Chapter 588: Unforgettable Habit
"The snow in Chengdu this year was particularly beautiful. The sun rose right after the snow stopped, and there was even a rainbow in the sky."
"I want to watch the snow with you this year, next year, and the year after next."
"Chu Chu, do you still remember the vows you made to me at the wedding? The last sentence, 'It starts when we first meet and ends when we're old,' but neither of us has any gray hair yet..."
"I'll carry you home... carry you home..." Bai Qiujing repeated these four words. He hoped that Shen Zhichu was just sleepy and fell asleep. When they got home, she would gently pinch his earlobe and call him Old Man Bai as usual.
Looking at Shen Zhichu's hand hanging weakly and shaking beside his arm, Bai Qiujing's head was buzzing. Then he bit his lower lip tightly, and tears flowed down the corners of his red eyes.
Nian Bao ran to Bai Qiujing with sobs, looked at Shen Zhichu's closed eyes, and sobbed, "Dad, Mom is gone..."
Gone? Where could he go? Wasn't she always right behind him?
"Shh." Bai Qiujing lowered his voice, "Be quiet, don't disturb your mother's sleep. She just fell asleep on my shoulder. I'm carrying her home now..."
Nian Bao stopped and could no longer hold back her sadness. She threw herself into her brother's arms, hugged him and cried silently, her shoulders trembling.
"Mom is gone... We don't have a mom anymore..."
Yes, there is no mother anymore.
An Bao's eyes were red and his throat was choked with sobs.
Bai Qiujing carried Shen Zhichu on his back and returned home, back to their home.
Shen Zhichu really looked like he was asleep. Except for his pale face, cold body, and no breathing or heartbeat, he was no different from sleeping normally.
She closed her eyes, with traces of tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes, and a peaceful smile on her lips. She passed away quietly, without pain this time, and lived out her life like an ordinary person.
Chen Zhichu has always liked the color red. The New Year's goods that the brother and sister ordered have arrived, including red couplets, big red lanterns, and window decorations. Red is festive and lively, but this year's red is lonely and has been put in the storage room. They will not be used this year.
…
On the day of Shen Zhichu's burial, many people came, including actors he had worked with, friends he could chat with, business partners he had done business with, relatives he had visited in previous years, and...all the people Shen Zhichu had sponsored over the years, all who could come came, lined up in a long queue, holding a chrysanthemum in their hands, forming a golden path.
Bai Qiujing was very quiet, so quiet that it was easy to ignore his presence. He stood not far away, watching the coffin being buried in the earth and the tombstone being erected. He watched the huge crowd of people in front of him approach one by one to mourn and leave. It didn't end until five in the afternoon, until everyone left and only Bai Qiujing was left.
In the quiet cemetery, only his crying could be heard. His crying became louder and louder. He knelt on the ground with his head lowered, crying helplessly on the verge of collapse. He cried until he lost his voice. It seemed like there was a thorn stuck in his throat, and it hurt a lot every time he gasped for breath.
The man who was usually calm and composed, patient and cautious, and who always went forward steadily, knelt down and cried so loudly for the first time.
He reached out to the photo on the tombstone and wiped off the snow stuck on it. The tombstone was very cold, and even if his palms were as warm as fire, he couldn't warm it up.
"Chu Chu, are you cold?" Bai Qiujing looked at the portrait, and this time no one answered him.
…
After Shen Zhichu's death, Bai Qiujing, who had been sleepless for three days, was admitted to the hospital. He slept for a full twelve hours. After waking up, he didn't speak, but just sat on the bed with his head covered in a daze. He stared blankly at the sunlight outside the window, and suddenly remembered something and stood up.
"I want to go home and cook..."
Nian Bao, who had been watching over him, was startled. Seeing Bai Qiujing rushing out, she quickly went up to him and grabbed his hand: "Dad, you can't be discharged yet. The doctor hasn't done a full body check on you yet."
Bai Qiujing struggled a few times but couldn't break free. He turned to look at the little girl holding his hand. He frowned, his eyes full of confusion. After a while, he asked, "Who are you? Who is your father? How can you, a little girl, recognize someone so randomly?"
Nian Bao's pupils shrank slightly, and her already red eyes became even redder. "Dad, what's wrong with you? I am Nian Bao, your daughter. Why... why don't you recognize me?"
Bai Qiujing had a hunch that the little girl was sick, so he had to go back and cook for Shen Zhichu. It was so late now, and she must be hungry.
He wanted to leave, but the girl in front of him didn't want him to go. Coincidentally, An Bao came over with a doctor. Seeing that Bai Qiujing was in a bad condition, he quickly came over to control him and injected him with a sedative.
After a series of examinations, Bai Qiujing was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, also known as senile dementia. This disease often occurs in the elderly, and once you have this disease, there is no reversal.
Memory loss is the core symptom of this disease. For example, Bai Qiujing has forgotten that he has a pair of children, forgotten what year, month and day it is, and forgotten how old he is. But no matter how hard he tries to forget, he can't forget one person, and that is - Shen Zhichu, the person he has loved all his life.
Bai Qiujing was unwilling to be hospitalized and resisted strongly, saying that he was not sick and that no major problems were found in the physical examination. After discussing it, the brother and sister decided to take him home.
After returning home, Bai Qiujing walked around the house, calling "Chu Chu" over and over again. Even if no one responded, he kept calling. Finally, he was so tired of shouting that he sat on the sofa in a daze.
His memory was sometimes good and sometimes bad, and there was a big empty space in his heart, as if a piece of flesh was missing. He felt a sense of emptiness. He knew that he had lost a very important treasure, but he was unwilling to admit it.
Loving and taking care of Chen Zhichu has become an instinct. Even if he suffers from Alzheimer's disease and forgets everything, he will always remember these habits engraved in his bones.
He got up before dawn in the morning to cook. There were crackling sounds coming from the kitchen. The brother and sister heard the noise coming from downstairs and hurried downstairs.
Only the light in the kitchen downstairs was on. Bai Qiujing forgot to turn on the range hood. He was cooking spicy dishes, and the smoke was strong and the smell was pungent. He kept coughing in there.
Bai Qiujing, who usually keeps his kitchen clean and tidy, now has it in a mess. With his bad memory, he always forgets to put seasonings in, and either knocks over this or that.
After much difficulty in cooking a dish, I tasted it and it was too salty. I think Shen Zhichu would not like it.
The kitchen trash can was full of his failed dishes.
He dumped the food from his plate into the trash can.
"Dad." A voice suddenly came from behind.
Bai Qiujing turned around and saw the brother and sister who they said were his children.
"Why are you staying in my house?"
Nian Bao said: "This is our home, how could you forget again, I am your daughter Bai Muchu and this is my brother, your son Shen Guibai."
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