Chapter 442 - 440: He Will Suffer in the End
After the group ate their fill, Yang Zhigang and Li Xiangyang carried the duck eggs out to the handcart and pulled them away to be brined.
When Qiaohui returned, Tong Xinglan grabbed the skewers she had saved for her from the top of the oven. "Brother Gang bought these to bribe us into putting in a good word for him. You have some too."
Qiaohui laughed and picked up a beef skewer. "You’d sell me out for a few skewers?"
Tong Xinglan threw her hands up. "Sigh! A daughter won’t stay with her family forever. Keep her too long, and she’ll resent you for it!"
Qiaohui gave her a light knock on the head. "You little rascal, your tongue is getting sharper and sharper. Just you wait. The day you get a boyfriend, we’ll see how we deal with *him*."
"Ooh," Tong Xinglan said, looking at Lin Lan. "Cousin, see? My mom always said a daughter’s heart belongs elsewhere, and she was right. She’s already defending him."
"Exactly. Give her a beating," Lin Lan said, laughing as she watched the two of them horse around.
That afternoon, Captain Jin arrived at the shop entrance with several men, leading a train of mules. About a dozen animals were laden with winter squash, adzuki beans, red beans, mung beans, large white beans, and several sacks of soybeans.
The soybeans were for Yang Liying and her sister; the two of them had already stockpiled a fair amount of beans in the backyard this season.
Lin Lan had Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan bring out the scale. After everything was weighed, Captain Jin and his men helped carry the goods into the backyard warehouse.
He came out and said to Lin Lan, "Boss Lin, there’s no hurry to pay us. I was thinking, since the grain has just been harvested, I’d like to trouble you to help us buy some when the price is low. We can haul it back on our next trip."
"Of course," Lin Lan agreed readily. "My parents’ family needs to buy grain as well, so if I find a suitable seller, I’ll buy some for you. My nephew is at home drying grain right now. How about I have Qiaohui take you to my house to rest for the night? You can leave in the morning."
Captain Jin waved his hand dismissively. "Not this time. The team is still busy with the autumn harvest. We brought torches so we can travel through the night to get back." They had set out at just after three that morning, all so they could get home in time to continue harvesting rice.
Seeing their exhausted faces, Lin Lan insisted, "At least go to my third sister’s place for a meal before you leave. It won’t take up much of your time."
Seeing her sincere invitation, Captain Jin said gratefully, "We’re always putting you out."
"Don’t mention it!" Lin Lan led them into Yang Liying’s restaurant and ordered braised pork intestines, twice-cooked pork, stewed pig’s trotters, tofu pudding, and some steamed vegetables.
Yang Liying was generous, serving them heaping portions of each dish. She also brought them a large basin of rice. "Captain Jin, please eat your fill. If this isn’t enough, I’ll ladle out more for you."
Captain Jin smiled and nodded. "Thank you, ma’am."
The men gave Lin Lan and Yang Liying reserved smiles, then picked up their bowls and began to dig in heartily.
They had set out early that morning, eating only a few potatoes and corn cakes along the way. After walking for over ten hours straight, they were so hungry they felt their stomachs were stuck to their spines.
Once the men began eating, Lin Lan tried to pay Yang Liying, but she flatly refused the money. "Don’t be so formal with me over the cost of a simple meal," she told Lin Lan. "Buying their beans is a great deal for me. They’re honest folk, and the beans they deliver are always clean."
"Last time, when Dehai and my eldest brother-in-law bought beans from a few of the nearby production teams, they didn’t realize until they got back that what was on top wasn’t what was on the bottom. The suppliers had mixed in a bunch of rotten beans and small pebbles."
"Once Shilian and Shishanling deliver their beans, you should have enough to last until next year, right?" Lin Lan asked. ’She has a point,’ Lin Lan thought. ’The mountain folk might be poor, but they’re far more honest than the people around East Market.’
Yang Liying smiled and nodded. "I’ll have more than enough for my restaurant. I’m just not sure about our eldest sister."
Yang Liqun sold dried tofu, so she used a much larger quantity of soybeans.
"You should go to the countryside and buy more while they’re still plentiful," Lin Lan said.
Yang Liying shook her head. "It’s not easy to procure them. More and more stalls are selling tofu pudding and tofu, so the price of beans has skyrocketed. We’re lucky to have your help; otherwise, we would’ve run out of beans long ago."
Lin Lan smiled. "We all look out for each other. Third Sister, keep an eye out for any families in the production team who want to sell grain, and help Captain Jin and his men buy some."
Yang Liying thought for a moment. "I’ll go home and ask Dehai’s older brother’s family. They might be willing to sell some of their grain."
"Mhm."
When the men finished their meal, Lin Lan gave them some pastries for the road and refilled their bamboo canteens with water.
"Captain Jin, when you come down to pay the public grain tax, stop by and see how things are," Lin Lan said, pausing for a moment. "Our tax collection starts in a few days. After that’s done, I’ll buy grain for you from anyone who’s selling."
Captain Jin said gratefully, "Thank you, Boss Lin. Thanks to your help this year, everyone on our team has been able to eat their fill."
Lin Lan smiled. "You’re too kind. It’s because your products are high quality; that’s why everyone wants to buy them. My dad is already almost out of the glass noodles you brought last time."
"We’ll bring some down as soon as the harvest is finished!" Captain Jin cupped his hands in a respectful salute to Lin Lan. "We’ll be on our way, then. Farewell, Boss Lin."
"Safe travels!" Lin Lan watched them lead the mules away before turning back to her shop.
Since they were short-staffed, Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan closed up shop two hours later than usual. With Yang Zhigang escorting them home, however, there was no need to worry about their safety.
Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang went to the East Market restaurant to tell Wu Shufen about setting up Yang Zhigang and Qiaohui, asking her to be the matchmaker.
Wu Shufen smiled and nodded after hearing the news. "Alright. I’ll head over to your aunt’s house when I get back later."
’Yang Zhigang is a good catch,’ she thought. ’Not only do we know his background inside and out, but he also has a house in the city and earns a good income working with Li Xiangyang.’
"Great!" Lin Lan said with a smile. "Meihua said the public grain tax collection starts on the fourth, so we should get our grain portion ready."
Lin Changyou said, "The sun has been strong these last couple of days. We’ll dry the grain in the sun one more time the day before we turn it in. That will guarantee it passes."
"Mhm." Lin Lan looked around but didn’t see Lin Guozhu. "Dad, isn’t Third Brother back from his business trip yet?"
Lin Changyou grumbled, "He said he was making a detour to Shanghai to see his girlfriend. Can you believe he actually expects her to come back here with him!"
Wu Shufen huffed and picked up the thread. "I just don’t get it. Your third brother usually seems so sharp. How can he be so dense about this? Why would a girl from a big city ever agree to move to our little backwater town?"
Lin Changyou took a long, hard drag from his leaf-wrapped cigarette. "Even if that girl did agree, her parents would never allow it. We’re so far away, separated by mountains. She’d be lucky to see them even once a year. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t agree either."
Lin Lan quickly tried to placate them. "Dad, Mom, don’t be angry. Hasn’t Third Brother already said it? If his girlfriend doesn’t come with him this time, he’ll listen to you and go on blind dates."
"I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s coming back alone." Lin Changyou sighed. "I’m not worried about anything else. I’m just worried he’s put too much of his heart into this relationship with that girl, and he’ll be the one to suffer in the end."
Lin Guodong sneered. "I think that woman has him completely bewitched. Just think about it—our third brother has been back for almost a year now. We’ve had at least a dozen matchmakers come to the door, and he hasn’t gone to see a single one of the girls. I wonder what kind of heavenly fairy she must be to have him acting like such a fool."