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

Night fell like a giant black curtain, enveloping the entire Taihang Mountains.

But at the entrance to Xujia Village, it was as bright as day.

Several high-powered searchlights illuminated the threshing ground so brightly that not even a mosquito could hide.

The tricycle's brakes emitted a piercing scream.

Xu An brought the "battle-damaged" electric tricycle to a safe stop.

Before even getting off the bus, there was a strong aroma of cumin mixed with the fragrance of the mutton fat rendered out by the charcoal fire.

He landed a hook punch on him, which quelled his cravings and instantly made him rebel.

"Teacher Xu is back!"

Someone shouted, and the group of people who were originally gathered around the fire all turned around.

That look was like looking at a family member returning home, or like looking at a signal gun that signals the start of dinner.

Xu An shrank back, his social anxiety triggering an immediate alarm.

So many people?

This isn't a barbecue, it's a bonfire party!

But he couldn't escape, because Li Daguo was holding a stainless steel... shovel?

He was walking towards him with a sinister grin on his face.

"Perfect timing!"

"Anzi!"

"Fresh out of the oven, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!"

Li Daguo was covered in dust, and his safety helmet was askew.

That face, except for its white teeth, was entirely blackened by smoke and fire.

But her smile was absolutely radiant.

Xu An swallowed.

Looking at the gleaming thing in Li Daguo's hand.

"Dean Li... Dean Li."

"Is this... a mortar for bricklaying?"

"Is it...washed clean?"

Li Daguo waved his hand dismissively.

"New!"

"Just picked it up from the warehouse!"

"Specially designed for flipping lamb!"

"This thing has a large heating surface area, it's much better than those barbecue tongs!"

"This is industrial aesthetics!"

The hundreds of thousands of viewers in the live stream were completely baffled by this scene.

[ID Civil Engineering Bro]: Hardcore! That's so damn hardcore! Grilling meat with a shovel, only a civil engineer would do that!

[ID Wants to Eat Lamb]: Never mind if it's shoveled or not! Look at how the oil is sizzling out! My mouth is watering so much I'm drooling all over my keyboard!

[ID Huixian Design Institute]: Director, can you please be a little more mindful of your image? This is a live stream across the entire internet!

Xu An smiled helplessly.

Holding my phone, I approached the huge grill.

It's less of a grill and more of a makeshift frame welded together from a few scrap steel bars.

Rugged.

wild.

It was filled with a bold spirit of "anything goes as long as it gets cooked".

A whole, golden-yellow lamb was sizzling on the shelf.

The crust has been baked to an enticing dark brown color.

As the shovel in Li Daguo's hand flew up and down.

They sprinkled handfuls of cumin and chili powder on top as if it were free.

The flames suddenly shot up half a meter high.

"Whoa!"

The surrounding workers cheered.

These men, mostly in their thirties and forties, are the pillars of their families.

They had been working on the scaffolding all day.

Sweat soaked through his work clothes, then dried in the cold wind, forming a layer of white salt frost.

But now, staring at that sheep, their eyes were full of light.

That is the most primal craving for food.

It is also the most tangible reward for the hard work of the day.

Xu An pointed the camera at them.

No beauty filters.

No filter.

Only those rough hands and those simple, smiling faces remained.

"Family members."

"See that?"

"This is the real 'Midnight Diner'."

"The plating was not elaborate."

"There's no expensive red wine."

"This is the only group that's doing this, to solve the problem of food for the elderly in our village."

"Brothers who worked their butts off."

Xu An's voice was a little hoarse.

It was probably caused by the wind just now.

It could also have been smoked.

[ID Salutes Workers]: This is the most handsome boy band ever! Much better than those effeminate pretty boys!

[ID with Chicken Leg]: That guy in camouflage, his hands are shaking, he must be exhausted.

[Fan of ID Xu An]: Streamer, is this all you give us as a perk for your three million followers? It's making me hungry!

Xu An was taken aback.

I glanced at the top left corner of the screen subconsciously.

Number of followers: 301.2 million.

That's... three million?

There was no excitement as I had imagined, and no official celebration ceremony.

Just like this whole roasted lamb, it will naturally be cooked when the heat is right.

"that……"

"It's over three million!"

Thank you everyone for coming.

"I originally wanted to perform a talent for everyone."

"But I thought about it."

"My greatest talent is eating."

"or……"

"Let me try this ash-grilled meat for everyone and see what it tastes like!"

Xu An's words revealed a frankness of "giving up".

But unexpectedly, it gained many fans.

Li Daguo has already started dividing the meat.

Instead of using a knife, he pulled out an infrared level from his waist and then took out a paper cutter.

"Don't rush, everyone!"

"Let's be fair!"

"The thickness of each piece of meat must not have an error exceeding two millimeters!"

"That's the rigor of an engineer!"

A red lightning bolt struck the lamb leg.

Li Daguo, the master chef, swiftly sliced ​​a thin, even piece of mutton onto the clean parchment paper.

The whole place burst into laughter.

Xu An's lips twitched.

This is...

What's the point of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

This is high-tech slicing of lamb!

"Teacher Xu!"

"The first one!"

"That's tendon meat, it's the chewiest part!"

Li Daguo used a shovel to hold the piece of meat and handed it to Xu An, as if presenting a medal.

The surrounding workers were making a fuss.

"Teacher Xu, have some!"

"Without Teacher Xu, we wouldn't be able to enjoy this delicious meal!"

"Eat! You have to eat!"

Faced with dozens of eager eyes, Xu An's social anxiety kicked in again.

His face turned as red as a monkey's bottom as he took the piece of meat.

hot.

So hot.

But he didn't put it in his mouth.

Instead, he turned around and walked to the outermost edge of the crowd.

There was a young man squatting there, who looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, with a bit of a childish look on his face.

He was holding a steamed bun, staring longingly in this direction.

Those were laborers on the construction site, responsible for moving bricks and transporting mortar. By the end of the day, their shoulders were chafed and raw.

"brother."

"They're growing."

"Here, take this one."

Xu An placed the meat on the young man's steamed bun, and the oil instantly soaked through the white flour.

The young man was stunned and stood up helplessly.

"No...no..."

"Teacher Xu, I'm not hungry..."

Gollum—

My stomach growled loudly, sounding like thunder, completely out of line.

Xu An smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder, which was covered in dust and hard.

"Eat."

"Only when you're well-fed can you have the strength to build a house."

"If this cafeteria is built..."

"I'll ask Aunt Wu to save you a big chicken leg just for you."

The young man's eyes reddened, and he nodded firmly.

He took a big bite, his mouth greasy with oil.

This scene was completely recorded in the live stream.

There was no deliberate attempt to evoke emotion; it was simply an older brother showing the most basic care for his younger brother.

[ID with tears in my eyes]: This is what you call vision! This is what you call human kindness!

[Three Million IDs Worth It]: These three million followers are not blind! Xu An deserves it!

[ID Huixian Culture and Tourism]: @Xu An, well done! Plenty of meat! The next lamb is already being roasted!

Xu An retreated to the fire.

Li Daguo didn't say anything, but silently cut off an even bigger piece and stuffed it directly into Xu An's mouth.

"Well……"

Xu An was scalded and kept sucking.

But this taste...

Absolutely.

The skin is crispy and the meat is tender, with the aroma of cumin hitting you right in the head, and there is not a trace of muttony smell.

Only the satisfaction of eating meat in large bites.

"handy!"

Xu An mumbled something indistinctly.

That night, in Xujia Village at the foot of the Taihang Mountains, there were no celebrities, no internet celebrities, only a group of the most lovable people.

They sat around the fire, eating meat heartily and boasting loudly, talking about which family's wife was beautiful and how much their wages would increase next year.

Xu An squatted quietly to the side, holding up his phone.

I became the quietest listener and the most faithful recorder.

As night deepened, the workers gradually returned to their temporary prefabricated houses to rest, and the noise subsided.

Only a few sparks occasionally popped out from the fire.

Xu An stood up and walked to the huge steel frame.

Looking up, the red steel beams gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster in the afterglow of the searchlight.

But Xu An felt that the steel bars were not cold at all; they were covered with sweat and the smell of cooking.

It even had a hint of cumin flavor. Through the gaps in the steel beams, you could see the cold, clear moon overhead, along with countless stars.

The main structure has finally been completed, the canteen that Grandpa had been longing for.

That place where Uncle Gen, Aunt Wu, and Uncle Er could eat in peace.

It finally took shape.

Xu An touched the inner pocket of his chest; the letter and the remittance slip were still there.

"Master."

Xu An said something softly, as if talking to himself.

"My home."

"It's almost finished."

"Wait until we put tiles on this canteen."

"Wait until everyone has their hot bowls."

"I can..."

"Go and deliver the letter with peace of mind."

The wind whistled through the empty steel frame, making a whistling sound, as if responding or urging it on.

Xu An took one last look at the live stream.

Although it was late at night, hundreds of thousands of people were still waiting there, keeping him company as he looked at the steel and concrete and the starry sky.

"that……"

"Family members."

"We've finished eating the meat."

"The building is under construction."

"Our Xujia Village's tallest building has finally been erected today."

"tomorrow……"

"Let me show you."

"In these mountains."

"Besides apples, besides steel bars."

"What else is there for us to worry about?"

"Good night."

Sweet dreams.

Xu An turned off the live stream, and the world returned to silence.

Only the snoring of the young man not far away could be heard through the thin walls of the prefab house.

That was the most reassuring sound, and the most powerful heartbeat on this land.

P.S.: Thank you all for your support! Starting today, I will be updating with four chapters daily, each over 10,000 words. I hope you will continue to support me. Thank you so much!