Year 1979: Eating meat with my wife and children

Chapter 1330 Who are you?

Old Li was very concerned about the radio in front of him. In his entire life, apart from the courtyard of his old house, he had never acquired any other major items.

Everyone else had bicycles, watches, and sewing machines; they would buy them for their homes whenever they had money and ration coupons.

Old Li never bought any of these things. It wasn't that he was stingy or unwilling to spend the money; it was that he had spent almost all the money he had saved in his life on the house.

The Red Lantern 797 semiconductor tube radio produced by Shanghai Radio Factory No. 2 in front of him can be said to be the second major purchase that Old Man Li has ever made in his life.

Excluding the ticket, it cost forty-four yuan!

"Don't hit it so hard anymore. Your great-grandfather spent tens of dollars to buy it. What if you break it?"

"It doesn't sing."

"It's not time yet, we'll start singing right away."

The People's Broadcasting Station broadcasts from 4:00 AM to 1:00 AM the following day, with a fixed program. News and newspaper summaries are broadcast between 6:30 and 7:00 AM.

Music will start playing at 7:00 and continue until 7:15, except on Sundays when it will be extended to 7:30.

"Dongzi, look at the time, it's still a few minutes to seven."

Li Xiangdong glanced at his watch. "Less than a minute."

"Alright, the music will start soon, hurry up and get in position."

Old Li reassured his great-granddaughter to prevent her from sneaking up and hitting the radio again.

"Dad, move aside."

Li Xiaozhu urged Li Xiangdong, who was standing at the entrance of the main room, to move aside so that the stage would be cleared for her to perform.

"It sang!"

Li Xiaozhu was overjoyed when she heard the radio start playing music.

"Hurry up and jump, you only have fifteen minutes."

"it is good!"

The radio was playing "Young Friends Come to Meet," and Li Xiaozhu swayed her arms and legs, shook her head and wiggled her hips along with the song.

How to describe it?

Children who have learned dance dance like little elves, or like blooming flowers, full of vitality and energy.

Li Xiaozhu is different; she's like a little piglet that's been caught, her dance moves seeming to be struggling, full of the will to survive.

Li Xiangdong hid to the side, secretly enjoying his laugh, and waved to Li Xiaohai, "Come over and dance with your sister."

"I do not!"

Li Xiaohai looked resistant, stopped watching his sister's antics, and ran towards the outer courtyard with his basketball.

"Come back. If you're not dancing, do morning exercises."

Morning exercise should still be done, Li Xiangdong told Li Xiaohai, who was about to slip away, to stop.

"Dad, aren't you going to help me?"

"How long have I been taking care of you two siblings? From now on, I'm not going to get involved in this anymore. Your sister will dance, and you'll just do your morning exercises while chanting slogans."

"understood."

Li Xiaohai tossed the basketball aside and started reciting a health song in the yard, twisting around three times to the left and three times to the right.

"Father, come quickly, come quickly."

Li Xiaozhu stopped jumping and frowned as she called for help.

Seeing that she was swaying unsteadily, Li Xiangdong rushed forward to check on her, feeling extremely worried.

"What happened? Tell me quickly, did you twist it? Where does it hurt?"

"No, I'm not in pain, I'm dizzy."

"..."

Li Xiaozhu stayed in Li Xiangdong's arms for two minutes, and once she was no longer dizzy, she struggled to go dancing.

Li Xiangdong pinched her ear, "Stop shaking your head, okay?"

Having learned her lesson, Li Xiaozhu obediently said, "I won't shake anymore, I'll just wiggle my butt."

"Okay, go twist it."

Li Xiangdong sat down in the rocking chair and turned to stare at Li Xiaozhu.

After she finished dancing, the radio switched to broadcasting health information. Li Xiangdong pulled her back into the house to dry off the sweat, to prevent her from catching a cold.

"You exercise so much every day, how come you can't lose weight?"

Li Xiaozhu didn't like what she heard and retorted, "I've lost weight."

Li Xiangdong retorted, "Where have you lost weight?"

"Look at my belly."

Li Xiaozhu lifted her vest and said, "Look, it's too small."

Li Xiangdong patted him lightly, "Is this because you've lost weight? It's because you haven't eaten yet."

"No, no, you mustn't say that!"

Li Xiaozhu put down her clothes, turned and ran, "Mom, I'm hungry, when are we going to eat?"

...

Time flew by and it was already nine o'clock in the morning. Li Xiangdong was hanging up the washed clothes in the yard.

Wang Zhihui's voice rang out from outside the gate, "Brother Dong! Are you home? Keep an eye on your dog!"

"Wait, I'll come pick you up."

Before Li Xiangdong's response had even faded, Li Xiaozhu, who was braiding coal balls in the yard, ran towards the outer yard.

Li Xiaozhu ran all the way to the gate and stood inside the threshold, looking down at Wang Zhihui, who was holding his bicycle at the bottom of the steps.

She asked, "Who are you?"

"who are you?"

When Wang Zhihui asked her a question, Li Xiaozhu raised her head and put her hands behind her back.

"You can call me Section Chief Li."

"puff!"

Wang Zhihui couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Stop laughing! If you laugh again, you'll be criticized at a large meeting. Tell me who you are!"

"Go back to the courtyard to play with your sister."

Li Xiangdong came over and patted his daughter's bottom to send her back.

"You've arrived quite early; Uncle Sun hasn't come yet."

"I've been at home with nothing to do, so coming early might help me out. Dong-ge, keep an eye on your dog."

Wang Zhihui carried the bicycle and followed Li Xiangdong into the courtyard.

Ququsun was coming over to pick up some things today, so Li Xiangdong invited Wang Zhihui to come to his house for a get-together.

"Having money really makes a difference."

Li Xiangdong looked at the net hanging on the handlebars and joked with a smile.

"Snacks I bought for the kids."

Wang Zhihui looked at Li Xiangdong, who was locking the dog in the back room.

"Brother Dong, was that your little daughter just now? She said her name was Section Chief Li, did I hear her correctly?"

"You heard me right, I am Section Chief Li."

Li Xiaozhu was lying on the hanging flower gate, peeking out her head with two little pigtails.

Hearing himself introduced like that again, Wang Zhihui couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You must be Section Chief Li? Hello, Section Chief Li."

"you're good too."

"Isn't that rude? Call me uncle."

Upon hearing Li Xiangdong, who had just locked the dog up, speak, Li Xiaozhu obediently greeted Wang Zhihui as "Uncle."

"Yes, you too."

Wang Zhihui followed Li Xiangdong into the inner courtyard. After parking the bicycle, he took down the net bag hanging on the handlebars, which contained a bunch of bananas and two cans of fruit.

He greeted Grandma Li and Zhou Yuqin, who were at home, and learned what Li Xiaozhu's name was. He also learned that Zhang Miaomiao was the child of Li Xiangdong's friend.

Li Xiaohai wasn't home; Zhao Datou called him to go play marbles in the alley.

Wang Zhihui reached into his pocket and took out two candies. "Want some?"

Li Xiaozhu nodded, "I want to eat it, thank you, Uncle."

"Eat up, Miaomiao, you take some too."

"Thank you, Uncle Wang."

Zhang Miaomiao thanked her.

Li Xiaozhu focused intently on peeling the candy wrapper, stuffed the candy into her mouth, and puffed out her cheeks as she approached Wang Zhihui.

"Uncle, you should eat too."

Li Xiaozhu's outstretched hand opened to reveal another piece of candy.

"Good girl, you even know to give me some. I don't want it, you can keep it for yourself."

"It's delicious, take it quickly."

"Okay, I'll take it."