Chapter 79: Invitation

Not long after, previous customers came with their basins and baskets. Everyone exchanged brief greetings, quickly bought what they needed, and hurriedly left, as if they had never been there before. Wang Qian was already used to this kind of behavior. Surprisingly, the items they brought this time were not enough to go around, and a few people missed out on buying. Seeing the disappointment on their faces, Zhang Lan couldn’t bear it. “Qianqian, don’t you still have some fish left? Why don’t you bring it out to sell?”

Zhang Lan’s reminder made Wang Qian remember. “Grandma, I still have some carp. Do you want some?”

Several people who had missed out hurried back upon hearing the mother and daughter’s offer. They were willing to settle for soup if they couldn’t have meat, and besides, the supplementary food store was overcrowded due to the festival. Buying here saved them a lot of trouble.

“Yes, we want some fish.”

“Wait here, I’ll bring the fish over,” the mother and daughter hurriedly went to a secluded spot where they took out the fish from the space, leaving two for Zuo He’s family.

The fish Zhang Lan brought were alive, and the remaining people quickly bought them. They all had children, so they took some for their families. After selling everything, the mother and daughter quickly delivered the items they had set aside for Shan Shuzhen.

“Aunt Shan, these were gathered at the seaside. Please don’t mind,” Wang Qian said as she handed over the items.

Shan Shuzhen looked at the items handed to her and exclaimed, “Wow, conch and sea snails! These are my favorites, but they’re not available for sale now. Thank you, Qianqian.”

Since they were giving gifts, they made sure to give what the other person liked. With that done, the mother and daughter left and headed straight to Zuo He’s house.

The old lady was preparing lunch, and her grandson would be coming home from school soon. Unexpectedly, she saw Wang Qian leading a woman over, carrying quite a few things.

The old lady quickly went to greet them. “Qianqian, it’s been a while since you last came. Who is this…?” The old lady hadn’t met Zhang Lan before, so she didn’t want to speak out of turn.

“Grandma Zuo, this is my mom. She’s here to see you today,” Wang Qian said.

Zhang Lan finally met the Grandma Zuo her daughter often mentioned. She looked lively and, aside from being a bit thin, her eyes were filled with affection, something her mother-in-law lacked.

“Sister-in-law, I often hear the child mention you. I finally get to meet you in person. No wonder the child is so close to you. Even I feel close to you,” the old lady said excitedly, taking Zhang Lan’s hand. “Niece, both my grandson and I have relied on your care to avoid ending up on the streets. Today, I finally get to see you. I have to thank you.”

Zhang Lan smiled while being led by the old lady into the house. “Aunt, it’s fate that we’ve met. The child has been able to sell things in the city thanks to your care.”

Wang Qian took the items she had brought into the kitchen. Seeing that there wasn’t much in the kitchen, she realized that the grandmother and grandson were also having a hard time. In her opinion, living a simple life was fine, but she could sense that the old couple had lived well before. The stark contrast between then and now was fortunate that the elderly couple had managed to get through. People often say it’s easy to go from simplicity to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to simplicity.

“Grandma, I’m back from school,” Zuo He said as he ran into the yard with his school bag. Seeing a stranger inside, he quickly stopped and looked curiously at the woman in patched clothes.

Zhang Lan couldn’t help but feel a surge of maternal love as she looked at the handsome little boy. “You’re Zuo He, right? I’m Wang Qian’s mother. I’ve come to give you a hug.”

Upon hearing this, Zuo He’s eyes lit up, and he obediently extended his arms for Zhang Lan to hug him. “Auntie, where’s Qianqian? I haven’t seen her for days. Did you bring her with you?”

Wang Qian came out of the kitchen and saw the little boy with wide eyes asking about her. “Zuo He, I’m here.”

Seeing her, Zuo He asked Zhang Lan to put him down and ran over to Wang Qian. “Qianqian, I’ve been waiting for you for days. Why did you take so long to come? Look, I’m back at school.”

He showed off his school bag to Wang Qian.

“Zuo He, have you resumed classes?” Wang Qian asked.

The little boy nodded. “Sister, I’ll take you to play in the house.”

The two adults in the yard smiled as they watched the children interact. “Aunt, we’ll be having lunch at your place today. I’ll help you with the cooking,” Zhang Lan said.

The old lady smiled and said, “There’s no need to talk about having lunch. I’m happy that you’re here. Let’s go, the two of us will cook for the children.”

When they reached the kitchen, the old lady was surprised to see that the mother and daughter had brought so many things. “Niece, we feel bad for always eating your things. And on top of that, you’ve helped take care of my old man. How can I thank you?”

Zhang Lan continued to wash the vegetables skillfully as she spoke, “Aunt, don’t mention it. We’ve all become acquainted because of the children. You can rest assured about your husband’s matters in the future. I’d like to invite you to my house to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. We can also visit Uncle Zuo. What do you think?”

The old lady was naturally delighted but hesitated for a moment. “Niece, wouldn’t it be too much trouble for us to visit?”

Zhang Lan smiled and said, “What trouble? I won’t prepare anything special for you. It’ll just be simple home-cooked meals. You don’t need to hesitate. Remember to bring Zuo He along. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen Uncle. Qianqian and I will make sure you get to see him. That way, you can feel at ease.”

As the two women cooked, Wang Qian and Zuo He chatted in the house. Zuo He asked about his parents and brothers, and his mood seemed a bit low. Wang Qian quickly comforted the little boy, “Zuo He, maybe you’ll get to see your mom and dad during the New Year. Besides, you need to take care of your grandma now. By the way, come over to our place to play in a few days. There are many fun things at our place.”

As soon as they mentioned playing, Zuo He’s spirits lifted. “Is that true? Can I go see my grandpa?”

Seeing Zuo He’s disbelief, Wang Qian pinched the little boy’s tender cheek. It felt good to the touch. “You’ll know when you go in a few days.”

After lunch, the mother and daughter and the grandmother and grandson finished eating. Zuo He went back to school, and Zhang Lan took her daughter to the store, leaving the old lady’s house early.

Zhang Lan had gone to the store this time on Wang Qian’s suggestion. The weather was getting hot, and her older siblings didn’t have suitable clothes. In the past few years, the family hadn’t been able to find anything good to wear. With her around, she couldn’t let her siblings suffer.

“Mom, this time you and Dad should buy some fabric. I’m still young, so I don’t need to buy anything. I’ll just wear what my older sister has. Don’t buy anything for me,” Wang Qian said.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care about her appearance, but the family’s current situation was indeed limited. As a child from the countryside, she didn’t have many requirements. Children her age in the countryside often ran around wearing homemade cloth pants, so she didn’t want to be treated differently. When her older siblings grew up, at least they would have some good memories.

Bringing up the past brought back memories of hardship and bitterness.

After buying clothes for her three children and her husband, she also bought a piece of fabric at her daughter’s insistence, intending to make something herself when she got back.

As they saw ice pops being sold at the entrance, Wang Qian remembered that her older siblings had never tried ice pops before. She took Zhang Lan’s hand and said, “Mom, let’s buy some ice pops for my siblings. They’ve never had them before.”

The mention of ice pops made Zhang Lan feel a pang of sadness. She had bought ice pops for her children in the city before, but they hadn’t had more than a few licks before they were snatched away by her younger brother and sister-in-law. She remembered how the children had cried, and it had been very distressing for her.

“Alright, since we’ve earned some money today, let’s buy some for your siblings,” Zhang Lan said.

The ice pops were very cheap, just two cents each, and were mostly made with artificial sweeteners. Zhang Lan bought ten ice pops and had her daughter store them in the space to keep them from melting.

When the mother and daughter returned home, the children had finished school. Wang Xuan was standing by the stove, preparing dinner. They were all excited to see their mother and younger sister return. It was the first time Zhang Lan had left the children, so they were all feeling a bit out of sorts. They were overjoyed to see their mother return.

“Look, Mom bought something for you,” Wang Qian said as she handed the ice pops to her siblings. Mingyuan’s eyes widened. “Ice pops? Wow, it really is ice pops.”

Mingyuan took one and peeled off the paper wrapping, then savored a lick. “It’s delicious, Mom, you should try it too.”

Watching the children enjoy their ice pops, Zhang Lan smiled and wiped her youngest son’s mouth. “You all eat. I bought ten, so everyone can have one.”

The children were even more delighted to hear that there were ten ice pops. Wang Qian also took a bite. It had a milky flavor and was very sweet, exuding a simplicity and richness that was lacking in the more elaborate ice creams and popsicles of the future.

After taking a few bites, she handed the rest to Zhang Lan. “Mom, I don’t want to eat anymore. It’s too cold.”

Zhang Lan was used to her daughter’s uniqueness. If she said she didn’t like something, it meant she really didn’t want it. So, she took the ice pop from her daughter and continued eating.

Mingcheng licked his ice pop and said, “Mom, you don’t know. After hearing that you’re feeling better, Grandma has been in high spirits again. She was even trying to find a match for my younger brother yesterday and asked Dad to go over, but Dad ignored them.”

Zhang Lan found this news amusing as soon as she entered the house. What kind of people were they? They had just finished dealing with one matter, and now the old lady was up to something else.

But what could she do? Let them do as they pleased. She was focused on living her own life. “Good son, let’s not pay attention to them. I’ve learned to let go. Let them do as they please. We won’t get involved in your grandma’s affairs.”

Wang Qian laughed and added, “Mom, we shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place. From now on, if they call us over, even if they send eight sedan chairs to invite you, don’t go. Those people have no conscience.”

The children also chimed in, criticizing their grandmother’s past inhumane actions. Zhang Lan listened to the children’s discussion while cooking and couldn’t help but feel moved. After going through these experiences, the children had clearly matured early. At such a young age, they were already able to distinguish right from wrong.