80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches-Chapter 149 - 146: Can You Wriggle Out of It?
Yang Lirong nodded again and again. "Okay, I’ll go with you." ’As long as Lin Lan and Yang Liying don’t just storm her door, everything will be fine,’ she thought.
"It’s already dark out. Let’s eat first, then go!" Yang Liqun said.
Yang Liying rubbed her stomach. "I’m so hungry my stomach feels like it’s glued to my back. If we eat first, we’ll have the strength to fight if we have to."
Yang Liqun glanced at the steamer in the pot and the bowl of seasoned cold chicken, smiling. "Lin Lan has already prepared the cold chicken, and the braised chicken with taro is ready too. I’ll just stir-fry a couple of vegetable dishes, and then we’ll eat."
Lin Lan nodded, grabbing two plates to serve the chicken.
Yang Lirong looked at the large platter of cold-dressed chicken and once again heaped praise on Lin Lan.
Lin Lan let her say what she would, only offering a faint smile without taking the conversational bait. ’She despised people like this, who are friendly when they need you and nowhere to be seen when they don’t. They have no concept of family, only self-interest—classic examples of ungrateful opportunists.’
Yang Lirong’s thoughts turned to her son. He was at home after graduating, and the work points he earned from farming weren’t much. For the past six months, Yu Hui had been pulling strings, but the only opportunity he could find was a substitute teaching job in some remote place. The salary was only a little over ten yuan a month, and she’d heard even that position was highly sought-after.
’When I came into the courtyard, I saw that Zhilin and his brother had a completely different air about them than before. It looks like running a stall really is profitable.’
When Lin Lan didn’t respond, a crafty look flashed in Yang Lirong’s eyes. She walked over to the stove and said to Yang Liqun, "Eldest Sister, Zhixue and Zhilin are looking so much healthier. And they’re so well-dressed, just like the workers at the vehicle factory."
Lin Lan saw her shifty eyes and knew. ’Someone like her, who values money more than anything, definitely isn’t here to admit she was wrong. She must be after something related to the stall.’
Yang Liqun laughed. "Oh, they’re not that well-dressed. That’s just their one nice outfit. I only made it for them because I figured that now they’re running a stall in the city, it wouldn’t look right for them to wear clothes covered in patches like before."
Yang Lirong eagerly grabbed a plate and held it out for her. "Eldest Sister, I heard Zhilin and Zhixue have been making a lot of money these past few months running the stall with Lin Lan!"
Lin Lan glanced at her. ’The fox’s tail is finally showing,’ she thought.
Yang Liqun shot her a look as she scooped the vegetables onto the plate. In a measured voice, she said, "Who’ve you been listening to now? If they were really making that much money, I’d have already hired a matchmaker for Zhixue."
Seeing that Yang Liqun wasn’t entirely naive after all, Lin Lan relaxed and carried the dish into the main room.
Seeing this, Yang Lirong followed her and got straight to the point. "Lin Lan, Zhixue and Zhilin are your nephews, but my Yu Jian is your nephew too. As your sister, I’m asking you, can you please help get him some stock so he can run a stall?"
Lin Lan looked at her, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "Second Sister, if I supply him with stock, I make money too. Why wouldn’t I want a win-win situation?" Then, her tone shifted. "But, Second Sister, have you found a spot for him to set up his stall?"
Yang Lirong gave a placating smile. "You helped Zhixue and Zhilin find their spots. You can just find one for us too!" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"I gave Zhixue my old spot, and he and his brother found Zhilin’s spot on their own. Nowadays, all the black markets have people selling pastries. I can’t find any open spots either!" Lin Lan said with a shrug.
Yang Lirong’s face fell. "Lin Lan, are you still angry with me for not speaking up for you?"
Lin Lan smiled and shook her head. "Second Sister, I’m not one to hold grudges! If you really want to run a stall, I have an idea for you. Eldest Sister and Third Sister are selling bean curd jelly at two different markets. You could make dried tofu for Yu Jian to sell."
Yang Lirong looked troubled. "I don’t know how to make dried tofu. Eldest Sister always used to help Father make it. Besides, you need to buy soybeans, a stone mill, and charcoal... it’s too much trouble!"
"Second Sister, what part of making money isn’t a hassle?" Yang Liying scoffed. "If you know of a way to earn money without any trouble, please, do enlighten me."
Yang Lirong’s face darkened. "Liying, you know perfectly well that’s not what I meant. Are you just determined to argue with me?"
Yang Liqun came in with a plate of stir-fried pumpkin shoots. Hearing the exchange, she said, "Lirong, you can take over my bean curd jelly stall at Dongzikou. I’ll make dried tofu instead."
She knew Yang Lirong was dead set on having Lin Lan find a stall for Yu Jian. That way, they could wash their hands of the matter and push all the responsibility onto Lin Lan.
If Yu Jian were a diligent and down-to-earth boy, she’d be happy for Lin Lan to help him. But Lirong had spoiled the child rotten. He was arrogant and had a terrible temper, not an easy person to be around.
She didn’t want to put Lin Lan in a difficult position. And while making dried tofu was a hassle, if done well, it sold better than bean curd jelly or regular tofu.
"Mom!" Wang Zhilin cried out in disapproval. "If you give the stall to Auntie, where are you going to get the firewood to make dried tofu?"
"It’s all right. We’ll give it to your aunt for now. We’ll figure something out," Yang Liqun said with a smile.
Yang Lirong looked at her, astonished. "Eldest Sister, I never meant to take..."
Yang Liqun smiled and patted her shoulder. "It’s really fine. I’m the only one in the family who knows how to make dried tofu, tofu skin, and all that. You take over the bean curd jelly stall. As long as you work hard, you can make several yuan a day. It’s a good living!"
Lin Lan praised her from the heart. "Eldest Sister, you truly are the best sister a person could ask for!"
’At that moment, Lin Lan was genuinely in awe of Yang Liqun’s selflessness as the eldest sister. Who would be willing to just give away their profitable business? She knew she could never do it.’
When Yang Lirong heard she could earn several yuan a day, her mind started racing. ’If I make five yuan a day, that’s over a hundred a month! That’s even better than having an "iron rice bowl" job.’
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Yang Liqun and thanked her sincerely, "Thank you, Eldest Sister. I’ll be sure to work hard."
Yang Liqun smiled and nodded. "Good! Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the stonemason to order a stone mill. You have Yu Hui go buy some soybeans and get everything ready."
Yang Lirong nodded eagerly.
Wang Zhixue called over Wang Zemin, who was weaving small bamboo baskets in the courtyard. After a happy meal, they all headed out together toward the First Team’s area.
When they reached the gate to Zhang Yazhen’s courtyard, Yang Lirong hesitated for a moment before raising her hand and knocking.
A moment later, Zhang Yazhen’s voice came from inside. "Who is it?"
Face flushing, Yang Lirong glanced at Lin Lan before answering, "It’s me, Yang Lirong."
"Oh, it’s Lirong! What’s going on this late?" Zhang Yazhen said as she walked to the gate. She slid the bolt and opened the door, but when she saw it wasn’t just Yang Lirong but also Lin Lan, Yang Liying, and the others, her heart sank. ’This is bad,’ she thought. "What do you all want?"
Lin Lan stared at her coldly. "What do you think we want?"
Yang Lirong said sheepishly, "Yazhen, I asked Lin Lan. Those things you said were completely baseless. You’d better stop spreading nasty rumors about her."
Zhang Yazhen ground her teeth and shot Yang Lirong a venomous glare. "This is a matter between you sisters-in-law! What the hell does it have to do with me?" Before the words were even out of her mouth, she tried to slam the door shut.
With a cold laugh, Lin Lan shot out a hand to stop the door. Yang Liying also stepped forward to help. "You said it with your own mouth. You think you can just deny it now?"
Lin Lan strode forward and gave her two hard slaps across the face. Pointing at her nose, she snarled, "Did I dig up your ancestral graves? Did I ruin your fortune? Why are you coming after me for no goddamn reason, biting at my heels like a rabid dog?!"
