Zhang Yuru found the words a bit grating. She said lightly, "Farming is farming no matter where you do it. The ground is just a little flatter, that’s all."
A little displeased, Tong Xinglan let go and walked beside Wu Shuqin instead.
Zhang Yuru didn’t mind. She tightened the strap of her bag and walked at an unhurried pace.
By the ti they arrived at Lin Lan’s house, it was almost eleven o’clock. Wu Shuqin, Wu Jiafu, and the others who had never been there before curiously sized up Lin Lan’s ho.
Wangcai, who was tied up by the chicken coop, saw Lin Changyou and the others arrive and wagged his tail so hard it looked like it might break off.
Tong Xinglan looked at Wangcai in surprise. "Mom, look! Our cousin’s dog is as big as a calf."
Zhao Xiaohui said smugly, "Guodong said Xiangyang got Wangcai from a pig farm for Little Lan. He was worried she and Little Douzi wouldn’t be safe at ho alone."
Tong Xinglan grew a little curious about Li Xiangyang. After hearing this, Wu Shuqin felt that Lin Lan had finally found soone who would genuinely care for her.
When Wu Shufen saw them arrive, she happily went to greet them. "We were just wondering why you weren’t here yet."
Lin Changyou chuckled as he looked at his wife. "We almost missed the bus."
"As long as you made it." Wu Shufen’s face was all smiles as she stepped forward and took Tong Xinglan’s hand. "Shuqin, Jiafu, Yuru, co inside and sit for a while."
Lin Lan ca into the main hall with a tea tray and a thermos. After everyone exchanged warm greetings, they sat down to drink tea and eat sunflower seeds.
Zhao Xiaohui went to the kitchen to help, and Zhang Yuru followed.
Just then, Li Xiangyang arrived at Lin Lan’s gate. He was on his bicycle with an old woman, accompanied by Zhigang, Mingzi, and another young man who were pulling a handcart with the betrothal gifts.
Li Xiangyang got off his bike with a smile. "Uncle Lin, you’re here!"
"We just arrived." Lin Changyou and Lin Lan smiled and went forward to help the old woman. "Grand-aunt, thank you for your trouble."
The old woman chuckled and patted Lin Lan’s hand, then said to Lin Changyou, "It was no trouble at all. I’m just happy to be here!"
Lin Guoliang and his brother greeted Li Xiangyang with a smile and helped pull the handcart into the courtyard.
Yang Zhigang took out a string of firecrackers and lit it. The firecrackers went off with a loud series of CRACKLES.
The chickens and geese in the coop scattered in a panic, and Wangcai was so scared he imdiately dove into his doghouse under the eaves.
The neighbors ca out to see what the commotion was. When Zhang Yazhen saw the firecrackers were at Lin Lan’s house, she spat on the ground and turned back into her courtyard.
Li Guizhi walked up to the gate of Lin Lan’s courtyard, wanting to see what betrothal gifts Li Xiangyang had brought. Yang Zhigang smiled and handed her a handful of wedding candy.
Wu Shuqin, Wu Jiafu, and Tong Xinglan followed Wu Shufen out to the courtyard and saw the boxes on the handcart, all tied with red ribbons and decorated with red "double happiness" stickers.
Tong Xinglan glanced at the handso Li Xiangyang, then quietly tugged on Wu Shuqin’s sleeve and whispered, "Mom, our cousin’s fiancé is pretty good-looking! And look at all this stuff!"
"Don’t be nosy!" Wu Shuqin patted her hand and followed Wu Shufen forward to greet the old woman.
After everyone exchanged a few polite pleasantries, Zhigang, Lin Guoliang, and the others moved the items into the main hall. Besides the electronics, sewing machine, and bicycle, there were also rice, at, oil, sugar, liquor, and dried noodles. The quantities of all these items were in even numbers.
Lin Lan introduced her family to Li Xiangyang. Li Xiangyang then poured tea for Lin Changyou and his wife, as well as for Wu Jiafu and Wu Shuqin, as a sign of respect.
The old woman had Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang sit side-by-side and pointed to the boxes tied with red ribbons and decorated with "double happiness" stickers. "These are the betrothal gifts from the Li family."
As she spoke, she took the betrothal money—wrapped in red paper and tied with a red string—from Li Xiangyang, along with a pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets, and handed them to Lin Changyou. "This is the betrothal money, and this pair of gold bracelets is a gift from Xiangyang’s parents to their daughter-in-law."
Although they already knew the Li family had prepared a generous betrothal gift, Lin Changyou and his wife were still thrilled when they accepted the money and bracelets. They were also very grateful to Old Li’s family for holding Lin Lan in such high regard.
After accepting the gifts, Lin Changyou took two large red envelopes from his pocket and handed them to the old woman. "Thank you, Grand-aunt, thank you so much!"
"You’re too kind," the old woman said, smiling as she took the red envelopes and gave them to Li Xiangyang. She then said to Lin Changyou and his wife, "I still have things to attend to, so Xiangyang and I will take Lin Lan over to the Li house now to et the relatives. That way, they won’t be strangers if they run into each other on the street."
Wu Shufen knew that Yang Dingbang was also having his engagent ceremony today, so she nodded repeatedly with a smile. "Alright. Grand-aunt, co visit and relax when you’re not so busy."
"Of course, of course," the old woman readily agreed. "Let’s go to Xiangyang’s house first."
Lin Lan left for Li Xiangyang’s house, accompanied by her parents.
Tong Xinglan stared at the television box and said to Lin Guodong, "Second Cousin, is that a TV in there?"
"Yeah!" Lin Guodong said, happily pointing to the other items. "That’s the sewing machine, the bicycle, the tape recorder..."
"Wow!" Tong Xinglan’s jaw dropped in astonishnt. She never dread that city people were so rich, or that her cousin, who already had a child, could find such a good family to marry into.
Wu Shuqin and Wu Jiafu looked at all the gifts in pleasant surprise. They hadn’t expected their niece’s future husband to be not only handso but also from such a well-off family. ’Now that Little Lan has found a good family, my second sister and brother-in-law won’t have to worry anymore.’
Lin Lan and her party went to Li Xiangyang’s house, which was much livelier than her own. Old Li had invited all their relatives and friends over.
After serving tea to Old Li as a sign of respect, Lin Lan t Li Xiangyang’s three maternal uncles, their wives, and a crowd of other relatives.
Although the eldest uncle’s wife was unhappy about Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang’s engagent, she didn’t dare say anything unpleasant on such an occasion. She could only show her disapproval of Lin Lan with a sullen expression on her face.
Lin Lan paid no mind to the aunt’s expression. ’I’m building a life with Li Xiangyang. As long as he cherishes and Old Li approves of , that’s what matters. Aunts, uncles, cousins... if we get along, great. If not, we’ll just keep our distance.’
Once the introductions were over, Yang Zhigang rode his bicycle to take the old woman back to Yucai Road.
The old woman could finally breathe a huge sigh of relief. She had been secretly observing ever since Yang Dingbang and Yang Xiaoman started seeing each other, and she felt this girl, Lin Lan, was truly magnanimous and was also good to Little Douzi.
Lin Lan and her parents had lunch at Li Xiangyang’s house. Afterward, Li Xiangyang rode his bike to take the two elders back to Lexing.
When they got back to Lin Lan’s house, Li Xiangyang greeted Lin Guoliang and the others, then said, "Dad, Mom, Little Lan, there are still guests at ho, so I’ll head back for now. I’ll co over again tomorrow."
Seeing that Li Xiangyang had started calling them "Mom" and "Dad," Wu Shufen and Lin Changyou were so happy they couldn’t stop smiling. They nodded repeatedly. "Okay. You’ve had so alcohol, so ride your bike slowly."
"Got it." Li Xiangyang ruffled the head of Little Douzi, who was wearing a new outfit, then rode off on his bike.
Lin Guoliang told Lin Lan, "Your older sister and her family, along with Dehai and his two daughters, ca for lunch. They picked up Zhang Yuru and left. They said they’ll find you at the shop tomorrow."
"Okay." Lin Lan looked at Lin Guoliang, and then at Lin Guodong and his wife. "Brother, Sister-in-law, why don’t you stay and relax for a couple of days before you go back?"
"We can’t," Lin Guoliang said, shaking his head. "My wife is ho alone. We’re raising so many pigs, and she has to keep watch at night. She can’t manage it all by herself."
Lin Guodong also said, "That’s right. We’ll co again next ti."
Zhao Xiaohui was a little unhappy and muttered under her breath, "If I’d known we were just leaving after lunch, I would have just co with my sister-in-law."
Lin Guodong shot her a sideways glance. "You always have to be first in everything. Regretting it now?"
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