Chapter 955: Unlimited Vitality
The old man cleared his throat and spoke slowly: "When we were young, he and I worked on this land together. At that time, the village was not as lively as it is now, and life was hard, but when we were together, we always felt that we had endless energy. We figured out how to grow crops well and looked forward to a better future for the village. He especially liked to sing. Once his voice was bright, the whole village could hear it. That singing seemed to drive away all the troubles in my heart."
The old man's eyes revealed a trace of nostalgia, as if he had returned to that beautiful time. "Once, the village suffered a drought, and the crops were almost dying. Everyone was very anxious. He and I, along with the young people in the village, worked day and night to carry water to irrigate the fields. When he was too tired to do anything, he started singing a local folk song. I still remember the lyrics: 'Three rivers and mountains surround the village, and we work hard all year round to fill the warehouse. In the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth months, we have hope, and in the ninth month, we have a good harvest and laughter.' That song was like a shot of adrenaline for us, giving us strength to save the crops."
"What happened next?" a little child asked impatiently.
"Later," the old man's tone became a little heavy, "he went to a faraway place to find better seeds for the village. At that time, transportation was inconvenient and communication was not well developed. He never came back. Some people said that he met with an accident outside, and some people said that he was lost in a distant place. So many years have passed, and I have been waiting for him, thinking that maybe one day he will come back and sing that little folk song for us again."
After listening to the old man's story, the crowd fell silent, and everyone was moved by the deep friendship. Xiao Li stood up and said to everyone: "Uncle, although I can't sing the little folk song you mentioned, I want to sing a song for you to express my respect for this friendship." After that, he cleared his throat and sang a warm folk song.
Xiao Li's singing voice floated in the night sky. The simple melody and sincere emotion seemed to take everyone into a world of friendship and waiting. The bonfire was still burning, and the flames stretched everyone's shadows long and overlapped. As the singing went on, more and more people joined in, and everyone's singing gathered together to form a powerful force.
In the singing, the villagers recalled the days when they worked together in the village, the moments when they helped and supported each other. The difficulties and setbacks in the past turned into precious memories at this moment. The tourists were also infected by this strong emotion. They felt the pure friendship between people in rural life, which is the warmth that is hard to find in the bustling city.
Xiao Wang, a young girl from a big city, walked up to the old man with tears in her eyes and said softly, "Uncle, although I don't know your old friend, I can feel that you miss him. I think he would be very pleased if he could see from heaven that the village is so lively and beautiful now." The old man nodded slightly, his eyes full of gratitude.
The bonfire gradually died down, leaving only a few sparks, but everyone's enthusiasm did not diminish at all. Someone suggested that we all observe a minute of silence for the old man's friend to express our respect and remembrance for him. Everyone stood up and bowed their heads silently in the silent night sky. At this moment, the whole village seemed to be remembering the past years and the precious friendship.
After the moment of silence, a tourist who was good at music suggested that everyone create a new song together, incorporating the story of the village and the friendship of the elderly. This proposal received a warm response from everyone, and thus, on this night full of hope, everyone started a unique creation with their own words.
The villagers talked about the changes in the village, from poverty in the past to prosperity today; about the days of fighting natural disasters and the mutual support between each other. The tourists added modern elements and fashionable melodies to the song with their creativity and inspiration. The old man also participated in it, telling about the little things he had with his old friends. The scenes of working together and looking forward to the future together became the most moving part of the song.
After some efforts, a song full of deep feelings was born. When everyone sang this new song for the first time, the song echoed over the whole village. The melody contained nostalgia for the past, cherishment of the present, and longing for the future. The old man showed a gratified smile on his face. He seemed to see the figure of his old friend in the song and hear his familiar singing.
On this night, everyone not only found resonance in music, but also found a soulmate in each other's hearts. Whether it was the villagers or the tourists, they all gained a special touch in this bonfire party. This touch will be deeply engraved in everyone's heart as time goes by.
As the night deepened, tourists returned to their homes one after another, and villagers began to clean up the square, preparing for a new day. The old man walked home, his steps seemed much lighter.
He looked at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting back to the hard times in the past. At that time, the village was poor, and the villagers worried about filling their stomachs every day. But even so, everyone supported each other and overcame the difficulties together. "If he were still here, how happy he would be to see the village like it is now." The old man thought of his deceased old friend, and a hint of sadness rose in his heart.
The next morning, the sun shone through the window onto the old man's face. He slowly opened his eyes, and a new day began. The village was already bustling with the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking. The old man walked out of the house and saw several children playing and laughing on the roadside. They were holding homemade toys in their hands, and their innocent smiles made people happy.
At the same time, the young people in the village were discussing new development plans. With the rise of rural tourism, the village became more and more well-known and the number of tourists increased. But everyone also realized that it was not enough to rely solely on existing tourism projects. They also needed to innovate and launch more attractive activities. At this time, someone proposed the idea of holding a cycling competition, and this proposal immediately received a warm response from everyone.
The news spread quickly throughout the village, and villagers signed up one after another. Children jumped excitedly, clamoring to compete with adults; young people were eager to try; even some elderly people expressed their desire to participate and feel the vitality of young people.