80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches-Chapter 49 - 47: The Tailing Dogs Are Here Again

"Okay, Mama will find something for you." Lin Lan remembered an old wicker basket in the room. She brought it out, wiped off the dust, and helped him put his picture books and iron hoop inside.

Little Douzi looked at the things in the basket, then went to bed, satisfied.

Lin Lan went back to the kitchen and started making the kidney bean rolls.

She was planning to give some of these kidney bean rolls to Master Li, as she had soaked a few too many white kidney beans.

She stayed busy for over three hours until all the kidney bean rolls were finished.

By then, the rain had stopped. Lin Lan felt a little happy. She quickly herded the chickens into the bamboo grove out back, then went back inside and started preparing broad beans to fry.

Lin Lan fried the broad beans, bagged them up, and saw from the sky that it was still early. She said to Little Douzi, who was sitting to the side flipping through his picture books, "Little Douzi, watch the house. Mama is going to Great-grandmother’s to see if she’s back yet."

Little Douzi nodded. "Come back soon, Mama."

"Okay!"

Lin Lan hurried over to the old lady’s house. She saw the back door was open and Yang Dingbang’s bicycle was parked by it. "Auntie, are you home?"

After a dozen seconds or so, a weary-looking Yang Dingbang came out. "Lin Lan, Grandma isn’t feeling well. She’s lying down."

Lin Lan’s heart skipped a beat. ’Looks like she really was angered.’ "Did you take her to the hospital? Can I go see her?"

Seeing Lin Lan’s expression, Yang Dingbang understood she knew about his ex-wife coming to East Market. He gave a bitter smile. "I tried to take her to the hospital, but she refused. The moment the rain stopped, she insisted on coming home. Could you help me persuade the old lady to get up and eat something?"

’The old lady is just faking it to scare me, how could I not see through it? But this is the grandmother who raised me. I can only pretend not to know, let her vent and feel a little better.’

Lin Lan nodded readily. "Could you stand here and watch Little Douzi for me? He’s home alone."

Yang Dingbang thought for a moment. "I’ll go bring him over." With that, he headed toward Lin Lan’s house.

Lin Lan went through the connecting door from the kitchen into the old lady’s room. The electric lamp was on. The old lady was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, but when she heard someone enter, her eyeballs darted back and forth beneath her eyelids.

’Looks like the old lady is just sulking to spite her grandson.’ "Auntie, where are you feeling unwell? I can take you to a doctor."

The old lady squinted her eyes open and waved Lin Lan over, whispering, "Come here."

Lin Lan walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at her. "Ding Bang went to my place to get Little Douzi."

"I’m so furious!" The old lady grabbed Lin Lan’s hand and sat up. "And you said he could handle it! His way of handling it was to let Dandan choose for himself. Isn’t that just forcing the boy to pick sides? Choose, my ass! I’ll raise him myself!"

Even though they were relatives, this was their family’s private business, so Lin Lan couldn’t say too much. "Auntie, don’t be anxious. This is about Dandan. You and Ding Bang should discuss it properly.

No matter what, you still have to eat. Let me cook you a bowl of noodles, or I can go back and get you some kidney bean rolls. You should eat something to tide you over."

The old lady shook her head. "I’ve already eaten, don’t you worry. The weather’s bad, you should get your things over to Li Xiangyang soon."

Seeing that she was still thinking about her business even while angry, Lin Lan was touched. "Did you really eat?"

"Sigh!" The old lady sighed. "I wanted to skip a couple of meals to make that blockhead worry a little, but who knew I’d get all flustered and out of breath after being hungry for just a bit? I quickly cooked a bowl of noodles and ate. It’s all because I was starved in the early years; it’s left its mark!"

Only then did Lin Lan relax, smiling at her. "It’s good that you’ve eaten. Ding Bang was worried you hadn’t and asked me to persuade you!"

Most people of that generation had experienced famine and suffered from aftereffects, to varying degrees. Lin Lan’s own mother couldn’t eat sweet potatoes; she’d feel sick at the mere taste, saying she’d eaten more than her fill of them in her life.

The old lady pursed her lips. "He’s worried about me? If he just made me less angry, I’d be thanking the heavens!"

"Great-grandma, Great-grandma!" Little Douzi shouted as he walked in.

"You stay here and keep Great-grandma company. Your mom is taking some things to the Eucalyptus Forest," the old lady said.

"Oh!" Little Douzi walked to the front of the bed and handed her the picture book. "Great-grandma, look. Mama bought me a Sun Wukong book. It’s really good."

The old lady took the picture book and waved at Lin Lan. "Go on! What are you still standing around for?"

"Okay!"

Lin Lan agreed and went out to see Yang Dingbang standing at the door, taking slow drags from a cigarette. "Ding Bang, Auntie said she’s eaten."

Yang Dingbang nodded and handed her the main door key with a smile. "Lin Lan, thank you for your trouble."

Lin Lan took the key, then thought for a moment and added, "Auntie is a reasonable person. You’re family. Just communicate properly about things, and it’ll be fine once it’s all out in the open."

"Okay!" Yang Dingbang nodded and turned to walk back into the house.

When the old lady saw him come in, she shot him a sidelong glance. "Ding Bang, think about it. Why did she divorce you in the first place? A restless woman like that—I will not let her take Dandan. Don’t let her corrupt a descendant of the Yang family.

She’s been gone for years and hasn’t come to see Dandan even once. Does Dandan even know who she is?

Yesterday, she wanted him to stay the night with her at the inn, and the boy refused. If you make him go back with that woman, he’ll definitely think you resent him and don’t want him anymore."

Yang Dingbang thought for a long time, then looked at the old lady and said, "Grandma, I’ll explain it clearly to Dandan. It’s not that we resent him..."

The old lady looked at him and said angrily, "He is of the Yang family’s blood. He should stay with you, his father! If you think that mother of his can raise a child right, you’re dreaming!"

Yang Dingbang remembered Dandan saying yesterday that he was being made to choose because his father thought he was a burden.

A pang of pain hit him as he recalled Dandan saying that if he had to choose, he’d choose neither of them and just go back to the countryside with his great-grandmother. "I know. I won’t let her take him."

Hearing this, the old lady let out a sigh of relief. She looked at him and said, "Are you still trying to be faithful to that woman’s memory? It’s about time you found someone else!"

Yang Dingbang forced a smile. "Too busy. I don’t have the time!"

The old lady looked at her grandson with heartache. "If you’re busy, then go back! Just remember to get rid of that woman."

"Right!" Yang Dingbang agreed, then left with his bike.

Lin Lan went home and arranged some of the kidney bean rolls on a plate. The rest, she placed in a wicker basket, along with another portion for Master Li packed into a kraft paper bag. After putting the fried broad beans and the basket into a large carrying pack, she took the plate of rolls, closed her door, and went to the old lady’s house.

Hearing the grandmother and grandson talking inside, she called out a greeting, left the kidney bean rolls on the table, and returned home. She then shouldered her carrying pack and a sturdy urea sack, and quickly walked out, heading for the Eucalyptus Forest.

She hadn’t gone far when she spotted two women on the ridge between the fields up ahead—it was Sun Xiuhua and Zhang Yazhen, those two dogs.

Lin Lan lowered her gaze, thinking to herself, ’I can’t have Li Xiangyang sell my things today.’

She quickened her pace toward the Eucalyptus Forest. From a distance, she saw Li Xiangyang waiting by the edge of the vegetable patch. Lin Lan shook her head at him, and Li Xiangyang stopped in his tracks, halting his steps to greet her.

As they passed each other, Lin Lan said quickly, "Master Li, someone’s following me. Could you please pack up your stall and go tell my auntie? I’m going to the clothing factory to sell my goods."

Li Xiangyang replied just as fast, "Okay. The guy watching the place is called Brother Yong. Tell him I sent you."

"Got it." Lin Lan headed straight for the alleyway by the vehicle factory.