Lin Lan chatted with her for a while. The old madam patted her hand. "Talking with you has eased my mind a lot."
"Of course. If anything's wrong, come find me. Otherwise, bottling it up will make you sick."
The old madam nodded and stood up. "I'll head back now. You should get to your laundry."
"Let me give you some mushrooms to take home." Lin Lan linked arms with the old madam, walked her to the front yard, and handed her a bamboo basket. "My dad wove it. He packs the mushrooms he's ready to sell in these baskets. They present better, and they're nice for people who want to give them as gifts."
The small, round basket was woven from green and yellow bamboo strips. Once the mushrooms were removed, it could be hung on the wall as a decoration to hold dried flowers.
The old madam praised, "Your dad is so skilled. The baskets he weaves are beautiful."
"It's been raining, and there's nowhere to go, so he just weaves things at home to pass the time."
