Seeing the word "Xiao Jiang" displayed on the small screen of the elderly phone, a pure smile appeared on Sun Xiaobao’s dark face, as joyful as a child.
Turns out there’s still soone in this world who rembers this old man!
"Hey, Xiao Jiang, you’re back ho, right? Happy New Year! And I wish your whole family a Happy New Year too."
After the call connected, Sun Xiaobao cheerfully offered his New Year wishes first.
"Old Sun, Happy New Year to you too, let pay my respects and wish you good health and no illness in the New Year."
"You kid! Are you patronizing your uncle again?"
"Don’t worry, your uncle won’t collect trash anymore, won’t cause you trouble."
As Sun Xiaobao spoke, he glanced at a plastic bag placed at the wall of the TV wall store.
Inside it was about ten kilograms of discarded rebar he picked up twice.
Yesterday, with his cell phone, dry food, and a thermos of water, Sun Xiaobao made another trip to the demolition area of Bai Gezhuang.
This ti there were no accidents, and he managed to successfully collect rebar pieces.
During the New Year, his mind suddenly cleared up.
At this mont, receiving Jiang Tao’s call made Sun Xiaobao feel incredibly happy.
The feeling of being cared for and blessed is really good.
Just now, Sun Xiaobao was lost in thought.
When his ti cos, and his life ends.
Will there be no one in this world who rembers such a person like him?
In the future, during festivals, perhaps there won’t even be anyone to burn clothes for him or visit his grave.
Living alone as an old man, and dying alone as a lonely soul.
Between life and death, it seems so desolate!
While joking with Jiang Tao, a sudden thought occurred to Sun Xiaobao.
Previously, when Jiang Tao rescued him from under the floor slab for the second ti, he thought of befriending Jiang Tao.
But because of consecutive misfortunes among his relatives, he feared bringing bad luck to Jiang Tao, so he abandoned that idea.
Now, knowing that his days are numbered, a new thought erged in Sun Xiaobao’s mind.
But whether or not to pursue this plan, he still needed to observe Jiang Tao.
"Old Sun, aren’t you bored being alone in Beijing?"
"Why don’t you co to our village to experience the New Year atmosphere?"
"From the fifth to the fifteenth day of the New Year, we have daily temple fairs of various sizes, it’s really lively here."
Hearing Jiang Tao’s enthusiastic invitation from the other end of the phone, if it were before, when he was healthy, Sun Xiaobao definitely wouldn’t have agreed.
At most, he’d express so verbal thanks and wouldn’t go to trouble Jiang Tao.
"Wouldn’t I be too much trouble for you, an old man like , coming over during the New Year?"
"Old Sun, saying that makes feel distant. I see you as a friend, what do you see as?"
"Let’s not be so reserved, just give a straight answer whether you’ll co or not."
Jiang Tao’s voice over the phone was enthusiastic and sincere, making Sun Xiaobao feel a warmth in his heart.
"Haha, since Xiao Jiang, you are so warmly inviting, and I’m anyway just at ho doing nothing, consider it a trip to your place!"
"I’ll head to the train station to buy a ticket now!"
"No need to buy a ticket, I’ll arrange a carpool for you in a carpool group, just get ready."
"Within about an hour or so, soone will co to pick you up and take you directly to my doorstep."
"Xiao Jiang, isn’t this too much trouble for you? How can I accept this!"
Hearing Jiang Tao’s considerate arrangent, Sun Xiaobao was imdiately moved again.
He considered ending the test for Jiang Tao imdiately and directly looking for a lawyer to draw up a will and have it notarized.
"It’s no trouble, just get ready at ho... no need to prepare anything, just bring yourself, I’ll arrange the rest."
"By the way, Old Sun, there’s one more thing, I need your cooperation."
"Oh? What kind of cooperation?"
Sun Xiaobao asked with a puzzled expression.
"Well, I’ve introduced you to my parents and wife as my master, teaching Feng Shui."
"When you arrive, you take on the identity of my master."
Jiang Tao truly experienced the saying ’One lie needs countless lies to cover it up.’
He had made up stories for Xu Li, and now he needed Old Sun to cooperate and continue the deceit.
"Ah?"
Old Sun thought Jiang Tao’s parents were not welcoming him and wanted to use a false identity, so he imdiately stated:
"Well, Xiao Jiang, if it’s inconvenient at your ho, I won’t go trouble you during the New Year."
"Don’t say that! It’s totally fine, consider it my request, okay?"
Jiang Tao continued: "There are things that are hard to explain, so don’t ask why."
"From now on, we have a master-disciple relationship, and you are the Feng Shui Master, please cooperate, and I’ll owe you a huge favor."
"We’re close like family, no need to talk about favors! Fine, since you’ve arranged everything, I’ll fully cooperate! Just, just..."
"What if soone asks about Feng Shui..."
Sun Xiaobao thought far ahead, fearing he might ss up Jiang Tao’s plan.
"No worries, no one will ask you about that, this identity is just a facade."
"Alright then! If I ss up, and things go wrong, don’t bla ."
"I won’t, I am grateful to you, more than anything, so let it be settled, rember your identity, I’ll arrange the car for you."
After explaining everything to Sun Xiaobao, Jiang Tao hung up the phone.
"Could it be that Xiao Jiang is worried his family won’t welco , which is why he gave this identity? This kid is so thoughtful."
After ending the call with Jiang Tao, Sun Xiaobao firmly believed Jiang Tao’s "role-playing" was for his own good.
His fondness for Jiang Tao increased even more, feeling he had chosen the right person!
"Without Xiao Jiang, my life would have ended long ago."
"Now, being able to live for another couple of months, that’s all thanks to Xiao Jiang."
"I genuinely share a bond with this kid Xiao Jiang."
"Besides, this kid is so honest, a reliable person."
Recollecting the interactions with Jiang Tao.
In Sun Xiaobao’s heart, Jiang Tao had basically passed the test and t the standards of his successor.
"He invited so warmly, I can’t go empty-handed."
Thinking this, Sun Xiaobao walked to the storage room and started moving boxes of wine out.
One box, two boxes, three boxes, four boxes...
He moved all the remaining six boxes of Maotai from the storage room to the doorway.
Over twenty packs of cigarettes were also packed into a box that previously held instant noodles.
He prepared to bring all these to Jiang Tao and his parents as New Year gifts for the Jiang family.
After preparing the wine and cigarettes.
Sun Xiaobao unprecedentedly went into the bedroom closet and found the most expensive black mink coat his grandson had bought him and put it on.
Suddenly, he recalled Jiang Tao’s request over the phone about him acting as the "Feng Shui Master."
Thus, Sun Xiaobao layered a black, traditional Zhongshan suit under the mink.
Believe it or not, he actually looked the part of a fortune teller, adding a touch of dignity and air.
He waited at ho until around noon.
A Beijing-licensed BAIC electric car stopped downstairs at Old Sun’s place.
After confirming identities, the driver helped Old Sun load all six boxes of Maotai and the box of cigarettes into the trunk.
Then, the driver headed out of Beijing with Old Sun.
By now it was around 12:30 p.m.
If all went well, Sun Xiaobao should arrive at Jiang Family Manor by around 5 p.m.
anwhile.
At Jiang Family Manor, at Jiang Tao’s parents’ house.
The mother, Xu Li, and younger sister Jiang Bing together tidied up the room for Jiang Tao’s master in about half an hour.
Jiang Tao’s parents were naturally warm and hospitable.
Plus, the guest was an influential person their son t in Beijing.
They were naturally even more welcoming of Old Sun’s arrival.
They even worried that having soone stay at their ho might be too low-class.
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