Around two-thirty in the afternoon, Xiang Xi drove the Dongfeng car back with Edward. Chen Lan heard the car engine from inside the house and then went out with San Mei's aunt. As soon as the car stopped, Chen Lan walked forward, lifted a corner of the canvas covering the car's trunk, and saw that a lot of grain had been exchanged.
So she asked the two people who had just gotten out of the car, "Boris, Edward, you exchanged a lot of grain today! You must have worked hard today? How many farms did you go to today?"
Edward smiled shyly and said, "We went to three relatively prosperous farms. The key is that the goods we brought were good and cheap, so the grain exchange today was very smooth."
Then Chen Lan asked, "Was it all grain you exchanged? Did you exchange anything else?"
Xiang Xi greeted San Mei's aunt and replied with a smile, "Edward knows this place better. He knows which farms are more prosperous. This time, we not only exchanged a lot of corn flour and black flour, but also a lot of Vika sausages and frozen fish. We were also lucky today. When we arrived at the second farm, they were slaughtering cattle and sheep. I specifically exchanged thirty jin of beef and two rams with them. They wouldn't exchange more. Aunt San Mei, these are what I specifically exchanged for your family!"
Aunt San Mei's eyes lit up with joy at Xiang Xi's words, and she felt even more satisfied with Xiang Xi. Although Aunt San Mei was very happy, she was not someone who liked to take advantage of others, so she chided him, "You child, I have these things at home. Why did you spend so much money?"
Xiang Xi, the straightforward and simple man, immediately replied, "Aunt San Mei, you're not telling the truth. What do you have at home? I've already asked Edward! He said all the supplies at home are on a rationed basis! Besides, what's the big deal about spending a little money?"
Chen Lan immediately intervened, "Boris, stop the nonsense! Hurry up and get the beef and two sheep down. Aren't you afraid they'll go bad in the car?"
Xiang Xi immediately shut up and climbed into the back of the car, calling out, "Edward, come and help."
Chen Lan and Aunt San Mei also hurried to help. Chen Lan, being strong, took a sheep in each hand, startling Edward and Aunt San Mei. At this moment, people from inside the house heard the noise and also came out. Aunt San Mei quickly called her two daughters-in-law and two daughters to help.
They took the sheep from Chen Lan's hands and carried them into the house together, two people to each sheep.
Xiang Xi stared blankly at Yulia when he saw her, his eyes once again out of his control. Shamelessly, his eyes were fixed on Yulia, making Yulia's face turn red!
Yulia and her sister were also carrying a sheep and were about to go inside.
Chen Lan saw Xiang Xi staring fixedly at Yulia and, afraid that his appearance would upset Yulia, immediately called out, "Boris, Ming Xuan Ge and I will be going to Vladivostok for a few days. During this time, Edward will take you to collect grain from the farms in Pogranichny town. You'll eat with Aunt San Mei. You know Aunt San Mei's grain is rationed, and you eat so much. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and unload some grain."
Aunt San Mei immediately stopped her, "No, no, Mira, Boris, we really don't lack grain. Our farm had a bumper harvest this year, and we received a lot of grain, enough until next autumn harvest! You should take the grain back to our country! I've heard people say that the drought in our hometown in the Northeast is severe, and almost all the crops in the fields have failed."
Xiang Xi had by now snapped back to his senses and was once again the eloquent, witty, and humorous Xiang Xi. As he unloaded the grain, he said, "Aunt San Mei, please don't be polite with us. I've already asked, and Edward said that the family's grain is just barely enough, not much extra. Besides, I've been eating with you all this time, and I can't possibly eat your rationed food while you all go hungry! I wouldn't be able to eat that."
Chen Lan took two bags of grain from Xiang Xi and carried them into the house, leaving the two future mothers-in-law and future son-in-law to communicate properly.
Seeing this, Aunt San Mei stopped arguing with Xiang Xi and hurried forward to take a bag of grain from Chen Lan, saying, "You child, don't rely on your youth and neglect yourself. When you reach my age, all sorts of ailments will appear. When you were young, you should have taken care of yourself! Then you wouldn't suffer when you're old."
As Chen Lan walked into the house, she asked, "Aunt San Mei, if you're not feeling well, tell me. We've brought back a lot of foreign medicine this time, and perhaps there's something to treat your illness!"
Aunt San Mei did not decline. As soon as she entered the house and put the grain on the floor, she said, "It's nothing serious. It's just that when I was young, I didn't pay enough attention to myself and only knew how to work hard, which injured my back, causing lumbar muscle strain. That's why my back acts up in winter and is often sore. This year it's not as painful as in previous years, thanks to you, Mira. I started wearing the thick cotton coat, cotton pants, and snow boots you bought me early on."
Chen Lan waved her hand and said nothing. Chen Lan knew about lumbar muscle strain. It's caused by the lumbar muscles being in a state of long-term overload, leading to permanent local muscle damage and thus back pain.
It seemed Aunt San Mei had suffered a lot in her youth. Alas! Women without the protection of their maternal family have a really difficult life. The key is that there are no effective specific medicines for this kind of illness, only anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs, and the patient needs to rest more and avoid overexertion.
Thinking of this, Chen Lan felt her nose sting. She cleared her throat and said, "Aunt San Mei, you shouldn't go out anymore. Your children are grown up now, and it's time for you to enjoy yourself. Let us young people do the outside work. You can rest at home. I'll go get the medicine for you from the car right now."
With that, she patted Aunt San Mei's hand and immediately got up to leave. Chen Lan didn't know what was wrong with her lately. She found her tear ducts to be very sensitive and easily moved. She had never been like this before.