Chapter 9: Buying Popsicles

The nearest supply and marketing cooperative to the Li family’s home was right at the entrance of the alley. From the outside, the storefront didn’t look large, but the items inside were quite complete.

Apart from going to the department store in Wangfujing for large purchases, the nearby residents would come here to buy any daily necessities they were missing.

At this moment, inside the supply and marketing cooperative, several salesclerks sitting behind the counter were gathered together, gossiping about some family. One of them, a middle-aged woman, was talking nonstop while knitting a sweater with two long needles flying up and down in her hands.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw the person who had come in. While knitting, she asked, “Xiaojiang, here to buy soy sauce?”

Just as she was wondering why the child hadn’t brought a bottle to buy soy sauce, she heard Li Xiangdong’s greeting. Only then did she take a closer look. “Oh my, Dongzi, when did you get back?”

“Auntie Zhang, I’ve been back for a while. It’s my fault for not coming to see you.”

Auntie Zhang was an old friend of Mother Li’s. Through Auntie Zhang, Mother Li could buy flawed cloth and broken biscuits, things that others couldn’t buy even if they wanted to.

Most importantly, when Mother Li bought things at the supply and marketing cooperative, she wouldn’t be short-changed. The “ghost scale” was something that existed in every era.

Of course, Auntie Zhang’s family was never short of coal either.

“Hey, don’t overthink it, you child. Auntie didn’t mean anything by it. I just haven’t seen you in a while. I didn’t even dare to recognize you when you came in just now. How come other people come back from the countryside all dark and thin, but you’re even fairer than before?”

This question made Li Xiangdong very embarrassed. Although he had gone to the countryside, he didn’t work in the fields, so of course he didn’t get tanned.

“Well, Auntie, let’s chat later when we have time. The kids at home are waiting for their popsicles.”

He counted on his fingers and said, “Auntie Zhang, I’ll take 5 regular popsicles, 3 cream popsicles, and 4 cream ice creams.”

He turned to Li Xiaojiang beside him and asked, “Which one do you want?”

“Red bean popsicle.”

Li Xiaojiang knew his place. He didn’t ask for the most expensive cream ice cream, but since he had helped with the work, he certainly didn’t want the cheapest popsicle either.

“Regular popsicles are 2 cents, red bean and cream popsicles are 5 cents, and cream ice cream is 10 cents. Your total is 70 cents.”

Li Xiangdong handed over the only one yuan he had left in his pocket. His mouth was dry, and he had planned to buy a pack of cigarettes, but now he thought he’d better go home and bum one off his dad.

Auntie Zhang put down her long needles and yarn, skillfully took the money, gave the change, wrote out a receipt, and clipped it to a clip hanging on an iron wire. With a flick of her hand, the clip slid down the wire to the cashier’s eyes with a clattering sound.

Soon, the cashier stamped the receipt and sent it back.

The popsicles were in a wooden box, wrapped in a thick cotton quilt.

Children whose elders worked at the supply and marketing cooperative never lacked sugar water to drink in the summer. This was because the supply and marketing cooperatives at that time had no refrigeration equipment, so the popsicles were difficult to preserve. When they melted into water, no one wanted them, and they eventually became an employee benefit.

Li Xiangdong saw Auntie Zhang squeeze each one with her hand, picking out the harder ones for them.

“Next time you buy something, remember to bring a cloth bag from home.”

Seeing the empty-handed uncle and nephew, Auntie Zhang turned around and took out a piece of oiled paper used for wrapping pastries. After wrapping the popsicles, she tied them with a string and then handed them to Li Xiangdong.

“I was in a hurry to leave and forgot. I’ve troubled you again.”

How could Li Xiangdong remember this? In his previous life, he was used to going out to buy things. He had forgotten that plastic bags were not yet common, and one had to carry a bamboo basket or a cloth bag when going out to buy things.

He said goodbye to Auntie Zhang, and to prevent the popsicles from melting, the uncle and nephew hurried home.

After a few hundred meters, they were sweating profusely. As soon as Li Xiangdong entered the courtyard, the children waiting at home rushed over.

“Third Uncle, you’re finally back!”

“Time for popsicles!”

“Don’t snatch. Whoever snatches doesn’t get to eat. Aren’t you hot standing in the sun? Follow me to the living room of the main house.”

Like a king of the children, Li Xiangdong was surrounded by his nephews and nieces as he entered the living room.

Mother Li came out of the west room and asked Li Xiangdong, “What’s all the noise about? Did you buy them popsicles?”

“The kids at home helped me with some work, so as their uncle, I definitely have to reward them.”

Li Xiangdong placed the paper bag in his hand on the dining table, opened it, and said, “Line up and come one by one.”

The children obediently lined up and took their share from his hand one by one. Then they eagerly tore open the wrappers and carefully licked the popsicles with their tongues.

“You spendthrift, you really have money to burn! Just giving them a popsicle would have been enough. Why did you have to buy cream ice cream?”

Seeing the cream popsicles and cream ice creams in her grandchildren’s hands, Mother Li’s heart ached.

The money for one cream ice cream could buy five regular popsicles. It would have been so much better to save that money to buy meat!

As for her youngest son’s claim that the children had helped with work, wiping a table to get a cream ice cream, where could you find such a good deal? She wanted to do it!

Li Xiangdong ignored his mother, took a popsicle, tore open the wrapper, and stuck it in his mouth. He then began to distribute the rest.

“Xiaojiang, these two popsicles, one for your mother and the other for your second aunt.”

He had bought for everyone in the family, so he couldn’t leave out his two sisters-in-law. Of course, he was reluctant to buy the expensive ones. Popsicles were good enough; he himself was eating a popsicle.

“Alright, Third Uncle.”

Li Xiaojiang replied.

Seeing her eldest grandson about to run out with the popsicles, Mother Li quickly said, “While you’re at it, tell your mother and second aunt to come and help with lunch.”

“I know, Grandma.”

Mother Li didn’t call her youngest daughter-in-law over to help. Her youngest granddaughter was very clingy. Since she had been back, she would get upset if anyone other than her youngest son and his wife held her for too long.

Her third son was also a lazy person who wouldn’t even bother to pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle, let alone help his wife with the child. Calling Zhou Yuqin over wouldn’t be much help, and she might even make things more chaotic.

Li Xiangdong went to the east room to have a look but didn’t see his grandparents. He came out and asked, “Mom, where did my grandparents go? They’re not in the room.”

Mother Li replied, “They just went out to your Auntie Liu’s next door to play leaf cards.”