Chapter 73: Lu Qingshan Makes a Move, Tickets Stack Like Mountains

When we returned to Shanwan Village, the sky had already darkened, and Xiao Xue drifted slowly overhead.

The communal courtyard of the village was unusually lit by several dim yellow kerosene lamps, illuminating a group of anxious figures.

Village chief Zhao Yongnian and squad leader Zhao Dazhi, leading a few village officials, rubbed their hands in the yard and paced back and forth continuously.

The snow underfoot crackled as it was stepped on.

From time to time, someone stretched their neck, straining to look toward the pitch‑black road at the village entrance.

"It's already pitch black, why haven't Lu Qingshan and the others shown up yet?"

An elderly man tucked his sleeves in, exhaled a puff of white vapor, his voice tinged with unease.

"Uncle, wait a bit longer; the county seat is far, the road is hard to travel."

Zhao Dazhi comforted him, yet the blue veins at his temples twitched.

Finally, from afar came the "gulu" sound of a mule‑cart wheel and the snort of livestock.

"They're back! It's Lu Qingshan and the others!"

A sharp‑eyed youngster shouted.

Zhao Yongnian and Zhao Dazhi perked up, almost jogging forward to greet them, a line of people trailing behind.

"Lu Qingshan! My heavens, we finally have you back!"

Zhao Yongnian seized Lu Qingshan's arm the moment he leapt from the cart and hadn't yet steadied himself, his voice trembling, his grip so tight Lu Qingshan felt the pressure.

"The road… was the road still smooth? The money… the tickets… have they all been brought back?" he asked, his lips trembling in a rapid succession.

Zhao Dazhi also stepped forward, his frozen, reddened hands rubbing hard on his trouser leg, his eyes fixed on Lu Qingshan.

"All smooth."

Lu Qingshan's voice sounded unusually steady in the cold night.

He pulled from his bulging chest a neatly square cloth bundle, carefully wrapped in thick fabric.

The bundle looked heavy.

Everyone's gaze in the yard instantly focused on the bundle, even their breathing softened.

Lu Qingshan walked to the dilapidated eight‑immortal table in the center of the yard, which had a few snowflakes on it, and brushed the snow off with a hand.

He placed the bundle steadily on the table, producing a light "dong" sound.

The sound was faint, yet struck each person's heart like a hammer.

He untied the bundle's cords, opening it layer by layer.

"Wha—"

Two stacks of brand‑new, thick Great Unity, plus a thick pile of colorful Handcrafted Flower tickets, were neatly stacked together.

Under the wavering light of the two kerosene lamps on the table, the money and tickets emitted an almost sacred sheen, dazzling the eyes.

The whole yard was momentarily so quiet that one could hear snowflakes landing on the ground.

Only heavy breaths rose and fell.

"My heavens!"

Zhao Yongnian inhaled a sharp breath of cold air, fumbling to pull a pair of black‑framed, scratched reading glasses from his chest and put them on.

His trembling hands, as if holding a priceless treasure, carefully lifted the top stack of money.

Zhao Dazhi also leaned in; the two were almost head‑to‑head, their eyes widened twofold, unblinking.

Outside the courtyard wall, more and more villagers arrived upon hearing the news, a black mass that sealed off the yard completely.

Some even climbed the low earthen wall, sticking their heads inside to look.

Everyone's gaze nailed onto the money and tickets on the table, the air so tense it seemed one could wring water from it.

In the silent yard, only the "shasha" rustle of paper money as Zhao Yongnian counted remained.

To each listener, that sound resembled celestial music.

"Ten… twenty… thirty…"

Zhao Yongnian's voice was a bit hoarse, carrying a subtle tremor; each time he counted a note, his Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed.

He counted slowly and carefully, fearing a mistake.

The people beside him dared not breathe, matching his pace, their hearts lodged in their throats.

"One thousand four hundred eighty… one thousand four hundred ninety… one thousand five hundred!"

When he finished the last bill of the final stack, his voice suddenly rose sharply, its tone altered by extreme excitement.

His weather‑worn face flushed bright red, lips trembling, unable to form a complete sentence for a while.

He pointed at the pile of money, then excitedly at Lu Qingshan, his eyes instantly reddening.

"And these tickets!"

Zhao Dazhi picked up the colorful tickets, flipping through them one by one, his fingers unable to stop shaking.

"Grain tickets, National Grain Ticket! A full… a full six hundred jin! My dear mother!"

He jerked his head up, his voice filled with disbelief.

Six hundred jin of grain tickets—such a number was unthinkable before!

"And cloth tickets, so many! Enough to make new clothes for all the village children!"

"Oil tickets, sugar tickets, meat tickets, industrial tickets… heavens! How many good things this is!"

A literate youngster leaned in to help recite, his voice growing louder and more excited.

"One thousand five hundred cash! Six hundred jin of grain tickets!"

The figure, like a massive stone dropped into a calm lake, exploded with a roar among the crowd.

The whole yard instantly shifted from extreme silence to deafening, boiling uproar!

"We're rich! Our Shanwan Village is truly prosperous!" a burly man shouted, his face flushed red, tears about to spill.

Qing Shan! Qing Shan truly is our village's great savior, a living bodhisattva!

An elderly woman with graying hair clasped her hands together and kept murmuring toward Lu Qingshan's direction, her voice choked.

In past New Years, just having a bowl of corn porridge to drink was good enough; this year, thanks to Qing Shan's blessing, not only was meat shared, but now there's so much money and tickets! Can we even imagine such a life!

Exactly! I reckon from now on no skinny calf will dare claim Shanwan is so poor it rattles; even a mouse would have to leave with tears!

A man who usually loves joking now has reddened eyes, and his words carry a triumphant vigor.

The villagers' faces brim with incredulous elation, they dance wildly, pat each other, and pound their chests.

Many people rub their eyes vigorously, as if they can't believe everything they see is real.

A few half‑grown boys dart through the crowd, screaming and cheering; when adults pat their heads they aren't upset, they grin foolishly, some even tumble over on the spot.

Zhao Yongnian, excited, grabs Lu Qingshan's hand with astonishing strength, and two streams of old tears flow down the folds of his face.

Qing Shan! You… you have done a great deed for Shanwan Village! A monumental merit! I… I, on behalf of all the village elders and youngsters, thank you! Thank you!

He chokes, barely able to form a full sentence, but he shakes Lu Qingshan's hand forcefully, as if to convey all his gratitude.

Zhao Dazhi also slaps Lu Qingshan's shoulder hard, his eyes bloodshot, his voice trembling noticeably.

Good kid! You really have the skill! Shanwan Village, now… now we truly have hope! Great hope!

Lu Qingshan looks at the excited, joyful, even tear‑streaked faces before him, and his heart swells with countless emotions.

He steadies the almost‑unsteady Zhao Yongnian, his voice clear and steady, echoing through the courtyard.

Village chief, squad leader, fellow villagers, this is the result of everyone's joint effort.

Without everyone braving danger and working together to go into the mountains, without the village chief and squad leader coordinating behind, I, Lu Qingshan, alone could never have achieved something this big.

This money and tickets belong to Shanwan collectively; how to distribute them, we must have the village chief and squad leader draft a regulation that satisfies everyone.

Zhao Yongnian wipes the tears from his face, inhales sharply, striving to calm himself.

He straightens his slightly hunched back, his gaze sweeps over the hopeful faces, and his voice, heightened by excitement, booms:

This sum, a portion must be kept as the village's public fund! The broken road at the west end of our village needs repair; it turns into a mud pit when it rains! Also, the squad's livestock should get two sturdy animals for spring plowing! The children's broken desks and rickety benches for school should be replaced with new ones!

Each time he mentions an item, the crowd erupts in a chorus of approval.

The remaining money and tickets, besides the previously agreed labor‑based distribution—more to those who contributed more—must also be given to the village's five‑guarantee households and hardship families, each receiving extra! We must ensure every person in Shanwan can enjoy a good, prosperous year!

"Alright!"

The crowd erupts in thunderous applause and even louder cheers, shaking the snow piled on the beams so that it flakes down continuously.

As night deepens, the noisy village communal courtyard gradually quiets, yet the excited atmosphere still pervades the village.

Lu Qingshan drags his slightly weary body back home.

He pushes open the familiar wooden door, and warm light pours out.

Lin Yue'e and Xiao Xue sit side by side on the kang edge, eyes eagerly watching the doorway.

The dim oil lamp stretches their large and small shadows long across the mottled earthen wall.

"Dad!"

Xiao Xue lets out a delighted cry, flopping into his arms like a fledgling returning to its nest; her little head rubs contentedly against his broad chest, full of adoration.

Lin Yue'e steps forward quickly, without extra words, but the eyes that shine especially bright in the lamp light hold obvious questions and unmistakable concern.

She silently takes the cold‑clad coat Lu Qingshan has taken off, carefully brushing off the lingering snowflakes and dust.

Lu Qingshan lifts his daughter steadily, planting a gentle kiss on her pink little cheek.

The little girl giggles, clinging to his neck and refusing to let go.

He turns his head to look at Lin Yue'e, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Everything's taken care of."

His voice is soft, yet carries a power that instantly reassures.

Lin Yue'e's shoulders seem to relax slightly; she lowers her head, gives a soft "hm," and her mouth can't help but lift a little, revealing a faint dimple.

Lu Qingshan, holding his daughter, walks to the window and gazes at the night sky outside, black as ink.

The distant mountains are reduced to a vague silhouette in the night.

The Mountain Wild Heart in his chest seems to pulse faintly again, clearer than ever before.

It senses something stirring deep in the distant forest mountains, an indescribable allure mixed with hidden, unknown danger.

A new yearning and a premonition of meeting challenges quietly rise in his heart.

Broader horizons and harsher trials seem still awaiting him.

He gently pats the soft back of Xiao Xue in his arms, listening to her even breathing, his heart filled with unprecedented tranquility and endless strength.