Zhao Xiaohui’s eyes lit up when she heard this. ’How great would it be to go to the provincial capital? City folk are so respectable. Even soone like Lin Yuezhen beca a completely different person after going to the city. If I go, I could beco as stylish as Little Lan, too.’
At this thought, Zhao Xiaohui nudged Lin Guodong. "Guodong, Little Lan’s idea is great."
Lin Guodong turned and glared at her. "Our sister-in-law has already gone to help Mom with the cooking. You go help, too."
’This clueless woman,’ he thought. ’Little Lan has already figured everything out, and we’re just going to waltz in and reap the benefits? Where do we get the nerve?’
"Oh!" Zhao Xiaohui shot Lin Guodong a displeased glare and slowly trudged off.
Lin Changyou looked at the Lin Guoliang brothers. "What do you two think about what Little Lan said?"
The brothers exchanged a look. "Dad, I think we should stick to what we discussed. We’ll have Little Lan work hard to manage the shop for us, and we’ll be satisfied with taking a share of the profits."
Lin Changyou nodded, then turned to look at Lin Lan. "The capable should do more. It’ll be hard on you from now on."
"Dad, why are you being so formal with ?" Since Lin Changyou had put it that way, Lin Lan had no choice but to agree.
With the matter of the shop settled, Lin Guoliang rode his bike to his in-laws’ house to borrow a mule, and Lin Lan went to the kitchen to help.
That night, Li Xiangyang and Little Douzi stayed in Lin Guoqiang’s room, Lin Changyou stayed in Lin Guozhu’s room, and Lin Lan shared a room with Wu Shufen.
After the mother and daughter lay down to sleep, Wu Shufen said to her, "Your father originally wanted to have Xiuqing and your eldest brother run the shop after it opened. We would stay ho with your second brother and Little Hui, and we’d hire two more people to manage the pig farm."
"But then he thought about it and felt it wasn’t right. With one brother in the city and the other working at ho, over ti, even if Guodong didn’t have a problem with it, Little Hui would definitely cause trouble."
"If we let Guodong and Little Hui watch the shop, with Zhao Xiaohui’s greedy nature, it would be like a mouse falling into a rice vat. In that case, we might as well just rent the shop out to soone else and collect rent."
Lin Lan laughed. "Then aren’t you afraid this big rat will empty out the shop?"
Wu Shufen playfully slapped her. "I know my own daughter. You may have been a bit lazy and gluttonous before, but you were never greedy for money. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have married that ill-fated youngest son of the Yangs."
Lin Lan thought to herself, ’All parents in the world are the sa; they always think their own child is the best.’
"Mom, how did Auntie end up marrying into a place as deep in the mountains as Shishanling?"
"Sigh!" Wu Shufen sighed. "My grandmother was from the mountains. She went behind my parents’ backs and arranged for your aunt to marry him. When I was a child, there was a famine one year. His family brought over two baskets of sweet potatoes and taro, so your maternal grandfather let him take my sister away. When I was young, your aunt was the kindest to . Without her, I might not be here today."
Lin Lan sighed as well, not knowing what to say.
The next morning, Lin Lan and Wu Shufen got up early to make egg pancakes and boil so eggs for the journey. After breakfast, Lin Lan left Little Douzi behind and set off for Shishanling with Li Xiangyang and Lin Guoliang, leading the mule.
Stone Ridge Mountain was located in the mountains beyond Shilian. Once they left the production brigade and entered the mountains, the morning path was a bit slippery. The cold wind felt like a knife slicing at their faces.
Lin Lan took out her scarf and handed it to Li Xiangyang. "Here, take my scarf."
Li Xiangyang smiled and shook his head. "No need. I’ll warm up after walking for a bit." As he spoke, he reached out his hand to her. "Co on, let help you walk!"
"I can manage on my own." Lin Lan wrapped the scarf around her face, leaving only her eyes and nose exposed, and followed Lin Guoliang up the mountain.
They followed the rugged, winding mountain path upward. The trail grew narrower and more difficult to walk.
Seeing her panting for breath, Li Xiangyang looked back at her. "Tired? Get on the mule and let it carry you."
"I’m fine. I can walk a while longer." As Lin Lan spoke, she glanced back at Li Xiangyang. He was leading the mule with a steady, unhurried pace. Despite having walked for so long, he wasn’t out of breath, and his face wasn’t flushed.
"What kind of martial arts did you practice before?"
Li Xiangyang took Lin Lan’s wrist and pulled her along as they walked uphill. "When I was secretly running a pig farm in the mountains, I learned so fighting skills from an old hunter. Later, I learned so combat techniques from Ding Bang."
"No wonder you’re steadier on your feet than a mountain person like ."
"You barely count as a mountain person. You rarely walked the mountain paths when you were little. When other girls went into the mountains to cut firewood and grass, Mom and Dad had Guoqiang do it. They never let you," Lin Guoliang called out loudly from up ahead.
Lin Lan gave a sheepish laugh. "Big Brother, don’t expose !"
"HAHAHA!" Lin Guoliang burst out laughing. "Don’t worry, Xiangyang won’t laugh at you. I’m telling you, after we cross a few more peaks, the road ahead gets even tougher."
After crossing several peaks, they ca to a section where one side was a bare rock face and the other was a cliff of unknown depth. The path was only about half a ter wide. It was spacious enough for one person, but a little tight for two to walk side-by-side.
Lin Lan stared at the path ahead, not daring to even glance at the cliff below. She was afraid she would misstep and fall, and not even her bones would be found.
"Little Lan," Li Xiangyang called out. He quickened his pace for a few steps, pulling the mule along to catch up with her. "Let help you up. Ride the mule."
Lin Guoliang, walking in front, also turned back. "Little Lan, you should let the mule carry you. Otherwise, we’ll have to spend the night in the mountains."
Lin Lan nodded. "Alright!"
Li Xiangyang helped Lin Lan onto the mule’s back. Seeing her sitting stiffly, he said softly, "Don’t look down. Just look at the rock wall on the inside, and you won’t be scared."
"Okay!" Lin Lan agreed.
Sitting on the mule, Lin Lan looked at the mountain path and thought, ’No wonder they say, "If you want to get rich, first build a road." Traveling on a path like this is just too difficult.’
They followed the winding mountain road to the summit. The treetops there were covered in a thin layer of snow. The three of them found a spot sheltered from the wind, gathered so firewood, and lit a fire. They took out a water kettle from a satchel, along with so bamboo tubes, and the eggs and at patties Wu Shufen had prepared for them, and ate them after heating them up.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Lin Guoliang cut a wooden stick, shaved off the splinters, and handed it to Lin Lan. "Little Lan, ’going up the mountain is easy, but coming down is hard.’ Use this stick to help you walk."
"Okay!" Lin Lan took it and found it was just the right length.
Li Xiangyang and Lin Guoliang shoveled so dirt onto the burning firewood, stomped out the flas, and prepared to descend the mountain.
On the way down, Lin Guoliang led the way again, with Lin Lan in the middle and Li Xiangyang following behind her, leading the mule.
The path near the summit was steep and narrow. Lin Lan walked cautiously with her wooden stick, feeling that it was indeed true that ’going up is easy, but coming down is hard.’ When they reached a slightly flatter area, Li Xiangyang had her get back on the mule.
After walking for more than two hours, the three of them arrived at Shishanling, a village nestled halfway up the mountain.
The houses were built against the mountain. Most of them were stone houses built with quarried rock, with thatched roofs. Qiaohui’s house was near the center of the village. As they walked along the path, Lin Lan saw commune mbers squatting by their doors, eating sweet potatoes.
It was rare for outsiders to co into the mountains. The children watched Lin Lan’s group with curiosity, trailing behind them.
Their clothes were covered in patches of all sizes, and so were the tips of their shoes. So of them looked relatively clean, while others had long trails of snot running from their noses. They would raise a hand to wipe it away sideways, leaving their sleeves black and shiny.
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