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

Chapter 362 - 359: I’m Going to Get a Sty

"The LTL shipping business is definitely doable, but it depends on how you go about it."

Lin Lan thought for a moment, then described to Li Xiangyang the service procedures she remembered: the LTL trucks that collected goods from wholesale markets and the processes of a shipping company she had used before.

"You’ve already driven a few cargo runs to Yangcheng City. If you’re going to open an LTL company, you’ll need to figure out how many depots to set up along the route and the specifics of implementation. This trip is the perfect opportunity to scout everything out."

Li Xiangyang hadn’t expected Lin Lan’s ideas to be far more comprehensive than what he and Liu Da had come up with. He looked at her happily. "Honey, Liu Da and I were also planning to check out the route. He’s coming back with us on this trip, so we might be delayed for a few extra days."

"I think it’s best not to rush things. Plan everything out carefully before you act," Lin Lan said, looking at him. "Xiangyang, as for money... if we have a lot, we’ll spend a lot. If we don’t, we’ll spend less. The most important thing is that our family is together, safe and sound."

"Okay." Li Xiangyang leaned down and gave Lin Lan a kiss.

Little Douzi, who had just run into the room, saw them and immediately covered his eyes with his hands. "Naughty, naughty! I’m gonna get a stye!"

Lin Lan’s face flushed red as she pinched Li Xiangyang’s arm...

Li Xiangyang laughed, stood up, and scooped the boy into his arms. "Alright, little guy, I’ll take you for your bath."

Little Douzi wrapped his arms around his neck. "I like to wash in the basin, not with the shower sprayer."

"Okay, I’ll get the tub for you." Li Xiangyang gave Lin Lan a wink, then ran upstairs with a giggling Little Douzi slung over his shoulder.

Lin Lan smiled and followed them upstairs. Soon, Little Douzi’s laughter echoed from the bathroom. "Hee hee! Haha! That tickles! Hee hee! I’ll scrub myself!"

"Your neck is clean, but your armpits aren’t." Li Xiangyang scrubbed under his arms a few times, and Little Douzi squirmed into a ball, laughing. "No more washing! It tickles so much!"

"Alright, once your little feet are clean, we’ll be done." Li Xiangyang grabbed a bath towel and wrapped him up. "Go out and have Mommy dry your hair."

Little Douzi pointed at a drawer. "Uncle Xiangyang, I need to put on my undies before I go out."

Li Xiangyang gently tapped his nose. "You little rascal, you know how to be modest, huh!" He took out a pair of undies, helped him put them on, then wrapped him in the towel and carried him out. "Are you sleeping by yourself tonight or with Grandpa?"

Little Douzi thought for a moment. "With Grandpa. Grandpa said we’re going for eight-treasure congee and steamed dumplings tomorrow morning."

"Alrighty!" Li Xiangyang carried him downstairs to Old Li’s room. "Dad, Little Douzi wants to sleep with you."

Old Li gave Little Douzi a light pat on the bottom. "You little scamp, didn’t you say you don’t like it when Grandpa’s snoring keeps you up?"

Little Douzi looked at Old Li sheepishly. "Mom says I snore too."

"Haha!" Old Li laughed, hugged him, and tucked him into the covers. "Alright, then neither of us can complain about the other."

Li Xiangyang smiled and handed the hairdryer to Old Li. "Dad, I’m heading to bed. You can dry his hair for him."

Old Li took it and waved him away.

When Li Xiangyang went back upstairs, Lin Lan was on the balcony gathering the dry laundry. Seeing him come in, she smiled. "So Little Douzi is sleeping with Dad tonight?"

"Yep! They made a deal to get eight-treasure congee and steamed dumplings tomorrow morning." Li Xiangyang helped take the clothes off the line, handing them to Lin Lan to fold. He then took the folded clothes to the wardrobe and put them away.

Lin Lan took out his underwear. "Xiangyang, you go wash up first."

Li Xiangyang stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Lin Lan. "Honey, let’s wash together. I’ll scrub your back..."

Lin Lan gave him a look. "No, thank you..."

"But I need you to scrub mine..." Li Xiangyang half-pulled, half-carried Lin Lan into the bathroom...

「The next morning」

Lin Lan saw Li Xiangyang and Liu Da off at the train station. She watched them pass through the ticket gate, backpacks on and baskets in hand, before heading to the bus stop to go back to the pastry shop.

A sign stood at the entrance to the shop: "Buying Duck Eggs."

The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching. Their zongzi had sold well last year, so Lin Lan planned to make and sell them again this year.

As soon as she entered the shop, Qiaohui pointed to a large basket. "Lin Lan, we’ve already bought several dozen duck eggs this morning, but Lin Yuezhen says that’s still not nearly enough."

Lin Yuezhen’s belly was now showing, making it difficult for her to squat down and work, so the task of buying duck eggs had been given to Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan.

"That’s right, it’s not nearly enough. Just keep buying. Last year, Lin Yuezhen and I used several hundred salted duck eggs just for the mooncakes."

Lin Lan inspected the duck eggs in the basket, checking several to confirm they were fresh. ’I need to go back to Lexing to move those large vats to the Yucai Road property,’ she thought. ’And I also need to buy a few jars of baijiu.’

Tong Xinglan smiled. "Lin Lan, in my whole life, I’ve never had a mooncake made with a duck egg yolk!"

Lin Yuezhen smiled and gestured, "You’ll get to try them this year. We’ll also have five-kernel and ham... I like the ham mooncakes."

Tong Xinglan swallowed dramatically. "They sound delicious! We’re really in for a treat this year."

As they were talking, someone else arrived with duck eggs to sell. Tong Xinglan quickly grabbed a basket and ran out.

Lin Lan glanced at Lin Yuezhen, whose movements had become much more cumbersome. "Sis, have you been to the hospital for a check-up?"

"I have. The doctor in the obstetrics department listened to the baby’s heartbeat and said everything is fine. It’s just that my legs are really swollen." Lin Yuezhen nodded, then pointed to the oven and continued to gesture, "Can you keep an eye on the oven? There are egg yolk pastries baking in there."

Lin Lan nodded, a little worried as she watched her struggle.

Lin Yuezhen supported her back with her hands as she slowly sat down on a chair. She pulled up her pant leg for Lin Lan to see. "Look, when I press down, it leaves a pit."

"Don’t stand for too long. Try to move around more." ’Lin Lan’s only experience with pregnancy came from her memories of carrying Little Douzi. Perhaps because she’d been younger then, the symptoms hadn’t been as obvious.’

"My legs keep cramping up at night. The doctor prescribed me some calcium supplements and told me to eat more stews made with big bones." Lin Yuezhen gestured with a smile. "As if we don’t eat enough of those already!"

Lin Lan looked at her and smiled. "That’s true! We’re never short on big bones and pig trotters. It seems your body isn’t absorbing nutrients as well."

Lin Yuezhen nodded. "I heard from Brother Yong that Fatty’s wife came looking for him, Zhigang, and several other meat stall owners, asking them to sign a statement testifying that the new stall was the one that started the trouble."

"Xiangyang went to testify for her yesterday. The newcomer was the one who started undercutting prices and disrupting the market."

"There’s no point in doing business like that, no matter how much money you make."

Lin Lan nodded. "Exactly. We won’t compete with them. We’ll just do our own thing."

DING! The oven timer went off. Lin Lan took the egg yolk pastries out and carried them into the front of the shop, where Qiaohui used bamboo tongs to arrange them on a plate.

Qiaohui pointed to the nut brittle in the display case. "Lin Lan, we’re almost out of nut brittle. We’ll need to make a new batch this afternoon."

Lin Lan took a look. There were only five or six pounds left. "Start making it once you’re done arranging the egg yolk pastries. This afternoon, I’m going back to Lexing to bring the water vats to Yucai Road."

Qiaohui nodded. "We’ll have Xinglan watch the shop. I’ll help you make it."