Chapter 133: Chapter 130: Going Official? Who’s Going Official?

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 some tea for Li Xiangyang. “Wait a moment. 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 come over all the time and you’ve never made me tea, but the moment Xiangyang arrives, he gets to drink some!”

Lin Lan looked with amusement at the old lady, who was acting jealous despite her age. “Grandma, you’re on medication, 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 medicine for three days, then go for a check-up. I can only stop the medication if I’ve recovered well.”

Lin Lan quietly did the math in her head after hearing that. ’Medical 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 me.”

Li Xiangyang gave her a deep look, then lowered his gaze and picked up the bags. “Mm. I have to come back later for the pigs, so I’ll head out for now.”

“Okay.” Lin Lan suddenly felt there was something 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 me?’

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 home and heat it up.”

“Ding Bang must have made you something delicious, then.”

The old lady beamed and nodded. “He got a soft-shelled turtle from somewhere!”

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 came running back with his iron hoop. “Mama, I’ll go call the chickens back in.”

Lin Lan nodded. “Okay, it’s time 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 home, he took one bag of pumpkin cakes across the way to Xu Dong. “Lin Lan just baked these. Let Xiuyun and Little Hai try some. 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 comes 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 some 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 prime!”

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, remembering what they’d just said, asked again, “Who were you talking about making it official?”

“Dongzi was talking about someone 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 someone!” Old Li said, then something 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 home. 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 something up with you!”

“I heard Ding Bang mention 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 me 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 some unknown method, 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 meat.”

“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 men 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 some information. I think the government is being serious this time, so I’ve decided to take advantage of the uncertain climate to buy some 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 mess. They’ll need renovations if we buy them. You should put some 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 something, go for it. If not, don’t worry about it.”

The old lady quickly said, “I have some! I’ll go get it for you.” She went into her room and came back out with a bank passbook. “I’ve saved all the money Ding Bang has given me 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 me. If it’s not enough, you can borrow some from Xiangyang. Buying a house now is a good investment.”

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 women in the village.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep