A bungalow stands quietly next to the bamboo forest.
The bungalow is not big, only about 150 square meters, with an earthen dam.
There were two large bundles of corn stalks in the dam, and the shoulder poles had not been removed yet. They looked like a huge barbell.
An old woman was using a shovel to clean up the chicken droppings that were everywhere in the dam.
Under the eaves, half was filled with firewood, next to which were a few baskets of golden corn cobs, and the other half, which was not large, was occupied by quite a few people.
Some people wearing white shirts rubbed their shoulders silently.
The village chief Huang Youquan was chatting with everyone when he suddenly remembered something and hurried into the house. After a while, he and the old man who had entered the house earlier came out carrying a few bowls.
Huang Youquan looked at everyone with a little embarrassment, "I thought he might want to make some boiled eggs, but I didn't stop him. Leaders, please have a taste!"
The old man was embarrassed and at a loss, "I don't know..."
"Grandpa, you are too polite! I haven't had boiled eggs in years!" Huo Qianli stood up with a smile, took the bowl, and said to the others with a smile: "These free-range eggs taste very good."
"Yes, yes, yes! I never feed the chickens in my house!" The old man nodded quickly.
Since the boss said so, the others had to accept it with a smile no matter how much they disliked it. Besides, they actually enjoyed this feeling.
While eating, Huo Qianli asked, "Grandpa, how is the situation at home?"
"Thank you for asking. It's OK." The old man sat on the doorstep and said with a smile, "I have enough to eat and warm clothes. What else do I need?"
Huo Qianli held the bowl and asked, "Where are the children at home?"
"He's working outside! He took his grandson with him." The old man's smile faded, his expression a little gloomy, "He comes back to play for ten days or half a month throughout the year, and then leaves again."
Village chief Huang Youquan advised: "The telephone is so convenient nowadays, please contact us more often!"
Huo Qianli looked at Huang Youquan, "Is there any problem with this house, old man? Has it been evaluated?"
"We have evaluated it." Huang Youquan glanced at Gao Yuanming. "It was Secretary Gao who led the team. The city's experts evaluated all the houses that were occupied."
Huo Qianli nodded, "Grandpa, how much money can you make a year now?"
The old man thought for a moment, then looked up at the old woman standing beside him with a shovel. "Aren't you in charge of money? What are you doing standing there with a shovel?"
The old woman smiled and said, "In reply to the leader, it's about 5,000 to 6,000 yuan a year."
"Not counting the son, but the daughter-in-law's side, right?"
"Of course not, my son and daughter-in-law earn that much in a month!" The woman looked proud.
Huo Qianli smiled and nodded, chatted for a few more words, and then said, "Grandpa, the egg just now was good. Do you have any extra? I want to buy some to eat back."
"Yes! Wait a minute!"
As he said that, he went in and quickly took out a cloth bag filled with eggs. "Here are fifty eggs. I'm afraid they'll break, so I also put some rice in it. Secretary Huo, take it."
The bag was heavy. Huo Qianli carefully took it with both hands and handed it to Wang Wei behind him.
Wang Wei was stunned and was about to say that he didn't want to buy it, but Huo Qianli said speechlessly: "Help me get it!"
Then Huo Qianli touched his pocket and asked with a smile: "How much is it?"
"What are you talking about money?" The old man waved his hand, "We raise them ourselves without spending any money. Secretary Huo, if you think highly of us!"
He smiled and pointed at the two bundles of corn stalks in the dam, "To be honest, which official is willing to help us carry this stuff?"
In the end, Huo Qianli still paid the money, which was much higher than the market price.
Seeing this, Wang Wei had an idea and wanted to agree with his leader. He went forward and said he wanted to try some, but Xiao Yao quickly pulled him back.
Then, everyone said goodbye and left.
The old man standing by the dam waved to everyone, took a puff of cigarette and looked at his wife, "These officials are different!"
The old woman snorted, "It's all talk. We'll have to wait and see whether it's good or not."
The old man glared at her speechlessly, "I'm too lazy to tell you!"
After saying that, he pulled off the carrying pole and prepared to continue picking corn stalks in the field, but just after he took two steps, a shovel blocked the way in front of him.
The old man looked over in surprise and the old woman stretched out her hand.
"Day after day, you're always looking for money!"
The old man angrily slapped the dozens of dollars that had not even warmed up yet into the old woman's hand, and walked out of the house carrying his shoulder pole with a resentful look on his face.
The woman snorted, carefully untied a cloth bag from her waist, opened it layer by layer, put the money in, rolled it up, and stuffed it back into her waist. After patting herself on the back, she continued to do her work with satisfaction.
Huo Qianli and the others didn't know what happened after they left, and walked around the village again.
Along the way, they passed many abandoned houses. The collapsed earthen walls seemed like a village order abandoned by the times, leaving only vague glimpses of the bustle and life of the past.
Those who had a little money took advantage of the subsidies to build new houses on the roadside of the village committee. This choice was exactly the same as that of Hushan Village.
In the ravine below, the few houses are inhabited by only the elderly and children, waiting for the family reunion during the New Year.
The forest structure where five or six families used to live together has been completely broken up, leaving only a few isolated families living from a distance, watching over each other.
The house, like the people in it, is old.
Once they came across three or five children running around wildly, laughing and shouting, which was the only vitality and hope in this valley.
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