freenovelworld Chapter 374 - 371: I Missed You
Chapter 374 - 371: I Missed You
Without waiting for his reply, Lin Lan removed the lid from the coal stove, ladled out some hot water from the aluminum pot, went inside to grab two heads of bok choy, and took them to the sink.
Li Xiangyang leaned lazily against the bamboo chair, smiling as he watched her wash the vegetables and cook the noodles. Before long, a fragrant bowl of noodles was placed on the small square table.
Lin Lan looked at him with a beaming smile. "Go on, eat. It’s your favorite, saozi noodles."
"Mhm!" Li Xiangyang picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down the noodles.
Lin Lan’s heart ached seeing him eat like that. She said softly, "Eat slowly. The zongzi won’t be ready for a little while."
Li Xiangyang nodded. After he was full, he drank a bowl of the old duck soup that Lin Lan had heated up and sighed, "It’s still best at home."
Lin Lan cleared the bowl and chopsticks, smiling. "You sit and rest for a bit. I’ll go get Xinglan."
Li Xiangyang nodded. Full and content, he was starting to feel drowsy.
Tong Xinglan came out rubbing her eyes. Seeing Li Xiangyang leaning back in the chair, she jumped in surprise, suddenly wide awake. "Brother-in-law, where did you pop out from?"
Lin Lan laughed and gave her a light tap. "Silly girl, what a way to talk!"
Tong Xinglan stuck out her tongue. "I was still half-asleep."
Li Xiangyang chuckled. "As punishment, you have to get the zongzi. Your cousin and I are heading back now."
Tong Xinglan nodded repeatedly. "Okay, be careful on your way."
"Lock the door properly. If anything happens, just call for Sister Liying next door."
"Got it." Tong Xinglan smiled, closed the door, and bolted it shut.
Lin Lan sat on the back seat as Li Xiangyang pedaled the bicycle under the dim yellow streetlights. "Honey, Uncle Da and I have been looking into it along the way. We think this less-than-truckload shipping business is doable. We’re thinking if it’s right, we’ll start a shipping company."
They had asked many merchants. Some found shipping by train too expensive, while for others, their areas weren’t serviced by rail, and transferring goods back and forth was too much trouble. A number of merchants were willing to pay someone for shipping.
Another group was worried that if they handed their goods over, and the person turned out to be a scammer who ran off with them, who would they turn to?
Lin Lan vaguely remembered that individuals weren’t allowed to establish companies in this era. Later on, there were township-run enterprises, and it seemed that if an individual wanted to grow their business, they could only operate under the umbrella of an existing state-owned enterprise or public institution. "Are individuals even allowed to start companies right now?"
"Even if we do it, we have to take it one step at a time. First, the truck. We’ve already called Old Zhang and asked him to keep an eye out for a truck for us. After we buy it, we’ll still need to find someone to modify the cargo bed."
As Li Xiangyang spoke, he remembered the house in Yangcheng City. "Old Zhang helped us find a place in the suburbs. It’s an abandoned factory building, pretty big. Uncle Da and I have already bought it. Uncle Da fronted some of the money. After we deliver the holiday gifts tomorrow, I’ll pay him back."
"Okay." Lin Lan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Xiangyang, you’ve made a few trips to Yangcheng City now. Do you think the journey is very risky?"
She felt that with their house in Yangcheng City, their house and shop in the East Market, and their other businesses, they didn’t need to work so hard on the less-than-truckload shipping. Their lives could already be very comfortable.
Li Xiangyang smiled. "There are risks, but it’s not as scary as people make it out to be." He knew Lin Lan wouldn’t believe him if he said there was no risk at all, but he didn’t dare tell her about the highway robbers.
In her past life, Lin Lan had been too young at this time, only knowing that a lot of people were arrested in ’83. When she grew up and started her own business, she heard stories from older businesspeople and knew that society was unstable in these years.
"I don’t think any amount of money is more important than being safe and sound. Besides, if we just stick with the businesses we have now, we’re already better off than eighty or ninety percent of people. I don’t want you to take such big risks."
"Honey, I know. I’ve already talked it over with Uncle Da. I can invest as a shareholder without being involved in the operations." Li Xiangyang lowered his voice. "Uncle Da wants me to persuade Ding Bang and Dongzi to invest too. With people on our side, we won’t have to worry about someone trying to sabotage us once the business takes off."
Lin Lan leaned against his sturdy back. "You should probably discuss it with Dad. Elders are more experienced and see things more clearly than we do."
"I’ll talk to him." Li Xiangyang squeezed the hands Lin Lan had wrapped around his waist. She leaned against him, and under the dim yellow light, the shadows of the two people on the bicycle stretched out long.
It was one o’clock by the time they reached Yucai Road. Lin Lan opened the courtyard gate, and they went inside. Just as she opened the main door to the house, she saw Old Li standing at the doorway with a flashlight. "Dad, did we wake you?"
"It’s nothing, I was just up to use the bathroom." Old Li turned and closed his bedroom door.
Li Xiangyang closed the main door, led Lin Lan upstairs, and swept her into his arms. Lifted off her feet, Lin Lan quickly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
She was so startled she almost cried out. ’The old man is still up! How embarrassing would it be if he heard us!’
She gave him a pinch. "You scared me to death."
Li Xiangyang held her close, whispering in her ear, "Honey, did you miss me? I missed you so much."
During his days away, he had often wondered how he had ever managed to get through the twenty-odd years before he was married.
Lin Lan was dizzy from his kisses, only aware of her arms wrapped around him...
After their wonderful... exchange, Lin Lan lay exhausted on the bed, not even wanting to lift a finger.
When Lin Lan woke up early the next morning, she saw the morning light filtering through the curtains and paused for a moment, only then remembering she had come home with Li Xiangyang last night.
She turned her head and met Li Xiangyang’s gaze, and her face immediately burned hot.
Li Xiangyang pulled her into his arms, wrapping his hands around her waist and murmuring, "Honey, let’s sleep a little longer."
Lin Lan pleaded, "I’m too tired from the past few days. Let’s just lie here for a bit."
"Okay." Li Xiangyang ruffled her dark hair, shifted into a more comfortable position, and held her in his arms. The two of them snuggled together in silence...
A little while later, the sound of Little Douzi’s voice drifted in. Lin Lan picked up her watch and saw it was already seven o’clock. "You sleep a little longer. It’s the last day today. I’m going to check on the bakery. You can pack up the holiday gifts at home and then come find me at the shop."
Li Xiangyang had lost some weight on this trip, and Lin Lan’s heart ached for him. She wanted him to rest a bit more.
Li Xiangyang kissed her on the forehead. "Let’s get up together. I’ll take you to the bakery, then go to Uncle Da’s place to pay him back before coming home to pack the gifts."
"Alright." Lin Lan got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. She changed into a cream-white turtleneck sweater, a magenta trench coat, black casual pants, and black ankle boots. With her hair tied up, she looked energetic and festive.
Li Xiangyang put on a brown jacket over a black pullover wool sweater, with black casual pants and black ankle boots. He looked handsome and dashing.
Just then, Little Douzi’s knock came from the door. "Uncle Xiangyang, Mama, you’re back?"
Li Xiangyang opened the door and scooped him up. "Little Douzi, did you miss Uncle Xiangyang while I was away?"
Little Douzi wrapped his arms around his neck and snuggled against him affectionately. "I missed you. I missed you lots and lots, but you didn’t come back."