Chapter 45: Another Jump from the Building?

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Another Jump from the Building?County Hospital was not large, just five stories high. Cheng Su walked around on the ground floor and found that modern hospitals didn’t have much to admire or places to sit, just a few large trees planted around. They were nothing like the hospitals of the twenty-first century which, in order to provide patients with a good recovery environment, had large and beautiful gardens with various flowers and plants, resembling parks.

She simply decided to go up to the hospital’s rooftop—after all, ascending high to see far, it would be good to have a look at the county town as well.

The June sun shined strongly; as she walked out onto the rooftop door, she stretched out her arms and yawned loudly before stepping forward.

Suddenly, her gaze was drawn by an elderly man with white hair standing in front of her, his hands on the railing, half of his body leaning out.

Cheng Su’s eyes narrowed. No way, she had only come for a walk, how could she have come across someone trying to jump off a building again!

Jumping off a building, seeing it yet again, Cheng Su’s head buzzed, her heart lamented, but her legs moved as if they had wings, quickly dashing toward the man.

"Don’t jump," she said as she grabbed the old man’s arm with a tug.

The old man stumbled from her pull, also startled with a big jolt, and turned his head to see a young girl.

"Old man, life is truly precious. As the saying goes, nothing is more serious than life and death. If there is something you can’t get over, why resort to suicide?" She held his arm tightly and pleaded while catching her breath.

"Suicide?" The elderly man was taken aback, pointed at himself, and laughed, "Girl, you think I’m going to jump off the building?"

Uh, isn’t it?

It was only then that Cheng Su looked at his face. The old man had graying hair and seemed to be in his late sixties or seventies, yet he looked remarkably spirited, his complexion rosy, his mouth upturned in a smile, and his eyes were bright and alert—hardly the look of someone who wished to die.

How embarrassing!

Cheng Su let go of her hold, somewhat sheepishly, and asked, "With the strong wind up here, why are you standing so close to the edge, leaning out halfway?"

Strong wind?

The elderly man formed a visor with his hand over his eyebrows and glanced at the big sun, bursting into a hearty laugh, "Girl, what you say is really amusing. Sure, it’s the rooftop, but where’s the wind?"

Cheng Su scratched her head and gave a sheepish laugh, "Is that so? But this sun is so intense, it makes people dizzy; one shouldn’t stand too long under it either."

The old man gave a faint smile, leaned on the railing to look out, and said, "Girl, from up here we are high enough to see far. Look, standing like this allows us to see the whole city. I’m old now; standing here on high and looking below, who knows how much longer I’ll be able to do this.

His tone carried an indescribable sense of melancholy and a slight reluctance.

Cheng Su stood by his side, also leaning on the railing, looking into the distance, and said, "Your words sound a bit pessimistic. Why can’t we always look far from a high place? I think, as long you keep yourself in good shape, remain robust, and as long as you’re still breathing, you’ll be able to do it.

"Besides, constantly looking down from high places isn’t very interesting. It’s like life, which is full of ups and downs, an unceasing series of highs and lows—that’s what life is. If we only stand high and ignore the scenery below, is that enjoyable? If you carelessly fall from a high place, that would be a true injustice, and afterward, you wouldn’t be able to see it anymore. Old man, what do you think?"

The old man shook all over as he listened, then turned to Cheng Su with a surprised look and profound gaze, "Girl, for someone so young, you have a broad mind and a fair understanding of philosophy."

Cheng Su smiled lightly, "I’m just a girl without much experience; I don’t really know any philosophy. I just think that scenery varies from high to low, just like life itself. I’ve made you laugh, old sir!"

"No, your talk of the highs and lows of scenery is quite good. Girl, what’s your name?" the old man asked with a smile.