Chapter 53 New Year, New Atmosphere
The video begins with a familiar empty scene.
Snow was falling in the bamboo forest, and someone was walking towards them, crushing the dead branches and snow. The camera moved up, and it was Xia Xia and her father.
The father and daughter were holding machetes in their hands. Yang Guojun planned to cut some bamboos and take them home to prepare bamboo tube rice for the New Year.
Dragging the bamboo back to the village, every household has replaced the festive couplets in front of the door, and neighbors are greeting each other. There is no voice prompt, just simple interaction, which makes people know when the video was taken.
There are many familiar faces in the video.
Fourth Master Yang.
An elderly man who has three buffaloes at home, loves to listen to operas, loves the hustle and bustle, loves buffaloes, and works for Xia Xia, mainly packing strawberries.
He is over seventy years old, but still in good health. In Xia Xia's videos, apart from working, the most common shot is him sitting by the river, watching three buffaloes graze and bathe with a kind look in his eyes, as if he were looking at his own children.
Li Yun felt more than once that Mr. Yang Si was very much like Fugui in "To Live", with a sense of insight that comes from having lived a long life and seen a lot.
But in this video, the buffalo and the music player that usually accompany him are not there. The person accompanying him is a young man in his twenties, wearing Bluetooth headphones, immersed in the canyon battlefield.
Fourth Master Yang looked at him with the same curiosity as when he first came into contact with a smartphone. His eyesight was not very good, so he could not see what was on the phone, but he only knew that his grandson would play it for an hour or two, calling his friends.
"How is your work outside?" Mr. Yang Si asked this question after a long time.
"That's it."
His grandson said it casually.
"You have to work hard, listen to your boss, and have good eyesight..."
Mr. Yang Si didn't understand the workplace for young people and kept applying the older generation's experience to his grandson. Unsurprisingly, this made his grandson even more impatient.
"Master, if you don't understand, don't talk nonsense."
Fourth Master Yang fell silent. After a while, he changed the subject to something his grandson might be interested in: "Is the person you're playing with your girlfriend?"
Yang Shuhua didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said loudly: "Male, what partner? Don't say nonsense."
"It's okay, it's my grandpa, I'll go into the house and fight, wait until I learn it."
The grandson stood up and walked into the house. Only Fourth Master Yang was left outside the door, sitting alone on a rattan chair with a red couplet behind him that had just been changed early in the morning.
The interaction between the festivity and the old man's loneliness, with no one speaking in or out of the camera, was like watching a movie.
Li Yun felt unexpectedly heavy-hearted, thinking that the grandson in the video was really ignorant.
After another brief empty shot, two more children who looked familiar to Li Yun appeared.
Yang Mingyue and Yang Mingyuan are a pair of left-behind siblings. The elder sister is shrewd and sensible, while the younger brother is naughty and sensible. They don’t usually see their elder sister because she is in junior high school in town.
My younger brother goes to primary school in the next village. He has poor grades and is a poor student. Xia Xia has given him extra lessons, but this kid is so stupid at doing math problems that he can make people cry. Xia Xia posted a video about it, which resonated with many people.
Li Yun also knew that the siblings had a grandmother with severe rheumatism who was often bedridden, so they both cooked. Every morning, Yang Mingyuan would pick strawberries for Xia Xia, working for an hour, eating breakfast, and earning ten yuan before going to school.
If it were another child, they might have bought snacks and toys, but Yang Mingyuan saved all the money.
Who knows what a kid is going to do with his money? In the comments on the previous video, some people guessed that Yang Mingyuan wanted to buy a mobile phone to play games, because they knew kids who were addicted to mobile games. Others guessed that he wanted to top up his gaming account...
All in all, it's a bit pessimistic.
But now, Li Yun knew what Yang Mingyuan used the money he saved for.
New Year, new hope. He and his sister changed into new clothes and looked much cleaner and tidier. He proudly told Xia Xia that he had saved a lot of money for his parents and asked them to spend the Lantern Festival at home before leaving. His parents agreed.
He also said that he would work hard this year and save more money, so that maybe his parents could stay at home for one more month next year.
Li Yun's eyes became moist as he listened to the child's childish words.
Clicking on the comment section, although Xia Xia just posted the video not long ago, she has a lot of fans and there are still many messages in the comment section.
Many people, like Li Yun, couldn't help but sigh when they saw this.
"This child will definitely not be a bad person when he grows up. Those who said he was immature before should come out and apologize."
"That's right. Although Yang Mingyuan is a little naughty and his academic performance is not good, he is not ignorant. He is usually the only ten-year-old child at home. He has to take care of himself and his grandmother. He also saves all the pocket money his sister gives him. How many children can do this?"
"If I have to blame someone, I can only blame life. It's just too hard. If I could, who would want to leave their hometown? I'm on the high-speed train to work right now. Mua, I really don't want to go to work!"
"For ordinary people, life is really difficult."
Yeah, who says it isn’t?
Li Yun became even more irritated. The slightest shift in her attention caused her to be assaulted by the smell and temperature of the train. She didn't want to go back to work, as her relationships with her colleagues weren't particularly good.
The video continues, with a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner, a lively dragon dance on the eighth day of the first lunar month, and then the farewell at the village entrance.
The grandson, who was addicted to playing games, said goodbye to his grandfather and told him not to be reluctant to spend money at home alone and to take good care of himself. "I will come back to see you as soon as I have a holiday."
Xia Xia interviewed this "unfilial" grandson and learned that he works in a new first-tier city. He was originally promised a 9-to-5 job with two days off and insurance and a housing fund. He worked hard to squeeze in. Now the 9-to-5 job has become 996, and the two days off have become a long and short week. After deducting the five insurances and one housing fund, rent, water, electricity, clothing, food, housing and transportation from his salary, he is considered amazing if he can save a thousand yuan a month.
Under such high pressure, even breathing feels tiring. I have no time to go back home, and all I want to do to rest is lie in bed.
For him, the New Year is a rare chance to relax and catch his breath. He can play games and brag with his old friends, spend time with his family, and...
Looking back at the video Xia Xia took, which showed his indifference and perfunctory attitude towards his grandfather, Yang Shuhua looked apologetic.
But what can I do if I apologize?
As separation is approaching, no matter how reluctant you are, you have to keep moving forward for the sake of life.
Grandpa doesn't care about his indifference. As long as his family can come back and he knows that they are healthy and living a good life, it is enough.
Yang Shuhua got in the car and waved to his grandfather: "Grandpa, I will come back to see you on May Day!"
"Okay!" Mr. Yang Si responded, and was so excited that he even ran after the car twice. Then he realized that he was no longer young, so he slowly stopped.
Yang Mingyuan cried so hard that his nose was covered with tears and he ran desperately after the car, "Dad..."
A woman rushed forward and pulled him back, "Silly child, your dad is not out working, what are you going to eat and drink? Mom is at home with you!"
Yang Mingyue stood quietly beside her brother, patting his back to comfort him.
Li Yun let out a breath, she was so scared. She thought Yang Mingyue's parents took the money and left, but she didn't expect that only his father went out to work. Although it was still a pity, with their mother around, the lives of the siblings would probably improve a little.
Once the return of the villagers had passed, the village returned to its former tranquility. No more young people wearing fashionable clothes were seen in the village, and no more people setting off firecrackers in the fields or by the river. Yanggou Village was still the same Yanggou Village.
The video ends in a peaceful silence, and the video title slowly appears. It really feels like watching a not-too-long movie.
Li Yun opened the barrage to see what netizens were saying.
"It's not over yet, keep watching!"
Someone reminded me.
Li Yun clicked on the progress bar and found that there were indeed two or three minutes left.
Is it an Easter egg?
A medium-sized truck slowly stopped at the foot of the mountain. The driver jumped out and opened the trunk, revealing clumps of plants.
The camera turned and the villagers that Xia Xia had called in to work stood in a row with happy smiles on their faces.
"Does anyone know what this is? I remember they planted a lot of fruit trees before the summer?"
"I don't recognize him. I've never seen him before."
"It looks a bit like raspberries. I wonder if it's true. We have wild ones and cultivated ones in the mountains here."
"Raspberries? I love them! When they're ripe, can I buy some from Xia Xia? (Greedy)"
"I think I saw some wolfberry seedlings. Good news for those of you who need them!"
Soon, netizens found out where these seedlings were planted.
There is a sign at the foot of Yantou Mountain that says, "Private mountain, please do not trespass."
Two small dogs, each as big as a pair of leather shoes, were happily chasing and playing with each other under the sign. One of them suddenly stopped, lay on the ground, and bit its own tail.
Not far away, tree pits had already been dug at the foot of the mountain. The villagers moved the saplings over and started planting next to the pits.
The camera swept across, and after the saplings were planted in the pits, they formed a long fence belt.
After planting the trees, Xia Wu paid the villagers daily wages, 70 yuan per person.
"Look at the camera. Are you happy that you made money?"
"Happy!" The elderly grandparents and some middle-aged women in the camera showed simple happy smiles on their faces.
Infected Li Yun outside the camera.
At the end of the video, Xia Xia filmed the newly planted fence at the foot of the mountain, the empty little lake, the shining water tower on the mountain, and the fruit trees halfway up the mountain.
She didn't say a word, but Li Yun clearly saw hope from the video.
Wait until spring comes and flowers bloom, wait until fruits ripen, and people who stay in the village can continue to earn money. Isn’t this the meaning of Xia Xia’s video shooting?
Li Yun was so immersed in the video that he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time, and even had the idea of going to Xia Xia's hometown to stay for a while.
She wasn't the only one who thought so. Others in the comment section also began to look forward to summer.
Some people also left messages suggesting that Xia Xia should grow some vegetables. Now that express delivery is convenient, they can also sell vegetables online, which can also generate income for their villagers.
However, some people disagreed, thinking that Xia Xia's video was purely for herself.
"Capitalists are so heartless. Not only do they hire someone this old to work, but they only pay 70 yuan a day. What can they do with that little money? Sooner or later, they'll be hanging on the street lights."
There were not many such discordant remarks, and they were quickly addressed by other netizens.
"Why don't you just eat meat?! I can tell you've never been to a village. Do you know the average wage in rural areas? Do you know how much the elderly pension and minimum living allowance are?"
"You really think the countryside is like the city? In the city, everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation costs money, but in the countryside, you can live in your own house and eat the vegetables you grow yourself. Some frugal elderly people can't spend a hundred yuan a month, so seventy yuan a day is no small amount!"
"And Xia Xia, there's no point in exploiting them. I've seen videos where multiple people are collaborating, and they've considered more than you. People like you are just good at talking nonsense online. If you have the guts, why not give money to all the elderly people in the country so they don't have to work?"
Well done!
Li Yun silently applauded the netizens in his heart, and then liked each of their posts.
She has lived with her grandmother ever since she could remember. After her grandfather passed away, she and her grandmother depended on each other. Sometimes there would be more cousins in the house, but only Li Yun lived with her grandmother until she was admitted to university and stayed in another place to work.
Li Yun is also a left-behind child, but her situation is even worse. Her father ran away and her mother is irresponsible. They may not even be able to send 200 yuan home a month.
What can two hundred yuan do? Grandma was afraid of gossip from her uncles, so she had to earn money to support Li Yun herself.
I sell vegetables from my own garden, and sell pears when they are ripe. If I have nothing to sell, I will go and pick up scraps.
Selling vegetables in rural areas doesn’t earn much, maybe only a dozen or twenty yuan a day. People save small amounts to achieve big things. That’s how Li Yun’s grandmother saved money to send him to university.
So when she watched Xia Xia's videos, she could find many shadows of memories.
It is precisely because of this experience that I understand Xia Xia’s kindness and difficulties.
At the same time, Li Yun suddenly felt less annoyed about going to work.
No matter how tiring it is to work, it is not as hard as her grandma’s hard work in raising her. She wants to work hard, save some money, and take her grandma to enjoy life.
Li Yun suddenly became full of fighting spirit. Besides, only if you have money can you buy the fruits from Xia Xia Mountain!
Xia Wu didn't know that her videos would bring so much energy to people. She looked at the income from Kuaishou's backend and smiled with satisfaction.
Express delivery was suspended during the Chinese New Year, and Xia Wu's economy fell into negative growth. He couldn't make any money, but he kept spending money.
The strawberries in the greenhouse are always ripe. She transports some to the town to sell, and makes the rest into strawberry jam and seals it in cans.
Fortunately, express delivery began to arrive after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and Xia Wu's backend orders resumed, so he started recruiting people to continue working.
Yang Mingyue and her brother brought their mother to see Xia Wu, wanting to hand over the part-time jobs they did in their spare time to Wang Minping.
Wang Minping is not tall, looks thin and small, with dark skin. She is also a hardworking person with a lively look in her eyes.
He first thanked Xia Wu for taking care of the siblings, and then expressed his desire to work for her.
"Just give them a little bit. I really don't want to go out to work anymore. There's no one to take care of my two children, and I want them to take care of the elderly in return..."
Yang Jiangang and Wang Minping worked for others in Hai City. Yang Jiangang collected used goods, and she cooked at a construction site. They earned about 4,000 yuan a month and 3,500 yuan a month respectively.
All the money is hard earned.
The two of them have no education and no skills, and have no other strengths except being honest.
I have two children and an elderly person to support at home, and we still live in an old house. If I don’t work to earn money, my whole family will have to starve.
But the child was so pitiful that Yang Mingyuan gave money to his parents, wanting them to stay a little longer. Wang Minping cried most of the night. After discussing it, the couple decided to let Yang Jiangang go out to work alone.
Looking at the expectant eyes of Yang Mingyue and her brother, Xia Wu agreed immediately.
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