Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Run

Lin Lan put the money away securely, closed the door, and went to the woodshed to grab a sickle and a back basket. She dropped Little Douzi off at the old lady’s house, then went to Niu Bei Mountain to cut grass.

Just as she reached Old Chen’s thatched hut, an invigorated Old Chen called out to her. “Little Lin, I’ll be heading home in a bit.”

Lin Lan was happy for him, too. “Congratulations, Uncle Chen! That’s wonderful!”

Old Chen bowed to her. “Little Lin, thank you!” He recalled his darkest hour; it had been Lin Lan’s help and encouragement that had restored his confidence. Now that he had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, he was overcome with gratitude.

Lin Lan quickly stepped aside. “Uncle Chen, let the past be the past. Things will only get better from now on.”

“Alright, we won’t mention it again.” Old Chen took a fountain pen from his jacket pocket and handed it to Lin Lan. “Little Lin, this pen has been with me for over thirty years. I want you to have it as a keepsake.”

Lin Lan accepted it with a smile. “Uncle Chen, come back and visit when you have time.”

Old Chen nodded with a smile. “I will!”

Lin Lan saw He Xianghua, Liu Guozhi, and a few people who looked like officials walking their way. “Uncle Chen, I’ll be going. The people here for you have arrived.”

Old Chen smiled and nodded. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye!”

With the back basket on her shoulders, Lin Lan reached the foot of the mountain. She glanced back to see a crowd of people escorting Old Chen toward the tractor path and felt that his long suffering had finally come to an end.

With Wu Shufen gone, Lin Lan was much busier. She had to go home at noon to cook before picking up Little Douzi. Fortunately, the old lady helped her by snipping the broad beans and tending the stove fire.

Since tomorrow was Sunday, Lin Lan fried a large batch of orchid beans, filling a urea sack to the brim.

She carried the sack over and said to the old lady with a grin, “Auntie, don’t bother going home to cook. Just eat here with me. You can even help!”

The old lady rolled her eyes at her. “Always putting this old woman to work.”

Little Douzi hugged her arm. “Great-aunt, eat with us! It’s no fun to eat all by yourself.”

The old lady chuckled and looked at him. “My dear boy, if your great-aunt eats all the yummy food in your house, there won’t be any left for you.”

Little Douzi leaned in and whispered in her ear, “It’s okay. I’ll help Mama snip broad beans to earn money and buy more.”

The old lady smiled and nodded. “Alright, your great-aunt will go make dinner then.”

Lin Lan stroked Little Douzi’s small cheek. “Auntie, I’m off!”

“Go on!” the old lady said with a laugh.

Lin Lan carried her sack to the Eucalyptus Forest and noticed it was a bit more crowded than usual. Entering the woods, she saw that Zhou Xiaohong was already selling, and Li Xiangyang was squatting in his usual spot.

She had just taken out the sample bag of orchid beans when a regular customer came and bought several bags. Business was nonstop, and Lin Lan was swamped. But her right eyelid wouldn’t stop twitching.

’A twitching left eye brings wealth; a twitching right eye, disaster.’ Feeling a prickle of unease, Lin Lan glanced around but didn’t notice anyone standing on the field ridge, watching her with a jealous glare.

Zhang Yazhen stared at the woman, who was all smiles as she busily made change. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She rubbed them and looked again, finding that smile, blooming like a flower, to be utterly galling.

Her face darkened like a thundercloud. Jealousy and hatred made her eyes look venomous. She spun around and hurried off toward the vehicle factory.

Lin Lan quickly tucked a ten-yuan and two five-yuan bills into a hidden pocket in her waistband. A glance inside her sack showed more than ten bags of orchid beans remaining.

Just then, two more people came and bought a few bags. She was feeling pleased when she suddenly spotted several patrolmen running in their direction.

“Run!” she yelled, grabbing her sack and bolting toward the southern edge of the forest.

Zhou Xiaohong and Li Xiangyang were already running like mad ahead of her.

A chorus of shouts erupted behind them. “Stop! Don’t run! Stop…”

Listening to the shouts, Lin Lan wished she could sprout two more legs. She couldn’t help but lament, ’That twitching eye really was a bad omen!’

She was about to make it out of the Eucalyptus Forest. The tractor path was just ahead. Victory was in sight, and her heart soared with joy.

The next thing she knew, she was tasting the bitterness of her joy turning to sorrow. She tripped on an exposed tree root. “Aah!”

Lin Lan pitched forward and had an intimate meeting with the ground. The sack flew from her hand, and her elegant nose was nearly flattened by the impact.

She cursed her luck. ’Ever since I came here, it’s been one unlucky thing after another. Why is it that when other people get reincarnated, they’re blessed by a lucky star, but I seem to be haunted by a jinx?’

A pair of military-style rubber shoes appeared in her field of vision. Lin Lan heard a nasally, grating voice mock her, “Go on, run! Why’d you stop?”

Lin Lan looked up to see a man built like a beanpole standing over her, a smug look on his face. He was holding her urea sack.

“Heh heh,” she chuckled drily. “Comrade, I didn’t want to run. It was just a reflex, I couldn’t control it!”

Ignoring the pain, Lin Lan pushed herself up, ready to plead for mercy. But as she looked up, she saw Li Xiangyang being led over by the patrolmen and shot him a surprised glance.

“I’m used to this,” Li Xiangyang said, giving her a nonchalant shrug.

Soon, three more vendors were brought over. All of them immediately started pleading and begging for mercy.

Lin Lan added her own plea, “Comrade, things are really difficult at home. I just came out to earn a little pocket money. Please let me go this one time. I promise I’ll never do it again.”

The tall, skinny man glanced at her but said nothing.

A short man with a large black mole on his eyelid was bowing repeatedly. “Comrade, I’ve got elders and children to support at home, not to mention a sick old mother. I have no choice but to do a little business to earn money for her medicine…”

“Li Wu,” the tall, skinny man glared at him. “Last time, you said your wife left you because your eighty-year-old mother was paralyzed. Why’s the story different this time?”

Li Wu blinked, the mole on his eyelid bobbing up and down. “Yeah! My wife ran off, but the kids are still here!”

Watching the mole on Li Wu’s eyelid bob up and down, Lin Lan almost burst out laughing.

The tall, skinny man pushed them along. “Move it, move it! Enough nonsense. We’ll sort this out back at the office.”

The tall, skinny man and the patrolmen led them to the vehicle factory, stopping in front of a building with a courtyard in the family residential area.

As they entered the courtyard, they saw a row of lush evergreens planted in front of the building.

The tall, skinny man led them into a spacious office. He sat down at a desk, picked up an enamel mug, removed the lid, and took a sip before looking up at them. “All goods confiscated. Five-yuan fine.”

Li Xiangyang pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, respectfully offering one with an apologetic smile. “Mr. Xu, we just got here. Can you maybe reduce the fine a little?”

Captain Xu’s eyes swept over them. He pushed Li Xiangyang’s hand away and cleared his throat. “Li Wu, Li Xiangyang, Hou Bing, Xue Gui—you’re all regulars. The fine is five yuan and your goods are confiscated. That’s non-negotiable.” He then turned to Lin Lan. “As for the lady, since this is your first offense, it’s a three-yuan fine, goods confiscated.”

Lin Lan was surprised they would be so reasonable. Suddenly, even his grating voice sounded pleasant. ’Two yuan! That could buy over a pound of meat, or more than twenty eggs!’

She readily pulled out three yuan and placed it on the desk with a smile. “Thank you for your leniency, Mr. Xu. I have a child at home. Am I free to go after paying the fine?”

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