Chapter 367: Chapter 364: Got Into a Fight
Wu Shufen patted Wu Shufang, whose face was flushed with anger. "Sister," she said comfortingly, "distance makes the heart grow fonder. Shi Song and Little Feng are out here now, and they’ll rarely be able to go back even once a year. Old Lady Li will eventually figure out who is truly dutiful to her."
Thinking of Mrs. Li’s acerbic and harsh expression, Wu Shufang felt she must have been blind in the past. "I’m the one who harmed him."
Wu Shufen didn’t know how to comfort her sister. "They’re out now," she said. "Try to look on the bright side. Things will get better from here on out."
Wu Shufang sighed. "I suppose that’s the only way to think about it." She was a bundle of nerves, having just sent two people who had never left the deep mountains all the way to East Market.
Looking at her sister’s worried expression, Wu Shufen said gently, "Come now, your children will make their own way in life. You’ve already done your best. Look at you, your eyes are all sunken in. Go lie down in Guoliang’s room for a while." She gently pushed her sister into the room as she spoke and got her to lie down.
Around noon, Lin Changyou rode his bicycle to the restaurant. He told Wu Shufen that the drainage ditches in the rice paddies were full of weeds, and he had to go pull them that afternoon.
Wu Shufen told him that Zhou Shisong and his family had arrived. Lin Changyou then rode his bike to the pastry shop to have Lin Lan find a moment to go home and ask her grandmother’s opinion.
After lunch, Lin Lan went back to Yucai Road to find her grandmother. She explained Zhou Shisong’s family’s situation and asked if she would be willing to rent out her house.
The old woman figured that since the house was empty, it lacked the ’human touch’ and would fall into disrepair over time. Renting it out would also supplement the family’s income. She finally settled on a rent of ten yuan a month, with the condition that Zhou Shisong’s family would be responsible for any repairs.
Once her grandmother agreed, Lin Lan gave her a ride on her bike to the restaurant. The two families finalized the agreement in person: rent would be paid once a quarter, and Zhou Shisong’s family would be responsible for their own electricity bills.
Wu Shufang took out the only thirty yuan she had and paid the rent for Zhou Shisong. Then, the family shouldered their luggage and followed Lin Lan, the old woman, and Wu Shufen to the house in Lexing.
The old woman opened the courtyard gate and pointed to the patch of land in front of the yard. "Clear this out for a vegetable garden, and you won’t have to worry about vegetables for the whole year. Inside, there’s a bed, a few old tables and chairs, and some stools. The water vat and cupboard in the kitchen are still there, too. Just be sure to take good care of everything."
Looking at the spacious yard, Li Xiaofeng nodded happily. "We’ll take good care of everything."
Zhou Shisong looked at the yard, his heart a mix of joy and anxiety. He was happy his family had a place to live, happy that the old woman’s house was spacious enough that the four of them wouldn’t be squeezed together.
His worry was that, including the money he had to give his mother for her support, the family needed to come up with fifteen yuan every month before even thinking about food. If he couldn’t earn that much...
The old woman gave them a tour of the house, told them a bit about the neighbors, and then handed the keys to Wu Shufang before heading back to the city with Lin Lan.
Wu Shufen helped them tidy up for a bit. When she saw that Zhou Shisong’s family only had one basket of sweet potatoes and a bag of cornmeal, she went home and came back with ten pounds of rice, some oil and salt, and two pieces of cured pork.
"Shi Song, tomorrow you’ll go with Guoliang and his brother to their stall. Little Feng, you and the children can stay here and get the vegetable garden ready. I’ve got seeds you can use. It’s still early in the season, so plant plenty of vegetables, and some corn too."
Zhou Shisong and his wife thanked her profusely. "Thank you so much, Auntie..."
Wu Shufen smiled and waved a dismissive hand. She turned to Wu Shufang and said, "Sister, you all take your time getting settled. I need to go home and cook the pig feed."
"Alright, I’ll walk you out." Wu Shufang saw her sister out the back door and watched until she was far down the road before turning back inside.
Zhou Shisong looked at his mother, his brow so deeply furrowed you could have crushed a fly in the creases. "Mom," he asked, "do you think we can really make it here?"
Li Xiaofeng was also hunched over on a stool, her expression just as worried as she looked at her mother-in-law.
Wu Shufang looked at her timid son and daughter-in-law and snapped, "When Little Lan first started, she was all alone with Little Douzi and buried in debt. But look at her now!"
"You’re a grown man, and you have your aunt and the others to give you a leg up. And in the worst-case scenario, even if you’re no good at business, you’ve still got your strength. Didn’t you hear your uncle? You can earn several yuan a day just unloading cargo at the freight depot by the train station."
Hearing this, Zhou Shisong straightened his shoulders. "You’re right. If all else fails, I still have my strength."
Wu Shufang nodded. "If you don’t have the skills, you have to follow those who do and learn from them. That’s how you gain experience. When you go tomorrow, be quick on your feet. If there’s something you don’t understand, ask. Don’t pretend you know everything."
"I understand." Zhou Shisong then asked his mother to stay for a few days to help Li Xiaofeng get settled, and Wu Shufang agreed.
In the following days, Zhou Shisong went with Lin Guoliang and his brother to their stall near the clothing factory. He helped by peeling and frying potatoes and skewering meat and chives.
Wu Shufen told Lin Guoliang and his brother to pay him two yuan a day. Once he was ready to run a stall by himself, he could start his own business frying potatoes.
With the help of Wu Shufen and her family, Zhou Shisong and his wife and children gradually adapted to life in East Market.
****
On the last day of the month, Lin Lan had just closed up her shop and was about to head for Limin Road when Yao Xiuyun showed up, grinning. "Your Xiangyang called!" she said. "He wanted me to pass on a message. He and Uncle Da got delayed on the road, so they probably won’t be back in East Market until mid-June. He said not to worry."
Lin Lan did a quick calculation. The Dragon Boat Festival was on June 17th that year. "If he’s back mid-month, he’ll make it just in time for the festival."
Yao Xiuyun nodded, then tugged at Lin Lan’s arm and said a little sheepishly, "That thing you said last time, about building a house? I told Dongzi about it, and he thinks you have a point. We’re planning to submit the paperwork now and start construction as soon as it’s approved. It just means we’ll have to pay you back the money we owe you a little later."
Lin Lan smiled. "That’s no problem. Take your time."
Yao Xiuyun nodded with a smile. "Come on, let’s head back together."
"Okay." Lin Lan told Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan to follow along later, then set off on her bike with Yao Xiuyun toward Limin Road.
The two of them chatted as they rode. "Tomorrow is June 1st, Children’s Day," Yao Xiuyun said. "The kids all have the day off, and it’s a Sunday. What do you say we take them to the river for the day?"
Lin Lan nodded with a smile. "That sounds great! I’ve never taken Little Douzi to play by the river." She had been wanting to take him out for Children’s Day anyway.
Yao Xiuyun turned her head and smiled. "We go every year. The river’s low around this time, and there’s a nice sandy spot on the bank. We can bring some food and have a picnic."
"Sounds good. We can go to the market together tomorrow morning to buy supplies for the picnic."
"I think the lamb skewers Brother Lin makes are delicious, not to mention the grilled chives and pork belly. We can pick some tender celtuce leaves and use them as wraps. It’s the absolute best way to eat them!"
Chatting and laughing, the two soon arrived at Limin Road. There, He Li told Lin Lan that Old Li had already gone to pick up Little Douzi.
The shops on Limin Road closed at seven o’clock. As Lin Lan and Yao Xiuyun were riding back, they reached the entrance to their alley just in time to see Old Li leading a few children inside.
Lin Lan noticed the three boys’ clothes were all dusty and they were shuffling along without any energy. It looked like they had been in a fight.
Yao Xiuyun noticed it too. "Lin Lan, do you think the kids got into a fight?"
Lin Lan nodded. "Let’s catch up and see."
