novelraw Chapter 343 - 340: The Old Drunkard’s Intention Is Not in the Wine
Chapter 343 - 340: The Old Drunkard’s Intention Is Not in the Wine
Lin Lan and Qiaohui finished baking the small honey buns and began to fry the orchid beans.
It was much more convenient to work in the shop. Once the beans were fried and had cooled slightly, they could be bagged and put on the counter.
The orchid beans sold even better in the shop than they had at the street stall.
Their old customers from the Eucalyptus Forest had also found their way to the shop in the southern part of the city to buy pastries and orchid beans.
Lin Lan had also picked out a good number of plump pumpkin seeds, intending to give them to Zhou Shitou and Captain Jin to plant.
Just as they finished frying the orchid beans, Yang Liying called out from the doorway. She said it was time to go to the East Market to deliver the firecrackers for the restaurant’s grand opening celebration.
Lin Lan called back in acknowledgement, grabbed the 10,000-shot roll of firecrackers she had bought, and went outside.
The sisters, Yang Liqun and Yang Liying, were waiting at the shop entrance. When they saw her emerge, they grinned. "Your family’s restaurant is opening! As the daughter, aren’t you going to hurry it up?"
Lin Lan smiled and gestured to the roll of firecrackers in her wicker basket. "I’ve been ready. Let’s take the bus."
Yang Liying glanced at her watch. "Let’s wait here. The bus should be here any minute."
’Just last year, my family rarely had a greasy meal even once a month,’ she reflected. ’But since going into business with Lin Lan, we’ve bought a shop, and now the Lins are opening a restaurant. I even have a watch now! Not only did I buy one, but Dehai got one too, and at wholesale price. It’s like a dream!’
"Okay!" Yang Liqun said, placing her own roll of firecrackers into Lin Lan’s wicker basket.
Yang Liying tugged on Lin Lan’s sleeve. "My second sister spoke to you today, right?"
"About what?" Lin Lan asked, looking at her. Then it hit her. "Is it about finding a match for Jianjun?"
Yang Liying nodded. "That’s it. She asked me to act as the matchmaker, but I refused. I told her to ask you or Qiaohui what they thought first. I guessed she must have already spoken to you."
Yang Liqun frowned. "Qiaohui and Jianjun? They’re from different generations! And never mind Lirong and her husband—their son, Jianjun, is so arrogant his eyes are on the top of his head. Would he really be interested in Qiaohui?"
Yang Liying raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Big Sis, you don’t understand. Our second sister isn’t after Qiaohui because she actually likes her. She has ulterior motives!"
Yang Liqun laughed and gave her a playful slap, pursing her lips. "’Ulterior motives,’ huh? You read a couple of books and suddenly you’re a scholar."
Yang Liying looked at her simple, good-natured older sister and smiled. "You might not figure it out, but I’m sure Lin Lan understands!"
Lin Lan, watching the sisters with an amused smile, nodded. "Yes. Qiaohui already brought it up. They’re from different generations."
’If it were Zhilin who had hit it off with either Qiaohui or Tong Xinglan,’ she thought, ’and Yang Liqun had come to her about it, she would have wholeheartedly approved.’
’The two families aren’t even blood relatives,’ she continued thinking. ’As long as the young people like each other and the mother-in-law is kind, life after marriage would be much easier for the bride.’
Yang Liqun looked at Lin Lan and bashfully asked for her help buying a sewing machine and a bicycle. Lin Lan agreed without hesitation.
Just then, Yang Liying saw the bus approaching. She picked up the wicker basket and boarded first. The three of them made small talk, and the bus quickly reached the East Market. They got off at a stop about twenty meters from the Lin Family Restaurant.
Lin Lan picked up the basket, and the three of them headed to the restaurant. Inside, they saw the matriarch and Old Li had already arrived and were talking with Lin Changyou.
A honeycomb coal stove was set up at the restaurant’s entrance. An iron wok sat on top, holding a steamer basket that billowed hot steam. Inside were various dishes: steamed pork ribs with rice flour, savory steamed pork belly, sweet steamed pork belly, and steamed pork intestines with rice flour.
Inside, three tables of customers were eating douhua rice, and two of those tables had also ordered braised pork intestines. Each table had a small dish of tart, crispy, and appetizing pickled vegetables mixed with chili oil.
When Wu Shufen and her husband saw the three women enter, they greeted them with a smile. "Liqun, Liying, hope business is good!"
"It is, Auntie! And Uncle Lin, congratulations on the booming business!" Yang Liying and Yang Liqun said with a smile, congratulating Lin Changyou.
"Thank you, thank you!" Lin Changyou said with a laugh as he accepted the roll of firecrackers.
Lin Lan smiled at Old Li. "Dad, I thought you’d be out fishing today."
Old Li shook his head with a smile. "I caught plenty yesterday. I dropped some fish off for the matriarch and came over with her to see the new place."
Wu Shufen added with a laugh, "Yes, our in-law was kind enough to bring us some fish."
Old Li waved his hand dismissively. "It was just a few fish, nothing worth mentioning."
Lin Guoliang came out holding a roll of firecrackers. "Mom, Dad, the auspicious hour is almost upon us. We should go lay out the firecrackers so they’re ready to be lit."
Lin Changyou picked up another roll. "Let’s go. We’ll lay them out closer to the street so the dust doesn’t get inside."
Old Li went with Lin Changyou and his son.
Lin Lan linked arms with Wu Shufen, beaming. "Mom, are you tired?"
Wu Shufen patted her hand. "Not at all. Your two sisters-in-law prepared everything, so all I have to do is the cooking. I’m not tired in the least."
Lin Lan nodded. "Good. Just make sure you pace yourself. Don’t get exhausted."
When the auspicious hour arrived, Lin Changyou and his sons used sticks of incense to light the firecrackers laid out in front of the restaurant. A deafening series of CRACKLES and POPS filled the air.
After the noise from the firecrackers died down, the matriarch turned to the Yang sisters. "Business is doing well, I take it? You’ll be on your own come spring. What are your plans?"
Yang Liqun replied with a smile, "We can’t step away from the shop, so we’re planning to hire people to till the fields and plant the rice seedlings."
The sisters had already done the math; a single day’s profit was enough to hire help for the farm. It really wasn’t worth it to close the shop and go home to work the land. No wonder people who get into business never want to go back to farming.
Yang Liying took the matriarch’s arm. "Great-aunt, if you ever get bored, you should come visit our shop."
"Alright, I’ll stop by when I have the time," the matriarch replied, nodding with a smile.
Lin Lan went to the back courtyard, where she heard Zhang Xiuqing say they were already thrilled to have even a few tables of customers on their very first day.
Lin Lan told them that’s just how it is with restaurants. If the food tastes good, the portions are generous, and you keep the place clean, you’ll build a good reputation and never have to worry about customers.
Zhao Xiaohui added happily that all the customers so far had said the food was delicious and the restaurant was very clean, and that they would definitely be back.
’Doing business is so much easier than farming,’ she thought. ’It’s convenient to buy things in the city, and you can even take the bus for just two cents a ride!’
Lin Lan reminded them to boil all the plates, bowls, and chopsticks in water every day to properly disinfect them.
They all readily agreed. Seeing them so full of energy and motivation, Lin Lan felt happy as well.
After setting off the firecrackers, Lin Guozhu came into the back courtyard. Seeing Lin Lan, he smiled. "Little Lan, once Guoqiang gets back, our whole family will be here in the East Market. It’ll be so much easier for us to get together."
Lin Lan gave him a cheeky grin. "That’s right. And it would be even better if our Third Brother found us a sister-in-law."
Lin Guozhu shot a nervous glance toward the front of the restaurant, where his parents were talking with the matriarch and the others. "You little brat! You just had to touch a raw nerve, didn’t you?"
Seeing how flustered he was, Lin Lan couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for people who were constantly being pressured to get married.
Zhang Xiuqing looked at him and said earnestly, "Guozhu, you’re already twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight. You’re not getting any younger. It’s only natural for Mom and Dad to be worried."
"I have to get back to work now," Lin Guozhu said, practically fleeing the courtyard.
Lin Lan and the other two women watched him go, then burst into laughter.
After offering their congratulations, Yang Liying and Yang Liqun headed back. On the way, Yang Liqun asked her sister what she had meant by her earlier comment.