CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: WHITE FUNGUS AND LOTUS SEED SOUP

Lin Xiang yawned, "Mom, it’s already very late, let’s go to sleep quickly."

After saying that, she fell on the bed and immediately started snoring away in sleep.

After the night’s turmoil, she was already exhausted beyond measure.

In contrast to Lin Xiang’s adaptation, Mrs. Lin couldn’t sleep and turned over repeatedly, enduring until four or five in the morning before barely catching a wink.

The next morning, just as Lin Xiang got up, Director Chen’s secretary, Xiao Zhang, knocked on the door.

"Comrade Lin, the director asked me to convey to you that breakfast is ready, you can go to the canteen to eat first, and then the director will have his driver take you home by car."

"The director called the leadership team for a meeting early in the morning, and it’s still not over, so he can’t host you personally. The director asked me to convey his apologies."

Lin Xiang felt a bit embarrassed and repeatedly said, "After breakfast, we’ll just head back ourselves, there’s no need to trouble the director."

"No, no, this is the director’s intention."

"I appreciate the director’s thought, but if we ride the director’s special car back, it would be too conspicuous. We’ll wait for another opportunity later."

Lin Xiang insisted so persistently that Secretary Zhang couldn’t force her, so they led them to the canteen.

The food was the same as at midnight, with big meat buns and porridge, but the millet porridge was replaced with a sweet white fungus and lotus seed soup, generously sweetened with sugar, making it sweet and delicious.

White fungus and lotus seeds were hard to come by, even leaders couldn’t drink it often, yet it was used to treat the mother and daughter, reflecting Director Chen’s gratitude.

Lin Xiang had secured new orders for the cotton spinning factory. Forget about the white fungus and lotus seed soup, even if she wanted to eat a whole cow, Director Chen would find a way to get it for her.

However, the big meat buns were from the batch steamed at midnight, just reheated, and taste-wise, there was no difference.

Early in the morning, Lin Xiang couldn’t handle greasy food, so she only had one meat bun and drank two bowls of the white fungus and lotus seed soup.

Mrs. Lin wanted to eat more freely, but fearing that she might embarrass Lin Xiang, she restrained herself to just three buns.

After eating, Secretary Zhang took an aluminum lunchbox and a thermos, packing the remaining big meat buns and white fungus and lotus seed soup.

"Comrade Lin, I noticed you seem to like this, so I packed it all up for you, take it with you when you leave."

At that time, people didn’t consider taking leftovers a matter of shame; on the contrary, having guests take food back was a display of the host’s sincerity.

Lin Xiang naturally accepted it with great happiness.

"Secretary Zhang, we’re going home now. Please convey to the director that if there’s anything needed, just give me a call. I’ll come over as soon as I get the call."

"Don’t worry, Comrade Lin, I’ll tell the director."

Seeing the mother and daughter struggling with twenty bolts of fabric, and thinking about the distant Li Hua Team, Secretary Zhang hesitated and asked, "Are you sure you don’t need a ride back? It won’t use much fuel."

Lin Xiang thought to herself, it wasn’t about the fuel, but mainly because it would be too ostentatious, and she didn’t want to become a target in the village.

Once people get envious, who knows what trouble they might stir up.

Silently making money matched her style more.

So, Lin Xiang once again declined Secretary Zhang’s kindness.

"There’s an ox cart from Li Hua Team at the town entrance; I’ll just spend an extra twenty cents to have the ox cart take us back. Secretary Zhang, you should go about your work, no need to worry about us."

Upon Lin Xiang’s insistence, Secretary Zhang couldn’t say much, and helped move the fabric onto Sun’s ox cart before bidding farewell to Lin Xiang.

Lin Xiang directly gave Grandpa Sun fifty cents plus one big meat bun.

"Grandpa Sun, these fabrics have filled the ox cart to the brim, making it inconvenient to carry others, please take us directly home."

"Sure, I’ll take you straight to your doorstep," Grandpa Sun agreed readily.

Waiting an entire afternoon might not guarantee finding five people willing to pay for the ox cart, and fabric was certainly lighter than people, saving strain on the old ox.

Moreover, Lin Xiang gave him a big meat bun.

On the way back, Lin Xiang said to Mrs. Lin, "I initially thought of taking you for some shopping at the supply and marketing cooperative, but it’s inconvenient today; I’ll take you another day."

The Niu Family had given her quite a few coupons: soap coupons, toothpaste coupons, toothbrush coupons, water tank coupons... everything she could think and not think of.

Although these kinds of coupons didn’t have a time limit, the Lin Family lacked these necessities, and buying them sooner could improve their happiness sooner.

But today, carrying all this fabric was inconvenient, so it would have to wait until next time.

Mrs. Lin was still reminiscing about their experiences from yesterday afternoon to today.

She was originally worried her patched clothes might embarrass Lin Xiang, but unexpectedly, not only did the leaders not mind, they even gave so much fabric.

Looking at the high-quality fabrics, which were clearly top-notch upon touch, she immediately thought of Aunt Lin and shivered, "Dear, what if your Aunt Lin wants to take some when she hears about the fabric?"

If given, she’d feel reluctant, but if not, and Aunt Lin caused trouble...

"Don’t worry, Mom, if she dares, I’ll tell her off so she can’t tell north from south!"

However, returning home with so much fabric was indeed eye-catching, so Lin Xiang whispered something to Mrs. Lin.

Mrs. Lin pouted, "This was earned by your skills, why should we give it to them?"

Other families never shared their good stuff with them, so why should they get to take advantage?

Mrs. Lin usually seemed timid in front of Aunt Lin, perhaps due to familial suppression, but it didn’t mean she was equally meek with others.

"It’s not giving, but exchanging. You’ll see when we get back home."

The Lin Family’s mother and daughter had gone to town and even stayed overnight, and upon returning in the morning, they brought back quite a bit of fabric.

Upon hearing the news, the villagers came to the Lin Family to see what was going on.

Even Grandpa Sun, who drove the ox cart, got a couple of questions from the village’s "talkative" aunties.

Having eaten two big meat buns from Lin Xiang, Grandpa Sun was sure to side with her.

"I didn’t look closely, how would I know how much there is? You can go see for yourselves if you’re curious."

"The fabric was all taken from the cotton spinning factory, even moved onto the ox cart with the director’s secretary, can it be fake?"

At the Lin House, Lin Xiang chose a few pieces of fabric Mrs. Lin liked best and locked them in the house, leaving the rest, around ten bolts, in the main room.

Mrs. Lin couldn’t help but get angry thinking these fabrics would soon become someone else’s.

Lin Xiang ignored her and took some buns to find Lin Yun.

Lin Yun was working on a machine in the yard.

"Brother, take a break and have something to eat."

Without stopping his work, Lin Yun replied, "I’m not hungry yet, I’ll eat after I finish."

"These meat buns aren’t good reheated again and again, they won’t taste nice later."