【Chapter 001】Deep in the mountains

The Xiaotong River meanders through the lofty mountains, flows into the Tongjiang River in Qingyun Town from south to north, and then flows mightily towards the east.

The Flame of Heaven was like a huge fireball, pouring huge amounts of energy into the ground endlessly, as if it wanted to scorch everything in the world.

There was not a trace of wind in the air, and the white sunlight made the branches of the trees that had been erect hang their heads and droop weakly.

In the afternoon, there was not a single living creature on the street of Qingyun Town, and the usually active earth dogs were lying in the shade one by two, panting with their mouths open. Only the ones in the treetops were still shouting endlessly, adding a little irritability.

On the steaming bluestone pavement, a man pushing a bicycle slowly appeared, but his face was not visible because of the distortion of the light.

Pushing the car up this small slope with difficulty, and finally saw the signboard of 'Zhao Ji Grocery Store', Liu Rui lowered his head and wiped the sweat beads on his face on his shoulder, and let out a long breath.

Carrying a hundred catties of rice wine, he walked for more than half an hour on the winding and undulating mountain road, even if Liu Rui was young and strong, he couldn't stand it.

The earth dogs lying under the eaves looked up lazily, and instead of barking as usual, they continued to pant incessantly.

"Uncle Zhao, are you at home? I'm bringing wine! "After setting up a bicycle in front of the 'Zhao Ji Grocery Store', Liu Rui shouted into the house.

"It's coming! Here it comes! There was a loud voice in the room, and then a middle-aged man in a red vest walked out with a fan and said with a smile: "Arrow is here!" ”。

At the door, Liu Rui had already unloaded the two barrels of rice wine and picked them up one by one.

A barrel of rice wine has a net weight of fifty catties, and it is really not easy for ordinary people to lift it, but for Liu Rui, who has become the pillar of the family, this is just a piece of cake.

He quickly poured a barrel of rice wine into the wine vat, and then replaced the empty barrel that had been stored before, but in two minutes, Liu Rui had already done everything.

Looking at Liu Rui's swarthy face, Zhao Jianxing could no longer associate him with the previous polite and polite county No. 1 middle school student, and could only sigh secretly in his heart.

"Uncle forgot to inform you in advance last night, so I'm really sorry that you went out in the sun at noon." Zhao Jianxing poured a cup of cold white water, handed it to Liu Rui, and said a little embarrassed.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao!" After taking the water glass and drinking it all, Liu Rui continued: "You can't let you have no wine to sell in the evening, right?" Anyway, I'm young, and I have strength! ”

"Is your dad feeling better?" Zhao Jianxing didn't know what to say, so he could only turn the topic to Liu Rui's father, Liu Jiahong.

"Thank you Uncle Zhao for your concern, Dad is much better!" Looking at Zhao Jianxing with some gratitude, Liu Rui nodded and said.

Since his father suffered a car accident and broke his leg, Liu Rui resolutely gave up the opportunity to take the college entrance examination and chose to return home to support the whole family. During this time, he was under the greatest pressure since he became sensible, and he also felt a lot of care.

'Zhao Ji Grocery Store' originally didn't sell Liu's rice wine, but after hearing about Liu Rui, Zhao Jianxing took the initiative to come to the door and began to sell Liu's wine in bulk in his grocery store, giving Liu Rui a lot of help.

"It's the wine money, count it!" Zhao Jianxing took out eighty yuan from the drawer and handed it to Liu Rui.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao!" After Liu Rui counted the money, he put it in his pocket and said, "I'll go back first, there is still something at home." ”

"Arrow, you should buy a motorcycle as soon as possible in the future, otherwise it will be too hard for the bicycle to be delivered." Seeing Liu Rui put on a straw hat and stared at Lie Yue going out, Zhao Jianxing couldn't help but say a word in the back.

"I see! I was saving up to buy a used car recently. Liu Rui waved his hand to the back, and with a hard step under his feet, the car disappeared quickly into the corner of the street like an arrow from the string.

Originally, Liu Rui had a happy family and a bright future, but a sudden car accident changed his family and changed the trajectory of his life.

Half a year ago, his father, Liu Jiahong, was hit by a car on the way home on the other side of the Tongjiang River and was seriously injured, but the unscrupulous driver who caused the accident fled by car.

Although Liu Jiahong, who was found by passing villagers and sent to the hospital, saved his surname, the medical expenses of nearly 100,000 yuan made the Liu family fall into a predicament all of a sudden. Although the hospital has reduced some fees and the NCMS has reimbursed some of them, the remaining huge amount is still not something that an ordinary rural family can afford.

At that time, Liu Rui had entered the final sprint of the third year of high school review in Qingshan County No. 1 Middle School, and he had always been regarded as the top student with the most promising admission to a key university.

After hearing the bad news, Liu Rui did not shed tears or hesitate, silently packed his books and luggage, and returned home.

It's not that Liu Rui doesn't want to go to college, but because there is a mother who can't do heavy work due to rheumatism, a father who is seriously injured in bed, and younger siblings who are in the second year of junior high school.

Faced with huge debts and heavy family pressure, Liu Rui, as the eldest son, could only give up his personal future and shoulder the burden of the family without hesitation.

In a blink of an eye, half a year has passed, and Liu Rui has become accustomed to his busy life every day.

I get up early every morning, make a fire to steam rice, make wine, feed pigs, and after breakfast, I have to work in the fields, and in my free time, I pedal my bicycle to deliver goods, and there is almost no time to rest all day long.

Liujia Distillery is quite famous in the nearby towns, it is the craftsmanship handed down by Liu Ruizu, and the rice wine brewed is mellow and delicious, and it is not drunk and very popular with the villagers. Relying on this craft, the Liu family lived much better than the average farmer, if it wasn't for Liu Jiahong's car accident, Liu Rui would not have returned to the village to live a life with his back to the loess.

Liu Rui's home is in Shangliang Village, five kilometers away from Qingyun Town, where the Xiaotong River flows from north to south with the verdant mountains at its back, which can be described as a treasure land of feng shui by mountains and water.

The first line of Qingyun Town and Shangliang Village used to be the only way to the ancient tea horse road leading to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and it was also an important shipping center. All kinds of goods were collected and distributed here, and then transported by the caravan to the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Indochina Peninsula through the winding and rugged ancient tea horse road.

However, with the completion and opening of secondary roads, electrified railways and highways on the north bank of the Tongjiang River in the 90s, the once prosperous trade route of the Ancient Tea Horse Road gradually fell into decline.

In this way, Qingyun Town, which is surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side, slowly faded out of the world's field of vision and became a forgotten corner.

Between Qingyun Town and Shangliang Village is a gravel road, which has fallen into disrepair for a long time, and can accumulate half a foot of floating dust on sunny days, and becomes muddy like corn porridge on rainy days, but it is the only passage from Shangliang Village to the outside world.

Fortunately, the road is covered with tall willow trees, and the oncoming breeze makes Liu Rui's spirit much better, and he can think about some things.

After his father was discharged from the hospital, not only did he spend all his family savings, but he also borrowed more than 50,000 yuan from relatives and friends, and the huge debt made Liu Rui worried.

In previous years, when the harvest was good, the Liu family's farming, pig feeding, winemaking and other industries combined, basically had a net income of five or six thousand, and it can be regarded as a middle-class family in Qingyun Village.

50,000 yuan, the Liu family has to work hard for seven or eight years to pay it off!

In rural areas, families who have been lifted out of poverty can fall back into poverty for two major reasons: serious illness and education.

Liu Rui's mother Zhang Guizhi fell into rheumatism early because she worked too hard when she was young, and it has become more and more serious in recent years.

The three children of the Liu family have one high school and two junior high schools, and the cost of school is also getting bigger and bigger.

Originally, Liu Jiahong had already begun to prepare money for Liu Rui to go to college, but now, everything has changed 180 degrees, and there is no going back to the past.

I haven't been to the field for two days, so I have to go tomorrow to see if it's time to weed? The longan in the fruit field has also begun to bear fruit, and it is the stage where water is needed, so you have to hurry up and water it.

…………

Since returning home, Liu Rui has naturally shouldered the burden of the family, and the big and small things in the family have gradually been handed over to him. Of course, with little experience, he still needs Liu Jiahong and Zhang Guizhi to mention it next to him.

"Brother, wait for me!" At this time, a voice in the period of voice change called Liu Rui back from his contemplation.

Liu Rui pinched the brakes, stopped and looked back, only to find that it was his younger brother Liu Zhi, holding a fishing rod and carrying a small bucket running over from the edge of Xiaojing Lake.

The Xiaotong River has always been a turbulent water in the depths of the verdant mountains, but next to Shangliang Village, it has formed a lake with a radius of several miles, and the water is gentle, like a huge mirror embedded in the mountains, so it is named Xiaojing Lake by the locals.

Liu Zhi is four years younger than Liu Rui, and his father gave them such a name in the hope that they could have wisdom, be admitted to university, and jump out of the farm.

"Instead of reading at home, you went fishing in the river again?" Seeing that his younger brother was panting and his face was flushed, Liu Rui's face was pale.

"I'm tired of reading, come out and relax." Although there is only a four-year difference, Liu Rui already feels a little like an eldest brother and a father, Liu Zhi is a little afraid, and said curtly: "I heard that black fish is good for wound healing, brother, look, this one is big enough, right?" ”

"Get in the car! The next semester is the third year of junior high school, don't be greedy for fun, you don't have to worry about things at home! Liu Rui's nose was sour, and he quickly turned around.

Seeing his brother agree, Liu Zhi hurriedly jumped into the car and didn't dare to say more.

Liu Zhi is still at an age when there are few things to do, and the overnight changes made him understand that his brother has made great sacrifices for this family! As a result, he became more sensible, and he would take the initiative to help the family during the holidays, hoping to reduce the pressure on his brother.

Speechless all the way, the brothers were silently thinking about their hearts.

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