Chapter 147: Chapter 144: Arrogant Before, Respectful After

Lin Lan glanced at the large tree but didn’t see the familiar figure. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright, thank you for your trouble.” She then handed him a few pumpkin cakes. “These are freshly made. Have a taste.”

Yang Zhigang accepted them with a smile and took a bite. “Sister Lin, your pastries are simply delicious.”

“If you like them, I’ll have Zhixue bring you some next time,” Lin Lan said with a smile.

Yang Zhigang shook his head, still smiling. “Uncle Li asked me to watch the stall here. Brother Xiangyang went to the pig farm.”

When the folks at the clothing factory heard that Brother Xiangyang had taken a liking to a widow, their jaws nearly hit the floor.

Lin Lan had a gut feeling that Li Xiangyang’s transfer to the pig farm had something to do with her. She smiled and said, “In that case, you can come here to eat from now on.”

“Hehe!” Yang Zhigang chuckled and waved his hand sheepishly. “Sister Lin, you have a customer. I’ll get back to my post.”

Lin Lan nodded and got some orchid beans for a regular customer. Time flew by when she was busy, and by almost six o’clock, Lin Lan had sold nearly all of her goods for the day.

She packed the empty baskets into her back-carrier, and the last few mung bean cakes were also sold.

By the time she finished packing up, Yang Liying was also ready. Lin Lan had Yang Liying get on the bike, and she started heading back with her. Zhao Dehai followed slowly behind, carrying the shoulder pole.

When the two of them got home, Little Douzi was already back from school. They put their things down, greeted Lin Yuezhen, and then rode their bike to Yang Liqun’s house.

Wang Zemin was in the courtyard. Seeing them arrive, he happily ran to call Yang Liqun and, ignoring their protests, insisted on killing a chicken to treat them to a meal.

Yang Liqun whispered to them, “He’s changed so much now. Every day, he helps me carry the tofu to the entrance of the tunnel. When I’ve almost sold out, he comes to pick me up. He even said that life has something to look forward to now, and he’s planning to build a new house next year.”

Yang Liying glanced at Wang Zemin with a grin and said in a low voice, “Eldest Sister, you’re really something else. You straightened out our brother-in-law in one go.”

Yang Liqun shot her a reproachful glance. “Am I as amazing as you?”

Seeing the smile in Yang Liqun’s eyes, Lin Lan knew she was telling the truth and felt happy for her. Recalling that Wang Zhixue had asked Lin Changyou to be a matchmaker, she smiled and said, “Eldest Sister, my mom said our sister-in-law’s family is willing to meet. She said you all should find some time to visit them in Shilian.”

“That’s wonderful!” Yang Liqun looked at her joyfully. “Today is Friday. How about we go this Monday?”

Lin Lan nodded with a smile. “Okay. I’ll make the pastries early, and we can take the first bus on Monday.”

Yang Liqun noticed Yang Liying’s hesitant expression and asked, “Liying, what’s wrong? Did you argue with Dehai?”

“Of course not! It’s Second Sister. Today, she…” Yang Liying indignantly recounted Yang Lirong’s visit.

Lin Lan also briefly mentioned the time Li Xiangyang had come to her house to look at the rooms.

“That Lirong is getting more and more outrageous, helping outsiders trash her own family.” Yang Liqun stood up in a fury. “I’m going to her house right now and dragging her over here to ask just which blabbermouth started this.”

“Sis! There’s one more thing!” Yang Liying chased after her and told her what she had hidden from Lin Lan.

Yang Liqun frowned. “Who knows what the future holds? Who can say for sure?”

“Yeah! Go on, but hurry back,” Yang Liying said as she walked back.

Watching the two sisters, Lin Lan felt that Yang Lirong had probably said more than just that—perhaps some nastier things that Yang Liying hadn’t told her. She could also sense that these two sisters-in-law, one older and one younger, were genuinely trying to protect her.

Yang Lirong lived in the bamboo forest behind the schoolhouse. A round trip from Yang Liqun’s house took just over half an hour.

Her husband, Yu Hui, was the leader of the second sub-team. Their spacious three-room house, built with blue bricks and large tiles, looked much more prosperous than Yang Liying’s and Yang Liqun’s homes.

When Yang Liqun arrived at the gate to Yang Lirong’s courtyard, she called out with a smile, “Lirong, are you home?”

Yang Lirong was in the yard feeding the chickens. When she saw her sister arrive, she didn’t invite her in to sit down, simply looking at her and asking, “Did Liying send you? I came looking for you at your house this morning, but the main gate was locked. Where did you all go?” ’She must have been hiding from me on purpose,’ she thought.

“Your brother-in-law and I went to our private plot to pull weeds,” Yang Liqun said with a smile. “Liying and Lin Lan are both at my place. I came to ask you to come over so we can talk.”

Yang Lirong glanced at her. “Liying told you, didn’t she? What do you think about this business with Lin Lan?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing! Who exactly is spreading these rumors?” Yang Liqun asked, looking at her.

Yang Lirong pursed her lips. “Never mind who said it. Someone was kind enough to warn me, I can’t just sell them out, can I? Besides, she never thinks of me, so why should I tell her anything!”

Yang Liqun was displeased. “Fine, don’t say it. Since you don’t want to come to my house, I’ll just tell you my thoughts right here. Lin Lan said that Xiangyang came to her house early that morning, and he left in less than two minutes.

“Whether Lin Lan remarries or brings a husband into the family, the house belongs to Little Douzi. Around here, there’s no precedent for a married daughter to go back and claim a share of the family property. If you want to make and sell tofu, go right ahead. No one will stop you.” After saying her piece, she turned and left.

Seeing her sister leave right after dropping those words, Yang Lirong stared blankly at the gate for a moment. She then scattered the rice husks from the wooden ladle for the chickens before turning, walking over to the steps under the eaves, and plopping down onto a bamboo chair.

’Eldest Sister used to complain that Lin Lan was lazy and gluttonous, and that she couldn’t even handle their youngest brother. She was so dissatisfied with her. Now she’s defending her like this. It seems she and Liying have earned a lot of money following Lin Lan; that must be why they’re both speaking up for her.’

A sharp-looking man of medium build with a flushed face walked into the yard. “Lirong, what did your eldest sister come here for?”

Yang Lirong glanced at him. “She came to say that Lin Lan and Liying are at her house. Her husband killed a chicken, and she wanted me to go over so the three of them could talk.”

Yu Hui walked over and took the wooden ladle from her hand. “Are you stupid? She came all this way to invite you, why didn’t you go? Go talk nicely with Lin Lan and have her wholesale some goods for Eldest Sister to sell at a stall. Let me tell you, don’t look down on running a stall. They can make much more in a month than someone with a stable government job.”

“Is it really that good?” Yang Lirong’s eyes lit up as she looked at him. But then she had another thought. “Eldest Sister is going to run a stall? Will the authorities dig up old dirt later and parade them through the streets in shame?”

Yu Hui let out a drunken burp and waved his hand with a grin. “They won’t! I went to the commune and asked around. They’re not going to bother people for doing small business anymore. I heard some places already have vendors openly setting up stalls to sell things.”

“Then why didn’t you come back and tell me sooner? I just offended everyone.” Yang Lirong complained as she untied her apron and tossed it on the chair. “The second daughter is cooking. Tell her to feed the pigs.”

Yu Hui nodded. “Alright! When you go, speak nicely. Apologize properly. There’s no reason for sisters to hold a grudge overnight.”

Thinking of her attitude toward her eldest sister just now, Yang Lirong shot him a glare. “I just offended them, and now I’m supposed to go right back and apologize? It’s easy for you to say. Why don’t you go do it?”

Seeing that she was being unreasonable even when she was in the wrong, Yu Hui grew displeased as well. “Who told you to be so hot-headed? Couldn’t you have waited until I got back to say anything? Liying and Liqun are both running stalls with Lin Lan, leaving only you out. The sisters in this family have ended up like this, and you still have the nerve to complain?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep