The Shanzui Village was said to be near a mountain. Though, it wasn’t near any of the four cardinal directions, nor was it a mountain that had fertile soil to grow crops.
Old Man Lin and his family live in the southern part of the village. As the house was situated along the river, the mother-son duo was going to reach very soon.
Lin Lan had an eldest brother, three older sisters and a younger brother.
The door of Old Man Lin’s house did not face the south. Instead, it faced the east, which was also the direction of the road.
The courtyard door was open and a woman’s loud voice sounded from inside.
Just as Lin Lan was about to lead Xiaowang in, someone rushed out from behind the haystack and pulled them to another alley.
“Hey…” Lin Lan was about to shout.
The person said in a low voice, “Don’t howl, it’s me.”
“Third sister, why are you sneaking around like a thief?”
“I was waiting for you,” Lin Mei dragged her into another alley, hiding behind the haystacks as she started to talk.
She glanced at Xiaowang, “This is… Xiaowang?”
Lin Lan patted Xiaowang’s head, “Call her third aunt.”
The original owner disliked Xiaowang and never took him out. Everyone only knew him by his name but not by his face.
Xiaowang addressed her obediently.
Lin Mei searched herself for a while, “Oh, you didn’t say you were going to bring children. I didn’t prepare candy.”
Lin Lan knew that she had this sort of stubborn character. She wouldn’t admit that she didn’t actually have candy with her and merely said that she didn’t bring it as she was afraid of losing her image.
Lin Lan smiled and said, “We’re family, so why would you need to prepare that?” She then took out a piece of candy herself and gave it to Lin Mei, “For you.”
She stuffed the candy into Xiaowang’s palm, “Eat it.”
Xiaowang smiled and thanked her before he put it in his pocket.
…God, I must be seeing things. Didn’t Lin Lan say that he was practically a fool? Why was he so polite? He has such a great character that it seemed like he was practically from a cadre’s family.
Lin Lan looked at Lin Mei’s basket, “What did you bring to celebrate mother’s birthday?”
Lin Mei wanted to look at Lin Lan’s basket first, so she acquiesced.
Lin Mei’s eyes widened, “Fourth sister, I think you’re having a convulsion. You didn’t bring anything for our mother’s birthday?”
Lin Lan shrugged, “I have a jar at home, but I can’t carry a jar.”
She didn’t have enough cloth herself, “Oh, but I didn’t come empty-handed. This is a really nice basket and it’s new.”
Lin Mei snorted before she quickly covered her mouth. She pointed at Lin Lan and said with a low smile, “You’re going to be piss everyone off, aren’t you? Father knows how to weave baskets and there are vines all over the river. Does she really need you to give her those?”
Lin Lan pouted, “If father knew how to weave baskets, why didn’t I get any for my family?”
Lin Mei snorted, “Isn’t it because you were flaunting your riches all this time? Who are you trying to blame? Eldest sister and second sister both have baskets to use,” Lin Mei’s mother-in-law knew how to make one, so she naturally didn’t need one.
Lin Lan looked at what Lin Mei brought as she gripped her basket tightly, “I didn’t bring anything.”
If her fourth sister wasn’t bringing anything, she only needed a bit to upstage her.
Lin Lan smiled and said, “What did you bring? How about we split them?”
Lin Mei gave her an eye roll and lifted the lid, revealing four servings of wheat pastries, a few eggplants and a handful of long cowpeas inside.