country bumpkin

Chapter 12 The Silly Wild Girl

The sudden rain in the sweltering summer was like a poem or a painting, gently sprinkling on the lush green lawn and nourishing every inch of the land.

Raindrops pattered on the lake's surface, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, creating ripples. In this refreshing rain, the summer heat was quietly dispelled, replaced by coolness and tranquility.

As the saying goes, "June weather is like a child's face." Just a moment ago, the sun was shining brightly, but now it's raining continuously.

In a rural courtyard, a little girl with disheveled hair and a dirty face, wearing a bright red cotton-padded jacket and a floral skirt, and barefoot, pushed open the door and rushed out of the house.

She kept shouting, "Oh, it's raining! It's raining! Everyone come out and splash in the puddles!"

The little girl ran excitedly in the rain, her joyful laughter echoing in the air. She jumped freely, stepping into a puddle, splashing water everywhere, wetting her skirt and toes, but she didn't care at all.

She put down the basin of water on her head and ran straight out of the yard into the street. Raindrops fell on her face, and she reached out her little hand to catch them, feeling the cool touch.

Hearing the commotion, the children from other courtyards also ran out and joined in splashing in the water, enjoying this unique joy together.

The adults stood at a distance, holding umbrellas or wearing raincoats, watching the children play in the rain, their faces beaming with warm smiles. This rain brought a unique vitality and energy to the village.

After playing for a while, the rain got heavier and the temperature started to drop, becoming a little chilly. People began urging the children to go home.

At this moment, Mu Shuyun came out wearing a plastic bag lined with fertilizer and holding an umbrella in her hand.

She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Yunya, where are you? Come home quickly, it's raining heavily, you'll get sick if you get wet in the rain."

She was cooking pig feed in the big pot in the kitchen when she stopped looking for a while, and the little girl disappeared.

Mu Shuyun looked around anxiously but couldn't find her "crazy girl." Just then, a little girl of about four years old ran over and said, "Grandma Mu, I saw Yunya! She's splashing in the water in the alley to the south!" She pointed to the south corner.

This little girl is the daughter of Grandma Niu's eldest daughter. She is also the daughter of the woman the villagers gossiped about who had "epilepsy."

Her daughter is about the same age as Yunya. Kong Chunhua went back to her parents' home without bringing her child. After she gave birth, her in-laws found out she had a neurological disorder and wouldn't let her breastfeed, fearing the child would become mentally impaired from drinking her milk.

From birth until she was a little over a year old, the child was fed formula by her mother-in-law. Kong Chunhua only went back to her parents' home once when the child was a year and a half old. Fortunately, the child did not inherit her mother's disease; the little girl is very healthy and intelligent.

Mu Shuyun said, "Okay, I'll go find her. Tell your grandma that you'll come to our house to play with her later. Don't get caught in the rain on the street, or your grandma won't be able to find you."

"Okay, sure." After saying that, Li Caixia went home and told her grandmother that she was going to Yunya's house to play.

Mu Shuyun walked across the street and turned the corner into the alley to the south, where she indeed saw Yunya having a great time.

"Yun~ ah~" she called out.

"Oh...Grandma, come and play in the puddles, it's so much fun, squeaky squeaky squeaky..."

That mesmerizing laughter is truly masterful. It's all thanks to Granny Zhang! Granny Zhang is a frequent visitor; if you can't imitate that infectious laughter, you'd be doing a disservice to her teachings.

"Stop playing and hurry home. Caixia will come to your house to play with you later. Grandma made your favorite fried meatballs."

He walked over and picked up the little girl, and sure enough, she wasn't wearing shoes.

Mu Shuyun turned cold and threatened her, "Where are your shoes? Did they get washed away? Your grandpa will spank you when he gets back."

"No, no, Grandma, I'm not wearing shoes, hehehe..." She raised her hand and rubbed her nose, two streams of clear snot flowing down her cheeks before being wiped away with a "slurp".

Mu Shuyun froze on the spot...

What happened? Where did that clean, obedient, well-behaved, and sensible little cutie go? When did she turn out like that?

Coming to his senses, he turned around, picked up the little girl, and left without even taking out his umbrella.

When they got home, Mu Shuyun dried her hair, then washed her face, braided her hair, changed her clothes, and put on her shoes and socks.

She said, "Why are you wearing a cotton-padded coat? If it gets wet, you'll get rashes and won't be warm in winter."

The girl giggled and said, "It's alright. I'm not afraid of getting wet in my cotton-padded coat. It's thick and warm because of the cotton filling."

Mu Shuyun was very angry and wanted to lose her temper, but when she looked at the child she had raised with her own hands, she was filled with reluctance.

Yunya has been by her side the most these past few years. Her husband works every day and basically doesn't rest unless he has to.

Her children have either gotten married and moved out, or married out of the family. Even her unmarried children can't always be by her side; they've all gone out to earn money.

Yunya was her emotional support and sweet companion. She never hit Yunya or scolded her. She was the same way with her own children; sometimes when her children misbehaved, she would get angry, but she still couldn't bear to be harsh with them.

Mu Shuyun shook her head helplessly, thinking she would wash the cotton-padded coat when the weather cleared up. She gently stroked Yunya's hair and said softly, "You can't be so naughty anymore, okay?"

Yun Ya blinked her big eyes, nodded, and hugged Mu Shuyun's neck, acting coquettishly. Mu Shuyun smiled, her heart filled with warmth.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. Yunya got up from her small stool and ran to see what was happening. It turned out that Caixia had come to play with her. The two little girls held hands and ran into the inner room, chattering away.

After a while, the two children started playing house. One played the older sister and the other the younger sister. Their friendship grew stronger and stronger without them even realizing it.

"Sister, I went to the market in town with Grandma today, it was so much fun!" Yunya said excitedly.

"Wow, really? What's fun to do in town?" Caixia asked curiously.

"There are so many delicious and fun things! I even saw a huge candied hawthorn, bigger than my face!" Yunya gestured excitedly.

"Haha, that must taste delicious!" Caixia couldn't help but laugh.

They didn't care whether what they said was true or false; they only knew that the candied hawthorns in the game must be delicious. And the older and younger sisters in the game must love each other dearly.

The two little girls played house, sharing their funny stories, and their laughter filled the room.

Mu Shuyun watched from the side, feeling incredibly gratified. She hoped that Yunya and Caixia could always maintain this pure friendship and grow up happily together.

Mu Shuyun looked at them, a happy smile spreading across her face. Although life wasn't very wealthy, she felt incredibly content with these adorable children by her side.