country bumpkin

While Kong Xiufang and her husband were busy with opening their shop, Kong Xiangguang from Kongjia Village was also anxiously trying to figure out what kind of business they could do.

Because of the wave of layoffs, some villagers who had gone out to work have returned to the village.

The traditional craft of furniture making has been replaced by the convenience and speed of ready-made furniture stores.

Kong Xiangguang's furniture shop also closed down due to lack of business.

When his master transferred the shop to him, the business was already declining, not because he was getting old, but because he was no longer making money.

Kong Xiangguang thought that with his vision and skills, he could revive the shop, but unexpectedly, it also went bankrupt and closed down.

Layoffs and job losses are happening everywhere right now, making it extremely difficult to find a job; it's simply not an option.

He was unlucky, but he was shrewd, so he thought he'd go to the city to see if there were any good business opportunities.

After making his decision, he chose a sunny morning and took a bus to the city.

He arrived right after the autumn harvest, and since his family's crops had been harvested, he could stay in the city for a few more days without worry.

The natural place to stay was at the eldest sister Kong Xiujuan's house. Her husband was not very talkative and was an honest man, so the eldest sister was in charge of all the big and small matters at home.

My second sister's family is run by her husband, so they naturally don't feel as comfortable as they do at my eldest sister's house.

After getting off the bus and arriving at the bus station, Kong Xiangguang followed the direction of his eldest sister's house, which he remembered.

He was carrying a medium-sized tote bag, a small bundle made of woven bag material.

It contained his own change of clothes, so it seems he's prepared to stay for a while.

Arriving at the door of the house where Kong Xiujuan used to live, they saw Gao Qinglian, the elder sister's mother-in-law.

Gao Qinglian was still busy wrapping the large steamed buns in her hands, while Sun Youcai was collecting money and selling the buns beside her.

Kong Xiangguang approached the stall with a smile and said, "Hello, ma'am and sir! You're both busy!"

Gao Qinglian stared blankly at the man who greeted her, unable to recall who he was.

She asked, "Young man, do you want to buy steamed buns? Wait a moment, let your uncle get them for you."

Kong Xiangguang quickly waved his hand: "No...no, Auntie, you don't recognize me. My sister is your eldest daughter-in-law. Kong Xiujuan is my eldest sister."

Gao Qinglian suddenly realized, "Oh...it's you! It's been over ten years since I last saw you. I almost didn't recognize you. You have a good memory, you still recognize me. We met once when your eldest sister got married."

Kong Xiangguang wanted to say, "I don't remember you either, but who else could be selling big steamed buns here besides the older sister's mother-in-law?"

Gao Qinglian asked politely, "Nephew, have you eaten? Why don't you sit down and have a few steamed buns?"

Kong Xiangguang waved his hands repeatedly, "No need...no need, I ate breakfast before I came, Auntie."

Gao Qinglian was just being polite; she would never give away her own steamed buns for free!

Kong Xiangguang could tell that his elder sister's mother-in-law was just being polite, and didn't really intend to provide him with breakfast.

Look how fast they're working; they're busy with their own tasks and don't seem to be thinking about getting the buns at all.

He brazenly continued, "Auntie, why isn't my older sister home today?"

He dared not ask why his older sister hadn't come to help; she used to always be there, but now she was nowhere to be seen.

He knew that his older sister's mother-in-law was a real jerk, and he couldn't stay there any longer, otherwise the old lady might say something nasty again.

Gao Qinglian said, "Oh, so you and your family separated and built a new house in the old vegetable garden. You should go and take a look!"

Kong Xiangguang touched his nose. "Auntie, where is their new home? Where is their vegetable garden?"

Gao Qinglian wanted to curse, thinking to herself that this person was really indecisive. He wanted to come to the city, but he dared to come without asking for the address.

But she still forced a smile and replied, "The new house is in the alley behind our house. Go east, turn into the alley, and at the first intersection, turn north. The house with a donkey trough at the gate is your eldest sister's house."

After listening, Kong Xiangguang repeated the story, concisely saying, "Go north along the alley, I've got it."

Gao Qinglian didn't listen carefully to his story because someone had already come to buy steamed buns. She had to go help her husband.

Seeing that Gao Qinglian had gone to do something, Kong Xiangguang said goodbye and went to his elder sister's house.

Kong Xiujuan's house was very easy to find. Following the directions given by Gao Qinglian, we soon saw a house with a donkey trough at the gate.

The gate was open, and Kong Xiangguang walked straight in.

Kong Xiujuan was washing bed sheets in the yard when she heard footsteps. She looked up and saw that it was her younger brother.

Kong Xiujuan exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! Xiangguang, what brings you here?" She then took the bundle from her younger brother's hand and ushered him into the house.

Kong Xiangguang said, "Sister, all the people from our village who went out to work have been laid off and returned home. My carpentry shop has also closed down, so I'm looking for good jobs in the city."

Kong Xiujuan was also troubled, as she was just a housewife and had no good job recommendations.

She sighed and said, "Sigh! There are laid-off workers everywhere now, where can we find a job? My brother-in-law is also unemployed and hasn't been able to find a suitable job."

Kong Xiangguang asked, "So what kind of work does he do now?"

Kong Xiujuan said, "I heard that they seem to be planning to start a business, selling and making clothes."

Kong Xiangguang sat on the stool, reached for the water glass on the table, took a sip of water, and slowly began to speak.

“I’ve been staying here for a while now. I’m thinking of wandering around and seeing if there’s any small business I can start.”

Kong Xiujuan replied with a smile, "Okay, don't be shy when you come to my house, make yourself at home."

Kong Xiangguang replied, "Okay, sister." The two sisters sat facing each other and started chatting about everyday things again.

At noon, all the students came back from school, and the children took turns greeting their uncle.

Yunya was closest to him, mainly because her aunt often went down to cause trouble. Yunya also frequently played with Kong Jianjun and Kong Jianguo. Therefore, she had a very deep impression of their family.

At lunchtime, Kong Xiujuan cooked several meat dishes. Coincidentally, Sun Zitao also came home early today.

The living room had a square table, which was crowded with people.

Kong Xiujuan sat at the very edge of the table, not sitting on it at all. She chatted and talked to her younger brother, politely offering him food.

She waited until her younger brother and grandson finished their drinks before serving them rice.

During this period, Sun Guoqiang finished eating first, followed by Yun Ya, and then Sun Limei.

At the dinner table, it's usually the children who finish eating first. They have small appetites and get full quickly. They don't take up much space at all.

He had just finished eating and stepped down from the table when Kong Xiujuan sat down in his seat. Sun Guoqiang, on the other hand, carried another small stool to watch TV.

When guests are invited to dinner at home, the children are not allowed to sit at the table. They wait until the guests have finished eating and the leftovers are taken to the kitchen before they start eating.

Kong Xiujuan has always educated her children in this way.

"If you have guests, go out and play first, and come back to eat after they've finished eating." This instruction remained until the children grew up.