Chapter Nineteen: No Blame on Lin Xiang

In Lin Xiang’s understanding, shrimp were easy to catch: just lower the net and scoop, and you’d bring up quite a few. She assumed Lin Yun would do the same.

But she had forgotten that she was living in the 1970s, and applying the ingrained ideas of a future era to present-day life was clearly unrealistic.

“Brother, I’m sorry… I didn’t think it through,” she said.

Lin Yun smiled. “It’s no big deal. It only took a few minutes back and forth. I’m not as fragile as you think.”

Then he turned to Liu Pei and said, “Liu Zhiqing, she just wanted to make good food for the foreign guests, and shrimp are an essential ingredient. We all understand the importance of foreign guests. So don’t just say it’s about catching some shrimp—catching all the shrimp in the river would be appropriate.”

“I appreciate your kindness, but Niuzi is not at fault here.”

So, you can’t blame Lin Xiang without reason.

Lin Xiang instinctively looked up at Lin Yun and saw his expression was very serious, as if he was emphasizing something very important to Liu Pei.

At that moment, Lin Xiang felt as if she wasn’t even human.

Shrimp weren’t really essential ingredients; she had only used the shrimp as an excuse to make Lin Yun feel needed, hoping to gain his favor and return quickly to her spacious 200-square-meter mansion.

But she had forgotten the limitations of the era and overlooked the fact that Lin Yun was a man who quietly worked hard without much expression.

She had expected Liu Pei to be angry, but Liu Pei only paused for a moment, then tugged at the corner of her mouth and gave Lin Xiang an apologetic smile. “I was too anxious earlier, so I spoke wrongly. I apologize, I’m sorry.”

Liu Pei’s politeness made Lin Xiang feel even worse.

She knew Liu Pei genuinely liked Lin Yun, but Lin Yun truly did not like Liu Pei!

Liu Pei’s criticism was supposedly for Lin Yun’s health, yet it was Lin Xiang who caused Lin Yun to get into the icy river to catch shrimp.

Lin Xiang sighed heavily. Before she could speak, Lin Yun said, “Let’s go back first. Liu Zhiqing, we’ll see you again sometime.”

After speaking, he pulled Lin Xiang along. Caught off guard, Lin Xiang spun twice in place, then smiled apologetically at Liu Pei and followed Lin Yun back home.

***

Lin’s mother had already returned. Seeing Lin Yun come back with a bucket of practically useless river shrimp, she burst out yelling, “You come home from work and don’t know how to cook, so why did you go catch shrimp? That stuff doesn’t taste good and won’t fill your stomach. If you have time, why don’t you clean and air out Niuzi’s bedding?”

Lin Xiang hadn’t expected her mother’s fighting spirit to remain so strong after all this time. She hurriedly explained, “Mom, don’t blame my brother. I asked him to help me catch shrimp. Secretary Wang called and asked me to go to town tomorrow, so I thought I’d prepare some shrimp for the foreign guests.”

“Oh, that’s different, then it’s fine!” Lin’s mother smiled broadly at Lin Xiang. “After you finish cooking for the guests tomorrow, you can stir-fry the leftover river shrimp with the state-run restaurant’s oil. I’ve been craving that for a long time, but we don’t have enough oil at home. Since you helped the state-run restaurant so much, no one will complain about you using a bit of their oil.”

Stir-fried river shrimp was delicious but required oil. River shrimp were small and not filling, so villagers rarely prepared them; usually, only children would catch fish and shrimp for a treat.

“Got it. I’ll tell Chef Shen tomorrow. Mom, my brother actually went into the water to catch the shrimp today and stayed in the cold river for quite a while. When he’s done, please let him soak in some hot water and change clothes. I’ll handle dinner.”

“Do you think hot water can be boiled without firewood? What a fuss a grown man makes!”

“Mom!” Lin Xiang glared at her mother. “The firewood we use is all carried back from the mountain by my brother. What’s wrong with using an electric stove to boil water? If the firewood runs out, he can go chop more. Besides, he hasn’t fully recovered from his last illness. If he gets sick again, not only will we have to buy medicine, but he won’t be able to earn work points either. Please don’t be so petty about these small things. I’ll cook for you!”

Lin’s mother was somewhat selfish, but she was willing to listen to her precious daughter to some extent.

Seeing Lin Yun still standing there dazedly, she said irritably, “Didn’t you hear what Niuzi said? Go boil some hot water and take a bath quickly. After that, don’t just loaf around; wash our bedding!”

“Mom!”

Lin Xiang came out of the kitchen holding a spatula. “I’ll wash the bedding myself when I come back from town tomorrow!”

“What’s the matter, what’s the matter!” Lin’s mother stood up and rolled her sleeves. “Is it too much to ask him to do some chores?”

Why was this daughter so contrary?

Lin Xiang knew her mother was angry and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant! Mom, just think about my reputation in the village before. I was known for being lazy, stubborn, unreasonable, and short-tempered. At this age, no one wanted to match me with a partner.”

“That’s because they were blind!”

Lin Xiang: …

“I’ve finally managed to change people’s opinions of me by working as a translator and Western-style chef. Bedding is so private. I’m already this old; if word gets out that I asked my brother to wash my bedding, forget finding a formal partner, I probably won’t find anyone decent at all!”

Holding the spatula in one hand, she rubbed her mother’s shoulder with the other. “Please, Mom, let me handle this myself. You don’t want me to lose a chance at a partner over such a small matter, right?”

***

Lin Xiang’s prospects for a partner had always been her mother’s biggest worry.

The Lin family’s situation was poor. Her father had died early, leaving no inheritance. Although Lin Yun earned full work points, both mother and daughter were lazy and fond of food. The Lin family still lived in just two rooms.

On top of that, Lin Xiang’s past reputation was so bad that no one in the neighboring villages dared to propose a match for her.

Now that she had finally turned her reputation around and could show her face before the leaders, if a minor issue like this spread and ruined her chances of finding a partner, her mother would surely regret it to death.

“You’ll be making Western food and translating tomorrow, so you’ll be exhausted. I’ll wash the bedding. You come back and rest well.”

“Then shall I start cooking?”

“Go ahead, cook more. I’ve been hungry all day!”

“All right, I’ll listen to you!”

Lin Xiang returned to the kitchen, and Lin’s mother shot Lin Yun a sharp glance. “Remember what your sister said. Don’t do anything that might harm her reputation. If you mess up her chances at a partner, you’ll see how I deal with you!”

Lin Yun said nothing and silently carried the bucket to fetch water.

Since Lin Xiang had regained consciousness, he found himself more and more unable to understand her.

He couldn’t tell whether the things she just told their mother were for his sake or for the sake of finding herself a good partner.

The next morning, at dawn, the Lin family’s door was knocked upon.

Lin Yun put on his coat and opened the door to see Old Sun standing there. “I’m here on the team leader’s orders to take Niuzi to town. Is she up yet?”