Chapter 255 - 252: Craftsmanship Is Our Foundation
Before Yang Liying could convince Zhao Dehai, the village women’s director learned of her pregnancy from the hospital. The director came over every day to pressure her, urging her to go to the city hospital for an abortion and not wait for the work team to drag her away for a forced procedure.
Zhao Dehai also begged her to have the surgery. He was afraid that if Yang Liying went to Shilian to hide and give birth, something would happen to her. Then he would lose his wife, and his two daughters would be left without a mother.
Yang Liying had no other choice but to agree to the abortion. Before she left, however, she ran over to the women’s director’s house and gave her a vicious tongue-lashing, stopping just short of dumping manure on her doorstep.
After Wu Shufen arrived, Qiaohui began setting up her stall in the Eucalyptus Forest every afternoon.
On Wednesday, Zhou Xiaohong and Chen Dongming left for the provincial capital, where they would meet up with Xu Mingxuan before heading to Yangcheng City.
Xiangyang was busy buying materials and renovating the shop.
Lin Lan found two pieces of sturdy work cloth, cut patterns for two backpacks, and took them to the sewing co-op to have them made, along with a large bag for carrying clothes.
At the sewing co-op, she suddenly remembered that in those days, a passbook could only be used for deposits and withdrawals at the local branch. The largest bill was the ten-yuan note, which meant ten thousand yuan would be a very thick stack of cash.
Seeing that the co-op sold zippers, she also bought a few, along with some inch-wide elastic bands. When she got home, she made two money belts.
On Thursday, the oven for the south-side shop was finished. Lin Lan had hired someone to build a small room around it with tiles and yellow bricks. A sink and a prep station were built against the opposite wall, leaving only a walkway just over a meter wide in the backyard.
The small appliance shop needed counters and display cases, so its renovations were proceeding more slowly.
The clothing shop, however, was being renovated quickly. Following Lin Lan’s instructions, the master carpenter built a decorative suspended ceiling, installed light fixtures, and set up the display window, full-length mirror, and fitting room.
On the upper level of the display shelves, small hooks were hammered in, spaced far enough apart to hang a single garment for display. They couldn’t find the right materials for the clothing rack on the lower level, so they had to buy water pipes, give them two coats of paint, and install them onto the display fixture.
Li Xiangyang glanced at the supply and marketing co-op’s clothing store next door, then back at their own, which seemed exceptionally bright and modern. He couldn’t understand how Lin Lan came up with so many ingenious ideas.
The pastry shop looked nicer than the state-run food company’s store, and the designs for the small appliance and clothing shops were even more stylish than the shops in the department store or the ones run by the clothing factory.
Li Xiangyang once again felt he had a good eye. ’My woman is just different from all the others,’ he thought.
Li Xiangyang rode his bike to Lexing. He saw Lin Lan busy making kidney bean rolls and approached with a smile. "Little Lan, the clothing store’s renovations are almost finished. What do you think we should name it?"
Lin Lan thought about the brands she used to buy from women’s clothing stores—Flora Muse, Coco Liden, Elisa... After a moment’s thought, she decided they wouldn’t fit in with the current era.
She looked up at Li Xiangyang. "I can’t think of anything. Have you thought of any names?"
Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded. "I’ve thought of a few: Dongxing Clothing Store, Lanyang Clothing Store, and one more, Shangdu Clothing Store. Which one do you think sounds best?"
Lin Lan wasn’t sure which name to pick. Wu Shufen, who was nearby, chimed in, "Lanyang Clothing Store is very nice. It has both your name and Xiangyang’s in it. I like it."
Qiaohui and Lin Yuezhen nodded in agreement. "We think Lanyang Clothing Store is the best one, too."
Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Alright, our clothing store will be called Lanyang Clothing."
Li Xiangyang gazed at Lin Lan with a wide grin. "I’ll go ask Brother Xu to do the calligraphy for us, then find someone to make the sign. By the time we get back, the shop’s renovations will be complete." With that, he turned to leave.
"Xiangyang," Lin Lan called out, stopping him. "While you’re at it, ask Brother Xu to also write out the names for the pastry shop, the sundry goods store, and the small appliance store. We can get all the signs made at once."
Li Xiangyang turned back to her. "I know you used Lanxiang House for the pastry shop before. What names should we use for the sundry goods store and the small appliance store?"
Lin Lan hadn’t expected him to remember the name she’d stamped on the mooncake wrappers. A sweet feeling blossomed in her heart. She smiled and thought for a moment. "How about we use Dongxing for both of them?"
"Dongxing General Store, Dongxing Sundry Goods." Li Xiangyang repeated the names and nodded. "Alright, Dongxing it is."
Seeing him hastily hop onto his bicycle, Lin Lan called out, "Ride carefully!"
"Got it!" Li Xiangyang waved, pedaling away as fast as the wind.
Lin Lan shook her head and turned to go back inside. ’Beginnings are always the hardest part,’ she thought. ’Once this busy period is over and the shops are open, things will settle down.’
Since her arrival, Wu Shufen had seen how the two of them were so busy they were run off their feet every day. She sighed. "It’s painful to see you two so exhausted, and we can’t even help."
Lin Lan linked her arm through her mother’s as they walked toward the kitchen. "Mom, just by being here, you’ve already helped me so much."
Wu Shufen’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she patted Lin Lan’s hand. Her daughter was sensible, capable, and devoted. The son-in-law she’d found was even more capable than her daughter, and he didn’t even mind that she came with a child. Lately, she and her husband had been so happy they would sometimes wake up laughing in their sleep.
「In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.」
Li Xiangyang went to the police station to get a letter of introduction, then bought train tickets to the provincial capital for Sunday. The three of them—he, Lin Lan, and Uncle Da—would be taking the train to Yangcheng City together.
Before Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang left, the tall shelves for the Dongxing General Store had been completed, and work on the counters had begun. At the Lanyang Clothing Store, they had already started making the main storefront sign.
On the afternoon before their departure, Liu Da advised Li Xiangyang to bring plenty of cash, so he withdrew twenty thousand yuan and gave it to Lin Lan.
Lin Lan took all the cash they had for purchasing inventory and stuffed it into the money belts. The two belts could barely hold it all.
Early the next morning, Li Xiangyang arrived at Lin Lan’s home. Lin Lan handed him one of the money belts, heavy with cash. She then took the other one, slipped it over her head, pulled it down to her waist, and tucked it securely inside her trousers.
Lin Lan patted her waist and looked at Li Xiangyang. "Xiangyang, can you tell it’s there?"
Li Xiangyang shook his head. "Take a look at mine."
Lin Lan glanced over him and laughed. "Can’t see a thing." Their winter clothes were thick, so once the money belts were tucked into their pants, they were completely hidden.
The two of them came out of the room. Lin Lan packed a jar of fermented bean curd, along with some kidney bean rolls, pumpkin cakes, and pea cakes, into a small basket. Then she shouldered her backpack, ready to depart.
Little Douzi watched them reluctantly, then instructed, "Mama, Uncle Xiangyang, you have to come back soon." After a moment’s thought, he added, "And be careful on the road! Don’t go into any big crowds!"
Her nose tingling with emotion, Lin Lan couldn’t help but laugh. "Son, who taught you to say that?"
Little Douzi pointed to Wu Shufen. "Grandma said that pickpockets love crowded places."
Li Xiangyang ruffled his hair. "Alright, we’ll remember that. And you remember to wear your hat, scarf, and gloves to school every day. Stay away from the edge of the ditch; falling in is no laughing matter."
Little Douzi nodded again and again. "I’ll remember."
Lin Lan also reminded him to practice his calligraphy at home, telling him she would check his progress when she returned.
Little Douzi readily agreed. Holding Wu Shufen’s hand, he walked the pair to the courtyard gate. As he watched them walk off into the distance, bags in hand, he couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. He hugged Wu Shufen and burst out, "WAAAH!"