Lin Ye was really worried about Luo Hao, and went to the county town again the next day.
With the Spring Festival just around the corner, everyone is using their meat coupons saved up throughout the year to buy meat, hoping to have a good year with plenty of meat to eat. Lin Ye didn't rush to the butcher shop to grab meat like everyone else; instead, he spent more money to get twenty catties of pork and ten catties of beef from Tiger.
Lu Wanqing is from the north, so she inevitably eats dumplings during the Spring Festival. Lin Ye went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought 30 jin of refined flour, 10 jin of peanuts, 5 jin of eggs, 5 jin of walnuts, and 20 jin of apples. He didn't buy any white sugar or White Rabbit milk candy since he still had some at home. He bought 1 jin of fruit candy, 5 jin of melon seeds, and several jin of sesame cakes and other pastries.
There were still some cigarettes and alcohol at home, so he wouldn't buy any more for the New Year. But he didn't have any red envelopes to put lucky money in, so he bought a few more. He also bought three strings of long firecrackers: one to set off on the Little New Year, one on New Year's Eve, and one on New Year's Day.
I bought a number of small firecrackers to use when guests come to pay New Year's visits.
After thinking for a while, he spent another ten yuan to buy a bunch of fireworks, including string firecrackers and sky rockets. When he was a child, he was very envious of others who could set off firecrackers, but unfortunately, he couldn't even afford to eat, let alone buy such things. Now that he finally has some money, he is determined to make up for what he missed when he was a child.
The nicer fireworks are a bit more expensive, but ten yuan is enough for him to buy a whole bunch of long and short fireworks of all types.
After buying fireworks, he saw many people buying Spring Festival couplets, so he joined in and picked out a few. He decided to put one on each door to make his home look more festive.
As for what Luo Hao wanted, he simply handed the list to Mu Xiaoting and then left it to her.
Mu Xiaoting happily bought the things for him, put them in a basket, placed it on the back of her bicycle, and delivered them to him.
After putting his things down, Luo Hao saw Mu Xiaoting to the door, overjoyed. He suggested, "The Lin family moved. Do you want to go take a look?"
He kept Lu Wanqing's words in mind: don't be afraid to bother her, and keep in touch with her more often.
Mu Xiaoting did not refuse and smiled, "Okay, you lead the way."
This time, Luo Hao asked her to deliver goods, making up the excuse that he had twisted his ankle and couldn't ride a bike, so he walked with a limp in front of her.
"Is your foot alright? Maybe you should just stop walking." Mu Xiaoting felt a little sorry for him when she saw that he was having trouble walking.
Luo Hao chuckled, "It's alright, why don't you push me in the car?"
"Huh?" Mu Xiaoting was extremely surprised. When did Luo Hao become so shameless, actually letting a girl like her push a grown man?
She couldn't bear to refuse, so she had to let him sit in the back seat and push him around with difficulty.
Anyone who has ridden a bicycle knows that it's easy to carry someone while riding, but it's difficult to maintain balance when pushing it.
Luo Hao sat in the back. Every now and then the car would swerve, and he would nervously grab the hem of her clothes. The two of them finally arrived at Lin Ye's house with great difficulty.
When they arrived at Lin Ye's house, Mu Xiaoting found that Lin Ye had already bought New Year's goods and returned home. Lu Wanqing was counting them, so she hurried over to help.
"Xiaoting, could you please pour me a glass of water?" Luo Hao sat in the kitchen and started ordering Mu Xiaoting around.
Mu Xiaoting smiled and shook her head, then asked Lu Wanqing for a glass of water and brought it to him.
Afterwards, Mu Xiaoting pulled Lu Wanqing aside and asked somewhat shyly, "Wanqing, what exactly does Luo Hao mean? He's making me deliver goods and pour water for him. Before, he always kept his distance from me."
"He likes you! He heard you were going on a blind date, and he got so anxious that he twisted his ankle in his rush to find you," Lu Wanqing whispered in her ear.
A glint of joy flashed in Mu Xiaoting's eyes. "Really? He really likes me? I thought he wasn't interested in me at all! Actually, I didn't want to go on this blind date at all, but my cousin thought I was getting old and the other person was a good catch, so she insisted that I meet him."
"If you have a boyfriend, will your cousin stop arranging blind dates for you?"
"I think so."
"Why don't you ask Luo Hao for help and borrow her as your girlfriend for a day?"
Lu Wanqing's suggestion made Mu Xiaoting blush immediately.
Although she didn't know if Luo Hao would agree, she decided to do it anyway.
After leaving Lin Ye's house, Mu Xiaoting shyly expressed her thoughts.
Luo Hao agreed without hesitation: "No problem, I'll go whenever you tell me when to come."
"Let's do it on the day before the Lunar New Year. Your foot should be better by then," Mu Xiaoting said, tugging at the hem of her clothes.
Luo Hao was secretly overjoyed, like a fool.
Even though it was a fake relationship, he felt like the whole world was bubbling with happiness.
After Mu Xiaoting left, Luo Hao felt lightheaded, as if he could fly away at any moment.
That evening, Luo Hao naturally invited Lin Ye over for drinks again, where he poured out his feelings in a rambling and exaggerated manner.
Lin Ye sighed, realizing that when he used to say how wonderful it would be to have a wife, he didn't have this kind of attitude at all.
In the days that followed, Lu Wanqing stopped accepting new clothing orders and focused on completing all the remaining orders before preparing for the New Year.
When they had some free time, she and Lin Ye put up the Spring Festival couplets. The bright red color and auspicious words immediately filled the house with a festive atmosphere.
I took advantage of the sunny weather to wash all the blankets and sheets in the house.
The large bath tub that Lin Ye had asked the carpenter to make also came in handy.
The bath tub was made according to Lu Wanqing's specifications; it was made of spruce wood coated with tung oil, making it sturdy and durable.
Although it was water-intensive and time-consuming, Lin Ye still made sure everyone in the family had a nice bath.
The day before the Lunar New Year arrived quickly.
That day, Luo Hao dressed in new clothes, made a brief appearance at the Shanglinye family's house, and then rode his bicycle to the county town.
Lin Xiaocui was tidying up in the yard when she saw Wang Xiuqin helping the limping Lin Gou Dan appear at the gate.
"Xiao Cui, you wretched girl, hiding here enjoying yourself while you eat and drink well, don't you know there are people suffering at home? You wretched girl, quickly call Lin Ye and the others out here!" Wang Xiuqin was still a little wary of Lin Ye and dared not step into his yard rashly.
Lin Xiaocui was startled when she heard her mother's voice. Her body trembled instinctively, and she hurriedly ran into her room.
Lin Ye, who had heard the commotion, came out of the house and comforted Lin Xiaocui, saying, "Don't be afraid, we're here! Go help your sister-in-law make glutinous rice cakes."
When Lin Gou Dan saw Lin Ye come out, he immediately lay down on the ground as Wang Xiuqin had agreed with him.
Lin Ye was shocked by their actions, his jaw almost dropping. He stepped forward and said sternly, "What exactly do you want? You are not welcome here. If you continue to cause trouble, don't blame me for using my fists."
Wang Xiuqin, acting as if she had nothing to lose, pointed at Lin Gou Dan on the ground and said, "Go ahead and hit him, you'd better kill him. That way I'll have a reason for you to keep him."
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