In the Yun family, when Big Brother Yun was born, Yun the Butcher and Zhang, who had just released their parents, were at their happiest. A first child always receives undivided parental love. Later, when Big Brother Yun was three and still playing mischievously, Zhang became pregnant again. Later, she gave birth to twin boys. Even then, Zhang and Yun the Butcher were still delighted.
However, without their parents' help, the young couple had to take care of the children alone. The two younger ones needed constant care, and the older one was constantly running around and mischievous. The couple gradually began to feel the strain. Later, when the twins were four years old and running around, the three mischievous children at home, not only were they running around everywhere, but they were also constantly fighting with the other children in the village. Yun the Butcher's temper began to fray, and when their mischief became excessive, he would often spank them when other parents came to see him.
Zhang wouldn't hit anyone, but she would cry. Whenever the children acted naughty, she wouldn't say anything, but would cry in front of them. The children were soft-hearted, and when Zhang cried, they felt bad for being naughty. When things got really bad, they would act behind Zhang's back. Sometimes, Zhang would pretend she knew nothing. There's no boy who isn't naughty. Most children from farming families grew up like this.
By the time Yun Yiyi was born, the eldest Yun brother was already able to play with his two younger brothers and help with simple chores. Every day, they went out to gather grass for the pigs and catch earthworms for the chickens—tasks the children particularly enjoyed. Every day, at the call of their friends in the village, a group of children would rush out like birds out of a cage, heading to the mountains to find wild fruits, climbing trees to collect bird eggs, or shooting sparrows with slingshots.
Especially in the summer, when the river is full, the children spend almost the entire day in the water. However, the adults, knowing the river's shallowness, don't restrict the children's water play. When they return home, they've also had a wonderful day playing outside. The older children will first cut grass for the pigs and fill their baskets before playing. The younger children, so engrossed in playing, have long forgotten what they came out for.
At this point, the older children would pass on handfuls of grass, helping to fill the bottom of the basket. Actually, a child's basket is small for an adult; two handfuls of grass would probably fill it. But for a child, it's huge, and they often struggle with whether to cut the grass first or go play. Forget it, we'll play first. Throwing down the basket, they'd join the fun.
When they reached the doorstep, fearing a scolding from their parents, they would poke their heads out first. If no one noticed, they would then sneak home with their little baskets on their backs. The children thought the adults hadn't noticed, and they always felt very clever. In reality, the adults had already noticed, but they'd only used the grass to keep them in check. Otherwise, these naughty kids would either fight or run wild. If they really strayed into the mountains, it would be trouble.
It's said that long ago, a group of children played hide-and-seek in the mountains. One of them, hoping to win, hid in a crooked tree over two meters tall. After sunset, when the other children had gone home, this child waited for the others to find him until he fell asleep. The other children, unable to find him, thought he had gone home.
The child's parents had prepared dinner and were waiting for them to come home to eat. By nightfall, the child still hadn't returned. So, the parents went out to look for the child. They first asked the children they had played with during the day. When they heard they'd been playing hide-and-seek in the mountains, the parents' faces changed. The child didn't know, but the parents had heard from the elders that there were wolves in the mountains beyond. Later, the village chief, along with a group of young men, armed with torches, machetes, and hoes, set out into the mountains to search for the child.
The adults climbed the mountain, calling out the children's names. Fortunately, the children were young and couldn't climb the mountain too high. Halfway up the mountain, they heard the children crying. The sound wasn't loud, but it sounded like they'd been crying for a long time and their voices were hoarse. The adults, holding torches, followed the sound. They found it was coming from a tree. It wasn't clear from a distance, but there seemed to be two dogs lying under the tree.
"Village chief, do you think those are two dogs?" asked a villager.
"Oh, you have a stupid brain! There's no dog on the mountain. It's a wolf, not a dog!" the village chief said, urging everyone to grab their belongings and run. Hearing this, the child's parents' legs gave way and they fell to their knees. With wolves around, could the child still survive?
"Hurry up and chase the wolves away! The child is in the tree, he's fine," the village chief said anxiously, pulling the child's parents by their arms. Upon hearing this, everyone rushed over with torches, machetes, and hoes. When they were almost under the tree, the two wolves stood up, tails between their legs, and faced the villagers. The villagers chased them. The wolves, upon seeing them, howled a few times and fled deeper into the mountains.
Everyone gathered under the tree and lowered the child down. The child's face was already red and he was unconscious from the fever. The child's parents hurriedly carried the child down the mountain. When they reached the village, everyone helped harness the oxcart and took them to town for medical treatment. The child's fever was so severe that the village doctor instructed the parents to use alcohol to cool it down on the way. Rub the alcohol from the child's armpits to the palms of his hands, then both arms, and then the soles of his feet and temples.
As the alcohol evaporates, it removes some of the heat, thus achieving the desired cooling effect. Ultimately, the child was rescued without any lasting effects. For a long time, the child was confined to his home by his parents. Fortunately, he was young and forgot quickly. Gradually, the child regained his former cheerful and lively self.
From then on, the villagers thought of many ways to discipline the children. However, the adults themselves were busy and couldn't just keep up with the children. So what should they do? Finally, the adults asked the older children to take the younger ones to work, picking grass for pigs and catching earthworms—tasks that even three or four-year-olds could do. The grass for pigs was usually found at the bottom of a low slope, next to a stream, or near a field, so adults could always see the children. Moreover, the children in the village all traveled in groups; if you found one, you'd find a whole group. Don't be afraid; you won't be able to find the children.
Whether the pigs have harvested enough grass or caught enough earthworms is not a concern for adults. As long as the children don't run around and don't get into danger, that's fine. As for fighting, children do fight. They fight today and make up tomorrow, so there's no need to take it to heart.
When the three Yun brothers were young, they were also raised in a free-range environment. Apart from being spanked from time to time, it can be said that they had a happy childhood.
After Yun Yiyi learned to walk, the three Yun brothers complained that she ran too slowly and refused to take her out to play. She would cry all the time, and whenever Yun Yiyi cried, Zhang would cry too. Yun the butcher would beat the three Yun brothers whenever he saw her crying. Later, the three Yun brothers learned their lesson and would go out when Yun Yiyi was sleeping or eating.
Often, by the time the little girl chased out, the three Yun brothers had already run away. Every time this happened, Zhang would come out and coax Yun Yiyi back home to play.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
