Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Once the rice seedlings are planted, let Guoqiang co over for a few days. Go back and tell Dad my business is doing pretty well, so he doesn’t have to worry."
"Dad’s worried you’ll get caught by the people with the red armbands and get pushed around," Lin Guoliang said in a low voice.
"Don’t worry, if they catch , I’ll just give them my things."
Lin Guoliang nodded. The two of them went into the kitchen.
Lin Guodong watched her with a broad smile. "Little Lan, Mom said your business is doing pretty well. How many do you sell a day?"
"I can sell forty to fifty bags a day," Lin Lan said with a smile. "Brothers, how much did you spend on everything? I’ll pay you back."
"Pay us back when you have the money."
Lin Guoliang ntally did the math, a wide smile spreading across his face as he looked at her. "If you can sell that much in a day, your monthly inco must be pretty good!"
Lin Lan smiled and nodded as well. "It looks good for now, but who knows how it’ll be in the long run? I should give you the money now, before I lose it."
"Fava beans and large white beans were twelve cents a jin, and we got two hundred jin of each. Red beans are a bit more expensive at thirteen cents a jin, so we got one hundred and eighty jin. Rapeseed oil is one yuan and ten cents a jin, and we got seventy jin," Lin Guoliang reported.
Lin Lan looked at him, delighted. "Big Brother, the rapeseed oil from the brigade is five cents a jin cheaper than it is here." Her joy quickly turned to worry. "Big Brother, you bought so much... I don’t have enough money!"
"Dad fronted the money. He said as long as you’re working hard, he’ll cover it for now."
Lin Lan went into her room and ca back with fifty yuan. "No, I can’t have you all worrying about . I’ll give you fifty for now, and I’ll pay you the rest next ti."
"It’s fine. Pay back the money you owe other people first."
Wu Shufen spoke up, "Guoliang, take it. It’s only right that Little Lan pays." ’We’ve already given her two piglets, not to ntion the chicken and rice husks. If we don’t take the money, my daughter-in-law is bound to be upset.’
Seeing that his mother had spoken, Lin Guoliang smiled and nodded. "Alright, I’ll take it then."
"Big Brother, when you go back, could you help find so peas and green beans? And if you find a good deal on more rapeseed oil, fava beans, or large white beans, please get so more for to stock up."
Lin Guoliang nodded. "They’ll be harvesting the fava beans in another month or so. We can stock up then." He paused and turned to look at Little Douzi. "Mom is coming back with us tomorrow. Dad said we should bring you ho with us to play for a few days."
"Eldest Uncle, I don’t want to go to Grandpa’s house. I want to stay here and keep Mom company. She’ll be scared all by herself," Little Douzi said, hugging Dahuang.
Wu Shufen’s eyes instantly reddened. She went over and scooped him up. "Oh, Grandma’s sweet boy! How can you be so thoughtful!"
Little Douzi wiped her tears away. "Little Douzi is a good boy. Don’t cry, Grandma."
"Yes, yes! Grandma won’t cry, Grandma won’t cry," Wu Shufen managed to say, but her tears kept streaming down.
Seeing this, tears started streaming down Lin Lan’s face as well. She went and took Little Douzi from her mother. "Mom, next ti I’ll bring Little Douzi with to visit you and Dad."
Watching the scene unfold, the hearts of the Lin brothers grew heavy. Recalling what their mother had just said, they felt a sudden urge to kill Liu Jinbao.
Little Douzi looked anxiously at his crying mother and grandmother. "Mama, I was being good."
Lin Lan gave him a kiss and looked at him with a warm smile. "Mama knows. My Little Douzi is the most well-behaved boy in the world."
When Little Douzi saw her smile, he chirped, "Crying and laughing, you’ll make the dog pee!"
The others in the room couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Lin Guodong stepped forward, lifted Little Douzi onto his shoulders, and said, "Your Second Uncle is taking you for a horsey ride! Let’s go to the market and buy sothing."
Little Douzi hugged his uncle’s head happily. "Yay! We’re going to the market!"
"Eldest Uncle is coming too!" Lin Guoliang handed the money to Wu Shufen and ran after them.
Once they were outside, Lin Guodong asked, "Douzi, do you know that scoundrel, Liu Jinbao?"
Little Douzi nodded. "I do. He’s over there."
"Let’s go have a look."
When the Lin brothers reached Shiqiao, Little Douzi said to them, "Uncles, that’s the scoundrel who bullies Mama."
Following the direction Little Douzi was pointing, they saw a sleazy-looking man jingling a string of keys as he swaggered toward them. The brothers, still carrying Little Douzi, pretended to just be passing by, getting a clear look at his face and morizing his features.
After her brothers and son had left, Lin Lan comforted Wu Shufen, "Mom, you can go back and not worry. I’ll take good care of Little Douzi and work hard to support us."
"Little Lan," Wu Shufen said, pulling her daughter down to sit. "Mom thinks it’s too hard for you to be alone. Once the first anniversary of Youngest Yang’s passing is over, what do you think about finding a man to marry into our family?"
"Mom!" Lin Lan looked at her, exasperated. "I don’t want to find anyone. I have a son, and I can earn my own money now. Why would I want to bring a man ho just to have to wait on him? And what if he gets angry and hits , or hits Little Douzi!"
Wu Shufen thought, ’Youngest Yang hasn’t been gone for long, so my daughter hasn’t even considered it. I’ll have to worry about it for her.’ "You just take so ti to think it over," she said. "I’ll go back and ask around. This ti, I’ll be sure to find soone honest and dependable."
Lin Lan turned away from her. "Mom, I really don’t want to. If you keep this up, I won’t co ho to visit anymore."
Wu Shufen worried that her daughter’s stubborn streak would flare up and she’d revert to her old ways. She pulled her close and said gently, "Alright, alright! If you don’t want to, we won’t talk about it. Go eat sothing first. After you’ve eaten, go and invite your third aunt-in-law and what’s-her-na to co for dinner tonight."
Seeing her mother’s expression, Lin Lan felt a pang of guilt. Her eyes red, she hugged Wu Shufen. "Mom, please don’t worry. I promise I’ll be alright. I won’t give you and Dad anything to worry about."
Feeling her daughter hug her just like she did as a little girl, Wu Shufen’s heart completely lted. "I’m not worried, Mom’s not worried. Now go eat. You’ll get a stomachache if you let yourself get too hungry."
Lin Lan nodded. After eating, she went to the old woman’s house to invite her for dinner, and the old woman cheerfully accepted. Then, she went to Yang ihua’s house, which wasn’t far from the old woman’s place, and invited her family as well.
Yang ihua smiled, feigning reproach. "It was just a small thing. You shouldn’t have gone to the expense, how embarrassing."
Lin Lan laughed. "Nonsense! It’s just a simple ho-cooked al. You all have to co!"
"Alright. It’s our turn to pull weeds from the paddies today. We’ll co over as soon as we’re done."
"Rember to bring your two kids! I’m off to get Liying and her family now."
"Okay, we’ll all be there!" Yang ihua said with a smile.
Lin Lan smiled and headed ho. She grabbed her back-basket, went to Yang Liying’s house to invite them, and then hurried to the foot of the mountain to cut grass.
Back at the house, Wu Shufen soaked the cured at Lin Guoliang had brought in warm water. She shelled a large bowl of peanuts, then began to slaughter the chicken.
’She was so grateful to the old woman for helping look after her grandson and for teaching her daughter how to be better. It was only because of her that the girl had finally co to her senses.’
Wu Shufen ladled half a bowl of water and mixed in a little salt. Grabbing the large rooster, she plucked a few feathers from its neck, raised the knife, and began to chant, "Heaven slays you, Earth slays you, it is not I who slays you. In your next life, may you shed this feathered coat for one of cloth."
Only after finishing the chant did she slice the rooster’s neck. She held it upside down, letting the blood drain into the bowl.
The old woman entered the courtyard and saw that Wu Shufen was already scalding the chicken to pluck its feathers. She smiled and took so cabbage and greens out of her basket. "My dear in-law, you’ve already butchered the chicken?"
Wu Shufen looked up with a smile. "Grand-aunt, please, co have a seat." She hurried inside to grab a chair for her. "Thank you so much. Little Lan is so lucky to have you looking after her."
The old woman sat down with a gratified smile. "The girl ca to her senses on her own." The two of them chatted and laughed as they got busy with the preparations.
The Lin brothers returned with Little Douzi after their walk. They had found a thick piece of iron wire sowhere and fashioned it into a hoop, along with a long-handled iron hook to push it with.
Little Douzi watched his two uncles without blinking, his heart filled with joy. ’I have a rolling hoop too!’
Lin Guodong handed the finished hoop to Little Douzi, who was staring up at him with wide, expectant eyes. He grinned at his nephew. "It’s all done. Go on, go play with it!"
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