I am not Ximen Qing.

From the mountains to the outside world, after countless twists and turns, everything has to start all over again. How wonderful it was in the forest farm! The house was big, and there was a large garden. Why leave the forest farm? Many changes have happened at home, but the most important reason is that the forest needs rest and recuperation; the harvesting area has almost exceeded its capacity. The water volume of the large river in the forest farm has clearly decreased. The reduction of forest on the mountain has brought about significant changes; the river is no longer as full of passion and power as it once was. The river dance of my childhood has become a thing of the past!

The family sat down for dinner that evening. Hua Jie was still angry; she practically lived in the factory dormitory, and the friendship her niece and uncle had built was gone. The eldest sister was in vocational school, and the second sister was in high school; it was rare for the family to reunite in the so-called city. Zhang Sheng's father breathed a sigh of relief; he was angry with his fourth aunt's husband and his eldest sister and her husband. Why was it that his second aunt's child got a place while Zhang Sheng was rejected? If it weren't for the selfless help of his wife's childhood friend, Director He, he wouldn't have been able to go to school—it was too close to home. Zhang Sheng's mother muttered, "Second brother-in-law, the factory director, has connections; a word from him and it's all over." Unfortunately, now that he was in power, he didn't care about these family matters. The second aunt and uncle's relationship had also been quite tense lately, and they often argued. Zhang Sheng's father also argued with his second brother-in-law; all sorts of conflicts arose when relatives gathered.

Mother was angry that Zhang Sheng's father had been drinking excessively, and even his previously well-mannered second brother-in-law had started drinking heavily. His brother-in-law and brother-in-law drank together, and then, fueled by alcohol, they suffered from intestinal problems. Zhang Sheng's father didn't argue or get angry with his mother. This wasn't a forest farm in the mountains where he could smash water jars and break bells, doing whatever he wanted. The surrounding area was inhabited by high-ranking officials from the bureau. Housing was always scarce. The bureau's director and deputy director lived in three-story buildings by the river, while factory directors, section chiefs, and senior staff members lived in newly built houses on this large platform. Land was scarce; this platform used to be filled with the graves of the first wave of migrants to Northeast China, some one or two hundred years old, all unclaimed and abandoned. The bureau leaders made a decision to have them leveled with tractors. Standing on the platform, one could overlook the entire factory below, brightly lit, with chimneys belching white smoke from morning till night, the air filled with the pungent smell of burning. No one would have imagined that this place was once as beautiful as Shangri-La or Peach Blossom Spring, a paradise on earth. We can only say that beauty once existed. Of course, socialism, as the primary productive force, drove industrial civilization and technological progress, and the mountains surrounding this pearl of industrial civilization... The mountains were barren and lifeless; even after planting trees to cover the surface, there was no sign of life. Destruction can be reborn, but it's very difficult.

He missed his father and mother. Zhang Sheng's father, influenced by traditional values ​​from a young age, believed that only one word mattered in his heart: 'filial piety.' He hoped that if his son's grandparents were still alive, they could enjoy the benefits of national development. But that was just a beautiful wish. The hardships of the past had taken a toll on his parents' bodies and minds from raising children. His second sister often lamented that her younger brother hadn't persisted in painting, ignoring her advice to go and struggle in the snowy forests. Of course, he had his own reasons. He understood that he had acted rashly and impulsively, but he had to have ambition. His father's blood flowed in his veins; he was willing to endure hardship to drive a tractor in the forest, at least to make room for his siblings. Hardship always intensifies in the most difficult times. He wanted to become a painter, but the pillar of the family had passed away. Art couldn't fill their stomachs, and his mother was forced into this situation.