Ye Yaodong asked the villagers to make way. Spotting the Lin family watching excitedly in the crowd, he smiled and waved, then said to his wife, "Go home and boil some water first. Make them some tea in a bit. Are Dad and your eldest brother back yet?"
"Not yet?"
His brow immediately furrowed. What time was it already? They still weren't back? Were they really going to wait until noon, when they couldn't sell any more, before they were willing to come home?
Then what was he supposed to do with these people? It had taken some effort to invite them over, and he had been hoping to sell them all the remaining Chinese soldier fish.
"Your eldest nephew can ride a bicycle. Have him borrow one and go into town to fetch his grandfather and dad. Tell them we have guests."
Lin Xiuqing promptly nodded and hurried home ahead of them with her mother, her two sisters-in-law, and her eldest nephew. Her eldest nephew had stopped going to school after graduating from primary school and was helping out at home, so he was just the right person to send.
When the villagers saw Ye Yaodong leading the officials to the Lin house, they all followed, trailing them all the way there.
Lin Mother and her two daughters-in-law had already swept and sprinkled the courtyard clean, neatly arranged the farming tools, and carefully wiped down all the tables and chairs.
"Have a seat, Director Chen..."
Quick on the uptake, Lin Xiuqing hurried over with the brewed tea, then poured a cup for each of the staff members.
"Hmm? Your tea smells quite nice."
Mother Ye smiled and said, "We grow it ourselves. We specially kept a little of the first flush and roasted it to serve guests."
They themselves