CHAPTER 437: CHAPTER 435: LYING

To wait for them, we made lunch, but none of us ate.

Zhang Dandan looked at the table full of dishes, swallowed her saliva discreetly.

She spotted them right away, two meat dishes, a fish, a small crispy pork. Such pure white rice. Tsk, tsk, she wouldn’t get to eat such a good meal at home even during the New Year.

Zhang Dandan had no idea that the family raised more than a dozen chickens. Liang Hongmei couldn’t bear to kill them, waiting for Lin Wan to finish her postpartum recovery, so she could cook chicken soup for her daughter.

With guests in the house, we couldn’t be too frugal and seem inattentive, so we specifically went out to buy a fish. The crispy pork was leftover fresh meat that Liang Hongmei brought back from the store yesterday.

Now with the weather hot, their night market had started long ago. With the heat, things couldn’t be kept for long, and every night when there were leftovers, sometimes Xiao Gu would bring some over, and sometimes Liang Hongmei would go retrieve them.

During the meal, Zhang Dandan ate elegantly but a lot; it was the best meal she had had in years.

"Aunt, when I was on my way here, I ran into a pickpocket, and lost all my luggage and the gifts I brought for you. Could you not tell the family when you send a message back? I don’t want them to worry." As the meal was almost finished, Zhang Dandan suddenly put down her bowl and spoke.

"Ran into a pickpocket?" Liang Hongmei frowned, visibly worried, "How could you be so careless? When going out, you have to be most alert. Your mother really is naive, letting a young girl travel such a long distance alone."

Zhang Dandan heard this, didn’t respond, kept her head down, looking sorrowful.

Seeing her this way, Liang Hongmei couldn’t say much more—it wasn’t her biological daughter after all. "Well, as long as you’re okay. Just be more careful from now on, alright?"

"I will, Aunt. Our family doesn’t have money for me to study, my mom sent me this time to work at Aunt’s store. Please don’t send me away, I’m hardworking, I can do any job." Zhang Dandan looked quite pitiful, as if her family didn’t care much for her.

The siblings kept silent, and Liang Hongmei sighed in her heart and said, "Your Sister Wan is about to give birth, I don’t have time to take you to the store now. Stay here for a few days, until Sister Wan has given birth and stabilized, then I’ll take you there." Then she added earnestly, "Dandan, you’re still young. Aunt knows your mom hasn’t let you do any chores since young. The shop work can be quite tiring, and Aunt worries you won’t be able to handle it."

"Aunt, I’m capable, I came from the countryside too. If Sister Wan can do it, so can I."

Those words from Zhang Dandan... though reasonable, didn’t sit well in Lin Wan’s heart.

Liang Hongmei didn’t say more. "If you truly can’t take it when the time comes, just tell me, alright?"

"Got it, Aunt." Zhang Dandan nodded obediently and then eagerly picked dishes for Lin Yinghui, who was eating quietly.

"Brother Ah Hui, eat more."

Suddenly adding a pair of chopsticks to his bowl, Lin Yinghui was taken aback and felt a little uncomfortable.

Zhang Dandan paused, realizing it wasn’t quite appropriate, quickly serving dishes to Lin Wan, Liang Hongmei, and even Han Yi.

Such actions made it seem as if they were the guests and Zhang Dandan was the host.

But no one commented on it. Everyone ate thoughtfully, and afterwards, Han Yi took Lin Wan back to their small yard for a nap. Lin Yinghui returned to his room, while Liang Hongmei originally planned to show Zhang Dandan to the room.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Dandan insisted on washing dishes to help her. Liang Hongmei couldn’t refuse her enthusiasm, so they washed dishes together first.

After coming out with her, Liang Hongmei showed her around the yard, explaining its layout to Zhang Dandan to familiarize herself. Finally, she led her to the west wing, "You’ll stay in this room for now. Let me know if you need anything."

"Understood, Aunt."

Seeing her empty-handed, Liang Hongmei quickly said, "Let me find some clothes from your Sister Wan for you to wear first."

Lowering her head to look at her own clothes, Zhang Dandan felt embarrassed.

When she came, her mom only gave her twenty yuan, didn’t let her bring clothes or anything, saying it was good to travel light, Aunt would surely buy her new ones when she got here.

Even if she didn’t buy any, since her figure was similar to Sister Wan’s, she could wear hers. Her mom also told her that once it was on, it was hers.

Her mom was so accurate. Aunt indeed went to get her cousin’s clothes.

After Liang Hongmei left, Zhang Dandan circled the room—a big bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.

Though the furniture was old, this room was much better than theirs, the quilt was cozy and warm.

The blanket on top felt wonderfully soft.

...

After returning to their room, Lin Wan made a call to her uncle, saying her little cousin had arrived so they wouldn’t worry. Just as Lin Wan hung up, Liang Hongmei came over.

"Mom, what’s wrong?"

Liang Hongmei sighed, "That kid lost her belongings, doesn’t even have clothes now. I’m here to find some of yours for her to wear. Find her some that you don’t wear often."

Lin Wan pouted, "Did she lose her stuff? I bet she didn’t bring anything at all, just waiting for us to buy them for her. What do you think, Ai Yi?"

Sitting in the living room, Han Yi sipped his tea and smiled quietly, not speaking.

The meaning was quite clear.

Liang Hongmei had no choice; whether things were lost or not, she had no clothes now, and this fool had to play along.

Lin Wan went to find some loose pants with broad sleeves for Zhang Dandan.

Since Zhang Dandan was slightly chubbier than her, even though she was only fifteen or sixteen, she was already quite plump.

In this aspect, Lin Wan couldn’t compare.

Now pregnant, the summer nightgown she had worn for two years, Lin Wan also gave to her. Liang Hongmei brought a few pieces of clothing to Zhang Dandan’s room, handed her a nightgown, urging her to shower and rest well.

She also mentioned taking her out for a stroll in the afternoon and buying some daily necessities.

Looking at Sister Wan’s clothes, Zhang Dandan couldn’t have been happier; though not new, the styles were something she hadn’t seen back home. Even on the train journey, she hadn’t seen any girl wearing these styles.

If she wore these clothes back home, her classmates would surely be envious.

After showering, Zhang Dandan closed the door, excitedly trying on the clothes in the room.

Lying in bed, Lin Wan was hot and bothered. Even with the fan on, she was restless.

"How about I get some hot water to give you a bath, you’ll feel better after a rinse," said Han Yi, knowing how uncomfortable Lin Wan was as he lay beside her.

"Hmm, that’s a good idea," Lin Wan replied, sitting up. The big plastic basin outside had clean water.

In the morning, it was filled with a basin, and after basking in the sun all day, it could be used for bathing at night.

Han Yi got up to move the basin of water from the backyard to the front of the house, had Lin Wan wear small shorts and sit on a small stool while he rinsed her.

Once done, he quickly wrapped her in a big towel and went inside the house, afterward using the hot water to bathe himself.

In the kitchen, there was still a kettle of hot water on the coal stove. After returning to the room, Han Yi helped Lin Wan lie on the bed edge, and then helped wash her hair.

With that, Lin Wan felt comfortable. Staying like that she didn’t wait for Han Yi to finish washing, and had already fallen asleep.

Han Yi tidied up the room, returned to carefully cover Lin Wan’s belly with a blanket, fearing she’d catch a chill.

"Baby, come out quickly. Look how tired mommy is, daddy feels heartbroken watching her." Han Yi finally had time to rest, lying beside Lin Wan, supporting his head with a hand, gently murmured, while placing a hand on Lin Wan’s belly.

In the afternoon. After three, Liang Hongmei took Zhang Dandan to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative. Bought her a toothbrush, tea mug, soap, daily necessities. Then took her for a stroll nearby, and incidentally gave Zhang Dandan two yuan to keep for emergencies.

Originally, Hongmei wanted to give Zhang Dandan five yuan, but remembering Liang Weixiang’s miserly greedy nature, she feared her daughter was even worse.