Chapter 176: Bringing the Wife to Town Again

When Lin Heng walked into the shop, Wang Zhou was out in the courtyard tending the fire. As soon as he saw Lin Heng, he quickly greeted him, “Brother Lin!”

“Everything good with the shop lately?” Lin Heng asked with a smile.

Wang Zhou shook his head. “All normal, just that fewer people have been coming to sell goods. It’s a big drop compared to last month.”

As he spoke, he went to grab the ledger for Lin Heng to look over.

Lin Heng flipped through it. Thanks to his excellent memory after his rebirth, he quickly calculated a rough estimate.

This month looked stable—no major fluctuations. Profits would be about the same as last month.

But starting next month, things would likely take a sharp downturn.

“What about my fireplace? Has it arrived yet?” Lin Heng asked.

“No news,” Wang Zhou replied, shaking his head.

Lin Heng nodded. “Then I guess it’ll come with the next delivery.”

He had asked the wholesaler, Li Guoqiang, to buy the fireplace for him. Most likely, the guy didn’t want to make a special trip just for that.

After chatting for a bit, Lin Heng saw Old Man Gao coming out of his room in a heavy coat and quickly walked over.

Old Man Gao smiled at him. “Xiao Lin, that leopard meat you brought last time really worked wonders. Ever since I ate it, I’ve been sleeping warm and feeling more energetic.”

“As long as it helped,” Lin Heng said with a grin. “Next time it snows, I’ll take you up the mountain for a hunt.”

Old Man Gao nodded. “Sounds good. I’ve been itching to get out there. Just bring the cart to pick me up when the time comes.”

After hanging around for a while, Lin Heng went into town for a quick look and returned home by noon.

“Back already?” Xiulan asked curiously.

Lin Heng nodded. “I mainly went to check if the fireplace arrived, but no luck. Tomorrow, you and Xiao Xia come with me to town. We’ll take care of some things and buy clothes while we’re at it.”

He had three tasks in town the next day: sell musk, talk to Li Guoqiang about coming up early with a batch of electrical wires, switches, and bulbs, and buy winter clothes for Xiulan, Xiao Xia, and himself.

He’d also been thinking about registering an agricultural company, but with so much going on, he figured it could wait. Besides, registering a company was more complicated than getting a sole proprietorship license.

“Alright,” Xiulan agreed with a nod.

That afternoon, Lin Heng checked on the forest musk deer. The male wasn’t eating, only sipping a bit of water. Lin Heng figured it was stress-related and would pass in a couple of days.

The female had stopped calling out since mating and was happily eating a bowl of corn porridge.

When Father Lin got back from Red Maple Mountain, Lin Heng mentioned the trip and asked if they needed anything from town.

“Nope. Just don’t go buying random stuff,” Father Lin said, shaking his head.

Mother Lin chimed in, “Your dad and I have clothes. Save your money. There’ll be plenty of expenses down the line.”

“Alright,” Lin Heng said, throwing up his hands.

Li Shiwei piped up, “Lin Heng, bring me back a couple of hair clips and some hair flowers.”

His older brother, Lin Yue, handed him twenty yuan to buy three pairs of cotton shoes for his sons.

“No problem,” Lin Heng nodded.

He got the cart ready in advance, and the next morning, he set out with his wife and daughter.

When they reached town, he picked up Wang Zhou as well.

Wang Zhou grinned and took the reins from him. “Brother Lin, you ride in the back with the kid. I’ll drive.”

“Alright,” Lin Heng agreed without protest.

He sat in the back of the cart, holding Xiao Xia in his arms.

Two hours later, they arrived in the city. First stop: the Procurement Station to sell the musk.

Musk was going for 30 yuan per gram. He had 34 grams and sold it for 1,020 yuan.

He didn’t bother going through Jin Fuqiang this time. Once his musk deer operation scaled up, he planned to sign contracts directly with pharmaceutical companies for better prices.

“Let’s go buy some clothes,” Lin Heng said to Xiulan and Xiao Xia as they stepped outside.

“Okay!” Xiulan nodded.

It was Xiao Xia’s first time in the city. She clung to Xiulan nervously, her big eyes watching the bustling crowd.

Even though cities in the ’80s were still pretty run-down, they were full of novelty for rural folks.

They stopped by the bank to deposit the money, then headed to the department store. Wang Zhou stayed with the cart while Lin Heng took Xiulan and their daughter inside.

“Take your time, no rush,” Lin Heng said as they strolled through the store.

“This sweater looks nice. Just six yuan—should we get it?” Lin Heng pointed to a white turtleneck women’s sweater.

“Sure,” Xiulan nodded. She liked it too.

She had agreed to shop for clothes with him and wasn’t being shy or coy about it.

Even in the city’s biggest department store, the clothing selection still felt lacking to Lin Heng. The styles and colors of this era were just too plain for his taste.

Xiulan, on the other hand, was quite happy with what she saw, though Lin Heng remained unimpressed.

They reached the children’s section, and Lin Heng’s eyes lit up. He pointed at a set of cotton-padded clothes. “This one’s perfect. Let’s get it for Xiao Xia.”

It was a bright, floral cotton coat covered in peony prints—a classic Northeast-style jacket.

“Try it on her!” Xiulan said with a smile. The outfit was indeed festive.

The red floral jacket wasn’t the modern kind with vertical buttons down the front, but the old-fashioned diagonal style, with buttons running from the chin across the chest to the right waist. The buttons were traditional cloth ones, giving it a vintage charm.

Once Xiao Xia had it on, she looked adorably festive—like a little walking sprite.

“Not bad at all. Let’s go with this one,” Xiulan said with a nod.

“How much for this set, boss?” Lin Heng asked.

“Fifteen yuan. I’ll throw in a little floral hat for her,” the shop owner said with a smile.

“Throw in a pair of gloves too,” Lin Heng bargained.

After a bit of haggling, he managed to get a pair of knitted gloves for Xiao Xia as well.

Then he bought her a pair of cotton shoes and moved on to picking clothes for Xiulan.

First, Lin Heng grabbed two pairs of sheer stockings, earning a dramatic eye-roll from Xiulan.

“This wool coat looks pretty good. What do you think?”

After some searching, Lin Heng found a mid-length khaki wool coat that looked quite nice.

Xiulan checked the price tag and hesitated. “Maybe not. I’ll just get a padded jacket. This one’s too expensive.”

The coat cost sixty yuan. It was beautiful, but she couldn’t bring herself to spend that much.

“Just try it on first,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

“She’ll look great in anything—she’s so pretty,” the saleswoman chimed in with a smile.

Lin Heng had Xiulan try it on, and once she did, her whole appearance leveled up.

“If you throw in a scarf, we’ll take it,” Lin Heng said with a flourish.

“Deal! I’ll wrap it up for you,” the saleswoman said, eyes sparkling. Customers like this were rare.

A scarf was nothing compared to a big sale like this.

As they walked out with their purchases, Xiulan clung to Lin Heng’s arm, both happy and a little helpless. “This is my New Year’s outfit, okay? I’m not buying anything else for the holiday.”

Lin Heng nodded, chuckling. “Alright. Then I’ll get you a cheaper padded jacket too.”

Xiulan couldn’t win against him and didn’t have the heart to scold him either, so she ended up getting a red padded jacket with white plum blossom prints.

This one had a standard vertical button-down front. Xiulan looked elegantly simple in it.

They also bought two pairs of cotton pants—one plain black, the other with little red rose patterns.

For shoes, Lin Heng got Xiulan a pair of black cotton ones and a pair of mid-calf brown boots.

“Happy now?” Xiulan asked, giving Lin Heng’s hand a gentle squeeze and smiling.

All the clothes and shoes for her and Xiao Xia had cost 138 yuan. That was a serious splurge.

“You said you wouldn’t buy anything for New Year’s, so we had to get something nice now,” Lin Heng said with a shrug and a grin.

“Alright then. Now it’s my turn to pick something for you,” Xiulan said, looking at him.

Lin Heng had a thing for black, so Xiulan picked out a black military coat and a navy blue padded jacket for him.

They grabbed two pairs of plain cotton pants, and for shoes, Lin Heng chose a pair of brown sheepskin work boots and a pair of regular cotton ones.

The whole set cost him 102 yuan—not too expensive, really. After all, it was all cotton clothing, so it couldn’t be that pricey.

In the end, he also bought a pair of cotton shoes for each of his parents and for Caiyun, along with all the other things the family had asked him to pick up.

“That place is too expensive. I still prefer the one you took me to the first time,” Xiulan said, shaking her head as they walked out of the mall.

“As long as you’re happy. Just enjoy it—don’t overthink,” Lin Heng said with a smile, holding her hand.

This was the most upscale area in Taibai City, so naturally, the clothes weren’t cheap. But truth be told, he wasn’t all that satisfied. If transportation weren’t such a hassle, he’d have taken them to Ancheng to shop instead.

“Of course I’m happy. I just feel bad about the money,” Xiulan said softly. How could she not be happy when the person she loved most was buying her clothes? She was over the moon.

After handing the bags to Wang Zhou to look after, Lin Heng took Xiulan and their daughter to City Center Hospital for a full check-up.

“Is that really necessary? Xiao Xia and I are both fine,” Xiulan said, pursing her lips.

Lin Heng shook his head firmly. “No way. You don’t know for sure until you get checked. From now on, I’m taking you, Xiao Xia, and my parents for annual check-ups.”

People from rural areas often had this mindset—reluctant to spend money and afraid to go to the hospital. But sometimes, small issues could turn into big problems if left unchecked.

After Lin Heng explained this to Xiulan, she understood and went with him to the hospital.

After a thorough examination at the center, the results came back: all three were in good health, though Xiulan’s blood sugar was slightly low.

Xiao Xia also received an oral dose of the polio vaccine, which is excellent for preventing the disease.

When they left the hospital, Xiao Xia was still clinging to Lin Heng, her eyes red and teary, a milk candy in her mouth.

“Bad bad~” Xiao Xia pointed angrily in the direction of the hospital.

She had cried her lungs out during the blood test—it really hurt.

“Yeah, they’re bad bad~” Lin Heng echoed with a laugh. It had been a long time since he’d heard her cry that loudly—it was almost funny.

Xiulan checked the time and asked, “What’s next? It’s almost one o’clock.”

Lin Heng thought for a moment. “Let’s grab some food first. Then we’ll pick something up and head back.”

They met up with Wang Zhou again, and the four of them had some cold noodles and stuffed flatbreads.

After lunch, they went to see Li Chengguo. When he saw Lin Heng, he greeted him with a big smile. “Boss Lin, what brings you here in person?”

“Just brought my wife and daughter to buy some things and get a check-up. Figured I’d drop by to discuss something,” Lin Heng replied casually.

“You two are a perfect match, and your daughter’s adorable. Come on in and have a seat,” Li Chengguo said with a grin, clearly impressed by Xiulan’s looks.

Even with just a touch of eyebrow pencil and some lipstick, her well-defined features and fair skin made her stand out from 90% of women.

“No need, I’ll leave after we talk.”

Lin Heng shook his head and asked, “Did you get the fireplace I asked for?”

“Sure did. Come with me.” Li Chengguo led the three of them into the warehouse.

Several sleek black fireplaces were lined up inside, each with a different design.

“You said you wanted a rectangular one, so I was planning to send this one up to you,” Li Chengguo said, pointing at one of them.

Lin Heng gave it a lift—this black fireplace had to weigh at least 150 pounds, and with the chimney, it was easily 200 to 300 pounds.

What he liked most about it was that it allowed fire viewing. The lid was inlaid with heat-resistant crystal, so even when it was closed, you could still see the flames through it.

Most people just built their fireplaces out of bricks, but he chose to buy one for two reasons: to enjoy watching the fire, and to avoid smoke indoors.

The homemade brick ones often let smoke leak out, but this steel, fully enclosed model didn’t have that issue.

“How much is it?” Lin Heng asked. He was quite satisfied with the product.

“One hundred yuan,” Li Chengguo replied. “That heat-resistant crystal is pricey. Otherwise, I could’ve let you take it for sixty. Since we’re long-term partners, I’m not making a dime off this one.”

Lin Heng was okay with the price. He pulled out a list and handed it over. “Our village is getting electricity. I need to buy some wires, switches, and light bulbs. Put together a batch for me based on this list and get it delivered tomorrow or the day after.”

“No problem—leave it to me. I’ll have it sent up tomorrow,” Li Chengguo said with a big grin.

With that settled, Lin Heng chatted for a bit and then headed home.

He didn’t visit Ge Qingshan this time—he had his wife and kid with him today. He’d go next time. Besides, there wasn’t much left to teach. Archery required lots of practice; the techniques themselves weren’t that complicated.

By the time they returned to Red Maple Village, the sky was so dark you could barely see your fingers.

They rushed to light a fire as soon as they got home—it was freezing cold.

The next morning, Lin Heng handed out the things he’d brought back.

“You’ve got clothes, but I bet you don’t have decent shoes.” Lin Heng handed cotton shoes to his parents and his sister.

“Thanks, Second Brother!” Caiyun beamed.

Father Lin and Mother Lin were happy too—they really did need a good pair of warm shoes.

“Thanks, son~” Father Lin said without hesitation.

Mother Lin tried hers on and her face lit up with joy.

“As long as you like them,” Lin Heng said with a wide smile. He knew his parents were the type who’d never say what they needed and didn’t like spending money.

Father Lin looked at him and said, “The work up on Red Maple Mountain should be done by tomorrow or the day after. Have you figured out what’s next?”

Lin Heng nodded. “I’ve got it all planned out. I’ll handle it when the time comes.”

“As long as you’ve thought it through. We can’t have people sitting around with nothing to do—we’re paying a lot every day.”

Lin Heng nodded again. They chatted a bit more, and Mother Lin said she planned to make sweet potato noodles tomorrow and asked everyone to help.

At noon, Lin Heng couldn’t wait any longer. He hitched up the cart and rushed to town—he wanted to get his fireplace home and installed as soon as possible. Without it, the bedroom was just too cold at night.

(End of Chapter)