80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches-Chapter 43 - 41: The Old Lady’s Resentment

Lin Lan smiled and encouraged her. "As long as you study hard, the adults will figure out a way to make money. You just focus on your studies—first get into middle school, then high school, then college. Take it one step at a time. The most important thing is, do you want to study?"

’Yang Liying and her husband can grind tofu to sell,’ she thought. ’With a business, they’ll have an income. They won’t have to worry about affording school for two children!’

After hearing Lin Lan’s words, Little Yun held the kidney bean roll and lowered her head in thought for a moment. She then looked up at Lin Lan. "Auntie, I want to study. Studying is really interesting."

’I’ll go back and ask Mom and Dad,’ she decided. ’If they have the money for me to study, I’ll study hard. If they really don’t, then I’ll just have to accept it and go home to help earn work points.’

Lin Lan stroked her braid and said softly, "If you want to study, then study hard. If you’re determined to learn, you’ll do well. The adults will worry about the money."

"I get it." Little Yun looked at the broad beans in Lin Lan’s basin. "Auntie, you’re clipping so many broad beans. Are you making bean paste?"

Lin Lan smiled. "I’m making fried broad beans. If you want some, bring Little Li over to have a taste!"

Little Yun nodded. "Auntie, I’m heading back now."

"Sister Yun, stay and play!" Little Douzi tugged on her, trying to make her stay.

Lin Lan laughed. "That’s right! See? Even Little Douzi wants you to stay."

Little Yun shook her head. "I have to go back and cook the pig feed, and make dinner too."

Lin Lan stood up, gathered the kidney bean rolls, and put them in an enamel mug. "Take these back for Little Li and your mom to try."

"Okay!" Little Yun took the enamel mug. "Little Douzi, want to come to my house?"

Little Douzi shook his head vigorously. "Mommy’s home by herself. I’m not going."

Lin Lan laughed at his expression. "Mommy is a grown-up; she won’t be scared by herself. If you want to go, just go! You can even take your iron hoop and go with your sister."

Little Douzi shook his head firmly. "I’m not going. Great-Grandaunt is coming later." ’Mommy has to go sell things later. I have to stay home and keep Great-Grandaunt company.’

Lin Lan nodded. "Mommy will take you with her next time! Help Mommy see Sister Yun out."

"Okay!" Little Douzi reached out to take Little Yun’s hand.

Little Yun put the enamel mug into her satchel and took his hand. "Auntie, I’m leaving now."

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Okay, bring Little Li with you to play next time!"

"Okay!" Little Yun replied in a bright, clear voice.

Little Douzi walked her to the courtyard gate. When he came back, he lay his head on her lap and fell asleep.

Lin Lan carried him to the bed and laid him down. When she came out, the old woman arrived, frowning and carrying gardenias and sun roses.

"What’s wrong, Grand-aunt? Who made you unhappy?"

The old woman figured that the Lin Lan of today was much more reliable, and she wanted to talk to her to get the frustration off her chest.

"Dandan’s younger maternal aunt is here. She says she wants to take Dandan to Yun Province for his maternal grandmother to look after."

"Don’t worry!" Lin Lan brought a chair over for her. "What did Ding Bang say?"

The old woman sat down and sighed. "Ding Bang hasn’t made up his mind either. He sometimes goes on business trips and is gone for a week at a time. His place is an upstairs apartment, so it’s inconvenient to go up and down. You even have to pay for green onions and garlic. I don’t like living in the city."

"So Ding Bang had his aunt stay with him to help look after Dandan, but she has to take care of her own grandson this year. Dandan is starting first grade in the fall. If it comes to it, I’ll just go to Ding Bang’s place and watch him myself."

Lin Lan had never understood where Dandan’s mother had gone. She hesitated for a moment, then looked at the old woman. "Grand-aunt, forgive me for being nosy, but where did Dandan’s mother go?"

The old woman pursed her lips angrily. "Don’t talk about that woman. She’s the one who ruined Ding Bang. He was injured on a mission in the army and was hospitalized. It just so happened she was having an appendectomy, and that’s how they met."

"Back then, she threw a huge fit and insisted on marrying Ding Bang. Her parents had no choice but to agree. When Ding Bang was discharged from the army, they wanted him to stay in Yun Province. But he insisted on transferring back here to take care of me. Ai! It’s all my fault. This old bag of bones just dragged him down."

"After Ding Bang came back, he worked as a detective at the police department and had to go on business trips often. Dandan’s mom was at home all alone with the child, without a single person to talk to. Later, they arranged a job for her as a teacher at the government-run kindergarten, but whenever there was a holiday, she’d take Dandan and go back to her parents’ house."

"When Dandan was three and a half, for some reason I’ll never know, she insisted on divorcing Ding Bang. He was pushed into a corner and had no choice but to agree. He gave her all their savings and only asked for their son."

The old woman hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lin Lan and lowered her voice. "This time, that woman came with her younger sister. They’re saying they want to take Dandan over there to look after him."

"She insisted on the divorce even if it meant giving up her child. She’s been gone for more than three years, only occasionally sending some clothes and shoes. The train is so convenient, but she never once came to see her son. A person who would abandon her child now wants to take care of him? I think something’s fishy."

Lin Lan comforted her in a soft voice, "Grand-aunt, Dandan is older now; he understands things. It really depends on who he needs most. His mother came to get him... he’s her own flesh and blood. How could she not love him?"

’Dandan’s mother probably had a youthful crush on a hero,’ she thought, ’which is why she was so determined to marry Yang Dingbang.’

’Only after marrying her hero did she realize that life is about daily trifles, and maybe even a whole lot of messy little problems.’

The old woman waved her hand. "You don’t have to comfort me. I understand. I just feel much better now that I’ve said it all."

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Right! You can’t keep things bottled up; you’ll make yourself sick. I won’t try to persuade you. Just think, Ding Bang can crack criminal cases. How could he not handle this? You can rest assured."

"Ai! I already have one foot in the grave. Even if I wanted to meddle, I don’t have the strength." The old woman spread her hands. "Besides, they don’t listen to me anyway!"

"Aiyo! Most people say they’re halfway there, but you’re already up to your eye sockets!" Lin Lan laughed and stood up. "In that case, you can just be in charge of me! I’ll listen to you."

"I’m in my seventies! If I’m not up to my eye sockets, where am I!" The old woman shot her a playfully scolding look. "If you want me to be in charge, I’ll have to hit you if you don’t listen. I also forgot to tell you, Xiangyang from the Li family said he’s willing to watch your stall for a few days."

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "I’ll have to trouble him then. Once this is all over, I’ll have to thank him properly."

"That’s right. Old Li is a glutton. Just make him some of those kidney bean rolls, and he’ll be delighted."

"That’s easy. I’ll make extra next time."

The fried broad beans were ready, and the two of them chatted and laughed as they packed them into bags.

Lin Lan took the kidney bean rolls out of the well where they were cooling, packed them into her satchel, and thought about the nosy woman next door. She went inside, changed her clothes, coiled her hair on top of her head, put on an old army cap, and came out of the room.

"Grand-aunt, take a look. Can you still recognize me?"

The old woman had her spin around. "From the back, I really can’t recognize you. If you go through the bamboo grove out back, that nosy woman next door won’t see you.

That’s people for you. Always looking down on the poor and resenting the rich. They just can’t stand to see anyone doing better than them."

Lin Lan nodded. "That woman is exactly that kind of person. I’m going to work hard and make a lot of money. Then I’ll get a TV, put it in the courtyard, and blast the volume to infuriate her!"

WHACK! The old woman laughed and tapped her lightly. "The old saying goes that true substance is kept on the inside. Why lower yourself to bickering with such a small-minded person? You’ll only make an enemy of her!"

Lin Lan listened and felt the old woman was right. ’I’m swamped as it is trying to make money!’

"As long as she doesn’t come looking for trouble in the future, I’m far too busy to waste time on her."