Hard work after winning the lottery

With this valuable firsthand information in hand, Hua Shu rode his creaky old bicycle, filled with heavy hopes, and sped off towards home.

The rolling wheels not only stir up dust on the country road, but also leave behind the burning tracks of a family heading towards the future.

Back home, Hua Yun and her mother were planning the division of the famous vegetable garden in the yard.

Upon seeing her father return, she immediately went to greet him.

Hua Shu didn't even have time to drink some water before recounting the information he had learned from Secretary Zhang in detail.

He spoke until his mouth was dry, but he was radiant, as if he had become ten years younger.

The whole family gathered around and listened quietly.

When they heard keywords like "Xishan," "thirty-year contract," and "policy provided by the village," everyone's face lit up with uncontrollable joy.

Hua Yun listened most attentively, and every word her father said quickly formed a blueprint in her mind.

Sunny, gentle slope, water source...

These conditions were practically tailor-made for her sheep farm!

"West Mountain..."

She looked up, her gaze sweeping over her family members who were filled with expectation, and made her decision.

"Dad, we need to go and see for ourselves as soon as possible."

As soon as Hua Yun finished speaking, her grandfather, Hua Mutou, who had been silent all along, tapped the ground with his well-worn cane.

It emitted two deep and powerful echoes.

"I'll go tomorrow."

The old man made the final decision, his tone carrying the decisiveness unique to veterans.

***

Three days later, on a clear morning.

Hua Yun changed into a pair of durable hiking boots, which she had specially bought for herself when she last went to the city.

She stood in the courtyard of the new house, looking at her father and grandfather, who were also dressed smartly, with a faint smile on her lips.

Hua Shu was wearing the new Liberation shoes his daughter had bought him, and he was radiating an irrepressible excitement, not knowing what to do with his hands.

Grandpa Hua Mutou, carrying an old military green water bottle, was in high spirits with piercing eyes, as if he wasn't going to survey the mountain area, but rather to inspect a territory that belonged to him.

Village Party Secretary Zhang Guoqiang, along with an accountant from the village committee, were waiting at the village entrance early in the morning.

"Yun girl, Uncle Hua, Brother Hua Shu, are you ready?"

Party Secretary Zhang smiled warmly, revealing a set of teeth that were slightly yellowed from smoking.

Hua Yun nodded, her clear eyes reflecting the outline of the distant mountains.

"Uncle Zhang, thank you for your help."

Instead of taking the usual path along the paddy fields, the group headed west along a rugged trail worn down by the villagers.

The morning breeze carried a hint of coolness, brushing against my cheeks and wafting the fragrance of rice from the fields.

Hua Yun took a deep breath.

After walking for about half an hour, the terrain gradually rose, and the view in front of us suddenly opened up.

Secretary Zhang stopped and proudly waved his hand, as if displaying a rare treasure.

"We've arrived! This is Xishan!"

A vast, sunny hillside lay out before everyone's eyes without any obstruction.

The slope of the hillside was indeed as Secretary Zhang had described, as gentle as a slightly tilted green carpet, covered with waist-high weeds and low shrubs, interspersed with a few crooked, worthless trees.

The sunlight poured down without reservation, illuminating the entire hillside in a golden glow.

Hua Yun's gaze did not linger on the surface scenery.

Her gaze swept across the hillside like a precise ruler, quickly surveying the slope, the types of vegetation, and the color of the soil.

She walked to a relatively lush area, squatted down, reached out, and grabbed a handful of soil.

It was black and had a damp, grassy smell.

She rubbed it between her fingers; the soil was soft and fertile, not the kind of barren, gravelly land.

"Yun girl, look!"

Secretary Zhang's voice carried a hint of excitement as he pointed to an area halfway up the mountain covered in green vines.

"That's the mountain spring I was talking about!"

"The water flows all year round! When we were kids, we'd run here for a drink in the summer when it got hot; the water was so sweet and refreshing!"

Hua Shu couldn't contain himself any longer and walked over in a few steps. Parting the vines, he saw a clear spring gushing out from the crack in the rock, forming a small pool of water, crystal clear to the bottom.

He scooped up a handful of water, took a sip, and then excitedly turned around and shouted.

"It's sweet! Dad, Yunyun, the water is sweet!"

That simple joy touched everyone present.

Grandpa Hua Mutou didn't rush over. He just stomped his foot on the ground, looked up at the position of the sun, and finally took steady steps to the top of the hill.

He stood there, like a vigorous pine tree, gazing at this land for a long time.

After a long while, he turned around, nodded heavily to Hua Yun.

In those eyes, there was satisfaction, approval, and a heavy trust in entrusting the future to his granddaughter.

"A good place."

The old man only said three words.

But these three words carry more weight than any lengthy discourse.

Hua Yun's mind was finally at ease.

She walked up to Secretary Zhang, her expression serious.

"Uncle Zhang, I'm very satisfied with this place."

"Let's talk about the contract."

With the site visit concluded, the formal business negotiation phase began.

The smile on Secretary Zhang's face faded, replaced by a serious, businesslike demeanor.

"Yun girl, since you've taken a liking to her, I'll tell you the truth."

He paused, then held up one finger.

"This part of Xishan Mountain covers an area of ​​about 300 mu. According to the village's policy, the annual contract fee is 10,000 yuan."

This price is basically consistent with the information Hua Shu brought back, and it was within Hua Yun's expectations.

Instead of immediately negotiating, she calmly stated her plans.

"Uncle Zhang, my plan is to first build a standardized sheepfold that can accommodate 500 sheep, and then gradually expand it to more than 2,000 sheep."

"From building sheep pens, planting forage, laying water pipes, to the later labor costs, this will be a huge investment."

Her words were clear and logical.

"More importantly, once such a large farm is built, it will definitely need manpower. When that happens, I will give priority to hiring villagers from our village for tasks such as clearing the mountain area, building sheep pens, daily grazing, and tending the pasture."

Party Secretary Zhang and the accountant next to him exchanged a glance, both seeing interest in each other's eyes.

It is better to teach people to fish than to teach people.

Hua Yun's goal is not just to make himself rich, but to lead the village in development.

Seeing the changes in their expressions, Hua Yun knew that her words had worked, so she changed the subject.

"So, Uncle Zhang, a price of 10,000 yuan a year is still a bit high for a project that requires a huge initial investment and can bring long-term employment opportunities to the village."

"I hope the village committee can offer us a more competitive price to support us in expanding and improving this business."

Her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, demonstrating both her determination and her demands.

Secretary Zhang fell silent.

He took two puffs of his cigarette, his brow furrowed, as if he were making a difficult decision.

After a long while, he stubbed out his cigarette on the sole of his shoe and let out a long sigh.

"Yun girl, it's not that your uncle is disrespectful to you."

He started playing the victim.