My profession is quite unpopular and special, and many people may not have heard of it, but I can tell you that you will deal with me sooner or later in your life.

To put it mildly, I'm an artist, but I never paint landscapes. I only draw people, and unlike those who are sketchers and painters, I only draw dead people.

In the year I was born, just in time for the state to grasp family planning, I was the third in the family, and I had two older brothers, and the family life was tight, and I couldn't afford to pay the high fine for family planning, so my father sent me to study "art" from the master when I was a child.

My master is quite famous in Shili Eight Villages, and opened a posthumous image museum, the so-called posthumous image museum is dedicated to painting portraits of the dead.

When I first learned the craft, the master warned me: There are three taboos in our business: first, pregnant women who die tragically and people who commit suicide do not paint, because such people are too resentful, cannot be reincarnated, and are easy to hurt the painter. Second, the painting time can only start after 10 p.m. and end before 12 p.m., and if you don't finish it, you have to wait until the next day to resume painting. Thirdly, before painting, you must place a candle, and when the candle is extinguished, you must stop whether you finish painting or not.

In fact, the first one is quite easy for me to understand, but I can't understand the last two points, I asked the master curiously why, and he didn't say, just let me learn the craft well, which is not what I should be in contact with now.

If these three taboos are accidentally violated, what will happen to the artist?

I don't know.

The master didn't solve my doubts, but told me again and again that I must not violate the taboo.

The master said so seriously, I am not full of food and have nothing to do, so in recent years, whether it is a guest who comes to the door by myself or a guest introduced by others, I will not accept any of the three taboos that have violated any of these three taboos.

No one.

This afternoon, I received a call from my second brother, and when I saw the caller ID, I couldn't help but smile, because tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, I thought that my second brother called me to invite me home tomorrow for the holiday, who knew that it was because his boss needed to find a professional master who painted the remains because of superstitious ghosts and gods, so he remembered to call me.

That's right, I'm in this home, and it's superfluous.

And because I specialize in painting portraits of the dead, so the eldest brother and the second brother and the two families will hardly take the initiative to contact me, even if they go home for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner every New Year, they don't like to eat at the same table with me, in fact, I have long known that they dislike me, but for so many years, I have not broken it, I am afraid that after the break, everyone's relationship will become more stiff, I have been separated from my family since I was a child, and I cherish this family affection unusually.

"Brother, the second brother is doing this favor, you must help, whether the second brother can be promoted and raised this year depends on you."

"Brother..."

Listening to the voice from the mobile phone, I couldn't help but be stunned, since I can remember, the eldest brother and the second brother have never called me a younger brother.

Rushing to this brother, I responded without hesitation, anyway, this is also my major.

That night, I packed up and left the posthumous museum and rushed to the county by car, arriving at the county station at nine o'clock in the evening, the second brother personally picked me up at the station, I didn't even drink saliva, the second brother took me to his boss's house non-stop.

Along the way, after the introduction of the second brother, I learned that the second brother's boss is surnamed Huang, who is in the real estate business, is a well-known philanthropist in the county, and does not forget to give back to the society after making money.

Half an hour later, we arrived at Boss Huang's house, a very grand house, a servant led us into the house, and when we got to the living room, I really saw how luxurious the house where the rich lived, when I was still looking at the very luxurious living room, the second brother dragged me down, and said in a low voice: "Don't look left and right, remember what I just told you, my boss has been in a bad mood in the past two days, you must be careful when you speak, don't say something that shouldn't be said after going upstairs, you just need to do your job, you know?" ”

"Second brother, I know." I nodded and answered, anyone who dies will be sad and sad, I have been doing this with my master for so many years, and I have painted a lot of portraits of the dead, of course I know that sometimes I do need to take care of the feelings of my family.

"Let's go."

"Hmm."

I went up to the second floor with my second brother, there was no one in the living room on the first floor, but there were a lot of people in the small living room on the second floor, our arrival attracted everyone's attention, one of the men who looked about forty years old saw us and immediately got up to meet us, and when he stopped, he first glanced at me, I smiled politely, I thought he would at least nod in response, who knew that he suddenly frowned, and asked my second brother with a little irritation: "This is the master you invited?" ”

My second brother nodded hurriedly, saying that I was indeed the master he invited to paint the posthumous portrait, and then Boss Huang moved his gaze to me and looked at me a few times, from his gaze, I saw doubts, obviously, he looked at me young and didn't believe that I was a professional master of painting posthumous portraits.

At this time, my second brother spoke again and told Boss Huang that I was introduced by his relatives, and I have been apprenticed to this business since I was a child, and I don't have to say anything about my skills.

Hearing the second brother say such things, I felt very uncomfortable, and I am not stupid, the reason why the second brother did not dare to tell his boss that I was his own brother should be worried that this matter would not be done in the end and would affect him.

No one knows how much cold eyes they have suffered in this line of work, and how sad the process is.

I'm used to it.

Boss Huang looked at me again for a while, and then agreed to me suspiciously to help his wife paint a portrait, and then, Boss Huang personally took me into the master bedroom, the atmosphere in the room was very solemn, and there were two women busy working by the bedside, probably helping the deceased to make up.

It is normal for the family members of the deceased to want their deceased relatives to be dignified and draw a beautiful portrait, especially a rich man like Boss Huang, and the deceased is his wife, whether it is painting the portrait or handling the aftermath, of course he does not want to do it hastily.

When Boss Huang and I walked to the bed, Boss Huang's wife's makeup had been put on, and my eyes fell on the lifeless woman who was lying on the bed with her eyes closed for the first time.

She's ugly.

I have never judged people by their appearance, but this time I have to say that Boss Huang and his wife are really ugly.

With a bulging forehead, a low round nose, a finger of thick lips, the flesh of the earlobes on both sides is very thick, and the flesh on both cheeks is loosely pulled down like gummies, and it doesn't look like it's about forty years old, but about sixty years old.

Suddenly, I was shocked, because I saw something that I shouldn't see, and then I quickly shifted my gaze to look at Boss Huang next to me, and asked out loud: "Boss Huang, there are some taboos in our industry, and breaking taboos will inevitably lead to bad luck, in order not to violate taboos, but also for the good of everyone, so I want Boss Huang to answer me truthfully a question." ”

"What's the problem?" Boss Huang said.

"It's better to have fewer people who know." I smiled faintly.

Boss Huang is a smart person, and immediately let the two women who put on makeup leave, and when there were only the two of us left in the room, I asked, "I want to know the real cause of death of the deceased." ”

When I entered this industry, my master solemnly warned me that there are three taboos in our industry, and the first taboo is not to draw pregnant women who die tragically and people who commit suicide.

The reason why I was shocked just now is because I saw a lilac mark on the neck of Boss Huang and his wife, I have been doing this for a long time, because the taboo cannot be violated, coupled with the master's repeated advice, and some family members will deliberately conceal the real cause of death of the deceased, so many times before helping the deceased paint the portrait, I need to observe through my eyes, if I find that the deceased died by suicide, then no matter what, I can't paint.

I suspect now that the death of Boss Huang and his wife is not like on the way here, and the second brother told me that he died of illness.

After my voice fell, Boss Huang didn't look unusual, but, I kept staring at him, and I found that his eyes were obviously dodging, but he quickly looked away, and said slightly angrily: "What do you mean by that?" ”

"Boss Huang, I don't mean anything, I just want to confirm it, and please answer truthfully." I am neither humble nor arrogant.

"She... He died of illness. Boss Huang suddenly said with a sad face.

"Sick to death?" I shook my head secretly in my heart, Boss Huang obviously didn't tell me the truth, although the lilac marks on his wife's neck loomed, not like it was caused by being strangled by a rope when she hanged herself, but she was just wearing makeup, and once the makeup was removed, the star's strangulation marks would inevitably appear.

Since Boss Huang refused to tell the truth, I had to say that I was incompetent, and then turned around and prepared to leave, although I really wanted to help the second brother, but if it would violate the taboo, I wouldn't dare to mess around.

"You make an offer." When Boss Huang saw me turn around, he immediately spoke up.

"It's not about the money." I shook my head, I admit that I like money, especially after knowing that money can improve my relationship with my family, I like money even more, I can't wait to sleep with money every night, but I won't break the taboo for money, because the master has already told me a thousand times.

At this moment, my second brother suddenly pushed the door open and ran in, he first smiled to make Boss Huang feel at ease, and then forcibly dragged me out of the room, under the gaze of everyone in the living room, the second brother pulled me to the bathroom.

The second brother closed the door with his backhand, and immediately stared at me with wide eyes and roared, "How did you do it?" I asked you to help, not for you to pretend, let you draw, where are so many problems? ”

Hearing the second brother say this, I knew that he must have heard the conversation between me and Boss Huang just now, but the taboo is absolutely not violated, so I had to apologize and say: "Second brother, I'm sorry, I can't paint this posthumous portrait." ”

"Why can't you draw?" The second brother glared and asked.

"She was suicidal and I can't draw." After answering, I was afraid that my second brother would mistakenly think that I had deliberately dismantled his stage, so I paused and continued to explain: "People who commit suicide are not allowed to paint portraits, this is a taboo in our industry. ”