Chapter 309 of "Rural Beauty 309" – Main Text Lu Yun grasped her delicate little hand firmly and smiled, "How is it that you're so concerned about whether I find a boyfriend? What's the matter with you, why are you hitting me?" Since they had grown up together from childhood, their interaction felt completely natural—Lu Yun didn't even notice anything awkward. Wu Dan's delicate, fresh-faced cheeks flushed with color as she lowered her head and said, "Would you have time to join me at Shatugang? I'm starting to feel so bored just staying at home." Lu Yun had originally intended to decline, but then thought about how Wu Dan's mother would be returning home, and Wu Lao Si would surely be drinking alone at home. If he didn't accompany her, Wu Dan would surely feel lonely and unsure of how to face her father, who would be drunk when she finally got back. "Sure I have time," Lu Yun replied. "As Dan says, even if there's something major happening, I'll just take a break and go. Let's go to Shatugang and build our fort together." Lu Yun smiled and said so. "Lu Yun, thank you so much," Wu Dan whispered. "When you were little, you used to call me 'Brother' all the time, chasing after me like a puppy, always asking me to play with you." As soon as Lu Yun spoke, Wu Dan's face turned even redder, yet she lifted her head and looked at him. "Back then, I was still small. Now, I don't want to call you 'Brother' anymore." Lu Yun scratched his head, glanced at the sky, and said, "Let's go play then. Otherwise, when it gets dark, we'll miss the fun." Wu Dan nodded, and soon the two of them reached the sandy mound at the eastern end of the village. Lu Yun and Wu Dan removed their shoes and walked barefoot on the soft, fine sand. They found a small depression left behind by villagers who had dug the soil, and sat beside it. With the branch in his hand, Lu Yun quickly scooped out a solid block of soil, then quickly arranged it with the branch. In no time, the soil formed a rough outline of a house. Wiping sweat from his brow, Lu Yun chuckled, "Dandan, do you remember when I first took you here as a child?" Wu Dan looked at the mud house Lu Yun had built and giggled, "Of course I do! There were so many friends back then. We played house, and you were the bridegroom, I was the bride. This house was our wedding hall." She pointed to the mud house in front of them. Lu Yun gazed at the clouds stretching across the sky, lost in thought for a moment, then chuckled, "Yes. It was so lively back then. Though we often argued with the others, I truly cherish those days." Wu Dan seemed unbothered by Lu Yun's words. With her finger tracing over the mud house he had built, she suddenly asked, "Do you remember what you used to say to me when we played house as children?" Lu Yun came back to himself, thought for a moment, and laughed heartily, "Of course I do." At that time, when you were carried by your friends to become my bride, I rode a stick like a horse to go and meet you. I remember back then our wedding hall was just a hole I dug myself, with a small hut I built beside it. I used to say, "One day, I'd marry you." As soon as I finished speaking, Lu Yun realized something was off. Although Dan Dan was a bit younger than me and quite lively, she had never once asked me about this in the past few years. Could it be that she still remembered what I said back then? Wu Dan continued to trace patterns on the little hut with her fingers, holding her knees in one hand and whispering softly, "And do you remember what you did for me in that wedding hall?" Lu Yun was now completely stunned. He was certain he would never forget it—after all, strictly speaking, the first girl he had ever touched was precisely the petite and graceful Wu Dan standing before him. At that time, when Lü Dan was being escorted into the bridal chamber by her friends, she had no idea what "entering the bridal chamber" meant—she only saw that inside the large, earthy hollow dug out with a wooden hoe, a plastic sheet had been laid down. After Lü Yun carried her into the chamber on a wooden stick, he gently laid her down on the plastic sheet. It was summer, and the village children usually wore little, so in just a few moments, both of them were completely bare. At that moment, Lü Yun himself didn’t know what "entering the bridal chamber" entailed—only occasionally had he witnessed Wang Qia, the village’s disabled man, and a woman from a neighboring village engaging in that activity in the cornfield. Following their example, he simply lay down on young Wu Dan, imitating Wang Qia’s movements and clumsily performing the ritual, as if copying the scene. "Dan Dan, you were so young back then—how did you suddenly think of asking about this?" Lü Yun said, a bit embarrassed. Though she was still young and unfamiliar with the customs, he had seen her body countless times. He knew exactly where on her body there were birthmarks Wu Dan smiled and said, "It's nothing really. I just thought of my childhood when I saw you build such a little house." Lu Yun nodded with a look of doubt, but when Wu Dan lifted her finger away from the haphazard little house she had created, she was startled—carved into the surface with her fingernail were five clear characters: "I love you, Lu Yun." "I'd like to play house now, Yun-gong. Can you join me and relive those joyful childhood moments with me?" Wu Dan looked down, her facial expression unclear, yet her voice carried an unexpected sadness. Lu Yun said, stunned, "Dan Dan, we've both grown up now. Those things no longer suit us." Wu Dan replied, "I know. I'm just saying it casually. Just like the things you used to tell me when I was young—haven't you completely forgotten them too?" Unlike Lu Xiaoying, Wu Dan's family also didn't have very good living conditions. Therefore, people gather where they are similar—like-minded—and since childhood, the two had been playing together, growing up with an intimacy that could only be described as deep and unbreakable. As she looked at the words Wu Dan had inscribed on the humble house, Lu Yun felt a sudden tightness in his chest—she had always remembered what he had said to her back then. "Dan Dan, I..." Lu Yun suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Wu Dan raised her head, a few tears glistening on her cheeks, and managed a smile. "Cloud Brother, I never forgot what you told me. I always thought you'd be just like me—someone who would remember their promises. But you've already forgotten them. I know I'm not as beautiful as Xiaoying, so it's only natural that you'd prefer her." Lu Yun's heart was in turmoil. At this moment, what could he possibly say that wouldn't deepen Wu Dan's hurt? For a while, both remained silent, the only sound being the wind gently brushing through, stirring a flurry of dust. The wind grew stronger, lifting dust that gradually obscured the two figures. Wu Dan broke the silent stillness first, saying, "Yun, the wind's picking up. Let's go inside the cave and take shelter from it." It seemed the dust had blurred her vision, so as she spoke, she rubbed her eyes. Lu Yun quickly rose, expelled the dust blown into his mouth, and took Wu Dan's hand, leading her into the large nearby depression. ... Rural Beauty No. 309, Main Text Updated to Chapter 309!