80s Transmigration: The Young Widow's Hustle to Riches

Chapter 355 - 352: Until the End of Time

After everyone had left, Lin Lan finally let out a sigh of relief and said to Li Xiangyang, "Where’s Douzi? Why hasn’t he been here at all?"

"Dad went to check on him. He’s at Yang Dingbang’s house with Little Hai. They said they want to sleep over with Dandan tonight," Li Xiangyang said, taking off his jacket.

Lin Lan’s face flushed as she looked at Li Xiangyang. Dressed in just his long johns, his strong, powerful build was on full display, and her heart began to pound. "Oh, that’s good," she said, trying to cover up her reaction.

Just as she stood up to get her pajamas, Li Xiangyang stepped forward and swept her into his arms. Before she could even straighten up, she found herself in his embrace, and an instant later, he had laid her down on the bed.

Li Xiangyang’s gaze never left her face. He slowly leaned down and kissed her gently—a soft, warm kiss brimming with affection... Their fingers intertwined, as if they would stay that way until the end of time.

Early the next morning, Lin Lan woke to find Li Xiangyang already up. She glanced at the watch on the bedside table—it was already 8:30.

She sat up, her whole body aching. Rubbing her sore back, she put on her pajamas and went to the bathroom. Hot water flowed out the moment she turned the tap.

’Having a water heater is so much more convenient.’

Lin Lan sighed. After washing up, she went back, put on a jacket, and opened the bedroom door just as Li Xiangyang was coming up the stairs.

Li Xiangyang came over and wrapped an arm around her. "You should sleep a little longer. Why are you up?"

Lin Lan shook her head. "It’s past eight. Where are Douzi and Dad?"

"I took Douzi to school a while ago, and Dad’s downstairs in the courtyard talking with our relatives." Li Xiangyang looked at her. "Are you hungry?"

Lin Lan nodded. "A little. Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat."

The two of them turned and went downstairs to the kitchen. Lin Lan saw a basin of steamed pork knuckle in the cupboard, and another basin of stuffed...

Lin Lan glanced at him. "It’s all so greasy. I lose my appetite just looking at it. I’ll make some congee."

Li Xiangyang spotted some glass noodles in an earthenware pot. "I want hot and sour noodle soup."

Lin Lan scooped some up to inspect them and nodded. "Alright! We still have the fried soybeans I made the other day. Go pick a handful of pea shoots from the vegetable garden out back."

Li Xiangyang grabbed a wicker basket and headed to the vegetable patch.

Lin Lan washed her hands, pulled two pieces of pickled mustard root from the pickle jar, diced them, and set them aside.

Into two bowls, she added two spoonfuls of chili oil, a small spoonful of Sichuan peppercorn powder, sesame oil, a pinch of pepper, aged dark vinegar, and soy sauce. Once the seasonings were ready, she took the broth from the cupboard and brought it to a boil on the electric stove. She then ladled a scoop of the hot broth into each bowl to prepare the soup base for the noodles.

Li Xiangyang came back in with the wicker basket and leaned on her shoulder. "Honey, got the pea shoots!"

Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Rinse them under the tap. I’m about to cook the noodles."

"Yes, ma’am!" Li Xiangyang said with a smile, stealing a kiss.

Holding a slotted spoon, Lin Lan shot him a playful glare. "You goof, there are people in the courtyard."

Li Xiangyang gave her a wink. "Relax, I already checked. No one’s there."

Lin Lan couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.

She used the slotted spoon to blanch the glass noodles in the boiling water, then poured them into the bowls. A pungent hot and sour aroma immediately wafted up.

Lin Lan’s mouth watered. She blanched a handful of pea shoots and placed them on top of the noodles. Then, she sprinkled on a spoonful of the diced pickled mustard root, two spoonfuls of crispy fried soybeans, and a small spoonful of white sesame seeds. "Master Li, the hot and sour noodle soup is ready. Dig in."

"Coming!" Li Xiangyang picked up a bowl and took a deep sniff. "Perfect color, aroma, and flavor. It looks delicious."

Hearing his praise, Lin Lan beamed, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

The two sat at the small square table in the kitchen. They lifted a cluster of noodles glistening with bright red chili oil. The first bite was a burst of spicy and sour flavors. The pickled mustard root was savory, the soybeans were crispy, and the noodles themselves were soft yet chewy. Topped with the fresh tenderness of the pea shoots, every mouthful was refreshingly delicious.

Li Xiangyang nodded again and again. "Delicious! It’s numbing, spicy, savory, fragrant, and sour without being overwhelming."

Lin Lan looked at him smugly. "Of course it is! You seem to be forgetting whose handiwork this is."

Li Xiangyang chuckled and plucked a few noodles from her bowl. "Honey, the ones in your bowl are even better!"

Lin Lan rolled her eyes. "You’re being ridiculous."

After they finished eating, Lin Lan washed the pot and bowls while Li Xiangyang got ready to return the borrowed tables and stools.

When Old Li saw them come downstairs, he said with a smile, "Xiangyang, you can return the tables. I’m going to see your uncles off at the station."

"Okay." Li Xiangyang looked at the elders. "I’ll go get some sunflower seeds and wedding candy for you to take back to the kids."

The eldest uncle smiled and shook his head. "We already have some. We took quite a bit yesterday."

This trip to East Market had shown everyone the difference between the city and the countryside. After listening to Old Li, they were all planning to return home and start small businesses—anything was better than just sticking to their small plots of land.

"We have more in the house. This is for the kids to try." Li Xiangyang and Lin Lan went upstairs and brought out more wedding candy, along with some puffed rice bars and sachima, giving a portion to each of the relatives.

The eldest uncle looked at the candies and pastries in his basket, muttering, "This is too much. We’ve eaten our fill and now you’re sending us off with more. How can we possibly accept all this?"

Old Li beamed and patted his hand. "It’s just a small token of the children’s appreciation."

Lin Lan had prepared plenty of pastries as return gifts for the relatives. Everyone was delighted to receive them, which made Old Li very happy as well.

The eldest uncle nodded in thanks. "Thank you very much. You two live well, and come visit us in the countryside when you’re free."

Smiling, Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang walked them to the end of the alley. Only after watching Old Li accompany them until they were far in the distance did the couple turn to go back.

After returning the tables and stools to Yang Dingbang’s family and to Dongzi and his brother, the couple grabbed more wedding candy and pastries and did the same for two other neighboring families as they returned their items.

Back home, they dismantled the temporary earthen stove. Li Xiangyang looked at the canopy set up in the courtyard and chuckled. "You rest here. I’ll go find a handcart to return all this."

Lin Lan nodded. "Okay. I’ll tidy up the courtyard."

Li Xiangyang nodded and left on his bicycle.

Lin Lan moved the bricks from the dismantled stove to the backyard. She noticed the cowpeas and green beans had begun to climb their trellises. In the corner, the winter jasmine bloomed with purplish-red flowers, and the roses climbing the surrounding wall had already formed buds.

’Time passes so quickly. An entire year has gone by since I came here. I have a precious son, a loving family, a husband...’

Lin Lan looked up at the sky and gave her heartfelt thanks to Heaven for its blessings.

****

「Lexing」

Wu Shufen stared in astonishment at Wu Shufang and her son, Shi Tou. They were covered in mud and looked like refugees fleeing a famine. "Big Sis! Shi Tou! What happened?"

"Let’s get your sister inside first," Lin Changyou said, quickly ushering Wu Shufang and her son into the courtyard.

Wu Shufang looked at her sister with guilt. "We had planned to be here for the wedding feast. It had been raining nonstop in the mountains, but it finally cleared up the day before yesterday. I was so happy, thinking we could still make it in time, so Shi Tou and I set out with the mule."

"But who knew it would start pouring rain as soon as we headed into the mountains? It got so dark we couldn’t even see the path. Shi Tou and I had to take shelter in a cave. Then, coming down the mountain yesterday, we took a nasty fall. We still didn’t make it in time."

Wu Shufen looked at them reproachfully. "You two... Setting out from the mountains while it was still raining... What would you have done if you’d run into a landslide?"

Wu Shufang smiled. "It’s fine, it’s fine. We arrived safe and sound."