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

As Xu An left his second uncle's courtyard, he felt his legs go weak.

It wasn't the fear, it was the potency of that half-bottle of Erguotou. Even though I didn't drink it, just smelling it was intoxicating.

Add to that the aura of Second Uncle that seemed to have crawled out of a pile of corpses.

Xu An, who is socially awkward, is currently experiencing a bit of CPU overload.

He squatted on the millstone by the roadside for five minutes to recover.

Until a netizen named "I'm so cute" commented:

[Blogger, where are we going next? Should we go see the cats?]

Xu An then came to his senses.

Cat, yes, Aunt Wu's cat.

Xu An swallowed hard, his palms starting to sweat, even more nervous than when he went to his second uncle's house earlier.

Because of Fifth Aunt, and not only Fifth Aunt, she was also Xu An's elementary school homeroom teacher.

Also a Chinese language teacher.

Also a math teacher.

Also a moral education teacher.

The "bloodline suppression" etched into his DNA made Xu An want to die.

"Family members."

Xu An raised his phone again and straightened the extraordinary master who was wrapped in duct tape.

"that……"

"Let's go to Aunt Wu's house now."

"I made that clear beforehand."

"If you see me trembling later..."

"Or perhaps he stutters."

"Don't laugh, everyone."

"This is a physiological reaction."

In the live stream, more than two million netizens were still immersed in the tragic emotions that had just occurred.

Xu An's shout made them laugh.

[ID I'm Afraid of Teachers Too]: Got it! This is the legendary "fear of underachievers"!

[ID wants to go to Xujia Village]: The blogger's eyes are just like mine when I was called to the office for forgetting my homework back then.

[Cat Lover's Delight]: Stop talking nonsense! I want to see cats! I want to see cats wearing clothes!

Xu An sighed and straightened the faded military overcoat.

He straightened his hat, trying his best to look like a good student.

Aunt Wu's house was in the middle of the village, not far from the brigade headquarters. It was a small courtyard with blue brick and tile houses.

Before even entering the gate, I saw an orange cat perched on the top of the courtyard wall, but something about this cat was off.

It was wearing a bright red... little cotton-padded jacket with green peony patterns?

Moreover, it has a stand-up collar and the buttons are the old-fashioned frog buttons, which are extremely exquisite.

The orange cat had its paws tucked in, its eyes squinted, looking like a rich landlord's silly son, with an air of wealth and privilege.

"puff--"

Xu An couldn't help but laugh out loud, but he quickly covered his mouth and glanced warily at the courtyard gate.

Afraid that the laughter would disturb the "Extinction Master" inside, the camera was focused on the orange cat.

The live stream chat exploded with comments.

【ID Northeast Floral Fabric】: Holy crap? This aesthetic? This color scheme? Is this the Xujiacun branch venue of Paris Fashion Week?

[ID Cat Owner]: This is so trendy! If a cat wore this, even a dog would offer it a cigarette!

[ID wants link]: Please link! I want to buy one for my unfilial son too! This button is so exquisitely made!

Xu An lowered his voice.

"This is Aunt Wu's cooking."

"When she was a teacher, she loved doing needlework."

"Back then, I was sewing buttons for students."

"There are no students now."

"Just sew it for the cat."

Xu An walked to the courtyard gate, which was ajar. Inside, it was quiet except for the "clack-clack-clack" sound of a sewing machine.

With a rhythmic sound, Xu An took a deep breath and knocked on the door knocker.

"Clang clang."

Fifth Aunt.

"I...I am Xu An."

The sewing machine stopped, and after a few seconds, a slightly authoritative voice came out.

"Come in."

"The door wasn't locked."

But these three words were pronounced clearly and in standard Mandarin.

In this small mountain village where everyone speaks with a Henan accent, he seems out of place.

Xu An pushed open the door and went in. The yard was very clean, without a single weed. Even the soil on the ground had been swept into patterns.

There are two persimmon trees in the yard, and seven or eight cats are lying under the trees, some black, some white, and some spotted.

Without exception, they were all dressed; some wore blue Zhongshan suits, and others wore floral cheongsams.

There was also a black cat wearing a miniature... military overcoat?

The outfit Xu An is wearing is practically a matching parent-child outfit.

This scene is so surreal, it's like a group of cats that have come to life and are having a tea party.

An elderly woman with a full head of silver hair was wearing reading glasses.

He was sitting in front of an old-fashioned "Butterfly" brand sewing machine.

With her feet on the pedals and her hands pushing a piece of cloth, the old lady stopped when she heard footsteps and took off her glasses.

Although those eyes were old, they still shone with a shrewdness.

Like an X-ray, it scanned Xu An from head to toe, and Xu An subconsciously straightened his back.

With his hands hanging down by his sides, he was practically ready to salute.

"Fifth...Fifth Aunt."

"I've come to see you."

Fifth Aunt glanced at Xu An, then at the phone he was holding, and frowned slightly.

"Why isn't the collar turned down properly again?"

"You're such a grown man, yet you're still so sloppy."

Xu An was so frightened that he quickly turned up the collar of his military overcoat.

"Why."

"I forgot."

"It was windy just now."

Fifth Aunt snorted and pointed to the small stool next to her.

"sit."

"Keep your back straight."

"Don't act like a shrimp."

Xu An obediently sat down, only daring to sit on half of his buttocks, not daring to breathe loudly. In the live broadcast room, more than two million netizens had already laughed until their abs hurt.

[ID is also a teacher]: Hahahaha! This is definitely an occupational hazard! Always tidying up your appearance before meeting someone!

[ID Xu An's Little Stool]: The blogger's sitting posture is the standard posture of a primary school student being punished.

[ID Huixian No.1 Middle School]: This old lady has such a strong aura! I want to put my legs down even through the screen.

Aunt Wu put her glasses back on and continued operating the sewing machine.

"Da da da da..."

"I heard you set up a big canteen at the village entrance?"

"And they're going to provide meals for all the elderly people in the village?"

Aunt Wu asked questions as she worked, and even without looking up, the oppressive feeling remained.

"Yes...yes."

"It can't be said that meals are provided."

"It's just... about teaming up."

Xu An answered in a low voice.

"Um."

"good."

"We didn't bring shame to Xujia Village."

"The books I read were worth it."

Relieved by the praise, Xu An felt as if he had gotten a perfect score on his final exam. He boldly brought his phone a little closer.

Fifth Aunt.

"that……"

"Netizens all say that the clothes you make are beautiful."

"This cat is wearing..."

"Quite unique."

Aunt Wu stopped what she was doing, glanced at the white cat in a Zhongshan suit lying at her feet, and a rare tenderness appeared in her eyes.

"What's so interesting about it?"

"I'm just bored."

"In the dead of winter."

"They are also afraid of the cold."

Aunt Wu reached out and stroked the white cat's head, and the white cat purred comfortably twice.

"In the past."

"It's time for me to start class."

"There were no stoves in the classrooms back then."

"The children's hands were cracked from the cold."

"I made hand protectors and knee pads for them."

"Now."

"The school has been merged into the town."

"The children are all gone."

"These are the only cats left."

Aunt Wu's voice was soft, but every word struck Xu An's heart, and also the hearts of the two million people in the live broadcast room.

The comments that were just laughing about the cat wearing clothes suddenly disappeared.

In the footage, behind Aunt Wu is the main room that used to be a classroom, with its doors and windows somewhat broken.

But you can still vaguely see a yellowed certificate of merit pasted on the door frame.

It says:

[Outstanding Teacher]

Time: 1998.

Xu An fell silent.

He recalled that when he was a child, his hands were covered in frostbite and oozing pus. His fifth aunt scolded him for not wearing gloves while applying clam oil to his hands.

That winter, his fifth aunt sewed him a pair of thick cotton gloves.

She made the clothes from her own old thermal underwear that she couldn't bear to wear anymore.

Fifth Aunt.

Do you miss those students?

Xu An asked.

Aunt Wu paused for a moment, then picked up the scissors and cut the thread.

"What's the use of thinking about it?"

"When the fledglings grow up, they have to fly."

"The higher you fly, the better."

"If we all just stay stuck in this poor mountain village..."

"Then all my teaching has been in vain."

These words were spoken with conviction, but Xu An noticed that Aunt Wu's hands, which were holding the scissors, were trembling slightly.

She stood up and walked to the locked large wooden cabinet.

He took out a key from his pocket, opened the cabinet door, but there was no gold or silver treasure inside, nor any bankbook.

There were only dozens of neatly stacked exercise books.

There were also stacks of letters.

The notebooks were yellowed, but the edges were smoothed out, indicating that they were frequently taken out and looked through.

Fifth Aunt pulled out a book, which was a grid notebook.

The pinyin was written crookedly on it:

【wǒ ài běi jīng tiān ān mén】

(I love Beijing Tiananmen Square).

"This is Xiaohu's."

"That kid is naughty; his handwriting looks like a dog crawling."

"But he's smart."

"I've heard they're making computers in Shenzhen now."

"I'm the big boss now."

As Aunt Wu spoke, a smile appeared on her lips, a smile even gentler than when she had seen the cat earlier.

He pulled out another book.

"This is Er Ya's."

"This girl is meticulous; she always gets full marks on her homework."

"I'm now the head nurse at the provincial hospital."

"You've made something of yourself."

Aunt Wu flipped through the books one by one, as if reciting a familiar story; she remembered every single name clearly.

Even some of them haven't been back for twenty years.

Xu An looked at the notebooks, his eyes welling up with tears, and he suddenly understood.

These cats, these floral clothes.

It was just scraps that Aunt Wu used to fill the huge hole in her heart.

That cave is called longing, and also loneliness.

Fifth Aunt.

"that……"

"Little Tiger and the others."

"Do you come back to visit often?"

Xu An asked a cruel question, and Aunt Wu's hand stopped.

She closed the notebook, put it back in its place, and locked the cabinet, moving very slowly.

Everyone... is busy.

"It's good to be busy."

Being busy means you have things to do.

"Unlike me."

"Just an idle person."

Fifth Aunt turned around, her back to Xu An, and sat back down in front of the sewing machine.

"Alright."

"Don't waste your time here."

"I get annoyed just looking at you."

Just like your deadbeat father.

"Let's go quickly."

"Don't delay me from making a vest for 'Er Gouzi'."

Er Gouzi.

It's that black cat in the military overcoat; the name has a very vintage feel to it.

Xu An knew that Fifth Aunt was trying to get rid of him; she didn't want anyone to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Then... Fifth Aunt."

"I'm leaving."

"The cafeteria is serving stewed fish tonight."

"I'll bring you a bowl later."

"Don't choose one with too many thorns."

"If the cat won't eat it, I won't eat it either."

Xu An stood up and bowed deeply to Aunt Wu's back.

This time, it wasn't fear, it was respect.

He left the courtyard, gently closed the door, and the sound of the sewing machine rang out again.

"Da da da da..."

In this empty mountain village, it's like a tireless song.

Xu An leaned against the door frame, let out a long breath, his hands were covered in sweat.

He glanced at his phone screen.

Online users: 80 million.

The comments section was filled with people crying.

[ID Rural Teacher]: I cried. I've also taught for twenty years, sending batch after batch of students off. I don't ask them to come back, I just hope they don't forget who I am.

[ID Shenzhen Xiaohu]: Blogger!!! It's me!!! That's me!!! I wrote that pinyin!!! I'm crying!!! I'm buying a ticket home right now!!!

[ID Er Ya]: Fifth Aunt... It's me, Er Ya... I'm so sorry... I haven't been back for three years...

[ID: Peach and Plum Trees All Over the World]: This is true luxury! That cabinet full of notebooks is worth ten thousand times more than Hermes!

[ID: Huixian Education Bureau]: Followed. A salute to Zhao Shufen, former private school teacher at Xujiacun Primary School! You are the backbone of Huixian education!

Xu An looked at the comment "[Shenzhen Tigers]".

Laughed.

"that……"

"Little Tiger Brother".

"My fifth aunt just said that."

Your handwriting looks like a dog crawling.

"When you come back."

"Remember to bring a calligraphy practice book."

"Otherwise, be careful your fifth aunt might hit your palm with a ruler."

Xu An cracked a joke, slightly lightening the heavy atmosphere in the live stream.

He turned around and looked at the construction site in the distance. The excavators were still roaring, and Li Daguo and his team were still working hard.

"Family members."

"I think so now."

"This cafeteria."

"It's not just about giving everyone a hot meal."

"It's for the benefit of elderly people like Aunt Wu."

"There's a place to talk."

"A place where I can show off how successful my students are."

"More importantly..."

"It's for people like Brother Tiger."

"When you come back."

"I wish there was a table."

"Have a meal with the teacher."

Xu An held his phone up high so that the camera could capture the entire Xu Family Village.

"Let's go."

"Let's go back and check on the progress."

"I think."

"This fish will be our meal tonight."

"It needs to be stewed until very soft."

"My fifth aunt has bad teeth."

"A cat's teeth... probably aren't that great."