80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches-Chapter 150 - 147: Confession (Part 1)

Zhang Yazhen looked at Yang Liying and Yang Liqun, who were glaring daggers at her. Seeing the two Wang brothers standing outside the gate as well, she didn’t dare retaliate.

"Yazhen, what’s going on?" Xiong Jianjun and the children also came out of the house.

Lin Lan pointed at him. "You, Xiong! Get your crazy wife under control. Tell her to stop staring at me like a rabid dog."

Xiong Jianjun stepped forward and pulled Zhang Yazhen behind him. "What in the world is going on? What right do you have to come to our home and hit my wife?"

Yang Lirong stepped forward. "Jianjun, here’s what happened. The other day..."

Xiong Yan and her sister stared at Zhang Yazhen in astonishment. Xiong Jianjun also turned to look at her. "Is what Lirong said true?"

Zhang Yazhen hung her head in silence.

Xiong Jianjun knew the truth just by her reaction. He turned back to Lin Lan and said, "I’m sorry, Lin Lan. I’ll keep her in line from now on."

Yang Liqun said, "Jianjun, your wife’s behavior is just unacceptable. Our families have been neighbors for decades. Why does she insist on singling out our Lin Lan to bully?"

Xiong Jianjun knew exactly what was going on but could only promise, "I’ll keep her under control, I promise."

"Lin Lan, let’s go," Yang Liqun said, pulling Lin Lan toward the gate.

After they left, Xiong Jianjun shut the courtyard gate. He dragged Zhang Yazhen back to their room and stared at her. "Good heavens, woman, what in the world are you trying to do?"

Zhang Yazhen shot him a look. "I wasn’t the one who said it, my mom was!"

Xiong Jianjun growled, "She has a man now, you should be happy! You don’t have to worry about her stealing your husband anymore. So why did you and your mother have to go and stir up trouble?"

Zhang Yazhen was furious too. "I only said it because I ran into Yang Lirong and one thing led to another! She promised she wouldn’t tell anyone..."

"Are you an idiot?" Xiong Jianjun cut her off. "They’re family! When it comes down to it, of course they’re going to stick up for their own. You really think they’d side with an outsider like you?"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Zhang Yazhen muttered after a long pause, "It’s all Yang Lirong’s fault. If she hadn’t asked, I never would have said anything."

Xiong Jianjun saw that the corner of her lip was split open. He was both furious and heartbroken. "Let this be a lesson to you. If they had come here and beaten you senseless today, we’d have no grounds to complain."

Zhang Yazhen’s lips trembled, but she remained silent.

As Lin Lan led the others home, she remembered that the coal delivery was coming soon. She turned to Yang Lirong. "Lirong, sorry for all the trouble. It’s getting late. I’ll have Zhixue take you home on his bicycle."

"Okay!" Yang Lirong agreed. She was also eager to get home and tell Yu Hui that Yang Liqun was giving her the tofu stall.

After Wang Zhixue rode off, Yang Liying turned to Yang Liqun. "Sis, making dried tofu is a lot more work. Why’d you give the tofu stall to Lirong?"

Yang Liqun didn’t hide her reasoning, smiling as she explained her plan to the others.

After listening, Yang Liying laughed. "Making dried tofu is a great idea! I’ll buy my stock from you from now on."

Yang Liqun rolled her eyes at her. "Don’t tell me you plan to only make tofu pudding and regular tofu for the rest of your life. Once I get started, you can come and learn from me after you close up shop for the day."

"I know, I know. I’ll come learn from you," Yang Liying said, clinging to her sister’s arm playfully.

"Shame, shame! Aunt Liying is a grown-up, but she’s still acting like a baby," Little Douzi and Wang Zhilin teased from the side, tapping their cheeks in a ’shame on you’ gesture.

"You little rascal!" Yang Liying exclaimed, scooping up Little Douzi and tickling him mercilessly.

The others watched the aunt and nephew’s playful antics with beaming smiles.

Lin Lan recalled a spicy shredded tofu dish she’d had before. She looked at Yang Liqun with a smile. "Sis, do you know how to make shredded tofu?"

"I do!" Yang Liqun said with a laugh.

Lin Lan grinned. "Once you get set up, we should make some of that spicy shredded tofu."

Yang Liqun assumed she meant the cold-tossed kind and nodded with a smile. "Alright. Once I make some, I’ll bring it over for you."

"Okay!" Lin Lan agreed with a smile, then sat down at the work table to start making her pea cakes.

Yang Liying poured some warm water for Little Douzi to wash his face and feet, but he stopped her, insisting he could do it himself. He then grabbed his toothbrush and cup and started brushing his teeth.

Yang Liqun watched him with a fond smile. ’Lin Lan has raised him so well,’ she thought. ’He’s such a sensible boy.’

A while after Wang Zhixue returned with Zhao Dehai, there was a knock on the gate. When Lin Lan heard Wangcai’s excited barking, she knew Li Xiangyang had arrived, and her heart began to pound wildly.

"I’ll get it!" Wang Zhilin sprinted to the courtyard gate, slid back the steel rebar lock, and opened it to see Li Xiangyang. "Uncle Xiangyang, it’s you!"

"Mhm." Li Xiangyang gave Lin Lan, who was standing in the courtyard, a deep look before he and Yang Zhigang pulled the handcart into the yard.

When Yang Liying saw Lin Lan standing frozen, she stepped forward with a smile. "Xiangyang, you must be hungry. We’re about to make some hand-torn noodles with pickled vegetables!"

Li Xiangyang smiled. "Sounds great! We’ll eat after we’ve unloaded the coal."

Yang Zhigang shot him a surprised look. ’...Big Bro, who was it that just inhaled that massive bowl of saozi noodles?!’

Yang Liying nudged Lin Lan. "Lin Lan, while my husband and Zhixue help unload the coal, let’s go prepare the dough for Xiangyang and his men."

Lin Lan nodded, and the two of them headed to the kitchen.

Lin Yuezhen mixed several glasses of honey water and brought them outside for the men to drink.

While they were kneading the dough, Yang Liying said to Lin Lan, "I can tell Xiangyang likes you. What are your thoughts on him?"

Lin Lan sighed softly and looked at her. "Liying, we’re not a good match. Besides, I think I’m perfectly happy just living with Little Douzi."

"Sigh..." Yang Liying let out a long sigh. ’This is all our fault—mine, my sisters’, and our youngest brother’s.’ They had originally thought their brother genuinely liked Lin Lan, so they’d helped him come up with a plan to win her over and marry her. They thought that with her in his life, the prodigal son would finally mend his ways and settle down.

Who could have known that after he got her, he wouldn’t cherish her? Not long after Little Douzi was born, he started gambling. When he won, he’d fool around with loose women, and when he lost, he’d come home and take it out on her and Little Douzi, beating and cursing them. He even tried to use her to pay off his gambling debts!

The memory made Yang Liying feel an even deeper sense of guilt toward Lin Lan.

She looked at her earnestly. "Lin Lan, not all men are like our brother, quick to raise a hand to their wives. Look at me and your brother-in-law—we’ve been married for so many years, and he’s never once laid a finger on me. I just think that if you meet a good man, you should seriously consider it. You’re still so young, after all! And I really do think Xiangyang is a great guy."

Lin Lan looked at her, touched. "Thank you, Liying. I know you’re just looking out for me. And I know Xiangyang is a good man, but... I just don’t think it’s realistic for us. Let’s worry about the future when it comes. Right now, all I want to do is work hard, make money, and make sure Little Douzi gets a good education."

Yang Liying patted her hand. "That’s fine, too. It won’t be too late to talk about this again after the anniversary of our brother’s passing. No matter what you decide, I’ll always support you."

"Okay," Lin Lan agreed with a faint smile.

Li Xiangyang took a few sips of the honey water, then walked over to the kitchen. He glanced at Lin Lan, who was still kneading dough, and said to Yang Liying, "Liying, could I have a word with Lin Lan?"

"Of course!" Yang Liying shot him a look, then grinned and gave the stunned Lin Lan a little nudge. "You two talk."

By the time Lin Lan snapped out of her daze, she saw that Yang Liying had already disappeared into the backyard.