Chapter 121: The Wilderness Depends on You
Liu Tielin held up the wine glass and hesitated for a moment.

He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and finally mustered up the courage to speak out what was in his heart.

"Brother! Today I am like this, like this, like this..."

Before Liu Zhiye could say anything, his uncle who was sitting next to him became furious after hearing what he said.

He sternly rebuked Liu Tielin, "I told you at the beginning not to cause trouble for your brother. You forgot about it right away! That's outrageous!" His tone was full of dissatisfaction and disappointment.

He slapped Liu Tielin hard on the back of the head, causing him to stagger and almost fall into the hot pot.

If Liu Zhiye had not reacted quickly and grabbed him tightly, he would have come into close contact with the hot soup in the pot.

The uncle was still furious, and he raised his arm again. He said with sarcasm: "Do you think it's easy for your brother to take you out of the village?" He knew that this seemingly easy thing was actually due to Liu Zhiye's favor and efforts.

Liu Jingzhai hurried forward to stop him and persuaded him, "Brother, calm down. Tielin didn't mean to cause trouble for his brother. It's normal for young people to show off. We should understand and tolerate their behavior."

"Who would have thought that such an achievement could arouse the envy of so many people? It really makes people..."

Third uncle Liu Yuanhai continued, "Jingzhai, Zhiye! Since you are not at home often, you may not know that life in the countryside is actually quite hard now. Everyone wants to go to the city at all costs."

"But it's not that easy to get into the city. Those who have connections are looking for ways to get in, while those who don't have connections are left staring blankly."

"Now, Tielin has finally escaped from this secluded mountain valley because of Zhiye. His efforts have been recognized and he has achieved some results. Isn't this like a big light bulb, attracting everyone's attention?

Brother-in-law Liu Fusheng also said with emotion: "In the final analysis, this is all forced by life. Who doesn't want to stand out and live a better life? We are all children from the same big family. Seeing that Tielin is now under your care and has a chance to stand out, how could others not have some thoughts?"

Grandpa sat on a rattan chair, listening to the conversation among the younger generations, occasionally smiling and nodding, but not interrupting easily.

He took a few puffs of the homemade pipe, and the familiar aroma of dry tobacco filled the air.

He took a deep breath, as if he could taste the passage of time, enjoying the tranquility and satisfaction.

Although people nowadays are more accustomed to smoking rolled tobacco, for him, that is only an external form; the real taste still comes from the mellowness and depth of the dry tobacco.

At this moment, grandpa was silently listening to the focus of the younger generations' conversation, but his focus was on how to help the tribesmen.

As a member of the older generation, his ideas are relatively old-fashioned. As the former head of the Liu clan, he has always had a sense of mission to strengthen the clan.

So he couldn't help it, first knocked on the pipe, then said: "Zhiye! Now you have the ability, you should try your best to help your brothers and sisters. You know, a single flower blooming does not make spring, a hundred flowers blooming together make the whole garden full of spring!"

His voice was low and powerful, carrying a depth of emotion and deep worry.

His words were full of care and concern for the next generation of boys, and he also reminded them to unite and face the challenges of the future together.

Liu Tielin was anxious when he heard this. He actually got his elder brother into trouble. He said hurriedly, "Grandpa! My brother is capable, but how can he take care of so many people?" His words were full of worry and helplessness.

"Let's not talk about anything else. Just take our generation as an example. There are more than a hundred people within the fifth degree of mourning. If we include the sisters who have not married, there are nearly two hundred of them. How can we take care of them all?"

When the uncle heard what he said, his calm tone instantly turned into anger. He scolded: "You bastard, you know you've caused trouble for your brother? How dare you talk nonsense here!"

"I advise you to keep a low profile. You look so dark and proud after coming back. You don't know how to show off in your tattered police uniform."

Liu Zhiye smiled and tried to persuade his uncle. He put his arm around his uncle's shoulders and said with a smile, "Uncle! It's not that serious. It's not a big deal. Don't make it last forever."

"Come on! Drink, drink!"

"Third uncle! Come on, let's drink together."

"Tielin! Stop standing there. Pour some wine, fill up your father's glass..."

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, my brother-in-law Liu Fusheng brought up the old issue again.

"Zhiye! Brother-in-law is asking you a few more questions. Is the Security Department of Red Star Factory recruiting new people this year?"

Liu Zhiye listened to his brother-in-law's serious words, so he didn't beat around the bush: "Brother-in-law! To be honest, we can't recruit many people this year. The number of places is limited and we have to try to recruit veterans. The security department is basically full."

Liu Zhiye's words made Liu Fusheng and other uncles and brothers present feel very disappointed. Not only did they remain silent, but they also felt mixed emotions in their hearts.

In this quiet moment, the grandfather coughed a few times to break the silence. Upon hearing the sound, everyone turned their attention to this kind old man.

Grandpa said with a smile: "Don't rest, everyone, eat as much as you can! You are lucky today, this is a rare delicacy..."

"Haha! I'm really grateful to Zhiye today. All these good things were brought by this kid."

The third uncle also said, "Zhiye, this kid is really good and he doesn't forget his roots. He has brought honor to our Liu family and has made a lot of contributions to the village." His words were full of praise and relief, and he seemed very satisfied with Zhiye's performance.

"Let's not talk about anything else. We should be grateful to him for the fact that we still have food and drink now. If it weren't for his foresight, I'm afraid we would be facing the dilemma of food shortage at this moment!"

Liu Jingzhai waved his hand gently, and said sincerely, "Third brother, you are too kind. He is a junior and does not need us to praise him too much."

"We are all one family. You can't write two Liu characters with one stroke, right?"

"We should support each other and move forward together!"

Grandpa suddenly knocked on the table lightly, and this action instantly attracted everyone's attention.

He looked around at everyone calmly, with deep emotion in his tone, and said: "Time flies, it is rare for a person to live to be seventy, and I am almost eighty years old. Looking around, there are only a few brothers of my generation left. The future of the Liu family depends on you young people." His words were full of nostalgia for the past and expectations for the future, and every word revealed his deep love and responsibility for his family.

Liu Zhiye knew very well that his grandfather's words were directed at him, and he was full of expectation and trust.

Although his father was not the eldest son, he was the eldest grandson with a special status in the family. He was also the one with the most outstanding personal abilities and achievements among his brothers of the same generation, so he had always been highly expected by the family.

Grandpa hopes that he can shoulder the rise and fall of the entire Liu family and become the pride and pillar of the family.

But in this era, this kind of thinking is not contrary to the times. But he couldn't reject his grandfather openly and make him sad and disappointed.

Therefore, Liu Zhiye could only express his attitude sincerely: "Grandpa, don't worry! We, the younger generations, will definitely be able to shoulder the responsibility of the family and contribute our own strength to the prosperity of the family."

When grandpa heard this, he felt particularly happy, a joyful smile appeared on his face, and he gently sipped a glass of wine.

Then he looked at Liu Tielin again.

"Tie Lin, now that you have become successful, isn't it time to consider your lifelong affairs?"

Liu Fusheng said with a big smile: "Grandpa! Don't worry about it. Tielin is very popular now."

The third uncle also continued, "That's right! When I went to the commune for a meeting, people always asked about Tielin's situation."

"I guess it won't be long before a matchmaker comes to discuss marriage."

When Liu Zhiye heard this, he smiled and said, "Grandpa, uncle, and third uncle, I once had an in-depth conversation with Tielin's sister-in-law about his marriage."

"Our suggestion is to find him a partner in the city so that both of them can eat commercial grain and their future life won't be too difficult."

When the uncle heard this, he immediately showed a happy smile on his face and repeatedly expressed his agreement. He happily raised his glass again and again to express his inner joy. "Zhiye, your brother's future is in your hands, you must help him more!"

(End of this chapter)