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

Xu An's fingers froze in mid-air.

The letter was very light.

A thin sheet of paper, tucked into a yellowed envelope.

But in his hands at this moment, it felt as heavy as a red-hot branding iron.

"To—that crybaby who loves candy-heart apples."

The handwriting was delicate. Even though more than a decade had passed and the ink had faded somewhat, the gentleness between the strokes still pierced Xu An's eyes like needles.

This is my mother's handwriting, Xu An remembers.

When I was a child, no matter how poor my family was, there was always calligraphy written by my mother pasted on that mud wall.

"An Wazi?"

Seeing Xu An in a daze, Teacher Zhao called out softly.

Xu An snapped out of his daze and instinctively stuffed the envelope into his pocket, his movements as quick as a thief's.

The panic of socially anxious people having their privacy core touched instantly took over.

"That...that one."

"Teacher Zhao."

"This letter..."

"I'll accept it."

Xu An lowered his head, not daring to look at the camera or at Teacher Zhao.

His eyes were red and his nose was sore, but he didn't want to cry.

I don't want to cry in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

That was left to him by his mother.

It was the woman who would laugh and wipe away his tears when he fell, the last thing he remembered.

"It's fine to accept it."

"It's fine to accept it."

Teacher Zhao patted Xu An on the shoulder. His palms were rough and calloused from years of hard work, but they were warm.

"They left in a hurry back then."

"They said they were going to teach in the southwest, which is a major national plan."

"This letter was secretly slipped into this tin box by your mother the night before she left."

"She said, what if they don't come back?"

"Here, take this."

"If they come back, just treat this as a joke, burn it and be done with it."

Teacher Zhao's voice was a little hoarse.

He turned around and looked out the window at the bare orchard.

"This has been going on for more than a decade."

"I didn't dare give it to you."

"You're too small to carry this."

"Now……"

"You sold the fruit and repaired the road."

"You should be able to carry it by now."

Xu An pressed his hand tightly against the letter on his chest, through the thick cotton fabric of his military overcoat.

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to shatter my ribs.

So they didn't abandon me after all.

They just... went to carry something heavier.

In the live stream, the chat did not stop because of Xu An's silence.

Instead, they started spending even more money.

[ID Micro-expression Expert]: Guys, something's wrong. Xu An's gaze just now... it was like his heart was broken.

[ID Psychological Profiler]: That was extreme repression. That letter was very important to him. Really important.

[ID wants to wipe away the streamer's tears]: Don't hide it, just cry if you want to. We won't laugh at you.

[ID Walking Through Mountains and Rivers]: Some letters are road signs. Xu An, the road is under your feet.

Xu An took a deep breath.

He sniffed hard, forcefully suppressing the sour taste.

He looked up, his signature slightly silly smile returning to his face.

The redness around her eyes hadn't faded yet.

"that……"

"Family members."

"I received the letter."

"It's a private matter."

"We won't read the letter aloud live."

"after all……"

"I have my pride too."

"If the nickname 'crybaby' gets out, I won't be able to live in the surrounding area anymore."

Xu An made a joke.

Although it was clumsy, it did give everyone a way out.

The live stream was filled with good-natured laughter.

【ID Guardian of the Crybaby】: Okay, okay, we'll pretend we didn't hear you!

[ID with complete internet amnesia]: What just happened? I only saw that the apples were sold out!

Just then.

A tremendous roar suddenly came rolling up from the dirt road at the foot of the mountain.

The shaking caused dust to fall from the roof of the shack.

The big yellow dog let out a howl in fright and scurried under the bed.

Xu An was startled.

Could it be that a wild boar has come down from the mountain?

Or was it a mudslide?

He quickly grabbed the tin box, bent down, and crawled out of the shack.

As soon as I stood up straight, I was completely stunned.

All I could see was the dirt road that the construction team had just leveled.

A long line of trucks of various colors was churning up clouds of yellow dust as it surged forward.

Leading the way was a dark green postal truck with the words "China Post" prominently displayed on it.

Following closely behind were SF Express's black trucks and JD.com's red trucks.

There were even two pickup trucks with banners that read "Huixian Supply and Marketing Cooperative".

This doesn't look like a logistics fleet at all.

This is practically a multinational coalition entering the battlefield!

"squeak--"

The sound of brakes slamming together filled the air.

The car door opened.

Dozens of deliverymen in different colored uniforms jumped down like special forces parachuting in.

The leader was a burly postal worker who was holding a large megaphone.

He shouted at Xu An on the slope.

"that……"

"Is this Teacher Xu?"

"I'm from the Huixian Post Office branch!"

"I've been ordered to pack it up!"

"Director Wang said so!"

"This batch of apples is a political mission!"

"Even if we have to turn this mountain upside down, we have to get the goods out before sunset today!"

Xu An's mouth was agape as the cold wind blew into his stomach, making him feel a little chilly, but mostly shocked.

That's incredibly fast! They were sold out less than ten minutes ago!

Is Director Wang squatting at the foot of the mountain?

"That...that one."

"Big brother."

"You guys are moving so fast..."

"Did you come by rocket?"

Xu An held up his phone, and the camera faithfully recorded this scene.

The postman grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

"Of course!"

"Teacher Xu, you're now the apple of our county's eye."

"Your shipment is an express delivery!"

"Brothers!"

"Don't just stand there!"

"Put it in a cardboard box!"

"Up-air column!"

"Grab your weapons!"

At the command, the dozens of deliverymen sprang into action.

Some were unloading cardboard boxes from the truck, while others were using barcode scanners.

Some people even brought portable printers.

The once quiet and desolate orchard has been transformed into a modern assembly line workshop in an instant.

[ID Logistics Major]: Holy crap! This is China speed!

【ID Huixian Style】: This isn't selling apples, it's a military exercise!

【Director Wang is awesome】: Although Director Lao Liu loves to ride the wave of popularity, his execution is impeccable!

Teacher Zhao stood at the entrance of the shack.

Seeing this, I forgot to smoke the pipe in my hand.

"this……"

"Are they all here to collect fruit?"

"You don't have to carry it down the mountain yourself anymore?"

The old man was somewhat incredulous. In previous years, he would have had to carry these thousands of kilograms of fruit, basket by basket, to town using that single carrying pole.

He walked that mountain path for fifty years, until his back was bent and his hair turned white.

Today, the road leads right to our doorstep, and cars can drive right up to the trees.

"No!"

"Teacher Zhao!"

Xu An turned around and shouted loudly.

"We won't need to anymore!"

"Please sit down!"

"Have some tea!"

"Count the money!"

Xu An handed his phone to a SF Express deliveryman next to him who was staring in disbelief.

"Brother, could you help me lift this for a bit?"

Then he took off his heavy military overcoat.

It revealed the pilling hoodie underneath.

Roll up your sleeves.

"Me too!"

"I bought these fruits because netizens trusted me."

"I have to keep an eye on it!"

Xu An joined the packing team.

Although he was not skilled at the work, he often folded the cardboard boxes upside down.

Although he was socially awkward and didn't dare to talk to those quick-handed young men.

But he did it very seriously.

He would hold each apple in his hand and look at it.

Wipe off the surface dirt.

Then carefully place it into the air column bag.

It's like settling children who are about to embark on a long journey.

"Teacher Xu, this apple is really ugly."

The postman next to me was sealing the boxes while complaining.

"But it smells really good."

"I accidentally broke one just now and took a bite."

"Absolutely amazing."

"It's even better than the 21-pound one my wife bought."

Xu An smiled.

He didn't say anything, but his hands moved even faster.

So what if it's ugly?

Ugliness is authenticity.

Just like this land, just like these people.

No filters, no beauty effects.

But it was genuinely sweet.

Five thousand catties of apples.

That sounds like an astronomical figure.

But with the help of dozens of professional deliverymen and the group of tourists who were still there and were as excited as if they had been injected with steroids.

It only took two hours.

All boxes are now packed.

Trucks, fully loaded, displayed freshly printed shipping labels.

That was a pass to all parts of the country.

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen...

There are even Tibet and Xinjiang.

These place names are now all connected to this small hut deep in the Taihang Mountains.

Xu An watched as the last car slowly drove away.

The dust kicked up by the wheels gleamed golden in the setting sun.

He plopped down on the ground.

tired.

My waist feels like it's broken.

But in his heart, an unprecedented sense of fulfillment filled him completely.

"cell phone."

The SF Express deliveryman next to me handed me the Huawei Extraordinary Master.

And he couldn't resist adding a sarcastic comment.

"Teacher Xu, you should get a new screen protector for your phone."

"It's all dirt."

Xu An took it and casually wiped it on his pants.

"Why change the film?"

"This soil is also an intangible cultural heritage."

"that……"

"Family members."

"All sent."

"They've all been sent out."

"If things go smoothly, you can eat it tomorrow."

"If it's slow... then we'll have to wait a couple more days."

"After all, good food is worth waiting for."

The number of viewers in the live stream remained stable at 400,000.

No one seemed to be in a hurry to leave.

It's like watching a movie and still waiting for the post-credits scene.

[Passerby who didn't manage to snag an ID]: Are they all gone? Can I reserve one for next year?

[ID Wants to See the Letter]: Host, there's no one here now, can you reveal what was written in that letter? Even just one sentence would be great!

【ID Curious Baby】: +1, I want to know too! Who exactly is the crybaby?

Xu An looked at the screen.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his face, outlining his features with a touch of gentleness.

He subconsciously touched his chest.

The letter is still there.

"that……"

"Family members."

"You really can't read all the things you believe in."

"That's privacy."

"but……"

Xu An paused for a moment, then looked at the distant, layered mountains.

There was a sentence in the letter.

I want to give it to you.

"And I'm giving this to myself too."

Xu Anqing cleared his throat.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried far in the open valley.

"Mom said."

"Anzi".

"If this apple is too sour, leave it for two days before eating it."

"If life gets too tough, just squat down and rest for a while."

"But don't rest for too long."

"Because there's still candy left for you at the next intersection."

The live stream went silent instantly; there were no "hahaha" or "holy crap" comments.

The screen was filled with nothing but "tears in my eyes" and "thank you, Auntie."

This sentence was not only written for Xu An.

It is also written for the countless young people in front of the screen who are struggling, anxious, and confused about life.

Whose life isn't tough?

Overtime work, mortgage payments, pressure to get married, hair loss...

But at this moment, in this remote mountain valley where even the signal was poor, they were healed by those words.

[ID: Overtime Dog]: I'm breaking down, I'm going to go buy an apple right now.

[ID is currently heartbroken]: Thank you, Auntie, I'm not crying anymore. Is there really candy at the intersection ahead?

[ID Xu An]: Yes, definitely.

Xu An answered with certainty because he had touched the tin box.

That box was filled with countless unmailed letters.

That's sugar, although some of it has expired and some has turned yellow.

But he wants to send them out, to those who are still waiting.

"that……"

It's getting dark.

"Let's go back."

"My fifth aunt just sent a WeChat message saying that things are going well at the cafeteria."

"Dean Li is going to have a barbecue at the construction site tonight."

"They said they have whole roasted lamb."

"I need to go back and reserve a seat."

Xu An got up from the ground and patted the dirt off his bottom.

They carefully placed the heavy tin box into the back of the tricycle.

Then he took a military overcoat and covered it with it.

"Teacher Zhao!"

"Walk!"

"Let's go down the mountain!"

"Let's eat meat tonight!"

Teacher Zhao locked the door of the shack, holding Big Yellow's hand.

Looking at that young man riding a dilapidated tricycle under the setting sun, carrying a load of hope.

Laughed.

These apple trees cover the mountain. They'll surely bloom even more beautifully next year.

The tricycle started up again.

The "putt-putt-putt" sound broke the tranquility of the valley.

Xu An set up his phone, facing the wind.

Although the wind was still a bit cold, he felt that there really was a... sweet smell of apples in the wind.

[ID-wide oversight]: Xu An, don't forget your new identity. You're a postman now.

[ID Next Stop]: Where to send the first letter? We're with you!

Xu An glanced at the comments and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Where to?"

"Go home and look at the map."

"But before that..."

"I need to oversee the completion of the cafeteria first, and then spend the New Year with Grandpa."

The tricycle bumped and jolted as it disappeared around the bend in the mountain road.

The sun sank below the horizon.

But the lights of Xujia Village.

It had just turned on.