On the day of winning the bid, my uncle unusually opened a bottle of Maotai.

He told my aunt that after finishing this job, he wouldn't have to work hard for the rest of his life.
A park pipeline project worth 28 million yuan, with a profit of 6 million, and an advance payment of 16 million. The accounts are clear: after completing this deal, the debt will be paid off, the house redeemed, and the remaining money saved in the bank for interest.
He did it. In two years, he lost thirty pounds.
On the day of acceptance, he took a photo at the construction site and sent it to the whole family. Everyone thought the hard days were over.
That was four years ago.
28 million yuan, and not a single penny received to this day. The general contractor is in a lawsuit, the owner is on the brink of bankruptcy, and the money is locked up layer by layer.
My uncle now drives Didi, and every weekend he goes to court to ask if there’s any progress in the case.
A few days ago, I had dinner with him, and he poured himself a glass of wine, clinking it with himself.
“I thought back then that once the job was done, I wouldn’t have to work hard anymore,” he smiled. “Now it’s different—one deal, a lifetime of hardship.”