"See that? Itâs this one, itâs amazing, now give me the clothes," Liang Qian took the set of autumn clothes and pants from Lin Wanâs hands and put them in the spin dryer. "In just a minute, the clothes will be completely spun dry."
"Godmother, this washing machine is pretty good. Brother Junzi bought it from somewhere. Can we maybe get one too?"
"You guys really need one. In the future, when Little Star wets the bed or you need to wash big items, you can just use this. Iâll ask him tomorrow."
While the two were talking, Lin Wanâs clothes had finished spinning. Liang Qian took a hanger and helped her hang them in the small room. Sheâd take them out to dry tomorrow.
Seeing that Lin Wan had washed her underwear, Liang Qian immediately understood.
The mother and daughter chatted away, forgetting they were in thin pajamas, until they both noticed the cold. They exchanged smiles and returned to their rooms.
People in the Capital City like to install "local heating" in their homes. You have to install it yourself, design it yourself, and burn coal yourself. The stove is made by experts and isnât available on the market, and the stoveâs quality directly affects the hot water circulation. Most of the time, the temperature is quite low, but itâs not completely useless. Itâs similar to the big stove they have in their living room in S City. Itâs not exactly warm, but it can make the indoor temperature a bit better.
Lying on the soft, big bed without a foot heater, Lin Wan couldnât sleep. She missed Han Yi. This comfortable big bed would definitely be cozier with Han Yi, that "stove," holding her.
I wonder if Han Yi is asleep now, he didnât call this afternoon...
When Lin Wan was thinking about Han Yi, she didnât know that Han Yi had already gone to the countryside with the senior leaders.
...
After those men drank so much last night, Lin Wan got up early today to make them wood ear and dried lily bulb sour soup.
Brother Junzi ate a few hurried bites and went out pulling Lin Yinghui along.
It was rare for Godfather to slowly drink two big bowls of the wood ear and sour soup. If it werenât inconvenient to come back at noon, he surely wouldâve come back no matter how hungry he was to eat the food his goddaughter made.
This goddaughter is a good find, heâs in for some good meals in the future.
In the morning, Liang Qian took Lin Wan to the department store. They shopped around. Sure enough, they sold breast pumps there. This solved a big problem for Lin Wan.
Speaking of which, the things sold here were not much different from S City, mainly shopping for novelty, actually, Lin Wan most wanted to visit was Shanghai and Guangdong.
There should be plenty of good things there now, she wanted to go there to scout for a big color TV.
After going around, there wasnât much she liked, but Godmother insisted on buying her a pair of cotton leather shoes, and a pair for each of the two brothers as well.
They sold down jackets here, long ones, although not as fashionable as in later years, they were still quite good. The quality of down jackets at this time was particularly high.
Lin Wan bought herself a light purple one with an oversized fur collar. It felt particularly comfortable against her face.
Lin Wan wasnât stingy either, she bought Godmother a gray one and Mom a light dark blue one. These down jackets werenât cheap, each cost one hundred yuan. Liang Qian didnât want them, but she couldnât compete with how quick Lin Wan was to pay.
"Godmother, my brother and I came here without bringing any gifts, isnât it normal for a daughter to buy clothes for her parents? Unless you donât think of me as your daughter."
"Iâm just worried youâre spending money recklessly, I have plenty of clothes."
"Even if you wear one a day, youâll get to wear them all."
With those words, Lin Wan exchanged smiles with Liang Qian.
"Oh, so you think youâre a wealthy tycoon, wearing one a day."
Without looking, they both knew who it wasâXie Zhitao, who had jeered at them in the courtyard yesterday.
To their surprise, Nurse Yang, who had been entangled with her man in S City, was among them too.
"Oh, who do we have here, itâs Lin Village Girl," Yang Ting had returned home yesterday to hear her mom say Mr. Mei had taken in two godchildren. At that time, sheâd felt a rush of envy. To make Mr. Mei her godfather would surely boost her standing. The eldest son of the Mei family was her uncle by marriage, the youngest her godfather. From then on, she could practically walk sideways in the military.
What she didnât expect was to meet a familiar enemy in such a narrow alley.
Hearing Yang Ting call her that, Lin Wan frowned slightly, "Nurse Yang, I donât think Iâve offended you today, have I?"
Mr. Mei really is keeping things in the family, introducing his current wifeâs niece to Han Yi.
Yang Ting crossed her arms with a contemptuous look.
"Tingting, did you say Mr. Meiâs goddaughter is a rural one?" Xie Zhitao looked gleefully at Liang Qian, "Sister Liang, youâre something, picking someone from the countryside to recognize. Could it be because you saw that the young girl hasnât seen much of the world and is easily fooled, brought home to do your chores, a free maid to serve you?"
"Xie Zhitao, did you and your mother not brush your teeth this morning? The words coming from your mouth are polluting the air. Why donât you ask around, going back three generations in our compound, who wasnât from the countryside? Oh...you mustâve forgotten, your Old Yang was a rural guy. Your mother-in-law passed away a few years ago, and didnât you go back to the countryside then? Itâs only been a few years and youâve already forgotten," Liang Qian wasnât afraid to confront Xie Zhitao, she never let herself suffer losses. Occasionally finding someone to vent to didnât bother her. Besides, if someone willingly presents themselves for a scolding, thereâs not much you can do.
"You..." Xie Zhitao was left speechless by Liang Qianâs retort.
"Aunt Liang, my mom didnât mean that. Sheâs just worried about you being deceived and couldnât say it directly. I know Lin Wan, her family is from the countryside. She seduced a soldier, got married, and even had a child. Runs her own business outside, doesnât have a proper job."
Liang Qian chuckled as she looked at the mother-daughter duo in front of her, "I know what your mom meant, Iâm not stupid. I know my girl better than you. My daughter fell in love freely, married a soldier, willingly became a military wife, got married, raised a child, and earns her own money to support the family. Weâre all proud of her. Howâs that not having a proper job? Iâve heard you didnât even graduate high school, didnât attend any formal nurse training, just went to the team as a nurse. You truly have the guts to make something as serious as treating illnesses and saving lives a joke. I wonder who gave you that nerve."
Liang Qianâs words made the mother and daughter feel uneasy, casting furtive glances around at the strange looks from the people. Yang Ting felt embarrassed. She hadnât intended to go to the military; her grades werenât good, and she didnât want to study. Her mom wanted her to attend a normal school and become a teacher after graduation.
But unexpectedly, her uncle offered a position on his team, saying they had a great lad, but their family lacked a daughter. So, they thought of her. Coincidentally, Han Yiâs team was short of nurses, so Mei Shuping sent Yang Ting over. They told her to learn some skills there, be able to give injections and basic care. Plus, they wanted the two to get to know each other. In the same unit, they could develop a relationship in the future.
Although Yang Ting was a bit unwilling, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Han Yi. But Han Yi didnât pay her any mind, keeping a cold face all day as if everyone owed him money.
She had clearly told Han Yi that if he married her, his future would be bright, and he wouldnât have to work so hard. Who knew, hearing this made Han Yi even colder to her.
It hadnât even been a few months before he secretly got married to a rural girl who wasnât even pretty or of good family background. A clear slap to her face.
As they say, in the military, one canât just transfer in or out at whim. Itâs not a game. She was so angry she wanted to leave but couldnât.
Yang Ting spent two years in the unit, barely learning to give injections and clean wounds, wasting two years of youth without gaining other skills. She managed to offend quite a few people along the way.
After finally enduring until the two-year discharge, she had just returned.
Liang Qian spoke her mind, feeling satisfied, and walked home with Lin Wan, smiling.
Passing by the food market, they bought some chicken, duck, fish, and vegetables. Theyâd cook up a storm back home. Tomorrow, they planned to steam buns and chop dumpling fillings.
"Xiao Wan, do you know that Yang Ting?"
"Hmm, sheâs a nurse in Han Yiâs unit, just like Godmother said, she canât do much of anything. Got in through connections and is really arrogant. Most people donât like her much."