country bumpkin

Chapter 13 Together with Caixia

After a day of continuous rain, the sun finally came out.

Li Caixia came to play with Yunya early in the morning. The two children never quarreled no matter how they played; they got along very well.

Yunya sat on her little stool, head down, earnestly kneading the mud. Caixia also had a lump of mud in her hand.

Yunya sculpted a puppy out of clay, while Caixia sculpted a pig. They looked at their creations and laughed happily. Although they didn't quite resemble the animals, they both felt very proud of themselves.

“My puppy is cuter than your pig!” Yunya said.

“No, my little pig is the cutest!” Caixia retorted.

The two were arguing when suddenly, Yunya had an idea.

"Let's have a competition, let the puppy and the pig fight, and see who's stronger!" Yunya said excitedly.

So they put the puppy and the pig on the ground and pushed them with their fingers, making them bump into each other.

The puppy and the pig rolled around in the mud, making the two children laugh out loud.

In the end, the puppy and the pig were missing ears and legs, but the two children had a happy morning.

After lunch, Caixia came again. Adults and children alike love to visit each other.

Inside Yunya's house, to the east, there are two large trees. The two trees are about a meter apart. Grandpa noticed this distance and made a swing using a thick rope.

They propped themselves up on the tree, placed a small four-cornered stool in the middle, and Yunya and Caixia excitedly ran to the swing. One of them sat down, and the other helped push. Yunya sat on the swing first, and Caixia slowly pushed it, and it began to swing slowly.

"Wow, it's so high!" Yunya exclaimed happily.

"Higher, higher!" Yunya shouted again.

The swings swung higher and higher, and their laughter grew louder and louder. Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on them; everything seemed so beautiful.

After playing for a while, Caixia sat on the swing, and Yunya pushed her. The two little girls took turns sitting on the swing, enjoying this wonderful time to the fullest, as if they had forgotten all their troubles.

Just as the two were having fun, Yunya's maternal grandmother came out of the house and called out, "Yun~ Ah, stop playing and come with Grandma to pick cotton."

Upon hearing this, Yunya reluctantly stopped. Seeing this, Caixia jumped off the swing and said, "I'll go with you too, I can help you pick cotton."

Grandma smiled and nodded, leading them towards the cotton field. The two little girls chatted and laughed along the way, and soon arrived at the cotton field. Because this field was on the edge of the village, very, very close to their home.

Yunya and Caixia began to diligently pick cotton, their little hands constantly busy. Although a little tired, they still found it very interesting. Under the sunlight, the pure white cotton looked as beautiful as clouds.

The two children were quite fast. They finished picking up the rubble in about an hour. Then they followed their grandmother home.

Caixia spent the whole day with Yunya, and their friendship has deepened even further.

Caixia had dinner at Yunya's house. After dinner, Caixia and Yunya lay on the deck chairs in the yard, looking at the stars in the sky.

"Yunya, let's stay good friends forever, okay?" Caixia said softly.

"Of course! We'll be best friends for life!" Yunya squeezed Caixia's hand.

“Let’s pinky swear.” Caixia extended her little finger.

"Pinky promise, hang yourself, never to change your mind for a hundred years! Whoever changes their mind is a little dog." The laughter of the two little girls echoed in the courtyard at night.

…………

The next day was sunny and it was market day. After breakfast, Grandma and Yunya went to the market with Granny Zhang.

The rural market was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares. Yunya excitedly held her grandmother's hand, looking around with eyes that couldn't take it all in.

She saw vendors selling candied hawthorns, sugar figurines, and many other novelties. Grandma bought Yunya a candied hawthorn, which Yunya ate with great relish.

As she walked, Yunya came across a mask stall. The stall was filled with all sorts of masks, including those of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Chang'e.

Yunya was captivated by a jade rabbit mask, and she held it with great affection. Her grandmother noticed her interest and bought the mask for her.

Yunya was overjoyed, running and jumping around while wearing her mask. She ran to a corner and suddenly saw a familiar figure. It was Caixia!

Yunya ran over and took Caixia's hand; the two smiled at each other. They strolled through the market together, shared delicious food, and spent a pleasant morning.

Mu Shuyun, Granny Zhang, and Granny Niu went to buy vegetables and meat. They also bought apples and some daily necessities.

Suddenly, Yunya noticed a corner of the market surrounded by people. Walking over, she saw it was a monkey show.

Caixia and Yunya squeezed into the crowd and watched as the monkeys performed various amusing actions under their owner's command, making the onlookers burst into laughter.

Yunya watched with great interest and couldn't help but try to imitate her, drawing stares from those around them. Caixia quickly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to stop fooling around.

After watching the monkey show, the two children and three adults continued strolling through the market. Passing a food stall, Yunya smelled an enticing aroma and pulled Caixia over. The stall owner was frying a golden-brown snack that looked incredibly delicious.

Looking at the tempting snacks, Yunya couldn't help but shed tears from the corners of her mouth.

Yunya asked her grandmother for money, bought a portion, and she and Caixia each had one, eating as they walked.

Before we knew it, the sun had risen high overhead, and the number of people in the market was gradually decreasing.

Grandmothers, carrying baskets overflowing with groceries, called out to Yunya and Caixia to come home. So, the two little ones followed behind the three adults, slowly making their way home.

The journey was quite long, and although the two children were empty-handed and had rested for a while along the way, they were still quite tired. They went straight to bed as soon as they got home.

Today was tiring but also very enjoyable. Yunya loves being in a crowd, and the market is always bustling with activity. She's looking forward to the next market day.

Thinking like this, I drifted off to sleep.