After saying that, she shook her head in dismay, but she couldn’t help recalling words Lin Yuan once shared with her. Indeed, prison was no place for humans. Boss had only been incarcerated for a few months, and he was already finished.
Lin Yuan had complex feelings about Lin Dashuan’s fate, more lament than sympathy. Kidnapping children—if you don’t get caught, you’re safe. Once caught, this was the inevitable outcome. It was just that she hadn’t expected Lin Dashuan to die so soon, though the man had already damaged his health with his drinking before he even went to prison. His demise had been only a matter of time.
"Has Xiao He learned about it?" Lin Dashuan was Auntie’s real son. Even if her son had done something to let her down, and was now on his deathbed, it was undoubtedly hard for her to bear. But it was even tougher for Xiao He, still so young and already having been abandoned by her mother, and now her only father figure was dying too.
Cousin Gui Zhi shook her head, sighed, and said, "The child is scared of him too. After your Brother Ershuan came back, I told her about it. She didn’t speak for a long while, then just nodded and said she would see to his last rites. Ah, such a pitiful child."
Lin Yuan shook her head and silently went back to kneading her dough.
Lin Jiaxin chatted with Lin Ershuan for a while, but since they were in a hurry to deliver meat to someone else, they quickly took off. They also delivered meat to several old friends who had helped them in the past, with the last stop at Lan Hua’s place.
Speaking of which, aside from Lin Yuan’s and Lin Ershuan’s homes, Lan Hua’s family was probably the best off in Linjia hollow. The only issue was that Lin Changqing’s wife still hadn’t been settled, which was a constant worry for Aunt Wang.
But there were also reasons for her to be happy. Aunt Wang’s pickled vegetables were selling better and better—many people liked her pickles. She was now not only selling pickles but had started salting chicken eggs to sell too. Her salted eggs were fragrant and delicious, with egg yolks that were oily.
Lan Hua was even more impressive, now the head of the tofu shop, capable and reliable in every aspect, which greatly reassured Lin Yuan.
"Uncle, have some tea." Lan Hua brought out a new teapot and called Lin Jiaxin and the others to drink tea. Though not as good as the tea from Fuman Building, the tea leaves she purchased were still considered exceptionally fine in Linjia hollow.
Lin Yuan took the teacup handed to her and smiled, "This teacup is really pretty."
"Mhm, I bought it at Ma Family Grocery." Lan Hua handed another cup of tea to Lin Wei and the others before sitting beside Lin Yuan and said, "There’s a lot of nice stuff there; I was spoilt for choice. But Xiao Ma was really enthusiastic, sweet-talking, and honest. He recommended this tea set to me. Next time I buy something, I’ll definitely go back there—it’s genuine."
The products from Ma Family Grocery really were good; Lin Yuan’s house had almost exclusively purchased their kitchenware from there.
Over there, Lin Jiaxin inquired about Lin Changqing’s furniture shop. With Lin Ershuan’s help, Lin Changqing had also set up a shop in Zhuma Town to sell furniture. However, his specialty was in carving, so his business wasn’t doing as well as Lin Ershuan’s, just barely maintaining its expenses.
The shop had been open for almost three months, but the business never really took off, causing Lin Changqing to sometimes complain and feel disappointed.
As his master, Lin Jiaxin naturally cared deeply, offering a few words of encouragement, but he couldn’t find a proper solution. His apprentice’s talents simply didn’t compare to Lin Ershuan’s; despite having passed on all his unique skills, he still hadn’t been able to help him.
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "Brother Changqing, I’ve got a new product here; are you brave enough to sell it?"