Hard work after winning the lottery

Hua Yun didn't explain anything further to her family, and her family tacitly refrained from asking any more questions.

They simply used the most basic methods to bring her back under the protection of their family.

The days began to flow again at a slow and ancient rhythm.

In Baixi Village, there is no alarm clock at five in the morning; instead, the rooster crows loudly in the yard as the sky begins to lighten.

The air was devoid of the bitter aroma of coffee, only filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass, damp with dew.

On the fourth day after I returned home, it was just getting light.

Hua Yun was awakened by the rustling noise in the courtyard.

She put on a coat and pushed open the door, where she saw her grandfather, Hua Mutou, hunched over, herding plump goats out of the pen.

"Grandpa, why are you up so early?"

Hua Mutou turned around, a simple and honest smile appearing on his deeply lined face.

"Awake? Why not sleep a little longer?"

"If we don't drive these bastards up the mountain soon, they'll devour all the vegetables in the yard."

Hua Yun looked at the vast flock of sheep, numbering at least two hundred, and a certain part of her heart was gently touched.

"I'll go with you."

"You?" Hua Mutou looked his granddaughter, who had just returned from the city, up and down. She had delicate skin and a tender build. "With your small frame, can you keep up with this old man? The mountain roads are not easy to walk on."

Hua Yun didn't say anything, but turned around and went back into the house. She quickly changed into a set of old, dirty clothes, put on a pair of canvas shoes, and picked up a long tree branch from the corner of the wall.

She demonstrated her determination through her actions.

A hint of a relieved smile flashed in Hua Mutou's cloudy eyes.

"Okay, let's go then."

The mountain forest was still shrouded in a thin layer of mist in the early morning.

Hua Yun followed behind her grandfather, imitating him, and gently herded the sheep that had fallen behind with the branch in her hand.

She tried to imitate her grandfather, waving the long branch in her hand, but her movements were clumsy and comical.

Several times, he either scattered the sheep or almost tripped over himself.

The bleating of sheep rose and fell, echoing through the silent valley.

Hua Mutou didn't urge her, but slowed his pace, turning back from time to time to point at her with his old eyes that had seen the mountains and forests all his life.

"Yunyun, look, this grass is called dragon beard grass. Its leaves are long and thin with serrated edges. Sheep love to eat it and they gain weight quickly."

"That thing over there with the little purple flowers is called 'heartbreak grass,' it's poisonous. We need to drive the sheep this way, keep them away."

"See that bare red rock? That's 'Sheep Resting Place,' we'll graze our sheep around there today."

Hua Yun listened attentively, trying her best to remember the name and characteristics of each plant.

This is knowledge she could never learn in the university library or in the skyscrapers of City A.

It is a most direct connection with the land and with life.

A gentle mountain breeze brushed against her cheeks and ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead.

The wind carries the fragrance of unknown wildflowers and the sweet, earthy smell of rain-soaked soil.

In the distance, there are rolling, dark green mountains, shrouded in mist, like an ink wash painting.

Nearby, on a grassy hillside, flocks of sheep graze leisurely like drifting white clouds.

Hua Yun found a clean rock to sit on and looked at everything in front of her.

Her heart was at peace like never before.

There's no need to think about complicated reports anymore, no need to guess what your boss is thinking, and no need to... recall that man's cold eyes and burning body temperature.

Heavy physical labor is the best cure for all affectation.

Coming down the mountain, my legs felt like they were filled with lead, weak and sore.

But the brain was in a strange state of emptiness.

The images and sounds that tormented her repeatedly in the dead of night in City A seemed to have been blown away by the mountain wind.

The sheep from Baixi Village are quite famous in the surrounding area.

Grandpa said that the sheep raised in this land are different from others.

The sheep here graze on the "dragon whisker grass" that is covered with dew on the hillside and drink the sweet mountain spring water that seeps out from the cracks in the rocks.

The unique growing environment makes the lamb here exceptionally tender, fatty but not greasy, and most importantly, it has no trace of the usual muttony smell.

Even if you just boil it in the simplest water and add a handful of salt, the soup will be incredibly delicious.

Hua Yun watched her grandfather and father, Hua Shu, get up before dawn every day to mix feed, feed the sheep, and clean the sheepfold. After dark, they would check for any sick lambs.

Day after day, year after year.

Behind that seemingly leisurely rural life lies a deep-seated hard work.

Her honest and simple father's back was bent from the weight of his labor, and his hands were covered with thick calluses, with cracks filled with indelible dirt.

At that moment, Hua Yun felt as if something had stabbed her heart.

She could no longer enjoy her family's care as a guest without feeling guilty.

From that day on, she took on more of the housework.

She no longer sleeps until she naturally wakes up, but gets up with her mother, Li Guifen.

Helping Grandma, I sat on a small stool and added firewood to the earthen stove, watching the orange-red flames leap merrily in the firebox.

The warmth of everyday life is what soothes the human heart.

She imitated her mother, washing and chopping the freshly picked vegetables from their garden, still glistening with dew.

The aroma of the vegetables sizzling in the hot oil filled the small kitchen.

In the evening, the family sat around the old television set whose screen occasionally flickered with static.

The table was set with the simplest home-cooked meal.

A plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, a bowl of stewed mutton with potatoes, and cornbread made by my mother.

Hua'an, the younger brother, shoveled rice into his bowl while muttering English words to himself, making a final push for the upcoming college entrance examination.

While serving food to Hua Yun, Li Guifen kept nagging about her younger brother's studies.

"Eat more, look how thin you are."

"Your brother is the same, all he does is study, and he's lost weight too."

Father Huashu was not talkative; he would quietly add meat to everyone's bowls and then smile kindly.

Grandma's eyesight isn't very good anymore. She squints as she watches TV, occasionally laughing out loud along with the plot.

There were no fancy tableware, and no expensive dishes.

But the aroma of the food, mixed with the soft laughter of family members, creates the most comforting warmth.

Hua Yun ate her meal in small bites, feeling a warm feeling in her stomach and heart.

Late at night.

She lay on the somewhat old wooden bed in her room, the bed frame making a slight creaking sound.

Outside the window, there was an endless night and the noisy croaking of frogs.

Without the hustle and bustle of traffic, you can look up and see the dazzling Milky Way, a sight that has long since disappeared from the city.

My body is exhausted, and every muscle is screaming in pain.

But mentally, I felt more relaxed than ever before.

That feeling of fullness after being emptied out gradually filled in the unspeakable wounds in my heart.

The prosperity of City A and Zhou Yanjin's shadow seemed to become blurred and distant at this moment.

Hua Yun turned over and buried her face in the sun-scented blankets.

Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.

I slept without any dreams.