Chapter 57: Third Uncle, It Doesn’t Taste Good!

The people in the room chatted and laughed, talking about Li Xiangdong’s first day at work.

“What are you all talking about that’s so happy?”

Second Sister-in-law walked in, holding the hand of a cleaned-up Li Xiaohai, who was wearing clothes that were one size too big.

Seeing his son’s comical appearance, Li Xiangdong said with a grin, “Yo, that little dress you’re wearing is really pretty!”

“Dad, I’m not wearing a dress. These are Brother Xiaobo’s clothes. Brothers don’t wear dresses, only sisters wear dresses.”

Li Xiaohai couldn’t yet understand that his dad was teasing him and was still painstakingly trying to explain.

Li Xiaomei and Li Xiaolan were lying on the kang bed. They divided their creamy candies, one for you, one for me, and then put them in their pockets.

A full handful looked like a lot, but it actually wasn’t.

In those days, when making clothes for children, to save fabric, the pockets were deliberately sewn small and shallow.

Looking at the one remaining candy on the kang, Li Xiaomei took it, ran to Li Xiaohai’s side, helped him unwrap it, and put it in his mouth. “Little Six, is it good?”

Li Xiaohai, with the candy in his mouth, nodded happily and mumbled, “Mmm! Mmm! Good!”

“Mom, this is for you to eat. It’s really delicious. Third Uncle gave all of these!”

Li Xiaomei took another candy from her pocket, placed it in Second Sister-in-law’s hand, and then patted her own pocket.

Second Sister-in-law looked at the candy in her hand, “Oh~ Isn’t this White Rabbit creamy candy? They sell it at the department store in Wangfujing. It’s this kind of candy with a rabbit drawn on it.”

She unwrapped the candy, put it in her mouth, and smiled, “It’s quite delicious. Third Brother, your Second Sister-in-law is benefiting from your good fortune today, getting to eat White Rabbit creamy candy.”

Old Lady Li smiled, “It’s mainly because our Dongzi has made it.”

Second Sister-in-law nodded and walked over to sit next to Old Lady Li.

“Isn’t Third Brother successful? Grandma, you don’t know, people say it takes a whole mug of milk to make just seven of these White Rabbit candies.”

Old Lady Li was surprised, “Is that so?”

Second Sister-in-law nodded, “That’s what everyone says. And this stuff is sold for a ridiculously high price in the department store, and it’s always out of stock!”

Old Lady Li’s heart ached now. She looked at the two great-granddaughters beside her and asked, “How many candies do you two have in your pockets?”

Li Xiaolan said, “I have 9 candies.”

Li Xiaomei said, “Great-grandma, I have 8. I just gave one to my mom.”

Old Lady Li’s wrinkled hand stroked Li Xiaomei’s head. She pulled her into her arms and smiled, “You’re the most sensible child in the family. You can’t eat all the candies your third uncle gave you at once, you know?”

Li Xiaomei and Li Xiaolan obediently replied, “We know.”

Li Xiangdong stood aside holding his daughter, feeding her sugar water. Watching the lively scene of the old being kind and the young being filial, he didn’t interrupt, just made funny faces to tease the daughter in his arms.

After finishing the candy in his mouth, Li Xiaohai ran to Zhou Yuqin’s side, hugged her leg, and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Mom, I want more! Give me another candy!”

His shout was like poking a hornet’s nest.

The three boys, Li Xiaojiang and his brothers, who were still in the courtyard sharing jujubes, came running in.

“What creamy candy?”

“Little Six, where is the creamy candy you’re talking about?”

“Wow! Third Uncle, how do you have so much creamy candy?!”

The three little monkeys ran to the edge of the kang and saw the net bag of White Rabbit creamy candy. In front of the adults, none of them dared to just grab it.

Through years of accumulated beatings, the three brothers had learned a lesson.

If they were greedy and took more than their share, their parents might only give them a light spanking.

But if they took without asking, the feather duster wouldn’t stop even after all the feathers were beaten off!

“Third Uncle, can you let me try one?!”

“Third Uncle, can you give us one to eat?”

Li Xiangdong nodded, “Sure, why not? Is your third uncle so stingy that he’d be reluctant to let you eat a piece of candy?”

He did as he said, walked over, took three candies, called the three Li Xiaojiang brothers over, and gave each of them one.

Looking at the single candy in his hand, Li Xiaojiang was dumbfounded, “Third Uncle, you really only gave us one?”

He wanted to try and get a few more from Li Xiangdong, but Eldest Sister-in-law spoke up and scolded, “How many more of such a good thing do you want to eat?!”

“Mom, you’re as biased as Third Uncle!”

In order to get one more candy, Li Xiaojiang, in a moment of recklessness, talked back to his mother.

He pointed to the two sisters, Li Xiaomei and Li Xiaolan, who were sitting on the edge of the kang playing with candy wrappers, “Xiaomei and Xiaolan’s pockets are full. What’s wrong with me just wanting to eat one more?”

Hearing her son dare to talk back to her, Eldest Sister-in-law stood up and was about to come over to teach him a lesson.

But she was stopped with a smile by Second Sister-in-law after just two steps. “He’s just a child. Who isn’t like this when they see good food?”

Eldest Sister-in-law was pushed back into her chair by her sister-in-law. She looked at Li Xiaojiang angrily, “Don’t think I can’t beat you just because there are a lot of people here. You just wait for me tonight!”

Li Xiangdong looked at Li Xiaojiang, who was already starting to tremble, and said with a smile, “If you get a beating, you can’t hold a grudge against Third Uncle. You were the one who said you only wanted to eat one.”

“Hmph~!”

Li Xiaojiang’s stubborn temper flared up, and he turned to walk out of the room.

Zhou Yuqin, who was helping her son put candies into his pocket, quickly grabbed a handful, stopped Li Xiaojiang, and stuffed them into his pocket. “Your third uncle is just playing with you. You’re not a big kid, but you have quite a temper.”

Eldest Sister-in-law’s anger hadn’t subsided. “You little rascal! Take the candy and get out of here, don’t be an eyesore in front of me!”

Li Xiaojiang’s pockets were now full of candy. Hearing his mother’s words, he was about to slip away when Li Xiaotao spoke up, “Big Brother, can you share a few with me?”

Li Xiaojiang looked at his younger brother and asked, “Will you take the beating for me tonight?”

Li Xiaotao grunted, “Why should I take the beating for you? Mom didn’t say she was going to hit me.”

Li Xiaojiang glared at him, “Then why should I share the candy I got in exchange for a beating with you? Xiaobo, come with me, let’s go play in the courtyard. I’ll share my candy with you.”

Hearing that his big brother was going to share candy with him, Li Xiaobo secretly glanced at his unhappy second brother, Li Xiaotao. He didn’t dare to answer, and quietly slipped out along the wall.

“Wait for me.”

Li Xiaohai pressed down on his pocket full of candy and ran out after them.

Of the four mischievous boys in the family, only Li Xiaotao remained in the room.

Li Xiangdong saw Li Xiaotao’s eyes fixed on him and asked, “What are you looking at me for?”

Li Xiaotao frowned and said, “Third Uncle, the candy you gave me doesn’t taste good.”

Li Xiangdong looked at him with a smile, “That shouldn’t be. Everyone said it’s delicious. Besides, this is the best creamy candy in our country. How could you think it doesn’t taste good?”

Regarding this second nephew, the dimmest-witted in the family, Li Xiangdong was very curious about what was going on in his unique mind.