How did hiring someone to press a pig image during Chinese New Year become a top trend?

The sun was setting in the west.

The wind from the Taihang Mountains, carrying a dry, chilly chill, swept across the construction site.

The large iron pot, which was a meter in diameter, was cleaner than Xu An's face at that moment.

Even the last bit of soup was "wiped" down by Dean Li Daguo with half a steamed bun.

"belch--"

Li Daguo let out a loud burp without any regard for his image, and then shoved his helmet onto his head.

His gaze instantly shifted from that of a "job-husband" to that of a "chief engineer."

"Everyone has it!"

"I've eaten my fill, and I'm full of energy!"

"The foundation slab must be laid before dark!"

"start!"

"roar--!!!"

The dozens of men seemed to have been injected with chicken blood.

The excavator roared again, its noise even more arrogant than in the morning.

Xu An squatted on the threshold.

Holding the large tea mug in his hands, he looked at the bustling scene before him.

I feel a bit choked up inside.

It's not that I feel unwell.

It was filled with that warmth, making me feel bloated.

He looked down at his feet.

That pile of supplies was like a small mountain.

The bean curd sheets were a gift from the tofu-selling lady.

Uncle Liu, the butcher, insisted on giving me half a pig.

There were also two cloves of garlic that someone had stuffed into the hat.

These things are worthless.

But it sank.

Chen Dexu felt that his small frame, weighing only a hundred or so pounds, was not enough to bear this affection.

"Family members."

Xu An held up his phone.

The camera wobbled, then focused on the pile of things.

"that……"

"We've finished eating the meat."

"The work is still being done."

"I suddenly realized that I shouldn't be sitting here."

The live stream chat was flooded with comments at breakneck speed.

The number of online users has remained stable at over 200 million.

That's what makes top influencers so terrifying; even if a streamer is spacing out, two million people are watching.

[ID: Human Sober]: What is the blogger up to? Are they going to stir things up again?

[ID wants to go to Xujia Village]: I can tell, Xu An feels guilty. This kid is too honest.

[ID Huixian Culture and Tourism]: @Xu An, take a break. You've been running around all day, buying supplies and cooking.

Xu An shook his head.

He stood up.

He patted the dirt off his bottom.

That instinct of social anxiety made him want to crawl back into the house and peel corn.

But another, stronger impulse pushed him to go outside.

"I think……"

"Let's take a tour of the village."

"This canteen was built for the elderly."

"I want to see if they know."

Xu An took the phone off the stand.

This time, I didn't use tape.

My hands are shaking a little.

But he still took that step.

We left the hospital.

Walk along the dirt road that had just been flattened by the road roller towards the west end of the village.

That place is where the village's elderly love to gather most—the "information center," which is under the old locust tree.

before.

Xu An saw this place and tried to avoid it as far as possible.

Being surrounded by a group of elderly people asking "Do you have a partner?" and "How much do you earn?" is a nightmare for those with social anxiety.

But today.

He wanted to go and see.

We haven't even gotten close yet.

I saw several old women wearing black cotton-padded jackets and headscarves sitting on stone stools.

They craned their necks to look towards the construction site.

His eyes were full of wonder.

One of them had completely white hair and deep wrinkles on his face that could trap mosquitoes.

That's Third Grandmother.

The oldest person in the village is ninety-two years old.

Xu An took a deep breath.

I took a deep breath.

They moved over as if they were defusing a bomb.

"Third...Third Grandma."

The voice was slightly off.

Xu An's face turned red instantly.

The live stream chat was filled with "hahahahaha".

[ID Social Anxiety Level 10]: This cry of "Third Grandma" perfectly captures the essence of wanting to run away but not daring to!

[ID is just a coward]: Blogger: I was terrified at the time, but I still screamed.

Third Grandma is a little hard of hearing.

I didn't hear it.

He was still squinting, staring at the excavator.

He muttered to himself, "Wow, this iron thing is really powerful, even bigger than the Japanese tanks of yesteryear."

Xu An took two more steps forward.

He raised his voice.

"Third! Grandma! Grandma!"

This time.

Third Grandma heard it.

She slowly turned her head.

Those cloudy eyes, the moment they saw Xu An.

Bright.

It's like a withered tree coming back to life.

His previously withered mouth suddenly opened wide, revealing his only remaining tooth.

"Ouch!"

"Isn't that Anwazi?"

Have you eaten yet?

"Third Grandma has candy in her pocket."

talking.

Third Grandma's hands, as white as tree bark, tremblingly reached into the innermost layer of her cotton-padded coat.

I fumbled around for a while.

He took out a White Rabbit milk candy.

The candy wrappers are all worn out and have lost their color.

Some of it melted and stuck to the candy wrapper.

"Give."

"Take it and eat it."

"sweet."

Xu An was stunned.

He looked at the piece of candy.

This might have been left by the third grandmother for her great-grandson, or it might have been something she herself couldn't bear to eat and saved for the New Year.

just now.

She took it out.

It was given to myself.

Xu An's nose suddenly stung with tears.

The awkwardness of social anxiety was completely melted away by this melted candy at that moment.

He stretched out his hand.

He took the candy.

Peel it open.

Put it in your mouth.

sweet.

It's sickeningly sweet.

It's so sweet it makes me want to cry.

"Third Grandmother."

"I'm not hungry."

"there……"

Xu An pointed to the construction site.

"That's for building a canteen for our village."

"after."

"You don't need to cook for yourself anymore."

"There's meat at every meal."

"And big white steamed buns."

Grandma San didn't seem to understand what the canteen was.

But she understood that "there would be meat with every meal".

She looked at Xu An.

Suddenly, he reached out and touched Xu An's face.

My hands are very rough.

But it's very warm in winter.

"Good boy."

"You're a good kid."

"What if your parents see this?"

"They'll probably be very happy."

Mentioning parents.

Xu An's eyes dimmed slightly.

But he quickly covered it up, giving the camera a sheepish smile.

"Family members."

"This is Third Grandma."

"Ninety-two."

"She just said that the excavator is more powerful than a tank."

In the live stream room.

The comments section was originally filled with laughter and jokes.

It suddenly stopped.

Followed by.

It was a dense mass of tearful expressions.

[ID Missing Grandma]: I'm devastated. I'm really devastated. That candy wrapper was worn white; how long had she been carrying it?

[ID: Youziyin]: My grandma used to do that too. She would always hide delicious food in her bosom, waiting for me to come back so she could eat it. But I can't go back now.

[ID: Richest Man in Huixian]: @Xu An, stop talking! What's this cafeteria lacking? Air conditioning? TV? I'll take it all!

[Top ID on the leaderboard]: If I spend ten Carnivals, can I treat Grandma San to a nice meal?

Xu An looked at the comments section.

shook his head.

"No need to send gifts."

"Third Grandma has bad teeth and can't eat good food."

"She just loves being around people."

"If you really want to help her."

"Just send a few more comments."

I read it to her.

This time.

The live stream chat exploded.

It's not a gift effect.

Instead, the screen was filled with blessings.

May Third Grandma live to be a hundred!

Grandma is in good health!

Grandma, we are all your grandchildren!

Xu An squatted down next to his third grandmother.

Looking at the phone screen.

Read them one by one.

"Third Grandma, this netizen named 'Loves Braised Pork' wishes you good health."

"This is called 'not wanting to go to work,' and you have a really beautiful smile."

"And this..."

Grandma San couldn't understand the netizens' names.

But she can understand both good and bad words.

She couldn't stop smiling.

That wrinkled face, in the afterglow of the setting sun, resembled a dried chrysanthemum in full bloom.

"it is good."

"That's fine."

"Young people these days are kind-hearted."

Xu An kept reading.

His voice was a little choked up.

He suddenly realized.

The "external world" that I have always been afraid of.

That online world is filled with scrutiny, ridicule, and pressure.

in fact.

It is also made up of ordinary people like Third Grandma who yearn for warmth.

They cry too.

She can laugh too.

They can also be moved by a piece of melted candy.

"that……"

Xu An raised his head.

Look at the camera.

The clear-eyed naiveté in his eyes had diminished somewhat.

There was a hint of determination in his eyes.

"I've made up my mind."

"Except for slaughtering pigs."

"Besides building a cafeteria."

"I want to take advantage of this time during the Lunar New Year."

"Tell the stories of these grandpas and grandmas in the village."

"Take pictures of them all."

"They have never left the mountains in their entire lives."

"But their story."

"It should be seen."

These words were spoken.

The live stream's popularity surged once again.

[ID Documentary Director]: Blogger! This idea is brilliant! This is truly a "rescue documentary"!

[ID History Professor]: This is not just a live broadcast, this is oral history! Xu An, you are doing something great!

[ID Dihua Master]: What do you know? Xu An is using the simplest way to fight against this forgotten era! He is the guardian of rural culture!

Xu An looked at the barrage of comments praising him to the skies.

Scratched his head.

"that……"

"It's not that mysterious."

"That's just my feeling."

"Third Grandma smiled."

"It's better than the photos taken by extraordinary masters."

day.

It gradually got dark.

Night falls especially quickly in the Taihang Mountains.

On the construction site.

Several high-powered searchlights suddenly lit up with a "snap".

A beam of light pierced the darkness.

The foundation under construction was illuminated as if it were daytime.

The excavators were still roaring.

The workers were still sweating profusely.

Li Daguo stood on the mound of earth, holding a walkie-talkie, looking like a general commanding thousands of troops.

"Second team!"

"Lower the steel cage!"

"Pay attention to verticality!"

"We won't call it a day!"

"We must lay a solid foundation!"

"Let the elderly be able to eat sooner!"

This scene.

Hardcore.

Passionate.

It also carries an indescribable sense of romance.

Xu An helped Third Grandma walk back slowly.

Behind.

It was a brightly lit construction site.

in front of you.

It is a village with thousands of lights.

On the phone screen.

More than two million netizens stood by him.

Walking on this road home.

"Master."

Xu An pushed open the door to his home.

I saw Grandpa sitting in the yard, weaving baskets by the light of the lamp.

"You're back?"

Grandpa didn't even look up.

"Um."

Xu An carefully unfolded the candy wrapper that his third grandmother had given him.

It was clipped to the back of the phone case.

"Master."

"What?"

"Tomorrow."

"I want to go to my second uncle's house."

"Listen to him tell me about fighting the Japanese back then."

Grandpa paused for a moment.

Raise your head.

Looking at Xu An.

A hint of relief flashed in those old eyes.

"middle."

"Go."

"Bring two bottles of wine."

"Your second uncle talks a lot when he's drunk."

Xu An smiled.

He was facing the camera.

He made a "shh" gesture.

"Family members."

That's enough for today.

"tomorrow."

"Let's listen to a story."

"The broadcast has ended."

"that……"

"Everyone should go to bed early."

Don't stay up late.

"Staying up late causes hair loss."

The screen went black.

The live stream has ended.

But in the live stream room.

But no one left.

On the black screen, the barrage of comments...

One sentence still floated on the screen, dominating the feed for a full ten minutes:

Goodnight, Xu An. Goodnight, Xu Family Village.