country bumpkin

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Laba Festival, Mu Shuyun cooked a full pot of Laba porridge as she did every year.

Kong Xiufang did not come back for the Laba Festival this year, nor did Kong Xiangyao.

He went south to work with his childhood friend doing house renovations. He probably won't be back until the Chinese New Year.

He'll be 18 after the New Year, it's time for him to get engaged and find a wife. In the village, young men and women usually start going on blind dates at 16 or 17.

They were already married by the time they turned 18, and some even had children by that age.

Young people who work away from home tend to get married later. Those who stay at home tend to get married and start families earlier.

Looking at the large pot of Laba porridge, Mu Shuyun thought of her children and her eyes welled up with tears.

She remembered when the children were young, every household in the village was very poor, and they all earned work points and ate from the same pot.

On Laba Festival, she would secretly cook a big pot of Laba porridge and share it with the children.

The children ate with satisfied expressions, and she was happy too. Now, none of her children were around.

Some married far away, while others went to work elsewhere, leaving them feeling empty inside.

Yunya ran over and saw that her grandmother's eyes were red. She guessed that her uncle and aunt hadn't come back, so her grandmother missed them.

Or perhaps Grandma was worried that they wouldn't be able to finish this big pot of Laba porridge; she felt bad about wasting food.

Unable to guess, she could only run over and hug her grandmother's leg to comfort her.

She smiled and said, "Grandma, are you worried that we won't be able to finish the Laba porridge? Don't worry, I'll go to my eldest uncle's house and invite my older brother and younger brother to come and eat together. I'll also invite my second uncle and aunt to come and eat."

Mu Shuyun smiled and patted her head, saying, "Okay, let's go and call them over to eat Laba porridge."

So Mu Shuyun and Yunya went out. On the way, they met several women from the same village. They greeted each other and couldn't help but praise Yunya's well-behaved and adorable appearance.

First, I went to Kong Xiangguang's house and called Kong Jianjun and Kong Jianguo over. The eldest son wasn't home, and the eldest daughter-in-law said she was too busy to go.

Mu Shuyun could only take her three children home to eat Laba porridge.

After serving the children their Laba porridge, she let them eat first, then carried a large jar of Laba porridge to her second son's house.

When they arrived at Kong Xiangdong's house, his big yellow dog started barking. Hearing the noise, Kong Xiangdong opened the door and saw his mother. He quickly came in to greet her.

Inside the house, Zhou Caiyun was holding the child and playing with him. She was delighted to see the Laba porridge Mu Shuyun had brought and thanked her repeatedly.

Mu Shuyun mentioned that it felt a bit lonely without Kong Xiufang and Kong Xiangyao at home. Her second son comforted her while drinking Laba porridge.

Just then, a commotion arose outside. It turned out that the village opera troupe was passing by, saying they were going to set up a stage in the village to perform and celebrate the Laba Festival.

Mu Shuyun hurried back to tell the children the news. The children were extremely excited and ran out to see.

Mu Shuyun also sent a small jar of Laba porridge to Granny Zhang's house across the street. Granny Niu's house, another neighbor, also received a small jar.

They were also told that there was a stage for theatrical performances in the village.

Granny Zhang didn't even have time to eat her Laba porridge; she quickly put it in the pot and returned the jar to Mu Shuyun.

Then I followed her home and took Yunya, Jianjun, and Jianguo to see a grand opera performance.

Passing by Granny Niu's house, Yunya called Granny Niu and Caixia, inviting them to watch the opera together.

For a moment, laughter and cheerful voices accompanied them, dispelling the slight melancholy they had felt earlier because their families had not returned.

When we arrived at the stone house next to the "transformer" in the center of the village, a large stage had already been set up.

When the group arrived at the stage, they saw that it was already surrounded by villagers.

The actor dressed as Sun Wukong was wielding his golden cudgel and doing somersaults, eliciting cheers from the children.

Yunya watched intently, her little hands mimicking Sun Wukong's movements in the air.

Halfway through the play, snowflakes suddenly began to fall from the sky.

Snowflakes fell gently, like silver dust sprinkled by the heavens. We thought the villagers would disperse, but instead, they became even more excited.

Someone shouted, "A timely snow promises a bumper harvest! Snow on the Laba Festival is a very auspicious sign."

The opera troupe members, undeterred by the snow, continued their performance earnestly. Kong Xiangdong took off his coat and draped it over his mother's shoulders.

Granny Niu held Caixia's hand, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and said, "This scene is so lively and heartwarming."

The snowflakes felt cool on our faces, but everyone's hearts were warm. The play continued until evening.

The children were still engrossed in the play and continued discussing the plot along the way.

Mu Shuyun took the children back to her eldest son's house first. She thought to herself that although her children were not by her side, she had the company of her fellow villagers, so this Laba Festival was quite fulfilling.

After dropping off her eldest son's two children at their doorstep, Kong Xiangguang was about to leave when he opened the door and pulled his mother inside to sit for a while.

Seeing that it was getting late, Mu Shuyun declined, and Kong Xiangguang did not try to persuade her to stay, only telling his mother to be careful on the road.

He waited until his mother's figure was out of sight before closing the door, locking it, and going inside.

Perhaps because of the snow, there was no one on the road. Mu Shuyun led Yunya as a sharp, light wind swept across the sky, carrying icy snowflakes.

It would occasionally slap her face and slip into her collar. Yun Yabing shuddered and gripped her grandmother's hand tightly.

There was no moon in the sky, and no streetlights on the rural roads; it was pitch black everywhere. Only the white, silvery light reflected off the trees, making the road ahead visible.

Mu Shuyun bent down and picked up Yunya, saying, "Yunya, it's too dark to see the road clearly. Let Grandma carry you! Otherwise, you'll fall and hurt yourself."

Yunya waved her hand in disagreement, "Oh! Grandma, I'm so big now, how can you carry me? I'm too heavy! No, I'll walk home by myself!"

After saying that, she slid down her grandmother's clothes.

Grandma said worriedly, "Why don't I carry you on my back? It'll be easier than holding you. It wouldn't be good if you slipped."

Yunya firmly refused. She held her grandmother's hand tightly and said, "Grandma, it's safer for you to lead me. That way, I won't fall, and you won't get tired."

Mu Shuyun smiled and could only compromise. She knew that Yunya was worried about her and afraid that she would get tired.

Mu Shuyun's heart was filled with family affection, and the melancholy she had felt before was gone.

The mother and daughter walked for a while, and the snow fell heavier and heavier. Yunya was led forward by Mu Shuyun, but she was terrified.

Yunya is afraid of the dark, so she never leaves her grandmother's house after dark. Even when she goes to the toilet at night, her grandmother follows her with a flashlight to light the way.

Being outside without a flashlight only adds to the eerie atmosphere.

Mu Shuyun noticed that she had stopped talking and looked very nervous. Her teeth were clenched tightly, and her eyes were fixed straight ahead, not daring to look anywhere else.

Mu Shuyun asked her, "Yun, are you scared? Why are you so tense?"

Yun Ya forced herself to remain calm and said, "No, hehe! I'm just a little scared."

Mu Shuyun comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid. There's nothing scary in the world; it's all just your imagination."

Yun Ya asked, "Were all the monsters that Sun Wukong fought fake? Were they just figments of his imagination?"

Mu Shuyun said, "Yes, they're all fake."

Yunya said, "Grandma, I feel anxious when I walk at night because I'm afraid of the dark."

Mu Shuyun squatted down and carried her on her back, asking, "Are you not scared now? Do you feel safe?"

Yunya hugged her grandmother's neck and said, "Yes, yes, really, I'm not afraid anymore. Grandma really knows how to do things! Hahaha... Hahahaha."