Chapter 439 - 437: The Exam
Little Douzi nodded. "I understand."
Lin Lan led him out of the room. When she saw Lin Hong and Lin Jun sun-drying rice, Little Douzi grabbed a rake and ran into the courtyard to help.
"Little Jun, where’s Grandma?"
"Grandma went to Great-Aunt’s house. The rice we threshed this afternoon is all drying over there." Lin Hong pointed to the main hall. "Grandma said there’s cooled congee on the table."
Lin Lan glanced over and asked, "Do you two want some?"
"No thanks, we just had soda." Lin Jun patted his belly as he spoke. "Listen, it’s all full of water."
Lin Lan looked at his face, tanned dark red and shiny from the sun, and started to laugh.
She went into the main hall and had a bowl of vegetable congee. After cleaning up, she put a few muskmelons in a basket and carried it to the backyard. When she lifted the well cover, she saw a bamboo basket already hanging inside, filled with a watermelon.
Lin Lan tied the basket’s rope to a wooden pole, lowered it into the well, and replaced the cover. She then went to the rice paddy, where all the rice in one large field had already been cut down.
When Li Xiangyang saw her approaching, he quickly climbed onto the ridge of the paddy. "How are you? Feeling better?"
"Much better." Lin Lan saw that his head and face were covered in sweat, and his face and exposed arms were sunburnt red. "You must be tired."
Li Xiangyang smiled and shook his head. "I’m fine. You should go back and rest."
After they exchanged a few words, Li Xiangyang went back down into the field to thresh rice.
Lin Lan then learned that Lin Guodong had already taken Wu Shufang and her two daughters-in-law to the Construction Team’s plot to harvest rice. They planned to work overtime today to bring in the harvest from all several acres of fields.
Seeing that she couldn’t be of any help, Lin Lan turned and went back home. Little Douzi and Lin Jun were in the main hall, playing with a dog, while Lin Hong had fallen asleep on a recliner.
Lin Lan picked up a handful of rice grains. After a full day under the scorching sun, the moisture had evaporated, but bits of straw and chaff were scattered all over the top.
Lin Lan put on a straw hat and took a fine-toothed rake to go over the chaff once. Raking seemed simple but was actually quite laborious. The hand supporting the end of the rake’s handle had to constantly apply subtle pressure with just the right rhythm to flick out the bits of weed from the rice, bit by bit, without taking too many grains along with them.
After raking twice with the fine-toothed rake, there were still fine bits of chaff that had to be swept away with a broom. She pressed down on the broom, using a deft touch to sweep the chaff off the rice grains.
After repeating this process several times, the rice drying in the courtyard was much cleaner. Once it was fully dry, it would be run through a winnowing machine to sift out the empty husks, ensuring the grains were full, golden-yellow, and free of any chaff. Then it would be sun-dried for one more day until biting into a grain produced a crisp CRUNCH. After that, it was time to haul it off for the public grain delivery.
At five o’clock, Wu Shufen came over from Zhou Shisong’s place. Mother and daughter started preparing dinner again, simmering a pot of mung bean congee and steaming a full rack of dry rice before they began stir-frying the other dishes.
After the sun went down, they began to gather the rice.
Wu Shufen led Lin Jun and Lin Hong in the work, forbidding Lin Lan from lifting a finger, which made her feel quite embarrassed. Only after Lin Lan promised she wouldn’t do any heavy lifting and would only help sweep the grains did Wu Shufen agree.
The group first swept the area under the eaves clean, laid down urea sacks, then used rice rakes to push the grain to the edge of the eaves. Finally, they used dustpans to scoop the rice and pour it onto the sacks.
By the time they finished gathering the rice, they were covered in dust and grime, their necks and arms itching.
The sky had already grown dark. About a dozen people returned home, carrying tools, hauling poles laden with rice, and shouldering threshing tubs. They spread the last few loads of rice to air out in the main hall and then had dinner in the courtyard.
Lin Guodong wiped the sweat from his face with a cloth. "Many hands make light work. We brought in the harvest from four acres of rice in a single day."
Lin Guoliang laughed. "With about a dozen strong workers, how could it not be fast?"
Lin Lan cut up the watermelon and muskmelons and brought them to the small dining table. "Have some watermelon first. Dinner will be ready in a moment."
Wu Shufang said, "Little Lan, you go about your business. Don’t worry about us."
"I’m not busy, my mom is doing everything."
After dinner, everyone sat in the courtyard to cool off and chatted about farming for a while. Then, Wu Shufang’s family said their goodbyes and headed home, fanning themselves as they walked.
Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang also prepared to take Little Douzi home.
Wu Shufen said to Lin Lan, "You don’t need to come over for the next couple of days. I’ll have Little Jun and the others help me dry the rice. Just come back on the day we deliver the public grain."
Lin Lan linked her arm through her mother’s, but before she could say anything, Li Xiangyang said gratefully, "Thanks, Mom!"
"What’s there to thank me for!" Wu Shufen gave him a reproachful look. "During this time, make sure she doesn’t get too tired. Things will be better after the first three months." She then pulled Lin Lan aside. "Little Lan, you’re still in the early months of your pregnancy. I think you and Xiangyang should sleep separately for now."
Lin Lan glanced at Li Xiangyang, who was getting a lecture from her father off to the side, and nodded with a blush. "I understand."
The old couple watched the three of them walk into the distance before turning and going back into the courtyard.
When Lin Lan’s family of three got home, Old Li was cooling off in the courtyard. Seeing them return, he happily came forward. "I’ve made some white fungus soup, and it’s already cooled down. Quick, go have a bowl."
"Thanks, Dad!"
The three of them went inside and each had a bowl. Li Xiangyang insisted on washing the bowls and then took Little Douzi upstairs to bathe.
Old Li smiled at Lin Lan and said, "Little Lan, I already spoke with Qiaohui and the others. For the time being, you can go in a little later. I told them to manage making the morning pastries on their own."
Lin Lan hadn’t expected Old Li to have already spoken to Qiaohui and the others. She said gratefully, "Thanks, Dad!"
Old Li beamed at her. "What are you thanking me for! You’ve been working hard. If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell your dad, and I’ll make it for you."
Lin Lan felt her nose tingle and nodded emphatically. "Okay! I will."
"Go on, go upstairs and rest."
Lin Lan nodded, went upstairs to rinse off, changed into her pajamas, and went out onto the balcony to enjoy the cool air.
Li Xiangyang shuffled in wearing slippers and smiled at her. "I just walked the old man home. He lectured me the entire way—my ears are still ringing. Then, just as I was leaving, my father-in-law gave me the same lecture all over again."
Lin Lan sighed helplessly. "They’re being too cautious. I feel fine, except for when I eat fish, which makes me nauseous."
"Then we just won’t buy fish anymore."
"Okay." Lin Lan looked at him. "The Ghost Festival won’t be too busy, but you know the Mid-Autumn Festival is next month, and we’ll have to get busy making mooncakes. Sister Yuezhen is working too, even with her big belly, and look, she’s perfectly fine. If I don’t feel any discomfort, I’ll go ahead and prepare the mooncake fillings as usual."
Li Xiangyang thought for a moment and nodded. "Just leave the heavy work to Qiaohui and Xinglan."
"Alright." Lin Lan shot him a smiling glance. "Honestly, what heavy work is there even to do at a pastry shop?"
****
At the end of August, Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang took Little Douzi to the First Primary School for the entrance exam.
When the three of them arrived in front of the classroom for the preschool exam, Little Douzi said to them, "Mom, Uncle Xiangyang, you have to wait for me to come out, okay?"
Lin Lan nodded. Worried his little head was overthinking things, she ruffled his hair and said softly, "Good boy, you’re still young. If you don’t pass this time, we’ll just try again next time."
Little Douzi looked at her, displeased. "Mom, I can get into first grade."