Hard work after winning the lottery

As dusk fell, a fiery sunset painted the sky above Baixi Village.

It's bright red and very pretty.

The Hua family's courtyard was bustling with activity.

A huge iron frame has been erected.

This is a professional whole roasted lamb rack, with a rectangular charcoal trough underneath.

Hua Shu and Hua An, father and son, were busy slaughtering and marinating animals in the backyard.

But when it comes to starting a fire, President Zhou Yanjin is more than willing to take the lead.

"I'll do it."

Zhou Yanjin was wearing a pure white haute couture shirt today. She was slowly unbuttoning her cuffs and neatly rolling up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing a section of her smooth forearm.

The muscle definition, though not exaggerated, was firm and powerful, clearly the result of years of regular fitness training.

He picked up a few pieces of firewood and stacked them together haphazardly.

"Dad, stop, stop, stop!"

Si Tao, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer.

This kid somehow got hold of a straw hat and put it on his head, holding a large palm-leaf fan in his hand, looking every bit the foreman.

He leaned closer, pointing out the flaws in the situation with a look of utter disappointment:

"Dad, did your physics teacher teach you PE? If you lay it flat like that, no oxygen can get in. It'll be billowing black smoke in no time, and someone will choke to death."

Zhou Yanjin paused, raising an eyebrow at her mischievous son: "Then how do you suggest we do it?"

Si Tao chuckled, squatted down, and took the firewood:

"Watch closely, this is called the pyramid method! You need to build up the firewood, leaving gaps in the middle to create a chimney effect, allowing for better air circulation and a stronger fire!"

As he spoke, the young man quickly and skillfully arranged a pile of messy firewood into a respectable pyramid shape.

Then he took out a lighter, found some dry grass for starting a fire, stuffed it at the bottom, and lit it.

"call--"

The flames shot up instantly, bright red, without a trace of black smoke.

Zhou Yanjin looked at the leaping flames, then at her smug son.

There was a two-second silence.

Then he calmly dusted off his hands: "Hmm, not bad, looks like sending you to that wilderness survival summer camp wasn't a waste of time."

I actually got lectured by my son.

Si'an wasn't idle either.

But he doesn't like to join in the fun.

The boy moved a small stool and sat quietly to the side.

He held a small fan in his hand, not to fan himself, but to fan the charcoal fire.

His cool face was expressionless, but his eyes were very focused, watching the heat carefully at all times.

Occasionally, a spark would fly out, but he wouldn't even blink, calmly stomping it out with his foot.

On the other side, the vegetable garden presented a completely different scene.

Sile is the king of kids.

He led Nuannuan and Xiaotudou, each carrying a small bamboo basket.

"Nuan Nuan, look at this, this is lettuce. It'll be perfect for wrapping meat later to cut through the greasiness."

Sile pointed to the rows of lush green lettuce in the field and said.

Nuannuan blinked her big eyes and reached out her little hand to touch the lettuce leaf: "It's green, like a skirt."

"Yes, like a warm dress." Sile smiled and ruffled her sister's hair, then swiftly plucked the tenderest one.

The little potato followed happily behind.

He didn't know what lettuce or chives were either.

When he saw his older siblings pulling something out of the ground, he would pull something out of the ground too.

Sometimes, when he used too much force, he would plop down on the ground, still clutching a few weeds tightly in his hand, laughing heartily.

The sun sank completely below the horizon, and night fell.

The lights in the yard came on.

The marinated whole lamb was already placed on the charcoal fire.

As the lamb is roasted over charcoal, its skin begins to undergo a wonderful transformation.

The originally fair and tender skin gradually turned golden yellow.

When heated, the fat seeps out from the meat's texture, gathering into glistening droplets that slide down the lamb's body.

"Sizzle—"

Oil droplets dripped onto the charcoal fire, stirring up a puff of blue smoke.

Instantly, a rich and overpowering aroma of meat, mixed with the fragrance of cumin, chili powder, and fruitwood, exploded in the courtyard.

The fragrance wafted throughout Baixi Village on the evening breeze.

"It smells so good! Who's making something delicious?"

Old Master Zhou Yinchuan was quite the gourmand.

He was locked in a fierce battle with Hua Mutou inside the house when he suddenly twitched his nose and stopped playing.

He came out leaning on his cane.

Although the old man's legs are not as nimble as they used to be, he walks with great vigor these days.

"Great-Grandpa! We're roasting lamb!"

Nuannuan has sharp eyes. As soon as she saw her great-grandfather come out, she immediately dropped the small shovel in her hand and rushed over like a little cannonball.

He grabbed Zhou Yinchuan's large, calloused hand.

"Great-Grandpa, come quick! Sit here! You can see the best from here!"

The young girl, as if presenting a treasure, pulled the old man to a grand chair upwind.

Zhou Yinchuan sat down, took a deep breath, and a look of rapture appeared on his face:

"Mmm—! This is the taste!"

The old man squinted, "It's still the familiar taste. My great-grandfather hasn't had this taste in a long time."

Hua Mutou also came out carrying two small bamboo chairs.

Hearing this, he put the chair next to Zhou Yinchuan, plopped down, and snorted.

"That's right! Don't you even know whose sheep they are? My sheep drink mountain spring water and eat all kinds of grass."

Despite their playful banter, these two old comrades sat side by side, watching their children and grandchildren bustling about by the firelight, their smiles impossible to hide.

Hua Mutou would occasionally offer a few pointers:

"Hey! Hua'an! Move around a bit! Don't burn him!"

"Sitao, you brat! Don't make the fire too big! You're just singeing pig bristles!"

The kitchen is the women's battlefield.

Li Guifen and her daughter-in-law Xiaofang were busy preparing cold dishes and pancakes.

"Mom, is this how you smash a cucumber?" Although Xiaofang grew up in the countryside, her family's financial situation has improved in recent years, so she doesn't cook much anymore and her technique is a bit rusty.

"Yes, yes, yes! Smash it hard! It'll absorb the flavor better if you smash it!" Li Guifen skillfully mixed the cold noodles. "This roasted meat can get greasy if you eat too much of it, so you have to pair it with this sour and spicy smashed cucumber."

Hua Yun wasn't idle either; she was cutting fruit.

The watermelon was cut into neat triangular pieces, and the grapes were washed until they were crystal clear.

Although everyone was busy, they all had smiles on their faces.

Xiao Fang, in particular, couldn't stop smiling as she looked at the happy family.

at last.

The moon climbed to the treetops.

The whole roasted lamb is finally done!

The lambs these days are golden and crispy all over, with the skin and meat easily separated, and they smell amazing – they're practically works of art.

Hua An took a knife and made a cut on the lamb leg.

"Snap!"

The sound of the crispy skin cracking was enough to make one's scalp tingle and mouth water.

In the courtyard, two large round tables had been pushed together.

A disposable tablecloth was laid out and filled with all sorts of cold dishes, dipping sauces, drinks, and beer.

Above us was a sky full of stars, a dazzling spectacle that you could never see in the city.

A gentle breeze rustles the leaves, accompanied by the chirping of insects in the distance—this is the perfect background music.