Xue Jigang did not walk the sand and stone road that was built directly from Shuangfeng Town to the village in the first few years, but liked this path that he had walked every day since he was in school. He crossed two big ridges to the west, and a larger village, Xuejiaao Village, appeared in the big ridge. Xue Jigang stood on the top of the mountain without committing suicide and watched. It has been ten years, and although he had returned twice because of visiting relatives, he did not pay much attention to the changes in his hometown.

Now that he has carefully observed, he can no longer find his childhood memories; the hillside where cattle and sheep grazed in the past years was now layered terraced fields covered with green crops; the mountain in the northwest that often played hide-and-seek with his classmates has now become a fruit forest with snow-white flowers; the village composed of dozens of low-risen houses has become tiled houses connected to tiled houses, the courtyard is next to the courtyard and the village with small buildings...

Xuejiaao was originally a very small mountain village, and it was built on a relatively flat hillside among the mountains and ridges, with dozens of houses built with large and small stones and trees.

When the liberation was in 1950, there were only twelve families here. This small village was a family in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Three hunters surnamed Xue were from An’s houses. They were uncles and brothers. Later, their sons and grandsons also started their families here one after another. They not only made a living by hunting, but also reclaimed some farmland and raised poultry and livestock. So people called this place Xuejiaao. Because they married a wife outside the mountain, some in-laws moved into the mountains to settle down. Later, the surnames here were not just the Xue family.

A long time ago, because it was a remote village with only a few families, it was in the deep mountains and forests, far away from the county government at that time, it was beyond the reach of the government, so there were not many tyrants and taxes, but this place became a paradise for a while. During the Republic of China, wars were raging, so bandits and warlords came here. Because the mountain village was too small, there were few families, and they were so poor that there was no oil or water to catch, they had never lived here.

After that, with the help of the empire, the economy developed. What is more important is that the mountains not only have rich mountain and forest specialties and forest resources, but also rich mineral resources such as coal, copper ore, iron ore. In order to develop these resources, the empire first built the highway from the south to Wulong County, and then developed it into Wulong City. Then, Longkou County and Shuangfeng Town were developed... After the reform and opening up, Xuejiaao also developed rapidly. I heard that it was in the western mountain of Xuejiaao.

The coal mine was discovered, and the empire had no mining plan, but the private owners came to make money. Not only that, in order to develop industrial production in Shuangfeng Town, a new small reservoir was built in the back mountain of Xuejiaao Village and a small water conservancy power station. Therefore, in the past two years, the population of this village has increased day by day, and the village is constantly expanding. To the southeast of the village, there is a newly built sand and stone road leading to Shuangfeng Town, and people and vehicles have also added prosperity to this mountain village...

When Xue Jigang was about to reach the entrance of the village, he encountered many strange faces coming and going. The dirt road in the east and west directions of the village was now a relatively flat and wide concrete avenue. There were several shops on both sides of the road, including grocery stores, restaurants and department stores. He was watching around, but was blocked by a thin old man. The man was looking at him carefully. He also felt that the man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was.

"Doll, aren't you a young son?"

"Yes, I am Dayongzi, how do you know my nickname? You are..."

"Doesn't you recognize me anymore?"

"Oh, I recognize it, I recognize it. Are you Mr. Guo? I live in the hut by the Dongtou Mountain in my house."

"By the way, the man, now I live next door with your house. Your mother really hopes you to come back. Come home quickly, your mother will be so happy."

Xue Jigang followed Mr. Guo into a small street that was both familiar and unfamiliar. What was familiar was the pavement of bluestone, the ridges facing away and several thatched houses nearby. What was strange was that there were many new brick and tile houses on both sides of the street. Although his family also built new tile houses, the wall of the yard made of bluestone was still so dilapidated. As soon as he walked to the half-open courtyard gate, a girl with short hair was leading a little girl out.

"Osmanthus..." Xue Jigang recognized his junior sister at a glance and shouted excitedly.

"Yao, Dayong! Why are you back today? Didn't the letter say you will be back the day after tomorrow? I remember correctly? We are going to pick you up in the county tomorrow." The girl, who was half a head taller than Xue Jigang, not only looked a little surprised, but also felt a little guilty.

"I remember correctly, I remember correctly. I originally planned to go to the provincial capital to see my younger sister first, but because I brought too many things, I went home first. Isn't that two days in advance?" Xue Jigang said with a silly smile while looking at his junior sister carefully.

Guihua blushed when she saw that she was still Dad Guo beside him, so she lowered her head embarrassedly and said to the little girl: "Ying'er, call me uncle quickly."

Seeing that it was a stranger, the little girl hid behind Guihua. Guihua helped to take off her handbag from Xue Jigang's backpack. Xue Jigang picked up the little girl and asked, "Is your name Xue Fengying?" The little girl twisted her waist and stretched her hands as if she was a little scared. She still wanted to find the girl named Guihua.

Xue Jigang all said to Guihua with emotion: "It's so fast. In a blink of an eye, four years have passed, and the original baby has grown into older children."

At this time, Osmanthus took the little girl and said to Xue Jigang: "Why don't you go into the house to see your mother? I'm so sorry for you."

She picked up Xue Jigang's handbag and led the little girl to follow Xue Jigang and walked into the room.

While taking off his backpack, Xue Jigang walked quickly into the room. Before he could enter the door, he shouted: "Mom, mom, I'm back."

In the room to the east, there was a sickly old lady with white hair half-sitting on the bamboo bed. She seemed to hear something outside and raised her body to look out of the window. She was so weak that she could no longer get out of bed, and the curtains blocked her vision. When she was worried, she suddenly heard her son calling her mother. Although she knew that her son had been back in the past two days, tears still flowed out like a spring of tears.

Xue Jigang came back four years ago to visit his home. Because of the busy military mission, his work was special and he was recruited in less than five days off. At that time, his mother was in good health and in good spirits. Not only could she help her sister-in-law take care of her children, but she could also cook, feed chickens, ducks, and pigs. Her family was very prosperous. Unexpectedly, the next year, the sister-in-law, who looked pretty and didn't like to work, had to divorce her brother for five years, and she had a daughter.

In the end, he left his daughter who had just turned one year old and divorced his elder brother. Since then, his mother's spirit has been greatly hit and her health has become worse day by day. Her brother is also a father and mother, and her anger and excessive fatigue have also endured her body. The younger sister doesn't plan to take the college entrance examination, but she continues her studies with the strong dissuasion of her mother and two brothers... Now, her brother's sudden death has caused the family to lose its pillar...

Thanks to Xue Jigang's childhood sweetheart Wu Guihua, Wu, who grew up with her childhood sweetheart, because she has practiced some martial arts with her father since she was a child, she is relatively strong and looks like her. Although she is not registered to marry Xue Jigang, she is an unmarried couple that everyone knows. Only she can come here every day to help take care of the elderly and the young...

Seeing the pale and aging mother on the sickbed, Xue Jigang couldn't stop tears from surging in his eyes. He took two steps and threw himself into his mother's arms and said in a daze: "Mom, the unfilial son is back..."

"Dayong, are you really back?" The old man said as he stroked Xue Jigang's head, and tears flowed out of his eyes.

"Mom, I'm back from resigning and will not leave by your side."

"Okay, come back, come back, are you really not leaving?"

"I won't leave anymore, really, I'll transfer to work in our county police station. I can be with you every day."

"Okay, okay, my mother is relieved this time. Oh, then hurry up and get married. Guihua is a good daughter. Thanks to her, just like my dear daughter, she serves me, an incompetent old lady, and has to take care of the ignorant child without parents, and help feed chickens. It is so difficult for people to feed ducks. You can't be without conscience. Children, please register tomorrow, and your marriage items have been prepared long ago. Our house was when your brother was there, and all the money you sent back was saved. It was newly built for your wedding two years ago. The west room has been kept for you, and that is your new house..." The old man was happy, and his illness was half cured, and he started talking more.

"Mom, I won't treat Osmanthus badly, don't worry. You'd better cure the disease first and take good care of your body so that your son can start a family and start a business with peace of mind."

"That won't work! You have to get married first. If you are overjoyed, my illness will be cured."

"Okay, okay, don't be angry, just listen to you." Xue Jigang hurriedly comforted her mother when she saw that she looked a little angry.
Chapter completed!