Bai Fumei in the ’70s Chapter 35
Translated by Serena Love
Grandma Li's tears flowed even more when she heard this. But she stopped shortly after crying, and she touched her grandson's head with her thin hands.
"You have grown up."
"I can't control you. If you want to buy a bicycle, go buy it." She wiped away her tears and turned her head to the other side.
"You remember, Grandma only has one grandson."
He Songbai put three golden leaves and golden beans into his pocket. He knew that Grandma could understand his idea, but she needed a little time to accept it slowly.
Grandma treated him like her lifeblood and her eyes. When he was a child, when he had a fight or had a fever, she would worry and would not be able to sleep all night, and she would cry with heart and lung pain.
He Songbai heard Uncle De said that Grandma is a very strong woman. In the past, she rarely felt depressed. However, Grandpa and father's sudden death shattered her confidence. She became insecure and cautious, and a little wind and shaking of grass could make her nervous for a long time.
"I will."
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He Songbai said, and took out the bowl from the grandmother dinner. There is only a little soup left in the bowl. It can be seen that Grandma was very happy tonight, but it is a pity that her grandson make her unhappy and sad.
...
Zhao Lanxiang knew that He Songbai was following Tiezhu in the morning. She saw him sitting in the back seat of Tiezhu's bike with her own eyes. She heard Tiezhu saying happily and taking him to the city.
What he has done all day long is already obvious.
It is really not easy to make He Songbai take this "dark road". After all, he is a person living in this era, who knows that speculation is illegal. Zhao Lanxiang wanted to change his ideas slowly, but she didn't expect that before she started, he figured it out himself.
Zhao Lanxiang was very happy and went to knock on He Songbai's door after nightfall.
The man, who had fallen asleep, heard the rhythmic "three long and one short" knocks on the door, and quickly got out of bed and secretly opened the door.
Zhao Lanxiang got into the room and whispered, "Are you going to sell things with Tiezhu to the city tomorrow?"
Her eyes were shining brightly, and her extremely low voice could not hide her excitement.
He Songbai gave a vague hum. He was reluctant to tell her about this matter, and would not share his work with her in the future. After all, this is not a glorious thing, and letting her touch less of these things is a kind of protecting her.
Zhao Lanxiang said again, "I think you definitely need a bike right now?"
"I have a bike, shall I sell it to you, OK?"
Zhao Lanxiang actually has no bicycle, but Tang Qing has one. She often borrowed Tang Qing's bike to buy things in the county town. After borrowing many times, Tang Qing expressed the idea of transferring it to her. The additional condition is that if he can come to her for a meal every weekend, he is willing to transfer the bike to her.
Zhao Lanxiang's education would never allow her to agree. Gentleman will not take charity from others. Besides, with Tiezhu, her frequency of using the bike was greatly reduced.
But the situation is different now. He Songbai is going to do some "bad things" in speculation. He must have a vehicle.
Although there are bicycles for sale in the county seat, they are priceless. People who queue up to buy bikes can line up in a street. The more decent people in the city are all eager to save for a bicycle, so that they can have a face when they get married. When riding a bicycle out for a walk, it would be eye-catching.
However, the actual situation is that there are only a few bicycle supply sources in small counties. It is impossible to buy bicycles in a short period of time, unless you can open a recommendation letter to go to other place then you can buy them in S City, there is sufficient supply there. Otherwise, if you want to buy a bicycle in the county seat, you might not even get it even if you line up.
He Songbai heard the words and said indifferently, "You don't have a bike. You don't have to worry about this matter, go back to sleep. I will get up early tomorrow."
As he said that, he made a sleepy yawn and started to chase out Zhao Lanxiang.
Zhao Lanxiang said, "Although I don't have a bike yet, I can get it. I will sell it to you. If you don't have money, I can give it to you on credit and wait for you to return it twice as much when you earn money."
It is undeniable that He Songbai was delighted by the silly words of the girlfriend.
His heart rose a little, and the feeling of being cared about was so good, as if he was basking in the warm sunshine. After this day of hard work, and seeing the tears of his grandmother, He Songbai was actually a little tired. He Songbai felt better at hearing the subject's unconditional support at night.
He is in no hurry to rush people.
Zhao Lanxiang paused and said, "Tomorrow I have to get up early to make a few pounds of pastry... Let's sleep first, let's not talk so late."
She let go of He Songbai easily, because she would need get up earlier than the crowing rooster tomorrow.
She was digging a trench and then a busy autumn harvest. Her "business" had not been done for a long time, and her wallet has shrank. She had to make more cakes and save herself some money in the bottom of her box.
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He Songbai couldn't help but narrowed his eyes, but said quickly, "Tomorrow I will help you sell, and I will help you in the future, you just make it."
After hearing it, Zhao Lanxiang's eyes lit up. She is as happy as drinking honey. Selling things was really tiring, she doesn't like it very much. It seems that after He Songbai was coaxed on this road of no return, it was completely like picking up a free "labor", and she could just make the pastry and sell it in the future.
Zhao Lanxiang decided to finish all the ten pounds of kidney beans and gave He Songbai a good start.
He is really talented to do business. Last time, she sold fifteen pounds of red date and yam cake for ten yuans and fifty cents. He Songbai took mung bean cakes and sold it better than her, and would make more money than her.
Zhao Lanxiang was not worried that he wouldn't go to the black market anymore, and would stumble for a long time. As long as he is willing to take this first step, the He family's wealth can be doubled.
She still said a word to him, "I believe you can make a good life for the He family."
"But also remember to take care, money can be earned, but pay attention to safety and good health."
He Songbai rubbed the girlfriend's head and said softly, "Okay."
...
The next day, Zhao Lanxiang managed to get up really early. She soaked kidney beans in the middle of the night, steamed them in a bamboo cage until they are soft and waxy, and she could pinch the paste out with her thumb. Only then she started to make kidney bean cake.
Although kidney beans are inconspicuous, there is a famous palace snack that is very popular among nobles. The steamed kidney bean paste gives the kidney bean cake a softer texture than other cakes. The mouthfeel is dense and the ivory white of the bean paste is extremely easy to color. Zhao Lanxiang dyed it with the juice of red beans, and the kidney bean cake become pink. Mix some purple sweet potatoes in, and the kidney bean cake will appear elegant purple.
On the very quiet night, occasionally the firewood at the bottom of the stove made a faint sound, and the boiling water in the pot was bubbling. Not long after, Zhao Lanxiang lifted the steamer, and there were red, purple, and white kidney beans ready to become cakes.
Under the dim light, Zhao Lanxiang rubbed the red bean paste and purple sweet potato into the dough based on her experience. When it came out of the pot, she looked at the color, and the appearance was unexpectedly beautiful.
She tasted it, the taste was soft and sweet, delicate and smooth, people ate one and wanted to continue to eat another one. It is sweet but not greasy. When making kidney bean cakes, there is no flour at all, but the refreshing qualities of kidney bean paste are fully exerted.
Anyway, she made a lot. Zhao Lanxiang left a pound behind for weekdays snack.
After loading the pastries, she handed the heavy bean cake to He Songbai and told him, "Pay attention to safety and come back early."
He Songbai was riding a bicycle, the dark night added a layer of dignity to his deep face.
"Alright."
Zhao Lanxiang went back to the house and fell asleep. Fortunately, she only did occasional black-market trading. If she got so greedy and woke up early every day, her body would not be able to bear it.
She quickly fell into the dark fragrance in the quilt. She slept until the sun is as high as three bamboo poles, and she has finally woken up by a knock on the door.
She rubbed her eyes and thought that it was Sister He or Sanya who called her. She quickly got out of the bed and put on a pair of slippers to open the door. But it was unexpected that Jiang Li and Tang Qing were standing outside the door.
Tang Qing glanced at her and averted his eyes politely.
Zhao Lanxiang glanced down at her dress, stroked her forehead with a headache, and went back to change her clothes.
Jiang Li said angrily, "You are lazier than I am. Such intensive labor has not transformed you to be more diligent. The sun is already basking but you are still sleeping."
Zhao Lanxiang said, "What's the matter?"
Jiang Li took out the letter in her arms and raised her eyebrows even more. She said, "Well, my brother wrote a letter for you."
Only ghost knew what kind of experience it was to open her brother's letter. Anyway, Jiang Li had secretly read the letter and she has to thoroughly wash her eyes because of it.
Her cold and majestic elder brother wrote a letter in the most disgusting style. Those sweet words that he usually looked down and sneered, have all appeared in his letter.
If it was not because of the handwriting that Jiang Li was familiar with, Jiang Li had to wonder if she had taken the wrong letter from others.
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Jiang Li was a little angry, but she was not very disgusted. Zhao Lanxiang could be happy this time, as she finally "captured" her brother's heart.
She hummed and said, "Look, look at it, and make me a bun after reading it. Although... about my brother, if you want me to call you my sister-in-law, the road is still long."
Zhao Lanxiang was brushing her mouth, and almost poke her toothbrush into her throat.
She speeded up, finishing in three and five breaths, and she looked refreshed but awkward. She stroked her hair, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Who wants you to call me sister-in-law?"
She didn't even read the neatly placed letter on the table, and said lightly, "Your brother and I already broken off a long time ago."
"I didn't tell you before, because I think your brother has a little self-knowledge, and he would understand after seeing my attitude. I didn't expect..." She picked up the letter on the table and returned it to Jiang Li.
"He feels pretty good about himself."
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