Chapter 77: Chapter 74: Introducing a Match to Little Lan

Fuming, Lin Guoqiang twisted around, hoisted the manure buckets, and stalked into the courtyard.

“HAHAHA!” The mother and her two children laughed as they watched his retreating back.

Lin Guoliang chuckled, went inside to put down his manure buckets, and then walked home with them.

Little Douzi came out of the backyard, holding Lin Changyou’s hand. When he saw Lin Guoliang, he waved happily. “Eldest Uncle, Little Douzi is here!”

“Hey there! My little nephew!” Lin Guoqiang laughed, ran over, and swooped him up. “Call me ’Youngest Uncle.’”

Grinning, Little Douzi shouted happily, “Youngest Uncle!” He liked his grandma’s house. Grandpa liked him, his uncles liked him…

Watching the happy Little Douzi, Lin Lan reflected, ’It must be because the Yang family’s youngest son is a good-for-nothing and this body’s original owner was so unreliable. He’s been looked down on from such a young age, which is why he learned to read people—to tell who genuinely likes him and who holds malice toward him.’

“Giddy-up!” Lin Guoqiang slid his hands under Little Douzi’s arms, lifted him high, flew him around in a circle, and then set him on his shoulders. “Uncle’s taking you out to play.”

With that, he dashed off with Little Douzi on his shoulders, leaving a trail of crisp laughter behind them.

The others went home and sat down in the main hall. Lin Changyou looked at Lin Lan. “How are things on your end? How many soybeans do you need a month?”

Lin Lan did a quick calculation and gave him the numbers, then told him about Yang Liying making tofu. “Dad, could you please ask around and see if anyone has soybeans? If they do, we’ll buy them all at market price.”

Lin Changyou nodded in satisfaction. “You’re over there by yourself, so you need to maintain a good relationship with your sisters-in-law. That way, you’ll have people to speak up for you if something happens.

There should still be some soybeans. I’ve already collected all the ones the production team had that you needed. I asked your in-laws from the Zhang family today. They don’t have many great northern beans over there, but they have more rapeseed oil, peas, and fava beans than we do. Your brothers will go to the Zhang family’s place this afternoon to pick them up.”

Lin Lan looked at them gratefully. “Dad, I can buy rapeseed oil on the black market, but fava beans and great northern beans are scarce even there. It’s a good thing I have you all to help. Otherwise, I would’ve had to shut down production already.”

Lin Changyou waved his hand. “We’re family, no need for such pleasantries. As long as you’re making something of yourself, I’m willing to swallow my pride and ask for favors.” He then turned to Wu Shufen. “Pack up some of the meat and bean curd rolls Little Lan brought. After the meal, give them to our eldest to take to his in-laws when he goes to bring back the beans and oil.”

“Of course,” Wu Shufen said, getting up to leave.

Lin Lan had brought all the money she had with her. Hearing this, she quickly took it all out and placed it on the table. “Dad, here’s the money. Take what I owe you, and give the rest to Eldest Brother to buy the beans.”

Seeing her pull out several hundred yuan all at once, Lin Guoliang shook his head. “That’s too much! We won’t need that much.”

“Just take it if she’s giving it to you.” Lin Changyou took the money, set aside the amount she owed from last time plus what he’d fronted today, and handed the rest to Lin Guoliang. “Based on the usage Little Lan reported, this amount will buy enough soybeans and rapeseed oil for three or four months at most.”

He believed that when money was involved, especially within a family, the accounts had to be kept clear and out in the open. Things couldn’t be muddled. Otherwise, over time, conflicts would arise between siblings, and they might even become enemies.

Lin Guoliang smiled. “Dad, that’s a lot of money. It’d be trouble if I lost it. Why don’t you hold onto it for now? You can give it to me after the meal.”

“Alright!” Lin Changyou got up and walked toward his room.

Just then, four children with schoolbags on their backs swarmed into the courtyard. The little girl was delicate and pretty. Of the three boys, the oldest was sturdy and robust, while the two younger ones were thinner and more refined-looking.

Lin Lan thought for a moment and recalled that the oldest boy and the little girl were her eldest brother Lin Guoliang’s children, while the two thinner boys belonged to her second brother, Lin Guodong.

The four of them ran into the main hall and looked at Lin Lan curiously. “Grandma, who is she?”

Lin Guoliang pulled Lin Bin over, smiling as he ruffled his son’s hair. He said to the children, “Quick, call her ’Youngest Auntie’.”

The children looked at Lin Lan and called out in unison, “Youngest Auntie.”

“Hello!” Lin Lan answered with a smile. She quickly pulled out some fruit candies from her satchel, giving a handful to each of them. She patted the little pigtails of the young girl, Lin Hong. “Little Hong, what grade are you in?”

Lin Hong blushed, ran shyly to Wu Shufen’s side, and looked at Lin Lan. “I’m in third grade.”

“Good girl. Study hard,” Lin Lan said with a smile.

Wu Shufen looked lovingly at her grandchildren and took Lin Hong’s hand. “Come on, Grandma will get you some fried fava beans and bean curd rolls to eat.”

A little later, Lin Guodong and Lin Guoqiang returned from cutting grass on the mountain. The other children took Little Douzi out to the courtyard to play with a sandbag.

Zhao Xiaohui sat before the stove opening and said to Zhang Xiuqing, “Eldest Sister-in-law, can Little Lan’s business really make money?”

Zhang Xiuqing smiled. “Guoliang says it can. He also said Little Lan isn’t like she used to be, that she’s become much more sensible.”

Zhao Xiaohui pursed her lips. “A leopard can’t change its spots. We’ll see how long she can keep up the act.”

Zhang Xiuqing retorted, “But the old saying also goes that a prodigal’s return is more precious than gold. Little Lan isn’t bad at heart, she was just spoiled. Now that she’s older, she should know better!”

Zhao Xiaohui lowered her head and said no more.

The two sisters-in-law finished preparing the meal, and Lin Changyou had his sons carry the Eight Immortals table out into the courtyard to set it for dinner.

The children swarmed the table with a RUSH, but Wu Shufen rapped each of them on the head. “Go wash your hands first.”

Lin Lan also washed her hands and helped bring the dishes to the table: Sichuan pepper chicken, black fish soup, crucian carp with patchouli, braised yellow catfish, spicy river catfish, garlic-stir-fried flowering cabbage, cold-tossed shredded radish, and some old cured pork.

The fresh aroma of the river fish and the numbing, spicy scent of the Sichuan pepper chicken were enough to make one’s mouth water. “Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, your cooking is getting better and better.”

Zhang Xiuqing laughed heartily. “It’s all because Mom taught me.”

Wu Shufen looked at her daughter-in-law, chuckling happily. “Well, that’s only because you were willing to learn.”

Hearing this, Zhao Xiaohui felt the comment was directed at her and gave an awkward laugh. “I’m fine just being a helper.”

Lin Guodong nodded from the side. “Right, you’re fine as a helper. Otherwise, everything would be too salty or too spicy. You’d just waste all the good ingredients.”

Zhao Xiaohui shot him a glare and turned away to serve the dishes.

After a lively family meal, Lin Guoliang pulled out a handcart and headed for his father-in-law’s house with his two younger brothers.

Lin Lan went out with Zhang Xiuqing, while Wu Shufen swept the courtyard.

“Sister-in-law!” A tall, thin old woman appeared at the gate, grinning at Wu Shufen. “I hear Little Lan is back?”

Wu Shufen’s face darkened as she glanced at her. “She’s back.”

This was Aunt Lin. Back when Lin Lan had eloped to the Yang family’s home, Lin Changyou had asked his second brother’s family to help search for her. They eventually found Lin Lan in Lexing and brought her home.

Lin Changyou had repeatedly instructed them not to say she was found in Lexing, but to claim that Lin Lan had left to visit relatives after a spat with her parents.

Who would have known that in the blink of an eye, Aunt Lin would spread the story everywhere—about Lin Lan eloping to the Yang family’s home and how the deed was already done with Old Yang’s youngest son.

This had caused Lin Changyou’s family so much shame they couldn’t even hold their heads up in the production team. Lin Guoqiang and his brother even got into several fights over it. Since then, the two families had had little contact.

Aunt Lin paid no mind to Wu Shufen’s cold expression, smiling as she walked into the courtyard. “Sister-in-law, I’d like to introduce Little Lan to a potential match.”

Wu Shufen didn’t even look at her. “Just worry about your own children. My Little Lan doesn’t need you troubling yourself over her.”

Aunt Lin didn’t seem the least bit awkward. She just kept grinning at her. “Sister-in-law, just listen. My nephew on my side of the family…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep