Chapter 22: Li Xiaozhu Eats a Pig’s Tail

Li Xiaojiang, Li Xiaotao, and the others now had eyes only for the meat broth. They just wanted to get it into their mouths as quickly as possible. They couldn’t think of anything else, nor did they care about anything else.

“We know, Third Uncle. We’ll just have the meat broth.”

“Mmm, mmm, we won’t fight with our sister for the pig’s tail.”

“Dad, I want to drink the meat broth too.”

Li Xiangdong picked up the enamel mug, placed it on the small dining table, and said, “No fighting. Take turns, one sip each. Do you hear me?”

“Heard you.”

“We know, Third Uncle!”

“I’m the eldest brother, I’ll have the first sip.”

Li Xiangdong watched with a mischievous smile as his nephews and nieces fought over the meat broth. He swaggered back to the large dining table and opened the other enamel mug. It was more than half full of pig’s head meat and offal.

The gazes of his grandparents, Father and Mother Li, and his brothers and sisters-in-law were all drawn to the meat in the enamel mug.

“Whoa! Third son, where did you get so much meat? Did you rob the meat processing plant?”

The eldest brother, Li Weiguo, was very surprised to see so much meat. Smelling the aroma of the meat, his Adam’s apple began to move involuntarily.

The family’s monthly meat supply was not even enough for the children to have a couple of bites. The adults at most just got a taste of something meaty. To have a proper bite of meat was very difficult.

Li Xiangdong was speechless, “What are you talking about, big brother? Is this all the meat the meat processing plant has?”

The eldest brother was glanced at by his wife and sheepishly shut his mouth, silently swallowing his saliva.

Father Li was chewing on a two-part flour steamed bun when he suddenly saw a mug full of meat. He was so surprised that he choked and started coughing.

Taking the water that Mother Li handed him, he drank a couple of sips and said, holding back his cough, “Third son, hurry up and tell me where this meat came from!”

Li Xiangdong gave his father an annoyed look, “Ah Zhe and his father are back. We brothers went to visit them. Binzi reserved this meat from the restaurant in advance. Don’t worry, it wasn’t stolen or robbed. Your son is not so classless as to do something like that.”

Hearing his third son’s words, Father Li’s face turned red, and he said stubbornly, “When did I say you stole or robbed it? Can’t I, as a father, ask?”

“What kind of father asks like that? You just don’t want your own son to do well.”

Grandma Li scolded Father Li with great dissatisfaction, then looked at her precious grandson and said, “Then why did you bring the meat back? We can’t be like that when we’re guests at someone’s house.”

Old Man Li followed up, “The Shi father and son have suffered a lot over the years. It wasn’t easy for them to come back in one piece. This meat should be left for them to build up their strength.”

Li Xiangdong explained, “Don’t worry, grandparents, we’ve left plenty for them. Binzi reserved a big pig’s head and a whole set of offal. There’s so much meat that we can’t finish it, and it won’t last in this weather. We specially divided some for each family to bring back for you to taste.”

Hearing her brother-in-law’s words, the second sister-in-law was shocked, “My goodness, a whole pig’s head and a whole set of offal. You guys are too much. Our family doesn’t even eat this much meat in a year!”

“What are you shouting about? Is this meat ours?”

Mother Li glared at her second daughter-in-law with dissatisfaction, then said to Li Xiangdong, “Binzi was really generous this time. Is his wife about to give birth? Remember to let me know when the time comes. I’ll go and visit and bring some eggs for Binzi’s wife.”

Among Li Xiangdong’s childhood friends, Mother Li liked Qian Bin the most. It wasn’t that she was snobbish; Ah Zhe’s father was a university professor, and she still didn’t like Ah Zhe.

In this era, whoever had a proper job was a good child in the eyes of the elders.

Li Xiangdong nodded, “Alright, I know.”

He picked up the enamel mug and walked over to his grandparents. He specially picked out some tender pig’s head meat and gave two pieces to each of them. “You guys try it. Binzi stewed this meat until it’s really tender.”

“Give it to the children. Your grandmother and I are so old, what’s the point of eating meat?”

Old Man Li looked at his great-grandchildren who had gathered around again, standing there and watching eagerly. He took the enamel mug from Li Xiangdong’s hand and pushed it in front of Mother Li.

“You all have a taste. Give the rest to the children. Let them eat more.”

“Great-grandpa is the best!”

The children were overjoyed.

“What’s so good about it? Go back and drink your meat broth!”

Li Xiangdong knew it would be like this. Fortunately, he had given his grandparents two pieces of meat in advance. The old couple knew they were old and wouldn’t give the food in their bowls to the children.

Father and Mother Li, his brothers and sisters-in-law, and his wife each took a piece with their chopsticks.

Father Li liked the pig liver the most. He thought it was the most fragrant. He picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly, reluctant to swallow.

Unlike the second brother, who put a piece of pig’s head meat in his mouth, chewed a couple of times, and swallowed it directly.

After each of them had eaten a piece, they stopped. There was still a lot left, so they put it on the small dining table for the children to share.

At this moment, Li曉濤 suddenly cried out, “Big brother, Xiaobo, come and see! Xiaohai drank all the meat broth, and I haven’t had a single sip!”

Hearing that her son had caused trouble again, Zhou Yuqin angrily walked over, took Li Xiaohai into her arms, and slapped his bottom hard a few times.

Li Xiaohai giggled and didn’t cry. He was so happy after drinking the whole mug of meat broth. He held the empty enamel mug tightly and wouldn’t let go, sticking out his tongue to lick the bits of meat inside.

The first and second sisters-in-law hurried over to stop Zhou Yuqin. The second sister-in-law persuaded, “Stop hitting him. What’s wrong with a child drinking some meat broth? Besides, it was the third son who brought it back.”

The first sister-in-law went even further and slapped Li Xiaotao on the back of the head.

“What are you wailing about? The meat has been brought over for you. Are you not allowed to eat it or what? If you dare to act up again, go stand outside and don’t eat. Your meat will be divided among your younger brothers and sisters!”

Li Xiangdong didn’t pay much attention to the noisy family. After his wife passed away in his previous life, he hadn’t experienced this kind of family atmosphere for a long time.

He sat down on his wife’s stool and reached out to take his daughter from Mother Li’s arms. “Xiaoqi, is it delicious? Is the pig’s tail fragrant?”

“Daddy… eat…”

Li Xiaozhu thought her father wanted to eat and generously held out the pig’s tail in her hand.

“Daddy’s not eating, you eat. My daughter is so good.”

Li Xiangdong kissed his daughter’s greasy little cheek.

Li Xiaozhu was very happy. She held the pig’s tail in her hands and bounced up and down in her father’s arms.

“Mom, give me some grain ration tickets. My brothers and I steamed a pot of two-part flour steamed buns at Ah Zhe’s house.”

This was how it was now. Every household’s grain was supplied in fixed amounts. When going out to visit relatives and friends, you had to bring your own grain ration tickets.