country bumpkin

When Kong Xiufen got home, she made a phone call first. No one was in the living room; she and her mother-in-law had separated their households and no longer lived in the same courtyard.

My third aunt's husband took the child to his mother's house. Their courtyards were adjacent, so they were only separated by a wall.

When Yunya entered her aunt's main room, she saw all the new furniture. Her favorite was the fabric sofa.

Sitting on it, so soft and springy, [it would be so comfortable to lie down and take a nap on it], Yunya said to her third aunt, "Third aunt, can I sleep on the sofa tonight?"

Kong Xiufen smiled and looked at Yun Ya, saying, "It's a sofa, not a 'fa sha' (a type of sofa). Besides, how can you sleep on a sofa? It's soft to sit on, but if you lie down on it, your back will hurt."

Yunya didn't believe Kong Xiufen's words and insisted, "Third Aunt, why don't you put a sheet on the sofa and I'll sleep on it to see what it feels like?"

Kong Xiufen affectionately patted Yunya's head: "Okay, if you want to try, then try! If your back hurts in the middle of the night, just call me. I've saved a bedroom for you, so you can go to bed anytime."

Yunya clapped her hands happily, saying sweet words, "Third Aunt, you're so kind! I wish you were my mom."

Kong Xiufen said with a smile, "Silly child, your aunt is also a mother, just like your mother."

Yunya smiled and said coquettishly, "Third Aunt, you love me more than my mother does. My mother likes my younger brother and older sister, but not me."

Kong Xiufen asked in surprise, "How is that possible? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Yun Ya nodded firmly. "That's right, it's true."

Kong Xiufen said to Yunya with heartache, "Don't overthink it. What child wouldn't love their own? If you want anything delicious to eat in the future, just call your third aunt, and she'll bring it to you when she has time."

Yunya was overjoyed; her lips ached from smiling so much. She said sensibly, "Third Aunt, you don't need to trouble yourself. Just come over often when I miss you."

Kong Xiufen thought this was fine, so she didn't say anything more. She went to the coffee table, opened the pastries and sponge cake she had bought from across the street, and pushed them in front of Yun Ya.

“Come on, Yunya, have some! There are many children in your family, and your older sister can’t bear to buy these snacks for herself.”

Yunya stared intently at the sweet pastries, then smiled, picked up a sponge cake, and took a big bite.

The soft, sweet cake instantly filled my taste buds, with a hint of egg flavor amidst the sweetness.

Yun Ya squinted her eyes happily and continued to eat the sponge cake with gusto. She ate three sponge cakes before slowing down her eating pace.

Feeling full, she remembered to let her aunt try some. She took a new sponge cake, handed it to her aunt, and said, "Auntie, you should try some too, it's delicious."

Kong Xiufen pretended to be angry and said deliberately, "Oh, you're almost full, and you only just remembered to let me have a taste?"

Yun Ya smiled shyly, "Hehe, it's so delicious, I couldn't resist eating it."

Seeing that she had amused Yunya enough, Kong Xiufen said, "Haha, your third aunt was just teasing you. Actually, I also bought this for your little brother Lingyun. I've already tasted it."

Yunya insisted that her aunt eat one, knowing that if her aunt bought a sponge cake for her own child, she would only have a taste and wouldn't eat much.

The same applies to family matters; if your child is young, you can't let them run out of snacks. If the family runs a business and doesn't lack money, the child's quality of life can be improved.

Kong Xiufen is thrifty and doesn't like to spend money recklessly. When she buys something nice for the family, she always prioritizes the children.

She glanced at the sponge cake in Yun Ya's hand, steeled herself, took it, and started eating.

She was worried that if she didn't take it, Yunya would be too embarrassed to continue eating.

The mother and son ate happily, and then Ding Guixiang returned with her grandson Shen Lingyun.

Kong Xiufen's home is in a deep alley running from east to west. On the northwest side of the alley live her family, her mother-in-law's family, and her brother-in-law's family. Her sister-in-law is unmarried and lives with her mother-in-law.

There's another neighboring house on the south wall at the entrance of the alley; it was bought by outsiders. This family doesn't go out much, and you rarely see them.

Further west in the alley is the west wall, so Kong Xiufen's house is the last house in this alley.

The alley is located on a main market road running from south to north. Kong Xiufen's husband sets up a stall at the entrance of the alley, selling pig's head meat and raw meat.

The couple each tends one of the two stalls, and after the morning rush hour, there are far fewer people.

Kong Xiufen went to pick up Yunya, so Shen Changsheng had to leave the child with his mother. He asked the neighbor selling vegetables next door to watch the stall for a while.

At that moment, an elderly woman and a young boy walked in through the main gate. The elderly woman was Ding Guixiang, Kong Xiufen's mother-in-law. The boy was Shen Lingyun, Kong Xiufen's son.

The little guy is already 5 years old, and it's time for him to go to kindergarten. He's the only child in the family, and Kong Xiufen's family dotes on him.

Shen Changyuan, the younger brother-in-law, got married the same year his eldest nephew, Shen Lingyun, was born. Now they have a beautiful and lovely daughter named Shen Miaoran.

Shen Miaoran is already 3 years old this year. She follows Lingyun around all day, wanting to play with her older brother.

Shen Changyuan's wife was a shrewd and capable woman. She coaxed Ding Guixiang into giving the storefront to her second son, Shen Changyuan.

Kong Xiufen wasn't stupid; she knew her family had been taken advantage of. But she still made a deal: after her sister-in-law got married, the west wing where her sister-in-law lived would be given to her family.

Ding Guixiang agreed; she was somewhat biased towards her younger son, so she didn't refuse their request.

Shen Changyuan's wife, Dai Qiaoling, naturally didn't object since she had gotten such a great deal. They now lived in the same courtyard as her mother-in-law, but not in the same main room.

They lived in the east wing, the west wing was for the eldest brother and sister-in-law, and there was also the main room where the parents-in-law lived.

She'll figure out a way to persuade her mother-in-law and take control of the main room as well. That way, they'll still benefit the most.

My husband's younger sister is almost 25 years old and still doesn't have a husband. The elderly couple is very anxious about it.

Ding Guixiang went around asking matchmakers to introduce potential partners to her daughter. Shen Changxue also obediently went on blind dates, meeting no fewer than 20 men, but breaking up with them after only a few days.

Her brother and sister-in-law were also worried about her. Why was finding a boyfriend so difficult?

Recently, Kong Xiufen introduced her sister-in-law to a young man she met in business. Unfortunately, they broke up after only a week.

Now Shen Changxue has given up all hope. She's willing to go on any blind date that comes her way, without being picky about conditions or looks.

But still, there was no success. There was nothing else we could do but keep searching.

When Shen Changxue came home from get off work today, she heard her mother taking her nephew to her older brother's house, so she followed them there.

When Shen Lingyun saw that there was an older sister in the house, she ran over to play with her. Ding Guixiang and Kong Xiufen were talking when they asked who the girl was.