Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Be a Little Careful

Lin Lan nodded, set Little Douzi down on a stool, and watched him with a smile. “Listen, the little pig is squealing because it’s hungry.”

“You be a good boy and eat. After you’re finished, we’ll go feed the little pig.”

Little Douzi laughed. “Mama, Grandma and I fed the little pig this morning. It eats so, so much.”

Wu Shufen brought the food to the table. “After my good grandson eats, you can feed the little pig with Grandma.”

“Okay!” Little Douzi picked up his spoon, held up his little wooden bowl, and started eating in big mouthfuls.

After the meal, Lin Lan took out the money she’d made that day, her face beaming. “I had more Orchid Beans today than yesterday, and they sold out in less than half an hour. I made over eight yuan in total.”

Little Douzi’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the money on the table. “Wow! We’re rich!”

Wu Shufen laughed. “Oh! My grandson is so clever, you even know about getting rich. You can’t tell anyone outside that we have money. If thieves and bad guys hear about it, they’ll steal it.”

Little Douzi nodded. “I know, Grandma. Great-Grandma said bad guys will take Mama away.”

Seeing her mother and son so happy, Lin Lan’s smile grew even wider. “Ma, I was thinking, since they just got their bonuses, I should soak an extra scoop of fava beans in hot water and fry an extra batch tomorrow.”

Wu Shufen nodded happily. “Okay, I’ll go scoop the fava beans.”

Lin Lan poured some hot water from a thermos and soaked the fava beans.

It was only when she went to fetch water that she saw the backyard was already planted full of taro and chard.

“Ma, you haven’t been idle at all. You cut so many paper mulberry leaves and planted all this.”

Wu Shufen pointed at the chard and taro. “The old lady brought them over. Once the chard and taro stalks grow, you break off the tough outer stalks, chop them finely, and mix them into the slop to boil. Add rice bran and paper mulberry leaves to feed the pigs, and they’ll grow fast.

“While there are plenty of paper mulberry leaves and the pig is still small and eats less, you should cut more to bring back. Dry them and store them in gunny sacks to use gradually.”

She then taught Lin Lan to mix finely chopped paper mulberry leaves with rice bran, crumbling the leaves before feeding them to the pig, followed by half a bucket of boiled and cooled slop.

She also taught her to sweep the pigpen every other day and change the straw in its bedding.

Aside from using paper mulberry leaves to feed the pig, Lin Lan had done all the other chores in her past life and had been quite good at them. But she didn’t dare reveal this, so she could only listen attentively.

The mother and daughter fed the pig until it was full, then caught the half-grown chicks and put them in the coop against the wall. They closed the coop door and braced it with a wooden stick to prevent rats from getting in and harming the chicks.

After coming out, they took down the mosquito nets and clothes, folded them, and then started sweeping the floor.

Wu Shufen sat under the eaves with a shoe sole, stitching it. From time to time, she would look up with a smile at her daughter and grandson.

****

When Liu Jinbao got home, he took a look around the kitchen, then turned and went to Sun Xiuhua’s room.

He lifted the pillow and blanket, felt around in the straw mattress for a moment, and found a small key. He used it to open a red-lacquered wooden chest.

From inside an old, patterned jacket, he pulled out a stack of banknotes. He counted out one hundred yuan and stuffed it into his pocket. After a moment’s thought, he pulled out another ten yuan, then put the jacket and key back where he found them.

Just as he walked out of the room, he heard the sound of the courtyard gate opening. He went to the entrance of the main hall and peeked out to see Sun Xiuhua returning with his sister.

Liu Jinbao leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe. “Liu Xia, what tasty treats did you bring for Ma this time?”

Liu Xia shot him a glare. “You don’t even call me ’Sister,’ all you think about is eating! I heard you were the reason Ma got beaten up by that little widow, Lin Lan. I came back specifically to check on her!”

Liu Jinbao glared back. “Easy for you to say! If you’ve got the guts, go get revenge on that woman yourself! So stingy! You’re married, but you still come back to leech off your family all day.”

Liu Xia looked at Sun Xiuhua, aggrieved. “Ma~, look at our third brother!”

Sun Xiuhua gave her a disdainful look, then glanced at her empty hands. “Your third brother isn’t wrong. Look at the other married women in the production team. Who else comes back to their parents’ home empty-handed like you?”

“You’re so biased! We’ll see how well your precious third son treats you in the future!” Liu Xia snapped huffily and turned to leave.

Sun Xiuhua yelled after her, “I say one thing and you throw a fit! If you’ve got such a temper, then don’t bother coming back!”

Liu Xia didn’t even turn her head, storming off in a rage.

“Ma, I’m going to the storage room to get something,” Liu Jinbao said, then pushed his bicycle and ran off.

“Every one of them is here to collect a debt,” Sun Xiuhua muttered as she walked into the courtyard.

Liu Jinbao rode his bike to Zou Zhonggui’s house and saw him squatting by the door, holding a large bowl filled to the brim with potato and rice stew.

“Old Gui, that bowl’s bigger than your head.”

Zou Zhonggui swallowed the potato in his mouth. “I’ve been hauling manure all day. I’m so hungry my stomach’s touching my spine. If I don’t eat a lot, I won’t make it till morning.”

The two went inside. Liu Jinbao pulled out the money and placed it on the table. “Fifty now. Another fifty when the job is done!”

Zou Zhonggui glanced at the bicycle by the door. “And the ’28-inch.’”

Liu Jinbao slapped his chest. “Don’t worry, a brother keeps his word.” He then shot him a sideways glance. “Did you go to Niu Bei Mountain to check out that woman today?”

“Yeah. Took a look from a distance.” Zou Zhonggui smacked his lips.

Liu Jinbao gave him a sidelong look. “We have a deal. Once you get your hands on her, you let me have a turn.”

Zou Zhonggui stared at him. “Only once! And if she doesn’t make a scene, you can’t go spreading it around.”

Liu Jinbao looked at him askance, then stepped forward with a lewd grin and nudged him with his elbow. “That woman’s already got you hooked, huh!”

As Zou Zhonggui pictured Lin Lan, a heat rose in him. ’It wouldn’t be bad to start a family with a woman like that.’ The two stinking hooligans already considered Lin Lan their prize.

The two of them sat together and began to plot how to deal with Lin Lan.

The dim, yellow light of the oil lamp illuminated two vile, ghoulish faces.

****

Lin Lan woke up early and made sweet potato congee, stir-fried peas, and pickled vegetables, and boiled three eggs.

They each ate one egg. She ladled the leftover congee into an enamel mug and topped it with the remaining peas and pickled vegetables.

“Little Lan, who are you bringing food for?” Wu Shufen asked.

Lin Lan told her about Old Chen. “Ma, I just feel so sorry for him.”

Wu Shufen sighed. “Why hasn’t he left yet? Those other two from our team have already gone!”

“I don’t know! I’m off now!”

As Lin Lan, carrying a basket on her back, neared the fishpond at the foot of the mountain, she saw Old Chen standing on the ridge of a field, feeding the fish. She took the enamel mug out of her basket and handed it to him as she passed by.

“You can just give the mug back to me on my way home. My mom said the ones from the Shilian brigade have already gone back.”

Old Chen gave her a grateful look. “Thank you, Little Lin.” He had received a letter from home yesterday afternoon and knew that some people had already returned.

Lin Lan gave a slight nod and headed toward the foot of the mountain.

Time flew by when she was busy, and in the blink of an eye, it was time to finish work for the day.

When Lin Lan passed by the thatched shed, she took back the enamel mug and saw that there was a one-yuan note inside.

Old Chen said in a low voice, “Little Lin, life isn’t easy for you either. You must take this for the food and medicine.”

“I’ll bring you some more tomorrow morning,” Lin Lan said before walking straight on.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep