Chapter 171: Chapter 167: Can She Compare?

Yang Liying nodded. “Xiangyang is a good man. It’s good for you two to see how things go. It’s all out in the open, so let them say whatever they want!”

A warmth spread through Lin Lan’s heart as she looked at her. “Thank you, Third Sister!”

Yang Liying smiled. “As long as you and Douzi are doing well, that’s thanks enough for me.” She was worried that if things didn’t work out with Xiangyang, a heartbroken Lin Lan would revert to her old lazy and gluttonous ways.

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. Even if things with Li Xiangyang didn’t work out, she and Douzi would be fine. In her previous life, she had never been the type to fall apart over a man, and she certainly wouldn’t this time around.

At that, another matter came to mind. She said with a smile, “Sis, Sister Meihua told me some news yesterday. The household responsibility system is coming…”

“Ah!” Yang Liying cried out, grabbing Lin Lan’s hand. “You mean we won’t have to do communal labor anymore? The grain we grow, after we hand over the state quota and pay the agricultural tax, the rest will all be ours?”

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. “That’s right! Sister He’s husband said each person can get over two mu of land. In the future, Douzi and I won’t be able to finish all the rice we harvest and rapeseed oil we press.”

Yang Liying excitedly turned to Zhao Dehai, who was coming out carrying the soybeans. “Dehai, did you hear that!”

Zhao Dehai was confused. “Hear what? You look so happy. Did you find some money?”

“Sister He’s husband told Lin Lan…” Yang Liying repeated what Lin Lan had said. “Isn’t this great news? In the future, we won’t have to spend money buying work points to run our stall anymore.”

After hearing this, Zhao Dehai stopped grinding the soybeans and rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Really! It would be amazing if they really give us that much land. We won’t have to worry about food anymore.” His generation had been traumatized by starvation and felt that grain was more important than anything. During the years of the Great Famine, you couldn’t buy food even if you had money.

“Third Sister, there’s even better news!” Lin Lan said with a smile. “Sister He’s husband also said the government is going to open up several large markets. They’ve already started renovating them. It won’t be long before we can open the shop we bought.”

The good news came one after another, stunning the couple. They were so happy they couldn’t stop grinning.

Yang Liying gratefully took Lin Lan’s hand. “Lin Lan, you and Xiangyang are our lucky stars. We have to thank you properly.”

Ever since they listened to Lin Lan’s advice to make and sell tofu in the Eucalyptus Forest, their two children had gotten new clothes, new shoes, and new pencil cases. They even had new dresses made for them. Plus, they had bought a house in the city—something they had never even dreamed of.

As the saying goes, the river flows east for thirty years, and west for thirty years. Who could have predicted that the lazy wife everyone once despised would end up leading them to a better life!

“Don’t say that. We just made a suggestion. You were the ones who made the final decision,” Lin Lan said.

“Without your advice, we would never have even thought of buying a house!” Zhao Dehai said happily, though his excitement was quickly followed by worry. “Lin Lan, if the person who sold us the house finds out about this news, he’ll probably be kicking himself. Do you think he’ll come back and ask for the house?”

Lin Lan smiled and spread her hands. “Even if he regrets it, we can’t possibly give it back! We bought it fair and square with ’Da Tuanjie’ notes, and the deed has already been transferred to our names.”

Zhao Dehai nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, right! It’s a good thing we listened to Xiangyang and got the property deed sorted out as soon as we paid.”

Thinking about how she wouldn’t have to run all over the place anymore, Yang Liying felt a boundless surge of energy. She said cheerfully, “Dehai, later at the Eucalyptus Forest, take Lin Lan’s bike and go back to pack up. Then head over to Vegetable Market Street. Get together with Old Chen and the others and fix up the shop right away. Don’t be cheap; replace everything that needs replacing.”

The wall around their house was already built, and the side room would be finished tomorrow.

Zhao Dehai nodded. “Okay. Let’s hurry up and grind the soybeans, or we’ll be late setting up the stall.” With that, he took a few quick steps to the grinding stone and began pushing the handle, turning it rapidly.

Yang Liying hurried over to help. The couple exchanged a smile, feeling that their life was getting better and better, filled with endless energy.

Lin Lan also hurried to start the fire in the stove. When the time was right, she slid the tray of pumpkin cakes into the oven to bake.

The group busied themselves preparing everything for the stall. When Wang Zhixue and his brother arrived and heard the news, they were thrilled. They took their goods and left with big smiles on their faces.

Lin Lan, along with Yang Liying and her husband, also set off for the Eucalyptus Forest.

Just as they reached the small path in front of the Eucalyptus Forest, Li Xiangyang appeared. He said with a smile, “Little Lan, give me the bike. I’ll push it the rest of the way.”

Lin Lan glanced at the commune members setting up their stalls along the path and said in a low voice, “I can do it myself.”

“You have me now,” Li Xiangyang said with a smile, taking the bicycle’s handlebars and walking into the Eucalyptus Forest.

Li Wu, Zhou Xiaohong, and the others saw Lin Lan trailing behind Li Xiangyang like a shy new bride, her face beet red. They laughed and teased, “When are you two treating us to wedding wine?”

Li Xiangyang laughed heartily. “Next year! We’ll definitely treat you next year! You can start preparing your wedding gifts now.”

Zhou Xiaohong looked at Lin Lan with a grin. “Alright, I’ll start getting it ready as soon as I pack up my stall.”

“…” Lin Lan’s face turned as red as a boiled shrimp.

Xue Bing pointed at him from the side and shouted, “Hey! Guys, take a look! Don’t you think Comrade Xiangyang looks a little different today?”

Li Wu played along, trotting over to Li Xiangyang. He grabbed the handlebars, looked him over with a wink and a nod, then turned back and laughed. “Comrade Xiangyang is beaming with joy today. Even his eyes are smiling!”

“HAHAHA…” The crowd burst into laughter.

Li Xiangyang pushed the bike to the tree where Lin Lan usually set up her stall. Seeing how red her face was, he turned and waved at the crowd. “Set up your stalls! Set up your stalls! Hurry up and get to work.” As he spoke, he started unloading her things and helping her set up.

Everyone got busy with their own stalls.

Lin Lan shot Li Xiangyang a glare and whispered, “Uncle Li hasn’t agreed yet. If you make such a big show of it, he’ll be upset when he finds out.”

Li Xiangyang looked at her and smiled. “I know my old man’s temper. If he really disliked you, he would have already paid your house a visit.”

Looking at him, Lin Lan was at a loss for words.

Just then, Yang Liying and Zhao Dehai arrived, carrying poles with tofu and tofu pudding. After they set up their stall, Zhao Dehai rode the bike toward Vegetable Market Street in the south of the city.

Xu Huan, wearing a black sweater and matching straight-leg pants, pushed a woman’s bicycle into the Eucalyptus Forest. She scanned the area as she walked, stopping in front of Lin Lan’s stall. ’She must be the little widow Li Jing mentioned.’

She stopped in front of Lin Lan’s stall and sized her up. Her jet-black hair wasn’t in braids like everyone else’s but was tied up in a bun, revealing the pale nape of her neck. Her complexion and figure were both quite good. ’But I wonder what her face looks like.’

Xu Huan thought about her own looks and figure and puffed out her chest. ’Lin Lan is just a little widow from the countryside. Even if she’s slightly pretty, how could she possibly compare to me?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep