country bumpkin

October 7th is the last day of the National Day holiday, which falls on the eighth day of the ninth lunar month.

Kong Xiufang packed her things, preparing to return to the city in the afternoon so as not to miss work tomorrow.

I was busy all day yesterday and was exhausted, so I couldn't get up this morning. I slept until 11 o'clock before waking up groggily.

Mu Shuyun knew she was exhausted, so she didn't wake her up for breakfast. Now that she saw she was awake, she came to call her for breakfast.

Now that I've woken up, it's just in time for lunch.

Holding a white steamed bun in my hand, and on the plate were leftover dishes from yesterday's banquet. Adding a bowl of millet porridge, it was especially comforting.

At the dinner table, Kong Xiufang asked Mu Shuyun, "Mother, what's the name of my little nephew? I think I heard my second sister-in-law call him Qingsheng."

Mu Shuyun said, "Yes, his nickname is Qingsheng. His formal name has to follow the generational ranking. His generational name is (Jian), so his formal name is Kong Jianqing."

Kong Xiufang said, "Why does it sound so contorted? Kong Jiansheng, isn't that better? It sounds much smoother."

Mu Shuyun said, "Your father said the character '庆' is good. It means to celebrate and congratulate, and it also has the meaning of good fortune and happiness. It's better than '生' (birth)."

Kong Xiufang nodded. She didn't understand either, but she trusted her father and believed that the name he chose couldn't be wrong.

After lunch, with nothing else to do, Kong Xiufang took Yunya to visit other people's homes.

They first went to Aunt Liu's house in the clan to chat with their good friend Kong Xiuyan.

Aunt Liu was feeding the chickens in the yard, while Kong Xiuyan had gone out and hadn't returned yet.

Aunt Liu greeted Kong Xiufang warmly when she saw her bringing Yunya over.

Yunya watched the chicks pecking at the rice with curiosity, their chirping making a lot of noise.

Kong Xiufang chatted with Aunt Liu about her experiences during the National Day holiday and also talked about her new nephew.

Next, the two headed towards Grandma Li's house at the end of the village. Grandma Li was old and her eyesight wasn't very good, but her hearing was still excellent.

Hearing the noise, she called out, "Who is it?" Kong Xiufang quickly responded and went inside. The room was filled with a faint smell of herbs; it turned out that Grandma Li was brewing medicine.

Kong Xiufang helped add firewood and chatted with Grandma Li for a while, listening to her tell stories of the past.

Before she knew it, the sun was setting, and Kong Xiufang realized it was time to go back, pack her things, and head home.

So she took Yunya back. Yunya skipped and hopped along the way, but Kong Xiufang was filled with melancholy, wondering when she would be able to come back again.

I ran into my good friend Kong Xiujin when I was almost home. She was also a sister from my own family.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they should have a good talk now that they've met.

Kong Xiujin also came back from her National Day holiday. Tonight she'll be taking a bus to go to work.

She took an overnight bus and arrived at her destination the next day. She worked in a coastal city, supposedly harvesting seaweed and kelp from the sea.

Kong Xiujin said she came specifically to see Kong Xiufang. She had heard that her family had been very busy these past few days, with engagement and baby showers, so she hadn't been able to visit her.

Now that I'm here to see her, we won't be able to stay together for long before Kong Xiufang has to leave again.

Kong Xiufang quickly pulled her back to her own home, and they went into her room to talk privately.

The two were about the same age and got along well; the young girl would talk about her sweetheart when they were together.

Kong Xiufang told her about her relationship with Lin Junhui. She also told Kong Xiufang about some things that had happened to her outside.

It turns out that Kong Xiujin met a local man outside, and the two are dating but not yet engaged. However, they are already living together.

Kong Xiufang was shocked, her mouth agape.

She asked, "You're so foolish. If it doesn't work out, what will you do in the future? When you look for a husband, won't people look down on you?"

Although Kong Xiufang had lived in a big city and was quite open-minded, she was still conservative at heart.

She felt that dating was at most about hugging and kissing, which was acceptable. But being as open as Kong Xiujin was a bit too much and irresponsible towards herself.

In this day and age, it's still common for people to find partners through matchmakers; it's rare for people to date on their own.

Some of the people introduced to me live far away, and even though we're about to get married, we've only met each other a few times!

Kong Xiufang asked her worriedly, "Aren't you afraid of getting pregnant?"

Kong Xiujin said, "What's there to be afraid of? We're not children anymore. Just be careful."

What else could Kong Xiufang say? She was speechless.

Kong Xiujin also said that the man's family did not approve of their relationship, so they were renting a place to live.

They met while working together. Kong Xiujin sighed and said, "Actually, he even jumped into the sea for me; he was truly sincere."

Kong Xiufang's eyes widened: "Jump into the sea? That's terrifying."

A complex look flashed in Kong Xiujin's eyes. "His family was firmly against us being together at the time, and he jumped in a moment of impulse. Fortunately, he was rescued. After that, his parents' attitude softened a bit."

Kong Xiufang felt a mix of emotions; she hadn't expected her friend to go through so many ups and downs.

Just then, Mu Shuyun called out to her from outside, saying that the bus was coming soon and it was time to leave, otherwise they would miss the last bus.

Kong Xiufang hurriedly packed her things and held Kong Xiujin's hand tightly: "No matter what, you must take good care of yourself. If you encounter any difficulties, come home. Don't wander around outside." Kong Xiujin nodded with red eyes.

Mu Shuyun led Yunya, and Kong Xiujin followed, together seeing Kong Xiufang off to the car.

After getting on the bus, Kong Xiufang looked at Kong Xiujin standing by the roadside through the window and silently prayed that her friend would be happy.

The car started slowly, and as she watched the village recede into the distance, her thoughts drifted to the unknown future.

I wondered how much would have changed when I returned, and what my friend's love life would be like. With this melancholy in my heart, I left the village.

Mu Shuyun led Yunya home, and Kong Xiujin said goodbye and went home.

She was about to leave; in 20 minutes, a large bus bound for another city would pass by the village entrance, and she had to hurry to wait for it.

She went home to get her handbag and luggage, then went to the village entrance to wait for the bus. Her mother also saw her off onto the bus before leaving.

Kong Xiujin sat on the bumpy bus, looking at the scenery rushing past the window, her heart filled with confusion about her boyfriend and the future.

Kong Xiujin dozed off in the car and didn't wake up until dawn.

The driver stopped the bus and called out, "We've arrived at the station, everyone get off!"

Upon arriving at her destination, she went to work at the seaweed farm as usual.

However, a few days later she found herself feeling unwell and secretly went to the hospital for a checkup, only to discover that she was pregnant.

She panicked and immediately notified her boyfriend. When he arrived at the hospital, he was pale.

He hesitated for a long time before saying that his family still strongly opposed their being together, and he didn't know how to face the child.

Kong Xiujin's heart sank. She hadn't expected her boyfriend to be so cowardly. The man who had committed suicide for her would treat her like this.

She decided to take everything on her own, quit her job, gave birth to the child, and raised it herself.

She wrote to her friend to tell her about her situation and that she didn't want her family to know.

Upon hearing the news, Kong Xiufang was extremely anxious and quickly wrote back, urging her to come home and recuperate.

And they aborted the child. In this day and age, the hardships faced by an unmarried pregnant woman are unimaginable to them.

The gossip in the village alone can be suffocating. Not to mention the children's future, how they'll manage.

There are also issues that need to be considered and resolved, such as how she will support her child if she doesn't work, how the child will register for a household registration and go to school when they grow up.

Kong Xiujin hesitated, unsure of what to do.

After much deliberation, I decided to go home first. So I boarded the bus back home.

As for the scumbag, he hasn't dared to show his face since then. Kong Xiujin is also very disappointed in him; she will never trust men again.