80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches-Chapter 131 - 128: Mr. Wang Says He Knows You

When Lin Lan got home, she saw Lin Yuezhen in the backyard gathering sun-wilted baby bok choy stalks. "Sis, are you making pungent greens?"

Lin Yuezhen nodded and pointed to the vegetable patch in the backyard. Only then did Lin Lan notice that all the small-leaf bok choy in the patch had bolted.

"I’ll pick the stalks to make pungent greens, and I’ll pull up the old leaves to make pickled vegetables."

The two of them carried the basket of bok choy stalks into the kitchen. They chopped them on the cutting board into half-centimeter pieces, placed them in a bamboo sieve, and then brought them to the stove and poured them into the wok for stir-frying.

As soon as they were lightly cooked, they scooped them out. While still hot, they packed a portion tightly into a small jar and covered it with a cloth-wrapped lid. They put the rest in a large bowl and sealed it by inverting a smaller bowl over the top.

After letting it sit for half an hour, the rice in the steamer was also ready. Lin Lan lifted the bowl covering the larger one. A pungent vapor shot straight up to her "celestial gate," making her feel as if smoke were pouring from her seven orifices, her nose tingling.

Lin Lan quickly turned her head. "ACHOO... I can’t take it, it’s too strong! ACHOO... ACHOO..."

Lin Yuezhen laughed and handed her a handkerchief, gesturing for her to go wash up.

Lin Lan took the handkerchief and went to wash her face.

Lin Yuezhen took out half of the pungent greens and seasoned them with salt, Sichuan peppercorn oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and white sugar. She then heated some oil and drizzled it over the top before mixing in a large spoonful of bright red chili oil.

She tasted it—crisp, fragrant, spicy, and refreshing. Satisfied, she transferred it to a plate for the table, then uncovered the steamer and began to serve the rice.

Lin Lan finished washing her face. Seeing that Little Douzi hadn’t returned yet, she checked the time, called out to Lin Yuezhen who was cooking in the kitchen, and went to pick him up.

When she reached the courtyard gate, she saw Little Douzi, Little Kai, and a few other kids hopping and skipping their way home along the tractor path. Trailing behind them was Wang Yong.

Little Douzi ran over and pointed at Wang Yong. "Mom, Mr. Wang says he knows you."

Wang Yong smiled and glanced at Lin Lan. "Well, if it isn’t my old classmate. So you live around here!"

Lin Lan nodded. "That’s right. Are you out making house calls?"

Wang Yong nodded with a smile. "I am! Aren’t you going to invite me in for a bit?"

Lin Lan froze for a moment, then gave a polite smile. "Please, come in."

’This old classmate is nothing like the bookworm from the original owner’s memories,’ she thought. ’He’s not awkward at all; in fact, he’s quite sociable.’

Wang Yong walked to the courtyard gate with a smile and looked around. "You have a nice, spacious yard. I still have more house calls to make today, so I won’t come in. I’ll drop by again when I have time."

Lin Lan smiled politely. "Alright. You’re welcome to visit anytime."

Wang Yong nodded and followed the children waiting at Shiqiao, heading toward the bamboo forest.

Little Yun turned her head to look at him. "Mr. Wang, you know my aunt?"

Wang Yong glanced back at Lin Lan’s house. "I do. We were middle school classmates."

Little Kai looked back at him. "My aunt is really skilled. The things she makes are delicious."

Wang Yong chuckled. "That’s why you all need to study hard. When you’re educated, even the food you make tastes better."

The children all nodded eagerly. "We will!"

Little Douzi followed Lin Lan inside and said to her, "Mom, Little Ming’s family doesn’t have money to pay for Sister Xiaolin’s tuition, so she’s not going to school anymore."

"Oh! Was Mr. Wang visiting them to collect the tuition fee?"

"No, Mr. Wang said it would be a shame for Sister Xiaolin not to continue her studies since her grades are so good. He came today to talk to her auntie and convince her to let Sister Xiaolin keep studying. If her family is really struggling, he’ll find a way to get her tuition waived."

Lin Lan nodded. "It would be a pity for someone with good grades to stop studying."

Little Douzi thought for a moment and said, "Mom, I’ve learned how to pack century eggs. When school is out, I’ll go sell them. I want to help you earn money."

Lin Lan happily picked him up. "Aww! Mommy’s good boy is so thoughtful."

Little Douzi’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "When I grow up, I’ll earn lots of money and build you a big house."

"Okay, Mommy will be waiting for our Douzi to build me a big house."

The mother and son entered the kitchen, laughing. Lin Yuezhen had already set the table with the finished dishes: steamed spare ribs with rice flour, boiled pumpkin, and the cold-dressed pungent greens.

Little Douzi sniffed the pungent greens, and sneezes came one after another. When he recovered, he looked at Lin Yuezhen with watery eyes. "Auntie, the pungent greens you made are so strong!"

Lin Lan couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. "Silly, pungent greens are only good when they’re strong."

Lin Yuezhen nodded with a smile and handed him his bowl of rice. She put a chopstick-full of the pungent greens into her own mouth and was immediately hit with a series of sneezes, her eyes watering.

"It’s strong, isn’t it, Auntie!" Little Douzi started laughing too. He shoveled a big mouthful of rice into his mouth. "Rice tastes so much better after eating the pungent greens!"

Lin Yuezhen nodded repeatedly and placed a piece of the steamed spare ribs in his bowl.

Little Dou Ding stood up and put a piece in each of their bowls. "Mom, Auntie, you eat too."

"Good boy!" Lin Lan said, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "The pungent greens are an appetizer. Your auntie noticed you haven’t been eating much the last couple of days, so she made them especially for you."

Little Douzi took a bite of the soft, tender spare rib. "Mhm! I’m going to eat three bowls."

"Alright, eat three bowls."

After the meal, Lin Lan and Lin Yuezhen started preparing the items for the afternoon market stall. Little Douzi also grabbed a pair of scissors to help trim the fava beans.

’Now that the busy farming season is over, more and more commune members are setting up stalls at the Eucalyptus Forest, and more city residents and commune members are coming here to shop.’

’Also, with the weather getting cooler, more people will be eating pastries than when it was hot. It’s time to add one or two new items.’

’Considering the pumpkins and taro Li Guizhi had brought over, plus the large amount of sesame seeds they had harvested, and since they also had eggs, glutinous rice flour, and regular flour at home... she could make pumpkin sesame cakes.’

When they finished preparing the items for the stall, Wang Zhixue and his brother came to pick up the goods. Lin Lan told them, "I’m adding a new item tomorrow morning—pumpkin sesame cakes. I’ll make a batch after you get back from the market for you to try."

Wang Zhixue said with a laugh, "Aunt, no need for a taste test. Anything you make is three hundred percent delicious."

Lin Lan laughed. "I’m not taking returns if they don’t sell!"

"Don’t worry, Aunt," Wang Zhilin added. "Your food sells really well."

Lin Lan shook her head. "No, I insist. I’ll make some to try after we close the stall this afternoon, then we’ll decide."

The two brothers nodded. "Alright, we’ll try them when we get back from the stall."

Lin Lan finished packing up and went with Yang Liying to the Eucalyptus Forest. They had just set up their stall when two regular customers came to buy fermented tofu.

"Little Lin, your fermented tofu is still the best. It has a richer bean flavor than the one from the supply-and-marketing cooperative, and it’s fresher too."

"My family’s home is in the mountains across the Min River. The water we use to boil the soy milk is from a mountain spring. The water is very important for making tofu, which is why it tastes better than the co-op’s."

"No wonder! We drink tap water. How can that compare to mountain spring water!"

"But tap water is so convenient! You just turn on the faucet and there it is. We can’t get it even if we wanted to!"

Hearing this, the two customers laughed as well. "That’s true. And you don’t have to haul water."

Lin Lan finished packing the fermented tofu for them. After they left, she said to Lin Yuezhen, "Sis, go back home, peel three pumpkins, and steam them in the steamer until they’re cooked. Pour off any water that comes out and let them cool. I’ll make the pumpkin cakes when I get back."

Lin Yuezhen nodded and left.

When it was time to close up the stall, Lin Lan told Zhou Xiaohong about the new item for the next morning.

Zhou Xiaohong couldn’t have been happier for Lin Lan to create more products. She said cheerfully, "Whatever you want to make, just go for it."

Lin Lan laughed. "I’ll make some to try after we close up, and then we’ll see."