Chapter 7: The Younger Generation of the Li Family

“Xiaojiang.”

“Li Xiaojiang!”

At a critical moment, he still had to rely on his eldest nephew.

“What is it, Third Uncle?”

“Third Uncle, I’m here.”

“Third Uncle…”

“Dad.”

He called for one, and they all came running.

Their foreheads were all covered in sweat, and their faces were grimy.

“Let’s be quiet, don’t disturb your great-grandparents’ rest.”

“Come on, Xiaojiang, come and help Third Uncle move the table. The rest of you, get out of the way, be careful not to get bumped.”

Li Xiaotao, who had also run over, said, “Third Uncle, let me do it. You don’t have to, you can rest.”

“Can you do it? This table is quite heavy.”

“I can. Third Uncle, I can move it. I’ve moved this table before.”

As Li Xiaotao spoke, he even flexed his biceps at him.

Li Xiangdong nodded, “Alright, you and your older brother take one side.”

Except for his wife and two children, everyone else in their family had urban household registration and a monthly ration of grain. So, the family was not short of food. The children just didn’t eat well, but they never went hungry.

Especially his second nephew, Li Xiaotao. It was unknown what he ate to grow up. At only eleven years old, he looked stronger than him. Apart from not being very bright, everything else was fine.

“Third Uncle, where are we moving the table?”

“Move it to the side of the water basin first.”

Having been used as a dining table for a long time, the accumulated grime on it needed to be cleaned off. Since he was going to use it in his room, he definitely had to give it a good cleaning.

As for the saying that rosewood shouldn’t be wiped with water, well, the family had been using it as a dining table for over a decade, so this one time wouldn’t make a difference.

With such a big commotion, his mother and sisters-in-law must have heard it. Even his wife came out to take a look.

They didn’t say anything after seeing it. It was normal for Li Xiangdong to do such unproductive things. He could do whatever he wanted. They felt it was a waste of breath to say anything more.

After the table was in place, Li Xiangdong went back to the west wing room first.

Pushing the door open, he saw Zhou Yuqin sitting on the edge of the heated brick bed, gently waving a cattail leaf fan to shoo away mosquitoes for their daughter who was sleeping on the bed.

Seeing her husband come in, she asked, “Why are you wiping that dining table?”

“I’m cleaning it to swap with the table in our room. I won’t go into detail with you now, I’ll explain it to you tonight.”

Hearing his words, Zhou Yuqin nodded. She was not an unreasonable person. Since her husband said he would explain it to her tonight, she wouldn’t meddle.

But then she saw her husband take an egg out of his pocket, crack it casually, and start peeling the shell. She immediately understood that the egg must have been secretly given to him by Grandma Li. She had seen it many times.

After peeling the egg, Li Xiangdong walked to the coal stove used for heating in the winter.

He first placed the thermos on the ground, then lifted the iron lid of the coal stove, threw the peeled eggshells in, and finally put everything back in its original place.

Well, now he didn’t have to throw the eggshells in the alley. A perfect disposal of the evidence.

He held the white and tender egg and handed it to his wife’s mouth, “Eat it, Grandma gave it to me.”

“I don’t want it, you eat it yourself.”

“Then I won’t eat it either. Let’s save it for our daughter. Remember to soak it in hot water when she wakes up.”

Li Xiangdong looked at the enamel mug, confirmed that there was no water in it, and put the egg inside.

Zhou Yuqin was a little surprised. In the past, her husband would have eaten the egg directly and never said anything about saving it for their daughter. Could it be that he had changed?

As she was secretly pondering, she saw Li Xiangdong take out a stack of money from his other pants pocket.

She was surprised, “Where did you get the money? It’s not from Grandpa and Grandma too, is it? The old couple really dotes on you.”

Worried that her husband would squander the money again, she held out her hand and said, “Give me the money.”

Li Xiangdong sighed, “I just finished counting the money. I can give it to you, but can I keep one yuan?”

Zhou Yuqin nodded, “Alright.”

Li Xiangdong counted out his one yuan and obediently handed over the remaining twenty-nine yuan.

“I’m going out to wipe the table.”

Li Xiangdong found two old rags, came out of the room, and went to the water basin. He turned on the tap to wet the rags and began to wipe the table carefully.

The children gathered around him and asked curiously, “Third Uncle, what are you doing?”

“Wiping the table, can’t you see?”

“Third Uncle, why are you wiping the table?”

“The table is dirty, so I’m wiping it. Why so many questions?”

After wiping the front, he planned to wipe the back of the table and the dust in the crevices of the hollowed-out carvings on the four corners.

He had just squatted down when he saw snot on the back of the table.

He stood up and looked at his nephews angrily, questioning, “Who wiped snot on the back of the table?”

Wherever a hand could reach on the back of the table, there was a lot of dried snot, which disgusted him.

“It wasn’t me.”

“Third Uncle, it wasn’t me.”

“It wasn’t me either.”

None of the nephews admitted to it.

Li Xiangdong first called his two nieces over. Girls wouldn’t do such a dirty thing.

Then he kicked his son’s butt, sending Li Xiaohai to the side. He wasn’t even as tall as the table leg, so it definitely wasn’t him.

Looking at the three nephews standing in front of him with red faces, Li Xiangdong said, “You three, go and wipe that snot clean.”

“I’m not going, it wasn’t me!”

Li Xiaojiang stuck his neck out, being stubborn as a dead duck and refusing to admit it. Mainly because it was too embarrassing and would affect his image as the eldest brother in the eyes of his younger siblings.

Li Xiaotao backstabbed him, “Big Brother, it was you. I saw you do it several times. How can you not admit it?”

“Li Xiaotao, are you looking for a beating?!”

Li Xiaojiang was furious. If it weren’t for Li Xiangdong standing by, he would have probably started fighting.

“You can’t beat me anyway, I’m not afraid of you.”

Li Xiaotao waved his fist, not at all afraid of his older brother’s threat. It wasn’t like they hadn’t fought before, it was uncertain who would beat whom.

Afraid that Li Xiangdong wouldn’t believe him, he even wanted to find a witness, “Xiaobo, you tell him, was it Big Brother who wiped the snot on it?”

Li Xiaobo lowered his head and didn’t speak. Among the four boys of the younger generation in the family, he was the youngest besides Li Xiaohai, and he was also the one who got beaten the most. He could only be a fence-sitter, not daring to offend anyone.

Besides, he had also wiped snot on the table.

Li Xiaojiang was furious with his own younger brother, “Li Xiaotao, you idiot, you shut up!”

“I’m not an idiot. Our mom said I’m just honest.”

“Third Uncle, my mom also said that my big brother is very cunning. You must believe me, it was my big brother who did it!”

Li Xiaotao’s mouth chattered on and on, not even noticing that his big brother Li Xiaojiang’s eyes were already red with anger.

Li Xiangdong said impatiently, “Alright, stop arguing. Whoever did it, go and wipe it clean for me.”

Li Xiaojiang stood still, panting like a toad with anger.

Seeing his big brother not moving, Li Xiaotao crossed his arms and stood still with a sidelong glance.

Li Xiaobo lifted his leg and then put it down. Since his big brother and second brother weren’t moving, he didn’t dare to move either, afraid of being double-teamed when no one was around.

“I can’t control you guys, can I?”

This was a rebellion. They wouldn’t even listen to their third uncle. Li Xiangdong began to wave the money stick.

“Xiaomei, Xiaolan, you two go and help Third Uncle wipe the table. Later, Third Uncle will buy you ice cream, the cream kind!”

“Okay, Third Uncle.”

“Thank you, Third Uncle!”

Li Xiaomei and Li Xiaolan were overjoyed. They didn’t expect a pie to fall from the sky onto their heads.

Usually, the two sisters helped with a lot of housework. Although this job was a bit dirty, it wasn’t tiring. Besides, their third uncle had promised to buy them cream ice cream.

The two sisters were full of energy. They had never had cream ice cream in their lives. The best they had ever had was a cream popsicle, because it was too expensive and the adults in the family were reluctant to buy it.

Hearing that there was cream ice cream, Li Xiaobo was the first to give in. “Third Uncle, I will never wipe my snot on the table again.”

“Mm.”

Li Xiangdong nodded perfunctorily.

Seeing that his goal was not achieved, Li Xiaobo took two steps forward, walked up to Li Xiangdong, and said pitifully, “Third Uncle, I want to eat cream ice cream too. I’ve never had it before.”

Li Xiangdong looked at his nephew, a small person with a pitiful look on his face.

“Alright, you’re in. But you only get a popsicle. Only children who listen to Third Uncle can eat cream ice cream. If you want to eat it, you’ll have to behave well in the future.”

Those who worked and those who didn’t couldn’t be treated the same, otherwise the team would be difficult to lead.

Hearing that he only got a popsicle, Li Xiaobo was also very satisfied. On a hot day, eating a popsicle was very refreshing. He wasn’t even afraid of being beaten!

He shouted happily, “Thank you, Third Uncle! Third Uncle is the best!”

“Hehe, Third Uncle, I want to eat too.”

Li Xiaotao had a silly smile on his face as he scratched his greasy head and came over.

Li Xiangdong pushed him away in disgust, “You want to eat my ass. Get away from me. Aren’t you disgusted? Can’t you wash your head? It’s so greasy you could stir-fry vegetables with it.”

“Third Uncle, how can you say that about me? I just helped you move the table. That table was heavy!”

Li Xiaotao’s face was full of disbelief, feeling that his third uncle was being unfair to him.

“Uh…”

The second nephew’s words made sense, and Li Xiangdong couldn’t refute them.

“Then you’re in too. Although you helped Third Uncle with the work, your behavior just now made Third Uncle very unhappy. As a punishment, you’ll be demoted a level. A cream popsicle.”

Hearing that he could have a cream popsicle, Li Xiaotao grinned widely and said, “Third Uncle, I’m not picky. I love cream popsicles.”

Li Xiaojiang looked at his younger brother Li Xiaotao’s appearance and almost said the word “idiot” out loud.

Seeing his third uncle looking at him with a playful expression, Li Xiaojiang hesitated several times but ultimately didn’t speak, maintaining his big brother demeanor!

Seeing that his eldest nephew was still stubborn, Li Xiangdong ignored him. You can’t force a sale.

“Dad.”

Li Xiaohai came over and hugged his thigh, looking up and saying, “Dad, what about me?”

Li Xiangdong said with a smile, “What about you? You want to eat my ass too? Then stand behind Dad’s butt, and Dad will let one out for you.”

Li Xiaohai was old enough to understand some things now. He heard his older siblings laughing and knew they were laughing at him. Plus, he wanted to eat cream ice cream, and his dad wouldn’t buy it for him.

His mouth puckered, his eyes turned red, and tears started to fall.

Seeing him open his mouth to cry, Li Xiangdong quickly covered his mouth. He couldn’t let him attract Mother Li and his wife Zhou Yuqin.

“Are you acting for your old man? You cry on command. I’ll buy it for you, alright?”

“Hehe.”

Hearing that he would get to eat cream ice cream, Li Xiaohai sniffled and stopped crying. He gave a muffled laugh, and snot suddenly shot out, a yellow stream spraying all over Li Xiangdong’s hand.

“What the…”