country bumpkin

Lin Junhui drove Kong Xiufang to the bus station. They were completely unaware of what had happened at the restaurant after they left.

Bus stations are bustling with people; it's almost the end of the year, and stations everywhere are just as busy.

Train stations, in particular, are always crowded like this during the Spring Festival travel rush.

Lin Junhui helped Kong Xiufang carry all her bags into the car. He gave her a few more words of advice, such as being careful on the road, and specifically mentioned their agreed-upon date before reluctantly getting out of the car.

He had just turned to get off the bus when the driver started the engine. Everyone who was seeing him off looked out the bus window.

All the relatives and friends inside the car waved goodbye. Only after the car had driven far away and was out of sight did Lin Junhui get on his bicycle and head home.

When Song Shiyue got home, she asked her son, "Xiufang left?"

Lin Junhui nodded dejectedly and gave a soft "hmm".

Seeing her son's listless appearance, Song Shiyue wanted to cheer him up, so she smiled and said, "What's wrong? Are you reluctant to leave? It's okay, you'll be back in a couple of days. Didn't you two agree to go to Chengdu Center to play?"

Lin Junhui asked in surprise, "Mom, how did you know we made plans to go out together in a couple of days? Did you overhear what we were saying?"

Song Shiyue indicated that she hadn't heard it, and shook her head, "No, I just guessed it."

She continued, "Besides, how could young people like you stay at home? You definitely like to go shopping, watch movies, go on dates, and so on. You're all young and energetic, not like us old folks who are so rigid."

Lin Junhui's face lit up with joy as he praised his mother, "Mom, what are you saying? You're not old at all, you're still very young. And you're not a rigid person either."

Song Shiyue chuckled, "This little mouth of yours is really something else! Ever since you got a boyfriend, your mouth has been coated with honey. You're so good at talking every day, you really know how to make people happy."

Lin Junhui returned to his room shyly. He didn't know what to do if his mother continued talking; it was too embarrassing.

On the other side, Kong Xiufang dozed off for a while in the car. When she opened her eyes again, they were on the main road of the village.

She quickly called out to the driver, "Sir, we're heading towards Kongjia Village. Pull over to the side of the road."

The driver responded with an "Oh!" and stopped the car about a meter ahead. Once the car had come to a smooth stop, Kong Xiufang got off, carrying her large and small bags.

After getting off the bus, Kong Xiufang patted her chest with lingering fear, "Thank goodness, thank goodness I woke up. If I sleep a little longer, I'll catch the overtaking car."

As soon as she got off the bus, she saw Mu Shuyun leading Yunya and waiting for her under the big tree at the entrance of the village.

Her face was beaming with smiles as she happily called out, "Mom, Yunya, I'm back!"

Mu Shuyun quickly ran over, smiling happily, and a few more wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes.

Yunya rushed over and hugged her aunt, "Auntie, Auntie, we missed you so much!"

Kong Xiufang smiled and stroked her head, saying, "I miss you too, I miss home, I miss my family."

Yunya, with her hair tied in two little braids with a red ribbon, hopped and skipped around Kong Xiufang.

Her little braids swayed and bounced with her movements, making her look incredibly cute. Kong Xiufang couldn't resist gently pinching her chubby cheeks. They were so adorable.

Yun Ya pouted, her eyes wide, and frowned, feigning pain as she cried out, "Tsk tsk tsk... Auntie, it hurts so much."

Seeing that the girl was acting spoiled and weak again, Mu Shuyun smiled and said, "Yun, don't scare your aunt, or she won't dare to tease you anymore!"

Yun Ya quickly changed her expression, her face beaming with smiles. She then used one finger to pull at one of her eyelids and let out a "Hoo-hoo~" sound.

Kong Xiufang didn't understand what she meant, and looked at her mother with a questioning look, "Mother, what does Yun mean by this?"

Mu Shuyun chuckled, "This girl, she's just teasing you! She always teases Qing Sheng like this at your second brother's house."

Kong Xiufang understood. "Oh! Are you kidding me?" she said, then looked at Yun Ya.

At this moment, Yunya was bent over, sticking out her buttocks, with her hands on her thighs, laughing and making "quack quack quack... quack quack quack" sounds like a duck.

Kong Xiufang couldn't help but laugh at her antics. The three of them laughed for a while, then picked up their things and went home.

Mu Shuyun helped her carry the large bag, while Yunya helped pull it from behind. Kong Xiufang carried the small bag, and the three of them walked home together.

When they met acquaintances on the street, they greeted each other with smiles. Mu Shuyun chatted with Kong Xiufang as they walked.

She asked, "Didn't Xiujin come back with you?"

Kong Xiufang looked at Mu Shuyun and said, "No, she said she would spend a day in the city and then come back. She's planning to buy some New Year's goods for her family, so she asked me to come back first."

Mu Shuyun sighed, "That's good too. She has two sisters-in-law. If she came back empty-handed, it would probably cause trouble."

Kong Xiufang agreed with her mother. She asked, "Mother, you haven't told anyone about Xiujin's matter, have you? Especially her parents?"

Mu Shuyun glared at her and said, "Silly girl, how can we go around spreading such things?"

"Besides, she's still our relative, and a young woman at that. If any bad rumors spread about her, how will she ever be able to stay in the village again? Don't worry, your mother's mouth is sealed tight!"

Kong Xiufang laughed heartily, "Yes, my mother's mouth is sewn on with thread and glued on, tighter than anyone else's. Haha...hahaha."

Mu Shuyun glared at her and said, "This girl is joking with her mother. She has no manners at all."

The mother and her children burst into laughter again. Chatting and laughing, they soon arrived at the front gate.

Mu Shuyun pushed open the door and entered, with Kong Xiufang following behind. Yunya helped place the large bundle on the living room table.

She plopped down on a stool, panting heavily, and said, "Ouch, ouch, I'm exhausted. It's heavier than a watermelon."

Mu Shuyun smiled and said to her, "How are you? You must be exhausted. Come here, let Grandma massage your arms and legs."

Yunya quickly stood up and energetically defended herself, "I'm not tired at all. Grandma carried all the heavy loads. I just dragged it for a while. I didn't exert much effort."

She ran over and pinched Mu Shuyun's arm and patted her back, saying, "Grandma, are your arms sore? Is your back sore?"

Mu Shuyun smiled broadly, "Our Yunya is such a good girl, so filial to her grandma."

Yunya was even happier. She went around to the front, lifted Mu Shuyun's feet, placed them on the stool, and massaged Mu Shuyun's legs.

Kong Xiufang was dumbfounded. "My goodness! This child is really good at handling things!"

Yunya noticed her aunt staring blankly at her and asked in confusion, "Auntie, are your legs sore too? I can massage them for you in a bit, okay?"

Kong Xiufang quickly waved her hand, "Uh...no need."

After sitting for a while, Mu Shuyun asked Kong Xiufang if she was hungry and if she wanted to eat.

Kong Xiufang said she had eaten and wasn't hungry. She opened the large bundle she had brought back and took out everything inside.

Mu Shuyun put everything away, then took a bag of dried apricots, opened it, and handed it to Yunya to eat.

Yunya took them, first putting one into her grandmother's mouth. Then she took out a second one and gave it to her aunt, and finally put one into her own mouth.

Kong Xiufang munched on a dried apricot with a smile, then suddenly remembered something and asked Yunya, "Yunya, did you wash your hands after you massaged your legs?"

Yunya felt extremely guilty and stammered, "Auntie...Grandma Zhang...said that a little dirt won't make you sick."

Mu Shuyun didn't speak, and Kong Xiufang felt that the dried apricot in her mouth no longer tasted good, so she quickly spat it out.

“Tui~ tui…” He rinsed his mouth with water again.

Mu Shuyun laughed and said, "Our Yunya's hands are not dirty at all, they are very clean."

Looking at her sticky little hands, Yunya truly believed that her grandmother had lied.