country bumpkin

After saying goodbye to the donkey cart, I returned home and carried my belongings inside.

They went to Granny Zhang's house to pick up Yunya and brought her back, and also gave Granny Zhang a bag of pastries.

After a brief shoving, Granny Zhang reluctantly accepted the snacks.

In the days that followed, Mu Shuyun was extremely busy.

Now, Yunya tends the fire while Mu Shuyun pours water into the large pot and then goes to do her handicrafts.

Yunya pulled the bellows, adding firewood to the bottom of the pot. When the water boiled, Yunya called out, "Grandma, the water is boiling, it's steaming!"

Mu Shuyun stopped what she was doing and went out of the house to the kitchen. Behind the kitchen door was a large stack of bags filled with crushed sweet potato chips.

Scoop out a few spoonfuls of chopped sweet potato using a gourd ladle and pour them into a large pot. Stir well with a large spoon, then cover the pot with the lid. Turn off the heat, and stir every few minutes. That's it.

Yunya stopped tending the fire, and with nothing else to do, she ran out to play with Caixia. Mu Shuyun went back to doing her handicrafts.

At this moment, Kong Jianjun arrived.

Yunya and Caixia were playing in the sand in front of Granny Niu's house. There were broken porcelain bowls, old porcelain jars, and a short iron shovel that was half broken. It was a pile of junk, but shoveling sand didn't take much time.

Kong Jianjun saw that the two of them had joined in playing in the sand.

But after playing for a while, he got bored. Kong Jianjun thought for a moment, then ran to the basin in the cowwoman's yard, scooped up a bowl of water, and poured it into the sand. The sand got wet and became a little sticky.

They built various shapes out of sand, including castles, skyscrapers, and toy cars. Kong Jianjun also collected some twigs and leaves to decorate them.

They were a bit hungry after playing all morning and hadn't eaten lunch yet. So the two of them went home to eat together. Caixia also went back to her room to eat.

When they got home, they found Mu Shuyun engrossed in her handicrafts and had forgotten to cook. The two children didn't say a word and quietly went out.

They had already made a plan to become beggars and ask for food. In the past, people who often came to their house to beg would give them half a pancake or two slices of dried sweet potato.

The two children found it very fun, like playing house.

The two men grabbed their equipment, each holding a door-supporting stick in one hand and a fertilizer bag filled with air in the other, tying the bag tightly and carrying it on their backs.

Imitating the manner of a beggar, I bent over and moved forward step by step.

Let's start with the nearest house across the street. Arriving at Granny Zhang's door, Yunya imitated a beggar's voice, saying, "Is anyone home? Please, have mercy and give me some food!"

Granny Zhang recognized the voice and curiously stepped out of the house.

Seeing that it was two children, and familiar faces at that, she suppressed a laugh and said, "Yun girl, what are you doing?"

"Grandma Zhang, please have mercy and give me some food! I'm hungry."

Granny Zhang couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

Yun Ya "…………"

Yunya was completely bewildered.

"Grandma Zhang, what are you laughing at?" She tilted her little head and looked at Granny Zhang.

"It's okay, it's okay... Hehehe... Where's your grandma? Does she know you came out?"

"Oh, my grandma was working and forgot to cook. I was hungry, so I went out to get something to eat."

"Oh, is that so? You wait here, I'll get you a steamed bun." With that, she went to the kitchen.

She came out and handed him a steamed bun, saying, "We just finished eating at home, and there's only one bun left. You and Jianjun can each have half. Eat this to tide you over. I'm going to find your grandma and ask her to cook for you." She then turned to leave.

Yunya quickly stopped her, saying, "Hey... no... Grandma Zhang, don't go. My brother and I are playing house and begging for food. We can't go home for dinner, otherwise we won't be begging for food."

Grandma Zhang suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. Okay, I won't tell your grandma. You two don't go too far, just come home in a bit."

"Okay, okay, don't worry!" Yun Ya nodded vigorously to assure her.

The two children went out the door and then went to the door of the next neighbor's house.

"Is anyone here? Please, have some food!" Kong Jianjun said.

The two of them went from house to house, asking for all the neighbors on the entire street.

These neighbors all know that this little girl has always been a "simple-minded" and playful "tomboy".

Besides, they can't give much else; half a steamed bun or a piece of dried sweet potato is enough. Some might even give two pieces of candy.

Besides, all the neighbors went to Kong Tongming's well to fetch water. Every morning, they would go to his house to carry water.

Because these neighbors all came to fetch water, they deliberately didn't build a front gate, or even install a fence gate. It was all for everyone's convenience. The villagers knew this and were very grateful, but they just didn't say it.

The two children, with candy in their mouths, went to the next street.

The first house in this south alley belongs to Kong Tongming's second elder brother, Kong Tongcang.

"Is anyone home? Please have some food!" This time it was Yunya's turn.

Kong Tongcang walked out the door and saw two children. He was surprised at first, but then he realized what was going on and said, "What are you two doing here? What game are you playing?"

He knew that Yun Ya was always causing trouble, and he wondered what she was up to today.

"Second Grandpa, we're playing a game of begging for food, and I'm hungry too," Yun Ya said.

Kong Jianjun chimed in, "Second Grandpa, I'm hungry too."

Kong Tongcang led the two children into the house. As they walked, he said, "Come on, let's go inside. I went to town this morning and bought some beef, steamed buns, and some rice porridge."

Yun Ya immediately beamed with joy. "Second Grandpa, have you eaten yet? Can we eat with you?"

"Great! It's no fun eating alone. It's much more lively with more people, and the food will definitely taste better that way," Kong Tongcang said happily.

"Yes, yes, Second Grandpa, let's sit down and eat together. My brother and I will keep you company so you won't be unable to eat alone. Hehehehe, Second Grandpa, you are such a kind person. When I grow up, I will definitely take care of you."

Yun Ya's words were as sweet as honey, making Kong Tongcang very happy.

His son is not yet married, and his daughter lives far away after getting married. The children only visit once a year. His wife often visits but hasn't returned yet.

The two children played there after finishing their meal and didn't go to any other houses.

Kong Tongcang was indeed bored. Luckily, the two little ones were chattering away, bringing life to the empty room.

Before they knew it, the sun had set, and a beautiful sunset glow painted the sky. Yunya and Jianjun reluctantly said goodbye to Kong Tongcang and went home.

Mu Shuyun was so busy that she didn't have time for Yunya, and she was so busy that she didn't even feel hungry.

The pigs are fed in the morning, but not at noon; they are fed again in the afternoon.

She didn't realize until the afternoon that she hadn't eaten lunch; she was so busy she forgot. It wasn't until evening that she discovered Yunya had gone out to play and hadn't returned.

So he hurried out to look for the child, just as Yunya came back excitedly.

Kong Jianjun also returned home before dark. Mu Shuyun went to make dinner when she saw the child was back.

After dinner, Mu Shuyun finished cleaning up the dishes and sat by the stove to warm herself. Yunya brought over a small stool, sat down beside her, and listened to her tell stories.

The winter night was exceptionally chilly. Mu Shuyun's gentle voice echoed in Yunya's ears, and Yunya listened intently, a happy smile spreading across her face. She slowly drifted off to sleep.