Suddenly, the old man puffing on his pipe spoke in a deep voice, interrupting everyone.
His name was Zhao Laosan, originally Zhao Dezhu. He was eighty-two years old this year, and his body was still fairly robust. But not long ago, he was diagnosed with cancer, and the doctor said he didn't have much longer to live. Having reached this age, he had come to terms with it and had chosen to forgo treatment.
This time, with the pumpkin stealing... he was the first in the village to do it. He thought he'd steal a few pumpkins to sell for cigarette money. He hadn't expected the owner of the pumpkin field to be so lenient after being caught, so he simply made a few more trips.
At the same time, he shared this news with other friends in the village. Once they found out, these "friends" also got ideas and joined the pumpkin-hauling crew. They figured it was a waste not to join in. Following his lead, they made quite a bit of money.
