Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 338, Section 336: "Neighbors" (Part 2)
The turning point came with the arrival of the new neighbors.

A young couple and their five- or six-year-old daughter, Leilei, moved into a small house in the courtyard that had been empty for a long time.

The husband is a programmer at an IT company and often works overtime, while the wife is a saleswoman in a shopping mall and is also very busy.

The lively and energetic Leilei (the young actress's natural and lively performance) was like a small pebble thrown into stagnant water, instantly breaking the loneliness that Master Shen had deliberately maintained.

Leilei's ball rolled into Master Shen's house, and she timidly peeked inside, clinging to the doorframe; she sang and danced in the yard, making a racket that annoyed Master Shen; her pet cricket escaped and jumped into Master Shen's vegetable basket...

Master Shen was initially annoyed by these "interferences" and reprimanded them with a cold face, trying to "educate" this ignorant little girl with the rigor and logic of an engineer.

But Leilei possesses the innocence and persistence unique to children. She is not afraid of this "strange grandpa" and instead finds him quite interesting.

Once, Leilei's parents were working overtime and temporarily entrusted her to the care of an elderly woman next door. When the elderly woman had something to do, Leilei ran to Master Shen's door and stared longingly at the exquisitely shaped little rabbit-shaped steamed buns that he had just steamed.

Mr. Shen initially wanted to ignore it, but seeing the child's longing eyes, he stiffly broke off half of it and handed it over.

Leilei ate with relish, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled, and said indistinctly, "Thank you, Grandpa Shen, your steamed buns look much better than my mom's!"

At that moment, a barely perceptible crack seemed to appear in Master Shen's frozen heart.

Meanwhile, other neighbors in the compound also began to "intrude" into Mr. Shen's plans in various ways.

The enthusiastic neighborhood committee member, Sister Ma (played by Song Dandan), has a loud voice and a kind heart. She firmly believes that "there is no knot that cannot be untied." She knocks on Master Shen's door every few days, either bringing him gifts from the street office or trying to get him to participate in community activities. Despite being rejected every time, she never tires of it.

She noticed that Master Shen was not in a good state and tried her best to make him "lively".

The "rock veteran" Lao Zhou (played by Liu Jinshan) next door used to play in a band when he was young. Now he runs a small record store and spends his days playing and singing Cui Jian and Beyond with his broken guitar.

He understood Master Shen's stubbornness, but believed even more that music and alcohol could heal everything.

One night, he brought Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and peanuts and managed to pry open Master Shen's door. The two old men, who were about the same age but had very different experiences, had a conversation in the dim light that was both nonsensical and strangely harmonious.

Grandma Chen (played by Lü Zhong), an elderly teacher living downstairs, is gentle and refined, and is an old acquaintance of Master Shen's deceased husband.

Unlike others, she wasn't direct. She would only occasionally, seemingly unintentionally, mention some amusing stories about her late husband when he went out, or bring him a plate of her homemade snacks that he used to love.

This gentle care, based on shared memories, made it impossible for Master Shen to harden his heart and refuse.

Zhao and Fang, a young couple who work away from home, live in the smallest cubicle in the courtyard. They work hard to make a living, but they are full of energy.

They didn't understand Master Shen's "advanced troubles." They simply thought the old man was knowledgeable and would always shamelessly come to him for help when appliances broke down or he couldn't understand the instruction manual.

Master Shen was initially impatient, but seeing their sincere and embarrassed appearance, he couldn't help but help them fix the problem, and also teach them some physics knowledge along the way.

The plan to die was repeatedly interrupted and delayed in these trivial yet real interpersonal interactions.

Master Shen discovered that his "list" for committing suicide inexplicably transformed into another kind of "list" during the execution of the task:
Make a kite for Leilei that can fly (using his treasured balsa wood and silk).

I helped Lao Zhou repair his old tape recorder with a faulty connection (and incidentally, I expressed my disdain for the quality of modern electronic products).
Help Sister Ma calculate the amount of renovation materials needed for the community senior activity center (accurate to two decimal places);
Even when Xiao Fang suffered an acute appendicitis attack and Xiao Zhao was at a loss, he calmly directed the neighbors to call an ambulance and temporarily looked after the crying Lei Lei...

He remained taciturn and serious, but the neighbors in the courtyard gradually discovered that this "strange old man" was actually very kind-hearted, had excellent skills, and knew a lot.

The children were no longer afraid of him; instead, they enjoyed watching him make all sorts of novel gadgets. When adults encountered trouble, they would habitually ask, "Why don't we ask Master Shen?"

In the middle of the film, a sudden crisis completely changes Mr. Shen's relationship with his neighbors.

As the year draws to a close, relevant departments have issued a notice that the area where this large courtyard is located has been included in the old city renovation project, and demolition is expected to begin after the new year.

When the news spread, the entire compound was in an uproar.

The place where they've lived for decades is about to disappear. Future resettlement, compensation, separation from neighbors... all sorts of practical problems and emotional shocks are troubling everyone.

Sister Ma was busy organizing everyone to fight for their rights, Old Zhou sighed and said that his audio-visual store had lost its home, Grandma Chen looked at the old locust tree in the yard and silently shed tears, and Xiao Zhao and Xiao Fang were worried about losing this cheap place to stay... The neighbors, who were already troubled, were now shrouded in an atmosphere of confusion and anxiety.

Master Shen's "death list" seems so insignificant and laughable in the face of such enormous changes.

For the first time, he voluntarily stepped out of his house to attend an "emergency meeting" held by his neighbors in the yard.

Looking at the familiar yet anxious faces, listening to everyone's chattering and helpless sighs, he remained silent for a long time. Then, he stood up and, in his engineer's characteristic calm and clear tone, began to analyze the demolition policy documents, calculate possible compensation plans, and even took out paper and pen to draw simple diagrams, explaining to everyone how to collect materials and how to communicate with the demolition office in a reasoned and evidence-based manner.

His extensive knowledge, rigorous logic, and composed demeanor instantly put the scene in control.

Old Zhou, who usually cracks jokes, stared wide-eyed; Sister Ma, who is eloquent, nodded repeatedly; and even Grandma Chen, the most educated woman, cast an approving glance.

At that moment, Master Shen was no longer the reclusive old man who was determined to die. He rediscovered his value—to be needed, to be respected, and to use all his knowledge to do something for his "neighbors" with whom he lived day and night.

He led his neighbors to organize materials, elect representatives, and conduct several rounds of negotiations with the demolition office.

During this process, his relationship with his neighbors warmed up rapidly.

Only then did everyone realize the principles, wisdom, and sense of responsibility that lay within this seemingly cold and unapproachable Master Shen.

Of course, there were also frictions and misunderstandings during the process.

Some neighbors suspected he was trying to gain more benefits from this, and some of his children called to complain that he was meddling... But more than anything, there was mutual support and understanding.

Aunt Ma would bring him a bowl of stewed meat from her home; Old Zhou would quietly offer him a cigarette while he stayed up late studying policies; Lei Lei would massage his back with her little hands when he was tired; Xiao Zhao and Xiao Fang would share some of the local specialties sent from their hometown with him...

That long-lost warmth belonging to the "collective" gradually melted the ice in his heart.

The climax of the film takes place on New Year's Eve, just before the demolition.

Most of the neighbors have already signed the agreement and moved out one after another, leaving the courtyard empty and messy.

Mr. Shen also decided to move to his daughter's house after the New Year.

This Lunar New Year's Eve may be the last reunion night they spend in this compound that holds countless memories.

Despite the smaller number of people, Sister Ma still managed to gather the remaining families together, set up a table in the somewhat desolate courtyard, and had a "farewell dinner."

The meal wasn't lavish, but the atmosphere was exceptionally complex, filled with reluctance to let go of the past, uncertainty about the future, and a special bond forged through shared hardships.

During the meal, Lao Zhou picked up his guitar and sang an old song, "Friends, Don't Cry".

The singing wasn't particularly beautiful, but it was sincere and moving. Listening to the lyrics, "Friends, don't cry, I'm still your refuge / Friends, don't cry, believe in your own path...", Grandma Chen wiped away her tears, Sister Ma forced a smile with red eyes, and even the usually cheerful Xiao Zhao fell silent.

Master Shen listened silently, looking at his neighbors who were about to go their separate ways, and at the familiar plants and trees, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He recalled the events of the past year, from his despair to being pulled back into the realities of life by these "troublesome" neighbors.

He thought of his wife. If she were still here, she would surely like these noisy but kind-hearted neighbors too.
Just then, Leilei ran up to him holding a small rabbit lantern, which he had made for her from scrap materials.

The little girl looked up and asked innocently, "Grandpa Shen, will we still be neighbors? Can I still ask you to make me a kite?"

Looking into the child's clear eyes, Mr. Shen's Adam's apple bobbed. He reached out and gently touched Leilei's head, his voice a little hoarse but exceptionally clear as he said, "Yes. No matter where we live, we'll always be neighbors."

At this moment, he finally reconciled with the sadness of the past, bid a spiritual farewell to his deceased wife, truly accepted these "neighbors" who had entered his life, and rediscovered the courage and meaning to live.

The film ends on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with bright sunshine.

At the entrance of the dilapidated courtyard, the last few families said goodbye to each other and promised to keep in touch.

Carrying his simple luggage, Mr. Shen took one last look at the place where he had lived most of his life. His eyes were no longer lifeless, but calm and filled with a hint of anticipation for a new life.

He turned and walked firmly toward his daughter's family who were waiting at the alley entrance.

The camera zooms out, overlooking this hutong area that is about to be reborn. In the distance are modern high-rise buildings, while nearby is the vibrant local life full of everyday life. The old and the new are constantly changing, and life is endless.

A very standard family-friendly film.

As the theater lights came on, many audience members were still immersed in the story's atmosphere and did not immediately get up.

Wang Sheng could hear a faint sound of someone blowing their nose next to him. A woman in the front row was wiping the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, and a middle-aged man sighed deeply and patted his wife's hand beside him.

(End of this chapter)