Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 989 - 985: Longing

The night grew deeper, and the lights of Bazhong City became even more dazzling.

Walking along the old streets paved with bluestone, the neon lights of modern shops intertwined with the contour lights of ancient buildings, and the scent of street food stalls lingered in the night breeze.

The aroma of grilled skewers, the sour and spicy cool noodles, and the sweet and glutinous brown sugar sticky rice balls drew Dou Dou to stop frequently, her little nose sniffing constantly.

"Potato, I want to eat that!"

Dou Dou pointed to the steaming grilled potato skin stall not far away, her eyes sparkling.

"Let’s find a place to stay first, and then I’ll buy it for you after we’re settled in."

Shen Siyuan smiled and ruffled her hair, his gaze taking in the signs of the inns about the street.

Xiao Yue walked alongside, her gaze drawn to the red lanterns hanging in the old street, swaying gently in the night breeze, with lights and shadows swirling on the ground.

Duoduo clutched the wild fruit in her pocket, watching the passing pedestrians with curiosity, and every time a child passed by with a balloon, she would look twice.

They walked through two alleys, suddenly arriving at a bright area in front, a white building standing out distinctly in the night, with a sign reading "City Center Hospital" glowing softly at the entrance, most passing pedestrians hurried, their faces showing traces of anxiety or fatigue.

Shen Siyuan thought of bypassing the hospital to find a quieter area to stay, but noticed an old man with white hair sitting on the steps to the left of the hospital entrance.

The old man wore a blue Zhongshan suit washed white, his back a little hunched, gripping tightly a faded cloth bag, his eyes empty as he stared at the traffic at the hospital gate, unmoving like a silent statue, letting the night wind ruffle his hair.

"Grandpa, why are you sitting here alone?" Once again, Dou Dou’s curiosity was piqued, and she broke free from Shen Siyuan’s hand, running over to the old man, looking up and asking.

Her crisp voice broke the surrounding silence.

The old man slowly came back to his senses, his cloudy eyes looking at Dou Dou, in a daze for a while before slowly opening his mouth, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping: "Little girl, I... I came to see."

Shen Siyuan, along with Xiao Yue and Duoduo, also walked over. He could feel the heavy sorrow surrounding the old man, so he asked gently, "Elder, it’s so late, are you here for treatment or waiting for someone? Do you need us to contact your family?"

The old man shook his head, his gaze returning to the hospital gate, with complex emotions in his eyes, including longing, guilt, and inextricable sadness.

He was silent for a long time before slowly opening up, as if talking to them, or perhaps to himself: "I’m not here for treatment, nor waiting for anyone... I just wanted to see this place."

He paused, pointing to the road in front of the hospital gate, his voice choked with emotion: "More than forty years ago, I was hospitalized here for over half a month, and my daughter was about her size." The old man pointed to Duoduo, "She was a good girl, bringing me meals every day."

Dou Dou blinked, listening intently, her little face full of innocence. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"That day was a night like this—chilly, and I was talking to the nurse, wondering why my child hadn’t come yet."

The old man’s voice grew quieter, and his eyes gradually reddened, "Later... someone told me my daughter was hit while crossing the road to avoid a truck that ran a red light... she was taken straight to the mortuary."

"A few days ago, I dreamed of her again, calling me dad."

"Back then, I was so foolish, I should have let the truck run me over, after she was buried, I just let the truck drive away."

...

Even the night breeze seemed to grow heavier.

Xiao Yue looked at the old man’s aged face, a glint of pity in her eyes. Although young, she could empathize with the pain of losing a loved one.

Duoduo quietly moved closer to Shen Siyuan, clutching his coat tightly, her face devoid of the usual playful mischief, full of sympathy.

"Since then, my health improved, but the hurdle in my heart has never been crossed," the old man sighed, gripping the cloth bag tighter. "I always felt it was my fault, if I hadn’t been sick in the hospital, she wouldn’t have had to run so far every day, and wouldn’t have had an accident..."

"All these years, I come here every year to take a look, just sit on these steps, feeling like I can still see her running toward me."

The old man’s eyes turned distant, as if piercing through the dust of the years, "The older I get, the more I miss her, can’t sleep at night, close my eyes and see her face, her chasing me for candy when she was young, the pictures she drew for me when she started school, her calling me daddy loudly..."

The old man pounded his chest, tears streaming down, "This knot in my heart, I can’t untie it, not in this lifetime..."

Seeing the old man weep, Dou Dou’s small face also showed sadness, she reached out her little hand and gently patted the old man’s arm, "Grandpa, don’t cry, be good..."

The old man lowered his head to look at Dou Dou, a trace of warmth in his cloudy eyes, he reached out his rough hand and gently patted Dou Dou’s head.

"Good child, thank you... "

Shen Siyuan pulled out a tissue from his pocket, handing it to the old man: "Elder, life and death are destined, it’s not your fault, these are past things, can’t be changed, you can only learn to let go..."

The old man took the tissue, wiped his tears, and nodded, though he still couldn’t hide his sadness.

He knew Shen Siyuan was right, but the yearning and guilt spanning over thirty years had long carved into his bones, not something that could be dissolved with a few words.

Suddenly, Dou Dou turned and ran a circle nearby.

"Hey, big sister of grandpa’s family, are you there, grandpa misses you..."

Clearly, there was no response, after all, over forty years had passed, even if it were a soul, it wouldn’t linger in one place for so long.

The night grew deeper, and the pedestrians in front of the hospital gradually fewer.

Shen Siyuan looked at the sky, then at the old man, and asked, "Elder, is your home far from here? It’s so late, let us walk you back."

The old man shook his head, "No need to trouble you, my home is nearby, just a few steps away, talking to you today, I feel much better." He slowly stood up, although his legs were a bit inconvenient, yet insisted on walking back himself.

He slowly turned around, walking toward the dark alleys one step at a time, his figure hunched and solitary, yet with a hint of relief.

"Will grandpa see his daughter again?" Duoduo asked Shen Siyuan.

Shen Siyuan smiled and shook his head, "Maybe, fate is determined by the heavens, if destined, they will meet again."

Having said that, he stood up, glanced at the hospital behind him, and then at the brightly lit streets ahead, "Alright, let’s go, find a place to stay."

The four of them gradually disappeared into the night, the steps in front of the hospital seemed to still carry the warmth and longing of the old man.

The lights of Bazhong City remained dazzling, yet this hidden concern and regret in the night added a touch of humanity to this city.