Hard work after winning the lottery

Passing over her own well-maintained vegetable garden and the newly built, smooth cement road in the village, she landed straight on the distant Western Hills, which were dyed with autumn colors.

Red maple leaves, yellow apricots, and evergreen pines.

Layer upon layer, like an overturned palette of paints, rich and vibrant.

The outlines of the mountains are particularly distinct in the increasingly clear autumn air, exuding a ruggedness reminiscent of soldiers.

Like.

so similar.

It reminded him so much of his youth, when he carried a gun and stood guard on the frontier with his brothers who had risked their lives for him.

It's the same kind of mountain, and the same kind of autumn where you can see the horizon.

A faint and lingering longing, without any warning, slowly rose from the deepest part of my heart.

Like a bottle of aged wine buried underground for many years, it is silent when first opened, but its aftereffects can instantly rush to the top of your head, making your eyes hot.

His thoughts immediately drifted back to those turbulent years filled with gunfire.

He remembered his comrade-in-arms, Zhou Yinchuan, who looked down on him for his dark complexion, just like a spoiled young master.

A comrade-in-arms with whom he had shared a large dormitory bed, half a steamed bun, and counted stars back to back in a trench.

A brother you can completely entrust your back to.

The old man's fingers unconsciously rubbed against the cold pipe.

The last time I received those dried seafood items that Lao Zhou sent through his grandson was back in the summer.

After that, the two spoke on the phone several times.

On the other end of the phone, Lao Zhou's voice was still loud and clear, full of energy, and he still used that familiar tone when he started cursing.

No matter how much we talk on the phone, there always feels like there's a barrier between us.

You can hear their voices, but you can't see their expressions.

You can't feel the force of his pat on your shoulder, nor can you smell that unchanging tobacco scent on him that has remained unchanged for decades.

not enough.

Far from enough.

Hua Mutou's gaze slowly shifted from the distant mountains back to the place in front of him where he had lived his entire life.

Baixi Village.

His roots.

His home.

Everywhere you look, the courtyard walls of every household have been freshly painted white, looking clean and bright.

Along the road leading to Xishan Goat Farm, the newly installed lampposts stand straight like a row of spirited sentinels.

Even the air seemed to carry a scent of hope, unlike anything seen before.

Granddaughter Huayun is capable and has made the study tour project a great success.

The men, women, and children in the village all had a genuine and vibrant spirit that was rarely seen before.

Life has truly changed.

An indescribable sense of pride and satisfaction slowly filled and fermented in his aged and deeply furrowed heart.

He suddenly had an incredibly strong idea.

A thought that made his heart skip a beat.

He wanted him to come and see.

They wanted that old guy Zhou Yinchuan to see it for himself.

Look at the place where Hua Mutou lived his whole life, and look at it now.

"A-Shu".

The old man spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from not speaking for a long time.

Not far away, Hua Yun's father, Hua Shu, was wearing an old camouflage uniform stained with mud, and was repairing the fence of the sheep pen with tools.

He was an honest and simple farmer who was always meticulous in his work.

Upon hearing his father call him, Hua Shu immediately stopped what he was doing, straightened up, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Dad, what's up?"

Hua Mutou didn't rush to speak. He tapped his pipe lightly on the sole of his shoe and poured out the tobacco.

Then, he raised his head, his eyes sparkling with a complex light, almost childlike, a mixture of expectation and boastfulness.

"You tell me, our Baixi Village has really upgraded its infrastructure, hasn't it?"

Hua Shu smiled憨厚ly, revealing a set of teeth that were slightly yellowed from smoking.

"Of course, it's all thanks to Yun. Now, when people in the village see me, they all say I've given birth to a wonderful daughter."

"Um."

Hua Mutou nodded in satisfaction, as if the praise had been bestowed upon him.

He cleared his throat and finally spoke the words that had been lingering in his mind for so long.

"I was thinking... our village is so beautiful now, and the roast lamb restaurant is doing so well, shouldn't... shouldn't we invite my old comrade-in-arms to come and take a look?"

His tone carried a hint of cautious probing.

It was as if they were guarding a precious, newly unearthed treasure.

Hua Shu was taken aback when he heard this.

Immediately, a big smile bloomed on his weathered face.

That smile was simple and sincere.

He put the pliers on the ground, strode over, and sat down on the stone stool next to the old man.

"Dad, this is great news!"

His voice was full of agreement and joy, without the slightest hesitation.

"You should have invited Uncle Zhou over a long time ago! Let him come and stay for a while and see how our village has changed."

He patted his chest and spoke with absolute certainty.

"It's been decades since you two had a proper get-together, hasn't it? This is a perfect opportunity for a good reunion and a couple of drinks!"

His son's support was like a favorable wind, turning the small flame in Hua Mutou's heart into a raging fire.

The wrinkles on his face seemed to have been ironed out instantly, and a smile spread from the corners of his eyes to the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah yeah!"

He responded repeatedly, as if speaking to himself, or perhaps to his son.

"Let him try the most authentic roasted whole lamb from Baixi Village! I guarantee it'll taste even better than what he used to eat in the army!"

"besides!"

The old man seemed to have thought of something and excitedly slapped his thigh.

"Let him see our three mischievous great-grandchildren! Let him envy my blessing of having four generations under one roof!"

Once this thought is uttered, it can never be stopped.

Like a seed with extremely vigorous vitality, it instantly broke through the soil in Hua Mutou's heart, took root and sprouted wildly, and grew into a towering tree.

He had already begun to visualize the scene in his mind.

Old Zhou came in by car from that mountain road.

I stood under this old locust tree and waited for him.

He wanted to show the whole village what kind of person his sworn brother, Hua Mutou, was!

He wanted to take Old Zhou to the Xishan Goat Farm, point to the flocks of sheep covering the hillsides, and tell him that it was all thanks to his granddaughter.

He wanted to let Lao Zhou sit in the roast lamb restaurant, eating the fattest lamb leg and drinking the strongest liquor.

They can talk all night long.

We talked about those days of gunfire and bullets, about the brothers who sacrificed their lives, and about the hard-won peace and prosperity we enjoy today.

Thinking of this, Hua Mutou felt his blood start to boil.

His heart, which had been dormant for so long, seemed to have returned to its youthful state, filled with passion and longing.

No.

Can't wait any longer.

He suddenly stood up from the bamboo chair, his movements so nimble that he didn't seem like a man nearing seventy.

He made a decision.

Tonight.

After finishing his meal, he called that old guy Zhou Yinchuan.

Invitation was extended to him formally and solemnly.

Tell him that his old comrade-in-arms, Hua Mutou, is waiting for him in Baixi Village.