The Truth about “Cheering“

Old Li felt like he was about to die.

In a foreign hospital, the smell of disinfectant mixed with unfamiliar languages, like an airtight net, shrouded him. He remembered before going abroad, his friends patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Old Li, go out and enjoy yourself. If you need anything, tell us, we are your strong backing!"

He believed it.

But now, he was lying in a hospital bed, finding it difficult to even breathe oxygen. The doctor babbled a lot, and he only understood "expensive" and "maybe." He missed home, the small noodle restaurant at the entrance of the alley, and the Zhajiangmian made by his wife.

He called his son, his voice weak: "Son, I'm afraid Dad won't make it..."

On the other end of the phone, his son was silent for a few seconds, and then said in an unusually excited tone: "Dad! You have to hold on! I just asked, in our situation, we can get reimbursement for treatment back home! You have to hold on! You can be rescued in China soon! The country is cheering for you!"

Old Li was stunned, "cheering"? He had only heard this word before at sports meets and exams. Now, how could it be used on his old bones?

He wanted to ask, but his throat felt like it was blocked by cotton, and he couldn't speak. He could only listen to his son滔滔不绝 (tāo tāo bù jué - talk endlessly) on the other end: "Dad, hold on a little longer, I'll book the plane tickets, find connections, and use favors! You must hold on! This is a political task! It's a national event!"

Old Li was even more confused. When did his worthless life become a "political task"? And a "national event"?

He tried to open his eyes wide, wanting to see this absurd world clearly. But his eyelids became heavier and heavier, and his consciousness became more and more blurred. He vaguely heard that the surrounding Chinese tourists were also "cheering" for him: "Uncle, keep going! Persistence is victory!" "Uncle, the motherland is your strongest backing!" "Uncle, you are the best!"

Old Li smiled bitterly. He felt like an inflated balloon, teetering on the brink of collapse from the sound of "cheering."

He wanted to shout, stop cheering, it's going to burst!

But he couldn't shout.

Finally, amidst the sound of "cheering," Old Li swallowed his last breath.

At the funeral, his son had a look of grief, but also a hint of pride: "My dad responded to the call of the country and sacrificed himself for the country! He is a hero!"

Relatives and friends nodded in admiration: "Old Li is really great! He brought glory to the country!" "We should all learn from Old Li, at critical moments, we must think of the country!"

Only Old Li's wife sat silently in the corner, clutching a crumpled piece of paper. It was what she had secretly stuffed to him before he went abroad. It read:

"Old man, don't be afraid to spend money, we have savings. Living is better than anything."

She thought, if Old Li had seen this note earlier, maybe there wouldn't have been this absurd "emergency rescue." Maybe he wouldn't have had to die alone in a foreign country, listening to those empty "cheering" sounds.

But now, it was too late.

The "cheering" continued, like a never-ending farce.

And Old Li could no longer hear it.