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

Even donkeys aren't handled like that...

Xu An felt that his waist was no longer a waist, but a rubber band about to snap.

The millstone whirred and turned, making a dull, bone-crushing sound.

Dust danced in the sunlight, getting into nostrils and causing people to cough.

Xu An pushed the millstone, his thighs trembling with every step.

His already worn-out military overcoat now looked like a flour sack, and his face was patchy with white and gray, making him look like a deserter who had just crawled out of a tunnel.

"Push harder!"

Aunt Li Aijun stood by the millstone, holding a small broom, occasionally sweeping back the overflowing wheat grains.

That look in his eyes was even more ruthless than the foreman who supervised the railway construction back in the day.

"This is nothing!"

The old woman roared in a strong voice, "Back in the day, when we were on the Gobi Desert, to meet deadlines, one person did the work of three! You young man, you look tall and strong, but what a show-off you are?"

Xu An wanted to argue, but he didn't have the strength.

I have social anxiety, not I'm a weightlifter!

The number of viewers in the live stream has soared to 150 million.

But these fans had no sympathy whatsoever; they were just there to watch the drama unfold.

[ID Production Team's Donkey]: Hahaha! Anzi's pose is absolutely perfect! We suggest applying for UNESCO World Heritage status!

[ID Fitness Coach]: Keep your back straight! Engage your core! Oh right! Grinding is the best full-body exercise, Anzi, you're in luck!

[ID History Student]: Stop laughing, this is authentic stone-ground flour made using traditional methods! Modern machines grind too fast, and the high temperature destroys the aroma of the wheat. This kind of slow grinding is what gives it its soul!

at last.

Just as Xu An thought he was about to see his great-grandmother, the old woman shouted, "Stop!"

Xu An felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and collapsed onto the pile of wheat straw on the ground, panting heavily.

Li Aijun ignored him.

She carefully carried the bowl of freshly ground flour to the center of the yard.

Under the sunlight, the flour of the new wheat has an ivory-yellow hue and emits a pleasant aroma of grain.

Next comes that "sacred" part.

The old woman took out the tin box from her bosom and took out the dried, cracked "old dough starter" that looked like a fossil.

Forty-five years have passed.

It had dried out completely and was as hard as a rock.

"Will it work?"

Xu An leaned closer and whispered, "These yeast... they're probably starved to death by now, right?"

Li Aijun glared at him.

"The relationship may die, but the bond will not."

She found a large, rough porcelain bowl, poured in warm water, and carefully placed the piece of old dough inside.

Then, as if treating a comrade who had been asleep for many years, she gently rubbed and washed it with her fingers, little by little, until the hard lump dissolved.

The water turned milky white and became somewhat cloudy.

Li Aijun poured the bowl of water into the bowl of fresh noodles.

Start kneading the dough.

She had great strength in her hands, and her knuckles were large and deformed, medals left by years of hard work.

"actually……"

The old woman kneaded the dough while keeping her head down, and her voice suddenly became very soft.

"I've looked for him."

Xu An paused, holding his phone.

"80 years ago, that is, the year I first returned to Xiahe Village."

"I wrote a letter to my former unit, but it was returned, saying that no such person could be found."

"Later I heard that among those who were demobilized, there was one named this who died in a car accident on the road."

The dough changed shape in the old woman's hands, becoming smoother and more chewy.

"I thought to myself at the time, that's karma."

"That half-bag of flour was the lifeblood of the entire platoon, and he carried it all to give to me."

"My very existence is a sin."

"So for the past few decades, I haven't dared to inquire or think about it."

"Just thinking about it makes my mouth water with the bitter taste of those wild vegetable dumplings; I can't swallow them."

Xu An looked at the old woman.

The old woman, who had been like an iron lady just moments before, now had tears in her eyes, but stubbornly refused to let them fall into the basin.

The chat in the live stream slowed down, which was unusual for them.

[ID: Old Soldiers Never Die]: That's survivor guilt syndrome. Many people who survive battlefields or major disasters have it. They feel they don't deserve to live.

[ID Tears Up]: Forty-five years, because of a misunderstanding, both of them lived in guilt. One felt he owed them his life, the other felt he owed them food.

Two hours later.

The noodles are ready.

Amazingly, that piece of old dough from decades ago actually revived this pot of new wheat.

The dough expanded to twice its original size, its surface covered with fine pores, and it emitted a rich, slightly sour aroma of wine.

That's the taste of time fermenting.

Li Aijun didn't say anything. She started a fire and set up a huge flat-bottomed iron pot.

No oil or meat is needed. Just pinch off fist-sized pieces of dough, roll them into balls, flatten them, and coat them with sesame seeds.

"Snapped!"

Stick it to the hot pot wall.

Before long, a strong, pungent aroma of burning filled the entire Xiahe Village, following the chimney.

That aroma can evoke the most primal craving for carbohydrates in human genes.

Xu An's stomach let out a loud, thunderous growl.

The first batch of sesame seed cakes came out of the oven, golden brown, crispy, and plump, like little gold ingots.

Li Aijun scooped two off with a shovel, not caring about the heat, and stuffed them directly into Xu An's hand.

"eat!"

"This is the old squad leader's order!"

Xu An was so burned that he switched hands between them, but he couldn't resist and took a bite.

"Snap!"

The crisp, crunchy sound was amplified in the live stream.

Next comes the soft, fluffy dough inside, with the unique chewiness and wheat aroma of the old dough.

There was no meat, and not even much salt was added.

But it smells so good!

The fragrance was so strong it felt like the top of my head was going to fly away.

Xu An wolfed down his food, completely disregarding his internet celebrity image, and finished half of it in just two bites.

"How was it?" Li Aijun looked at him, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"fragrant!"

With his mouth full of noodles, Xu An mumbled a thumbs-up, "It's even better than the meat at the White Rabbit canteen!"

Li Aijun smiled.

She took one for herself and chewed it slowly.

As she chewed, she suddenly straightened her hair in front of Xu An's phone camera.

That was a subconscious action.

Just like forty-five years ago, every time the company assembled, she would make sure she was neat and tidy.

"Old squad leader."

Li Aijun's voice trembled slightly as he faced the camera, but his back remained ramrod straight.

"I am Li Aijun."

"Li Aijun, cook of the second platoon, third company of a certain railway regiment!"

"The dough has risen."

"The pancakes are ready."

"This time...no wild vegetables were mixed in."

"It's all good flour, all made from this year's newly harvested wheat."

"I'm full."

"You...don't worry."

Just then, a huge special effect suddenly appeared on Xu An's phone screen.

Not those flashy sports cars and yachts.

Instead, it was a bright red flag, followed by a golden barrage of comments that stood out conspicuously amidst a sea of ​​tears.

【ID Railway Soldier Second Generation - Zhao Yong】: Aunt Li! I'm the old sergeant's son! My dad is watching! He had a stroke and can't speak, but he saw it! He's crying! He's eating the steamed bun in his hand! He said that the starter dough was the one he brought home with him years ago! He said it's so good that you're not dead!

The moment this comment appeared, the live stream chat exploded.

[ID: The whole internet is in tears]: Holy crap! He's really here! Our old squad leader is really here!

[ID Miracle]: Is this the meaning of the Internet? Forty-five years of disconnection, reconnected in a second!

[ID Xu An]: Quick! Admin, pin this! Don't let it sink!

Xu An frantically tried to operate the phone.

But Li Aijun couldn't understand the words. All she saw was the young man holding the phone suddenly pointing excitedly at the screen, rambling incoherently.

"Auntie! I saw it!"

"The old squad leader saw it!"

"He said... he brought that catalyst home! He said it's so good that you're alive!"

"Clang—"

The sesame seed cake in Li Aijun's hand fell to the ground, the "female general" who remained unfazed even when facing an attack from geese.

That stubborn old woman who has stayed in the stone village for decades.

At that moment, she suddenly squatted down on the ground, covered her face, and burst into tears.

The crying was like a flood that had been building up for half a lifetime, washing away all her strength.

It was a feeling of grievance, a release, and even a rebirth. Xu An didn't dare to try to persuade him.

He simply stepped back silently, raised the camera slightly, and aimed it at the chimney emitting blue smoke, and at the azure sky.

Not disturbing you is the greatest act of kindness at this moment.

……

It was already afternoon when we left Xiahe Village.

Xu An's canvas bag became heavy.

The box was stuffed full of the sesame seed cakes that the old lady insisted on giving him—a full twenty of them, enough to last him for several days.

"Take it!"

The old woman wiped away her tears and resumed her fierce demeanor.

"Eat on the road! Don't go hungry like we did back then!"

"And this too!"

The old lady then gave Xu An a jar of homemade chili sauce.

"I made this myself. It was originally meant for the old squad leader, but you can eat it for him!"

Xu An, both amused and exasperated, carried a pile of "military supplies" on his back as he walked down the stone path.

This isn't sending a message; it's clearly sending provisions.

When we reached the village entrance, that "village bully" goose reappeared.

It stretched its neck, as if it wanted to avenge the arrow it had shot that morning.

But this time, Xu An didn't run away. He took out a piece of sesame seed cake crumb from his bag and threw it on the ground.

"Huh?"

The goose paused for a moment, then lowered its head, picked up a crumb of sesame seed cake, and ate it with relish.

After finishing its meal, it looked up at Xu An, but neither barked nor bit him. Instead, it turned around with an extremely arrogant air and wiggled its rear end as it walked away.

It's as if it's saying: I'll let you off the hook for the sake of the sesame seed cake.

In the live stream, millions of netizens were amused by this scene.

【ID: HumansAreNotAsGoodAsGeese】: Goodness, even geese have been won over by this old-fashioned sesame flatbread?

[ID Food Blogger]: What does this sesame seed cake taste like? It looks so delicious! Can Anzi put it on the shelves?

[ID: Uncle Xujiacun]: Sell it my ass! It's all about sentiment! I wouldn't sell it for any price! Anzi, save two for your uncle, I'll trade you Moutai for them!

Xu An tightened his military overcoat, the setting sun casting a long shadow over him.

He glanced back at the tallest chimney, still belching smoke—the most comforting and down-to-earth feeling of everyday life.