country bumpkin

Chapter 24 Auntie is back

On Laba Festival, heavy snow fell. Every household was busy cooking Laba porridge, and its aroma filled the entire village.

Mu Shuyun got up early, lit the fire, and prepared to cook a pot of delicious Laba porridge.

As she added various ingredients to the pot, she reminisced about the Laba Festival she celebrated as a child.

Back then, although life was tough, everyone was happy, sharing Laba porridge and warmth together.

Nowadays, most of the young people in the village have gone out to work, leaving only the elderly and children at home.

Mu Shuyun hopes that this pot of Laba porridge can bring them some warmth and comfort.

She earned 180 yuan from two months of handicrafts. Although it wasn't much, it didn't interfere with her work too much. Now that it's December, she's quite busy preparing for the New Year. She doesn't have time to do handicrafts now; she'll start again when it's warmer in early spring.

Just then, the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow echoed in the yard.

Mu Shuyun looked up and saw a beautiful young girl in a bright red cotton-padded jacket smiling at her.

"Mom, I'm back!" The girl ran into the house and hugged Mu Shuyun tightly.

Mu Shuyun looked at her daughter with surprise and joy, her eyes filled with tears. "Why did you come back? You didn't even tell me beforehand so I could have picked you up. Your second brother could have picked you up too."

The youngest daughter said with a smile, "I wanted to give you a surprise, and I also missed our family's Laba porridge."

Mu Shuyun wiped away her tears. "Good, it's good that you're back. Go and warm yourself up, the Laba porridge will be ready soon."

The youngest daughter nodded and sat down by the stove. Mu Shuyun looked at her daughter, her heart filled with joy.

Before long, the Laba porridge was ready. The mother and daughter sat around the table, enjoying the festive atmosphere.

"Mother, where are my second brother and sister-in-law?" Kong Xiufang asked, remembering her second brother and sister-in-law.

"Oh, they went to check on the wheat seedlings in the field, otherwise the snow will keep suffocating them," Mu Shuyun said worriedly.

"Oh, it's alright. They say a timely snowfall promises a good harvest. The wheat won't be crushed, and the melted snow will just be water, so we won't need to irrigate the fields," Kong Xiufang said.

"That's true, but the snow this year is heavier than in previous years, so I'm still a little worried," Mu Shuyun said.

"Hey, what are you afraid of? The sun will come out tomorrow and the snow will melt. Don't worry."

Mu Shuyun did not speak again.

Yunya in the inner room slightly opened her eyes, rubbed them, and then realized that it was dawn.

She sniffed the air and exclaimed, "Grandma, I'm awake! What delicious food are you making? It smells so good!"

Mu Shuyun got up to help Yunya get dressed, and Kong Xiufang followed her into the inner room.

Yunya saw a beautiful young woman walking towards her, her eyes bright. She thought to herself, "What a pretty young lady."

"Wait, she looks so familiar. I feel like I've seen her somewhere before. Oh, she really looks like Grandma."

Kong Xiufang walked to her bedside, bent down and sat on the edge of the bed, looked at Yunya gently, and said softly, "Little Yunya, you've grown up so much, do you still remember me? I'm your aunt."

Yun Ya blinked, looked at Kong Xiufang, and smiled shyly.

Mu Shuyun scolded, "How could she remember you? She was only two years old when you went to another place."

Kong Xiufang smiled and squinted, saying, "That's not necessarily true, Mother. Look how close she is to me, isn't she?" As she spoke, she pinched Yun Ya's little cheek.

Yunya stared at her aunt and giggled foolishly.

After dressing Yunya, Mu Shuyun picked her up and carried her out of the room to the stove, where she put on the warm cotton shoes and socks for Yunya.

Kong Xiufang followed behind, watching Mu Shuyun and Yunya, and a wave of emotion welled up in her heart. It's so good to have family around.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Mu Shuyun brought out the cooked Laba porridge, and the three of them sat together to enjoy the delicious porridge.

As Kong Xiufang ate her Laba porridge, she felt incredibly content, basking in the warm atmosphere of Mu Shuyun's family.

She secretly decided that she would never go out to work again, because staying with her family would bring them more warmth and love.

Kong Xiangdong and Zhou Caiyun returned outside the courtyard gate, their bodies covered in snowflakes as they walked back through the snow.

Kong Xiufang ran over and greeted them warmly. "Second brother and second sister-in-law, you're back." As she spoke, Kong Xiufang picked up a towel and walked over to Kong Xiangdong and Zhou Caiyun, carefully wiping the snow off their heads and shoulders.

Zhou Caiyun smiled and thanked her, her eyes full of love.

"How long has it been since you came back, little sister? Why didn't you tell your brother in advance so he could pick you up at the station?" Zhou Caiyun asked.

Kong Xiufang quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need. There are donkey carts coming to our village from the station. It's only a penny, and it's not far. Besides, the roads are slippery when it snows, and it's not easy for Second Brother to ride his bike."

Zhou Caiyun nodded in agreement, "That's true."

The family sat around the stove, drinking hot Laba porridge and chatting in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

When Kong Xiangdong asked Kong Xiufang about her future plans, Kong Xiufang firmly stated that she wanted to stay at home.

When Kong Tongming came home from work in the evening, he saw his youngest daughter and couldn't stop smiling, constantly chuckling.

Kong Xiufang handed over all her wages from the factory over the past two years to Mu Shuyun. It amounted to nearly 5000 yuan, which was her salary and hard-earned overtime pay.

She didn't spend a single penny. The factory provided food and lodging, and even gave her work clothes. She knew about her family's situation; her younger brother would write to her regularly to tell her what was happening at home.

Her second brother got married and built a new house, which left him with debts. She wanted to save some money to help her family and ease her mother's burden.

Mu Shuyun felt sorry for her daughter and said, "You must have suffered a lot outside, my child." Mu Shuyun touched her daughter's hand and said.

"Mother, I'm not suffering. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine." Kong Xiufang forced a smile.

Mu Shuyun turned her head away and secretly wiped away her tears. She knew that her daughter was only saying this because she didn't want her to worry.

"By the way, Mother, how much debt do we still have?"

Mu Shuyun said, "Not much, not much. Your three older sisters borrowed 900 yuan, and we have no other debts. We sold some watermelons and two litters of piglets, so we're doing quite well."

Kong Xiufang knew that her mother was comforting her, so she didn't say anything, but just nodded to indicate that she understood.

Kong Xiufang followed her mother into the bedroom. "Mom, I want to go to the city tomorrow to see if there are any job openings. I want to earn money."

Mu Shuyun frowned and said, "You've finally come back, take a rest before looking for work! After the New Year, when it's warmer, go ask your three older sisters if they know anyone who can help you!"

Kong Xiufang happily agreed. "Great! Perfect timing. I haven't seen my sisters in a long time, and I miss them too."

The mother and daughter had so much to talk about, but it was already very late, and their eyelids were drooping, so they had no choice but to go to sleep.

Winter nights are like an ink wash painting, pitch black, silent and profound...