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Chapter 2: The Overbearing Old Beggar
During the day, in Mirror Lake Park of Galaxy City.
A young man was sitting on a Pony, with a drawing board propped up on his lap. He was observing a graceful young woman standing in front of him while quickly sketching on paper.
In just a few minutes, a stunning beauty appeared on the paper.
To add some charm to the drawing, he specially included a few butterflies dancing around.
"Alright, it's done!" The young man clapped his hands and smiled lightly at the young woman.
The girl jumped over to the young man's side, took the drawing, and immediately a radiant smile spread across her pretty face as she exclaimed, "This is so beautifully done!"
Suddenly, a few people gathered around, looking at the drawing and then at the girl, discussing among themselves:
"This is amazing! It's so vivid and lifelike!"
"Not bad, I want one too!"
"What a beautiful drawing!"
Needless to say, this young man was Xiao Yun.
The girl reached out to Xiao Yun and handed him a hundred yuan, saying, "You don't need to give me change; consider the rest as my tip!"
Xiao Yun smiled slightly and replied, "No way. We agreed on twenty yuan per drawing; I can't take more than that!" He insisted on returning eighty yuan to the girl.
"Well, this young man doesn't look very old, and his artwork is quite impressive!" someone nearby praised Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun blushed a little and said, "Thank you for the compliment!"
Then he started painting a portrait of the second girl.
Xiao Yun had been in Galaxy City for a week. After deducting travel expenses and food costs, he had very little money left. He didn't have a place to stay; during the day he painted portraits for others, and at night he could only make do under the overpass. With summer approaching, there were plenty of mosquitoes at night, but he couldn't afford to be picky.
"The heavens will bestow great responsibilities upon a person; they must first endure hardship, labor their muscles and bones, and starve their bodies..." He could only close his eyes like an old monk in meditation, using these words to comfort himself amidst the relentless attacks of mosquitoes.
Fortunately, his business was decent today. As the sun began to set, he counted his earnings for the day and was pleasantly surprised to find he had made 160 yuan.
"Wow, what a glorious achievement!" Xiao Yun felt a bit proud.
As he noticed the park visitors gradually dispersing, Xiao Yun packed away his pony and sketchbook into his arms, humming a little tune as he leisurely walked back to his makeshift home under the overpass.
To reward himself, he specially bought six large meat buns, half a roasted duck, and a bottle of wine on the street, deciding to enjoy himself that night.
When he arrived under the overpass, he was suddenly taken aback; the little shelter he had painstakingly built was occupied by a filthy old beggar.
"Hey, how did you end up living here?" Xiao Yun asked with an unhappy expression.
The old man lay inside without moving, merely opening his eyes to glare at him and said, "Try calling out to this shelter and see if it responds. If it does, I'll leave it for you."
Xiao Yun replied, "Are you even being reasonable?"
The old man retorted, "Do you think you're worthy of reasoning with me? Do you understand respect for the elderly and love for the young? It's chilly at night; are you really going to let an old man like me sleep outside while you comfortably lie here? Where's your sense of responsibility? Where's your compassion? What if I freeze to death out here? Would that make you happy?"
"Uh—" Xiao Yun was rendered speechless by his barrage of questions.
The old man said, "To be honest, even if someone offered me a stay at a five-star hotel, I wouldn't bother. Being able to sleep here is not only a sign of respect for you but also your good fortune!"
Xiao Yun couldn't help but smile wryly, "So, I should thank you then?"
"That's not necessary," the old man replied seriously. "As long as you perform well, the day you really need to thank me is still ahead!"
"Hmm, what smells so good?" The old man suddenly twitched his nose, his white beard quivering like a rabbit's. He flipped over and sat up, his eyes wide open and glaring at Xiao Yun's entire body.
This old man's nose is really sharp! Xiao Yun helplessly brought a bag that he had tucked behind him to the front.
When the old man saw that the bag contained buns, roasted duck, and wine, his eyes lit up immediately. He nimbly jumped out of his makeshift bed and snatched the bag from Xiao Yun's hands, grumbling, "Young man, hiding such delicious food without offering it to an old man like me? Aren't you lacking in character?"
He looked as if he hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes. The old man eagerly tore open the bag and stuffed a bun into his mouth. Then he flicked the cap off the wine bottle with his finger and began pouring it down his throat.
"Hey, can you leave some for me?" Xiao Yun said anxiously.
The old man chuckled, "I'll talk after I've filled my stomach."
In no time at all, six large meat buns, half a roasted duck, and a bottle of wine had vanished into the Beggar Old Man's belly without a trace. The old man patted his belly and burped contentedly, saying, "Ah, so delicious. Uh... hey hey, I'm going to sleep now!"
Xiao Yun realized that this old man was not only domineering but also quite gluttonous; not only could he eat a lot, but he also had remarkable physical stamina.
What could you do when faced with such an old man?
"You've eaten your fill while I'm still hungry!" Xiao Yun lamented to himself as he prepared to go back out onto the street to buy more food.
The old man suddenly said, "Stop right there, kid. Where do you think you're going?"
Xiao Yun replied irritably, "To buy something to eat."
"No way! Look, it's already dark outside. I'm an old man with a small heart; you have to stay here and keep me company!" the old man insisted stubbornly.
"This... you..." Xiao Yun was almost infuriated.
"What do you mean by 'this'?" the old man retorted angrily. "Wasn't it you who often went hungry and got kicked out to work by your aunt? Can't you handle being hungry for just one night?"
Xiao Yun was taken aback. Who was this old man, and how did he know about his family matters?
"How do you know about that?" Xiao Yun asked in astonishment.
The old man laughed and said, "I not only know that you often go hungry while working, but I also know that you are the reincarnation of Wu Daozi, the Painting Saint from the Tang Dynasty!"
Xiao Yun felt as if he had been slapped in the face; his cheeks flushed red as he stammered, "That... that was all made up by my aunt after she bribed a fortune teller. Don't believe it!"
The old man laughed heartily and said, "I'll tell you the truth: ever since people started saying you're the reincarnation of Wu Daozi, I've been keeping an eye on you in secret!"
Blushing, Xiao Yun asked, "Can you tell me who exactly you are?"
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