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

The tricycle back to the village was driven much more steadily than the one going there.

Perhaps it was because there were over 100 kilograms of red pine nuts in the truck bed.

Perhaps it's because a weight has been lifted from Xu An's heart.

The wind is still blowing, but it doesn't seem as biting anymore.

The hundreds of thousands of people in the live stream didn't leave.

Everyone is waiting for an answer.

After that breathtakingly moving experience, reason returned to normal.

The screen was filled with comments asking the same question.

[ID Leeuwenhoek]: That's not right. Since Mr. Li is alive and a forestry expert, is it really that hard to find someone?

【ID Logic Weird】: Yeah, forty-eight years. Even without cell phones, you could still write letters, right? If you can't send them to Black Wind Ridge, you can't send them to the county either?

[ID Conspiracy Theory]: Maybe Old Li has become rich and forgotten about this poor comrade-in-arms...

Xu An glanced at the comments section.

Actually, he wanted to ask that too.

But he didn't dare ask.

This is the self-cultivation of socially anxious people: even if they are curious to the point of being like a cat scratching, they must keep their mouths shut like a clam shell.

Just then.

The golden barrage of comments floated by again.

Without any special effects, all doubts vanished instantly.

[ID Xingbang: Back then, Heifengling Forest Farm was a provincial-level unit, directly under the jurisdiction of the regional forestry bureau.]

[ID Xingbang: In 1985, the regional forestry bureau was abolished and merged into the municipal bureau. Heifengling Forest Farm, located deep in the Taihang Mountains, was assigned to the county level.]

[ID Xingbang: I sent twenty letters and wired five thousand yuan to the county.]

[ID Xingbang: The county replied that Heifengling Forest Farm was disbanded as early as 83, and its staff were dismissed; no such person could be found.]

[ID Xingbang: I thought... Old Wei took his severance pay and went back to his hometown to get married.]

Xu An stared at the comment and slammed on the brakes.

The tricycle slid across the ice.

It turned out to be the case.

It's not that anyone forgot anyone.

The tides of that era were too swift, washing away the two people who were holding hands tightly.

One thought his brother had gone back to the city to enjoy a comfortable life.

One reason was that they thought their brother had already been "disbanded" and left.

result.

A fool, because of the phrase "keep an eye on things for me," lived as an "unregistered resident" in Heifengling for forty-eight years, without any official position, salary, or even household registration.

They guarded that "unit" that didn't actually exist.

They guarded that real, vast forest.

Xu An sniffed.

This is even more heart-wrenching than a Korean drama.

"Family members."

Xu An's voice was a little hoarse, as if it had been blown by the wind.

The misunderstanding has been cleared up.

"Nobody is wrong."

"The mistake was that the travel back then was too slow, so slow that... we almost missed out on a lifetime."

The chat room was filled with tears.

[ID tearful]: Damn this twist of fate!

[The Wheels of ID History]: The county thought there was no one left, because Old Wei never came down the mountain to collect his salary...

[ID Tribute]: Old Wei has been working for the country for nothing for the past forty-eight years!

[ID Xingbang: Don't worry, I've already contacted the provincial department. Old Wei's employment status, his salary, his social security, and his 48 years of service... the government will compensate him! With interest!]

Xu An smiled upon seeing this comment.

They laughed without a care in the world.

"All done!"

"We trust Mr. Li to get things done!"

"Now that everyone has achieved their goal..."

"that……"

Xu An touched his stomach, which was pressed against his back.

It let out a very inappropriate "gurgling" sound.

The sound was so loud that it was amplified throughout the country via the microphone.

Hundreds of thousands of people instantly went from tears to laughter.

[ID Rice Bucket]: Goodness, she was just crying a moment ago, and now I'm getting hungry just listening to her?

[ID干饭人]: The streamer is using oil, the gas tank is empty.

[ID Detail Freak]: Aren't there pine nuts in the truck bed? They're a local specialty from Lao Wei, let's eat them!

Xu An glanced back at the sack of pine nuts.

Wild red pine nuts.

It's not very big, but it's shiny and glossy.

He stopped the car and reached in to grab a handful.

This thing didn't speak.

It's as hard as a rock.

Xu An picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and snapped it hard with his molars.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound.

The pine nuts remained completely still.

Xu An felt his teeth chattering.

He changed it again.

Another collapse.

It still doesn't move.

Xu An: "..."

Are those pine nuts? Or are those bullets?

How did Old Wei manage to eat this thing like a snack with his incomplete, yellow teeth?

[ID Dentist]: Don't try it, streamer. The shells of these wild red pine nuts are very thick. You need to use pliers or roast them to open them.

[ID gloating]: It seems you can't enjoy the most expensive snack in the world.

Xu An sighed and threw the pine nuts back into the sack.

"never mind."

"Let's just go home and eat the leftovers."

"The leftover stew at the White Rabbit canteen is truly a delicacy."

……

3 PM.

The battle-damaged tricycle, which rattled everywhere except for its bell, finally appeared shakily at the entrance of Xujia Village.

Far away.

Xu An saw wisps of smoke rising from the chimney of the White Rabbit canteen.

The smoke was white.

It shot straight up into the sky.

It looks warm.

At the entrance of the village, under the Tiananmen mural wall, my second uncle, Xu Qiang, was pacing back and forth, wrapped in his mink coat.

He looked just like a restless bear.

I saw Xu An's car.

My second uncle's loud voice could be heard from two miles away.

"You brat!"

"You actually knew to come back?!"

"Your second uncle has practically banged my phone against the wall!"

Xu An parked his car at the entrance of the cafeteria.

My legs felt a little weak when I got out of the car.

Not only was I hungry, but I was also cold.

"Second Uncle, I'm just... going to do something important."

Xu An shrank his neck and chuckled.

His second uncle glared at him, wanting to scold him, but seeing Xu An's face red from the cold, he swallowed his words.

"What a load of nonsense!"

"Hurry inside!"

"Your fifth aunt saved some food for you!"

Inside the White Rabbit canteen, the heating was on full blast.

As soon as I entered, a layer of white fog immediately formed on my glasses.

The aroma of stewed meat, scallions, and steamed buns suddenly filled my nostrils.

Xu An felt like he had come back to life.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity.

Grandpa, Third Uncle, and Uncle Lao Hei didn't leave.

They were gathered around the TV, watching the replay.

Upon seeing Xu An enter, Aunt Wu immediately put down her knitting.

"Anzi's back?"

"Quick! Wash your hands!"

"I've kept a 'mixed vegetable stew' warm in the pot for you!"

The so-called mixed dish.

It involves taking leftover crispy pork, meatballs, and pork strips from the Lunar New Year meal, adding cabbage, glass noodles, and tofu, and stewing them all in one pot.

This dish doesn't look appealing.

It was dark and sticky.

But it smells so good!

The flavors of various meats have infused the cabbage, and the glass noodles have soaked up all the broth.

Xu An didn't stand on ceremony.

He picked up the large bowl and squatted on the steps by the door.

A bite of steamed bun, a bite of vegetables.

They ate with gusto, leaving nothing behind.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the live stream watched Xu An eat like a starving ghost.

Surprisingly, no one thought it was dirty.

Instead, they were all swallowing their saliva.

[ID Late Night Food Porn]: Holy crap, this looks way better than a Michelin star!

[ID Missing Home]: My mom also makes this stew during Chinese New Year. It's called "Zhe Luo" and it's the best meal ever!

【ID乾饭王】: Watching the streamer eat cured my anorexia.

Xu An finished a large bowl and let out a satisfied burp.

Only then did I feel that my soul had returned to its place.

At this moment, Second Uncle Xu Qiang circled the tricycle twice.

His gaze was fixed on the sack of pine nuts.

"Anzi".

"Is this what you brought back from Black Wind Ridge?"

"Did Lao Wei give it to you?"

My second uncle reached out and grabbed a handful, then held it under his nose and smelled it.

That was the long-lost smell of the mountains and forests.

It carries the fresh scent of pine resin.

"Um."

Xu An wiped his mouth.

"Old Wei insisted on giving it, saying it was a gift for the village kids."

"This sack must weigh over 100 pounds."

At this moment, the discerning Third Master came over.

He squinted his old, aging eyes, picked up a pine nut, and weighed it in his hand.

He then held it to his ear and shook it.

His expression changed.

"Goodness..."

"These seeds came from the mother red pine tree!"

"Solid!"

"I haven't seen anything of this quality in so many years."

Third Master pulled a pair of pliers used for repairing donkey hooves from his pocket.

"Click."

Crack one open.

The pine nuts inside were plump, white as jade, and still oozing oil.

Third Master took a bite.

He closed his eyes, looking completely absorbed.

"fragrant!"

"It smells so good!"

"It's a hundred times better than the ones I bought at the supply and marketing cooperative for twenty yuan a pound!"

Viewers in the live stream had sharp ears.

[ID Foodie]: Twenty-one jin? Third Master, isn't that an old record?

[ID Dried Fruit Merchant]: I'm in the dried fruit business. These wild red pine nuts, with such plump kernels, would cost at least 80 yuan on the market now!

[ID Accounting Master]: Eighty? Then this sack weighs over a hundred pounds... wouldn't that be close to ten thousand yuan?

[ID Shocked]: Holy crap! This isn't a snack, it's gold beans!

Xu An stared in disbelief at the comments section.

Eighty yuan per pound?

That sack of stuff belonging to Old Wei...

This is like giving him half a year's "salary"!

That old man who wouldn't even wear a decent pair of shoes.

The old man who lived in a dilapidated house.

He immediately gave a generous gift worth 10,000 yuan.

This is the spirit of the people from the mountains.

They won't pay.

Give me your life.

Give the best you have.

"Second Uncle."

Xu An looked at the bag of pine nuts with a complicated expression.

"We can't just eat this stuff for free."

My second uncle, Xu Qiang, was also a businessman, and he understood after a little thought.

He snapped the cap of his Zippo lighter shut.

"clear."

"Old Wei treats you like family."

"But this bond is too strong."

"We have to pay it back."

My second uncle thought for a moment and pointed to the burlap sack.

"These pine nuts shouldn't be wasted on the kids as snacks."

"I can see that these hungry wolves in the live stream have green eyes."

"or……"

"Sold?"

Xu An shook his head.

"It cannot be sold."

"This is Old Wei's heartfelt gesture."

"It would lose its flavor if it were sold."

Xu An walked over and tied the sack tightly.

"Keep it."

"We'll use this to make glutinous rice balls for the Lantern Festival in a couple of days."

"Treat the whole village to a meal."

"Send some to Old Li as well."

"This is the taste of Black Wind Ridge."

The live stream was filled with cheers.

[ID Perspective]: That's right! Friendship is priceless!

[ID Wants to Eat]: Ahhh! I also want to eat Lao Wei's Red Pine Nut Rice Balls! Let's have a giveaway!

[ID Kou Shui]: These pine nut-filled glutinous rice balls must be so fragrant and delicious, right?