Chapter 270 - 267: Little Man
After Shuiqing and his daughter left, Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang pulled a single bed into the warehouse, made it up, and came back out. They grabbed a silk jacket and three wool sweaters to bring back for Wu Shufen and the other two women.
The sound of heavy footsteps came from the doorway, and Yang Zhigang ducked into the shop. "Brother, Sister-in-law, I’m here."
Lin Lan gave him a look and handed him the wool sweater. "Your brother picked this out for you. If you don’t like it, go pick one yourself."
"I love it. My brother’s taste is way better than mine," Yang Zhigang said, grinning as he took it.
Li Xiangyang smiled and handed him a key, pointing to the lock on the door. "Lock up after we leave, and stay alert tonight."
"Got it," Zhigang said, holding the key. "Uncle He is bringing He Li to Lexing tomorrow morning. When He Li found out she was going to be a salesclerk in the city, she was over the moon. She almost smashed the pig feed bucket."
Li Xiangyang smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Right. Once the shop is set up, I’ll have something to tell you all."
Zhigang scratched his head, looking at him with a wounded expression. "Come on, Brother, can’t you just tell me now? Otherwise I’ll be guessing all night!"
"Don’t bother guessing. I promise it’s good news!" With that, Li Xiangyang pulled Lin Lan and headed out.
Zhigang watched them leave the shop. He closed the door, tilted his head, and muttered to himself, ’Is my sister-in-law going to set me up with a girlfriend?’ He felt a surge of excitement, a feeling that he’d be too keyed up to sleep.
Outside the shop, Li Xiangyang straddled his bicycle and turned his head to look at Lin Lan. "Hop on."
Lin Lan settled onto the back seat, wrapped an arm around Li Xiangyang’s waist, and rested her head against his solid back, not wanting to move at all.
Li Xiangyang said gently, "Tired? After the grand opening, you can hand it all over to Little Xue and the others."
"I’m not that tired, just the soles of my feet hurt a bit." Lin Lan paused for a moment. "I won’t be able to completely let go after the opening, either. I’ll still have to stay and guide them for ten days or so."
Li Xiangyang said, "If there were no hiring restrictions, we could just hire a couple more people. Then it wouldn’t be so tiring."
Lin Lan recalled Yao Xiuyun’s words. "Xiangyang, Zhigang is watching the clothing store now, but who’s going to watch the department store?" ’Expanding the business like this is a problem without reliable help.’
Li Xiangyang thought for a moment, and a suitable person came to mind. "The department store has a large backyard. I think we can let Brother Shuiqing and his family move in. It would save them from having to squeeze into that tiny house at the civil defense patrol’s quarters."
Lin Lan asked curiously, "Brother Yong bought a small courtyard, so how come Brother Shuiqing didn’t?"
Li Xiangyang explained slowly, "His wife has a heart problem, and asthma too. All the money Brother Shuiqing makes goes to doctor’s visits and prescriptions, and he’s even in debt."
"Brother Shuiqing is a man with a lot of pride and a strong sense of honor. He wasn’t willing to borrow money from us to buy a house, so his family of four is squeezed into a single suite."
Lin Lan thought to herself, ’It’s true that in any era, it’s hard to save money when someone in the family is chronically ill.’ "Go ask him tomorrow," she said. "If he’s willing, have them move over soon. It’ll be closer for Little Xue and Little Mei to get to work, too."
They talked as they rode, and before they knew it, they had arrived in Lexing.
Hearing Wangcai’s barks, Little Douzi ran out. "Mama! Uncle Xiangyang! What took you so long?"
Lin Lan said gently, "Have you eaten? Mama wanted to finish setting out the merchandise, so we got held up for a bit."
Little Douzi nodded. "I ate a little, but Grandma and the others haven’t eaten yet."
Lin Lan led Little Douzi into the kitchen. Wu Shufen and the other two women had already set the table with the evening meal.
Qiaohui poured hot water for the two to wash their faces. Wu Shufen had prepared a shredded radish salad, tender braised pork, stir-fried celtuce, and crispy fried pork with pea shoots. The group ate a hot, comforting meal.
Li Xiangyang said to Lin Lan, "You should rest early. You still have to stock the department store tomorrow."
"Okay." Lin Lan handed him a flashlight and saw him to the courtyard gate. Only after watching him leave did she turn, close the gate, and re-enter the yard. "Mom, Sister Yuezhen, Qiaohui, I brought back some clothes for you."
Qiaohui received a pale yellow, crew-neck wool sweater, and Lin Yuezhen got the same style in bright red. The two of them turned the sweaters over and over, unable to put them down.
Qiaohui said admiringly, "It’s gorgeous! Even prettier than the clothes at the department store."
Wu Shufen’s was an indigo silk jacket, a fitted style with a center placket and knotted buttons made of the same fabric. She held it in her hands, feeling how light yet warm it was, and grinned so wide her eyes nearly disappeared. "This is so stylish. Can an old woman like me really wear this out?"
"Grandma will look pretty in it!" Little Douzi blurted out.
Qiaohui and Lin Yuezhen nodded in agreement. "It’s beautiful. Auntie, you’ll look just like one of the ladies in the city."
Lin Lan smiled. "When I was picking out the stock, I thought this one would look perfect on you."
Wu Shufen glanced at the delighted faces of Lin Yuezhen and Qiaohui and swallowed the words she was about to say.
After clearing the bowls and chopsticks, the three women urged Lin Lan to go to bed first with Little Douzi. They stayed up to make the pea cakes and prepare the bean paste for the kidney bean rolls before finally going to sleep.
As mother and son lay in bed, Little Douzi told Lin Lan, "Mama, I got a 100 on my test."
Lin Lan kissed him. "My good boy. Next year, you’ll go to First Elementary and be in school with Brother Dandan."
"Okay!" Little Douzi turned his head to look at her. "Uncle Xiangyang said I’ll be a big boy next year, so I’ll have to sleep in my own room. Brother Dandan said he’s been sleeping in his own room for a long time already."
Lin Lan smiled to herself. "So what do you think? When we’re over there, do you want to share a room with Mama, or have one of your own?"
Little Douzi hesitated for a moment. "Little Jun and the other boys don’t share a room with their moms. I guess I should have my own room too. I’ll just come find you whenever I miss you."
Lin Lan nodded. "Okay. Our brave little man will sleep all by himself."
The mother and son fell asleep shortly after. When Wu Shufen came in to sleep, Lin Lan woke up to use the restroom. When she returned, she lay down at Wu Shufen’s end of the bed.
Wu Shufen said to Lin Lan, "About that new jacket... take it and sell it for now. You can buy another one for me after you’ve made more money."
Lin Lan turned on her side to look at her mother’s benevolent face and smiled. "Do you have any idea what Xiangyang bought for you and Dad?"
Wu Shufen turned her head to look at her. "What did he buy?"
Lin Lan whispered, "Xiangyang bought a television and a sewing machine. He said they’re for you and Dad."
"What!" Wu Shufen sat bolt upright in shock. Seeing Little Douzi sleeping soundly, she lay back down. "No, absolutely not. Those things are too expensive! Tell Xiangyang to sell them. You two are still young; you don’t know how hard it is to make money. You need to earn more while you can and save it for when you’re older."
Lin Lan had anticipated this reaction. "You can tell him yourself when he comes tomorrow."
Wu Shufen nodded again and again. "I’ll tell him tomorrow. Your father and I are old; we don’t need such expensive things. That boy... he has too much of a mind of his own, buying such pricey items without even discussing it with us. You’ll have to talk some sense into him."
Lin Lan nodded with her eyes closed. "Okay, I’ll talk to him tomorrow."
Wu Shufen knew she was tired, so she said no more. ’When Lin Lan has a free moment, I need to have a proper talk with her,’ she secretly decided. ’I have to teach her how to be a good and filial daughter-in-law to Old Li, so she doesn’t let down the high hopes Li Xiangyang’s family has for her.’