Colorful years

Congcong lay quietly on the emergency bed in the health center, his face as pale as paper, his head wrapped in thick bandages, his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

All of this indicates that Congcong's injury is to his head, and that he has just undergone a harrowing rescue and bandaging. At this moment, he is unconscious and completely unaware of his surroundings.

Mom, grandpa, and grandma anxiously waited by the bedside, their faces full of worry and unease.

They were extremely anxious but powerless, and could only silently pray that God would protect Congcong and keep him safe.

Their eyes were filled with deep love and worry for Congcong, hoping for a miracle.

However, although Congcong appeared to be unconscious at this moment, his brain was actually replaying that thrilling scene repeatedly, like a movie playing in his mind, only his body was unable to react.

Time seemed to be gently turned by an invisible hand, instantly flowing back to that beautiful moment yesterday afternoon.

At that time, the sky was as blue and deep as a huge sapphire, and the clouds were like snowflakes, soft and wonderful, floating high in the air, appearing so distant and clear.

The autumn sun shines through the gentle breeze, scattering across the earth like a golden veil, bringing a refreshing and pleasant coolness.

Not long ago, my second aunt arrived at her parents' home, carrying a heavy basket on her back, after a long and dusty journey.

Besides other daily necessities, the most eye-catching thing in that basket was a bundle of sugarcane that had just been allocated to her family by the production team.

These sugarcane stalks are thick and long, with an enticing deep purple skin; just one glance is enough to imagine how sweet they are.

When the second aunt arrived at her parents' home, she couldn't wait to take out the sugarcane and distribute it to the children of Zhang Zhong and Zhang Hou's families.

Each child excitedly received their own sugarcane, and wow, the sugarcane was more than a meter tall! Everyone was overjoyed!

After getting the sugarcane, Congcong happily ran to the rock tower in front of the gate and began to enjoy it.

This sugarcane, nourished by the summer sun and rain, is exceptionally juicy. A bite fills your mouth with sweet juice, leaving you with an unforgettable aftertaste.

However, Congcong's enjoyment of the benefits did not last long.

Just as he was enjoying the sweet and juicy sugarcane, a commotion suddenly came from afar. He looked up and saw a group of friends walking quickly toward him. Familiar faces instantly came into view, and Houhou and Guigui were leading the way.

After the children gathered around Congcong, their eyes all fell on the tempting sugarcane in his hand. Their thick eyes, in particular, were fixed on the sugarcane, as if drawn by an invisible magic, unable to look away.

At the same time, a trickle of clear saliva uncontrollably flowed from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating his intense craving for the sugarcane.

"Wow, Congcong, your sugarcane looks so sweet!" Houhou exclaimed involuntarily, his voice full of undisguised envy.

Gui Gui, who was standing to the side, could not contain her longing and looked at Cong Cong with pleading eyes, saying, "Yes, Cong Cong, please have pity on us and give us some to try?"

Congcong was well aware of what his friends were thinking, but he was indeed a little reluctant to give up such a precious and rare delicacy so easily.

The Diaolan Village production team didn't produce sugarcane at all, which was such a rare commodity. So for Congcong, this sugarcane was undoubtedly an extremely precious treat.

So he pretended to be stupid and said, "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."

"Oh, Congcong, stop pretending. We all saw you eating sugarcane, so please share some with us." The thick voice carried a hint of ingratiation.

“That’s right, Congcong, why are you being so stingy? We’re not taking your things for nothing. We’ll give you good things in the future.” Guigui chimed in.

Congcong chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that these guys were really shameless.

But he still pretended to be helpless and said, "Alright, alright, since you all said so, then each of you can take a bite." As he spoke, he handed the sugarcane to Houhou.

Houhou excitedly took the sugarcane, took a big bite, and then chewed it with satisfaction.

Then, Guigui also took a bite of the sugarcane.

And so, the group of friends took turns enjoying the sweet taste of the sugarcane.

Just as they were enjoying their meal, Houhou suddenly remembered something and made a suggestion:

"Congcong, why don't we go pick chestnuts together under the old chestnut tree by the Xiong family's pond? There must be plenty of chestnuts to pick there at this time of year."

Congcong immediately became interested upon hearing this.

Although he knew that Houhou's invitation to pick chestnuts might just be a pretext, it was indeed the season for picking chestnuts, and he really wanted to go and see.

So Congcong agreed and they arranged to go together in the afternoon.

After finishing the sugarcane, Congcong happily went home to prepare for the afternoon's activities. Houhou's plan was half successful; now it was just a matter of how to get some more sugarcane from Congcong that afternoon…

The chestnut tree, a legume, can not only be used to make delicious tofu, but its seeds can also be roasted and eaten directly. Whether you're savoring the tender and smooth chestnut tofu or enjoying the rich aroma of roasted chestnut seeds, the experience is unforgettable.

In the village, there is a towering chestnut tree growing by the pond, its crown as magnificent as a crown, appearing majestic and domineering.

Having withstood hundreds of years of wind and rain, it has become one of only two precious ancient trees remaining in the village. The trunk is so thick that it takes three people to barely encircle it.

The bark is rough and uneven, covered with deep and shallow wrinkles and cracks, as if the marks of time have mercilessly climbed up the entire trunk, seemingly silently telling those immortal legendary stories.