Chapter 40: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 40: Shanggou Village 40

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Li Xiulan's tears soaked the clothes on Niu Chunsheng's chest.

Niu Chunsheng had never been so close to Li Xiulan; he felt her crying and her sadness.

"Don't cry, I'm still here..."

Niu Chunsheng slowly raised both hands, feeling somewhat at a loss, but in the end he gently stroked Li Xiulan's back to comfort her.

Li Xiulan seemed not to hear his voice, only crying hard in his arms.

Crying heart-wrenchingly.

She needed an outlet too much right now.

As for Niu Chunsheng's hidden feelings for her, she actually hadn't noticed; she had always regarded Niu Chunsheng as a younger brother, with no other impure thoughts.

The two embraced like that for a long, long time; when Li Xiulan had cried herself dry, she finally came out of Niu Chunsheng's arms.

"Chunsheng, go back to the shop; school will be out soon, and the children are waiting for you to open it."

Li Xiulan lowered her head to wipe her tears and said this to Niu Chunsheng.

"Sister Xiulan, what about you?"

Niu Chunsheng worried Li Xiulan would do something stupid.

"Don't worry, I'm fine; I'm making lanterns for the children, so I won't go to the shop today."

Li Xiulan picked up the scissors again and buried herself in finishing the lanterns she hadn't completed before.

"All right then, I'll go..."

Niu Chunsheng turned to leave, but just as he stepped over the threshold, he turned back again and plucked up his courage:

"Sister Xiulan, how about this Mid-Autumn Festival—let me spend it with you and the three children!"

Li Xiulan thought it over and finally nodded.

Anyway, Wang Zhanggen wasn't coming back.

Spending the festival alone with three children was rather boring.

Having Niu Chunsheng spend the festival together would add some liveliness.

In the blink of an eye it was Mid-Autumn Festival night.

Li Xiulan took out the lanterns she had made earlier and gave one to each of her three sons.

Then she gave one to Niu Chunsheng too.

"Sister Xiulan, I have one too?"

Niu Chunsheng took the lantern, smiling foolishly, happy like a child.

"I had extra materials, so I made one for you on the side," Li Xiulan explained.

Niu Chunsheng felt delighted inside; even if Li Xiulan had made it on the side, he thought it very precious.

Niu Chunsheng lit a small candle in the lantern; the candlelight shone through the lantern paper onto the ground, projecting the paper-cut pattern of the lantern—a pair of phoenixes, which Li Xiulan had made exquisitely; the lanterns sold on the street didn't have such good patterns.

"Sister Xiulan, your hands are so skillful!"

Niu Chunsheng was still immersed in joy when suddenly Wang Dashan snatched the lantern from his hand.

"This is the lantern my mom made for my dad; you can't take it!"

Wang Dashan had never gotten along with Niu Chunsheng; now seeing Niu Chunsheng holding a lantern his mother had made, he immediately got angry and snatched it over.

Niu Chunsheng could only smile helplessly.

"Dashan, are you asking for a beating? Quickly return the lantern to your Uncle Niu!"

Seeing this, Li Xiulan hurriedly scolded him.

"I won't! I don't want to give him a lantern; he's not my father!"

Wang Dashan took the lantern and ran outside in a flash.

This made Li Xiulan so angry she wanted to chase after him, catch him, and beat him up.

Niu Chunsheng hurriedly stopped Li Xiulan and persuaded her:

"It's fine, the child likes to play; let him take it and play!"

Only then did Li Xiulan not go out to chase and beat Wang Dashan.

Wang Dashan held two beautiful lanterns, ran out of his own courtyard, and ran to the grain-drying ground at the village center; his lantern was very beautiful, and immediately many children gathered around, all praising the lantern in his hand as beautiful.

Wang Dashan said proudly:

"My dad bought this for me, of course it's beautiful!"

"Dashan, you're lying; your dad hasn't come home! But Uncle Niu went to your house!"

A child questioned him like this.

Wang Dashan immediately became unhappy:

"My dad bought it; he didn't come home, but he still bought me a lantern! If you don't believe me, don't touch my lantern, get lost!"

The child smiled embarrassedly and said nothing.

Because he was afraid Wang Dashan would beat him.

Wang Dashan was the notorious child king of Shanggou Village; no child younger than him could beat him.

Wang Dashan went out to play, and Wang Erhai and Xiaohua also took lanterns out to play.

The village was very lively during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Although Shanggou Village isn't a big city, almost every household hangs lanterns and worships the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

All the village children carry lanterns and play everywhere that night, comparing whose lantern is prettier and whose is more fun.

They also play hide-and-seek by moonlight; a whole crowd of kids running back and forth, making the originally quiet village as lively as a bustling market.

At this time, inside the home.

Only Li Xiulan and Niu Chunsheng remained.

The children's noisy voices from outside drifted in faintly.

Inside the room it was silent and still, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Li Xiulan brought out mooncakes and fruit.

"Chunsheng, these are the mooncakes I bought, have a taste."

"No need, no need..." Niu Chunsheng felt a bit uneasy, an embarrassed smile on his face.

"Eat some, five-kernel filling, quite delicious!"

Li Xiulan warmly urged him, even cutting a mooncake herself, giving Niu Chunsheng a small piece and eating a small piece herself.

Niu Chunsheng ate the mooncake; he actually didn't like five-kernel filling much, but since Li Xiulan gave it to him, he still ate it all.

"Sister Xiulan, have you worshipped the moon yet?"

"Not yet!"

"How about I help you worship the moon together!"

"Sure!"

Li Xiulan fetched a pallet, arranged mooncakes, pomelo, apples, and a small plate of pork on it, then carried it out to an open spot in the courtyard, burned three incense sticks, and began offering to the moon.

Besides burning incense, firecrackers also had to be burned.

Niu Chunsheng volunteered to light firecrackers for Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan didn't refuse, handing him a lit incense stick.

"These firecrackers have a very fast fuse, be careful!"

Li Xiulan stepped back two steps, covering her ears with both hands in advance.

Niu Chunsheng laughed: "No problem, my reaction is fast!"

He unwrapped the firecracker fuse, holding the firecracker in one hand and the incense in the other.

Once lit, he quickly threw the firecracker outward.

This firecracker was probably made by some shoddy merchant; the fuse was indeed fast — a "whoosh" sound, and before Niu Chunsheng could throw it, it went "crackle-pop" and exploded right on his hand.

"Chunsheng, are you okay!"

Seeing this, Li Xiulan turned pale with fright and hurried forward with concern.

"It's fine, it's fine, just a minor injury!"

Niu Chunsheng laughed superficially, but actually he could already feel the burning sting on his hand.

His fingers were all blackened by the firecracker blast.

Fortunately these firecrackers weren't powerful, just flesh wounds.

"Still saying it's fine, they're all black, I'll apply Wanhua Oil for you!"

Li Xiulan hurriedly turned and went inside, finding the Wanhua Oil.

She carefully applied it to Niu Chunsheng's injured fingers.

Watching Li Xiulan's focused expression as she tended his wound, Niu Chunsheng's heart warmed involuntarily.

"Sister Xiulan..."

Niu Chunsheng hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

At that moment, Niu Chunsheng felt he should be a bit braver.

"What is it?"

Li Xiulan was still applying the Wanhua Oil for him.

She completely failed to notice the tenderness on Niu Chunsheng's face.

"Sister Xiulan, I want to tell you, I actually..."

Niu Chunsheng was just about to speak; he felt it was time to confess to Li Xiulan.

Anyway, Wang Zhanggen already had another woman outside, so he could pursue Li Xiulan openly and justifiably.

He didn't care that Li Xiulan had three children; he knew very well this didn't affect his love for Li Xiulan.

However, before he could finish his words.

At this moment, footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Wang Zhanggen, carrying big bags and small bags, pushed open the courtyard main gate, a delighted smile on his face:

"Wife, I'm back!"