Lin Xia immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay!" she whispered her instructions, "Are you going to tutor Haizi later? Take some snacks over in your backpack!"
She knew Haizi's family was nice, and in their previous life, they had always treated Lin Dong kindly.
So she fully understood Dongzi's feelings at the moment, having something decent to share with Haizi, his good friend, was not an easy feat.
Once Lin Dong heard this, his eyes lit up, "Big sister!"
He thought his elder sister wouldn't agree so easily! Eating those snacks now felt even better than the food during the New Year celebrations.
Lin Xia couldn't help but ruffle his hair, "But remember one thing, if anyone finds out, just say I brought them back from a wedding I attended!"
Lin Dong nodded like he was pounding garlic, softly assuring her, "Big sister, don't worry! I know what to say!"
Lin Xia patted his shoulder, "Alright, focus on your homework! I'm going to go out and help your second sister!"
"Okay!" Lin Dong replied promptly!
When Lin Chun came back, dinner was ready.
After eating, Lin Dong put on his backpack, which Lin Xia had filled with lots of goodies. Trying to stay calm, he cautiously made his way to Haizi's house.
From the look on Lin Dong's face when he returned, Lin Xia could tell the boy was thrilled!
A quiet night passed, and the next morning, Lin Xia rode her bicycle to work.
During the break, Liu Lanying came to find her. The two had gotten along well since the previous incident with the gift, and their conversations had grown warmer.
"Xiaolin, are you feeling better?"
Lin Xia smiled, "Much better, Sister Liu!"
Her excuse for taking time off was illness, though only Yu Hongmei knew the real reason.
Liu Lanying also smiled, "That's good to hear! If you're feeling unwell though, don't push through it, take the time off if you need to!"
"I will, Sister Liu," Lin Xia smiled and pursed her lips. She might have to take another "sick leave" in a few days.
Liu Lanying glanced around, then asked, "Xiaolin, why didn't your sister come to work yesterday? My mother-in-law even asked me about it when she got home!"
Lin Xia couldn't possibly tell her the truth, so she quickly made up an excuse, "Sister Liu, I've been sick these past few days, and my sister caught it from me. I didn't come to work yesterday either, so I didn't get a chance to ask you to help me inform the office for a leave of absence!
"When you get home, please tell Aunt Zhao that we might need a few more days off until we're feeling better and ready to return!"
Liu Lanying didn't suspect a thing and readily agreed, "Ah, that's no problem! My mother-in-law is there. Anything for us sisters!"
Lin Qiu, who they were discussing, had just finished tidying the house when Aunt Jin from next door came to borrow a cotton glove pattern.
Aunt Jin was ushered into the Western House, and looking around at the humble yet neatly-kept place, her eyes filled with even more warmth when she looked at Lin Qiu.
"Lin Qiu, didn't you start working at the quilt factory a few days ago? Why have I seen you at home these past couple of days?"
Lin Qiu always had a good relationship with Aunt Jin, and she didn't want to hide the truth from her," I did start working at the quilt factory, but then, my dad came back and said he got a job at the soy paste factory through some connections, so he told me not to go back to the quilt factory..."
Aunt Jin sighed inwardly, Lin Aiguo really didn't know how to care for or cherish his children.
But after all, she was just a neighbor, what could she say?
All she could do was comfort Lin Qiu with her words, "The soy paste factory is also good! If the contract position turns into a full-time job later, that would be nice too!"
Lin Qiu didn't respond, just smiled.
Aunt Jin asked, "Are you home alone?"
Lin Qiu shook her head, "No! Someone's in the Eastern House!"
After she said this, she felt a bit strange in her heart. It was common for Lin Qiang to be at home, but why hadn't Lin Yu gone to school?
Jin Auntie lowered her voice and asked, "By the way! About that big factory that will start accepting applications after a while, has your older brother made up his mind yet?"
Lin Qiu hurriedly said, "My older brother is still considering it, Jin Auntie. When the time comes, we'll have to trouble you and Uncle Jin to take care..."
"That's nothing! We're just neighbors after all!" Jin Auntie stood up from the edge of the kang, "Alright then! I'll take this back with me... Ah, look at how skilled you sisters' hands are... I'll deliver it back as soon as I'm done cutting according to the pattern. We're buried in tasks day by day, still have to stuff cotton trousers..."
Lin Qiu thought she should take the opportunity to make a good impression for her brother, "Jin Auntie, let me help you with that! I've just finished all the chores at home, and it's not yet time to make lunch..."
Jin Auntie slapped her thigh, "Well, that would be great!"
The two of them laughed and talked as they left through the main gate and headed to Jin Auntie's home.
At this time, the door of the Eastern House quietly opened. To carry out today's plan, Lin Yu had gone to a female classmate's home the night before to ask for a favor in taking the morning off, so she hadn't gone to school in the morning.
After having eaten, Lin Qiang had holed up in the house and didn't leave.
Before that, the two had quietly discussed how to lure Lin Qiu out. Just then, Jin Auntie came over next door—it was as if heaven was helping them!
Lin Yu stood by the kitchen window, keeping an eye on the main entrance, "Hurry up!"
Who knew how long Lin Qiu would stay at Jin Auntie's house? If she came back and saw them, it would be over!
"I know! Keep a lookout!" Lin Qiang pushed the door and entered the Western House.
Once Lin Qiang was inside the Western House, he glanced around the room—two kangs, north and south, seemed to be the only places other than the piled-up quilts where things could be stored, except for that mahogany box.
With time being of the essence and Lin Qiu liable to return at any moment, he couldn't afford to think too much. He walked swiftly to the mahogany box, lifted the lid, and saw that the topmost item was the cross-body bag Lin Xia had carried the day before, empty inside.
Lin Qiang dug deeper, finding the interior packed full of clothes and pants.
He searched for a while but only managed to find some candies wrapped in clothes and crispy twists in yellow paper—no sign of the scarf or money.
Lin Qiang thought to himself, Lin Xia couldn't possibly take the scarf and money to work, could she?
Even if she could pocket the money and take it with her, she couldn't do the same with the scarf, right?
He had clearly heard Lin Xia tell those people that she would sell more scarves in a couple of days. If she could say so, she definitely must have some stock on hand!
But he just couldn't find it, no matter how hard he looked!
Lin Qiang started to panic. He got onto the kang with quick movements, wearing his shoes, and began to search through the pile of quilts.
Standing outside, Lin Yu had been watching the main entrance, but gradually she started to feel something was off.
Though Lin Qiang had agreed with her that they would split the money and scarf, thirty to seventy, the scarf was difficult to hide but the money was too easy to conceal!
What if Lin Qiang found the money and sneakily pocketed it? She couldn't trust that rascal Lin Qiang!
Pretending nonchalance, Lin Yu pushed open the door of the Western House. Seeing Lin Qiang rifling through the quilts, she asked softly, "All this time, have you found it?"
Seeing Lin Yu enter the Western House, Lin Qiang growled at her irritably, "What are you doing here? Can't you see I haven't found it yet? It's not that easy to find! Go back and keep watch!"
"What's the rush? I can see the main entrance from this window too!"
Lin Yu spotted the candies and crispy twists on the kang side and immediately began stashing them in her pockets, "Why have you only found food?"
As she stuffed her pockets and munched on the crispy twists, she muttered indistinctly with her mouth full, "Lin Xia said they had all been eaten, what's all this? Such ill-intent! We shouldn't leave them a crumb!"