Hard work after winning the lottery

Two off-road vehicles rolled over the stone-paved road at the entrance of the village, making a dull but reassuring sound.

Upon entering Baixi Village, the sky appeared as if someone had splashed a layer of light ink, and dusk was falling. Under the originally leaden sky, a thin layer of snow covered the rooftops of each house, like freshly steamed white buns.

The most amazing thing was those few wisps of smoke, which weren't blown away by the wind, but shot straight up, carrying the smell of firewood and the aroma of rice, forcefully squeezing into the gaps between the cars.

"arrive!"

Hua An slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a steady stop in front of the Hua family's house.

The snow on the ground in front of the door was swept clean, not even a small pebble could be seen. The red lanterns on both sides were hung up early, creating a festive atmosphere, clearly indicating that they had made ample preparations for the New Year.

The moment the car door opened, before the cold air could even rush in, it was blocked by an even warmer sound.

The heavy cotton curtain in the kitchen was suddenly yanked open.

Grandma Hua, Li Guifen, was wearing a floral apron and carrying a large winnowing basket with some flour on it, but who cared about that at the moment? Her face was beaming with joy.

"Oh! I'm finally back!"

Li Guifen's loud voice rang out as she held a steaming bowl of freshly baked sesame sugar cakes in her hands. The sweet aroma wafted straight into her nose, making one's mouth water.

"Grandma!"

The three little ones were like tiger cubs just released from their cages; they jumped off the car all by themselves without any help from adults.

Si Tao was at the very front, full of energy, followed closely by Si Le. Even Si An, who was usually the most composed, was walking much faster at this moment.

The three children rushed forward in a swarm, some hugging the legs, others pulling at the aprons.

"Grandma, I missed you so much!" Sile's little mouth was as sweet as honey. She tilted her head up, her little face cold from the wind outside, and kept rubbing against Li Guifen's warm palm.

"Oh my, my darling baby, let Grandma see him!"

Li Guifen nearly dropped the winnowing basket in her hands, quickly placing it on the stone mill beside her. She then reached out to touch each child's face, asking, "Have you lost weight? Are you cold? Your little face is so cold. Quick, have a sugar pancake while it's hot; it's freshly made and filled with sesame and brown sugar!"

Upon hearing the word "eat," Si Tao's eyes lit up like the stars in the sky. Without even noticing the heat, he grabbed a sugar cake and stuffed it into his mouth.

A "click" sound.

The crispy crust crumbled into crumbs, and the brown sugar filling inside burst out instantly.

"Hot, hot, hot...delicious!" Si Tao mumbled, sucking in air and reluctant to spit it out.

"Eat slowly! This child, you're like a starving ghost reincarnated. Do you think the family will let you go hungry?" Li Guifen scolded him, but her eyes were full of heartache and doting. She quickly reached out to wipe the sugar stains from the corners of his mouth.

While the grandfather and grandson were being very affectionate, Grandpa Zhou Yinchuan was also getting out of the car with the help of bodyguards.

Although the old man's legs weren't as nimble as they used to be, his spirit was still there. Leaning on his cane, he stood in the middle of the yard, took a deep breath of the cool air carrying the smell of firewood, and sighed, "So refreshing! The air in this village is so nourishing. In City A, it's all exhaust fumes!"

Just then, the door to the main room creaked open.

Hua Mutou was carrying a large copper kettle and was walking out. When he saw Zhou Yinchuan, a simple and honest smile appeared on his sun-darkened face.

"You're here."

No empty pleasantries, just these three words.

Zhou Yinchuan laughed heartily, tapping his cane twice on the ground: "You're here! Old comrade, I've come uninvited. You'd better hide your things well, I've brought my mouth with me this time!"

"Enough for everyone." Hua Mu grinned, revealing a mouthful of smoked teeth, and turned to lift the curtain. "Come inside, it's warm."

The main room was really warm.

In the middle was a large brazier, burning the finest fruitwood charcoal. There was no smell of smoke, only the pleasant aroma of wood. On the brazier was an iron rack, on which was simmering a pot of jujube and ginger tea. Steam was bubbling out of the spout, and the spiciness of the ginger mixed with the sweet fragrance of the jujubes instantly dispelled the chill.

Zhou Yinchuan was ushered to the seat of honor. Without any ceremony, he took off his coat and rubbed his hands together.

Hua Mutou carried the copper kettle and poured him a bowl of ginger tea.

"Have some to warm you up."

Zhou Yinchuan picked up the bowl, blew away the foam, and slurped up a large mouthful of hot tea. The hot tea went down his throat, making him feel a pleasant shiver run through his body.

"Good tea! Is this water from the spring behind the mountain?" Zhou Yinchuan smacked his lips.

"Yeah, I got it this morning." Hua Mutou sat opposite him, poking at the charcoal with fire tongs. "I know you like this kind of thing."

The two old men, one a seasoned businessman and the other a hardworking farmer, shared a deep understanding and warmth across a brazier of charcoal fire.

At this moment, Hua Yun directed the bodyguards to carry the gifts they had brought into the house.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom," Hua Yun greeted with a smile, the relaxed feeling of coming home was something that couldn't be faked.

Hua Shu and Li Guifen looked at their daughter, their eyes a little red, but they couldn't wipe away their tears in front of so many people. They just kept nodding and saying, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Grandma called out obediently.

"Alright, stop standing there, hurry up and wash your hands and eat!" Li Guifen was a decisive person; with a wave of her hand, she declared, "Today we're having mutton hot pot!"

Dinner was served in a spacious side room.

Two large round tables were put together, with an extra-large copper hot pot placed in the middle.

The broth was truly exquisite; it wasn't the kind of spicy broth that was all red oil, but a clear broth. But this clear broth was no ordinary broth. It was made with lamb bone broth that had been simmering overnight, and it was milky white, with a few pieces of scallion, ginger slices, red dates, and goji berries floating on top.

The most amazing part is the layer of pickled cabbage at the bottom of the pot.

Grandma Hua pickled it herself; it was golden in color and finely chopped. When you blanch it in boiling soup, its tangy flavor perfectly cuts through the richness of the mutton.

"It's ready to cook!"

With a shout from Hua'an, slices of mutton as thin as cicada wings were poured into the pot like rain.

This mutton comes from free-range black goats raised on our own western mountain. They graze on various herbs and drink spring water, resulting in bright red meat with absolutely no gamey smell. Just blanch it in the broth for a couple of seconds until it changes color, and it's ready to eat.

"Come on, everyone, pick up your chopsticks!" Zhou Yinchuan didn't put on airs. He was the first to reach for his chopsticks, picked up a large piece of mutton, rolled it in the special sesame sauce dish, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Mmm—!" The old man narrowed his eyes, gave a thumbs up, "That's the taste! No matter how fancy the Michelin-starred restaurants in City A are, they can't compare to the authentic lamb!"

The three children ate without even lifting their heads.

Si Tao was a typical "big-eyed, big-bellied" child, with the small bowl in front of him piled up like a small mountain.

"Brother, leave me some corn tortillas!"

Si Tao chewed on mutton, his eyes still fixed on the golden-brown flatbreads stuck to the edge of the copper pot.

It was made with freshly ground cornmeal mixed with wheat flour, stuck to the scalding hot pot wall. The bottom side was baked until golden brown and crispy, while the top side was steamed by the mutton soup until soft and sweet, absorbing the savory flavor of the broth. It was a treasure that tasted even better than meat.