After a serious illness, Xu Banxian had lost a lot of weight. His eye sockets were deep and his eyes were cloudy. The wrinkles on his forehead were like cracked wood, deep and dense, extending to his ears. His face was pale, his cheekbones were protruding, and his face was covered with sesame sized age spots. His fingers were like dry branches, constantly trembling. He was still wearing a Lei Feng hat, and the clothes on his body were bought by Lu Yiwei the year before last. Such a strange old man, who would have thought that his ancestor was also an illustrious and famous landlord? He was also once an idle landlord young master, but with the passage of time, he was unexpectedly reduced to this appearance.
Xu Banxian had no children, and usually lived by herding sheep. Divination was his side job, and the money he earned was enough for him to live. When Lu Yiwei first arrived at Beihe Town, he was dispirited and in a bad mood. By chance, he became acquainted with Xu Banxian, who herded sheep, and enlightened him. From then on, the two formed a deep friendship. When he left Beihe Town, Lu Yiwei entrusted him to Zhou Sanmao, and told him to take good care of him. Zhou Sanmao also came to see him from time to time, but after all, he was busy with work and couldn't take good care of him.
Xu Banxian didn't have many hobbies, his only hobby was smoking and drinking. Cigarettes often didn't leave his mouth, and the first thing he did in the morning was to smoke two or three cigarettes before getting up. Sometimes, when he woke up in the middle of the night, he would smoke a few more. His smoking addiction was shocking, and he smoked at least four packs of cigarettes a day. Every meal was inseparable from alcohol, and when he was in a good mood, he could drink a liter a day, and when he was in a bad mood, he would drink less. So every time Lu Yiwei came, he would bring a few good cigarettes and a few bottles of good wine, which always made him happy for half a day.
Today, Lu Yiwei still carried cigarettes and wine, but Xu Banxian didn't seem as excited as usual. Instead, he slowly sat on a big rock by the door, gasping for breath and coughing from time to time.
Smoking and drinking for a long time had seriously eroded Xu Banxian's body, and Lu Yiwei faintly felt that Xu Banxian might not be in good condition. He helped Xu Banxian into the house, and once again advised, "Uncle Xu, go to the hospital and have a check-up."
Half Immortal Xu slowly shook his head, took the cigarette that Lu Yiwei handed to him and lit it. He coughed violently again, this time he coughed up blood, giving everyone a fright.
He couldn't wait any longer! Lu Yiwei didn't care about Half Immortal Xu's objection. He helped him up and was about to walk out the door while saying, "Uncle Xu, you must listen to me this time."
"Yeah, let's go to the hospital quickly." Zhou Sanmao also felt distressed.
Who knew that Xu Banxian would block the door frame with her walking stick and push Lu Yiwei away, "I know my illness very well, don't make a fuss. I've never been to a hospital in my life. I don't want to die there. "
Lu Yiwei's face was filled with worry. His heart ached, but Half Immortal Xu insisted, so he couldn't force him to go.
"You guys go out first, I want to say a few words to Yiwei!" Xu Banxian panted heavily for a while and said to Zhou Sanmao and Li Haidong.
After the two of them left, Xu Banxian went up to the bed with his walking stick. He hugged Old Cat, who was shivering in the cold, and said, "Yiwei, sit down."
Lu Yiwei wanted to pour a cup of hot water for Old Cat, but there was no fire in the house, and the thermos was empty. He opened the stove and was about to start a fire, but Half Immortal Xu stopped him, "Don't waste your energy. My illness can't be exposed to heat. Sit down, I have something to say to you."
After Lu Yiwei sat down, Half Immortal Xu closed his eyes and thought for a while before saying, "Yiwei, I've been divining others my whole life, but you're the only one I've never divined. I won't hide it from you. Divining is fake, it's just to fool people. I divined for others because I have no choice but to make a living. But then again, is divination really nonsense? Of course! People often say that it's fated, and luck turns. What's the basis for that? It's something passed down by our ancestors, and there's a reason behind it. "
"It's human nature to be greedy. Some people are lazy all day long, and bite off more than they can chew, but they come to me to ask for fortune. They all want to get rich overnight, and reap without sowing. Some people don't contribute much, but they want to get promoted and get rich, and reach the heavens in one step. There are also people who do bad things their whole lives, but they want to bring honor to their ancestors, and become dragons and phoenixes. For these kinds of people, as long as you praise them, they will believe you. But how many people rely on divination to change their fate? Almost none. "
"People often talk about the word 'fate'. Is there any truth to it? There's a reason. 'Fate' is the heavens, 'luck' is the earth, a person's fate is decided the moment they are born, and 'luck' can be changed through hard work. Today, I'm going to read your fortune. "
"I once asked you about your birth date, and your fate was neither good nor bad, just so-so. But your 'luck' seems to be a bit worse. You can carefully think back, from a young age, your fate has been full of misfortunes, and your path forward has been full of twists and turns. Not only in the past, but also in the present and future. The reason why you can succeed, other than the result of your hard work, is also because of the help of benefactors. "
"You are kind, and your heart is good. This is the most simple and purest thing about you, and also the capital for you to receive help from benefactors. In your life, you will meet different benefactors at different times, and they will help you in your career, and even play a decisive role. But I have to remind you, when things reach an extreme, your benefactors can turn around and become your enemy at any time. So you must not rely on someone too much for your fate, but firmly rely on yourself and believe in yourself. Other than you, no one will take you seriously! "
Looking at Half Immortal Xu's firm and powerful eyes, Lu Yiwei was shocked, no one had ever said these words to him before. Following Half Immortal Xu's rhythm, he recalled every bit of his life, and it seemed that Half Immortal Xu was right.
Seeing Lu Yiwei in a daze, Half Immortal Xu said again, "I'm telling you this because I hope that in the future, you will be more careful. You must not have the heart to harm others, but you must not have the heart to guard against others. Although I have not experienced the bureaucracy, I have some experience in it. Being an official is the same as being a person, you must be able to attack and defend, advance and retreat, you cannot blindly attack and give up on defending, and you cannot advance without looking back. The bureaucracy is like a game, retreating does not mean that you will be stagnant, it is to hide your edge, avoid disaster, and protect yourself. Actually, I have already warned you, you must not rely on someone. Once you leave your side, you will be exposed to the outside world, and you will become the target of public criticism. You were taught a bloody lesson before, why did you not repent? "
Half Immortal Xu did not avoid his criticism, and Lu Yiwei lowered his head in shame.
Half Immortal Xu knew that he did not have much time left, so he continued, "My words might be a little harsh, but I have to say it. If I don't say it this time, there might not be another chance. There are no fish in clear water, and this is true for being a person, and the bureaucracy is the same. I am not telling you to wallow in the mire with them, but you must learn to be tactful. Towards benefactors, you must be loyal, but you cannot be too dependent. Instead, you must quickly get rid of the shadow of your benefactor, open up your own battlefield, and cultivate your own circle. Towards your enemies, you must distinguish between hate and hate, but you cannot attack them too much. Instead, you must quickly integrate into the other party's circle, and use them to your advantage, and then defeat them one by one. Do you understand what I have said? "
Lu Yiwei nodded as he memorized it in his heart. At this time, Half Immortal Xu coughed violently again, and a pool of black blood sprayed on the black cat, scaring it so much that it jumped up and meowed. The old yellow dog outside the door also began to bark. Animals' sense of smell was often stronger than humans, and Half Immortal Xu's time was up.
"Uncle Xu!" Lu Yiwei hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand. Thick black blood flowed down his fingertips and dripped onto the edge of the kang bed. It flowed along the edge to the corner of the kang bed and stained the oil-stained bedding …
Zhou Sanmao and Li Haidong heard Lu Yiwei's shouts, and hurriedly ran back to check. Unexpectedly, Half Immortal Xu pointed at the door and shouted, "Both of you, get out, don't come in!"
Lu Yiwei knew that Half Immortal Xu still had something to say, so he pouted at the two of them and left.
Half Immortal Xu used an indistinct handkerchief to wipe the blood off the corner of his mouth, and leaned against the wall to rest for a while. Seeing this, Lu Yiwei anxiously tried to persuade him again, "Uncle Xu, listen to me, go to the hospital."
Half Immortal Xu weakly shook his head and said, "I know my body, I only have two days left." As he said this, he moved a corner of the kang bed away, and took out a box the size of a makeup box, and handed it to Lu Yiwei, "I, Xu Dezhi, have struggled on my deathbed for my entire life, and I have let down my ancestors, and let down their glory. The first half of my life was filled with prosperity, and the second half of my life was filled with hardships. There were no ups and downs, but I have lived my life with a clear conscience. This year, I am 69 years old, and my lifespan has come to an end. This is life, and no one can save it. "
"I have no children, and I have always treated you as my son. Only you affectionately call me 'Uncle Xu', and I am content. I won't tell you what's in this box, and I will leave it in your care. You can open it when I'm no longer around. Yiwei, I have something to entrust to you. "
Although Half Immortal Xu wasn't his relative, Lu Yiwei's face was already covered in tears as he sobbed, "Uncle Xu, please speak!"
"After I die, I don't want to be a wandering ghost. Can you bury me with my ancestors?"
"Alright, Uncle Xu, don't worry about it. I will definitely fulfill your wish." Lu Yiwei promised.
Half Immortal Xu did not speak anymore, but he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Lu Yiwei thought that Half Immortal Xu had already passed away, so he touched his nose and felt that Half Immortal Xu was still breathing. He immediately roared at Zhou Sanmao and the rest, "Come in!"
In the end, Lu Yiwei went against Half Immortal Xu and sent him to Beihe Town's hospital.
Beihe Town's hospital's facilities were simple, and after a round of examination, the attending doctor helplessly shook his head and said, "Stomach cancer, cancer cells have already spread throughout the body. There is no way to save him. Quickly prepare for his funeral."
Hearing this bad news, Lu Yiwei was unusually calm. Death was undoubtedly a release for Half Immortal Xu. He canceled all his plans and focused on preparing for Half Immortal Xu's funeral.
On the second day of the first lunar month in the Xinsi year, Half Immortal Xu ended his life. His life, just like what he said, was glorious, but also down and out. He spent the latter half of his life suffering in loneliness.
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