Chapter 100: Aren’t You Afraid of Salting Yourself to Death

Li Xiangdong rode the brand-new 28-inch bicycle out of the alley, headed north along Chongwenmen Inner Street, turned left onto Chang’an Avenue, and reached his destination in about ten minutes.

The Beijing Department Store was still the mall with the most comprehensive and varied range of goods in the entire country.

For example, in the shoe and hat department alone, there were over a thousand types of shoes.

In the words of later generations, this place was now a “hot spot for social media check-ins.” Anyone visiting Beijing from out of town would inevitably take a stroll through the department store.

Whether they could afford anything inside was another matter, but at the very least, it was an eye-opening experience, and they could boast about it to others back home.

Some were even more extreme; they would pester the sales clerks at the counters, flattering them with a few nice words, just to get a piece of the Beijing Department Store’s wrapping paper.

Because the paper was printed with the words “Beijing City Department Store,” it made their bragging back home more convincing!

Li Xiangdong parked his bicycle and walked into the department store with the flow of people.

The crowd coming and going was just as large as at the train station, but there was very little pushing and shoving.

Especially around the female comrades, there was a definite “vacuum zone.” In those days, a charge of hooliganism could easily land you in trouble.

Li Xiangdong, holding the ration tickets he had exchanged with Cricket Sun, started his shopping spree on the first floor.

First, he used up all the tobacco, alcohol, and sugar tickets. He also bought two boxes each of clam oil and vanishing cream, and finally, a large roll of fabric.

“Hey~ Comrade, how much are the calligraphy copybooks?”

“This is ‘Serve the People,’ published by Dongfanghong Calligraphy and Painting. It’s 6 cents a copy.”

“Give me 20 copies!”

Li Xiangdong looked at the stack of small-character copybooks in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

As an uncle, he doted on his nephews the most. Since corporal punishment was off the table, he would switch to another method.

It wasn’t like they had nothing better to do; practicing calligraphy at home was a good idea. It could even increase his own happiness index during his vacation.

By the time Li Xiangdong came out of the department store, not only was his cloth bag full, but he was also carrying the floral fabric and copybooks in one hand, and four bottles of Niulanshan Erguotou liquor in the other.

Finally, tucked under his arm was a walking stick he had bought for Old Mrs. Li.

He got on his bicycle, steered with one hand, and made a conspicuous journey all the way home.

He pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard.

Mother Li was cooking at the stove in front of the main house. Seeing her youngest son enter the courtyard, she asked, “Third Son, whose bicycle is that? And why did you buy so many things?”

Li Xiangdong parked the bicycle and explained, “I borrowed the bicycle from Ah Zhe’s house. These things are gifts for my visit to my father-in-law’s house tomorrow.”

After speaking, he looked at the four boys—Li Xiaojiang and his brothers—standing motionless under the eaves of the main house, lined up by height.

“Well now~ What are you four little brothers up to?”

The eldest sister-in-law, who was helping with the cooking at the doorway, said, “They’re being punished by standing. The four of them ruined a bowl of pickles at home while we were out. When we asked them, they stubbornly insisted they ate it themselves.”

Hearing this, Li Xiangdong helped cover for them, “I know about this. When I came back just now, I saw the four of them eating cornbread with pickles.”

“Really?”

The second sister-in-law asked doubtfully, “Dongzi, did they really eat it?”

Seeing the four boys, Li Xiaojiang and his brothers, look up at him, Li Xiangdong nodded, “I saw them eat it with my own eyes. Second Sister-in-law, you wouldn’t believe it, but Xiaobo ate the most. He ate half a bowl of pickles all by himself.”

Hearing this, the second sister-in-law took two steps forward and slapped her son. “Aren’t you afraid of salting yourself to death eating so many pickles? Get inside and drink some water right now!”

“You three, stop standing there too. Go on with what you were doing.”

Mother Li spoke up and let them off. As long as they weren’t wasting food, eating was fine, as long as they didn’t find it too salty themselves.

Li Xiaojiang ran to Li Xiangdong’s side and whispered, “Thank you, Third Uncle.”

“Thank you, Third Uncle.”

Li Xiangdong looked at the simple-minded Li Xiaotao and asked, “Don’t thank me yet. Where’s the roast chicken?”

“I put it in the cupboard.”

Li Xiaohai, who had run over, circled the bicycle and looked up at his father’s cloth bag. “Dad, is there something delicious in your bag?”

Li Xiangdong turned to his son, “Is eating all you think about? Where’s your mother?”

Li Xiaohai said, “Little sister wet her pants. Mom is inside changing her clothes.”

“Dongzi is back.”

Old Mr. Li and Old Mrs. Li stood at the door of the main house. Seeing their youngest grandson return safely after being away for a few days, smiles bloomed on their old faces.

“I’m back, Grandpa, Grandma.”

Li Xiangdong pointed to the things on the handlebars and the back seat of the bike and said to Li Xiaojiang and Li Xiaotao, “Help me put all of this on the dining table in the main house.”

“Alright, Third Uncle.”

Li Xiangdong walked quickly to his grandparents with the walking stick. “Look what I brought back for you. Try it on and see if it’s comfortable.”

Old Mrs. Li took the walking stick her grandson had bought and said happily, “Dongzi is so thoughtful. It’s comfortable. Anything my grandson buys is definitely comfortable.”

Mother Li came over to take a look. “Didn’t Dongzi’s father make one for you too? I haven’t seen you use it.”

Old Mr. Li watched his wife twirl around with the walking stick and said with a grin, “Can that thing Dongzi’s father made even be used? When your mother holds it, she looks like one of those beggars from the old society.”

Old Mrs. Li laughed along, “Isn’t that the truth? That’s why I don’t use it. I’d be too embarrassed to take it out.”

“I bet if your grandson picked up a tree branch from the roadside, you’d still say it’s good.”

Mother Li grumbled, then added sourly, “Grandsons are the best, they know how to be considerate.”

“Your four grandsons are still young. For now, you still have to rely on me.”

Li Xiangdong put his arm around his mother and led her into the house, pointing to a roll of fabric on the table. “There’s some floral fabric in there too. Leave enough material for me to make one set of clothes, and the rest is yours.”

Mother Li touched the fabric, and her expression immediately darkened. “Come into the room with me.”

Li Xiangdong knew his mother had figured it out. How could someone who had just started working have so many ration tickets?

Mother Li closed the door behind her and questioned in a low voice, “Have you been doing something shady?”

“No, don’t wrong me.”

Li Xiangdong had known his family would ask, and he didn’t plan to hide it. He told her everything about his cricket business.

After hearing it, Mother Li clutched her chest, gasping, “Are you trying to scare your mother to death? Speculation and profiteering, can you do that? Don’t you want to live anymore?”

She raised her hand to hit him, and Li Xiangdong quickly dodged the swinging palm.

“Mom, can you calm down first? Do you think I’m the only one doing this? Those who travel with the trains to other places even dare to bring back televisions.”

“What I’m doing is nothing compared to them. Your son is already being very honest! Nothing happens to them, so what could happen to me for trading some crickets?”

Mother Li’s palm stopped in mid-air. “Really nothing?”

“Really nothing! Everyone from top to bottom is doing it. Nobody cares about this.”

Li Xiangdong wasn’t lying to his mother. It wasn’t until after the 1990s, with the abundance of goods and a word from the top leaders, that this crooked practice was explicitly banned and completely eradicated.

Mother Li sat on the edge of the kang to calm down. “I’ve heard people say before that those who work for the railway never lack for anything, and their kitchens always smell of meat. So this is what it was all about.”

“You’re a cunning one, you are. You know not to touch the conspicuous things. You must have earned quite a bit this time, didn’t you?”

Li Xiangdong waved his hand, “I didn’t earn much.”

“Don’t give me that nonsense. Do you really think your mother doesn’t know anything? Those wealthy families living north of our alley used to have plenty of people who kept birds and fought crickets.”

As she spoke, Mother Li suddenly started laughing. “Those people were really interesting. There was one family whose katydid died. Good heavens, they were crying their eyes out at home. At the time, I thought someone in their family had died.”

Li Xiangdong: “…”

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