The 70s Novel: The Supporting Character Just Wants to Lie Down-Chapter 319: Getting Things Ready

At the end of September, Liu Yulan was busy every day. Her youngest son was getting married on October 2nd, and she had to prepare a lot of things to bring.

When Wang Pandi returned to her parents’ home with Yang Zhigang and Yang Qingwen, she was stunned by the jars all over the place.

"Mom, what are you doing? Why have you moved all these out?" Wang Pandi asked as she walked in, seeing Liu Yulan writing something at the table.

"Hey, you came just in time. Help me put these labels on." Liu Yulan heard the sound but didn’t look up, seriously cutting paper.

"Grandma, what are you doing? Let me help you." Yang Qingwen, a nine-year-old who had just entered third grade, had a delicate face. She was losing baby teeth, leaving a gap that made her speak a bit lisping, so she hadn’t been keen on talking or smiling recently.

Especially at home, where her cousin next door always teased her, it was really annoying.

But today at her grandma’s house, she was happy, and since her grandparents wouldn’t tease her, she boldly smiled and stepped forward to help.

"Then grandma thanks the little darling first." Liu Yulan just cut a piece of paper, put down the scissors, and happily patted her head lightly.

Yang Qingwen said in a cute voice, "Grandma, I’m already a big girl. You can’t pat my head anymore, or I won’t grow tall. Don’t call me little darling. Only little babies are called that. My name is Yang Qingwen, call me Qingwen."

"Oh... our little girl has grown up, alright, darling, help grandma write." Liu Yulan laughed and dropped the "little" from "little darling," causing Yang Qingwen to make a helpless pouty face.

She had protested more than once, but no one took her words to heart. Alas... small words carry little weight...

Yang Qingwen, acting like a little adult, shook her head thoughtfully, picked up the paper and pen Liu Yulan handed over, "Grandma, what are we writing?"

"Dried radish, sour radish, spicy radish, pickles, sauerkraut, sour long beans, spicy bamboo shoots, ..." Liu Yulan listed off a bunch, making Yang Qingwen’s mouth water.

"Grandma, are these all for Auntie’s house?" Yang Qingwen wiped her mouth, seriously writing down the words.

Liu Yulan, holding the glue, asked Wang Pandi and Yang Zhigang to help stick the labels, "Also some are for your Uncle’s house, oh, write each twice, these are all in duplicate."

"Okay." Yang Qingwen obediently replied.

"Mom, where’s Dad?" Yang Zhigang opened a jar and looked inside, found the matching notes, quickly applied glue, and stuck them onto the jars.

"He went to the village head’s house. The home-made rice wine brewed late this year, it’s not ready yet, so I sent your dad to buy two barrels from the village head to take to Beijing. The old man in the Jiang Family loves this drink," Liu Yulan said cheerfully.

It’s true what people say, many hands make light work. In no time, with laughter and chatting, they had organized all the jars and even packed the dried goods in duplicates. In rural areas, there’s an abundance of such things. Once the season comes, Liu Yulan starts collecting items like wood ear mushrooms, pine nuts, chestnuts, smoked fish, bacon, and sausages.

"Yulan, I’m back." Wang Baoxing returned heavily laden, naturally calling into the house as he neared the door.

Upon hearing him, Liu Yulan walked over and pushed the half-open door wider, "Oh, why did you buy so much?"

Wang Baoxing returned carrying a pole, with two buckets in the baskets on either side.

He set down the pole and said, "The village head’s house brewed a lot of wine this year, besides rice wine, they also made white wine and mulberry wine. I bought a bucket of white wine and mulberry wine each. Our in-laws like a sip of white wine, and the mulberry wine can be for our daughter...hehe... I heard it’s good for women."

Indeed, mulberry wine has many benefits, especially for women. The fatty acids in mulberry wine help break down fat, lower blood lipid, prevent arteriosclerosis, and enhance vascular toughness. Mulberry wine contains hair-darkening ingredients, making hair shiny and black. It can improve skin, including the scalp, blood supply, nourish the skin, making it fair, and delay aging, with an immune-boosting effect, and it also has anti-cancer properties. Ultimately, mulberry wine nourishes the liver and kidneys, is good for replenishing blood, generating fluids, and moisturizing dryness, suitable for liver and kidney deficiency and dry intestines.

Having heard of these benefits, Wang Baoxing bought without hesitation, and he thought next year they should brew some at home, so the women of the house can enjoy it.

"Alright, since we’ve bought it, let’s bring it all." Liu Yulan would never begrudge the expense if it’s good for the kids.

Yang Zhigang helped to take the buckets out of the baskets, saying, "Mom, Dad, we can’t carry this much stuff. Why don’t we send some by post to town first?"

Liu Yulan thought he was right. She was absorbed in packing and forgot about the practical issue; there’s too much, it’s impossible to carry it all. "Gangzi thinks things through well, we’ll send it in a while." No time like the present, besides, there’s not many days left till October departure.

"I’ll go back now and bring the car." Yang Zhigang looked at the pile of stuff and instinctively thought of a solution. He had come by bike today, not by car; had he known, he would have driven. Luckily, the houses weren’t far apart, and it’s easy to make a trip back.

Liu Yulan quickly thanked him, "Oh, then thank you. You go get the car, and I’ll cook some delicious Braised Meat for you."

"Alright, I’ll be quick." With that, Yang Zhigang didn’t dally and rode off.

Wang Pandi watched the whole time without comment. Her husband being kind to her family also showed his regard for her, enhancing her reputation at her parent’s house. She just needed to maintain her demeanor.

Sure enough, Teacher Liu praised Wang Pandi, "You really fell into a fortunate nest; such a good man, few can be found even with a lantern. Yet you found one."

Wang Pandi smiled, and indeed, this man treated her very well. But... there were regrets too. She glanced at her obedient and cheerful daughter Yang Qingwen, who was circling around her dad, and sighed inwardly.

With the family planning policy heating up, as a public official, her husband could only lead by example. In the future, their family would really only have one daughter, the little darling.

Thinking of the gossip and the grievance her daughter suffered a few days ago made her heart ache. If not for fearing it might make things difficult for her husband, she’d have confronted those people without hesitation.

"I just count on him being good to me and the child, otherwise, humph..." These words carried a tinge of irritation, only in front of her mother could she vent slightly and complain a bit.

"Mom, what are we cooking for lunch? I’ll get ready." She thought a lot, but it was useless. In recent years, she had reminded herself to let go a bit; now things were settled. It’s better to not worry and have peace of mind, avoiding constant anxiety.