Chapter Forty-Six: The Brightest Elder in the Night Sky! (Third update—please add to favorites and vote for recommendations!)

Chapter Forty-Six

These days, having grown accustomed to early nights and early mornings, Li Shixin paid no mind to Li Erchun, who was endlessly fiddling with his phone and had borrowed a coat. Li curled up on the mattress and slept peacefully through the night, undisturbed, as the autumn wind wailed outside the bus windows.

The next morning, Li Shixin rose early and kicked the still-sleeping Li Erchun awake. The two returned to yesterday’s shopping mall, but the day proved far less fruitful. Not only was their haul of waste paper and plastic bottles scant, but the old man and the young fellow also encountered hostility from fellow scavengers.

When confronted by these trouble-seeking collectors, Li Shixin merely observed them closely, unconcerned even as his meager gains were snatched away.

With poor earnings, the luxury of beef noodles was out of reach. After a day’s toil, the pair settled for two simple meals and once again found themselves at the edge of the garbage dump.

Unbeknownst to them, the video from yesterday had begun fermenting in the authors’ chat group, spreading through reposts and causing quite a stir.

On Bilibili, the video titled “Shocking! A Failed Author Spends the Night at a Garbage Dump—An Elderly Scavenger Understands Sociology?” posted by the user “Half-Paper Love Letter,” had garnered nearly ten thousand views and hundreds of comments in just over twenty hours.

Recently, several videos about school bullying had gone viral on Bilibili, and the topic was fiercely debated. In the latter half of this video, the old man’s sociological analysis of bullying, along with his hands-on approach to combating it, was a revelation to viewers.

Yet, more than his arguments, the users were captivated by another question—how could an old scavenger possibly know about sociology?

“Awesome grandpa!” “An old man with stories.” “The uploader has piqued my curiosity about this elder—demand a deep dive!” “Within three minutes, I want all the information on this old man!” ….

By six in the evening, the autumn sun had already slipped behind the western hills. As Li Erchun’s fully charged phone connected to WiFi in the mall, he was overwhelmed by a flood of messages—all inquiries about Li Shixin. Clearly, people were fascinated by this deep-eyed, worldly-wise elder whose every word and gesture brimmed with intellect.

While Li Erchun stared dumbfounded at the avalanche of notifications, Li Shixin had already kindled a bonfire beside the bus, using diesel-soaked cardboard.

Though sheltered from the wind inside the bus, the night air was bone-chilling. After a night’s sleep, Li Shixin awoke with aches all over, clearly coming down with a chill.

There were no lights anywhere; once the sun set, darkness swallowed the dump. He felt uneasy.

With the help of diesel, the cardboard soon burst into lively flames. The flickering firelight brought brightness to the surroundings.

By the fire’s glow, Li Shixin pulled out the long flute.

It was obvious the instrument was of decent make, but two holes had been damaged.

He looked at the gum and waterproof tape plugging the broken holes and sighed.

Raising the flute, he tested its sound.

Hmm.

It would do; the high notes were a bit off, but it was playable.

Li Shixin closed his eyes, pondering.

A low, mournful note sounded. In the garbage dump far from the city lights, a plaintive and winding melody slowly emerged.

Li Erchun, still absorbed in his phone, froze when he heard the tune—a piece often heard in martial arts dramas, “The Original Scenery of Home.”

“Old man, you play the flute?”

Kid, if you can speak, write more books. If not, just keep your mouth shut, will you?

Li Shixin shot him a glare and ignored him.

Sensing his blunder, Li Erchun grinned sheepishly. Recalling the authors’ requests from the chat, he quickly picked up his phone….

Meanwhile, as the flute’s notes echoed across the empty dump, a group of idling vagrants nearby were startled.

“What’s that sound?” The burly man who’d beaten Li Erchun yesterday sat up abruptly and questioned his companions.

“No idea… Never heard it before. But it seems… it’s coming from those two newcomers.”

The big man listened carefully, then sprang to his feet.

“Damn it, just one day here and already making a fuss. Come on, let’s go teach them a lesson!”

Last night, while searching for a mattress, Li Shixin had stumbled upon the damaged flute, which triggered a memory from his past.

He’d only intended to test its sound, but as the melody of “The Original Scenery of Home” rose from his hands, he became wholly immersed in the music.

The late autumn wind swept over the land, stirring dust. The vast night sky was scattered with stars, and the waning moon spilled its silvery light across the earth.

The haunting, winding tune felt like a lament spanning centuries. Paired with the crackle of the bonfire, it stirred a strange emotion in his chest.

As if he would suffocate if he didn’t express it.

He didn’t know how long he played, nor how many times he repeated the song—only that his mouth had grown dry before he finally stopped.

Opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a circle of vagrants, all gazing at the fire, wiping tears from their eyes.

The music had faded for a while before the tall, tear-streaked vagrant recovered, glaring at Li Shixin and shouting, “What the hell did you just play?”

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his rudeness and lowered his voice, pleading, “Can you play it again?”

Li Shixin chuckled and shook his head. “No more. I’m tired.”

Beside him, Li Erchun, phone in hand, wiped his tears and scrutinized Li Shixin curiously. “Old man, can you tell me about yourself?”

“Me?”

Li Shixin laughed and shook his head. “What’s there to say?”

“Tell us who you are, what you… used to be?”

Li Shixin brushed it off. “Nothing worth saying. As you see, I’m just a shabby old scavenger.”

Li Erchun furrowed his brow. “What about your children? Don’t they care for you?”

Li Shixin smiled wryly. “My daughter went abroad. My son’s dead.”

The vagrants nearby snorted. “Bragging—how could you be scavenging here if you have a daughter overseas?”

Li Erchun, however, frowned and pressed, “When did your son die?”

Li Shixin glanced up at the sky and smiled. “When? Perhaps… the day he married and got a wife.”

Thinking of his son and daughter-in-law, Li Shixin’s mood darkened. He waved his hand. “Let’s not talk about this. Aren’t you all tired? Why not sleep?”

“Old man, you… must be educated, right?” The burly vagrant, squatting like a bear, blinked with unconscious reverence. “Tell us some stories, will you?”

“Yeah,” Li Erchun, face still bruised, chimed in. “Tell us, old man!”

Well then.

Looking at their childlike eyes, Li Shixin smiled helplessly.

So I came here to experience life, and ended up… experiencing life as an elder of the Beggar’s Sect!