country bumpkin

Seeing the lively and festive atmosphere at her brother-in-law's house, Jinbao was overjoyed. She greeted the children who were watching and playing nearby, and soon they were playing together.

A thin, dark-skinned girl hid in a corner, her eyes fixed on Jinbao, sparkling.

Jinbao glanced up and saw her by chance. He was taken aback at first, then smiled at her in a friendly manner.

The girl's face flushed crimson, like a ripe apple. She lowered her head shyly, her heart pounding faster than ever.

After playing for a while, Jinbao felt a little thirsty, so he went inside to get some water. The girl mustered up her courage and followed him inside.

Jinbao was surprised. The girl stammered, "I...I'll get you some water." Jinbao skipped around and laughed, saying okay.

The girl carefully poured the water, her hand trembling slightly as she handed it to Jinbao.

Just then, someone outside called Jinbao to go out and watch the performance. Jinbao put down his water cup and was about to run outside when the girl anxiously grabbed his clothes.

Jinbao turned around and looked at her in confusion. The girl murmured, "My name is Xiuer, and I like you."

Jinbao stared wide-eyed, completely bewildered. Xiuer let go of his hand, turned and ran away, leaving Jinbao standing there dumbfounded, watching Xiuer's departing figure, a strange feeling he had never experienced before welling up inside him.

Jinbao was stunned for a while before he came to his senses. He scratched his head and muttered to himself, "What's so special about her? She's not pretty at all. How can she compare to Kong Chunhua?" After saying that, he ran off to watch the performance again.

But for some reason, when playing afterwards, Jinbao would always unconsciously look towards the corner, searching for Xiuer's figure.

On his way home that evening, Jinbao remained silent, his mind filled with Xiuer's flushed face and the words, "I like you."

After getting home, Jinbao tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. The next day, Jinbao went to play with his friends as usual, but unexpectedly ran into Xiuer again.

When Xiuer saw him, her face turned red again, and she lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Jinbao's heart suddenly started racing. He stepped forward and asked Xiuer, "Why did you say you liked me yesterday?"

Xiuer looked up, her eyes sparkling, and whispered, "I don't know either, I just feel happy when I see you." Jinbao felt an even stronger sense of wonder upon hearing this.

He thought that perhaps this feeling was the beginning of liking someone. Although Xiuer wasn't pretty, she was the first person who took the initiative to befriend him.

Jinbao didn't know what it felt like to like someone. But he was happy that someone wanted to be his friend.

But he still thought Kong Chunhua was prettier than the girl named Xiuer. The girl was too dark-skinned and too thin, her body bony and flat. Kong Chunhua had yellowish-white skin and a curvaceous figure; perhaps due to the passage of time, she appeared very mature.

There was a special attraction that drew Jinbao closer. Perhaps it was his curvaceous figure that Jinbao liked.

Jinbao smiled and said to Xiuer, "Can you play with me? How about we play hopscotch?"

Xiuer noticed Jinbao's unusual behavior, but still nodded and agreed to play with him.

Yesterday, she went to town to see what everyone was talking about as the biggest wedding. Unexpectedly, she met such a handsome and dashing young man.

She fell in love with the handsome boy at first sight. He had a face she had never seen before.

With fair skin, big eyes, a high nose bridge, and two dimples when she smiles, she is a delight to behold.

Although he seemed a bit silly, she liked looking at him and wanted to be friends with him; every moment they spent together was joyful.

Xiuer agreed to play with Jinbao, but Jinbao didn't remember to go home for dinner until his stomach started growling.

Xiuer looked at him reluctantly and said, "Let's play again after we finish eating, okay? I'll wait for you here."

Jinbao shook his head and said, "No, I want to sleep after I finish eating!"

Xiuer was amazed by his adorable appearance and liked him even more.

People naturally appreciate and enjoy beautiful things; good-looking people make others feel good just by looking at them.

The two said goodbye, and Xiu'er went home. Her home was at the foot of Nanshan Mountain; she had come there with her mother after her mother remarried.

My biological father was a farmer from another village named Wei Sangshen. Everyone called him Shenzi.

Wei Sangshen was bitten by a poisonous snake while chopping firewood in the deep mountains. She died on the way home.

After that, no one in their village dared to go deep into the mountains to cut firewood anymore. They would just cut some wood on the outermost edge to make firewood.

Some timid villagers use dried crop stalks or leaves for firewood. In winter, they might gather some branches for firewood.

After Wei Xiu's mother, Li Zhaodi, remarried, she gave birth to a younger brother. The younger brother is now 7 years old and attends primary school in the village.

Her stepmother disliked her and always tormented her, making her do more work and eat less. This was because she wasn't a child of the Zeng family, and also because she was a girl.

She's all grown up now; she was only six when she came. Ten years have passed, and she's reached marriageable age.

The stepmother, Jiang Xian'e, and the stepfather, Zeng Daniu, wanted to sell her to a wealthy man in town to be his daughter-in-law.

She knew she had no power to resist, and that her mother favored her younger brother. Her mother had no choice but to remarry and bring her along.

The Wei family's son is gone, and they have no grandsons, so it's impossible for them to have a granddaughter. In the grandmother's eyes, girls are all a financial burden; once they grow up, they'll marry into someone else's family.

The Wei family felt they were being taken advantage of, as if they were raising someone else's child. So they had no choice but to let Li Zhaodi take care of her.

When Wei Xiu arrived at the Zeng family, she did not change her surname, but her stepmother, Jiang Xian'e, did not accept that she was a member of the Zeng family.

They would raise her like a servant, making her take care of the whole family. When she reached marriageable age, she could even earn a dowry for the family.

When Wei Xiu returned home, she had just entered the yard when she was hit on the head by a flying broom, leaving a red and swollen patch on her forehead.

She clutched her bright red wound, looked at the old woman before her, and, fighting back tears, asked, "Grandma, what are you doing?"

Granny Jiang angrily scolded, "All you ever do is run around outside all day long. Where have you been today? Who's going to do the housework?"

Wei Xiu retorted, "Grandma, I only went out for a stroll after I finished all the chores at home."

Granny Jiang said fiercely, "Are you blind? Can't you see the pots and pans from lunch have come out again? Aren't you going to wash them? Are you going to leave them for me, with my old arms and legs, to wash?"

Wei Xiu said aggrievedly, "I finished all the work this morning, and I just got back and haven't eaten yet. How was I supposed to know that there were pots and pans to wash again?"

Granny Jiang choked, as if she was in the wrong. She said, "From now on, you are not allowed to go out and wander around aimlessly. Stay at home and find work to do."

Wei Xiu pouted, utterly disgusted with this family. She added, "Grandma, you've disfigured me, let's see if I can still fetch a good price now?"

Granny Jiang glared at her and said, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. It won't disfigure you or prevent you from making money." After saying that, she ignored Wei Xiu and went to the inner room to lie down and rest.

Wei Xiu went to the kitchen, took out a towel, soaked it in cool water, wrung it out, and applied the cool towel to her forehead. The pain lessened a little.

After applying the compress for a while, she rummaged through the food. In the cupboard, she found the remaining vegetable broth and a few potato chunks.

She found a half-eaten cornbread in the basket and started eating it, tearing off pieces of potato.

As I ate the cold pickled vegetables and the hard cornbread, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.