Seeing the old lady’s expression, Li Xiangyang cursed Yang Dingbang in his head for his big mouth, but he just nodded readily. "I think so too."
After Wang Zhixue and his brother tried the cakes, they agreed the texture and flavor were excellent. Lin Lan decided to make a few dozen for them to take and test the market with.
The two brothers left with the pumpkin cakes Lin Lan gave them.
Lin Lan steeped so tea for Li Xiangyang. "Wait a mont. There’s another batch still in the oven."
Li Xiangyang smiled. "It’s no problem. I can wait."
The old lady glanced at the two of them and feigned displeasure. "Lin Lan, you’re so biased. I co over all the ti and you’ve never made tea, but the mont Xiangyang arrives, he gets to drink so!"
Lin Lan looked with amusent at the old lady, who was acting jealous despite her age. "Grandma, you’re on dication, so you can’t drink tea!"
The old lady sighed. "Of all the things to have, don’t ever have an illness. Not only do you suffer, but it costs a fortune. I spent seventy or eighty yuan in just ten days. After being discharged, I still have to apply dicine for three days, then go for a check-up. I can only stop the dication if I’ve recovered well."
Lin Lan quietly did the math in her head after hearing that. ’dical care is still cheap now,’ she thought. ’In twenty or thirty years, even just an X-ray will cost more than that.’
Before long, the pumpkin cakes were baked. Lin Lan packed the cakes into two large waxed-paper bags and set them on the table. "All done. Tell Uncle Li and Xiuyun that if they like them, just send word to ."
Li Xiangyang gave her a deep look, then lowered his gaze and picked up the bags. "Mm. I have to co back later for the pigs, so I’ll head out for now."
"Okay." Lin Lan suddenly felt there was sothing more in Li Xiangyang’s gaze. But then she decided she was overthinking it. ’How could a young man like him possibly be interested in a widow like ?’
The old lady stood up with a smile. "I’m going to see where Dandan and Little Douzi have run off to."
Lin Lan nodded. "Don’t bother cooking tonight. Just eat here with us."
The old lady smiled and waved her hand. "No, that’s alright. Ding Bang cooked before he left. I’ll just go ho and heat it up."
"Ding Bang must have made you sothing delicious, then."
The old lady bead and nodded. "He got a soft-shelled turtle from sowhere!"
After seeing them both off, Lin Lan went to the main hall and brought out six pumpkins. The ones Li Guizhi had sent over were all of a small, flat variety called "millstone pumpkins." The large ones weighed five or six pounds, while the smaller ones were only three or four. This type was starchy and sweet, perfect for making pumpkin cakes.
Lin Lan peeled the pumpkins, scooped out the seeds, and placed them in a bamboo basket. She carried it over to the ditch to wash the seeds clean, then poured them onto a winnowing tray and spread them out to dry on top of the oven.
Little Douzi ca running back with his iron hoop. "Mama, I’ll go call the chickens back in."
Lin Lan nodded. "Okay, it’s ti to eat."
Two large white geese followed Little Douzi, with a flock of large and small chickens trailing behind them. The capons were much bigger than the uncastrated roosters; she estimated they would reach over ten pounds each by the New Year.
****
When Li Xiangyang got ho, he took one bag of pumpkin cakes across the way to Xu Dong. "Lin Lan just baked these. Let Xiuyun and Little Hai try so. If they like them, send word to her."
Xu Dong looked at him with eyes full of sympathy. "You punk. You’re so quick to act on everything else, but when it cos to this, you’re just so slow. When in the hell are you going to make it official?"
"Make it official? Who’s making what official?" Old Li had appeared behind the two of them at so point.
"Whoa!" Xu Dong patted his chest dramatically. "Uncle Li, when did you turn into a cat burglar? You don’t make a sound when you walk!"
Li Xiangyang said fawningly, "Other people are said to get better with age, but my old man’s stance is as solid as it was in his pri!"
Old Li rolled his eyes at them. "You little fool, making fun of your old man again!"
Xu Dong winked at Li Xiangyang. "I’ll stop shooting the breeze with you. I’m going to give these pumpkin cakes to Xiuyun."
Old Li, rembering what they’d just said, asked again, "Who were you talking about making it official?"
"Dongzi was talking about soone on his team!" Li Xiangyang took out a pumpkin cake and stuffed it into his father’s mouth. "Lin Lan made them. Still warm."
Old Li took a couple of bites and smiled. "Mmm! Delicious. Soft and chewy, and not greasy at all. With skills like these, it’s a waste that Ding Bang’s sister-in-law doesn’t have her own stall."
Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded. "Yeah! She’s very capable, kind to everyone, and filial!"
"It’s rare to hear you praise soone!" Old Li said, then sothing suddenly occurred to him. He looked at his son with a sly grin. "Xiangyang, go ask her—that sister-in-law—if she has any sisters at ho. Have her set you up with one."
Li Xiangyang turned back and said with a smile, "She has four brothers. She’s the only daughter."
"Huh?" Old Li gave him a strange look. "How do you know that in such detail? I’m starting to think there’s sothing up with you!"
"I heard Ding Bang ntion it once!" Li Xiangyang said, pulling him toward the courtyard. "Hurry up and eat. I still have to go to Ding Bang’s place to haul those pigs!"
He was worried that if his father found out, then Li Jing would find out. With Li Jing’s selfish and domineering personality, she might scare Lin Lan away.
"If you don’t bring back a daughter-in-law by next year, I’ll marry you off to another family as a live-in son-in-law," Old Li muttered as he headed to the kitchen with his son.
After dark, Li Xiangyang arrived at Yang Dingbang’s house with two helpers. Yang Dingbang opened the door and led them to the pigpen. Using so unknown thod, they managed to tie up both pigs without much squealing.
Li Xiangyang took out a large scale, and the two helpers lifted a pig to weigh it. "I’m not going to pay for the live weight. I’ll give Grandma the money after I sell the at."
"You can handle it however you see fit," Yang Dingbang said.
The old lady quickly cut in, "No! Ding Bang, that won’t do. We can’t let Xiangyang go through all this trouble for nothing."
Li Xiangyang said with a grin, "Grandma, my future marriage is riding on you! Just consider this an advance on the matchmaker’s gift."
The old lady laughed when she heard that. "That’s a heavy responsibility! With a matchmaker’s gift this big, I’d better get to work!"
Laughing, the n lifted the pigs onto the tricycle flatbed and secured them. The helpers then left, pulling the pigs away.
Li Xiangyang said to Yang Dingbang and the old lady, "I’ve been reading newspapers from several big cities and had people gather so information. I think the governnt is being serious this ti, so I’ve decided to take advantage of the uncertain climate to buy so houses and shops.
"Lately, Brother Yong and Brother Shuiqing have checked out a few storefronts in the city, along with a few small Western-style houses that have been returned by the state. The locations are good and the prices aren’t too high, but they’ve been left in a complete ss. They’ll need renovations if we buy them. You should put so money down and buy a property to sit on. You can sell it later when prices go up, or just rent it out."
Yang Dingbang nodded. "I only have a little over a thousand yuan. If you think that’s enough to buy sothing, go for it. If not, don’t worry about it."
The old lady quickly said, "I have so! I’ll go get it for you." She went into her room and ca back out with a bank passbook. "I’ve saved all the money Ding Bang has given over the years. There are three thousand four hundred yuan in here."
"Grandma..." Yang Dingbang looked at his grandmother, so choked with emotion he couldn’t speak.
The old lady chided him with an affectionate smile, "You silly child, what’s Grandma’s is yours. Besides, this is all money you gave . If it’s not enough, you can borrow so from Xiangyang. Buying a house now is a good investnt."
Yang Dingbang took a deep breath and accepted the passbook from his grandmother with both hands. His eyes reddened as he looked at her. "The money I gave you... you haven’t spent a bit of it. You..."
The old lady patted her grandson’s shoulder. "Grandma knows you’re a good, filial boy. I’m having a much better life than the other old won in the village."
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