Yao Xiuyun rode her bike to the south side of town, looking at the newly renovated storefronts on both sides of the street. When she reached the intersection, she immediately spotted Lin Lan’s Lanxiang House.

She got off her bike and parked it by the entrance. She grabbed a string of firecrackers from the back seat, greeted Yang Liying at the door, and went inside the shop. A sweet fragrance wafted over her. "It smells so good! What delicious things are you making?"

Lin Lan picked up a piece, took a bite with a CRUNCH, and said to her with a proud smile, "Puffed rice candy. You showed up just as I finished making it."

"Hehe, better to be lucky than early," Yao Xiuyun said as she took off her gloves, set her scarf aside, washed her hands, and picked one up to eat. "Not bad. It’s crispy and delicious."

"Go sit inside for a bit." Lin Lan picked out a few pieces and put them on a plate. She then had Qiaohui put some more on a tray to take out for Yang Liying and the others.

Yao Xiuyun gestured to the firecrackers. "These are from my family, Ding Bang’s family, my big brother’s family, and Uncle Da’s family. We wish you a prosperous business and great fortune."

"Thank you, thank you." Lin Lan smiled and brought a chair over for her. "I’m too swamped right now. I’ll have to wait until Xiangyang gets back to treat you all to a meal."

Yao Xiuyun smiled. "We wouldn’t have time even if you invited us. You have no idea how busy it is at the end of the year. Ding Bang is on a business trip and still isn’t back. Dongzi’s busy with his transfer to the Bureau of Industry and Commerce. I’ve been working overtime for days, and Little Man still isn’t off work yet."

Lin Lan smiled and handed her a glass of honey water. "Here’s something sweet to reward our Officer Yao."

"Thanks!" Yao Xiuyun took a large gulp before looking at Lin Lan and saying, "I was talking about Dongzi’s cousin, Xiang Qun. She’s a very capable woman, with a son in his second year of junior high at the city’s No. 1 Middle School. She’s a good person, just unlucky. She’s only thirty-five, and her husband already passed away."

"She and her husband met and fell in love when they were sent to the countryside. The two were very close. After he died from an illness, she refused to remarry no matter what. Since his passing, she and her son have been getting by on pasting paper boxes and with help from her parents."

Lin Lan nodded without hesitation. "Okay, bring her to the department store tomorrow at noon. I’ll take her to see the shop and go over some of the store rules with her. If she’s willing to stay, her salary will be the same as Little Xue and the others: thirty yuan a month, plus a five-jiao commission for every hundred yuan in sales."

Yao Xiuyun looked at Lin Lan gratefully. "Thank you, Sister Lin."

When she heard Lin Lan’s clothing store and department store were hiring, she had wanted Xiang Qun to come work for Lin Lan selling clothes, but she was worried Xiang Qun wouldn’t know how to do business.

Later, when she saw that Shuiqing’s two daughters had learned the ropes, she thought Xiang Qun could probably do it too. As soon as she found out Lin Lan’s new provisions shop was hiring, she immediately asked Lin Lan to save the spot for Xiang Qun.

Lin Lan smiled. "There’s no need to be so formal between us. If anyone should be saying thank you, it’s Xiangyang and me. We have plenty to thank you all for!"

"You’re right, there’s no need for formalities between us," Yao Xiuyun said, looking at her sincerely. "But family is family, business is business. If Xiang Qun breaks any store rules, and it’s serious, you should fire her. Don’t overthink it."

Lin Lan readily agreed, then added, "I’ve made some new things these past few days—peanut nougat and yolk pastries. Take some with you when you leave, and bring some to your uncle and grandma while you’re at it."

"Okay, just give them to me and I’ll head back." Yao Xiuyun stood up and walked a few steps with Lin Lan, then suddenly remembered something. "Yesterday, two different groups of people came to the police station to ask me if my shop is for rent. I don’t know anything about this stuff. What do you think would be a fair rental price?"

Her colleagues at the police station were all envious that they’d had the foresight to buy a storefront so early. They said you couldn’t even buy commercial properties like that now, even if you had the money.

Lin Lan smiled and shook her head. "I honestly haven’t paid attention to that. I’ll ask around for you tomorrow."

Yao Xiuyun nodded. "Once you find out, I’ll make a decision."

Lin Lan packed some of the peanut nougat, yolk pastries, and puffed rice candy for her. Yao Xiuyun took the bag, said her goodbyes, and left.

Yang Liqun came over and said to Lin Lan, "Tonight, Zhixue and Zhilin will stay and watch the shop, so you don’t need to have anyone else stay for the night watch."

Lin Lan nodded happily. "It would be great to have Zhixue and his brother here. I’ll give him a key when I leave."

Yang Liqun smiled. "Okay, we’ll head back now then."

Lin Lan and the others worked in the shop until it was almost dark. They said hello to the Wang Zhixue brothers, who were next door on night watch, then closed up the shop and headed back to Lexing.

Little Douzi was standing at the courtyard gate. Seeing Lin Lan come home, he ran up happily. "Mom, we’re on vacation! How come you guys are back so late?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Mommy was busy." Lin Lan handed him the handlebars, helping him steady the bike, and asked with a smile, "How many days off do you have for your vacation?"

Little Douzi turned sideways and, with a CLANK, CLANK, pushed down on the bicycle pedals, shouting back, "A whole month! We don’t have to register for school until March first."

Lin Lan nodded. "Tomorrow, take your homework to the shop to do it, and help Grandpa and Grandma watch the store."

Little Douzi agreed without hesitation. "Okay. I know how to do the math. If someone buys something, I can help Grandma with the bill."

"My son is so capable." Lin Lan gave him a kiss, then held the bicycle steady so he could ride it a couple of laps around the courtyard. They only stopped, parked the bike, and closed the courtyard gate to head to the kitchen when Wu Shufen called out that dinner was ready.

During dinner, Lin Changyou said with a frown, "Today on the bus, we saw a pickpocket going through someone’s pocket. He wasn’t even scared when he got caught. He even threatened the person to ’be careful’."

"Exactly. A big, tall young man would rather be a thief than do honest work." As Wu Shufen spoke, she suddenly remembered that when they got home and opened the door, the courtyard gate, which should have been tightly shut, had been pushed open a crack by someone. "Little Lan, with all this cured meat hanging in the house, we can’t leave it unattended."

Little Douzi looked at her and said, "Grandma, if a thief comes in to steal our cured meat, I’ll hit him with a big stick."

Tong Xinglan nodded. "And we’ll let Wangcai bite him."

Lin Changyou remembered the night the thief came. "Your mom and I are light sleepers. Starting tonight, we’ll sleep in the side room. Xinglan and Qiaohui can sleep in the main house."

"Grandpa, I’ll stay with you and Grandma," Little Douzi said, tugging on Lin Changyou’s arm.

"My good grandson," Lin Changyou said, scooping him up in one arm. "You’re still too little. When you’re as big as your uncle, Grandpa will let you sleep in the side room and keep watch."

Little Douzi patted his small frame. "Sigh! How long will it take for me to get as big as my little uncle?"

Tong Xinglan said, "Douzi, if you eat five meals a day, you’ll be grown up by next year."

Little Douzi rolled his eyes at her. "Auntie, don’t think I don’t know anything just because I’m little."

Tong Xinglan squatted down in front of him and asked, "Oh really, little guy? What is it that you know?"

Little Douzi looked at her. "Brother Kai said only women who’ve just had a baby eat five meals a day."

Wu Shufen chuckled. "Kids these days are so little, but they know everything." Everyone laughed when they heard that.

After dinner, everyone got busy. Lin Lan and Qiaohui peeled pumpkins, while Wu Shufen and the others shelled beans and mashed them into bean paste and puree.

Lin Lan finished shaping all the pumpkin cake dough and placed it on baking sheets. Qiaohui then took the sheets and an alarm clock to the oven to bake them.

Just after ten o’clock, Brother Yong came to pick up Lin Yuezhen.