country bumpkin

Chapter 429 Childhood Memories

The heavy snow had been falling all day and was still continuing into the evening. The proprietress checked the time; it was already 9 p.m., and there wasn't a soul on the street. It seemed she would have to close for the day.

The proprietress said, "Everyone, let's clean up! The weather's bad today, and there aren't many customers, so let's leave early."

Upon hearing that they could leave work early, the girls perked up. Those with brooms began sweeping quickly, while those with mops followed behind, mopping the floor.

The entire store was cleaned in just 6 minutes. Then everyone put on hats and gloves, slung their small backpacks over their shoulders, said goodbye to the owner, and rushed out of the store.

The snow had piled up quite thick, and the girls who went out stepped into the ground, only to slip and fall. The snowflakes reached above their ankles.

Seeing the rare snow, the girls became excited. They stomped on the snow for a while.

Chen Pingping, ever the clever one, called out to Yun Ya, "Yun Ya, don't go yet. Let's play in the snow for a while!"

Yunya looked up at the heavy snow falling from the sky, shook her head and said, "Let's not play anymore. It's getting late and the snow is getting heavier. It'll be difficult to walk in a little while."

Chen Pingping was somewhat disappointed. Her eyes darted around, and she quickly bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, made a snowball, and threw it at Yun Ya with a "bang".

Yun Ya was stunned for a moment after being hit, then chuckled, bent down quickly, made a snowball, and threw it at Chen Pingping.

The two girls giggled and played around, clearly in high spirits.

The other girls watched for a while, then said goodbye to them and rode their bikes home without joining in their snowball fight.

Yunya threw a few snowballs, then stopped, said goodbye to Chen Pingping, and prepared to go home.

Chen Pingping still wouldn't let Yun Ya leave, pulling on Yun Ya's arm and saying in a high-pitched voice, "Yun Ya, play with me a little longer, okay?"

Yunya had a strange feeling that she was her boyfriend, and said, "Oh dear! We can play again tomorrow. Don't you know what time it is? The road is slippery, and we can't ride fast. If we don't hurry home, it will be a long time before we get home."

Chen Pingping reluctantly released Yun Ya's arm. "Sigh! Fine then!"

After saying goodbye to the landlady, Yunya got on her bicycle and rode south with Chen Pingping.

Chen Pingping's vehicle was an electric bike, which was much faster than Yun Ya's bicycle. Yun Ya told her to go ahead, and she could ride slowly on her own.

Chen Pingping said, "No need. You'll be turning at the intersection soon anyway, then we can separate."

Yunya didn't say anything more, and rode her bicycle close to her while chatting.

They soon reached the intersection. Chen Pingping continued south, while Yun Ya turned east. The two parted ways.

There wasn't a single pedestrian on the road. Yunya looked at the snowflakes shimmering under the streetlights.

A chilly wind swept through the streets and alleys, with only the streetlights standing at the street corners, casting a warm yellow glow.

Fine snowflakes drifted down from the dark sky, and as soon as they touched the light, they suddenly took shape, like countless tiny stars falling, fluttering gently.

The snowflakes were extremely light, swirling and dancing under the lamplight. Some clung to the lampposts, forming a thin layer of white that shimmered softly in the warm light.

Some swirled in the air, their tiny rays of light flickering like shattered moonlight scattered in the wind.

The lights pierced through the snow and mist, tinting each snowflake with a warm and soft glow. Unlike their pristine appearance during the day, they were enveloped in a soft light, like whispers carrying warmth, falling lightly onto shoulders and hair, almost imperceptible, yet bright enough to warm one's heart.

The cold night was made more beautiful by the lamp and the snow. The warm yellow light supported the shimmering snow, filtering out some of the chill of the winter night, leaving only this delicate and gentle light, spreading through the streets and alleys, quiet and touching.

Yunya gazed at the beautiful scenery and marveled at the wonders of nature. Soon, Yunya rode to her front door. The gate was tightly closed, but she could see light coming from the yard.

The door lamp at the entrance of the main room shone brightly, reflecting off the snowflakes, casting a shimmering silver light that spread across the sky and fields.

Yunya unlocked the door with her key, pushed the gate open, parked the car, and then went back to lock the gate.

Kong Xiujuan heard a noise in the yard and prepared to open the door to check. At this moment, the puppy rushed out of the house into the yard wagging its tail, squeaking and circling around Yunya.

When Kong Xiujuan saw that it was Yunya who had returned, she asked her curiously, "Why are you back earlier today than yesterday?"

Yunya said, "There are fewer people today, so the boss lady let us leave work early."

Kong Xiujuan: "Oh! Your boss's wife is quite a nice person."

Yun Ya said, "Hmm, she's alright. As long as she doesn't lose her temper, she's great. But if she's in a bad mood, it's best to stay far away and minimize her presence."

Kong Xiujuan: "That goes without saying, everyone feels this way when they're in a bad mood."

Yunya didn't argue with her mother. She fetched water to wash her hands, and after washing her hands, she heated up the food and ate.

Sun Zitao was still watching TV when Yun Ya greeted him. They exchanged a few words and then went about their own business.

Yunya ate her meal while watching TV with her father. When Yunya finished eating, the TV series was still going on, and Sun Zitao continued watching. Yunya washed her feet and went back to her bedroom.

Although there was a stove in the living room, Yunya's room was not warm at all. Yunya put in a hot water bottle, which warmed her up a little.

Holding the hot water bottle, she finally felt a little warmer. Yunya remembered that when she was little, she always felt warm.

Grandma always said she was a little furnace, but I don't know when it started, I've become a cold-blooded animal with cold hands and feet.

After hugging for a while, Yunya felt warmer, so she pushed the hot water bottle to the bottom to warm her feet.

After the blankets warmed up, Yunya drifted off to sleep. She slept exceptionally soundly that night, perhaps because of the warmth of the blankets, or perhaps because of the beautiful snow scene.

In the stillness of the night, only the crystal-clear snowflakes outside the window drifted and swirled, adorning the earth with a delicate beauty.

The next day, the heavy snow had stopped. Yunya finally got to sleep in.

Around 8 a.m., she lazily stretched before slowly getting out of bed. She drew back the curtains, revealing a silvery-white world outside, the sunlight shining on the snow so bright it hurt her eyes.

"Yunya, come out and shovel snow!" her father called from the yard. Yunya responded, put on her thick cotton coat and gloves, and went out of the house. The family took shovels and began clearing the snow from the yard.

Just then, the child from Sun Fei's tenant's family ran over excitedly and said, "Sister Yunya, let's go to the open space on the street and build a snowman!"

Looking at the child's expectant eyes, Yunya nodded and said, "Okay, let my family and I finish clearing this snow."

The child skipped and hopped away. Yunya quickened her pace, and in no time, the snow in the yard was cleared away.

She and the child went to the street and started building a snowman with other children. They divided the work, some rolling snowballs, some finding decorations, and soon a cute snowman appeared before their eyes.

Looking at the snowman, Yunya's face lit up with a bright smile. This long-lost childlike joy made her feel as if she had returned to the time when she was a child and built a snowman with her grandmother.