The life of Lao Liu since 1944

Hou Jie walked into the house, holding a bottle of fine white wine and a bag of fragrant cooked beef in his hands, his steps were calm and firm, and he was obviously confident about this action. He walked to the dining table and placed the two things properly, which immediately attracted the attention of his busy mother. His mother looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion and curiosity, "Oh, is this bought for your father?" She pointed at the bottle of white wine and beef, "Did the sun rise from the west today? It's rare for you to be so filial."

After hearing this, Hou Jie couldn't help but smile smugly, but he didn't directly respond to his mother's question. Instead, he said mysteriously, "You'll know in a moment. I have something important to discuss with you." His mother was amused by his appearance. Although she had a bit of disdain on her face, she was full of curiosity and anticipation for her son's next move. She knew Hou Jie's thoughts very well and knew that he must be planning something unexpected again. So she half-jokingly scolded him, "You kid, I don't know what bad shit you're up to. OK, OK, I'll go get your father to come over for dinner."

After hearing this, Hou Jie immediately asked his mother to sit down, put the food on the table, carefully opened the wine bottle, and prepared the tableware. He knew that his mother was always skeptical about his actions, but he also knew that all the answers would be revealed soon. So while he was busy, he responded to his mother: "Mom, don't worry, our whole family will reveal the answer in a while, and I guarantee you will be impressed."

"Mother, the food you cook is absolutely delicious. Every bite is memorable. Compared with the chefs in those restaurants, your cooking skills are simply worlds apart. They can't compare." Hou Jie ate the braised pork made by his mother greedily while praising her endlessly.

However, the mother was not moved by his praise. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and interrupted Hou Jie with her unique insight. She knew her child very well. As soon as he raised his butt, she knew what he was going to fart. The mother said impatiently: "Okay, stop talking nonsense. If you have something to say, just say it directly. What's the point of hiding it?"

Upon seeing this, Hou Jie stopped beating around the bush. He put down his chopsticks and said to his parents seriously, "Dad, Mom, I want to take back our shop. Is that okay with you?" After saying that, he carefully observed his parents' expressions.

When the couple heard Hou Jie's proposal, they looked at each other, their eyes full of emotion for their child's growth. They knew that Hou Jie had his own ideas and pursuits, so they thought about it and asked, "Are you sure you can do it?"

Seeing this, Hou Jie immediately assured: "I can do it. I want to try."

"Well, since you want to try, that's fine, but what about your studies? Although many students are taking a leave of absence now, our family doesn't need to worry about that. You can continue to go to school, right?

"Father, I have thought it through. For the time being, I will hire a shopkeeper to take charge of the management. I have a channel to get the food. I will sell it first and settle the bill after it is sold out."

"I don't plan to go to school anymore after I graduate from technical secondary school. Your son is not cut out for that."

It was another sunny Saturday. Ma Yong found his good friend Hou Jie. The two walked side by side on the busy streets, enjoying their rare leisure time. Ma Yong looked at Hou Jie curiously and asked with concern: "Chunsheng, why haven't you been to school for a long time? Have you gone to some master to learn skills?" Hou Jie shook his head lightly, with a hint of helplessness on his face: "No, I don't plan to go to school anymore."

Afterwards, Hou Jie told Ma Yong in detail about a series of things that happened in school. "Ah! Yong, I won't go to school in the future. I just need to take exams when it's time." Ma Yong couldn't help but widen his eyes after hearing this. Ma Yong whispered, "Chunsheng, I really envy you for being able to make such a decision. I also want to not go to school like you."

Hou Jie rolled his eyes after hearing this, but thought to himself, "I have already learned everything. It feels like a waste of time to learn it again, so I'm not going. How can our situations be the same?" He waved his hand to dissuade Ma Yong: "Don't be like me. Our situations are completely different. If you don't go to school, your family will not agree. You are the only educated person in the family, and they all hope that you can make a name for yourself. Once you say you don't want to go to school, you will definitely be beaten up."

"Ayong, how is your family doing lately?"

"It's pretty good. My brother recently found a job. We can't even finish all the flour at home. I've gained weight recently. Our life is totally different from before. Many brothers from other families in the alley are following my brother's lead. Our home has been a lot more lively recently, but it's a bit annoying."

Hou Jie nodded. If you knew that the big boss was your little friend, you would be shocked.

"Chunsheng, let's go dig out the bird's nest." Ma Yong's words were like opening a treasure chest, instantly igniting Hou Jie's dormant childishness. During this period, he felt that life was like being soaked in tasteless warm water, dull and a little boring. Now, this seemingly simple proposal was like a shot of cardiotonic, making Hou Jie's heart beat violently, bringing back his long-lost excitement and anticipation.

Although Hou Jie has an adult soul, deep in his heart, the innocence of childhood has not faded with the passage of time. On the contrary, whenever he recalls the days when he played with his friends under the big tree in front of his hometown as a child, robbing bird nests and playing hide-and-seek, the innocence and joy are as clear and vivid as yesterday's memory.

After the two of them wandered around and came to a small woods, they found a big tree with a bird's nest.

The two of them stood under the tree. With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, he said to Ma Yong, "Ma Yong, you climb up the tree, and I'll keep watch for you from below."

Ma Yong heard this and showed a look of embarrassment on his face. He glanced at Hou Jie cautiously and muttered to himself: "Chunsheng, you used to climb trees and I was the one keeping watch for you." Hou Jie saw this and understood Ma Yong's concerns. He explained helplessly: "Ma Yong, didn't I fall down while climbing a tree some time ago? I'm a little scared now. You go ahead."

After hearing this, Ma Yong showed an even more embarrassed expression on his face. He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly: "Chunsheng, I can't climb up either. Look at my physique. I can hug the tree with both hands, and my stomach is still in the way." Hou Jie was a little speechless when he heard this, but then he thought that it was true that no one in his family was thin, and they would gain weight even if they drank water. He glanced at Ma Yong helplessly, secretly despising him in his heart: "Ayong, Ayong, you are fat and you are right! You are fat and you are arrogant!"

Despite thinking this, Hou Jie decided to do it himself. He took a deep breath, stretched his muscles, and then carefully climbed up the tree. Ma Yong looked at him eagerly from below, his face full of admiration and expectation. Hou Jie secretly swore in his heart: I must be extra careful this time and not fall down again.

He glared at him fiercely, then tightened his pants with his hands, trying to make them tighter. Then, he blew air into his palms twice, as if trying to make his hands cleaner. Then, he began to hug the tree with both hands, his body pressed against the trunk, and climbed up twistingly like a worm. Every movement seemed so cautious, as if he was performing a dangerous stunt.

He climbed carefully towards the bird's nest, his heart full of nervousness and anticipation. This was the first time he had climbed a tree to dig out a bird's nest in many years, and he was filled with trepidation. He was worried that he would fall from the tree, and even more worried that he would disturb the bird in the nest. However, he knew that he had to overcome these fears to complete his mission.

He had completely forgotten that he was now in great shape and had great strength. After a long time of effort, he happily took out three eggs from the bird's nest, and then slowly climbed down. Except for a cut on his pants, he got down to the ground smoothly.

It was normal to get a tear on your clothes when climbing a tree. The two found a second tree and confirmed with their eyes that it was the right tree.

He climbed up the tree, took out the bird eggs and came down. His face was dirty and his clothes were cut. He was so excited that he didn't notice these small details. He climbed a few more trees and took out 12 bird eggs in total. When he climbed the tree for the last time, he got four more bird eggs. When he came down from the tree, he accidentally slipped. He was fine, but his pants had a big tear, which was leaking air. He looked at his clothes and had no choice but to go home.

The two of them counted a total of 16 bird eggs, and divided them in half, giving each eight.