Chapter 4: Grandma Li

“Dongzi, are you thinking about working at the coal shop?”

After speaking, the eldest brother, Li Weiguo, scratched his head, his face full of worry. “But all the positions at the coal shop are filled. Right now, they’re only hiring temporary workers to deliver coal. How about…”

Father Li, who was beside him, interrupted his eldest son’s words, scolding angrily, “Can he be a coal delivery man? A basket of coal is at least 50 pounds. This little bastard, the third son, is famous in Changping for following a bunch of kids to cut pigweed all day. You really don’t think before you speak!”

As Father Li spoke, he recalled the scene of his first visit to the Zhou family village in Changping to meet his in-laws. Hearing what the nearby villagers said, he was so ashamed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Sitting at the small dining table, Li Xiangdong was now both dejected and embarrassed…

He couldn’t let his father continue.

“Dad, does the subdistrict office have recruitment quotas for the railway system? Do you guys know?”

As soon as Li Xiangdong spoke, the room fell silent. His father stopped glaring at him angrily.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him.

“Is there such a thing?” The second brother was a little doubtful.

Li Xiangdong nodded affirmatively. He remembered this matter very clearly.

In his previous life, unable to withstand the constant nagging from his family, he went to the subdistrict office to report and took the job of popping popcorn.

Not long after, he got news from a childhood friend that among their batch of returning educated youth placed by the subdistrict office, someone had gotten a recruitment spot in the railway system.

Reborn once, knowing there was a better job, wouldn’t he be a fool not to fight for it?

Father Li frowned and asked, “Where did you get this news?”

“I analyzed it.”

Li Xiangdong could only say that…

Under the suspicious gazes of everyone, he continued, “There are three policies for the job placement of returning educated youth.”

“First, children taking over their parents’ positions. My dad is retiring in a few years, so it’s not worth it to take over his post early. We won’t consider that.”

“Then there’s developing collective industries, like sharpening scissors and knives, popping popcorn, street hairdressing, and so on. Oh, right, last year someone started selling large bowls of tea on Qianmen Street, that’s also a collective industry.”

“The most crucial is the last one: all government agencies and units are expanding their recruitment quotas, advocating for one person’s work to be done by three people, and three people’s food to be eaten by five.”

“Think about it, the Beijing Railway Station is near our home. Even if their railway system internally absorbs most of the positions, they can’t be too blatant about it. They will definitely have to recruit a batch of returning educated youth from society. Our subdistrict office has the authority to assist in management, so it’s perfectly normal for them to have a few recruitment quotas.”

After hearing Li Xiangdong’s analysis, the people in the room were stunned by his performance.

It was the first time their youngest son had spoken so seriously and logically in front of them.

The way everyone looked at him was different.

Zhou Yuqin, who was eavesdropping behind the inner room door, felt as if she was meeting her husband for the first time.

For ordinary people like them, who were busy making a living every day, they had neither the time nor the inclination to think about the twists and turns of policy.

But Li Xiangdong’s analysis made sense. The more they thought about it, the more they felt it was likely true.

Father Li took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, his face solemn.

“Although what the third son said makes sense, it’s just his analysis. We don’t know if it’s really true.”

“All of you, keep your mouths shut. Don’t go spreading rumors. If it’s not true, then so be it. But if it is, we need to think of a way.”

Mother Li and the brothers and sisters-in-law nodded quickly. They knew the gravity of the matter.

Mother Li was a little anxious. “Husband, you need to hurry up and ask around about this.”

Father Li didn’t speak. He knew this matter needed to be handled quickly, but to inquire about such news, he needed to find the right person.

He thought for a moment and asked, “Why aren’t the old man and old lady back yet?”

There was no meat in the family’s meals, and the children were clamoring for it every day. Old Man Li and Grandma Li doted on the children and had gone to the market before dawn to queue for meat.

This phenomenon of having to queue for meat before dawn would be alleviated in January of the following year, when Beijing would cancel the policy of purchasing with ration tickets, a specific adjustment made for meat products.

“They should be back soon. I’ll go to the alley entrance to meet them.”

After speaking, the eldest brother, Li Weiguo, walked straight out.

Having not seen them for decades, Li Xiangdong was quite looking forward to seeing his grandparents again.

Grandfather passed away in 1990. On the night of the funeral, Grandmother held Grandfather’s hand, sat for a whole night, and passed away with him.

Now, hearing that the old couple had gotten up early to queue for meat, Li Xiangdong said worriedly, “Their combined age is over one hundred and fifty. Why get up so early? They should sleep more. What if they fall in the dark?”

Hearing his words, Mother Li was immediately displeased and glanced at him. “Who are you pointing fingers at with those words? There is an idle person in the house, but there’s a golden nugget hidden on the bed, and he’s guarding it all day, reluctant to get off.”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Li Xiangdong couldn’t help but cough twice.

His father and brothers had to go to work, his wife and sisters-in-law had to take care of the children, and his mother had to cook. Only he slept in every day.

“I’ll go out and have a look too.”

Feeling extremely embarrassed, Li Xiangdong got up, patted his bottom, and walked out of the house.

Just as he reached the spirit screen, he ran into Grandma Li, who was carrying a cloth bag and walking unsteadily. He quickly took two steps forward to support her and took the cloth bag from her hand.

Grandma Li had a full head of silver hair and a face full of wrinkles. She smiled as soon as she saw him.

“Dongzi, have you had breakfast? You must eat breakfast, it’s bad for your stomach if you don’t.”

“I don’t know how much you suffered during those years in the countryside. You were so thin you looked like a different person when you came back a while ago.”

If Father Li heard this, he would probably faint from anger. He had sent money every month without missing a single payment!

Moreover, the educated youth had holidays. Li Xiangdong would come home from time to time, and even if he couldn’t come back, letters asking for money would be sent home.

Besides, Li Xiangdong wasn’t thin. He just had the kind of constitution that didn’t gain weight, and he had never been fat in his life.

Feeling Grandma Li’s overflowing love for him, Li Xiangdong felt a mix of emotions. He took a deep breath to suppress his excitement.

“Grandma, I’ve eaten. I’m full. I’ve gained quite a bit of weight since I came back.”

“Gaining some weight is good.”

Grandma Li nodded and whispered in a low voice, “I saved a boiled egg for you. I’ll give it to you secretly later.”

There was a 1.5-meter open space between the main house and the wing rooms. Father Li had used wood to build a chicken coop in the space between the main house and the west wing, where they kept five old hens.

In previous years, raising them was not allowed, so they were raised secretly.

Now, no one cared, but they didn’t raise many because the smell would be too strong.

Every day, Mother Li would get up early to feed the chickens, clean the coop, and collect the eggs. When making breakfast, she would use boiling water to make egg drop soup for the children to supplement their nutrition.

Li Xiangdong was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. “You got up early to get the eggs again?”

“I didn’t get up early. Your mother was watching this morning. I took it from the cupboard last night after your mother fell asleep.”

Grandma Li truly doted on her youngest grandson. To ensure he could eat an egg, she had even resorted to military tactics.