Though there were dozens of acres of land, not much of it was suitable for planting pumpkins. A team of about ten people finished planting all the seedlings in three or four days.
Not long after the pumpkin seedlings were in the ground, Zhou Shitou and Wu Shufang arrived in the East Market.
The mother and son brought a large quantity of dried mushrooms. So they had dried themselves as a gift for the family, while the rest were from fellow villagers who had entrusted them to sell to Lin Changyou.
Prices in the East Market were higher than in Zhenjiang, so everyone was willing to pay a small fee for Zhou Shitou’s family to bring their mountain goods out to sell.
Wu Shufang told Wu Shufen happily, "Sister, the mushrooms are exceptionally good this year. We’ve foraged a ton of termite mushrooms, boletes... We get a huge haul every ti we go into the mountains."
"Thank goodness we had the team leader build a drying room for us last ti. Now we don’t have to worry about the mushrooms we gather on rainy days spoiling. We just put them all in the drying room to dry them out."
After inspecting them, Wu Shufen agreed that the quality of the mushrooms was indeed better than before. "With a drying room, people don’t have to worry about their goods not drying on overcast or rainy days. They can gather more from the mountains and earn more money for their families."
Wu Shufang said gratefully, "It’s all thanks to you for helping us figure this out. Otherwise, the mushrooms we foraged would never have dried."
"SIGH!" Lin Gang sighed. "If only we were in Shilian, we could be in the mountains picking mushrooms too."
Lin Jun and the other kids looked at the mushrooms in the bamboo basket and sighed dramatically. "Yeah, the city is no fun at all. When we’re on vacation in Shilian, we can go into the mountains to forage for mushrooms and find fruit to eat."
Wu Shufang laughed at their comnts. "How about your great-aunt takes you into the mountains to pick mushrooms, hm?"
"Your house is too far away, Great-aunt," Lin Qing said with a sigh. "If only we still lived in Shilian. After picking mushrooms, we could even go down to the stream to catch fish."
Lin Hong was hosick too and missed her friends from the village. She looked at Lin Jun and said, "Brother, let’s go find Auntie and beg her to take us back to Shilian for a few days."
"Who was that looking for to take them back to Shilian?" Lin Lan had just walked into the backyard and was imdiately surrounded by the children, before she even had a chance to greet Wu Shufang.
Lin Hong tugged on Lin Lan’s arm. "Auntie, we want to go back to Shilian! Are you busy with work?"
"Don’t be silly. It’s so far, and your aunt is busy with the shop!" Zhang Xiuqing chided, giving her a light tap. She then smiled at Lin Lan and said, "The kids just want to go back to pick mushrooms for fun. Don’t pay them any mind."
’Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan can manage the shop on their own now,’ Lin Lan thought. ’And business is a little slow because of the heat. I could take the kids back to Shilian for a few days.’ Having made up her mind, she smiled at the children. "So, you want to go back to Shilian, huh?"
"Mhm!" The children stared at her and nodded emphatically.
Lin Lan smiled and said, "Alright. Auntie will get things ready, and in a couple of days, I’ll take you back to Shilian for a visit."
"Yay! We’re going back to Shilian!" The children joined hands and jumped up and down with excitent.
Wu Shufang lifted a gunny sack from on top of the bamboo basket and handed it to Lin Lan. "Little Lan, here are so dried mushrooms. Take them and make so soup."
"Thank you, Auntie." Lin Lan accepted it graciously and set it aside. She smiled at her aunt. "Why don’t you stay for a few more days? You can wait and we can all travel to Shilian together."
Wu Shufang laughed. "I can manage another two or three days. Any longer than that, and I’ll have to get back. We’re busy fertilizing the sweet potatoes and broad beans at ho."
Lin Lan nodded. "Two or three days is perfect. We’ll all go together then."
Wu Shufen looked at her daughter. "You’re so busy every day. How will you find the ti to take them all the way to Shilian?"
"I can just take a few days off," Lin Lan said with a smile. "Mom, with my sister-in-law and the others here, they can manage just fine. You should co back with us and get so rest for a few days."
Zhang Xiuqing chid in. "That’s right, Mom. You should go with Little Lan and the kids for a few days. Little Lan isn’t that familiar with the way things are back ho, and Little Jun and his siblings can be a real handful. You can help keep an eye on them."
Wu Shufen hesitated. "I’ll talk it over with your father later."
Lin Lan nodded, then said to Wu Shufang, "Auntie, I just ca by to drop off so white sugar. They’re waiting for at the shop, so I have to get back. I’ll send Qiaohui over to see you once I’m there."
Wu Shufang waved her hand with a smile. "No need to send her. I’ll chat with your mom for a while, then I’ll head over to your shop and see her there."
"Alright, I’ll be on my way then." Lin Lan carried the gunny sack out, placed it on her bicycle, and rode back to the pastry shop.
When she got to the shop, she saw that it was empty of custors. She locked her bike, carried the gunny sack inside, and found Tong Xinglan and Qiaohui just coming out from the back with baking trays.
Qiaohui smiled at her and said, "Cousin, a big custor ca by just now and bought out all of our pumpkin seeds and fried fava beans."
"Oh!" Lin Lan glanced at the counter and shelves. The fried fava beans were indeed gone, and the space for the pumpkin seeds was empty. "Nice. Let’s make lunch first. We’ll fry up more fava beans this afternoon."
Tong Xinglan nodded. "Cousin Yuezhen is already on it."
Lin Lan went to the backyard, where Lin Yuezhen was peeling garlic to stir-fry so large-capped mushrooms. Lunch wasn’t ready yet when Yang Zhigang ca back. "Sister-in-law, I bought a few pounds of beef belly. We can stew it this afternoon."
Lin Lan smiled. "Oh, did the beef seller co by again?"
"Yep! He said he took over Fatty’s stall and will be bringing in yak at from Ganzi to sell from now on!"
Lin Lan rembered how much Little Douzi and Old Li loved beef, so she had Yang Zhigang cut off a piece. She then grabbed a handful of pickled vegetables to make stir-fried shredded beef.
Yang Zhigang nodded, cut off a piece of tenderloin, and began to clean the celery he had brought with him.
Lin Yuezhen placed the washed garlic cloves, chili peppers, and a piece of ginger on the cutting board.
Lin Lan made several dishes: stir-fried large-capped mushrooms, stir-fried shredded beef, stir-fried lettuce stems, and shredded potatoes with green peppers. She also boiled a bowl of simple greens. Just as she was setting everything on the table, Li Xiangyang, Old Li, and Little Douzi arrived at the pastry shop.
Old Li chuckled. "What perfect timing. The food is just being served."
When Little Douzi saw the beef on the table, he cheered, "Haha, we’re having beef! My favorite!"
Li Xiangyang smiled. "A new permanent beef stall opened up. I’ll buy you so whenever you want." After lunch, Lin Lan told Li Xiangyang and Old Li about the trip to Shilian, and both agreed to go for a few days.
Hearing this, Little Douzi was even more delighted. He tugged on Old Li’s sleeve and said, "Grandpa, my other grandpa has a little boat at his house! Let’s go rowing and fishing in Shilian!"
Old Li chuckled, looking at him fondly. "Grandpa doesn’t know how to row. Do you, Little Douzi?"
"I don’t know how, either. But my uncles and my other grandpa do," Little Douzi said, turning to Lin Lan. "Mom, is Grandpa going with us?"
Lin Lan smiled. "Your grandpa needs to watch the store, but your grandma and Little Jun will be coming with us."
"Oh!" Little Douzi looked at Old Li. "I guess we’ll just have to fish from the bank then, Grandpa."
Old Li nodded with a smile. "Alright. We have to head back to our store now. Are you staying here, or are you coming with us?"
Little Douzi shook his head. "I’m staying here."
Not long after lunch, the two sisters, Wu Shufen and Wu Shufang, arrived at the pastry shop together.
After so pleasantries, Wu Shufang looked at Lin Yuezhen’s pregnant belly and smiled. "Yuezhen, you’re carrying the baby so well. I bet it’s a boy."
A blissful smile spread across Lin Yuezhen’s face. "Ah Yong says he’ll be happy whether it’s a boy or a girl."
Wu Shufen nodded and smiled as well. "That’s right. A child is a child, no matter if it’s a boy or a girl."
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