country bumpkin

After Jinbao finished eating at home, he sat for a few minutes, but then became so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. Liu Fangxiang urged him to go to sleep, and Jinbao obediently went to his bedroom to rest.

After lunch, Kong Shangbiao went to take a nap. Liu Fangxiang went to Kong Tongming's house to discuss something with Mu Shuyun.

Liu Fangxiang knew Mu Shuyun's character; she wouldn't gossip or laugh at her son for being a fool.

They were all wives of the same clan and neighbors for many years; they knew each other very well.

Liu Fangxiang arrived at Mu Shuyun's house, where Yunya, Jianjun, and Jianguo were eating dinner and watching TV.

We watched the old movie "Fearless". The three kids watched very attentively, and cheered for the exciting fight scenes.

Outside, loudspeakers were playing New Year's greetings songs such as "Happy New Year" and "Wishing You Prosperity."

A crowd had gathered around the stone house housing the transformer in the center of the village. They were mostly elderly people, chatting and basking in the sun.

There were also a few gossipy old ladies chattering away about the latest happenings in the village.

Liu Fangxiang saw that Mu Shuyun was still eating. She then sat down to the side and waited.

Seeing that she seemed to have something on her mind, Mu Shuyun asked, "Auntie, just tell me what's wrong. We've been friends for so many years, and I'll do my best to help you if there's anything I can do."

Liu Fangxiang didn't wait any longer and said directly, "Sister-in-law, do you think if my Jinbao gets married, will the child he has be just as stupid as him?"

Mu Shuyun didn't understand these things either, but she still offered a suggestion: "You can take him to a big hospital in the city for a check-up and ask the doctor what he thinks."

Liu Fangxiang slapped her forehead. "Oh dear! I didn't even think of such a simple method. I must have been out of my mind."

Mu Shuyun smiled and said, "You're just worried sick." Liu Fangxiang nodded, "Yes! I've been so worried about my Jinbao."

Mu Shuyun asked again with suspicion, "Why did you decide to find a wife for Jinbao? Is there a girl you've taken a fancy to?"

Liu Fangxiang said, "No, it's just that I've been feeling that Jinbao has something on his mind lately. Especially after his second sister got married, he always hangs out with Kong Chunhua. And this morning I saw Jinbao playing with that girl from the foot of the mountain who remarried. I'm wondering if he's looking for a wife, since he's always hanging around women."

Mu Shuyun said thoughtfully, "The child is older now. You should find some time to ask him what he thinks. Jinbao is still a very sensible child."

Liu Fangxiang thought that made sense; she was worrying unnecessarily and should ask her son what he thought.

I felt a bit relieved after figuring things out. I played at Yunya's house for a while longer before going home.

When Liu Fangxiang returned home, she saw that Jinbao had already woken up and was sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze.

She gently sat down next to Jinbao, took his hand and said, "Bao, Mom wants to ask you something."

Jinbao raised his head, his eyes filled with a naive clarity.

"Mom has noticed you've been spending a lot of time playing with girls lately. Are you thinking about getting married?"

Upon hearing this, Jinbao's face turned bright red, and he lowered his head, fiddling with the hem of his clothes.

After a while, he whispered, "Mom, I don't know why, but I just want to play with them. It makes me feel warm and happy."

Liu Fangxiang's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Bao, have you ever thought about getting married?"

Jinbao scratched his head. "I want someone to always be with me, like my sister's husband stayed with her after she got married."

Liu Fangxiang was silent for a while, then slowly said, "Baby, how about Mom takes you to a big hospital in the city to get checked out? If there's nothing wrong with your health, then we can consider other options." Jinbao nodded obediently.

Liu Fangxiang gazed out the window, thinking that no matter what, as long as her son was happy and healthy, that was all that mattered. Meanwhile, Jinbao's heart was filled with vague hopes for the future.

He imagined chatting happily with Kong Chunhua, feeding each other delicious candies. Just thinking about it made him feel sweet inside, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

A moment later, the image of playing hopscotch with Xiuer came back to mind. Xiuer's hopeful smile was infectious, as bright and warm as the early spring sunshine.

On the left, my thoughts drift to the gentle and mature Kong Chunhua; on the right, they drift to the passionate and sunny Wei Xiu.

Jinbao asked his mother, "Mother, when you get me a wife, can you marry Chunhua and Xiuer together? That way, the three of us can play together."

Liu Fangxiang: "...this..."

Seeing that his mother was silent and looked troubled, Kong Jinbao asked, "Mom, why aren't you saying anything?"

Liu Fangxiang explained, "Once you get married, you're an adult and can't just think about playing around. Also, once you get married, it's just the two of you living together; there can't be a third person, except for your own children."

Kong Jinbao pouted and said, "But Chunhua and Xiuer can play together, and I'm happy when I'm with them. If I can only play with one person, then I don't need a wife, so I can play with both of them forever."

Liu Fangxiang said, "You can't do whatever you want. If you don't marry Xiu'er, she will marry someone else. She won't stay in Kongjia Village to play with you forever. Also, Chunhua has already been married and has a grown daughter. You can only be friends with her, not marry her as your wife."

Jinbao was very unhappy when he heard this and ran out of the house. Liu Fangxiang chased after him and called out to him, but he did not stop.

Liu Fangxiang, breathless from running, stopped to rest at the village entrance. Jinbao had already run to the foot of Nanshan Mountain.

He stopped running, panting heavily. Looking up at the majestic mountains high above, his mood inexplicably improved.

Jinbao arrived at the edge of a field, plopped down on the ground, and started digging into the ditch with his hands.

They dug a tattered box out of the pit.

Jinbao curiously opened the box, inside which was a yellowed black and white photograph and a ring made of straw rope.

The photo showed a young couple who looked like they lived long ago. Jinbao stared at the photo for a long time, as if drawn by a mysterious force.

Just then, Grandpa Kong, the eldest member of the Kong family in the village, passed by and stared in surprise at what Jinbao was holding.

"How did this thing get here?" Grandpa Kong muttered to himself.

Jinbao hurriedly asked what happened. Grandpa Kong told him that the man and woman in the photo were once a pair of star-crossed lovers in the village. They couldn't be together because of family opposition. Later, the man joined the army and died on the battlefield, and the woman also died of grief.

Jinbao was deeply moved and suddenly realized that emotions can be very complicated.

He thought that his feelings for Chunhua and Xiuer might just be pure friendship, and he didn't really want to marry them.

Jinbao decided to go home and apologize to his mother, telling her that he didn't want to get married yet and just wanted to enjoy his time with his friends.

When Liu Fangxiang saw her son return, she hugged him with tears in her eyes, and the knot between mother and son was untied.