Chapter 132 Sister, there's a shop over on Sifang Street...

Chapter 132

After settling the business, the two sat in the courtyard and chatted for a while.

When Lin Qingqing learned that Lin Chunxing's uncle had come to help pick corn and that the family was quite busy, she didn't want to keep chatting with Lin Chunxing. She simply said, "Since you're busy, I won't chat with you any longer. If you finish early tomorrow, come to the shop to play. We're not too busy at noon."

Lin Chunxing smiled and agreed, while Lin Qingqing got up to take her leave.

After seeing Lin Qingqing off, Lin Chunxing sighed softly and went back to the kitchen to prepare things.

Lin Chuntao woke up this morning and prepared half a basin of dough, which has now fermented.

After lunch, her uncle and the others prepared to go to the fields. Lin Chuntao handed over the task of steaming buns to Lin Chunxing, called Pei Ying, and went to the fields with her uncle and the others.

Lin Chunxing was going to make braised eggs at home first. While waiting for the eggs to boil, she could knead the dough and make the steamed buns to put on the steamer.

When Lin Chuntao and her uncle returned around noon, the courtyard was filled with the rich aroma of braised eggs and the sweet fragrance of steamed buns.

Xu Sheng swallowed hard, feeling that it smelled incredibly delicious, almost like he was ascending to heaven from the aroma.

My aunt and the others were husking corn in the field when Pei Ying and my uncle and the other men carried the corn back. After they carried the corn upstairs and put it down, Lin Chunxing poked her head out of the kitchen and greeted my uncles. Then she said, "The steamed buns are almost ready. Uncle, you can rest for a while and have some lunch."

Pei Ying said, "Then I'll go back and call my aunt and the others."

The two of them said this, but their uncle and the others wouldn't listen to their arrangements.

"We just ate and aren't hungry yet, let's go back and have another meal."

He didn't even listen to Lin Chunxing calling out as he spoke, and quickly left the courtyard. Lin Chunxing could only call out, "Brother-in-law, please tell my sister to call my aunt and the others to come back together."

Pei Ying responded and quickly followed.

When they returned to the field, their aunt and the others had already filled several baskets with fruit. Pei Ying relayed Lin Chunxing's message, and Lin Chuntao then said to her uncle and the others, "The sun is too strong right now. Let's go back together to rest and have lunch before coming back."

Hearing Lin Chuntao's words, the eldest aunt looked up at the sky. The sky was blue, the clouds were low, and the sun was bright but not as hot as in the sweltering summer. She looked at the corn in the field and said to Lin Chuntao, "It's not that hot. Take advantage of the good weather and harvest it quickly. You ate so much at noon and you're not hungry now. You can eat it later at noon."

Just as Lin Chuntao was about to offer some advice, her uncles chimed in, "That's right, it's not that hot anymore. Let's break them up first, and then go back for lunch when we're hungry."

Lin Chuntao had no choice but to comply with them. She was busy until late afternoon and they still hadn't returned. So Lin Chuntao asked Pei Ying to bring some steamed buns and two gourds of water. She washed her hands in the field and ate them directly.

Lin Chuntao added a little buckwheat flour to the steamed buns, so the color wasn't as white or particularly noticeable. However, the fermentation was good, and once you broke one open, you could tell that the steamed buns were very soft and had a rich wheat aroma. They smelled delicious.

Xu Sheng had been craving corn since he carried it back, and now he was also a bit hungry. He quickly put the steamed bun in his mouth, and it was not only soft and fragrant, but also sweet!

He had eaten steamed buns before; they had a slightly sour taste, but the dough was very fragrant, so he always thought that all steamed buns tasted like that. He never expected them to be so sweet!

Before he could even speak, his second aunt exclaimed, "Chuntao, you put sugar in there?"

Lin Chuntao replied, "Yes, Second Aunt, I added a little."

Second Aunt: "How much did you put in? It doesn't taste sour at all, it's so sweet."

My uncle and his family hadn't started eating yet. Listening to them talking, they were very curious and hurriedly took a bite. It was soft and sweet, and didn't taste like steamed buns at all. It tasted more like a pastry from a pastry shop in the county town.

I knew before that Lin Chuntao was very generous with her food and had excellent skills, but I never expected that she could make such a unique flavor from a steamed bun.

After eating lunch in the field, we continued picking some corn, finishing just before dusk.

On this day, one of the two plots of land on the back hill had been completely cleared, and about one-fifth of the other plot had been cleared.

After dinner, Lin Chuntao invited them to stay at her house, but they declined and hurriedly went home.

Lin Chunxing told Lin Chuntao about her conversation with Lin Qingqing, and Lin Chuntao smiled and nodded.

She had no problem with Lin Qingqing, but Wang Shi seemed to be on the verge of madness. The wages at the sauce shop were not low, so it was fine for Lin Qingqing to continue selling sauce. If Wang Shi really went mad and caused trouble, she wouldn't get anything good out of it.

However, if they opened a shop together with Lin Chunxing, and Wang Shi made a scene in the shop all day, not only would they not be able to do business, but they might also develop resentment towards each other. It's better for them to do their own thing as they are now.

The next day, just as the rooster crowed, it was still quite dark.

Lin Chunxing got up as usual to prepare her things. Lin Qingqing, who had arranged to go to the county town with her, also got up early.

The courtyard was quiet, and Lin Qingqing thought no one had gotten up yet, but she didn't expect there to be a faint light in the small kitchen. When she went over to take a look, she saw the old lady squatting in front of the stove adding firewood and boiling water in the pot.

"Grandma, why are you up so early?"

The old lady turned around and saw Lin Qingqing. She patted the dust off her hands, got up, scooped up a ladle of water to wash her hands, and then went to get a few eggs.

"You child, are you planning to go out hungry if you can't get enough milk?"

“When your grandpa and the others went to work in the city, they would always have a bowl of sweet egg soup. Grandma will cook a bowl for you too.”

Lin Qingqing quickly said, "Grandma, I don't want to eat."

The old lady didn't listen to her. She looked at the water in the pot and saw that it was starting to bubble. She went to get the sugar jar, put the sugar in the pot, and waited for the sugar to dissolve in the water before cracking in the eggs.

The old lady's sweet egg soup was very plump. Lin Qingqing looked at the doorway, but Wang Shi and the others were nowhere to be seen. The old lady said, "Your father went to the fields. He said he would bring you some vegetables to take with you. He also packed some buckwheat noodles and potatoes for you. Take some with you so you don't have to buy them."

Lin Qingqing was somewhat dazed. Just as she was about to speak, Lin Changhua emerged from the darkness into the courtyard and asked in a low voice, "Mother, is Qingqing awake?"

Lin Qingqing came out of the kitchen and called softly, "Father, I'm up."

Lin Changhua stared at Lin Qingqing for a moment, then said, "Qingqing, I got you some vegetables. Take them with you later; they'll last you a few days."

"Okay, thank you, Dad."

After Lin Qingqing ate, the old lady picked some vegetables and piled them together, put the grain into her basket, and then put the vegetables on top. After finishing, the old lady took a small bamboo basket, took out a dozen eggs, put them in the basket, and handed them to Lin Changhua. She then turned to Lin Qingqing and said, "Your father will carry these to your house for you in a little while."

Lin Qingqing glanced at the items; they weren't very heavy. She said, "I can carry them, so I won't trouble you to make the trip, Dad."

The old lady and Lin Changhua paused upon hearing this. Lin Qingqing realized that the two had misunderstood her. She could indeed carry this much stuff, but the old lady and Lin Changhua felt that Lin Qingqing didn't want them to know where it was.

Lin Qingqing didn't explain, and Lin Changhua didn't insist. He simply said, "Then I'll help you deliver it to Chunxing's house."

The father and daughter walked along a village path, with Lin Changhua carrying a basket on his back in front and Lin Qingqing following behind.

The father and daughter remained silent until they were almost at Lin Chuntao's house. Lin Changhua then said, "Qingqing, your mother hasn't been doing well lately either. Don't take her words to heart."

Lin Qingqing gave a faint "hmm".

Lin Changhua was silent for a moment before saying, "She's actually pitiful too. You don't know how your aunt and maternal grandmother looked when they came to visit. Your mother didn't recover for several days."

Lin Qingqing didn't respond. Lin Changhua started talking about the absurdity of the Wang family, how they believed in some kind of master, and how it just happened to be such a coincidence.

Upon hearing the word "coincidence," Lin Qingqing chuckled.

Lin Changhua turned around and looked at Lin Qingqing, who said, "Dad, do you believe it was a coincidence?"

Lin Changhua frowned slightly, a mix of indescribable emotions welling up inside him, but he had nothing to say and could not refute it.

They could only walk forward in silence.

*

Your uncles came to help you harvest corn. They didn't buy any vegetables yesterday, so it was getting late when Lin Chunxing and the others bought some and brought them back. Lin Chuntao went with them and came back early after buying the vegetables.

Seeing Lin Changhua bringing Lin Qingqing over, he greeted her with a smile, "Second Uncle, are you taking Qingqing there?"

Lin Changhua glanced at Lin Qingqing, and seeing that she hadn't changed her mind, he could only say, "I'll bring her here; I won't go to the county town."

Lin Chuntao sensed the subtle atmosphere between them and said, "Second Uncle, don't worry, it's fine if we all walk together."

Lin Changhua looked at the night sky, then at Lin Chuntao and the others, and then at the courtyard. He hadn't really felt it before, but now he realized that Lin Chuntao was truly remarkable. Not only was she capable, but she also had courage, which was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

He had already learned from the old lady that Lin Qingqing was working at the soy sauce shop. Thinking back to what Lin Qingqing had just said, she had only been away from home for a few days and hadn't returned yet, but she had still managed to settle her marriage. He didn't believe that this was possible without the help of Lin Chuntao and the others.

He pursed his lips and said, "Chun Tao is young and this is her first time going out. Thank you for taking care of her, Uncle."

Lin Chuntao was somewhat surprised and glanced at Lin Qingqing, only to see that Lin Qingqing was also looking at Lin Changhua with surprise.

Lin Chuntao knew that Lin Changhua was just guessing, so she smiled and said, "We sisters keep each other company when we come and go, so Second Uncle, you don't need to be so polite."

Lin Changhua looked at Lin Chuntao's shifting gaze and knew he had guessed correctly. He felt somewhat fortunate that Lin Chuntao and the others didn't hold it against Lin Qingqing and even helped her, but they didn't want to tell Lin Qingqing that they had helped her.

"Then drive carefully and be safe," Lin Changhua instructed.

Lin Chuntao and the others agreed. Lin Qingqing took the basket from Lin Changhua, and the group set off together.

Lin Chuntao and her family harvested corn for five days. In the end, they left a few tender ears that they didn't cut and collected. Seeing that her corn harvest was good, her uncle and his family said they would plant this variety next year. Lin Chuntao smiled and said she would leave corn seeds for them.

On the ninth day of the eleventh lunar month, Lin Jialang burned a kiln of charcoal and sealed it off for several days. According to Lin Chuntao, the kiln could be opened, but he was very anxious and still went to invite Lin Chuntao over.

Lin Chuntao led him to open the kiln, and the first firing was successful. Their kiln was large, and the charcoal produced weighed 743 jin. Lin Jialang was so excited that his cheeks turned red.

Having just finished collecting charcoal and washed her hands, Lin Chuntao was about to go home when Lin Chunxing came looking for her.

Lin Chuntao said, "You're back so early today?"

Lin Chunxing smiled and said, "Business was pretty good this morning." She then said impatiently, "Sister, there's a shop for sale on Sifang Street. My brother took me and my brother-in-law to take a look, and we thought it was very nice. Would you like to go and check it out tomorrow?"