Chapter 31: Look at What You Give, I Won’t Complain if It’s Too Little

Mother Li, being fooled by her own grandson, was so angry she slapped Li Xiaotao on the back.

“Are you smart or stupid? Do you think I’m blind and can’t see? Didn’t you drink it yourself? You only get two spoonfuls, no more!”

Li Xiaotao didn’t cry out in pain after being slapped. He stared at the small iron basin that held the egg drop soup, “Grandma, how come there’s none left?”

“There’s never any left!”

Mother Li knew exactly how much water was needed to make the egg drop soup every day. It was always just the right amount, two spoonfuls for the older children and one for the younger ones.

Having failed to achieve his goal, Li Xiaotao scratched his head and sat down. He then turned his gaze to his eldest brother, Li Xiaojiang.

Li Xiaojiang directly refused, “Don’t look at me, I don’t have enough for myself.”

Li Xiaotao didn’t dare to provoke his two younger sisters; if he made them cry, he would get a beating. And because of his third uncle, he skipped over Li Xiaohai. He moved his head closer to Li Xiaobo.

“Hehe, Little Five, you can’t finish it, can you? Let your second brother help you have a few sips, okay?”

“Ptooey!”

Li Xiaobo spat into his own bowl.

He had been bullied by his two older brothers since he was young, so he didn’t dare to refuse directly, fearing he would be beaten later.

He pretended not to hear and asked with a blank face, “Brother Xiaotao, what did you say?”

Li Xiangdong was so amused by his two nephews that he burst out laughing.

Mother Li picked up her chopsticks, walked over, and tapped Li Xiaobo on the head, “Are you disgusting or not? If you dare to spit in your bowl again, I’ll have your mother slap you!”

Her gaze swept over the four grandsons sitting at the small dining table. “All four of you, eat properly. If anyone dares to misbehave again, there will be no egg drop soup for him starting tomorrow!”

“Grandma, I’m very obedient.”

Li Xiaohai tilted his head up and acted cute.

“Mmm.”

Mother Li nodded perfunctorily. Although this little grandson of hers had only recently returned to the city and was the youngest of the grandsons, she knew that Li Xiaohai was no well-behaved child. He was exactly like her third son, full of cunning tricks.

Li Xiangdong sat at the large dining table, watching the children’s pre-meal performance, and happily drank his cornmeal mush.

The family was used to it. If these children didn’t cause a scene during every meal, the meal wouldn’t feel right.

It was just that Li Xiaobo spitting in his bowl was too out of line, otherwise Mother Li would have been too lazy to go over and discipline them.

“Laosan, I remember you had your picture taken when you transferred your household registration back to the city. Remember to bring the photo when you go to report for duty, as well as your work introduction letter and household registration book.”

Father Li reminded him. With such a good job, he was afraid his third son would be unreliable and mess things up.

If he didn’t have to go to work in the morning, he would have wanted to accompany his third son to complete the onboarding procedures!

Li Xiangdong put down his bowl and replied, “I know, Dad. I’ve already prepared the photo and the introduction letter. They’re all in my room. I’ll just ask Mom for the household registration book after we finish eating.”

Old Man Li reminded him from the side, “Dongzi, then you eat quickly. After you’re done, go and tidy yourself up. It’s your first day reporting for duty, you can’t be late.”

Hearing her husband’s words, Grandma Li was immediately displeased.

“What’s the hurry? Dongzi is eating, why are you rushing him? What time is it now? How could Dongzi be late?”

Li Xiangdong watched his grandparents bicker with a smile and ate his meal unhurriedly.

“Mom, you don’t need to make lunch for me today. It’s my first day, and I don’t know the situation. There are also a lot of reporting procedures. I probably won’t be able to make it back for lunch.”

“Why would you come back to eat? You think it’s like your dad’s coal shop? There are less than ten people in total. The unit you’re going to work for is a proper state-owned enterprise. They definitely have a cafeteria.”

Mother Li suddenly slapped her thigh and stood up, “I almost forgot to prepare a lunch box for you. Otherwise, you won’t even have anything to eat with.”

She didn’t even bother to finish her meal. She went into the room, found an aluminum lunch box, and took it to the courtyard to wash it.

Grandma Li reminded Mother Li, “Remember to bring chopsticks.”

Mother Li replied loudly from the courtyard, “I’m preparing them. How could I forget this? You’re so old, don’t worry about it.”

“He’s my own grandson. If I don’t worry about Dongzi, should I worry about outsiders?”

Hearing her daughter-in-law’s words, Grandma Li felt uncomfortable.

Usually, whatever Mother Li said or did, Grandma Li would pretend not to know and wouldn’t interfere. But as long as it was about Li Xiangdong, she took everything to heart.

The family was used to it and all pretended not to hear Grandma Li’s words.

The second brother swallowed the steamed corn bun in his mouth and said, “Dongzi, remember to put two packs of good cigarettes in your pocket. You’ll need them when you’re out doing things. Do you have any? If not, your second brother will get you two packs.”

“Does Laosan need you to remind him? He’s already taken all my good cigarettes! And I have to say, Second Brother, you’re quite generous this time. I, as your father, have never even smoked those good cigarettes of yours.”

Father Li was still resentful about his third son’s “roll-up” incident.

“Hehe, well, Dad, I’ll get you two packs later.”

The second brother smiled awkwardly. It wasn’t that he had good cigarettes and didn’t give them to his father to smoke, but that Father Li usually looked down on the cigarettes he smoked.

He didn’t know that now, all that was left in his father’s drawer were the eight-cent “Shengchan” cigarettes!

“Dongzi, the clothes you’re wearing won’t do. Your eldest brother has a white shirt. I’ll get it for you later. You can try it on. If you can wear it, you can just wear it to report for duty today.”

“That’s right, Dongzi. Your eldest sister-in-law is right. I’ve only worn that white shirt a few times. It looks almost new.”

The eldest brother and his wife were not stingy either. They knew that their third brother was going to work in the railway system, which was a job that could bring honor to the whole family.

It was just contributing a white shirt. The couple was not so heartbroken as to be unwilling.

Li Xiangdong politely declined the kind offer, “No need, Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law. I already prepared my clothes yesterday.”

The second sister-in-law smiled and said, “Laosan, you’ve prepared your clothes, but remember to carry some money and tickets with you. Don’t go to the cafeteria dressed nicely with a lunch box, only to find that you have no money or tickets in your pocket when you’ve gotten your food. That would be a joke. If you don’t have money, just ask our dad for some. At worst, you can pay him back when you get your salary.”

Li Xiangdong thought what his second sister-in-law said made a lot of sense!

He didn’t have a single cent on him right now and was just thinking about how to ask his parents for some. His second sister-in-law had just built him a ladder.

He suddenly felt his leg under the table being touched by Zhou Yuqin, who was sitting next to him.

Li Xiangdong knew his wife was reminding him not to ask for money. The two of them were not so poor that they couldn’t even afford a meal.

Of the thirty yuan his grandparents gave him yesterday, he had spent one yuan, and the rest was still with his wife.

But he didn’t plan to spend this money. He had a big use for it.

He reached his hand under the table, pressed down on his wife’s leg, then looked at Father Li, extended his other hand, and rubbed his fingers together a couple of times.

“Dad, you see what you can give. I won’t complain if it’s too little.”