Everyone's been reborn, so who would bother finding a wife on their own?

Chapter 93 This is life in the countryside!

The bus swayed and bumped along for more than an hour before stopping on the side of the road.

The driver shouted, "We've arrived at Songxi!"

Song Huan nudged Xiao Yunqing next to her.

She leaned against the window, her face pressed against her coat, leaving a red mark.

She groggily opened her eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again.

It seems Xiao Yunqing has been really tired these past few days; she was able to fall asleep on such a bumpy bus.

"arrive?"

"arrive."

She sat up straight, handed him her coat, rubbed her eyes, and looked out the window.

The road was a narrow dirt road made of cement, with grass growing on both sides.

In the distance are fields, beyond which are mountains, and on the mountains are trees, clusters of green.

The air seeped in through the cracks in the window, carrying the smell of earth and grass, completely different from the car exhaust, cafeteria fumes, and chalk dust she was used to smelling.

She sniffed, then sniffed again.

"It smells so good." Her voice was still hoarse, like she had just woken up.

"It smells good, because I just farted."

Xiao Yunqing instantly perked up and angrily slapped him across the face.

"Just kidding."

Song Huan ran away laughing, then stuffed her coat back into her bag, stood up, and took two bags off the luggage rack.

"Let's go."

The car door opened, and hot air rushed in.

Xiao Yunqing followed him out of the car, stood by the roadside, and squinted at her surroundings.

The sun was high overhead, making her dizzy, but the wind was cool, blowing from the fields and scattering her stray hairs across her face.

"So this is Huanhuan's hometown," she said softly, her eyes brightening.

"Let's go." Song Huan slung her bag over her shoulder and picked up hers, then headed into the village.

Xiao Yunqing followed behind, walking slowly, looking around like a child visiting the zoo for the first time.

Rice paddies lined both sides of the road, the rice already yellow, drooping heavily.

In the distance, people were harvesting, their backs bent, the sickles swishing loudly.

She watched for a while, then quickened her pace to catch up with him.

There is a large banyan tree at the entrance of the village, its canopy spreading out like an umbrella.

Several women sat under the tree picking vegetables, their hands busy and their mouths never idle.

Hearing footsteps, I looked up and saw two young people wearing white T-shirts and carrying backpacks walking towards me.

A woman in a floral shirt squinted for a while, then whispered to the person next to her, "Whose child is this?"

The person next to him shook his head. "Don't know him. Is he from the city?"

The man in the floral shirt glanced at the vegetables again, and was about to bend down to continue picking them when Song Huan spoke up.

"Sixth Aunt, it's me, Song Huan. From Wentao's family."

The man in the floral shirt stopped on the vegetable basket, his eyes widening as he looked him up and down.

"Oh my! Huanhuan? Huanhuan from Wentao's family?"

She stood up, walked up to him, and compared her height to his. "You've grown so tall! You were only this short the last time I saw you."

He gestured with his hand at his waist, "He's taller than Auntie now. Tsk tsk tsk, that face, those eyebrows, just like his dad when he was young."

Several women nearby gathered around, chattering amongst themselves.

"Wen Tao's son? He's grown so much!"

"You're in high school now, right?"

"Where do we go?"

Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School.

Where is Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School located?

"Uh...not far."

Song Huan answered each question with a smile on her face.

Aunt Liu's gaze shifted from him to the person behind him.

Xiao Yunqing stood half a step behind him, clutching the strap of her schoolbag, her face slightly flushed.

Aunt Liu's eyes lit up. "Huanhuan, is this your girlfriend?"

Xiao Yunqing's face flushed red, down to the tips of her ears.

He opened his mouth briefly, then closed it again, unsure of what to say.

Song Huan laughed, "No, I'm just a classmate. I'm here in the countryside for a visit."

Aunt Liu didn't believe it, and neither did the other women nearby.

They looked at Xiao Yunqing, then at Song Huan, and smiled meaningfully.

"Classmate? Good, good, good, classmate." Aunt Liu patted Song Huan on the shoulder. "You've got guts, bringing back such a pretty female classmate."

Several women burst into laughter.

Xiao Yunqing lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes, her ears burning red.

Song Huan couldn't help but laugh too much, and tugged at Xiao Yunqing's sleeve, "Let's go, let's go, my grandma is waiting."

The two quickened their pace and passed through the laughter.

Xiao Yunqing was pulled along by him, her head down, her steps quick.

Even after walking a distance, Aunt Liu's voice still drifted behind her, "Remember to bring your female classmate over for a visit!"

Song Huan didn't turn around, but waved her hand.

The gate to the old family home was open.

The sounds of chickens, ducks, and geese mingled together—clucking, quacking, goose-goose-goose—like a bustling market.

Song Huan pushed open the door. The pineapple tree in the yard was still there, even taller than she remembered, its canopy spreading out and shading half of the yard.

The fruits hung on the tree trunks, some green, some yellow, all round and plump, emitting a sweet and cloying aroma.

Grandpa was standing in front of the chicken coop, holding a basin in his hand, scattering grain into it.

His back was a little hunched, and his hair was much whiter than the last time I saw him, but he was still quite agile.

Hearing the noise, I looked up, paused for a moment, and then almost dropped the basin.

"Huanhuan?"

"Grandpa." Song Huan walked in.

Grandpa placed the basin on the chicken coop, walked over quickly, and looked him up and down.

"Why are you back? Didn't you say you were busy with your studies?" Grandpa's voice trembled slightly, but his face was full of smiles.

"Grandma sprained her ankle, so I came back to help."

Grandpa waved his hand, "No need, no need, your grandma is fine, she just twisted her ankle. You should focus on your studies and not fall behind."

"It won't be a problem, it's the weekend." Song Huan glanced into the house. "Where's Grandma?"

Before the words were even finished, a voice came from inside the house, "Who's here?"

Grandma came out of the house, one hand holding the door frame, the other supporting her waist, her foot wrapped in bandages, limping.

Upon seeing Song Huan, he paused for a second, then all the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

"Huanhuan!" She quickened her pace and limped over.

Song Huan quickly went to her and helped her up, saying, "Grandma, take it easy."

Grandma held his hand, looking him up and down several times, her eyes reddening. "You've lost weight, you've gotten even thinner. Have you not been eating properly at school?"

Song Huan was both amused and exasperated. "I ate it, Grandma, but I didn't lose weight."

Grandma didn't believe him and pinched his arm again. "You've gotten so thin. Wait, Grandma will make you something delicious."

He then started to walk towards the kitchen.

Song Huan quickly grabbed her, "Your leg is like this, why are you cooking? I'll do it."

Grandma then noticed that there was another person standing behind him.

Xiao Yunqing peeked out from behind Song Huan, her face flushed and a little nervous.

Hello, Grandma.

Grandma paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

She took Song Huan's hand and lowered her voice, but it was loud enough to be heard throughout half the courtyard, "Whose daughter is this?"

Song Huan was speechless. "This classmate's name is Xiao Yunqing. He's here in the countryside for a visit."

Grandma looked Xiao Yunqing up and down. He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, his ponytail was tied high, his face was fair, his eyes were bright, and he stood there quietly, like a little cabbage that had just been watered.

Hmm, why did I think of bok choy?

There was probably a little pig next to it.

"Wow, this girl is really pretty."

Grandma beamed, pulling Xiao Yunqing's hand and leading her inside. "Come, come, come in and sit down. It's hot outside, but cool inside. Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Are you tired from the journey?"

Xiao Yunqing was pulled by her grandmother. She turned around and glanced at Song Huan, her eyes showing a hint of panic.

Song Huan nodded to her, meaning it was alright, that's just how my grandma is.

She turned back, but her grandmother pulled her into the house.

Grandpa stood in the yard, watching them go in, then turned to look at Song Huan and smiled.

"Your grandma sprained her ankle but she's still so talkative."

"Let her be; it makes her happy."

Grandpa nodded and walked towards the kitchen. "I'm going to buy some groceries. What would you like to eat?"

"Keep it simple, Grandpa. Your legs aren't good either, so don't overdo it."

"No need to make a fuss, no need to make a fuss." Grandpa had already reached the courtyard gate, glanced back, and asked, "That girl, what does she like to eat?"

Song Huan thought for a moment, "She eats everything, she's not picky, just buy some meat."

Grandpa responded and left.

He walks very fast, not at all like someone in their seventies.

Song Huan went inside.

Grandma sat on a chair in the main room, her feet on a low stool, holding Xiao Yunqing's hand tightly.

Xiao Yunqing sat on a small stool next to him, her back straight, as if she were in class.

"Your name is Xiao Yunqing, right? That's a nice name." Grandma smiled. "What do your parents do?"

"My dad works at the Public Security Bureau, and my mom works at the Education Bureau," Xiao Yunqing said softly and obediently.

"Oh my, they're all officials!" Grandma was even happier. "Then you must be doing very well in your studies, right?"

"It's alright..." She secretly glanced at Song Huan.

"My Huanhuan has always been quiet and reserved, a real taciturn boy. Thank you for being his friend. His dad told me that when he was in kindergarten, all the other kids cried, but he didn't. He just stood there in a daze, and the teacher thought he was crazy." Grandma patted her hand, speaking enthusiastically.

Xiao Yunqing smiled, "He doesn't like to talk much now."

"Really? How do you usually communicate?"

Xiao Yunqing was stunned for a moment, then her face turned red again.

Song Huan stood at the door and coughed, "Grandma, don't scare them."

"How did I scare her? I was just chatting." Grandma glared at him, then turned to Xiao Yunqing with a smile. "Yunqing, come visit often. Grandma will cook you something delicious. The jackfruit in our yard is so sweet."

Xiao Yunqing nodded and smiled.

The smile was much more natural than when it first came in, and the shoulders relaxed.

A little while later, Grandpa returned from buying groceries.

After busying himself in the kitchen for a while, Grandpa came in carrying a basin filled with sliced ​​watermelon. The watermelon had red flesh and black seeds, was juicy, and was still steaming.

In his other hand, he was carrying a huge jackfruit, round and plump, with water droplets still clinging to its skin.

I just knocked it down from the tree. It fell to the ground with a thud, scaring all the chickens away.

Song Huan quickly went over to receive it.

The watermelon was heavy, and a layer of water had accumulated at the bottom of the basin.

But the jackfruit is bigger; it feels like a cannonball when you hold it in your arms.

Grandpa put the watermelon on the table. "Eat the watermelon first to quench your thirst. We'll open the jackfruit later."

Song Huan cut a few pieces of watermelon and served them to her grandmother first.

Grandma took it, but didn't eat it. She handed it to Xiao Yunqing, saying, "You eat first."

Xiao Yunqing quickly waved her hand, "Grandma, you eat first."

"My teeth aren't good, I can't eat cold food. You eat it, you eat it." Grandma insisted on stuffing it into her hand.

Song Huan was speechless and said, "Hey, don't try to refuse. There's plenty of it. It's like I'm abusing an old person."

Xiao Yunqing then took it and took a small bite.

The juice exploded in my mouth, sweet and cool.

She squinted her eyes, then took another bite, this time a bigger one.

Song Huan sat down next to him, put the jackfruit on the ground, made a cut on the surface with a knife, and then broke it open along the cut.

The yellow flesh is exposed, segment by segment, squeezed together, with an aroma so strong it's almost cloying.

First, he used a plastic bag to remove the sticky liquid, then he used a spoon to scoop out the pulp, put it in a bowl, and peeled it one by one.

His fingers were stuck with the sticky mucus, but he didn't care and peeled them off very carefully.

I peeled a small half bowl and served it to my grandmother first.

Grandma waved her hand, "I don't like this, it's too sweet. Give it to Yunqing."

Song Huan then placed the bowl in front of Xiao Yunqing.

She was still holding a watermelon in her hand, half of it bitten, her lips glistening with juice.

She glanced down at the bright yellow fruit pulp in the bowl, then looked up at him.

"For me?"

"Um."

She put the watermelon on the table, picked up a piece of jackfruit, and put it in her mouth.

I chewed it once, and my eyes lit up. I chewed it again, and my whole being lit up.

"It's delicious!" The voice was crisp and clear, like someone taking a bite of an apple.

Song Huan looked at her and laughed, "Isn't it sweet?"

"Sweet." She took another piece, stuffed it into her mouth, and puffed out her cheeks.

Grandma sat in the chair, watching her eat, and couldn't stop smiling.

"Isn't it delicious? Ours is dry bread, much better than the wet bread outside. This tree has been planted for over ten years, and it bears a lot of fruit every year. Huanhuan loved eating this when he was little, and he would climb the tree to pick it every summer. Once, he climbed too high and couldn't get down, so his grandfather had to bring a ladder to carry him down."

Xiao Yunqing chuckled, turning to look at Song Huan, "You can climb trees?"

Song Huan continued peeling the jackfruit with a blank expression. "That was when I was a kid."

When he was little, he could move freely in the trees like a monkey, but he can't anymore, and I don't know why.

"He was quite mischievous when he was little," Grandma continued, getting more and more excited. "Once, he ran to play by the pond at the village entrance and fell into the water. When people pulled him out, he was still clutching a fish. When asked why he wouldn't let go, he said he had finally managed to catch it."

Xiao Yunqing laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and she almost dropped the piece of jackfruit in her hand.

Song Huan glared at her grandmother, realizing that her body had been too weak before.

Grandma pretended not to see and continued talking while holding Xiao Yunqing's hand.

Xiao Yunqing listened and laughed, occasionally turning her head to glance at him, her eyes bright and her smile curving into crescent moons.

Grandpa sat at the doorway, watching the scene inside the house, without saying a word.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the bright, shining floor of the main room.

Chickens crowed in the yard, ducks quacked in the pond, and geese lined up to patrol the gate.

In the distance, people are harvesting rice in the fields, the sickles swishing loudly.

This is rural life!