sid_guardian | Focus on: Lao Li

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type: character discussion

Focus on: Lao Li

In the drama, Lao Li is the SID's caretaker (and supplier of Da Qing's dried fish) who carries a burden of guilt.

[Note: I haven't read the novel, so this post focuses on Lao Li from the drama. Please feel free to comment on Lao Li from the novel, and mark comments as drama or novel as needed.]

Lao Li making dried fish

Lao Li (Li Hongchun) is the first person Zhao Yunlan greets when he brings Guo Changcheng inside the SID in episode 01. Lao Li is making food at his cooking station in the SID's entrance area (where the motorcycles are kept). Throughout the series, Lao Li's main role is as a kind of caretaker of the SID, but especially caretaker of Da Qing. In episode 13, when Da Qing has been influenced by Zheng Yi's sonic waves and starts attacking Wang Xiangyang's fruit stand, Lao Li is able to calm him by feeding him dried fish and petting his head.

Lao Li feeding Da Qing dried fish

In episodes 26 and 27, we find out why he's so attentive to Da Qing. In episode 26, cat tribe member Da Ji recognizes Lao Li and attacks him on sight. In a series of flashbacks, we learn that ten years ago[*], Lao Li was living on the street when he met Da Qing in cat form. Smiling, he pets and feeds Da Qing and takes care of him for an unknown period of time.

Lao Li and Da Qing flashback

While Lao Li is asleep, Da Qing transforms into human form. Da Qing is making a meal (it looks like something instant with flavor packets) when Lao Li wakes up, sees him, and picks up a wooden pole and hits him with it from behind. Da Qing is knocked out. Lao Li admits he was ignorant back then and had never seen a cat become a human. He thought Da Qing was a monster and acted out of reflex. But he regretted what he did instantly, and afterward he worked hard to join the SID. He's hired by Zhao Yunlan, we learn in a memory shown in episode 37, so it apparently took him years to work his way into the SID.

Lao Li's memory of joining the SID

Da Ji blames Lao Li for Da Qing's memory loss[**]. She goes after Lao Li to beat him with a wooden pole, but Da Qing throws himself in front of Lao Li to protect him. Lao Li asks Da Qing if he can forgive him for what he did. He tells Da Qing: "Whether cat or human, you are my only family." After teasing him, Da Qing sincerely says that he'll give Lao Li another chance.

Although Lao Li has a special interest in taking care of Da Qing, he has a good relationship with everyone else in the SID. In episode 03, he participates in Lin Jing's unsuccessful experiments to get the Longevity Dial to activate. In episode 20, he joins the Reunion Festival feast, bringing in fresh dumplings. In episode 21, he's also at the table for a meal with everyone else, although they're all watching Zhao Yunlan, blinded, eating.

Aside from cooking, Lao Li also watches the SID entrance. In episode 07, he's carving[***] when Zhu Jiu has the alarm go off so Lao Li will open the door to the SID. Zhu Jiu can't enter, though, because of Lin Jing's dark energy barrier. In episode 08, Lao Li fetches the anonymous note slipped under the door and brings it to Wang Zheng. He's supposed to hold it for Zhao Yunlan but, distracted by smoke coming from his cooking, he doesn't notice the letter drop into the trash, where apparently Zhu Jiu is able to get it back. And in episode 31, it's Lao Li who has to report to Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng that the Haixing Inspectorate are there to shut down the SID. He also brings Zhao Yunlan the newspaper containing an exposé on the SID.

Like everyone else at the SID, Lao Li is exposed to danger. In episode 17, when Bao Laosan tries to destroy the SID building and the ground shakes, Lao Li opens the door to see what's happening. Bao Laosan grabs him by the neck to strangle him and warns the SID team that he'll kill him if they come closer. Zhao Xinci, however, is there with the dark energy gun and Bao Laosan is shot by him. The SID team rushes to check on Lao Li, who's all right but clearly shaken up and shocked by what just happened.

And finally, in episode 37, the SID team find Lao Li on the floor, bleeding and dying. He tells them, "Those Crows... I already chased them off... for you." Shen Wei tries to heal him but says it's too late because the energy pierced his heart and lungs. Da Qing, distraught, asks who will cook fish for him. Lao Li dies in Da Qing's arms. Guo Changcheng touches Lao Li's hand and sees his entire life. He passes on Lao Li's wish: that he wants to cook fish for Da Qing one more time.

[*] I'm not sure how literally to take the "ten years" here, because Zhao Xinci says he worked with Da Qing for ten years, but Zhao Xinci hasn't been head of the SID for three years (at least).
[**] However, when the Yashou and humans go their separate ways after the treaty in ancient Haixing era (episode 35), Da Qing has lost some memories because he doesn't remember where his bell necklace came from.
[***] Thanks to

extrapenguin's dramatis personae (novel edition) post, my guess is that he's carving bone, in a shout-out to the novel.

Fanworks:
There are at least 8 stories on AO3 where Lao Li is a character. I don't know if he's a prominent character in any of them. I'm sure he's mentioned in other stories, or appears as part of the SID team.

I found one icon with Lao Li:

made by

tsubame_17

Please comment with other Lao Li fanworks that you've created or have found!

Questions:
1. What did Lao Li do before he met Da Qing? What circumstances led to him living on the street?
2. What did he do to work hard so he could join the SID? How did he know Da Qing worked for the SID?
3. How did Da Ji know what Lao Li did to Da Qing? Did she witness it? If she was there, why didn't she try to take revenge in the immediate aftermath?
4. Does Lao Li live inside the SID building? If so, how protected is he (or does he feel there)? For example, when the SID team goes to the mountains in the northwest in episodes 09-11, he would be there all by himself with only Lin Jing's dark energy barrier as protection.
5. Is he considered part of the SID? If so, why is he included in some of their celebrations (Reunion Festival) but not others (Zhao Yunlan welcoming Shen Wei to the SID in episode 14)? How do the other members of the SID view Lao Li?
6. Was he affected by Zheng Yi's sonic waves in episode 12? Or by the personality change virus in episode 25? What would Lao Li's personality change have been like?

Let's talk about Lao Li! Comment with meta, links to fanworks, and anything else you'd like to say about Lao Li!

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I like the way Lao Li takes care of Da Qing. And I really like that scene in episode 13 when they calm Da Qing and Lao Li pets him as if one would pet a cat. And I love angst, so I found his death scene and Da Qing's grief very affecting.

Does Lao Li live inside the SID building?

I never thought that he lived at SID. I thought everybody but Wang Zheng lived somewhere else. But now that you mentioned it - I think it is possible that he does live inside the SID building. It does seem like he's almost always there.

I like the way Lao Li takes care of Da Qing.

There are strong found family ties between them, which I love.

And I really like that scene in episode 13 when they calm Da Qing and Lao Li pets him as if one would pet a cat.

Yes! I love that moment. It's especially meaningful, too, after we get the flashback and learn Lao Li had once thought of Da Qing (however briefly) as a monster. Petting him like a cat is acknowledging that he is a cat, as well as human. It's so affectionate.

I found his death scene and Da Qing's grief very affecting.

I did, too. Poor Da Qing! He loses almost everyone! I admired how Lao Li tried to stand up to the Crows. And then his dying regret is not being able to cook for Da Qing one more time. ;__;

I thought everybody but Wang Zheng lived somewhere else.

Yeah, that could be. And if Lao Li doesn't live there, that could explain why sometimes he's not included when everyone else is. It was something I wondered about in the scene when Zhu Jiu tries to break in, because it's night, and Lao Li is there, carving something.

And I really like that scene in episode 13 when they calm Da Qing and Lao Li pets him as if one would pet a cat.

Yes! I like that a lot, too. Because Da Qing is a cat. ♥

The thing that fascinates me about Lao Li is that he befriends this cat, falls asleep, wakes up and there's a young man, and he instantly seems to jump to the conclusion that cat and man are the same! Let me just say that would not be my first thought.

No idea why he was on the street, maybe a broken-up marriage where she got to keep the house? I'm very impressed though that he got himself qualified for the SID.

If she was there, why didn't she try to take revenge in the immediate aftermath?

Good question, given her personality. I got nothing...

he befriends this cat, falls asleep, wakes up and there's a young man, and he instantly seems to jump to the conclusion that cat and man are the same!

Yeah, I know what you mean! It's not explained why he jumped to that conclusion. For what it's worth, the flashback is divided there. In the first part, Lao Li is sitting up, leaning against the wall, apparently asleep, and Da Qing transforms from cat to human. In the second part, Lao Li is lying down, asleep, and Da Qing is in human form, making food. Although Lao Li appears to be asleep in both parts, I wondered if he was awake in the first part and knew that Da Qing changed.

maybe a broken-up marriage where she got to keep the house?

Yes, that's a good explanation. If he had other family, they're no longer in his life, since he tells Da Qing he's his only family. ;__;

I'm very impressed though that he got himself qualified for the SID.

Yes, it's very impressive, given how he was living! It says a lot about his character that, after an impulsive attack he instantly regrets, he devotes himself to turning his life around and working his way into the SID.

The thing that fascinates me about Lao Li is that he befriends this cat, falls asleep, wakes up and there's a young man, and he instantly seems to jump to the conclusion that cat and man are the same!

Ha! Good point. Though maybe he wasn't actually fully asleep, and saw something after all? And then panicked and overreacted afterwards when he got the chance.

The Da Qing&Lao Li relationship is so interesting. If Lao Li was responsible for the loss of Da Qing's memories, then you have a relationship that starts with terrible violence and ends up close. If he wasn't (because the memory loss comes from something that happened a long time earlier) then you have misplaced blame at the center of a relationship that manages to become close anyway. Either way it's interesting.

I also like that blaming himself for causing Da Qing's memory loss (whether rightly or wrongly) led Lao Li to completely turn his life around and take himself from homeless to SID member.

Either way it's interesting.

I agree! I love found family stories, and Lao Li's relationship with Da Qing has strong found family ties.

led Lao Li to completely turn his life around and take himself from homeless to SID member

Yes, it's really impressive on Lao Li's part. Maybe before he met Da Qing he didn't anything to work for or focus on in his life. After he hurts Da Qing, he feels guilty and wants to make amends, and that gives him the motivation he needs.

Lao Li and Da Qing are so sweet together! I really love their interactions.

How did he know Da Qing worked for the SID?

Maybe he followed Da Qing after he lost his memory and saw him encounter someone from the SID, or young Zhao Yunlan. Maybe he came across Da Qing again after Da Qing was working for the SID.

How did Da Ji know what Lao Li did to Da Qing? Did she witness it?

Da Ji says in episode 26 the Master of the Merit Brush gave her info about Da Qing - maybe Wang Xiangyang, Ya Qing et al. researched it and found out somehow? Either via another eyewitness or some Dixing power. But I definitely didn't get the impression she had any idea before - she'd just lost track of Da Qing.

Does Lao Li live inside the SID building?

Perhaps there's an apartment attached to the office? Or maybe he lives elsewhere, like most of them. I think he probably felt safe enough alone at the office, around the time the team went off to the mountains - direct threats to the SID office didn't really happen before that, did they? But it may have changed later. And for the most part, the dark energy shield should have been enough.

Is he considered part of the SID?

What episode is the team photo in? He's part of that, too, isn't he?

Yes, he's in the team photo - good point! It's in episode 30.

I think he probably felt safe enough alone at the office, around the time the team went off to the mountains - direct threats to the SID office didn't really happen before that, did they? But it may have changed later. And for the most part, the dark energy shield should have been enough.

Yeah, that's true. It was just something that struck me this time when everyone goes off to the mountains, that Lao Li is there by himself. (Or maybe no one's there, because we don't see Lao Li at the SID when everyone leaves.)

I tend to assume Lao Li is the caretaker and so sleeps on site. Perhaps he was still living on the street before he got the SID gig, and he started out dossing down there unofficially, and Zhao Yunlan let it slide, and it just became the way things are?

Yeah, I was thinking caretaker who lives there, too. I like the idea of Zhao Yunlan noticing Lao Li moved in unofficially & letting it slide. :)

Maybe they never talked about it, but after a while (perhaps at Da Qing's suggestion) Zhao Yunlan quietly arranged for a bed to be installed/delivered. :-)

Do we know if he was hired under Zhao Yunlan, or could he have been around longer than that?

I think we see Zhao Yunlan give him the job in ep 37, when GCC sees his dying wish.

Cool! I had totally forgotten about that.

Someone give me approximately twice as many hours in a day, please. Maybe then I can find the time to actually rewatch properly at some point ...

Btw, off-topic, but that icon is a masterpiece!

Or maybe he enjoys having the place all to himself? Has to be pretty damn rare, given Wang Zheng.

A chance to crank up the music... ;-)

maybe Wang Xiangyang, Ya Qing et al. researched it and found out somehow?

I wonder if Zhu Jiu researched the whole SID, perhaps using Ding Dun or someone else with a similar investigatory power, before the Hanga Arc? He knows a lot about Wang Zheng's backstory, which is impressive given her amnesia. And then Zhu Jiu could have passed all his intel on to Ya Qing before he became a Ye Zun snack. Or, otoh, maybe Ya Qing decided to research everyone, and one of the Crows remembered seeing what happened to Da Qing.

I think using Ding Dun would explain a lot, and could have given them so much info that would have been impossible to get otherwise! Headcanon accepted, as they say. *g*

Yay, great post! ♥ ♥ ♥

Another drama-only person here:

I think the first thing that caught my eye about Lao Li was him sitting at his desk (in the caretaker's office/quarters?), wearing glasses and carving. (It reminded me of Lester Freamon from The Wire, who pends half his working life making furniture for dolls' houses.) Maybe Lao Li sells his carvings to supplement his income -- and buy more fish for Da Qing? :-)

I like how friendly, affable and humble Lao Li seems, and his relationship with Da Qing, of course. He gives the impression of being content with his lot and at peace with his choice to quietly make amends by becoming Da Qing's carer. (Ooh, I wonder how he felt when Zhao Yunlan became Da Qing's best friend. Was he jealous? Did he feel displaced? Or was he relieved that Da Qing had another person on his side, to help protect him?)

It's interesting how easily Da Qing forgives him when he learns the truth. I don't know if that's supposed to be a "this is what good people do" type thing, or a "this is how cats behave" thing. :-)

2. What did he do to work hard so he could join the SID? How did he know Da Qing worked for the SID?

Maybe he got other caretaking-type jobs so he could build up his resume, starting somewhere really dodgy and working his way up to respectability? And he must have stalked Da Qing to some extent, to find out where he was working and keep an eye on him, to make sure he was okay. Or maybe he approached Da Qing and offered him fish, and they started a new friendship (from Da Qing's POV). Maybe it was Da Qing who persuaded Zhao Yunlan to hire him.

4. Does Lao Li live inside the SID building? If so, how protected is he (or does he feel there)?

Given that things were pretty uneventful before the start of the series, and Lin Jing's energy barrier is in place, I suspect he feels completely at home and safe there. And yeah, I'd assumed he lived in the building -- but maybe I only think that because we see him cooking.

5. Is he considered part of the SID?

I think he's considered part of the wider SID, but he's not an agent or admin staff, so there's probably a bit of a class gap there, which would explain why he's included in some group things and not others. (Unless he was just busy with other things on the occasions he's not there.)

6. Was he affected by Zheng Yi's sonic waves in episode 12? Or by the personality change virus in episode 25? What would Lao Li's personality change have been like?

Ooh, excellent questions! We don't see him affected by the sonic waves, but he must have been, mustn't he? Unless he was hiding. And as for his personality change potential -- maybe he'd become entitled, wanting to be respected for his seniority, and to have someone bring him snacks for a change! :-)

I like how friendly, affable and humble Lao Li seems

I do, too. Even though he's not around all the time, he still felt very much part of the SID found family to me.

Or was he relieved that Da Qing had another person on his side, to help protect him?

I think he would be relieved that Da Qing had a friend and protector.

Maybe it was Da Qing who persuaded Zhao Yunlan to hire him.

In the flashback to when Lao Li was hired, he is introduced to Da Qing as the newly hired staff. Although Da Qing could've forgotten him (again)... ;__;

maybe he'd become entitled, wanting to be respected for his seniority, and to have someone bring him snacks for a change! :-)

Oh, that would be interesting to see! Yes, that would be a total personality change: an overbearing, demanding Lao Li!

In the flashback to when Lao Li was hired, he is introduced to Da Qing as the newly hired staff.

Oops, I'd forgotten that -- thanks! :-)

I don't know if that's supposed to be a "this is what good people do" type thing, or a "this is how cats behave" thing. :-)

I took it for a "doing one bad thing doesn't define a person" kind of thing - Da Qing knows Lao-Li better than that. But it's probably a bit of both the things you mention!

maybe he'd become entitled, wanting to be respected for his seniority, and to have someone bring him snacks for a change! :-)

Wow, that would have been fascinating to see!

Wow, that would have been fascinating to see!

Yeah, how would Da Qing react??? :-)

6. Was he affected by Zheng Yi's sonic waves in episode 12? Or by the personality change virus in episode 25? What would Lao Li's personality change have been like?

On the personality change, I always thought that since he was hiding the reason he's there and his past with Da Qing he would be unaffected, much like Lin Jing and Zhao Yunlan.

Oh wow, that is a brilliant thought. Headcanon adopted! :D

Ooh, yes, that works!

Oh! Excellent point! This works.

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