Chapter 108: Chives Must Be Harvested on Schedule! (Please add to your library and cast your recommendation votes!)

In a daze, Li Shixin felt as if he had dreamt a long, epic dream about an ancient army of tigers and wolves.

The dream was incredibly long—it felt as though it had lasted for decades.

After an unknown amount of time, he jolted awake, eyes snapping open.

Thrust!
Parry!
Deflect!
Sweep!
Kill!

Every move of that battlefield spear technique, from the opening stance to the brutal intensity of the fray—full of an indomitable, forward-charging ferocity—was deeply etched into his mind.

At that moment, Li Shixin felt as if two beams of golden light had burst from his eyes, piercing the endless darkness outside his window. Clenching his fists, he clearly sensed a power within his body that could rival the creation of the heavens and earth.

At this moment, he had every reason to believe that the only thing separating him from the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, was a sturdy staff he could wield!

Seeing a clothes drying pole standing by his bed, Li Shixin raised his sword-like eyebrows and hooked it with both hands.

Standing on the bed, he assumed the opening stance of the battlefield spear technique. With his feet firmly planted and using his legs as the root to leverage his waist, he thrust the pole out with all his might!

"Hah! Die, you scoundrel!"

*Snap!*
*Crack!*

Accompanied by the whistle of the pole cutting through the air, a sharp, crisp sound from his own bones, and a piercing, agonizing pain in his lower back, Li Shixin tumbled off the bed and onto the floor with a heavy thud.

"Oh, damn it all..."

*Beep!*
User: Li Shixin.
Remaining Lifespan: 110 days.
Physical Age: 63 years, 35 days.
Current Applause Points: 2113.
Skill: [Ancient Battlefield Spear Technique] Proficiency 1/10000. Skill Rating: D—Understands but lacks mastery; requires practice!
...

"Goodness! What is wrong with you, you old geezer? Everything was fine, why were you acting out in your room?"

"Brother, can you handle it? If not, let's go to the hospital."

Li Shixin lay prone on the bed, grimacing at Wu Ming and Zhao Jinzhi, who were standing by the headboard. He forced a smile. "It's nothing. Stick on a couple of medicated plasters, and I'll be as good as new tomorrow."

An Xiaoxiao climbed onto his backside, poured a few drops of safflower oil onto her soft, delicate hands, and slapped them onto his stiff, aching lower back.

"Ouch! My little ancestor, go easy on me!"

An Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes.

"Teacher Li, you're a grown man, how can you not handle a little pain? A sprain like this is an everyday occurrence at our school. It's just a simple muscle strain; rub it out and you'll be fine. You're lucky you ran into me today. If you went to the hospital for a hot compress and massage, it would cost over two hundred! Ask anyone at the Beijing Dance Academy, who doesn't praise my massage technique for sprains?"

A surge of immense force pressed into his waist, and Li Shixin’s eyes watered from the pain!

How is this girl so strong when she doesn't even look robust? Is she some kind of super-powered girl? Right... even on set, I've never seen her let anyone else open a bottle for her!

"Teacher Li, look at this! Hey!"
(((つ•̀ω•́)つ

*No, I need to get up, stay away from me!!!*

*Oh, god!*

Another sharp jolt of pain in his waist made Li Shixin feel like he wouldn't make it through the night.

"Xiaoxiao, take it easy! Your school is full of young people, but your teacher's old back can't take this!" Wu Ming, watching from the side, was full of concern as he saw Li Shixin breaking into a cold sweat.

Zhao Jinzhi also winced and turned away.

"It's fine! The discomfort only lasts a moment. Once this passes, I guarantee Teacher Li will feel great. You'll want me to come over and do it every day!" An Xiaoxiao wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, gave the others an "all good" expression, tucked back her messy hair, and increased the intensity.

Gritting his teeth, Li Shixin endured for over ten minutes before finally escaping the clutches of An Xiaoxiao with his life intact. Although her hand strength was a bit much, he had to admit, after that massage, while his back still felt swollen and sore, he could at least stand straight.

Seeing this, the others finally breathed a sigh of relief, confirming no bones were broken, and helped him over to the dining table.

"Oh, what a mess. I intended to treat everyone to a nice, peaceful dinner to celebrate tonight. Instead, I've had you all running around. Look, the food is cold. Don't just stand there, everyone, grab your chopsticks!"

Forcing a smile, Li Shixin gestured for them to start.

Seeing that Li Shixin was truly fine, the clouds cleared from Wu Ming's face. He smiled and opened a bottle of red wine, pouring a glass. "Shixin, come, today is a happy day, let's have some!"

"Congratulations on the successful premiere of the small theater, and I wish you smooth sailing in your career and fame soon!"

"Yes! Congratulations to Teacher Li on becoming famous soon!"

Li Shixin could usually drink, but having just sprained his back, he was afraid it wouldn't be good for him, especially with a performance at the Cultural Plaza in a few days, so he only took a small sip.

"I'll pass on the wine; I'll just eat more."

"Yes, that's right. You just used safflower oil, so it's not appropriate to drink. Come, brother, try my cooking." Zhao Jinzhi smiled slightly and placed a piece of something pitch-black into Li Shixin's bowl.

"What is this?"

"I made braised eggplant especially for you. I got distracted when you hurt your back, so it might not look very appealing. Try it, brother."

"Mm, the taste isn't— *Pfft!*"

*Good grief, this taste is overwhelming!*

The sticky, bitter, and overwhelmingly salty lump in his mouth brought tears to Li Shixin's eyes again.

Seeing Li Shixin's pained expression, Zhao Jinzhi frowned. "Is it... not good?"

Facing Zhao Jinzhi's expectant yet nervous gaze, Li Shixin silently put down his bowl.

"It's good! It's delicious, my back just hurt for a second. Come, everyone, try Little Zhao's cooking!"

"You got it!" An Xiaoxiao was the first to respond, picking up a piece of the "braised eggplant" and stuffing a big mouthful into her mouth.

(￣～￣) *Chew!*

"Mm! Much better than the braised eggplant in our school cafeteria!"

Hearing her say that, everyone else at the table took a bite.

"Ugh!"
"Pfft!"

*Do you two have defective tongues?*

"Is it really that bad?" Zhao Jinzhi sighed, looking at the food spat out all over the table. Another failure in the kitchen...

"It's good! It's good! It's just that I'm a bit full tonight. Come, come, my godfather's premiere was a success today, and I, Zhang Shuo, got to enjoy the thrill of acting, I'm happy! Let's drink until we drop!" Zhang Shuo, eyes brimming with tears, picked up the wine bottle directly.

*If I take another bite of that food, I'm going to throw up!*

*Glug glug glug...*

...

After a happy dinner, the group hung around for a while. By eight o'clock, seeing it was getting late, Li Shixin had Zhang Shuo drive everyone home.

While Zhang Ying and An Xiaoxiao were washing the dishes, he returned to his room.

The battlefield spear technique he had recorded in his dream was definitely a treasure. Li Shixin intended to master it. It was just a shame that his back had given out before he could even start; he probably wouldn't be able to move much for a while.

He secretly made up his mind that once his back healed, he would definitely boost his proficiency. He didn't expect to become a god of war, but he figured this could at least strengthen his body and soothe his mind.

Supporting his back as he sat in front of the computer, he thought it over and picked up Zhang Ying's camcorder.

According to industry rules, filming at stage play venues is prohibited. For one, cameras, whether the flash is on or not, have red indicator lights that are very distracting to actors on stage. Secondly, it's a matter of copyright and revenue.

Stage plays are different from movies; aside from ticket sales, they don't have product placement or other ways to make money. They rely entirely on attendance, which is the sole income for the actors and the theater.

Therefore, the stage play industry is very resistant to audience filming. Yet, despite the bans, many bootleg recordings still leak out every year.

Li Shixin didn't expect to make money from the play, so he didn't care. To commemorate the premiere, Zhang Ying had recorded the entire thing.

He wasn't worried about the video affecting attendance because stage plays are different from films. Without the atmosphere of a live performance, the video, due to camera angles, clarity, and sound quality, would never compare to the real thing.

This is exactly why stage plays still hold a place in society today, despite the explosion of film and television media.

He transferred the DV recording of "Only You" to his computer, converted the format, and uploaded it to Weibo.

Even if the quality wasn't great, it should be enough to squeeze out some applause points from netizens.

Every little bit helps, right?

Like an old farmer sowing seeds, he successfully uploaded the video and posted a status update on his Weibo.

"Today was the premiere of my small theater in the Rongdian Center. I wrote, directed, and starred in a play titled 'Only You Are My Unforgettable Concern.' I have attached the video for everyone to watch for free.

I only ask that after watching, you show more regard for Alzheimer's disease and care for the elderly patients in your lives who suffer from it.

There is currently no medicinal cure for this disease, but I believe that every bit of care and attention is a medicine for patients who have lost their memories and their dignity. Thank you, everyone!"

Clicking send, Li Shixin supported his back and returned to bed.

Time to sleep!
Waiting to harvest the "leeks" tomorrow!

As Li Shixin drifted off into a dream, his Weibo page began to bustle with activity...