80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches-Chapter 183 - 179: Don’t Jolt Me on Purpose

Lin Lan shook her head. "Don’t worry, Mom. I’m prepared to work hard for a couple of years, then I’ll hire people to do it." Even if the policies loosened up next year, they would only allow small-scale private businesses. If she hired people, she’d be accused of exploiting the laboring masses.

She remembered the man who sold sunflower seeds; he had been arrested and released several times for that very reason.

After Lin Guoliang and his brother finished peeling the pumpkins, Lin Lan sent them off to bed. Wu Shufen insisted on staying with her until all the spicy fried fava beans were done and packaged, and only then did they go to bed together.

Early the next morning, Lin Lan got up to make the kidney bean rolls, while Wu Shufen helped mix the dough and form the raw pumpkin cakes. After the mother-daughter duo finished the pumpkin cakes, they started steaming buns and mantou.

After Lin Guoliang and his brother got up and had breakfast, Lin Lan packed the buns and mantou into a basket. She also selected some fabric, wrapped it up, and had them take it back to Shilian.

Just after the meal, Li Xiangyang arrived. He brought wine, meat, candy, and some other food for the two brothers to take back with them.

The two brothers went through the motions of polite refusal before accepting the gifts. They smiled and told him, "Come visit us in Shilian when you have time."

Li Xiangyang nodded readily. "Alright! I will."

After seeing off Lin Guoliang and his brother, Li Xiangyang said to Lin Lan in a low voice, "Dongzi told me Ding Bang hurt his leg. I have to go see him."

"My sister and I ran into Ding Bang in that dilapidated house in the alley yesterday. He asked us not to say anything for now, so I didn’t tell you. He..." Lin Lan skipped over the part about the arrest and just described Yang Dingbang’s injury to him.

"Mm," Li Xiangyang nodded. "That’s just how his job is. There are always things he can’t talk about. As long as the injury isn’t too serious, that’s what matters. I’ll go check on him first."

Seeing that he didn’t press for details, Lin Lan relaxed. "Okay. I need to go to the brigade headquarters too. I have to call Uncle Chen and ask how Sister Yuezhen’s condition is."

Li Xiangyang smiled and patted the back seat of his bicycle. "Hop on. I’ll give you a ride part of the way."

"Okay!" Lin Lan went into the woodshed to put on her back basket, then came out and looked at him. "Don’t you dare jolt me on purpose!"

Li Xiangyang chuckled and quickly patted her on the head. "I promise!"

Lin Lan rolled her eyes at him, got on the back seat, and the two of them left together.

When they encountered acquaintances on the road who saw Lin Lan sitting openly on the back of Li Xiangyang’s bike, they just smiled.

That’s just how people are. The more secretive you are, the more people will gossip behind your back. But if you’re open about it, they have nothing to say.

When they reached the end of the bridge, Li Xiangyang stopped his bike. "I have to take some people to the pig farm in the mountains today. Zhigang will be in the Eucalyptus Forest this afternoon. If you need anything, have him do it."

Lin Lan nodded. "Okay. Be careful on the road."

"Got it!" Li Xiangyang waved and rode away.

When Lin Lan arrived at the brigade headquarters, she saw a crowd gathered in the drying yard, discussing something.

She went into the brigade office and saw He Xianghua there. "Brother He," she said with a smile, "I need to make a phone call to the provincial capital."

"Sure thing!" He Xianghua handed the phone to Lin Lan. "I heard your sister went to the provincial capital for treatment. How is she? Can they fix her throat?"

"That’s what I’m calling to ask about," Lin Lan said as she dialed the number.

Old Chen answered the phone. "The doctor has figured out the reason Lin Yuezhen can’t speak. It’s because of atrophied vocal cords, which prevent her glottis from closing properly. She was probably able to make sounds as a child, but because it was difficult and her pronunciation was unclear, she became unwilling to speak."

Lin Lan had never heard of such a condition before. She asked anxiously, "So, can it be treated?"

Old Chen’s voice was a bit somber. "The doctor said it was left untreated for too long, so treatment won’t be very effective. They’re coming back this afternoon."

Lin Lan’s heart sank a little too. "An older lady mentioned last time that it’s hard to treat after so long. As long as there’s nothing else wrong with her health, that’s what’s important."

Old Chen sighed. "The doctor checked. She doesn’t have any other health problems. I’m still asking around about that machine you wanted. I’ll write to you when I have news."

Lin Lan said gratefully, "Thank you, Uncle Chen!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Old Chen chuckled. "Don’t mention it. If you need anything, just give me a call, or go to the address I gave you and ask my nephew for help."

"Okay, Uncle Chen. Come visit when you have time!"

Lin Lan hung up the phone, thanked He Xianghua, and left for her work assignment with the basket on her back.

Meanwhile, Li Xiangyang had arrived at the city hospital. Xu Dong was waiting for him downstairs at the inpatient building. The two of them went upstairs to Yang Dingbang’s room and found him leaning against the headboard, feigning sleep with his eyes half-closed.

They walked up to his bed. Yang Dingbang opened his eyes, looked at them, and grinned. "I figured you guys would be here soon. I was just waiting for you two to check me out of the hospital!"

Xu Dong frowned at him. "I heard you were just admitted yesterday. You’re getting discharged already?"

"Yeah!" Li Xiangyang frowned too. "Where are you hurt? Is it serious? What’s the rush to leave?"

Yang Dingbang looked at his two frowning friends and threw back the covers. They saw his right leg wrapped in bandages.

"How’d you get hurt?" they asked in unison.

Yang Dingbang just smiled nonchalantly. "A bullet went straight through. It’s a flesh wound. The doctor already bandaged it up. Staying here just means taking anti-inflammatories and getting shots. I’d rather go home to be with Grandma and Dandan, and while I’m at it, move house." He paused for a moment, then said in a low, serious voice, "Xie Tian is probably coming next month."

"Why is she coming?" Xu Dong looked at him in surprise, then added, "Dandan goes to First Elementary. She already knows that. Even if you move, she’ll still be able to find you, won’t she?"

Yang Dingbang and Li Xiangyang froze for a second. At the time, they had only thought that the new place was closer to the school and that moving there would help him avoid Xie Tian. They had completely forgotten about that.

Xu Dong looked at Yang Dingbang with exasperation. "I mean, why are you so afraid of her? You’re not still hung up on that woman, are you?"

Yang Dingbang shook his head with a bitter smile. "Of course not! But if she comes and starts making a scene, I can’t exactly get physical with a woman, can I? No matter what, she’s still Dandan’s mother."

"Fuck," Xu Dong cursed in disgust. "When someone’s that shameless, even ghosts are scared of them!"

Li Xiangyang looked at Xu Dong. "Didn’t Xiuyun say there’s a policewoman at the station who would be a good match for Ding Bang? Since he’s laid up and has some free time, we should introduce them. Maybe something will come of it!"

Xu Dong thought this was a great idea and nodded repeatedly. "I’ll go find Xiuyun right now."

"What’s the rush!" Yang Dingbang gestured at his own attire. "Even if I’m going on a blind date, you have to at least take me home to wash up and change my clothes first!"

Li Xiangyang looked at the wrinkled, army-green cotton shirt he was wearing and agreed that it was indeed bad for his image. "Alright! We’ll take him home first, then you can go find Xiuyun."

"Okay!" Xu Dong nodded in agreement.

Yang Dingbang had only been admitted the previous afternoon, so his only belongings were an outer jacket, a toothbrush, and toothpaste, along with some nutritional supplements from his colleagues. The two of them packed everything into a single red string bag.

Xu Dong said, "Xiangyang, you take him outside. I’ll go handle the discharge paperwork."

"Alright!" Li Xiangyang borrowed a wheelchair from a nurse, pushed Yang Dingbang out of the inpatient building, and helped him onto the back of the bicycle. He looked at him and asked, "Aren’t you going to check in with your unit?"

Yang Dingbang shook his head. "No need. I already spoke with the political commissar this morning."