Chapter 96: Chapter 92: Package of Unknown Origin

Wang Zhixue jumped in fright. He turned to see it was Yang Zhigang and said with a smile, “Brother Gang, it’s you!”

Yang Zhigang glanced at the hand clutching his pocket. “You silly kid, don’t do that on the street. A pickpocket will know you have money in your pocket with just one look.”

“Thanks for the warning, brother!” Wang Zhixue said gratefully. “Brother, let me sweep. I’m a fast worker!”

He then took the dustpan and broom from Zhigang’s hands and swept the yard spotless. He dumped the trash in the woods, put the broom and dustpan away, and only then did he sling the wicker basket onto his back and head for home.

Yang Zhigang said to Brother Yong, “That’s a good kid. He’s proactive.”

Brother Yong nodded. “Xiangyang came by last night. He said the boy is his friend’s nephew and asked us to keep an eye on him, make sure nobody bullies him.”

Yang Zhigang nodded. “Got it. I’ll look out for him.”

Wang Zhixue went to the clinic and bought the tiger bone ointment, carefully tucking it into his pants pocket. He walked briskly to the ditch by the Eucalyptus Forest. Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he broke into a run. He was panting by the time he reached Lin Lan’s gate, where he saw Yang Liying looking out anxiously.

Wang Zhixue grinned at her, revealing a set of white teeth. “Auntie, I’m back! I sold everything.”

Seeing how happy he was, Yang Liying knew he had sold all his goods. She gave him a playful swat. “You little rascal, I was starting to think you’d gotten lost!”

Wang Zhixue put down his things and gave the day’s initial capital to Lin Lan. “Auntie, it’s not enough for the stall fee yet. I’ll give you the rest tomorrow!”

Lin Lan had also taken a liking to this proactive nephew of hers. “It’s fine!” she said with a laugh. “Hurry back home. Your mom must be worried sick.”

“Okay!” Wang Zhixue started to leave happily, but after a few steps, he turned back. “I’ll be here at seven tomorrow morning.”

“Alright!” Lin Lan replied with a smile.

Yang Liying happily took his arm. “Lin Lan, Zhixue and I will head back together.”

“Okay!”

When Wang Zhixue got home, Wang Zemin shot him a glare. “You left right after breakfast and only came back after dark. If you don’t bring back any wages at the end of the month, I’ll be settling the score with you!”

“Oh,” Wang Zhixue mumbled, then walked over to the worried-looking Yang Liqun.

The mother and son went through the house to the backyard. Wang Zhixue took out the tiger bone ointment and the money he had earned that day and placed them in her hand, his face beaming with joy. “Mom, I bought the tiger bone ointment. I earned all this money this afternoon.”

Yang Liqun looked at the tiger bone ointment, then at the thick stack of small bills in her palm. She noticed a five-yuan note among them and stared at him in surprise. “How did you make so much?”

“Auntie sells them to me wholesale for fifteen cents each, and I sell them for twenty. That’s how I earned this much.” Wang Zhixue looked at her excitedly. “Mom, I can help support our family now.”

Yang Liqun emotionally grabbed her son’s hand, her eyes welling up as she nodded. “I know. My eldest is the most capable! From now on, you must remember the kindness of your auntie and your other aunt.”

“Mhm!” Wang Zhixue nodded firmly.

****

The next day, Zhou Xiaohong added another hundred zongzi to her order.

Working both morning and evening shifts, Wang Zhixue could also sell two to three hundred a day.

Adding the two hundred or so that Lin Lan sold, the two of them were busy from the moment they woke up until nightfall.

The day before the Dragon Boat Festival, regular customers placed orders for several hundred zongzi—some ordered fifty, others eighty.

Including the zongzi for Zhou Xiaohong and Wang Zhixue to sell at the morning market, they had to make and cook over a thousand zongzi that night.

The old lady and Yang Liying came over early in the morning to help.

Little Yun and Little Li helped twist hemp rope, while Little Douzi and Dandan were off to the side, helping tear reed strips for tying.

The women gathered around a large wooden basin, their hands flying as they busily wrapped zongzi.

DING-A-LING! DING-A-LING! The sound of a bicycle bell rang out from beyond the courtyard gate, and someone called, “Lin Lan, you have a package!”

Lin Lan paused, put down the zongzi leaf, and ran out. She saw He Xianghua taking a large package from his bicycle’s rear rack. He smiled and said, “I was at the post office picking something up, so I grabbed this for you while I was there.”

Lin Lan took the package. It felt quite heavy. She glanced at the address on it; it was from the provincial capital, and the recipient was indeed her, but she couldn’t remember having any relatives there.

“Brother-in-law He, is there anyone else in the brigade named Lin Lan?”

He Xianghua laughed. “You’re the only one. Just accept it!” With that, he got on his bike and left.

“Thanks!”

Full of doubt, Lin Lan carried the package into the courtyard. She said to the women sitting on the porch steps wrapping zongzi, “It’s a package from the provincial capital, but I don’t remember having any relatives there!”

Yang Liying smiled. “Maybe your third brother sent it!”

“I’ll look at it after we’re done.” Lin Lan took the package inside, placed it in the main hall, and came back out to continue working.

They worked until dark before finally putting the zongzi on to boil.

’These past few days, if Lin Yuezhen and Yang Liying hadn’t been here to help, I never would have been able to make so much on my own,’ Lin Lan thought. ’It’s really true that helping others is helping yourself.’

The next morning, after Zhou Xiaohong and Wang Zhixue picked up their goods and left, Lin Lan set aside the zongzi meant as gifts. Then she went to the Eucalyptus Forest and delivered the zongzi to the customers who had placed orders.

She also went to the supply and marketing co-op to buy a kilogram of bulk liquor, some oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, braising spices, and two bottles of Quanxing Daqu.

As she walked, Lin Lan saw that every household had hung bunches of mugwort and calamus by their doors. She felt that there was a much more festive atmosphere in these times.

She had just gotten home when Li Xiangyang arrived on his heavy-duty bicycle, carrying a vegetable basket. Little Douzi ran up to him affectionately. “Uncle Li, you’re here!”

Li Xiangyang scooped him up and sat him on a stool, asking with a smile, “Has Little Douzi been a good boy?”

Little Douzi beamed at him. “I have! I even helped Mommy tear zongzi leaves.”

Hearing voices, Lin Lan came out of the kitchen. She smiled and said, “I’ve already prepared some zongzi for you. I was just thinking of asking Great-Aunt to take me to your place to deliver them!”

Li Xiangyang chuckled. “I already told Dongzi and the others not to make any zongzi. We’re all waiting for yours!” He handed her the basket. “There’s a pork stomach, a cut of meat, and half a pig’s head in here. Ding Bang is away on a mission and can’t come back, so could I trouble you to cook some and send it over to Grandma Yang?”

Lin Lan accepted it with a smile and gave him a basket filled with zongzi, pea-flour cakes, and kidney bean rolls. “Great-Aunt is celebrating the festival at my place. She said she wants to give the two children a medicinal bath and sprinkle some realgar wine. She should be here soon.”

Li Xiangyang nodded. “Alright, I’ll go over and see her first. I’ll take Little Douzi with me.”

“Mommy, I’m going to Great-Grandma’s house!” Little Douzi waved happily to Lin Lan.

“Go on!” Lin Lan nodded. She carried the basket into the kitchen, removed the ginger and taro leaves covering the contents, and took out a two-finger-thick strip of fatty pork belly and a piece of hind leg meat. She saw that the pork stomach and pig’s head underneath had already been thoroughly cleaned.

Lin Yuezhen smiled and gestured: *Li Xiangyang’s family is so generous.*

Lin Lan nodded. “They are. I owe him too many favors.”

The two of them boiled the braising spices and began simmering the pig’s head meat in a pot. After a while, Wang Zhixue arrived. “Auntie, I’ve brought a festival gift.”

“Why be so formal?” Lin Lan took the duck and salted eggs from him with a smile. “Isn’t your mom coming back for the festival?”

“My paternal aunts and their families are all back,” Wang Zhixue said with a slight frown. “She’s busy cooking for them.”

Lin Lan packed some zongzi, salted eggs, and two bags of brown sugar for him. “I won’t keep you then,” she said with a smile. “Hurry back and help her. When the holiday rush is over, tell her to come back here and relax for a couple of days.”

Wang Zhixue accepted the items with a smile. “Zhilin and Zhidong love your zongzi the most.”

Lin Lan chuckled. “If they like it, tell them to come over and eat.”

“Mhm!” Wang Zhixue left, carrying the basket.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep