"Ah..." Rose woke up with a start.
When she opened her eyes, her fair forehead was covered with sweat, her chest heaved and her
breathing was heavy.
Rose looked out of the window. It was already dawn.
She sat up, feeling frightened. The dream was so real that it made her feel terrible when she woke up,
as if she were still trapped in the same nightmare.
Bright wouldn't forgive her... She knew that no man wouldn't give her a chance, let alone Bright.
She felt timid to face him more and more.
Rose looked at Doris beside her. She opened her eyes, too. The black and white eyes stared at her,
"Mom, did you have a nightmare?"
"Baby, did I wake you? I'm sorry." Rose took two deep breaths to calm herself down.
"Don't be afraid, Mom. Doris and Daddy are here, we'll protect you." Doris stood up and hugged Rose,
and gently patted her on the back. "It's just a dream, don't be afraid..."
Rose hugged Doris and said, "Mom is not afraid with you here."
And then Rose and Doris got up. Grandpa had warmed the breakfast in the wok.
There were steamed buns, millet gruel, dried radish... The smell of the food aroused their appetite.
Rose and Doris ate contentedly and cleaned up after the meal.
"Mom, let's go find grandpa." Doris helped her mother to dry the dishes.
"Good." Rose nodded. "Let's help Grandpa plant the vegetables."
"We are good children who love working."
Rose and Doris went out to find Grandpa in the fields and helped him plant vegetables.
Rose kept herself busy so that she wouldn't think about the things she didn't want to think about or
face.
She spent the days like this for several days. When she was busy and tired, she would have a foot bath
after diner and then went to bed. Only in this way could she have a good sleep and didn't have
nightmare.
On this day, some news was spread across the village, "Have you heard about it? There is a
handsome young man from the big city at Ms. Fatty's. I heard he's rich... and very generous."
"Why do the rich people in the big city like us in the backcountry? The girls here are not as good-
looking as those in the city. I don't know what they are looking for..."
"You don't understand their mind. Although we are poor in the countryside, the air is fresh and the meat
and vegetables are healthy. When the people are tired of living in the big city, they could come here to
relax..."
"Arya is ready to go to the Ms. Fatty's to ask for the marriage for her daughter when she heard the
news."
"Would the rich man hit on her daughter?"
"She is jealous that Ms. Bell's daughter married in a big city and got a lot of bride price. She was really
obsessed with money."
Doris, who was playing around, also heard this. She ran to those gossipy aunts and inquired, "Ms.
Flower, where does Ms. Fatty's live?"
"Aren't you a city dweller, little Doris? Why are you interested in the city comer?"
"Ms. Flower, I am just curious, and want to see whether Arya could succeed."
"How naughty you are..." Ms. Flower tapped the end of her nose, "Come on, I'll take you there. I am
going to stop by."
"Thank you, Ms. Flower. You are the kindest and most beautiful woman of the whole village. You're
prettier than that Ciara. Don't steal her thunder when you get there." Doris bragged.
Hearing this, Ms. Flower felt sweet and pleased.
She took Doris and went to Ms. Fatty's home. At that time, Arya stopped Sky at Ms. Fatty's, saying,
"Did you get married? Would you like to see my daughter? This is my daughter Ciara. You will love it."
Sky did not expect that people in the village would be so open to talk about marriage the first time they
met.
"I'm married," he said, not even looking at the photograph in her hand.
Arya was lost when she heard that the man was married, but she didn't give up, "Do you have some
friends that are single? You can introduce to my daughter. I will thank you very much."
"No." Sky got tired of being asked, "Please get out of the way, I'm leaving."
Sky did not have the courage to see Rose, and he had been staying here for several days, so he had
to go back to work.
After refusing her, Sky carried a bag and walked over her, who chased after him, "Oh, don't leave. We
haven't finished talking."
"Arya, don't embarrass him." The fat woman couldn't stand it and dissuaded her.
She didn't expect that the news of Sky's living in her family would spread out, and it was known by
Arya. So, she came here to stop Sky, trying to marry her daughter to him.
Sky paused at the door and even took a step back.
Arya thought Sky changed his mind. "I knew you would change your mind, see..."
At this time, she saw Ms. Flower holding Doris into the yard and felt displeased. "Ms. Flower, I grab the
chance first. Don't get in the way."
"Arya, even without me, you can't succeed." Ms. Flower looked at her with disdain, and then she
looked at Sky, "The man from the city in indeed handsome."
"Ms. Flower, you have agreed not to grab Ciara's man!"
"I didn't."
"How could you do this! I came here first!"
"What's the use you came here first? Ciara is not here. I arrive first."
"You..."
"Stop arguing, both of you. He's married." It was little Doris, who had been watching Sky, and said,
"You have no chance."
"Kid, don't talk nonsense." Arya didn't take her words to heart and said, "You are not going to find a
man for your Mom, right?"
"My Mom has my Dad." Doris gave Arya a sharp look that made her tremble and she did not dare to
say anything.
"Doris." Sky called Doris, who was angry.
"Uncle, what are you doing here?" Doris always thought that the man from the big city was her father,
but to her surprise, it was Sky.
"Uncle?"
Several people were shocked that they should know each other, and they were relatives.
"I..." Sky did not know how to answer her.
"You're not coming to see my mother, are you?" Doris guessed it right.
Sky's heart beat fast and looked into Doris' innocent eyes, but he lied, "I just came out to relax. I was
surprised at meeting you."
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