Standing in the courtyard of his uncle and cousin's house, Feng Haidong looked up at the two-story building in front of him and couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Guofeng, this place is really nice. Surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear waters, with such a small building standing in the middle of greenery, it's simply a paradise."
Having met his cousin's wife and son, Feng Haidong really liked the small courtyard of his uncle and cousin's house.
Liu Guofeng laughed and said, "Haidong, you're getting more and more bookish these days."
Feng Haidong chuckled and said, "This is just a casual remark, nothing more than a pretentious attempt to appear cultured. But I really love the environment at your place, cousin. If I ever have the chance, I'd love to retire here. It would be wonderful."
Liu Guofeng said, "Haha, this is just a mountain and forest. The water comes from springs and streams flowing from the mountains. It's just that the food is not very good, unlike in the city where you can buy anything."
When Feng Haidong heard his cousin mention "mountains and forests," he immediately thought of mountain delicacies and asked, "Brother Guofeng, you must have quite a few mountain delicacies here, right?"
Liu Guofeng said, "There are some mountain delicacies, but they have been collected by many people over the years, and they are becoming increasingly scarce."
Feng Haidong could understand that in the past few years, due to the rise in the prices of some mountain delicacies, there had been a large-scale harvesting.
Wild delicacies grow slowly by nature and certainly cannot withstand large-scale harvesting.
Feng Haidong said with a smile, "It's alright. Once the road is repaired, I believe things will get better here, Brother Guofeng."
Liu Guofeng said, "Actually, things aren't bad now. There are still a lot of tourists coming here. It's just that the roads are difficult to travel now, and it is indeed difficult to get supplies in and out, so things in the mountains are much more expensive than outside."
As the two cousins were chatting, Liu Fenggu called out from inside the house, "Alright, you two brothers come in, let's get ready to eat."
Feng Haidong and his cousin quickly went inside, and everyone sat around a large table.
Liu Guofeng poured wine for everyone.
Liu Fenggu raised his glass and said, "Good, welcome to my nephew Feng Haidong and my three daughters to visit me today. The New Year is not over yet, so Happy New Year to everyone."
Feng Haidong and the others all raised their glasses together, and then they all drank the first glass together.
After finishing their first drink, Liu Fenggu, his son, and daughter-in-law invited Feng Haidong and the others to eat.
Everyone toasted and drank, and the atmosphere quickly became lively.
When they had drunk quite a bit, Feng Haidong began to help resolve the conflict between his cousin and his older cousin.
"Brother Guofeng, I'm the youngest sitting here today. I'm speaking up for you and your sisters, hoping that you can reconcile and let bygones be bygones after this drink."
Liu Guofeng looked at Feng Haidong, then at his three older sisters, and didn't respond to Feng Haidong's words for a moment.
Seeing that his cousin remained silent, Feng Haidong knew that his cousin was still somewhat unhappy.
Before his cousins could speak, he continued, "Brother, you and Uncle probably don't know yet, but my eldest sister and brother-in-law were laid off. They ran a food stall in the provincial capital for a few months, setting up their stall late at night and working until four or five in the morning."
As he said this, Feng Haidong recalled the time when he first arrived in the provincial capital and worked with his older cousin and her husband until dawn.
Thinking about how old my older cousin and her husband are, and how they've endured that for more than half a year, I realized...
Feng Haidong couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
Liu Fenggu and Liu Guofeng were extremely shocked.
Liu Fenzhen said, "Haidong, why are you saying these things during the New Year?"
Feng Haidong continued, "No, eldest sister, these things need to be said. Although the second and third sisters' families have stable jobs, they also work very hard. The second and third sisters often work overtime. Sometimes when the third sister has surgery at the hospital, she might stand in front of the operating table for several hours."
And then there's my second sister. She's teaching a graduating class now. Not only does she have to teach her own classes well, but she also has to keep an eye on her students and understand their mental state. She doesn't get home until very late every day.
Hearing Feng Haidong say these things, Liu Fenggu looked at his three daughters with a fatherly love in his eyes.
Liu Guofeng looked shocked, and even a little embarrassed to look at his three older sisters.
This time, no one interrupted Feng Haidong; everyone wanted to hear him finish.
Feng Haidong wiped away his tears and said, "Brother, I know you're unhappy that your three older sisters didn't help you go back to the provincial capital back then, but they didn't have the ability back then. Not to mention that they didn't have the ability, even if my parents were still in the provincial capital at that time, they might not have had the ability."
After saying this, Feng Haidong said earnestly, "Brother Guofeng, I hope that you and your sisters can make up today, after all, you are siblings."
After listening to Feng Haidong's words, Liu Fenggu looked at his son and said, "Alright, that was all many years ago. You're doing well at the Forestry Bureau now, aren't you? Let's not talk about the past. Let's have a good New Year together as a family today."
Liu Guofeng raised his head, looked at his father, and then at Feng Haidong.
Then he looked at his three older sisters and said, "Eldest sister, second sister, third sister, your younger brother respects you. Your younger brother should not hold a grudge against you. Please forgive your younger brother for being young and impetuous back then."
Seeing that my cousins' relationship had improved, the family became harmonious and happy again.
Feng Haidong felt that this trip was worthwhile.
After lunch, everyone sat down together for tea and talked about sending Liu Fenggu and Liu Guofeng's family to the provincial capital.
Liu Fenzhen said, "Dad, Guofeng, Xiaohui, don't listen to Haidong's complaints about how tough things are during meals. That was all half a year ago. Now, my husband and I don't have to stay up all night anymore. We opened a shop in the provincial capital with Haidong. We came here this time hoping you can come and visit the provincial capital together."
Liu Fenggu looked at Feng Haidong with some surprise: "Haidong actually opened a shop in the provincial capital?"
Liu Guofeng and his family were also very surprised; Feng Haidong's visit this time brought them quite a few surprises.
Feng Haidong said with a smile: "Uncle, I didn't have any work at the factory. I saw that other people were starting their own businesses, so I thought maybe I could give it a try. I tried it at home first and found it feasible. When I went to the provincial capital and saw how hard my older sister and brother-in-law worked, I went to the provincial capital and opened a shop with my older sister and brother-in-law."
Liu Fenzhen said, "It can't be considered a partnership. The initial capital investment and the renovation were all paid for by you, Haidong."
Liu Guofeng's wife, Shen Hui, was somewhat surprised: "Brother Haidong, you're so rich?"
Feng Haidong laughed and said, "I don't have that much money; I took out a loan."
Liu Fenxiu said, "So when we found out, we all admired Haidong's courage."
After a moment of silence, Liu Fenggu said, "Go ahead. We've lived in these mountains for so many years that we don't really know what's going on outside anymore. Guofeng, you and your family of three should pack your things too. We'll go together tomorrow to the provincial capital."
When Liu Fenggu agreed to go to the provincial capital, Feng Haidong and his three cousins were very happy.
Liu Guofeng and his family of three were also very happy.
In particular, Liu Guofeng's son, Liu Bozhi, had a face full of anticipation.
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