novelraw Chapter 310 - 307: I’m Not Going
Chapter 310 - 307: I’m Not Going
Li Xiangyang chuckled. "I didn’t expect them to sell so well, either. I was worried they wouldn’t move and we’d be stuck with the inventory!"
He’d only bought the leather boots last time because Liu Da had complained that combat boots were too heavy and cotton shoes got soaked too easily.
He saw a wholesaler in Yangcheng City whose shoes had good styles and quality, so he bought two pairs on a whim. After he and Liu Da wore them for a day and found them light and comfortable, he used his remaining money to buy several hundred pairs before heading back.
Lin Lan thought for a moment. "There are more shops and stalls selling clothes now compared to when we first opened, but there isn’t a single shoe store. What do you think about renovating the two storefronts next to us and opening a shoe store after the spring?"
Li Xiangyang looked at her. "Opening a shoe store is a good idea, but my dad and I have both already registered for business licenses. If we open another store, we’ll need to use your mom’s name to get the permit."
"Also, a case of leather boots only holds about twenty pairs, and the boxes take up a lot of space in the truck. If we’re going to sell shoes, I think we should give Uncle Da something for the shipping costs."
"We should," Lin Lan said, recalling what Zhou Xiaohong had asked. "Just now, Sister Zhou was asking who transports our goods and how much the shipping fee is per piece. I told her you were helping escort a shipment and just brought our things back along the way."
Li Xiangyang nodded. "That was the right thing to say. Uncle Da isn’t in the transportation business for profit."
As they spoke, the two left the warehouse. Little Xue saw the last two customers out. Lin Lan collected the day’s revenue and told Li Xiangyang to take the bicycle and deposit it, while she headed to the east district to collect the revenue from the other store.
Xiang Qun took out a notebook and told her there wasn’t much fermented bean curd left and that they had gone through a lot of the black cardamom and star anise. She also mentioned she’d paid for a batch of goods from the fermentation plant. The plant had finally agreed to sell to Lin Lan wholesale, on the condition of cash on delivery.
Lin Lan reviewed Xiang Qun’s records and the receipt from the fermentation plant. She was impressed by her meticulous work and how spotlessly clean she kept the shop. ’Once Lin Guoliang and the others get here,’ she thought, ’I’ll have her come help me directly.’
After closing the shop, Lin Lan, Li Xiangyang, and Old Li walked He Li to the mouth of the alley before turning back toward Lexing.
Lin Yuezhen and the others had already closed up at five o’clock and headed back to Lexing, along with Zhigang and Brother Yong.
When Xu Xiaobo saw the knife scar on Brother Yong’s face and learned that both he and Zhigang worked for Li Xiangyang, a sudden unease crept into his heart. ’Li Xiangyang doesn’t seem like a simple pig butcher,’ he thought. ’He’s more like a gangster.’
Back in Lexing, Wu Shufen was stewing a duck soup. She had also butchered a rooster, boiling half to be served cold and braising the other half with taro.
She used a bamboo pole to pull down a few links of cured sausage, then asked Wu Shuhui to go to the vegetable patch to chop down two kohlrabi stems and cut a handful of spinach, and to help her wash them.
After helping peel the kohlrabi stems, Wu Shuhui collected the green peelings. She tore off the tough white fiber from the inside, keeping only the outer green skin. She washed the skins, let them wilt in a bamboo basket, and then put them in a pickling jar.
Chicken and duck giblets stir-fried with pickled chilies and green onions; cold-dressed chicken; braised chicken with taro; stir-fried kohlrabi stems; sliced sausage; and the duck soup. Wu Shufen thought for a moment, then fried up some peanuts as well.
Wu Shuhui thought of the meager lunch they’d had, and looking at this evening’s spread, her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.
She turned to look at Xu Xiaobo mashing bean paste with Yang Zhigang. ’My son is learning a trade now,’ she thought proudly. ’It won’t be long before we’re also living the good life, eating and drinking whatever we want without a care for money.’
By the time Lin Lan and the other two arrived home, Wu Shufen had already prepared the entire meal.
After everyone exchanged pleasantries, Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan helped carry the dishes to the large round table that had been set up in the main hall.
Seeing no television or sewing machine in the main hall, Xu Xiaobo frowned. Pretending to help carry a dish, he whispered to Tong Xinglan, "Xinglan, last time you said our cousin has a TV. Why isn’t it out for us to watch?"
Tong Xinglan shot him a look. "We’re busy as hell. Who has time to watch TV?"
Xu Xiaobo gave an embarrassed laugh. "I heard people say TV is great. I was just hoping we’d get to watch some!"
Tong Xinglan walked toward the main hall, carrying the dish.
Li Xiangyang opened a bottle of liquor and poured everyone a glass.
Xu Xiaobo, thinking about the work he had to do later that night, fought his craving for a drink. He claimed to be a lightweight, afraid of making a fool of himself, and staunchly refused to touch a single drop.
Wu Shuhui remembered how her son used to be able to drink half a catty of sorghum liquor. Seeing him now, she thought he had truly matured. ’Once he’s built his career,’ she dreamed, ’I’ll tell all those people who looked down on him: You snobs, you were blind to his potential!’
Lin Lan glanced at Wu Shuhui, who was grinning from ear to ear, and felt a pang of sadness. She hoped Xu Xiaobo would just behave and go with Li Xiangyang to stay in town later.
After dinner, everyone sat around and made small talk for a while.
Yang Zhigang was planning to head to the shop for his night watch, while Brother Yong and Lin Yuezhen were getting ready to leave.
Li Xiangyang said to Xu Xiaobo, "Xiaobo, there’s no room for you to stay at your cousin’s place. You’ll come with me tonight and stay at my house in town."
Xu Xiaobo froze, then shook his head vigorously. "No, I’m staying here at my cousin’s house. My mom is leaving tomorrow morning, and I have to see her off." ’If I go to town,’ he thought, ’how will Boss Jiang and his men get in and take the stuff?’
Wu Shuhui shot him a reproachful look. "You silly boy, Mom doesn’t need you to see her off. Go with your cousin’s husband to his place in town. Let him teach you a thing or two about how to conduct yourself."
Wu Shufen chimed in, "Xiaobo, the bus is at seven tomorrow morning. Your cousin’s husband has to set up his stall anyway, so he can just bring you back here to see your mom off then."
Xu Xiaobo lowered his head, silent. He simply refused to go stay in town.
Li Xiangyang and Lin Lan exchanged a glance. Old Li, Yang Zhigang, and Brother Yong could also tell that something was off with Xu Xiaobo.
Old Li chuckled. "Haha, the boy’s away from home for the first time and can’t bear to leave his mother. It’s fine. Lin Lan and her younger cousin will just have to squeeze in together."
Xu Xiaobo breathed a sigh of relief and put on an embarrassed act. "I’ll go stay at my cousin’s husband’s place as soon as my mom leaves."
Li Xiangyang nodded. "All right. In that case, we’ll head out."
Lin Lan and Wu Shufen walked Old Li’s group out of the courtyard. Li Xiangyang gave Lin Lan a meaningful wink before they all got on their bikes and left.
Once they were out of the alley by the vehicle factory, Yang Zhigang said to Li Xiangyang, "Brother, something’s wrong with that Xu Xiaobo. You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?"
Hearing this, Lin Yuezhen tugged on Brother Yong’s sleeve and gestured anxiously. ’What’s wrong with Xu Xiaobo? Does Little Lan know?’
Li Xiangyang nodded. "Little Lan knows. That’s why I told him to stay at my place—to test if our suspicions about him were right."
Brother Yong said to Li Xiangyang, "Zhigang is heading to his night watch. I’ll take Yuezhen home, then I’ll meet up with you and we can go back to Lexing to check on things."
"Okay," Li Xiangyang agreed. He then took a stun baton from his back basket and handed it to Yang Zhigang. "This is for self-defense. If any thieves try to pry the door open, just hit the switch and jab them with it."
Yang Zhigang nodded. "I know. I’ve seen them in the movies."
Li Xiangyang quickly showed him how to use it, and then they parted ways and headed home.
On the way back, Old Li said to Li Xiangyang, "The moment I saw that kid, Xiaobo, I could tell there was something shifty in his eyes. I was going to warn Lin Lan to be careful, but I’m glad you two already figured it out."
"Little Lan’s auntie mentioned that Xu Xiaobo hangs around with delinquents all day, and he’ll even steal chickens and ducks from households on welfare. He stormed off cursing the other day, and now he shows up again without any sense of shame. He’s definitely up to no good."