Seeing the lonely look that flashed in her eyes, Lin Lan comforted her gently, "Grand-auntie, once we move here, you’ll have company and can pick up Little Douzi and the others from school together."
The old lady looked at Little Douzi. "It’s good that he’ll be studying here. He’ll have Dandan and Little Kai to keep him company."
Lin Lan and the others stayed at the old lady’s ho for a little while before heading next door to Yao Xiuyun’s place.
Yao Xiuyun, wearing an apron, was sitting on a small stool plucking a chicken. When she saw them enter the courtyard, she stood up with a wide grin. "You should have co empty-handed! And here you are with a whole basket."
Lin Lan laughed. "I knew you were slaughtering a chicken, so I brought a basket to take it ho in."
Hearing their voices, Dongzi ca out of the house. He welcod Li Xiangyang’s group inside, and the two n went into the study to talk.
Little Hai and Qiaoling took Qiaohui and Little Douzi upstairs to read picture books.
Li Xiangyang handed the basket to Yao Xiuyun. "So cured goods Little Lan made. Consider it an early New Year’s present."
Yao Xiuyun saw the basket was filled with cured pork belly, sausages, cured chicken, and even lard-preserved pork with pastries. She picked up the cured chicken and bead. "Thank you! Nothing beats cured chicken made from a capon."
Lin Lan smiled. "If you like it, we’ll raise more next year. Just co over and grab one whenever you get a craving."
Yao Xiuyun nodded, then brought out so roasted nuts and fruit and put them on the coffee table. In a low voice, she said, "A couple of days ago, Dandan’s mom went to find Ding Bang again. She claid Dandan won’t go to Yun Province with her for the New Year and insisted it must be because Yang Xiaoman has been speaking ill of her in front of Dandan."
"She threw a fit right in the Public Security Bureau compound—crying and screaming so close to the New Year. It caused such a commotion that her superiors got involved. They even had a talk with Ding Bang, telling him to handle his family matters so they don’t impact his career."
Lin Lan said indignantly, "Kids naturally gravitate toward whoever is good to them. She’s the girl’s biological mother. If Dandan doesn’t want to acknowledge her, she should be reflecting on her own actions instead of blaming soone else. How utterly classless!"
Yao Xiuyun pursed her lips. "It’s the talk of the entire Public Security compound. Thankfully, Little Man is broad-minded, otherwise things between her and Ding Bang would’ve likely fallen apart."
Lin Lan nodded. "I know! Xie Tian looks so refined and educated, but her behavior is no different from a common shrew."
"’Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ That saying was made for people like Xie Tian," Yao Xiuyun said, getting up. "One of Dongzi’s colleagues got a favor from an expert to appraise an antique. As a thank you, he sent over a case of Maotai yesterday. Take a few bottles with you."
Hearing this, Lin Lan thought about what Maotai would be worth in twenty or thirty years and smiled. "I hear you need ration tickets to buy Maotai, otherwise I’d go buy so to cellar and drink over ti."
Yao Xiuyun smiled. "If you want to buy so, that’s simple. Once work starts up after the New Year, I’ll have my uncle get you a few cases."
"Okay!" Lin Lan said. "You should get a few extra cases to hoard, too. I have a feeling this stuff is only going to get more expensive."
Yao Xiuyun put six bottles into their basket. "I’ll take your advice. You and Xiangyang are always right about these things."
They had rented out their family’s storefront, and the monthly rent was more than her salary. The couple had gotten their first taste of how sweet investing could be.
In the study, Xu Dong told Li Xiangyang that more and more people would be starting their own businesses next year. The economic reforms were going to ramp up, and he told Li Xiangyang that as long as he wasn’t doing anything illegal, he should forge ahead with confidence.
Li Xiangyang looked at him. "Will they loosen the restrictions on the number of employees you can hire?"
Xu Dong shook his head. "Not that, not yet. In fact, so people at the bureau have proposed conducting random inspections on private businesses next year, specifically to check on their hiring practices."
Li Xiangyang shrugged. "If they don’t lift that restriction, how much can a person accomplish with just their own two hands? I think they should get rid of that rule. It would allow entrepreneurs to hire help and give people without degrees a chance to work, earn a living, and support their families."
Xu Dong thought Li Xiangyang made a very good point. "I’ll look for an opportunity to bring it up at the next eting. By the way, did you ever find out who those people were that caused a scene at your shop?"
Li Xiangyang nodded. "The tall guy from last ti goes by the nickna Old Gao. He runs with a gang of thugs from the north side of the city, making a living through shady ans. He said soone paid them to stir up trouble at the shop. Can you guess who it was?"
Seeing Li Xiangyang’s dark expression, Xu Dong’s heart sank. "It wasn’t Li Jing, was it?"
"It was her, all right," Li Xiangyang said in a low voice.
Xu Dong’s voice turned grim. "Did you go see her?"
Li Xiangyang shook his head. "Shuiqing found out for . I haven’t had a chance to track her down since I got back." As he spoke, he slamd his fist on the table in anger. "I just don’t get it! What kind of deep-seated hatred does she have for ? What could I possibly owe her that makes her so obsessed with tornting ?"
Xu Dong looked at him earnestly. "What could you possibly owe her? And what grudge could there be? You just have different values and perspectives."
’Based on what I know of the Li family,’ he thought, ’Li Jing is selfish and hypocritical, while Xiangyang is sincere and generous. Uncle and Auntie Li are well-respected, too. I really don’t understand where Li Jing gets her personality, completely disregarding her own family like that.’
Li Xiangyang thought for a mont after hearing that. "You’re right. I don’t owe her a thing. We just have different principles."
Xu Dong nodded. "Xiangyang, in my opinion, the person Li Jing cares most about is Chen Jingsheng. I think you should go find Chen Jingsheng and ask him to rein her in. Get him to stop her from interfering in your and your father’s lives."
Li Xiangyang frowned. "You want to get Chen Jingsheng to control her? You think she’s been doing all this behind his back?"
Xu Dong hesitated for a mont before saying, "I heard Chen Jingsheng’s parents can’t stand Li Jing’s character, so they took the child with them to the provincial capital. But Chen Jingsheng is still very protective of her."
"Serves her right!" Li Xiangyang sneered. "Those two old fossils from the Chen family are just like Li Jing. The idea of them looking down on her character is fucking hilarious!"
"It takes a villain to grind down a villain. Don’t be fooled by how high and mighty Li Jing acts all the ti. In front of that old couple from the Chen family, she’s as ek as a lamb."
"Enough about her." Li Xiangyang changed the subject in annoyance. "Tell , how are things going for you at the Bureau of Industry and Comrce?"
A smug look spread across Xu Dong’s face. "You know what I’m capable of. I’m like a fish in water, no matter where I am."
Li Xiangyang rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I see pigs flying."
"What are you two, a couple of shy maidens, hiding in here?" Before he even finished speaking, Yang Dingbang strode into the room.
"You’re back too!" Xu Dong grinned, slinging his arms around both n. "It’s rare for all of us to be together. Let’s have lunch here at my place."
Yang Dingbang said cheerfully, "Sounds good! I saw that case of Maotai on the coffee table. We can have a drink at lunch."
"Let’s have Xiuyun and Little Lan handle the cooking," Li Xiangyang said, pulling the other two toward the door. "We’ll take the kids to town to buy couplets, firecrackers, and sparklers. If we wait any longer, they’ll all be sold out."
Seeing the three n erge, Yao Xiuyun smiled and said, "Lin Lan and I will whip up so dishes to go with drinks. You can all eat lunch here."
Xu Dong nodded happily. "That was the plan. You two can cook while we take the kids out shopping." With that, he ran upstairs.
Yao Xiuyun pulled Lin Lan into the kitchen to start preparing lunch, while Li Xiangyang and the other two n took the children and rode their bikes into town.
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