country bumpkin

Qi Feifei left in a hurry without eating. Her mother offered to cook for her, but she said she had already eaten and wasn't hungry.

Actually, she didn't want her mother to be overworked. Her mother was already exhausted enough because of her father's situation.

After Qi Feifei left, her mother went to the village and asked her brother-in-law and nephew to help take the man to the hospital in Huanghe Town.

Qi Feifei has a younger brother, Qi Yang, who is 18 years old this year, two years younger than her. He is currently working in a machinery factory in the south.

Like his sister, they don't go home unless there's a major family event. They're reluctant to spend the travel expenses to travel back and forth.

At the hospital in Huanghe Town, Uncle Qi and his son supported their father on either side as he went to register for a check-up.

Qi's mother followed behind, carrying some odds and ends. The borrowed donkey cart was parked in the parking lot behind the hospital.

After the doctor examined the patient and conducted further tests, it was discovered that the fracture was caused by osteoporosis due to malnutrition.

After prescribing some calcium tablets and vitamin supplements, they also immobilized the fractured lower leg and gave me some traditional plasters.

After instructing them on the usage, dosage, and the blood-activating and stasis-removing medication, they were allowed to leave.

Uncle Qi sighed and said, "Second son, if you ever have any difficulties at home, don't try to tough it out. Come to your older brother, and I'll help you solve them. Also, don't skimp on food. If you ruin your health, everything else will be for nothing, understand?"

Qi's father nodded, his voice choked with emotion, and said, "Alright! Brother, I understand. I'll have to trouble you more in the future."

Uncle Qi waved his hand and said, "Oh, don't be so formal. We're brothers. If I don't help you, who else can I help?"

Qi's father added, "My elder brother's family isn't well-off either, so I don't dare to trouble you too much. After this illness, I've come to terms with it and will take better care of my health in the future."

Uncle Qi nodded in agreement, "Yes, what's the use of saving up a lot of money if you don't have good health? Who knows how old you'll live to be?"

The two brothers exchanged a few words of reflection, then got back onto the donkey cart and returned to the village. The eldest nephew drove the cart ahead, while Qi's mother sat on the cart chatting with Qi's father and brother-in-law.

The donkey cart swayed and rattled for 40 minutes before finally arriving at the village.

The father and son helped Qi's father back to bed. The eldest nephew went to return the donkey cart, while Uncle Qi stayed in the room to talk to Qi's father.

Seeing that it was getting late, Qi's mother started preparing dinner. When her eldest nephew returned, he and his father stayed at Qi's father's house for dinner.

The father and son had a few drinks, but Qi's father didn't drink because he was taking medicine. They chatted for a while, and it wasn't until 9 p.m. that they finally helped each other home.

Qi Feifei sat on her bed in the dormitory, lost in thought about the past.

From her school days to her current job, it seems like nothing very happy has ever happened to her.

The more she thought about it, the more miserable she felt, and she couldn't help but start sobbing. All her roommates had gone out on dates, and only Wang Huihui was still in the dormitory.

She glanced at Qi Feifei and said indifferently, "Life is often unsatisfactory, don't dwell on it. Just think it through and you'll be fine. You have to learn to comfort yourself."

Qi Feifei pouted and said unconvinced, "What's bothering you? Your family is better off than mine, and there's nothing at home for you to worry about."

Wang Huihui rolled her eyes at her: "Who said that? My family also has a lot of troubles. Every family has its share of problems."

She continued, "Putting everything else aside, I'm already 22 and still don't have a boyfriend. My family has been pressuring me to find someone so many times that I don't even want to anymore."

Qi Feifei glared at her and said, "What's the big deal? It's not like I have a boyfriend."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter. It was as if they shared a similar plight.

Shao Yuwei happened to be walking to the dormitory door when she heard the two people laughing inside. She pushed the door open and laughed along with them.

Still puzzled, she asked, "Have you two made up?"

The two of them awkwardly stopped laughing.

Wang Huihui teased her, "Hey! You're back from a date? Did you buy something delicious, or did you do something intimate? That explains why you seem so happy."

Shao Yuwei blushed and laughed, "Sister Huihui, please don't tease me. There's nothing intimate about it. I did eat a lot of delicious food, though."

Qi Feifei also became interested and asked gossipingly, "Yuwei, what delicious food did you all eat? Tell us about it!"

Shao Yuwei said with a happy smile, "We rode our bikes to the night market in the urban village. It was so lively there, packed with people. There were delicious snacks everywhere."

He licked his lips and continued, "There's deep-fried stinky tofu, fried rice noodles, tofu pudding, stir-fried snails, spicy skewers, spicy duck necks, grilled fish, roasted sweet potatoes, candied hawthorns, and many more. I can't remember their names."

She was about to drool again, so she quickly slurped it up. Wang Huihui looked at her with a smile and said, "Hurry up and wipe your drool, don't let it fall on the ground, it's such a waste."

Qi Feifei also laughed heartily, putting all the previous unpleasantness behind her.

She suddenly realized that as long as she accepted others with joy, they could also bring her happiness.

Having figured all this out, she felt a sense of clarity. She stopped dwelling on those annoying and troubling things, and instead immersed herself in the joyful laughter.

By 9 p.m., everyone who was supposed to come back had returned, except for Kong Xiufang.

Everyone knows she's already engaged, so it's perfectly reasonable for her not to come back and live with JJ Lin.

The people in the dorm are all modern young people, not so old-fashioned. It's just that it doesn't sound good if word gets out.

Kong Xiufang didn't go on a date today; she went to the night market with Kong Xiujin to buy some delicious food.

The two ate several kinds of snacks until their stomachs were bloated. Kong Xiujin rubbed her stomach and complained, "Oh dear, it's all your fault. I said I was full, but you still wanted to buy roasted sweet potatoes. Look, we're stuffed now."

Kong Xiufang said with a smile, "Haha, you can't say that. You also enjoyed the meal. As long as we're happy, that's all that matters."

Kong Xiujin thought that made sense, so she stopped worrying about it. She rode the bicycle that Kong Xiufang had borrowed, taking Kong Xiufang back to the garment factory.

In the back seat, Kong Xiufang was holding some skewers wrapped in oil paper, covered with seasoning powder, which smelled delicious.

Back at the garment factory, Kong Xiujin locked her bicycle and parked it in the shed. She then followed Kong Xiufang back to the dormitory building.

She went to her dormitory room 206, while Kong Xiufang went to room 102.

As soon as Kong Xiufang opened the door to the dormitory, she could smell the aroma emanating from the skewers in her hand.

The roommates all looked towards the door. The youngest, Bai Linlin, ran over, sniffing and inhaling deeply. "Wow! It smells so good, it smells amazing!"

Kong Xiufang looked at her with a smile, took out a skewer and handed it to her, deliberately tempting her, "Do you want some? If you want some, call me and I'll give it to you."

Bai Linlin, lacking any backbone, quickly called out, "Sister, sister, my dear sister."

The whole room burst into laughter.

Kong Xiufang stopped teasing her, handed her the skewers, and then invited everyone to come and eat. She said it was her treat today.

Shao Yuwei said a little shyly, "I'm already full, I'm not hungry now."

She went to the night market today, but didn't bring anything back. She felt a little stingy.

Kong Xiufang was unaware of these things and was still urging her to come and try it, saying, "Eat your fill, and you can also taste the flavor. It's delicious, and you won't have much room in your stomach."

Wang Huihui saw through Shao Yuwei's little scheme and smiled as she smoothed things over, saying, "Yes! Yuwei, you should try some too. Don't let Xiufang's kindness go to waste. Just eat mine, even just a bite is fine. I don't mind."

Everyone burst into laughter again, and the atmosphere in the dormitory reached its climax.

After everyone had shared the delicious skewers and chatted for a while, they all prepared to wash up.

It was already 11 o'clock when everyone went back to bed. Soon the room was quiet.

The north wind howled outside the window, whipping the dry branches, while the bright moon hung in the sky, illuminating the warmth and peace inside the house.