country bumpkin

Chapter 25 The snow stopped

The next day, snowflakes were still falling, though much lighter than the day before. The air was filled with a cold wind and a chill.

Slowly, the sun came out. The snow stopped.

Mu Shuyun got up early, opened the door, and prepared to cook pig feed. Everyone else was still asleep.

Since it's not market day today, Kong Xiangdong doesn't need to go to the market to sell tofu; he can just make enough tofu to sell to his neighbors in the village.

So I don't need to get up too early. The beans were soaked yesterday, so it's not too late to cook them when I wake up.

In the cold winter, the villagers mainly eat vegetables they have stored away, such as cabbage and radishes. They also eat bean sprouts, tofu, and vermicelli.

Since no one grows vegetables in greenhouses, it's difficult to find leafy greens. While leafy greens are available in the city, they are very expensive, making them unaffordable for most families.

Mu Shuyun went to the kitchen and started working.

She poured water, lit a fire, and put three large dry branches and a thick dry root into the bottom of the pot. She let it burn on its own while Mu Shuyun went to prepare breakfast.

I shredded a large plate of potatoes, washed ten salted eggs, kneaded the dough and rolled it into noodles, and chopped scallions, cilantro, and minced garlic. With all that prepared, I went to check on the big pot.

By this time, the water in the large pot has boiled. Pour in the chopped sweet potato chips and stir evenly with a large iron spoon. Cook for a while longer, stirring again to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the pig feed starts bubbling again, it's ready.

Use a shovel to shovel the remaining red embers from the bottom of the pot into the stove inside the house. Pour them into the stove, still carrying embers. Then grab a handful of dried corn husks and ignite them immediately.

Next, place some chopped wood strips on top, put the kettle on top, and cover the stove to prevent smoke from escaping.

Once you hear a whooshing sound from the stove, shovel a shovelful of charcoal and put it in, then lift the kettle lid. The stove will then be lit. After a while, add more charcoal to make it stable.

After lighting the stove, Mu Shuyun went to the kitchen to get the chopped vegetables and a medium-sized iron pot.

Put the pot on the stove and start cooking noodles and stir-frying vegetables. Once the food is cooked, cover it with a lid to keep it warm. The family should be getting up by then.

Mu Shuyun went to her bedroom, picked up Yunya's cotton-padded jacket and trousers, turned around and walked to the stove, moved a chair over, spread the cotton-padded clothes on the chair, and placed it next to the stove to warm herself.

In no time, the cotton-padded jacket and trousers were warm to the touch. They felt soft and warm to the touch; they must be very comfortable to wear. I went back inside and brought out Yunya's socks and shoes to warm them by the fire.

Yun Ya was still asleep. Mu Shuyun sat down by the bedside, looking at the little girl with loving eyes and concern. A slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

Kong Xiangdong and Zhou Caiyun also woke up, and the two got up and washed up together. Since they got married, they had only been apart for a short period when they were building the house; the rest of the time they were inseparable, and their relationship had grown even stronger.

After washing up, they went to the main room for dinner. Mu Shuyun set the table, and Kong Xiufang and Kong Tongming also came over. The family sat around the table to eat, and the hot food tasted delicious.

Kong Xiangdong peeled a salted egg and put it in Zhou Caiyun's bowl. Zhou Caiyun glanced at Kong Xiangdong shyly and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Dong." Then she picked up the egg and took a small bite.

Kong Xiangdong said with a smile, "Eat up, the noodles Mom made today are so delicious."

After the family finished breakfast in a happy atmosphere, Mu Shuyun led Kong Xiufang to the back of the yard to get dried peanut vines to feed the sheep. They chatted about their future plans as they walked.

Kong Tongming went to work. Kong Xiangdong then prepared to make tofu. Zhou Caiyun wanted to help, but Kong Xiangdong stopped her, telling her to rest. Zhou Caiyun could only nod and watch Kong Xiangdong leave.

After Kong Xiangdong left, Zhou Caiyun didn't rest. She cleaned up the dishes, tidied the house, and then sat down to shell the remaining peanut seeds.

Just then, Granny Zhang from next door came over for a visit. Seeing Zhou Caiyun, she jokingly asked, "Caiyun, how's life for you two after you got married?"

Zhou Caiyun blushed, lowered her head and smiled, and said softly, "It's fine, Aunt Zhang."

Seeing this, Granny Zhang burst into laughter, "What's there to be shy about, young man? Just let me know if you need any help in the future." After saying that, she turned around and went to the alley in the backyard to chat with Mu Shuyun.

Watching Aunt Zhang's departing figure, Zhou Caiyun felt a surge of happiness. She knew that life was just beginning, and the future was long; she and Kong Xiangdong would definitely have a better and better life together.

Yunya didn't wake up until 9 o'clock. Her aunt was too tired from playing with her yesterday, so she woke up a little later today.

She woke up and saw that no one was beside her, so she called for her grandmother to dress her. "Grandma, I'm awake. I want to get up and get dressed."

Auntie came over when she heard the noise. "Yunya, you're awake. Your grandma and aunt went to work. Shall I help you get dressed?"

"Okay, thank you, Auntie!" Yunya thanked her quite politely.

Zhou Caiyun took clothes from the chair next to the stove and helped Yunya put them on, then put on socks and cotton shoes.

The little guy couldn't wait to run outside, and all he saw was a blanket of white. It had snowed heavily yesterday and hadn't stopped. After a night of accumulation, everything was covered in white.

The tall trees in the village, adorned with heavy snow, looked exceptionally beautiful. The snow on the branches resembled strings of crystal-clear ice crystals, shimmering with the winter glow.

The earth has also put on a brand new winter coat. The pure white snowflakes cover the entire field of vision. Stepping on them is like walking on a soft white carpet, and the crunching sound echoes on the silent snow.

When Mu Shuyun returned after feeding the sheep, she didn't see Yunya on the bed and asked Zhou Caiyun, "Caiyun, where did Yunya go?"

"Oh, Mother, Yunya woke up and couldn't find you, so I helped her get dressed, and then she ran out to see the snow."

"Oh, okay, I'll go find her. That girl's always so energetic, she never stops." With that, he walked out the door.

Granny Zhang also went out to look for Yunya.

The streets were eerily quiet. All the villagers were warmly indoors, and apart from one or two people passing by on their way to work, there was hardly anyone to be seen.

At that moment, Yunya was in a corner, pushing the snow around her together. Her little hands were red from the cold, but her face was full of joy.

When Mu Shuyun saw Yunya building a snowman alone in a corner, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She quietly walked up behind Yunya and whispered, "Yunya, are you building a snowman?"

Yunya was startled. She turned around and saw Mu Shuyun. She smiled and said, "Grandma, do you think the snowman I built is pretty?"

Mu Shuyun nodded and praised, "It looks really good. Yunya is really amazing." Yunya smiled proudly.

Granny Zhang pursed her lips, thinking to herself, "Nonsense, what's so beautiful about it? It's just a small snowdrift, it doesn't look like a snowman at all. This old woman Mu spoils Yunya too much."

Mu Shuyun said, "Yun~ are you hungry? Why don't we go home and eat first, and then build a snowman, okay?"

"Hmm~ I'm not hungry, Grandma, I'll eat when I get back!"

Granny Zhang interrupted, "Oh! Yun girl, you're not hungry when you're playing, which saves you a lot of food, hehehe..." I laughed to myself.

Mu Shuyun looked at Granny Zhang and sighed helplessly. She could only help Yunya build a snowman. They used snowballs to make the snowman's body and head, and also put a hat and scarf on the snowman.

After the snowman was finished, Yunya took Mu Shuyun's hand and said happily, "Grandma, let's carry the snowman home together!"

Mu Shuyun chimed in, "Okay, wait a moment, I'll go home and get some tools."

She quickly went home and grabbed a shovel and a fertilizer bag. She used the shovel to scoop up the whole snowman, placed it on the fertilizer bag, and had Yunya hold one corner of the bag, pulling it home with all her might.

It really could be pulled; it was brought home in no time. We parked it in the yard, right opposite the kitchen.

Yunya jumped up and down with joy! "Woohoo...ga ga ga...ga ga ga..."

The magical laughter echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

When they got hungry from playing, Mu Shuyun heated up the food and called Yunya to eat. The little one finally felt hungry and wolfed down her food.

"Slow down, slow down, don't choke," Mu Shuyun said with concern.

This little guy is always a handful. That's what Granny Zhang thought.

I turned around and went home...