Chapter 134: Chapter 131: Meeting the Wrong Person

Yang Dingbang looked up at the sky, sniffled, and gave his grandmother a hug. “You have to stay healthy. Dandan and I can’t live without you!”

“Alright, alright!” the grandmother readily agreed.

Li Xiangyang watched the grandmother and grandson, moved. “Ding Bang, make some time tomorrow at noon to go take a look with me.” Then, blushing, he turned to the grandmother. “Grandma, could you let Lin Lan know? If she’s interested, maybe she could come take a look with us?”

The grandmother smiled and shook her head. “Silly boy, go find Lin Lan and tell her your idea yourself. That’s the only way she’ll see what you’re capable of and feel how good you are to her.”

Li Xiangyang hesitated. “Do I really have to be the one to tell her?”

The grandmother smiled and nodded. “You’re brave enough to slaughter pigs, what’s so scary about saying a few words?”

Li Xiangyang thought for a moment, then nodded. “It’s too late now. If I go over and people see me, it’ll be bad for Lin Lan and her son’s reputation. I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning.”

The grandmother turned to Yang Dingbang, pleased. “Xiangyang is much more considerate than you.”

Li Xiangyang shot Yang Dingbang a smug look. “See? Even Grandma’s praising me. You should learn a thing or two from me.”

“Look at that smug face of yours!” Yang Dingbang reached out and slapped Li Xiangyang on the shoulder. “Learn from you? Learn how to be too afraid to go and tell her in person?”

Li Xiangyang clutched his shoulder and yelped dramatically. “You broke it! You can go help me slaughter the pigs tomorrow.”

“Fine, I’ll help you!” Yang Dingbang said, slinging an arm around him as they walked toward the courtyard gate.

At the courtyard gate, Li Xiangyang leaned on his bicycle and looked at him with a smile. “What did you pull me out here for?”

Yang Dingbang frowned. “The day before Grandma was discharged from the hospital, Dandan’s mom sent a telegram. She said she wants to get transferred here to take care of Dandan!”

“Fuck!” Li Xiangyang swore. “Is she out of her mind? Where the hell has she been?”

Yang Dingbang pulled a telegram from his pocket, his voice laced with irritation. “Here. This is it. I ignored her, but she called my office again this afternoon. She said she’s coming whether I agree or not, that she’s Dandan’s mother and has the right to be with her.”

Disgusted, Li Xiangyang kicked the wall. “Damn it! Now she wants to talk about rights? If she wants a kid so bad, she can go have another one! Why come here and make a spectacle of herself?”

Yang Dingbang’s face was impassive. “I asked an old army buddy over there. He said the guy she was with got arrested for corruption. She and him just got divorced.”

Li Xiangyang looked at him, worried. “Aren’t you worried she’ll show up and try to cling to you?”

Yang Dingbang ran a hand through his hair, his face a mask of frustration. “With the way she does whatever she wants, you think I can stop her?”

“True. A woman who could abandon her own child is capable of anything.” Li Xiangyang looked at him with sympathy. “You poor bastard. You really married the wrong person. You were such a good catch, how’d you get ruined by a man-crazy pig?”

“Some brother you are!”

Yang Dingbang gave him a light kick, then turned to look at the dim light in the courtyard, a chill entering his eyes. “The day she abandoned Dandan, so determined to divorce me she said she’d rather die… that’s the day I gave up on her completely.”

“Dandan’s mom is the type of person who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Grandma is getting old, and she doesn’t tolerate any sort of injustice. I’m worried she’ll come and bother Grandma. Help me find a small house with a courtyard near the No. 1 City Middle School. The moment she arrives, I’ll move Grandma into the city. It’s closer to the school, which will be more convenient for Dandan.”

Li Xiangyang nodded. “Good idea. Let’s get Dongzi and go look at those small villas near the No. 1 City Middle School. We should buy one now. It’ll be convenient for the kids’ schooling in the future, too. Don’t worry about the money. If you’re short, I’ll front you the cash.”

“Alright. You can front it for now, and I’ll pay you back a little each month. And whatever you do, don’t tell Grandma about Dandan’s mom,” Yang Dingbang stressed.

Li Xiangyang rolled his eyes at him. “You think I’m a blabbermouth like you?”

Yang Dingbang gave a sheepish grin. “Hey, you should be thanking me, my friend. Look how proactive Grandma is about you two now that she knows you like Lin Lan!”

“Hmph. Blabbermouth!” Li Xiangyang said with a smile as he straddled his bike. “Head on back. Just let me know when you have to go away on business. I’ll look after Grandma.”

“Yeah.” Yang Dingbang held up a fist. Li Xiangyang bumped it with his own and then rode off.

He took a detour and circled around to the gate of Lin Lan’s home. The enthusiastic barking of Wangcai erupted. When he heard Lin Lan scolding the dog, he smiled to himself and left.

Lin Lan went to the courtyard gate and listened. Hearing nothing, she gave Wangcai a gentle nudge with her foot. “Don’t bark for no reason. You’re too loud. Once you start, all the other dogs in the neighborhood join in.”

“WOOF WOOF!” Wangcai whined, wagging his tail. ’My old master came by, I have to at least say hi!’

Lin Lan scanned the yard with a flashlight. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she went back to the kitchen.

It was the cusp of winter, and the nights were chilly. The wind rustled endlessly through the bamboo grove out back.

Lin Lan and Lin Yuezhen finished making the pea cakes and kidney bean rolls, and had mashed the pumpkin puree. It was almost twelve o’clock.

Lin Yuezhen opened the back door, and a blast of cold air hit her. She poured some water into the drain, then came back inside and shut the door. She signed to Lin Lan, “Little Lan, the wind has turned cold. I think it’s going to rain tonight.”

“The colder weather has its perks. We can stay up late to finish the pastries for the morning market, which means we can sleep in a little,” Lin Lan said, stretching luxuriously. She shook out her sore wrists, massaged her aching lower back, and went to the stoop to grab the washbasin.

Lin Yuezhen nodded and ladled hot water into the basin. After they both washed up, they closed their doors and went to bed.

She woke once during the night to the sound of rain pattering on the roof tiles. Lin Lan reached over to check on Little Douzi, pulling the blanket up over him. Listening to the rain, she drifted back to sleep.

When she got up in the morning, the rain had stopped. She opened the door to the courtyard, breathing in the faint, clean scent of bamboo leaves on the air. She washed her face with cold water and got to work.

Lin Lan kneaded dough to make pumpkin cakes while Lin Yuezhen trimmed and fried fava beans into “orchid beans.” The sisters were both efficient workers, and they had everything ready before Wang Zhixue and the others arrived.

The moment Zhou Xiaohong arrived, she said, “An autumn rain brings a chill, a white dew brings a frost. The weather’s getting cold. It’s going to be tough for us running the stalls.”

Lin Lan nodded. “I’m going to ask my dad to buy some lambskins for me. I can give you a couple of pieces to make a hat, and we can use some to line our cotton shoes. Then our feet won’t be so cold.”

Zhou Xiaohong’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Oh, that would be great! Lambskin is wonderful stuff. Could you buy two extra pieces for me? I want to make a vest for my parents.”

“Sure! I’ll send word to him,” Lin Lan readily agreed, handing her a pumpkin cake. “Have a taste.”

Zhou Xiaohong took it and savored it slowly. “I knew it,” she said with a smile. “Everything you make is delicious. These pumpkin cakes are sure to be a hit.”

“Great. If they sell well, I’ll stock up on more pumpkins.” Lin Lan smiled as she packed up the pastries for her and walked her to the door.

Zhou Xiaohong waved and walked away, pushing her bicycle.

After the morning market orders were sent out, the three of them had a meal. Then, Little Kai, Little Ming, and a few other children came and took Little Douzi out to play.

Lin Lan finished cleaning up. She had just picked up her woven back-basket and was about to head out when she saw Li Xiangyang at her gate. “Xiangyang! What brings you here so early?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep