Cheng Hao went into the room and covered the old man with a blanket, but even so, the old man still shivered all over, as if his body was about to collapse.
A trace of worry appeared on Cheng Hao's face. Ever since winter had arrived, the old man's body had been deteriorating day by day. From the looks of it, he would not be able to make it through this winter.
"Hao 'er …"
Seeing Cheng Hao sit by his side, the old man forced himself to sit up. A pale smile appeared on his face.
"This old man can't hold on any longer … Before I leave, I'll do one last thing for you … It's just that … you might not be happy about it, but I'll still do it!"
The old man coughed a few times. Trembling, he took out a red envelope from his clothes. Cheng Hao saw the two large words on it with a single glance — Marriage Contract!
"I've actually already discussed this matter with the old Lan family next door … Just yesterday, this matter was finally settled. I knew you wouldn't agree, so I could only make the decision on my own. The marriage between you and Cai 'er, on my own … Cough cough …"
Cheng Hao remained silent. He did not know what to say. After all, the old man really did treat him as a family member. Doing this could not be said to be wrong.
After a series of violent coughs, the old man's face suddenly became rosy. As if he had returned to his senses, he suddenly sat up straight and grabbed Cheng Hao's arm tightly. His face was filled with reluctance.
"I'm lucky to be able to meet you when I'm old. You'll help me when I die … This old man doesn't want you to be like me and be alone for the rest of your life. The feeling of loneliness is really … terrifying …"
"Terrifying …"
As if he had breathed out his last breath, the old man slowly lay down with a relieved smile on his face. He slowly closed his eyes, but he did not let go of Cheng Hao's arm. It was as if his last obsession was still unable to let go of him!
Cheng Hao didn't say anything. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and helped the old man tidy up his clothes. He dipped a towel in warm water and wiped the old man's body, helping him finish his last journey with dignity.
After tidying up his appearance, Cheng Hao took down all the calligraphy and paintings on the wall and spread them out one by one. They were like layers of bedding, covering the old man's body.
"I know you like these paintings. Take them with you on your journey. I hope that you won't be so lonely in your next life!"
All these years, Cheng Hao had never known the old man's name. He only knew that his surname was Li, and that he seemed to have suffered from emotional distress when he was young. Since then, he had never married or had children.
Cheng Hao knew that the old man believed him to be like him, unwilling to marry for the rest of his life because of emotional distress. That was why he made the decision on his own and helped him set up a marriage contract. He didn't want him to be like him and be alone for the rest of his life.
.....
This year's snow was much heavier than in previous years. It snowed heavily for two whole days, enough to bury a person's calf.
Fortunately, although the snow was heavy, there was no wind.
With the help of the neighbours, Cheng Hao seemed to have aged a lot after the old man was buried. He would often sit alone in the empty shop in the middle of the night, and he would sit there for an entire night.
He was still as fond of calligraphy and painting as before. Sometimes, he would paint for an entire day. Sometimes, Cai 'er would not have the time to bring him food, so he would not even eat. He would just constantly paint. It was as if the deep sense of loneliness would only leave him when he was painting.
Loneliness was something that Cheng Hao had always felt. This feeling did not decrease because of the old man and Cai 'er's company. The feeling of being out of tune with the entire world, as if he was in an illusory world, made him speechless.
This indescribable sense of loneliness, where everyone was drunk and he was the only one awake, was much more terrifying than being alone.
.....
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, another three years had passed.
In the past three years, perhaps because she was shy after learning about the engagement, or perhaps because she wanted to avoid suspicion, Cai 'er came to Cheng Hao's shop less and less. Most of the time, it was the workers from the Lan family's shop who came to deliver food to Cheng Hao.
In the past three years, Cheng Hao's title as the Painting Immortal had already spread across the entire capital. It was said that an immortal had gained a rare epiphany after seeing his paintings, going from an ordinary immortal to a lofty heavenly immortal. He could summon the wind and summon the rain. His abilities were vast, making people worship him.
In return, the immortal passed down a decree, officially bestowing upon Cheng Hao the title of Painting Immortal. He would receive the immortal's protection. Anyone who offended Cheng Hao would die!
Cheng Hao did not have any objections to this. At the very least, the matter of some wealthy families using their power to buy his paintings had never happened again. It made his life much more peaceful.
Time was the most irresistible power in the world. Cheng Hao's appearance also changed from three years ago. He no longer looked like a young man, but a middle-aged man. Wrinkles gradually appeared on his face.
It was another cold winter night. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, covering the ground outside the shop with a thick layer of snow. Cheng Hao, as usual, continued to sit cross-legged in front of the desk, warming himself up by the fire, preparing to paint.
Creak!
The door of the shop was opened, and Cai 'er's pretty face poked in. When she saw Cheng Hao, she immediately blushed. She lowered her head, turned around, and waved her hand behind her.
"Father, come in. Uncle's in the room."
Cai 'er's father carried a wooden box as he walked in with a smile. When he saw Cheng Hao, he asked rather cautiously, "Brother … Cheng, are you busy?"
Cheng Hao nodded, put down the paintbrush in his hand, and stood up to walk over.
After the two exchanged some simple greetings, they sat down at the dining table. Cai 'er took the wooden box from her father's hands, opened the lid, and saw a few exquisite dishes as well as two bottles of rice wine.
Cheng Hao calmly looked at Cai 'er as she placed the dishes on the table. He did not say anything, and the atmosphere became rather heavy.
"That, Brother Cheng, Master Li has already passed away for three years. Previously, I did not urge you and Cai 'er to get married. Now that Cai' er is already a sixteen year old girl, it's time for her to get married. Do you think we should set a date for Cai 'er to get married?" After a short silence, Cai' er's father took the initiative to bring up the matter of marriage.
Cheng Hao did not answer boss Lan's question, but turned his head to Cai 'er, "What about you? What do you think?"
"It's the parents' orders, the matchmaker's words. Since father has already set a marriage contract for Cai 'er, Cai' er naturally has to comply!" Lan Cai 'er's face had already turned red, and she lowered her head, looking like a pretty girl from a humble family.
Cheng Hao sighed. There were some things he did not want to do, but now, he had to do it.
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.
