"Yeah... We both liked it; she always said that Xiao Xu’s mouth is both annoying and endearing..."
The middle-aged man wasn’t sure for a mont whether the elderly companion was speaking to him.
"I said Xiao Xu’s porridge is often burnt, what’s so good about it? But she said she just likes to chat with Xiao Xu. What’s there to talk about in plain words? It’s just her talking about her youthful days and taking to task..."
The elderly companion continued speaking.
The middle-aged man listened for a long while.
When the elderly companion grew tired, he finally ate so of the porridge the man had cooked.
As he left, the middle-aged man seed to understand sothing, but couldn’t quite grasp it.
In the following three days, he ca to cook porridge for Elder Lin, but this ti, he no longer felt tortured as he did the first ti. While cooking porridge, he would chat with Elder Lin, always starting with:
"What did Granny Wang like to eat in the past?"
"Did Granny Wang ever do needlework?"
"Did Granny Wang like to argue with you?"
Because the words "Granny Wang" were truly the key to the elderly companion’s heart, he only needed to bring them up, and then listen, the elderly companion would speak endlessly, starting from when they t, how they got engaged, how they lived their lives, recounting everything...
At first, it was alright, but as it went on, the middle-aged man would subconsciously smile while listening, unaware of this change.
The third day quickly passed.
On the fourth day, the middle-aged man visited as usual. This ti, as he prepared to cook porridge, the elderly companion stopped him.
"Young man, what’s your na?"
The elderly companion’s lively and kind eyes looked at him.
"Lone..."
The middle-aged man instinctively wanted to speak but then shook his head, saying, "I have no na."
The elderly companion kindly touched his head and said:
"Poor child, following Yao Lan is a good thing, but you must make a life for yourself; a man can’t just rely on a woman... After I’m gone, this house will be yours. It’s near the street, you could open a business here, but don’t open a porridge shop, or you’ll compete with Xiao Xu, which wouldn’t be good, understand?"
The middle-aged man paused for a mont, but Elder Lin had already kindly said, "Go cook porridge for ; no need to add dicine today."
The middle-aged man quietly got up and went to cook porridge.
When he brought the porridge over, he found Elder Lin had already closed his eyes.
His lips showed a slight smile.
He died with a smile.
The middle-aged man felt a naless sadness, a unique emotion arose within him, he stood silent for a long, long ti, then laid the elderly companion into a prepared coffin.
He arranged Elder Lin’s afterlife, the arrangents were not particularly grand, but orderly and simple. Everyone in the town said Elder Lin was blessed.
...
In this way, three years passed in a flash.
During these three years, the middle-aged man stayed by the young woman’s side.
He had followed her into the mountains to collect herbs more than once, through heavy rains, taking shelter under ancient trees, drenched, and once trapped by wolves in a cave for two days and nights without daring to co out.
When the young woman was extrely busy, he quietly cooked for her and sent the als over, helping her treat so patients.
He once went in place of the young woman for two "healing als" at the tavern, perceived by the impoverished as compassionate just like the young woman.
He lived a life that grew increasingly fulfilling.
It seed as if his life had already been filled.
But such peaceful days didn’t last long; three years later, it seed sothing changed in the Sky Domain.
The people in the town witnessed falling teors, a large city was struck by a teor causing a million casualties, the middle-aged man followed the young woman to provide aid, but found those people were ravaged by a force impervious to dicine.
There were two eclipses by day, each occasion bringing a black mist into the world; it was said that in so places, black Devils appeared, devouring humans.
The tales and disasters seed to be drawing nearer to this town.
Finally, on a night in the fourth year, a squad of Imperial Family cavalry entered the town.
They lingered on the outskirts of the town, not coming directly inside, but arousing the town residents’ attention.
This squad stayed for three months, and on a day during the third month, two undead touched by the black mist attacked the town, nearly wiping out the entire squad of Imperial Family cavalry, leaving only three survivors.
The three survivors entered the town, kneeling in the street, waiting for a long, long ti, seemingly waiting for soone.
That very night.
The middle-aged man was still preparing a al for the young woman.
The young woman arranged her dical book, as the night deepened, she added two effective healing redies.
The middle-aged man brought over the porridge, she smiled and after finishing the porridge she suddenly said:
"Shall I take you to see the stars?"
The middle-aged man replied:
"Alright."
So the two of them left their residence during the deep night, climbing all the way up the tallest Eastern Mountain.
At the summit of Eastern Mountain, the night breeze blew gently, the tranquil night sky studded with twinkling stars, as if the starlight were conjuring a dream.
Lying on the mountain top adow, it felt like the adow was filled with dreams.
"When I first saw you, it was as if I saw a star in the sky. Only a single star, how lonely."
The young woman began to speak; beneath the starlight, her eyes filled with laughter, she said:
"At that mont I thought, I must fill your night sky with stars."
"Just like tonight’s starlight."
The middle-aged man’s lips curled into a smile as he listened to her words; it was a simple, warm smile.
He softly said:
"Thank you."
The young woman then reached out, holding his hand, asking:
"Are you still lonely now?"
The middle-aged man shook his head, speaking:
"No."
"The bustling East Street can’t leave lonely."
The young woman laughed and said:
"Good, then don’t call yourself Lone anymore; don’t be a Lone One, let’s call you... Cheng Shuang, how’s that?"
"I like things in pairs; the world is more beautiful that way."
The middle-aged man gently clasped her hand, replying:
"Alright."
The young woman suddenly turned her head, lightly pressed a kiss on his lips.
"Now go; you’ve led the Human Race on a path; there’s great calamity ahead for the world... I’ll wait for you here."
The young woman suddenly stood up, gazing at the endless starlight.
The Lone One looked at her back for a long, long ti, suddenly said:
"I’ve saved enough for my consultation fees; I’ll co back for my dicine."
"I’ll co back to marry you."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Hey, do you rember my na?"
The young woman asked loudly.
"Yao Lan, I’ll never forget it!"
His voice faded into the distance.
The young woman smiled, tears in her eyes; she gazed up at the starlit sky, and against the wind, shouted:
"I’ll wait for you to return... Return to marry !"
Her voice vanished into the wind.
...
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