The largest crock held half a jar of rice. The medium-sized one contained a mostly full jar of broad bean paste. Of the two smaller crocks, one held pickled vegetables and the other, salted vegetables.
Lin Lan remembered the salted vegetables her grandmother used to make. They were best for stir-frying with cured meat or fresh chilies and served with congee. The salted vegetables here had also been brought to the original owner by her two older brothers from their family home.
Lin Lan sighed. She thought about how the original owner's parents, though angry at her for being disobedient, had still prepared a dowry and married her into the Yang family.
The brand-new chests, the large square table, the bowls and basins, the thermos... most of it had been stolen by Yang Guangming to pay off his gambling debts.
'Such is a parent's heart.' Lin Lan couldn't help but sigh at the thought.
It took several changes of filthy, black water to finally scrub the stove, the cupboards, the bowls and chopsticks, the earthenware pots and jars, and the wooden rice steamer clean.
She picked up a broom made of sorghum stalks and swept the kitchen clean. She gathered the scattered straw in front of the stove, bundled it up, and stacked it neatly against the wall before wiping down the stove one more time.
Realizing it was getting late, she ladled a bowl of rice into a basin. She saved the cloudy water from washing the rice in a separate basin to wash her hair with later. Then, she poured the clean rice into the pot and started cooking.
Lin Lan grabbed a handful of salted vegetables from their jar and plucked two pickled peppers from the pickle crock.
She saw they were pickled Erjingtiao peppers, which were a mix of green and red. Erjingtiao peppers had a mild heat with a slightly sweet aftertaste, making them the best choice for making chili bean paste.
She minced the salted vegetables and pickled peppers and put them on a plate. After washing the cutting board, she set it on the washboard to dry. By the time she returned to the kitchen, the rice in the pot was boiling. She stirred it a few times with the spatula, then pinched a grain between her fingers. Seeing that only a tiny, hard core remained, she began to strain the rice.
She poured the strained, half-cooked rice back into the pot, mounding it with the spatula. She then ladled half a bowl of water around the edges and left it to steam over a low flame.
Smelling the faint, fragrant aroma of the rice water, Lin Lan's stomach started to rumble.
She ladled out a bowl of the rice water, blew on it to cool it down, and took a drink. "Now this is all-natural and pollution-free," she said. "This rice water is even more fragrant than the jasmine rice of the future."
After finishing her bowl of rice water, Lin Lan added firewood to the other stove ring and began to stir-fry the salted vegetables.
She got the small earthenware jar of lard from the cupboard, scooped some out, and mixed it with a little rapeseed oil in the wok. Once the oil was scorching hot, she tossed in the salted vegetables and pickled peppers. A savory, salty aroma immediately filled the air.
It was so satisfying to stir-fry in a large wok. A few quick tosses and the salted vegetables were done. She scooped them onto an off-white earthenware plate, covered it with another plate, and set it on top of the pot lid to keep warm.
She ladled a scoop of water into the wok and swept the area in front of the stove clean before heading inside to get the dirty clothes.
On top of a chest, Lin Lan found several small, white paper packets. She opened them and saw different kinds of pills inside.
She guessed the original owner must have taken some cold medicine and never woken up. With a sigh, she carried the dirty clothes out to soak in the washbasin and went to pick up her "bargain" son, Little Douzi.
Just as she opened the courtyard gate, she saw Yang Dingbang walking toward her, pushing a bicycle. Little Douzi was sitting on the crossbar.
On the luggage rack behind, there sat a robust-looking little boy dressed in a corduroy outfit—maroon with small black circles. That must be his son, Dandan.
The old woman, carrying a small back-basket, followed behind the bicycle with a smile.
When Little Douzi saw Lin Lan, he waved happily. "Mama, Mama! Look, I'm riding the bicycle!"
Seeing his beaming face, Lin Lan smiled back. "Hold on tight, don't fall off."
Little Douzi grinned at her. "I won't! Uncle said as long as I hold onto the handlebars, I won't fall."
Yang Dingbang gave Lin Lan a polite nod and lifted Little Douzi off the crossbar. He turned his head to the old woman and said, "Grandma, I'll come back to see you again next Sunday. Dandan, say goodbye to Great-Grandma, little brother Douzi, and Auntie!"
Dandan waved his chubby little hand. "Bye, Great-Grandma! Bye, Douzi! Bye, Auntie!"
Little Douzi leaned against Lin Lan and waved at them with a smile. "Bye, Uncle! Bye, Dandan!"
"Bye! I'll come play with you on Sunday!" Dandan waved again.
The old woman smiled and rubbed his head, then reminded Yang Dingbang, "Ride a little slower, and remember to tell Dandan to keep his legs spread wide so they don't get caught in the spokes."
Dandan looked at her. "Great-Grandma, I'll remember."
Yang Dingbang also smiled and nodded. "I know. You take care at home. If you need anything, just send word to me."
'I'll help look after Great-Aunt,' Lin Lan wanted to say, but then she thought about the original owner's unreliable reputation and swallowed the words.
The old woman waved with a smile. "Don't you worry about me. Just take care of yourself and Dandan."
Yang Dingbang nodded and rode away on his bicycle.
Only then did the old woman turn to Lin Lan. "I cut two heads of tuber mustard, picked some flowering stalks, and I have some leftover red-stemmed rapeseed, eggplant, and chili pepper seedlings. Take them inside."
Lin Lan quickly took the back-basket, noticing it was quite heavy. "Thank you, Great-Aunt. Please, come in and sit for a while."
"It's just a few vegetables, no need for thanks! Just focus on living a good life." The old woman took a couple of steps, then stopped and looked back at Lin Lan. "The old hen at home has gone broody. I need to go keep an eye on her. When the time comes, should I save a few chicks for you?"
Looking at the small, thin old woman, Lin Lan felt a warmth spread through her heart. She nodded repeatedly. "Yes, please! Thank you, Great-Aunt. I will definitely live a good life."
The old woman stared at Lin Lan for a moment, feeling that she really was different from before. Her eyes were bright, and she made eye contact when she spoke. Not like before, when she would answer quickly but her eyes would dart around, too afraid to meet anyone's gaze.
"I'll trust you this one time. But if you go back to being lazy and greedy like you were before, see if I bother with you again."
Lin Lan said earnestly, "Great-Aunt, don't worry. I promise I won't." She took the tuber mustard and seedlings out of the back-basket and handed it back to her.
The old woman took it, glancing at Lin Lan's tied-up hair. "You look much tidier today. It'd be even better if you cleaned up the courtyard too." With that, she turned and walked toward the head of the bridge.
Lin Lan's face instantly turned red. The original owner had been wearing these clothes when she woke up, and she'd been so busy all day she hadn't had a chance to change!
"Great-Aunt, call me if you need anything!" she yelled after the old woman's retreating figure.
The old woman waved a hand without looking back and continued on her way.
Little Douzi tugged on her finger, pulled two pieces of fruit candy from his pocket, and looked at her with a grin. "Mama, Great-Grandma gave these to me. I saved two for you."
Lin Lan looked at the scrawny little boy, tucked the candies back into his pocket, and said gently, "Mama doesn't need them. Little Douzi can save them for tomorrow."
Little Douzi gave her a kiss. "Little Douzi is a good boy. I'm saving them for when Mama has to take her bitter medicine."
Lin Lan's nose tingled, and she swept him up into a hug, kissing him. "Mama's all better now. From now on, Mama will earn money to buy Little Douzi lots of candy."
Hearing this, Little Douzi's bright, dark eyes widened with happiness. Lin Lan could see her own reflection in those inky-black eyes.
"Mama, I don't want candy. I want to go to kindergarten with Dandan."
Lin Lan looked at him and nodded firmly. "Okay. Mama will work hard and earn enough money to send our Little Douzi to kindergarten."