Hard work after winning the lottery

The family meeting ended amidst warmth and tears.

The heavy responsibility ultimately fell on Hua Yun, who is now the most resilient "pillar" of the company.

Li Guifen, with red eyes, went to clear the dishes, but her steps were much lighter than usual.

Hua Shu silently refilled his pipe and puffed away. His tightly furrowed brows had long since relaxed, and beneath the swirling smoke was the face of a man whose back had been bent by life, but whose spine had now straightened once more.

Hua Yun didn't give her family much time to immerse themselves in their emotions.

She knew that she needed to strike while the iron was hot and put the plan into practice.

The grease stains from dinner hadn't been completely wiped away when she ladled a bowl of warm water and handed it to her father. Her voice was clear and crisp, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.

"dad."

Hua Shu raised her head, her cloudy eyes looking at her daughter.

"If you have time tomorrow, go to the village committee and ask which hills in our village are available for contracting."

Her words were soft, yet like a pebble, they were precisely thrown into the pool of hope that the family had just begun to build, stirring up ripples called "action."

Hua Shu was taken aback for a moment, then understood what his daughter meant.

This is getting serious.

He put down the white porcelain bowl in his hand, and the bottom of the bowl collided with the table, making a crisp sound.

This action, swift and decisive, was like a silent promise.

A long-lost solemnity, befitting the head of the household, appeared on his dark face.

"OK."

In a word, steadfast as a mountain.

"I'll go to the village committee office first thing tomorrow morning and ask Secretary Zhang."

***

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

The crowing of roosters had just broken the tranquility of Baixi Village when the eastern hills were just beginning to glow with a faint, fish-belly-like light.

Hua Shu had already gotten up.

Instead of wearing the soft-soled cloth shoes his daughter had just bought him, he put on his old liberation shoes covered in mud, as if that was the only way he could feel grounded.

He pushed that old, worn-out bicycle out from the corner of the wall.

The chain was oiled, but the bike still creaked and groaned when I rode it.

Hua Shu, however, found the sound particularly pleasing to the ear today.

He drove towards the village committee, facing the rising sun.

In the early morning, Baixi Village is shrouded in a thin layer of mist, and the air is filled with the fragrance of soil and grass.

Throughout the journey, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly on his dark face.

He recalled his daughter's well-organized plan from the previous night, and her bright and determined eyes.

A burning emotion surged within his weathered chest.

It is a sense of pride, a sense of satisfaction, and an unprecedented feeling of peace of mind.

It was as if the huge rock of poverty and the future that had been weighing on her heart for decades had been gently pushed away by her daughter.

The village committee office is a row of single-story buildings at the entrance of the village.

When Hua Shu arrived, the village party secretary, Lao Zhang, was holding a large tea mug, blowing on it to keep it warm, preparing to start his day's work.

Old Zhang's real name is Zhang Guoqiang. He is a capable man in his early fifties who has served as the village's Party Secretary for almost ten years. He is warm-hearted and quick-witted.

"Hey, it's Brother Hua Shu, up so early!"

Upon seeing Hua Shu enter, Old Zhang quickly put down his teacup and stood up warmly.

"Please sit down, please sit down!"

Hua Shu waved his hand somewhat awkwardly and smiled憨厚ly.

"Secretary Zhang, I...I'm here to ask about contracting the mountain area."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Zhang's eyes lit up immediately.

No matter how small the news was in the village, it couldn't escape his ears. The news of Hua Yun winning the lottery and building a new house had already spread throughout the village.

Far from being jealous, he thought it was a good thing for Baixi Village.

"I knew your Yunyun was destined for great things!"

Old Zhang slapped his thigh, his smile utterly genuine.

"This girl is a golden phoenix that flew out of our Baixi Village! Now that she's successful, she hasn't forgotten to come back and help build her hometown. She has guts and vision!"

The lavish praise made Hua Shu, the father, feel sweeter than if he had drunk honey, but he just chuckled on the surface.

"Come, come, Brother Huashu, come and see."

Old Zhang enthusiastically led the Chinese tree to the wall.

A huge mountain planning map of Baixi Village hangs on the wall. The map is yellowed and marked with various symbols in red and blue pencils.

Old Zhang's finger, like that of a general surveying the land, landed on the map.

"Look, there are mainly three hills that our village can contract now. The one on the east hill has too many rocks and a thin soil layer. The one on the north hill is a bit shady and doesn't get much sunlight."

Finally, his finger landed heavily on a large green area on the west side of the village.

"My personal top recommendation is this one, 'Xishan'."

"This place is great!" Old Zhang's voice rose a few decibels, filled with the excitement of promoting his own good stuff.

"First of all, it faces the sun and can be exposed to the sun all day long, which is excellent for the growth of plants and for lambs to survive the winter."

"Secondly, look at these contour lines," he said, pointing to the sparse lines on the map. "The slope is gentle, so even a tricycle wouldn't have much trouble going up there, let alone sheep. It will be convenient for transporting fodder or taking sheep out to sell in the future."

"Most importantly," Old Zhang lowered his voice mysteriously, circling a point on the mountainside with his finger, "there's a mountain spring here that never runs dry, all year round! This is a treasure; it directly solves the livestock's drinking water problem!"

Hua Shu's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened, as if he could already see flocks of sheep grazing leisurely all over the mountains and fields.

He rubbed his rough, calloused hands and asked the question that concerned him most.

"So...how much will the contract fee be?"

After pondering for a moment, Secretary Zhang gave a preliminary plan.

"According to the village's policy, the annual contracting fee is roughly between five thousand and ten thousand yuan, depending on the size and location of the hill. This area in Xishan is large and in a good location, so it's estimated to be close to ten thousand yuan."

"However," he changed the subject, "Yunyun is taking the lead in development, which is a good thing. We can sit down and discuss the specific price later; the village will definitely provide policy support!"

Hua Shu felt a weight lifted from her heart.

Ten thousand a year was an astronomical price for the Hua family in the past, but now it is completely within their affordability range.

"How many years can the contract be for?"

"Don't worry about that," Secretary Zhang assured, patting his chest. "The national policy is right here: land contracts can be signed for up to thirty years! Sign it all at once, and for those thirty years, this mountain belongs to your Hua family! We will absolutely guarantee the long-term interests of you investors."

Thirty years!

This number made Hua Shu's heart skip a beat.

Thirty years is enough for a newborn baby to grow into an adult, and enough for a family to undergo earth-shattering changes.

He suppressed his excitement and carefully asked about a few details that concerned him.

"Secretary Zhang, can we deal with those miscellaneous trees on the mountain ourselves?"

"Also, if I want to build a sheepfold or a guardhouse on the mountain, will the village approve it?"

These are the most practical questions, concerning subsequent investment and planning.

Old Zhang answered fluently, clearly having done his homework.

"You can certainly handle the miscellaneous timber; you can use it as firewood or sell it for money. As for building production facilities, as long as you don't damage the main forest or construct any messy buildings, building a sheepfold, a reservoir, or a simple road are all reasonable requests. Just submit a report, and the village committee will definitely give you the green light!"

These words dispelled all of Hua Shu's doubts, leaving only burning enthusiasm.

"Alright, Brother Huashu," Secretary Zhang concluded, "Go back and discuss it with Yunyun first. If you're sure you're interested, let me know, and I'll organize the village committee members to accompany you up the mountain for a site visit! Seeing it in person is the clearest way!"

"Yes! Good! Good!" Hua Shu responded repeatedly, his face flushed with excitement.