Chapter 120: Hollywood Level

When Li Xian entered the dormitory and pushed open Wu Shengli's door, he found the old man lying in bed with a white towel on his head and covered by a thick quilt, looking pained.

Old Wu's health had always been good, giving Li Xian the impression of a fire burning brightly, ready to flare up at any moment. Now, seeing the deepening wrinkles on the old man's face, Li Xian couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

"Master Wu..."

He called softly. The old man seemed to be in a deep sleep, only frowning slightly without responding.

"Master Wu?"

Li Xian rubbed his nose, sat by the bed, and gently shook the old man. Only then did Old Wu slowly open his eyes. Seeing Li Xian, his murky eyes lit up with a hint of brightness.

"Back... back already?"

"Yes!" Li Xian nodded vigorously. "I'm back! Master Wu, what happened to you? You were fine before. How could things get like this after just a month?"

"Ah..." Wu Shengli cleared his throat, sighing sadly. "I'm old now... All the ailments I accumulated when I was young have come together."

"Didn't you go to the hospital?" Li Xian asked urgently. "I'll take you to see a doctor!"

Old Wu pulled his hand out of the quilt and waved weakly. "It's useless. The doctor said it's just old ailments triggered by the winter cold, with liver and lungs not in good shape. If I can make it through this winter, I might recover; if not... well, it's over. Damn it, they say 73 and 84 are two critical ages, and I'm only 62... cough, cough."

Seeing the old man coughing up phlegm, Li Xian quickly helped him to sit on the edge of the bed and patted his back.

After coughing for a while, Old Wu finally caught his breath.

"Ah..." He dragged out the sound, his face slightly flushed, and grabbed Li Xian's hand. "Little Li, don't be sad. Everyone gets old eventually. Remember when you were selling coffins and said we should face things as they come? Over this past autumn and winter, I've come to terms with it."

"I was just trying to sell you coffins!" Li Xian said, feeling uneasy and excited. "Don't think like that. We'll get through the New Year, and spring will come soon!"

Old Wu waved his hand. "Let's not talk about that. I know how it is. It's just... just that I'm not willing to accept it..."

Seeing tears welling up in Old Wu's murky eyes, Li Xian's nose tingled. Although he had witnessed many aspects of life and death, especially with people he knew well, it was always hard for him to bear.

"Master Wu, what are you not willing to accept?" He wiped his reddened nose and stood up.

Wu Shengli sighed, "My elder brother passed away early, leaving me to bury him. He died right after getting married and didn't leave behind any descendants, as you know. I survived out of the heaps of corpses in Korea, a peanut in hand, and my legs kicking for a few minutes. I'm not afraid of dying. But what I'm afraid of is dying alone, with no one around me, not even someone to hold the spirit banner and call my soul. I won't be able to find my way to my son and my old friends! Boo hoo..."

At this point, the old man was genuinely heartbroken. After a lifetime of toughness, tears started to fall uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Li Xian gritted his teeth and held Old Wu's arm tightly. "Master Wu, don't cry. I, Li Xian, promise you, if that day ever comes, I'll hold the spirit banner for you and make sure you find your way to your family and my brother! You wanted me to acknowledge you as a godfather before, right? Today's the day. From now on, you're my godfather! I'm your son!"

"Wow!!"

As soon as Li Xian finished speaking, Old Wu jumped up from the bed, grabbing Li Xian. "You said that yourself!"

Seeing Old Wu suddenly full of energy, Li Xian was stunned.

Just then, applause sounded at the door.

With a sly smile, Zheng Weishi clapped and walked in.

"Little Li, I heard what you just said. This is settled then!"

...

Ten minutes later.

In Old Wu's room, Li Xian paced back and forth with a serious face, hands behind his back.

He never expected that, after a lifetime of struggles, he would end up being deceived by two old men!

The thought of his emotions being played with earlier made him very angry.

This is no rest home!

It's like Hollywood!

He pointed at Wu Shengli. "How did you squeeze out those tears just now?"

Wu Shengli grinned. "Don't blink, the tears come down in no time."

Li Xian stared wide-eyed. "Just like that? You didn't have any before?"

"Well, it needs to be more natural... just let the eyelids droop a bit..."

Looking at Wu Shengli and Zheng Weishi, who had arranged small stools in a row, Li Xian said angrily, "What age are you two? Over 120 years old combined, and you still don't have any dignity? You teamed up to deceive me and treat me like a fool, huh?"

Wu Shengli pouted, looking pitifully without saying a word.

At this moment, a car horn and shouting came from outside.

"Dad! Dad, we're here to pick you up!"

Zheng Weishi looked out the window and said awkwardly, "Uh, kid, my daughter is here to pick me up, so I won't talk to you much. After the New Year, I'll host a feast to make amends, okay?"

"Hmph!" Li Xian waved his hand irritably.

Zheng Weishi then looked at his old buddy. "Ah, Old Wu, it seems you'll be spending the New Year here alone this year. I left some fruit, peanuts, and melon seeds in the activity room for you. Liu, the director, will bring you dumplings on New Year's Eve. If they get cold, heat them up yourself..."

Although they often fought, Zheng Weishi was sincere at this moment. Seeing Old Wu's desolate expression, he sighed again and left the corridor.

In the room, only Li Xian and Old Wu remained.

Listening to Zheng Weishi's footsteps echoing in the empty corridor, and seeing Wu Shengli looking down, Li Xian shook his head vigorously.

"Alright, alright, alright, I acknowledge it, let's leave it at that!"

"Master Wu, let's go?"

"Go where?"

"What else? Come home with me... for the New Year."

Hearing this, Old Wu was delighted, standing up in one leap. "Hey! But kid, from now on, you can't call me Master Wu or Old Wu. It's proper to call me godfather!"

Seeing the old man looking smug, Li Xian closed his eyes tightly, feeling frustrated.

"Ah~"

...

Zheng Weishi's daughter, Zheng Qiuying, who came to pick him up, was around forty and from Bingcheng. Her husband was a leader in the Bingcheng Light Industry Bureau.

Perhaps Zheng Weishi had mentioned Li Xian in previous calls, as she specifically chatted with Li Xian when he was helping Zheng Weishi into the car.

She was quite refined, and Li Xian had a good impression of her.

After sending Zheng Weishi off, Li Xian divided the bags and packages with Old Wu, and after waiting a short while at the rest home's entrance, they saw the Maple Leaf bus from the Eight-Nine Forest Farm.

Xu Bing and his team had already joined him, and Xu San had brought two more to manage the bus. Though these two weren't as enthusiastic as Old Zhou when he was the driver, they were disciplined.

The bus was quite full. Li Xian and Old Wu found seats in the back. The bus, bumping along the snowy road, arrived at the forest farm after four hours.

Old Wu had only visited the Eight-Nine Forest Farm a few times before, but with his long career at the forestry bureau, his focus wasn't on this.

He just kept muttering about having a good drink with Li You and Li Daoyun and giving New Year money to Li Jie, Li Pi, Li Qing, and Li Lingling, all younger relatives. It's the first New Year they're spending there, so proper etiquette must be observed.

Hearing Old Wu's constant muttering, Li Xian thought it was strange:

Other people return home for the New Year with their wives, but here he is bringing an old man, and he was tricked into acknowledging him as his father. Isn't that frustrating?

With this sense of melancholy, they said little along the way and soon arrived home.

It had been a long time since he last returned, and the house had changed.

The poplars next to the yard had lost all their leaves, and colorful little flags, only used during festivals, were hung on every branch. Though it looked a bit messy, it had a festive, rustic charm.

The local population is diverse, and customs vary. Some put up couplets for the small New Year, while others do so on New Year's Eve. At this moment, big red couplets and Fu characters were pasted on the main gate, the courtyard wall, and both sides of the storage room.

"Grandpa! Mom and Dad! I

'm back!"

Before entering the yard, Li Xian shouted.

But no one responded.

Seeing the lights on inside, Li Xian led Old Wu into the yard. The big yellow dog barked wildly at the unfamiliar old man.

Just as they passed the doghouse, Li Xian heard a commotion coming from the big house.

Frowning, he quickly went inside.

Upon entering the house, he saw Li Lingling hiding in Li Daoyun's arms, her tear-streaked face looking slightly swollen and bruised.