country bumpkin

Chapter 380 Going Home with Xuanmei

Around 7 p.m., Xuanmei's mother returned home, looking exhausted and disheveled.

When she got home and saw her daughter, a happy smile stayed on her face. Later, when she saw that her daughter had brought a friend home, she greeted Yunya warmly.

Yunya greeted sweetly, "Auntie, you're back."

Xuan's mother replied, "Oh, you're back. Have you eaten? I'll go wash up and then go buy some groceries to cook you something delicious."

Before Yunya could answer, Xuanmei interjected, "Mom, we've already prepared dinner. Hurry up and wash up, then come and eat!"

Xuan's mother was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Okay, I'll be right back." After saying that, she went to take a bath in the small room next to the kitchen.

It's still very cold now, so Xuan's mother just washes her hair, face, and feet, which is equivalent to taking a bath.

She quickly washed up, changed into clean clothes, and came out.

At this time, Xuanmei's younger brother came home from school. He didn't attend evening self-study sessions; he studied at home instead.

Upon entering, she saw her second sister had returned. After greeting her, she went to wash her hands and prepare for dinner. When she returned from washing her hands, she saw that there were guests in the house. She only glanced at them, then silently lowered her head to eat, ignoring Yunya.

Xuanmei said, "Xiaoran, we have guests at home, why don't you greet them?"

Yun Ya quietly tugged at Xuan Mei, "It's okay, she's probably just shy and doesn't want to talk."

Xuanmei didn't continue scolding her younger brother. He was going through puberty, and it was normal for him to be shy and quiet. There was no need to ruin their relationship over such a small matter.

Yun Ya didn't care about any of that. Whether he talked or not, he wasn't her good friend, so it didn't matter!

Xuan Ran glanced at Yun Ya out of the corner of her eye and saw that she didn't look unhappy. She wondered why this woman wasn't angry.

If you can't figure something out, don't dwell on it. Put aside these trivial matters and just eat to your heart's content.

When my second sister comes back, we always have a good meal, with meat, rice, and two vegetable dishes.

When he comes home from school, his mother is still cooking, so he can't eat a hot meal right away.

Moreover, when my second sister doesn't come home for meals, it's always the same dish: stewed cabbage, shredded potatoes, or stir-fried bean sprouts—there's never any meat in it.

My brother works away from home and sends half of his salary back home. He keeps the other half for himself to use for his wedding.

After my eldest sister got married, she only gave me a little money during holidays and never came to visit.

He knew his family's situation all too well. Although his mother earned some money, she also liked to smoke and drink. How much money could the family possibly save?

From as far back as he can remember, his mother acted like a man, smoking, drinking, and doing hard labor. His older sister told him that his mother wasn't like this before; she only became like this after his father passed away.

Xuanran felt that there was really nothing to like about this dilapidated home.

He felt no warmth or comfort, only a cold and despairing sense of hopelessness.

My eldest sister married and moved far away, and my eldest brother is only focused on saving money to get married. My second sister's salary isn't high either, barely enough to cover the family's food and drink. After deducting the cost of smoking and drinking, my mother doesn't have much left of her salary.

So, the money to support the family was basically pooled together by the three of them.

Xuanran wanted to live a good life, didn't want to suffer, and didn't want to continue living a muddled life in this desolate and hopeless home.

He studied hard, hoping to get into university through his own efforts, find a good job, and stay far away from home.

None of her family members knew that little Xuanran had such mature ideas.

Xuan's mother never imagined that her youngest son, whom she doted on and spoiled, would hate this family so much.

Sometimes Xuanran really wanted to ask her mother why she learned to smoke and drink like a man, which not only wasted money but also ruined her health.

But he dared not ask, fearing that his mother would no longer care for him or love him.

Xuanran ate heartily, quickly finished her meal, wiped her mouth, and ran back to her room to study.

Xuanmei and the others ate slowly, chatting about everyday things as they ate. After everyone had finished eating, Yunya helped Xuanmei clear the table.

Xuanmei grabbed the bowls and chopsticks to wash them, while Yunya took a rag to wipe the table. Xuan's mother came over with a broom to sweep the floor.

After wiping the table, Yunya quickly grabbed the broom and helped sweep the floor. She even thoughtfully told Xuan's mother to go and rest for a while.

Xuan's mother liked Yunya very much, thinking that the little girl was sensible, diligent, and considerate. She sighed in her heart, "It's better to have a daughter; she's thoughtful, sensible, and easy to take care of."

When Xuanmei came in after washing the dishes, her mother had already gone back to her room to rest.

Just then, Yunya finished sweeping the floor and was washing her hands. Xuanmei looked at Yunya and smiled, saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm a guest in my house and you still have to do chores."

Yunya waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, what's the big deal? I do this all the time at home. It's nothing to me."

Xuanmei knew Yunya's status in the family, and inexplicably began to feel sorry for her.

Seeing Xuanmei frowning, Yunya reached out and gently brushed away the large bulge that had formed due to her frown.

Xuanmei smiled sweetly, "Hehe, what are you doing?"

Yunya said, "I didn't do anything, I just wanted to soothe the sadness in your heart."

Xuanmei chuckled, a genuine smile from the bottom of her heart. This kind of joyful smile hadn't appeared on her face for a long time.

Yunya felt a warm feeling in her heart for some reason, as if close contact with Xuanmei could make her feel great.

With nothing to do after dinner, Xuanmei took Yunya for a stroll around the front gate.

The March night was still cold, and Yunya hugged her arms and wrapped her clothes tightly around herself.

After walking around for about 10 minutes, Xuanmei noticed that Yunya was cold, so she pulled her into her arms to warm her up.

Yunya was shocked by her actions and stood there for a long time, unable to calm down.

For a moment, she felt her heart skip a beat, but now she felt happy.

Xuanmei hugged Yunya for a short while, then looked up and gently asked, "Are you still cold? Shall we go home?"

Yunya felt the embrace was so warm, but happiness came and went quickly. She really wanted to be held in this warm embrace forever and ever.

Xuanmei looked at Yunya, who was lost in thought, waved her hand in front of her face, and asked again, "Yunya, Yunya, are you still cold?"

Yunya snapped out of her daze and looked at the face so close to hers. She really wanted to kiss it. But she was afraid. She was afraid that if she did, Xuanmei would be scared away.

She was afraid that Xuanmei would break off their friendship and ignore her. Yunya was filled with mixed feelings and didn't know what to do.

Xuanmei thought she was freezing, which was why she was so slow to react. Without waiting for Yunya's reply, she took Yunya's icy little hand and started walking home.

Back home, she locked the door and took Yunya back to her bedroom.

Her bedroom is 15 square meters and contains a double bed and a desk.

Opposite the bed, against the wall, was an old wardrobe with peeling paint. Inside were Xuanmei's clothes.

Yunya stood in front of the bed, looking around at the furnishings. Xuanmei pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, held Yunya's hands in her arms, breathed on them to warm them, and rubbed them.

Yun Ya's heart was pounding, as if it were boiling with excitement.