“He hasn’t come back yet. Do you want to come in and sit for a while?” Lan Sisi asked, suppressing the strange discomfort in her heart.
“Sure, thank you. May I ask, what is your relation to Teacher Lin?” Huang Ying asked.
“Mm… relatives. He’s staying at my place temporarily,” Lan Sisi said after thinking for a moment. Since she had already told this lie, she could only slowly make it consistent.
Huang Ying’s eyes immediately brightened a little. It was obvious at a glance what she was thinking.
“Have a seat first, I’ll go change my clothes.” Lan Sisi placed a cup of water in front of her and went into the house.
“Why are you here?”
After she had changed her clothes, voices came from outside. Lin Ruihai and Lan Sinian had returned. Lin Ruihai’s low voice intertwined with Huang Ying’s gentle tone, and together they sounded unexpectedly harmonious.
Lan Sisi’s hand, which was about to push the door open, suddenly paused.
They were both Educated Youth from big cities, both teachers. They spent most of their day together. A talented man and a beautiful woman, perhaps feelings would grow over time. No, no, what was she thinking…
“What are you doing in here? Why aren’t you going out?” While she was lost in her thoughts, Lin Ruihai pushed the door open and walked in against the light.
“Nothing. Why did you come in? Where’s that Teacher Huang?” Lan Sisi’s voice was still a little subdued, as she had been immersed in her thoughts.
“She’s already left. She just came to deliver a lesson plan to me,” Lin Ruihai said. “I’m not familiar with her. We don’t usually talk at school.”
“Y… why are you telling me this? That’s so strange,” Lan Sisi said, yet her heart began to lift bit by bit.
“It’s nothing. I just didn’t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.” Lin Ruihai’s gaze remained on her, and a faint smile curved at the corner of his lips. “Besides, I already told her she doesn’t need to trouble herself to deliver things to me in the future.”
“Who misunderstood anything? Really… I’m going to cook.” Lan Sisi was grateful that the room was dim, otherwise Lin Ruihai would have seen the blush on her face.
Watching her retreat in flustered haste, the smile on Lin Ruihai’s lips deepened.
The work in the fields had come to an end, so Lan Sisi began going to town from time to time. Through someone’s introduction, she found an old carpenter hidden deep in an alley. The old carpenter could carve very intricate patterns. Even ordinary wood became extraordinary in his hands, the carvings were antique and beautiful.
During the special movement years a few years ago, such things had been considered capitalist practices and were not allowed to exist. His shop had also been sealed. Only in recent years had things gradually loosened. Relying on some old acquaintances and his superb craftsmanship, the old carpenter had slowly revived his business.
“When I was young, I even worked for wealthy households. I once made a hollow-carved screen with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums carved on it, lifelike. The master rewarded me with a gold ingot. I foolishly bit it with my teeth. The gold was soft, so it left a bite mark, and everyone in the residence laughed at me.” When speaking of the past, the old carpenter became animated, his wrinkled face full of life.
The old carpenter still had a large collection of wood at home. Lan Sisi did not understand much about it. She only listened to the apprentice introducing things like red sandalwood and huanghuali wood. In later times, these would be priceless materials. Yet Lan Sisi only spent a few hundred yuan to have a full set of furniture made.
After leaving the carpenter’s house, Lan Sisi went to the black market again and sold some of the goods that had accumulated in her farm recently. Her goods were of high quality. After going there a few times, she already had regular customers, including the first aunt who had bought from her. Her grandson had grown chubby and very healthy after drinking Lan Sisi’s milk powder, never falling ill. From then on, she became a loyal customer. Many other regulars and new customers gathered around as soon as they saw her. Very quickly, her basket was emptied.
Lan Sisi did not engage with the vendors nearby who were trying to indirectly ask where she sourced her goods. She simply packed up briefly and left quickly.
After that, she went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to replenish the household necessities that were running low. She also bought a piece of pork belly and a piece of lean meat from the butcher. Only after filling her basket to the brim did she take an ox cart back to the village.
“Sisi, you’re home.” As soon as she returned, Aunt Sun came over from next door. Lan Sisi brought her a stool and poured her some water.
Aunt Sun sat on the stool drinking water, her gaze occasionally falling on Lan Sisi, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Did something happen, Aunt Sun?” Lan Sisi asked.
“It’s nothing major, just… recently, some unfavorable rumors about you have been spreading in the village,” Aunt Sun said with a frown.
“What are they saying about me?” Lan Sisi asked, puzzled.
“They’re saying you’ve gotten involved with a wealthy older man. That man even has a wife and children. I don’t know who made this up. I believe you wouldn’t do such a thing. I didn’t want to tell you at first and make you worry, but now a lot of people are spreading it. If this continues, your reputation will be ruined by those gossiping women. So I still came to tell you. Do you know what’s going on?” Aunt Sun said.
As soon as she heard this, Lan Sisi understood. The last time she had been seen eating with Sun Dafa by Lan Hehua, and now such rumors had appeared. Anyone could figure out what had happened.
“Thank you, Aunt Sun. I understand now. This is just a misunderstanding,” Lan Sisi explained briefly.
“As long as it’s a misunderstanding. Find a chance to clarify it. Sometimes the rumors in this village can really drown a person.”
After seeing Aunt Sun off, Lan Sisi thought for a moment, closed the door, and went to town again.
Reputation was very important in this era. Although Lan Sisi did not care much, she still had to go along with it.
This matter could not be resolved without Sun Dafa’s help. Asking him for help meant she would have to tell him the truth, that she and Lin Ruihai were not actually husband and wife. Her source of goods would also become another issue. Lan Sisi covered her face. Perhaps this was the consequence of her lies.
While explaining things to Sun Dafa, Lan Sisi felt uneasy. After all, Sun Dafa was a very good partner and had helped her quite a bit.
After she finished speaking, the office fell silent for a few seconds, followed by Sun Dafa’s hearty laughter. “You came in looking so serious just now, I thought it was something big. I understand. A young girl like you working with men like us, being cautious is the right thing to do. If I had known at the time that you were only seventeen, I definitely wouldn’t have trusted you.” Sun Dafa spoke very frankly.
“It was out of necessity,” Lan Sisi said, rubbing her nose.
“Don’t worry. This is not a small matter. I’ll inform Old Li. It will definitely be handled properly. That cousin of yours seems to have bad intentions. Someone like her, Old Li probably won’t keep her in the factory anymore,” Sun Dafa said.
“Thank you, Brother Sun,” Lan Sisi said. She did not sympathize with Lan Hehua, who was about to lose her job. Showing mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself. If she did not have connections, those rumors might have forced her to move to another city to live.
“It’s nothing. By the way, little sister, does your friend still have vegetables? The bureau has issued another quota. I need to get more than a thousand jin. The vegetables you provided last time tasted especially good, the leaders specifically requested that kind,” Sun Dafa said. Because of her new supply source, Lan Sisi once again fabricated a “friend.”
“Yes, there are. Come to the usual place in a few days to pick them up,” Lan Sisi said with a smile.
“Alright.”
“Little sister, I, Old Sun, have a pretty good eye for people. The fate between you and Brother Lin still has a long way to go,” Sun Dafa teased before she left.
At the Lan family’s old residence, Yu Shi had just returned from outside when Liu Guihua hurried up to her. “How did it go?”
“Now the whole village is talking about it. Everyone knows what that worthless girl has done!” Yu Shi said smugly.
“Let’s see how she can still act so arrogant now. The grudge of me being in the police station for so many days is finally avenged!” Liu Guihua snorted coldly.
Fang Shi glanced at them from the side and then lowered her head again. Junsheng had been right, this matter really had to be handled by the two of them.
“Mother, if that worthless girl ruins her reputation and implicates us, what should we do? Guangming still needs to find a wife in the future,” Yu Shi said worriedly.
“What’s there to be afraid of? If her reputation is ruined, our family will sever ties with her. At most, she’s just a broom star whose wings have grown strong. After doing such shameless things, our Lan family won’t tolerate her anymore.”
“Exactly. Our Lan family has never produced someone like that. If this were a few years earlier, she would have been paraded through the streets with a placard,” Yu Shi said disdainfully.
Lan Meili listened to their conversation from inside the room, her heart completely unmoved. Lan Sisi was detestable, but even more detestable was this group of vicious and disgusting people.
She had already used various excuses to get more than thirty yuan from Yu Shi, all of which she had sewn into her undergarments.
Now Yu Shi was not going to the fields to help as usual, but instead stayed at home cooking. Lan Meili knew that Liu Guihua had sent her to watch her. Even at night, she had found an excuse to sleep in the same room. It would not be easy for her to find an opportunity to escape.
“Mom, tomorrow I want to go to town to buy a box of face cream,” Lan Meili said expressionlessly as she lay on the bed beside Yu Shi.
“What face cream? You’ve already bought so many things. How much money do we have for you to waste? All the money is in your grandmother’s hands. What I have is what I’ve managed to save with difficulty. I still need to buy snacks for your brother,” Yu Shi complained.
“But my face has been very dry lately. If I get married and the other side isn’t satisfied and returns me, what then?”
Yu Shi had already told her about the arranged marriage, which now became a very good excuse.
Thinking of Lai Hu’s family’s overbearing manner, she was indeed afraid they might come to “return the goods.” Yu Shi backed down again. “Fine, fine. Raising a daughter costs so much before bringing in any money. In the future, I can only rely on your brother.”
Yu Shi’s nagging gradually quieted. Lan Meili stared at the ceiling in the darkness, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
A few days later, Xiulan and the other aunts came at the agreed time to pick up the finished clothes.
Aside from Xiulan and Aunt Tang, the others looked at Lan Sisi with somewhat strange expressions. After taking the clothes, they quickly left without saying much, as if afraid of being associated with her.
“Don’t take it to heart. They like to listen to gossip and believe whatever they hear,” Xiulan said awkwardly.
“It’s fine. People can say whatever they want. It won’t take a piece of flesh off me,” Lan Sisi said indifferently.