The old Taoist was pulling weeds in the flowerbed, definitely the weeds;

After a while, the old Taoist felt a little tired, so he simply sat down in the flowerbed, watching the pedestrians coming and going outside the flowerbed, and pursed his lips.

"Changed to vegetarian?"

Zhou Ze's voice came from behind the old Taoist.

The old Taoist turned his head, smiled at his boss, and patted the ground next to him,

"Boss, sit."

Zhou Ze hesitated,

Well,

Still didn't sit.

Yes, even knowing that the old Taoist was now sick, and it was the kind of terminal illness that modern medicine cannot cure, Boss Zhou still did not accommodate him because of it, and still chose his own cleanliness.

Besides, he had just taken a bath and changed into new clothes.

The old Taoist put his hand into his pocket, took out a folded newspaper, and spread it on the ground.

Only then did Zhou Ze sit down.

"What are you thinking about?"

Boss Zhou is not very good at comforting people, and many examples have confirmed this point. Boss Zhou himself is also self-aware.

Therefore,

Zhou Ze didn't want the direction of this conversation to be inclined towards comfort and encouragement,

Just chat casually, just talk about it,

After reading that diagnosis report,

Zhou Ze felt a little depressed.

"Thinking about my life."

The old Taoist raised his head,

The sun is just right now,

He squinted his eyes,

Seeming to enjoy this feeling of being illuminated.

Zhou Ze was the same, he liked to bask in the sun.

Neither of them spoke,

Looking up together,

Gazing at the sky,

Basking in the sun.

After about a quarter of an hour,

Zhou Ze then opened his mouth and said:

"This life is still very long."

"Boss, I'm already over seventy."

"It's okay, but you're a good person..."

Boss Zhou stopped talking,

It seemed,

Something was wrong.

The old Taoist rubbed his fingertips and said:

"Actually, I, this poor Taoist, have lived enough. I've come, I've walked, I've seen, I've met, and I've lived to be over seventy without illness or disaster. I should be content."

Zhou Ze took out a cigarette, but this time, he didn't give one to the old Taoist.

Lighting the cigarette,

Zhou Ze said:

"Remember when someone once said that if he was bitten by a zombie, he could become an old immortal."

"Hey, wouldn't that become a scourge..."

The old Taoist also shut up.

In the brief exchange just now,

They unintentionally stabbed each other.

"Actually, I've always felt that it's better to live shabbily than to die. When you die, you lose everything. When you're alive, at least there's still something to look forward to."

As Zhou Ze spoke, he reached out and pointed at himself,

"Like in the beginning,

Eating and sleeping were both very painful things;

But I still chose to continue living,

Never thought about committing suicide, about ending it,

Really,

The more things you experience,

The more you will feel,

Living is the true meaning of everything. Sometimes, committing suicide is a very petty thing to do."

"Boss, the doctor said I only have three months left, maybe even less."

When Zhou Ze said "eat something good,"

The old Taoist actually realized that his boss might know something,

And then,

When Zhou Ze specially looked for him to chat,

The old Taoist could be sure,

The boss really knew.

"That's not accurate, I'm a doctor, I have more experience than you."

This matter is indeed not accurate. Many unfortunate cancer patients are already in the late stage when they are discovered, and the doctor directly announces the "death notice" to your family.

But there are always people who can continue to live, cooperate with treatment, and in a good state of mind, continue to live for half a year, a year, two years, or even longer. It's not surprising.

But,

Even Zhou Ze had to admit,

This kind of example does exist, it does exist, and it is often used as an inspirational model and a beacon of hope,

But many unfortunate people who failed to survive are not non-existent, nor are they few in number, it's just that everyone deliberately chooses to ignore them.

Zhou Ze didn't want the old Taoist to die,

The bookstore,

Is not a place for "birth, old age, sickness, and death" in the normal sense.

In fact,

Counting back and forth,

Calculating back and forth,

In the beginning, the bookstore still had two normal people,

Old Xu and the old Taoist,

But since Old Xu got involved in an unclear relationship with the Sea God,

He can't be considered an ordinary person in the strict sense,

Now,

Only the old Taoist is left as the only seedling.

Just like female students in civil engineering classes in universities are often regarded as treasures by the whole class,

As the only remaining copy in the bookstore,

No one wants the old Taoist to leave like this.

Taking a step back,

On the issue of getting sick and dying,

The bookstore,

Does not have the helplessness that outsiders have when facing this kind of thing.

If you are going to die,

If you want to be kept alive,

There are still many ways.

In the bookstore, there is no shortage of anything else, there are plenty of zombies.

Furthermore, in the extreme case of a death servant, let the black girl think of a way to plant the old Taoist too, and it is estimated that he can live for a long time.

It's just that the little monkey would have to run to the field every day to fertilize and catch bugs for the old Taoist in the future.

If that doesn't work, grab a goblin with some Taoist skills, let Old Xu operate it, and forcibly arrange a marriage, which can also allow the old Taoist to survive by force.

Although it is not a completely perfect method,

But look at the grand occasion of the magnetic therapy miracle hospital opened by Master Xu Qinglang in Tongcheng last time,

Under this premise,

If you know that there is a definite and effective way to extend your life,

Absolutely many people would go crazy for it.

This point,

In fact, the old Taoist also knows,

Zhou Ze didn't know when the old Taoist noticed that there was something wrong with his body,

But it should have been for a while, otherwise the old Taoist wouldn't have gone to the hospital for an examination.

But there is one thing Zhou Ze can't figure out,

Why did the old Taoist hide his illness?

"Boss."

The old Taoist licked his lips,

In his eyes,

Revealing a sense of reminiscence.

"Tell me, I'm listening."

"Boss, actually, I used to think I was very afraid of death. I also wanted to live, wanted to live for a long, long time.

Living,

Is really too interesting."

Zhou Ze reached out and touched his forehead,

Alright,

There must be a turning point below.

"But, when the time came, when I found out I had this disease, when the doctor told me about my condition in person, I wasn't as panicked as I had imagined.

On the contrary,

There is a feeling of relief.

I've lived for over seventy years,

To be honest,

Boss,

I've lived long enough.

I've lived a good life, I've been hunted down, and I've seen too many bizarre things that ordinary people wouldn't see in ten lifetimes.

Although, I've always felt that I'm not qualified to write a memoir or something,

But really,

This life,

May not be very exciting,

But at least it lives up to one word—'worth it'."

The old Taoist slowly stood up from the ground,

"It's really worth it, Boss.

And I feel, it's time.

The only thing I can't let go of is Little Monkey.

Hahaha,

To be honest,

Actually, I can't let go of you either, Boss.

I can't let go of my previous boss either,

Really,

To put it from the bottom of my heart,

You,

Are all good people.

Not hypocritical, not pretentious, following you, it's been quite fun.

But without me, you can still live well, even better."

Zhou Ze moved his lips,

He really wanted to say,

Without you,

What will happen to the pharmacy next door?

What about the Tongcheng day trip in the future?

But these words, if spoken, are too disappointing.

There is one thing that Zhou Ze has never been able to figure out, that is, if the old Taoist dies and refuses his help, wanting to "return to dust and earth to earth."

Then,

Where will his soul go?

Will he go to hell like ordinary people, walk the Yellow Springs, pass Naihe Bridge, and then go to reincarnation?

Or,

Complete termination?

Or perhaps,

Wearing a purple and gold crown and stepping on auspicious clouds,

Will Mount Tai in hell rumble because of this?

However,

The last possibility is a bit far-fetched,

If the old Taoist really dies,

And can activate the "King Returns" mode,

Not to mention this possibility,

Just saying that you can really take the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of Hell as fools?

"Boss, actually, I've always felt that I've lived a bit tired in this life."

The old Taoist turned around,

Facing Zhou Ze who was sitting on the ground,

Said:

"I've always had a sense of guilt that I've let down many people and disappointed many people, so I've always wanted to do something to compensate for it.

But the most inexplicable thing is here,

I really haven't found it,

Who have I ever let down..."

"Actually, don't think so much, living well is the most correct thing, we can find a way."

Zhou Ze also stood up,

This sentence,

Is not comfort,

But it carries a bit of the boss's domineering tone.

The old Taoist's eyes "whooshed" and turned around,

Said:

"Actually, it's nothing, Boss, I will go to the hospital to cooperate with the treatment. Isn't it just cancer? The doctor said three months, but I really think I can live for more than three months."

"Don't worry, I'll bite you the night before you die."

"..." The old Taoist.

Zhou Ze grabbed the old Taoist's collar,

Brought his face close to the old Taoist:

"I really don't want to say any pretentious words, but I won't let you die like this."

The old Taoist shrugged. Seeing that Zhou Ze didn't mean to let go, the old Taoist could only pitifully say:

"Boss, sob sob sob, you're still the best to me, but I really don't want to become a zombie..."

"You have no choice."

"Boss, don't, don't do this, life is a game, having a beginning and an end is a bit of a goal, continuing to extend life all the time makes the game boring."

"Old Taoist?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me, have you been stimulated by something recently?"

"No, Boss, it's just that my sleep quality hasn't been very good recently, I keep having dreams."

"Oh?"

"I keep dreaming about my dad and my grandpa, it seems like there's also my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, a bunch of old men surrounding me, making me kneel in the middle, constantly scolding me.

I dream as soon as I fall asleep, and it's always this dream. They don't even change their clothes in the dream, I'm almost driven to mental breakdown.

I'm thinking now, when I die, it'll be just right, I can go down and argue with them.

These unscrupulous elders, when they scold me in the dream, they even tie me up and gag my mouth with socks!

What hatred, what grudge, my family doesn't have a throne for me to inherit;

Back in my dad's time, he was indeed considered a landlord, but I didn't lose the land, the state took it away, how can they scold me?"

"What do they scold you for?"

"Good-for-nothing..."