country bumpkin

On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, it was as if someone had overturned a treasure box of snow in the sky, and snowflakes fluttered down, covering the whole world with a layer of white gauze.

Yun Ya pushed open the door and ran out in a flash. Standing in her own courtyard, gazing at the snow-covered world, she was filled with joy.

"Yunya, come out quickly, let's go ice skating!" came the cheerful shouts of her friends from outside the door.

Yunya quickly responded, put on the red scarf her aunt had knitted by hand, put on her thick cotton-padded coat, and skipped and hopped out like a happy little deer.

The large "fishpond" pit at my grandmother's house had now turned into a crystal-clear ice surface, resembling a giant mirror against the backdrop of snowflakes.

The children were already laughing and playing on the ice. Some glided quickly like nimble swallows, while others moved their feet carefully, afraid of falling.

Yunya couldn't wait to step onto the ice. At first, she was a little apprehensive, waving her hands wildly in the air, trying to maintain her balance.

But soon she was infected by the enthusiasm of her friends and gradually became bolder.

She followed everyone else's example, slightly bending her knees, leaning forward, and slowly sliding forward.

"Wow, Yunya, you skate so well!" her friends exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, Yunya's face lit up with a smile, and she skated even more enthusiastically. Caixia and Xianghong followed behind Yunya hand in hand to protect her.

Jianjun, Jianguo, and Liu Yanzi, the daughter of Xu Pozi's eldest son, played a pushcart game together.

Liu Yanzi pulled from the front, Jianjun pushed from behind, and Jianguo squatted in the middle as a cart. The three children were having a great time.

The children chased each other on the ice, sometimes making sharp turns, sometimes holding hands and forming a circle, spinning happily. Their clear laughter echoed on the ice, startling the birds in the branches.

Just as she was having fun, Yunya suddenly noticed a small figure on the ice not far away.

Curious, she skating over revealed it to be Liu Yanzi's younger brother, Liu Jiankang. He looked frightened, standing motionless on the ice, tears welling in his eyes.

"Liu Jiankang, what's wrong? Why aren't you playing with your sister?" Yun Ya asked with concern.

"I...I'm afraid to skate, I'm afraid of falling. That's why I didn't let my sister play with me," Liu Jiankang said, his voice trembling with tears.

Yun Ya smiled and said gently, "Don't be afraid, I'll hold your hand while you skate." As she spoke, she reached out and held Liu Jiankang's little hand tightly.

With Yunya's encouragement and help, Liu Jiankang gradually relaxed and began to slowly slide his feet.

"Look, Xiao Jiankang, you're skating!" The children present gathered around to cheer Liu Jiankang on.

Liu Jiankang also showed a confident smile and played happily on the ice with everyone.

Yunya was engrossed in playing when she caught a glimpse of a tall figure closing in on her.

But the man reacted quickly, making a sharp turn to avoid hitting Yunya.

Yun Ya was startled. She stopped and steadied herself, gently patted her chest, exhaled a breath of stale air, and then looked up at the person.

Upon seeing the man, Yunya immediately exclaimed happily, "Uncle Wei, Uncle Wei!" This man was none other than Kong Tongyuan's grandson, Kong Xiangwei.

The children all loved playing with him, not only because he was cheerful and had a good temper, but also because he was very good at having fun. He would lead the children to climb walls and trees to steal bird eggs, catch fish, mudfish, and silkworm pupae.

For someone who loves to have fun, seeing a thick layer of ice is impossible to ignore, so he also came to join in the fun.

After greeting Yunya, he went to find some children his age to play with. Just then, Xianghong and Caixia ran over and said, "Yunya, do you know what? Your little uncle is such a good person! He even helped us with the harvest!"

Yun Ya wasn't surprised and said, "Oh, he's capable of doing something like that. After all, Uncle Wei has always been a kind-hearted person."

Yunya wasn't embarrassed at all after praising her uncle and continued playing with her friends.

Caixia chased after Yunya, the two of them laughing and playing a game of tag. Xiang Hong, however, was distracted, secretly glancing at Kong Xiangwei.

Kong Xiangwei felt as if someone was staring at him, and his face turned bright red.

He silently observed his surroundings and suddenly spotted Xiang Hong, who had been staring at him.

Xiang Hong was engrossed in watching when she suddenly met Kong Xiangwei's gaze. Her face flushed, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Kong Xiangwei any longer.

Kong Xiangwei looked at her and slid over. Xiang Hong's palms were sweaty with nervousness.

Kong Xiangwei approached her with a gentle smile like the warm winter sun, and asked, "Xiang Hong, is there something you need from me?"

As Xiang Hong listened to his gentle voice and looked at his warm face, her heart pounded rapidly.

Kong Xiangwei didn't think much of it, gave her a gentle smile again, and said, "If you need any help, just ask, and I will do my best to help you."

After saying that, he waited a few seconds, and seeing that Xiang Hong did not say anything, he waved his hand and turned to leave.

Xiang Hong stood there dumbfounded the whole time, watching Kong Xiangwei's thick lips open and close, feeling a sense of exhilaration.

Yunya and Caixia noticed that Xiang Hong seemed unwell, so they quickly ran over and asked with concern, "Xiang Hong, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Xiang Hong then came to her senses and said, "It's nothing, I was just thinking about something and got a little distracted."

Yunya and Caixia didn't take it seriously and dragged her along to go ice skating.

Before we knew it, the sky had gradually darkened. Wisps of smoke were already rising from the village chimneys.

Yunya and her friends reluctantly left the ice.

When they got home, Yunya's face was red and rosy from the cold, like a ripe apple. Jianjun and Jianguo also came back with her.

Grandma had already prepared a steaming hot meal. The family sat around the table, enjoying the delicious dinner and sharing the day's interesting stories.

"Yunya, did you have fun today?" Grandpa asked with a smile.

"I'm so happy! We went ice skating and even helped Liu Jiankang!" Yunya said excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

Grandma put a piece of meat into Yunya's bowl, and then gave two more pieces to Jianjun and Jianguo. Then she said lovingly, "That's good, but you have to be careful when you play."

Yunya nodded vigorously and said, "I understand, Grandma."

Jianjun Jianguo echoed this sentiment, nodding in agreement to show that he was obedient.

Outside the window, snowflakes continued to fall, as if playing a joyful melody for the approaching spring.

In this snowy December, Yunya and her friends' ice skating trip not only left behind laughter and joy, but also became a warm and precious memory in her childhood.