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

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, before the sun had even climbed halfway up the mountain, the hustle and bustle of Xujia Village suddenly subsided.

Those excavators that had been roaring for five days and five nights now lay quietly on the open ground at the village entrance, like a few exhausted iron oxen.

Li Daguo was wearing a safety helmet, and his face was covered in a thicker layer of ash than Old Hei's, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

He was directing the workers to pack up the last of their tools.

"Hurry up! All of you, be quick!"

"Get out of here now!"

"If you're late getting home for dumplings, don't blame me if your sister-in-law won't let you into bed!"

The workers laughed and joked, but their hands moved quickly.

Xu An stood to the side, holding his phone, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Dean Li, you're... leaving already?"

"Won't you stay for a meal?"

Li Daguo took off his gloves and vigorously patted the dust off his thigh, a gesture as bold as that of a general who had just won a battle.

"I'm not eating anymore, Anzi."

"These past five days, the brothers have been risking their lives to meet the deadline."

"But this year, I have to go home."

"We're in the infrastructure business; building bridges and paving roads is our duty."

"But now that the road is built and the bridge is completed, we should go home to see our parents and hug our wives, shouldn't we?"

Xu An nodded, a warm feeling welling up inside him, mixed with a touch of sadness.

This is what Chinese infrastructure workers are like.

This is also the most hardcore "external aid" for Xujia Village these days.

In the live stream, millions of netizens are sending their farewell messages.

[ID Construction Site Dust Man]: Dean Li is right! There's no need for so much fuss in construction work. Once the job is done, it's time to go home!

[ID Tribute]: Thank you for your hard work! We watched the cafeteria rise from the ground up over these five days. This is the speed of China!

[ID with tears in my eyes]: Don't go, have a hot meal before you go, it's heartbreaking to see you like this.

Seeing Xu An's hesitant expression, Li Daguo suddenly grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, as if he wanted to reveal some state secret.

"Anzi, don't feel guilty."

"The money my second uncle gave us is enough for us brothers to have a prosperous New Year."

"and……"

He pointed to the brand-new White Rabbit canteen behind him.

"I've reserved some 'personal touches' for the interior design and furnishings."

"I guarantee it will leave those old men and women in your village completely bewildered."

After saying that, Li Daguo waved his hand and jumped into the pickup truck that was covered in mud.

The convoy, resembling a long dragon, drove out of Xujia Village in a grand procession.

What remains is a building that seems a bit too futuristic in this barren mountain valley.

There was also a group of villagers standing at the entrance of the canteen, watching Xu An with longing eyes.

My second uncle, Xu Qiang, wore a red Tang suit today, but even with his bald head, he still looked like a bandit leader.

But he was holding a bunch of keys and smiling like a child who had a new toy.

"Anzi!"

"Open the door!"

"Taking my family...to inspect the house!"

Xu An took a deep breath and aimed the camera at the thick glass door.

"Family members."

"The construction team members have gone home to reunite with their families."

"But they left their home to us."

"Walk."

"Let's see what exactly Dean Li meant by 'hidden agenda'."

Xu An pushed open the door.

"drop--"

The smart door lock opened immediately.

A warm current—not an adjective, but a physical warm current—rushed towards me instantly.

Xu An was stunned.

The more than one million viewers in the live stream were also stunned.

I originally thought it was just a slightly larger restaurant with a few tables and a big stove.

result……

The floorboards are made of non-slip marble tiles, so smooth that you can see your pores reflected in them.

Above, instead of simple incandescent bulbs, there were several huge, uniquely designed warm-colored chandeliers.

The light was as soft as the warm winter sun.

The most outrageous thing is the wall directly opposite.

The pine tree hanging there is not a traditional welcoming pine.

Instead, it's a... super-large LCD TV that looks to be at least 85 inches!

At this moment, I am connected to the internet and watching CCTV's News Broadcast. The picture is so clear that you can even count the individual hairs on the presenter's head.

And next to the television.

They even have a professional karaoke machine and sound system!

Two large, upright speakers stood there like two guardian deities, making you want to shout a few times just looking at them.

In the corner, there were several automatic mahjong machines, and even a small reading corner and a few massage chairs!

【ID holy crap】: ? ? ? You call this a rural canteen? This is that... that five-star club, right?

[ID: I'm so jealous]: An 85-inch TV? And a massage chair? My house doesn't even have such a great setup!

[ID: Dean Li is awesome]: Is this a personal project? I love it! This isn't a cafeteria, it's a senior activity center!

[ID Wants to Retire]: Are there any vacancies in Xujia Village? I'd like to queue up and get a number!

Xu An was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.

This setup is top-of-the-line, even in a county town, let alone in a remote mountain village.

"this……"

"Isn't this a bit too extravagant?"

Xu An turned to look at his second uncle.

Uncle scratched his bald head, looking smug.

"Luxury things?"

"This TV was sponsored by your second uncle."

"That massage chair was brought over from the county by Director Li through someone he could get."

He said that the elderly people had worked all their lives and had bad backs, but pressing on their backs before meals would improve their appetite.

"This sound system..."

Before my second uncle could finish speaking, a figure walked out.

It's my fifth aunt.

She wasn't wearing her old cotton-padded jacket today; instead, she wore a dark purple woolen overcoat.

Her hair was combed meticulously, and she wore a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses.

He was holding a red notebook.

That atmosphere instantly elevated this nouveau riche cafeteria to the level of an "academic seminar".

"The sound system is for events."

"It's not for you to shout Qinqiang opera nonsense."

Aunt Wu pushed up her glasses and glanced at everyone present.

The oppressive aura emanating from the headmaster almost made Uncle Er drop the cigarette he had just lit.

"Xu An".

Fifth Aunt called out the names.

Xu An instinctively stood at attention: "Present!"

Don't just stand there like an idiot.

"Is the live stream on?"

"Now that the hardware is in place, we can't neglect the software."

Today is the 29th day of the Lunar New Year.

"According to our old custom, this lunch is called 'thanking the stove god'."

"This is also the first reunion meal at our White Rabbit canteen."

Fifth Aunt pointed in the direction of the back kitchen.

"I've already prepared the menu."

"Stop thinking about dumplings all day long."

"Dumplings are the main dish for dinner."

"This lunch."

"We have to attend the banquet!"

Xu An looked in the direction his fifth aunt was pointing.

The kitchen is open, and you can see the bustling activity inside through the bright glass windows.

Third Master was wearing an apron and holding the large iron ladle specially made by Old Black Uncle, standing in front of a large iron pot with a diameter of one meter.

The meat was simmering in the pot.

Not the kind of minced meat that's chopped into tiny pieces.

Instead, it was a fist-sized piece of braised pork!

Its bright red color and trembling appearance make one imagine its melt-in-your-mouth richness just by looking at it.

next to.

The "women's team" brought by Aunt Wu is busy preparing the ingredients.

Crispy fried pork, fried meatballs, steamed dishes, braised tofu skin...

Henan people's banquets emphasize "eight big bowls".

Crispy fried pork, sliced ​​pork, cubed pork, mustard pork...

All of them are hearty dishes!

There are no fancy plating options at all; the main focus is on large portions that are filling and juicy!

Xu An swallowed hard and zoomed in.

"Family members."

"See that?"

"Who says we'll have to eat pickled vegetables just because the construction team is gone?"

"My fifth aunt said so."

"Today's meal."

"It's our own Xu Family Village's...state banquet!"

In the live stream, the chatter had already turned into a river.

[ID Hungry]: I've called the police! The streamer is suspected of posting suggestive content late at night (even though it's daytime now)!

[ID Braised Pork]: That meat! That meat is trembling! It's tempting me!

[ID: Fellow Henan Native]: Eight-bowl feast! Authentic! It makes me homesick and miss my mom's braised bowls.

[ID This is the true taste of the New Year]: No pre-made dishes, everything is freshly killed and cooked, this is the real New Year's Eve dinner!

Xu An walked through the hall and arrived at the innermost part of the cafeteria.

There.

It was that "photo wall" that he had painstakingly arranged.

My second uncle dimmed the lights a bit, leaving only two spotlights shining on that wall.

All the photos have been uploaded.

Dozens of solid wood picture frames of various sizes are arranged in a staggered and orderly manner.

In the very center is a huge family photo.

That was a group photo of the whole village hand-painted in front of Tiananmen Square that morning.

And around the family photo.

These are close-up shots that Xu An "secretly" took these past few days.

Top left corner.

It was Uncle Hei, shirtless, holding a spoon engraved with a white rabbit, his eyes like iron.

Below it was written a line of small print: "Iron Will and Tender Heart".

upper right corner.

It was Uncle Ya sitting in the garbage heap, playing the erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) with the Eight Treasure Porridge in hand, laughing loudly with his head held high, while a goose spread its wings beside him.

Title: Symphony on the Ruins

Directly below.

It was the image of Uncle Fool, wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat and carrying a wooden stick, saluting at the village entrance.

The setting sun lengthened his shadow.

Title: The Sentinel for Thirty Years

There's also Aunt Wu's profile as she sews clothes for the cat, Uncle San's focused concentration as he repairs the donkey's hooves, and Uncle Er's flushed face as he boasts after getting drunk...

Every photograph tells a story.

Every face tells a story.

"This is……"

Uncle Hei came over at some point.

He took a special bath today and changed into a clean black cloth jacket.

Looking at the photo on the wall, those eyes that always stared at people suddenly turned red.

He reached out his rough hand, wanting to touch it, but afraid of getting the glass dirty.

"The filming... was alright."

"They didn't make me look ugly."

Uncle Dumb also squeezed in.

He looked at the photo of himself playing the violin, grinned, pointed at the goose in the photo, and then pointed at himself.

He laughed like a child.

Then he took an unopened lollipop out of his pocket and put it in Xu An's hand.

That was his "payment" to the photographer.

Xu An held the lollipop, feeling it was even hotter than the three million his second uncle had given him.

"Family members."

"This is the soul of our White Rabbit canteen."

"On this wall."

"No stars, no great men."

"Only our family members from Xujia Village..."

This time, there were no jokes in the live stream chat.

The screen was filled with tears and hearts.

[ID breaks down in tears]: This is the real Hall of Fame!

[ID Wants to Cry]: When I saw the picture of Uncle Silly saluting, I really couldn't hold back my tears.

[ID Guardian]: Anzi, thank you for letting us see these lovely people.

Just then.

Suddenly, a static noise came from the speakers.

then.

Fifth Aunt's standard news broadcast tone, transmitted through the microphone, resounded throughout the entire cafeteria.

"Cough cough."

"Attention all."

"The dishes are all ready."

"Everyone, find a seat."

"No one is allowed to snatch it, and no one is allowed to smack their lips."

"today."

"We're not just eating."

"My second uncle said so."

"Now that we have a big TV and a sound system..."

"Then let's do it today."

"We should also put on a... Spring Festival Gala for Xujia Village!"

"The first program."

"By Comrade Xu Jianguo, the Second Uncle."

"To everyone, I will be reciting a poem—"

"My Company Commander, My Company!"

Xu An was stunned for a moment.

Second Uncle? Poetry recitation?

He turned his head to look.

The second uncle was already standing in front of the television.

He was holding a speech that didn't exist.

The medals on his chest gleamed so brightly under the chandelier that it was hard to open one's eyes.

He didn't drink.

But he was drunk.

I'm intoxicated by the aroma of meat filling the house, intoxicated by the smiling faces covering the walls, intoxicated by this New Year's Eve that is finally no longer desolate.

"Comrades!"

Second Uncle roared.

His voice was so powerful that it made the 85-inch TV buzz.

Happy Chinese New Year!

"Our village..."

"They've stood up!"

Xu An held up his phone, watching this scene unfold.

That sense of social anxiety has vanished without a trace, I don't know when it happened.

He even wanted to yell along.

But he held back.

He simply zoomed out, capturing the warmth and life of the room, and the group of lovely and respectable elderly people.

Everything was packed into the screen.

Outside the window, the wind and snow started again.

But inside, spring was in full bloom.

This is probably...

Life is worth living.