country bumpkin

In early October of the lunar calendar, the autumn wind, carrying a hint of coolness, swept freely through this tranquil countryside.

At the entrance of Kongjia Village, the old locust tree rustled in the wind, its golden leaves falling like snowflakes, carpeting the earth with a thick layer of gold.

Kong Siyu stood at the entrance of her small courtyard, gazing at the picturesque autumn scenery before her, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

She was a native of the countryside, with long, shiny black hair, and her eyes sparkled with a lively light when she smiled.

Today, she specially wore that light blue floral dress because her childhood friend Fang Qing said she was coming back to see her.

Fang Qing was Kong Siyu's childhood playmate, and the two spent countless happy childhood days together on this land.

Later, Fang Qing went to live in a big city with her mother. Although the two kept in touch, they had not seen each other for a long time.

Siyu eagerly anticipated her reunion with him, her heart filled with indescribable joy.

In the afternoon, a black sedan slowly drove into the village, raising a cloud of dust.

Siyu spotted the car from afar and ran excitedly toward it. The car door opened, and Fang Qing got out.

He was wearing jeans, a denim jacket, and a white shirt. He stood tall and straight, and his eyes showed a maturity and composure that came with city life.

"Fang Qing!" Si Yu shouted loudly, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Fang Qing looked up and saw Si Yu running towards him. A bright smile appeared on his face: "Si Yu, long time no see!"

The two embraced tightly, as if they wanted to pour all the longing they had felt over the years into this one hug.

Afterwards, Fang Qing took some gifts from the car for Si Yu, including exquisite small jewelry and some snacks that are only available in the city.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I just bought some random things." Fang Qing scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"I like them all!" Siyu happily accepted the gift, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter.

Then Fang Qing and Kong Siyu strolled together along the country lanes, reminiscing about their childhood.

They went to the fields to catch grasshoppers and to the river to catch small fish, as if they had returned to their carefree childhood.

The two continued walking until evening. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire village in an orange-red hue.

Fang Qing and Kong Siyu sat by the river where they used to catch fish as children, gazing at the shimmering reflections on the water, both lost in their own world.

“Siyu, I’ve noticed a lot of changes in the countryside since I came back this time,” Fang Qing broke the silence.

"Yes, the village has been developing better and better over the years, and everyone's life is getting better and better," Siyu said with emotion.

Fang Qing turned his head and looked earnestly into Kong Siyu's eyes: "Siyu, actually, there is another important reason why I came back this time."

"What's the reason?" Kong Siyu asked, puzzled.

Fang Qing took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, "Over the years in the city, I've often thought about our childhood days, and I've often thought about you. I've realized that my feelings for you are no longer just those of a childhood playmate. Siyu, I like you, I've liked you for a long time."

Kong Siyu's cheeks instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head, not daring to look Fang Qinghua in the eye, but her heart was pounding like a rabbit's.

"Fang Qing, I...I like you too," Si Yu whispered, her voice so soft it seemed a gust of wind could carry it away.

Fang Qing was overjoyed to hear Si Yu's answer. He gently took Si Yu's hand and said, "Si Yu, from now on, let me stay with you and protect this land we love together, okay?"

Kong Siyu looked up, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness, and nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

As the sun set, the two figures leaned close together, and the gentle autumn breeze caressed their faces, as if offering the most beautiful blessings to their love.

In this golden autumn, their love, like this bountiful field, is full of hope and sweetness.

After returning home that night, Kong Siyu couldn't fall asleep. She thought about everything that had happened during the day, feeling both happy and excited.

Her childhood best friend confessed her feelings to her, and the two even got engaged. She was worried that her father would interfere.

Her father was the village head, Kong Youliang. She was the youngest daughter in her family, with two older sisters and one older brother.

They're all married with children, leaving only their little girl. Her father watches her closely, afraid she might go astray and be kidnapped.

Fang Qing was also a native of Kongjia Village. His great-grandparents were outsiders from other places.

My great-grandfather came here and never left. They bought land and built a house in Kongjia Village and lived here ever since.

Later, Fang Qing's father went to the city to do business and settled there. His mother stayed at home to take care of the housework and the children.

His father used to come back once a week, but later he came back less and less often, and eventually he stopped coming back altogether.

In a fit of anger, his mother took her parents-in-law and son to the city to find her husband. Fang Qinghua also took the contact address Siyu had given him and went with his mother. He never returned.

Fortunately, he had always kept Siyu's contact information. After they found his father in the city and settled him in, he frequently wrote to Siyu to keep in touch.

Although his father had another woman and child, they always had enough money for living expenses.

Grandparents also lived with his mother and him. So the elderly couple's retirement money was given to his mother's side.

Life was much the same as before, except that his father didn't live with them. They only saw each other once a year when he brought them living expenses; the rest of the time, his father stayed at his concubine's house.

Fang Qing and Si Yu maintained their relationship through letters, remaining as close as ever, as if they had never separated. They always had endless things to talk about.

When Fang Qing grew up, his mother urged him to get married and introduced him to many girls, but he couldn't muster any interest in any of them.

The image of the girl who played with him when he was a child and helped and took care of him always appears in his mind.

The period when his father left when he was a child was the most difficult time for him. It was Siyu who always encouraged him, supported him, and cared for him.

When he was hungry, Siyu would secretly bring him food. When he was sick, Siyu would secretly visit him and buy him delicious food.

Siyu often secretly took eggs, pastries, and candies from home and gave them to Fang Qing. Fang Qing always felt that Siyu was the ray of light in his darkness.

Fang Qing drove to his family's old house. He hadn't been back for so many years; the yard was overgrown with weeds, a scene of utter desolation.

He opened the door, the dust on it making him cough repeatedly. All he could see was dust and cobwebs. It seemed uninhabitable.

He closed the door and went to his car. Looks like he'll be sleeping in the car tonight. He reclined the seat and slowly lay down.

He took a military overcoat from the back of the truck and used it as a blanket. He locked all the doors and windows and made do with that for the night.