Year 1979: Eating meat with my wife and children

These days, wives generally don't care if their husbands smoke or drink.

Of course, this is not encouragement, but rather the current social environment.

Li Xiaozhu was probably in too much of a hurry, and the excuse she came up with in her haste was actually not good. She mistakenly thought that she disliked Zhou Yuqin and that Zhou Yuqin would also mind.

Seeing her mother give her a knowing look, Li Xiaozhu chuckled, lowered her head, put her hands behind her back, her eyes darting around, and one foot was drawing circles on the ground.

"You bought so much stuff again."

Zhou Yuqin frowned slightly as she looked at the four cases of wine, six paper bags, and her husband's bulging cloth bag on the ground, feeling a pang of regret for the money.

"Two cases of wine and two paper bags belong to A Zhe."

Li Xiangdong's words made Zhou Yuqin feel a little better, and then she noticed her daughter's little actions next to her.

"Stand still, or I'll beat you up if you ruin your shoes."

"Oh."

Li Xiaozhu stood at attention.

Li Xiangdong smiled at her and said, "Keep an eye on our things at the door, so that no outsiders take them."

"I'll definitely keep an eye on it."

Li Xiaozhu nodded emphatically, then casually put her arm around the dog's head, forcibly keeping herself a companion.

Li Xiangdong picked up two cases of wine and followed his wife, who was carrying a paper bag, home.

"Has your son gone to school?"

"You had just left not long before you came back."

"Is everything alright at home?"

"What could be wrong? Nothing."

The young couple chatted as they walked through the hanging flower gate.

Li Xiangdong greeted the old man and woman standing at the door of the main house, and then followed Zhou Yuqin back into the house.

At this moment, Old Man Li asked, "Is there anything else at the main gate?"

He made this guess because he didn't see his great-granddaughter, who had run out of the hospital, come back with him.

Seeing the other person descend the steps, Li Xiangdong offered to help, saying, "Don't worry about it. I'll put the wine in my arms back inside and run another errand, and that'll be it."

After entering the house and putting down the wine and the cloth bag he was carrying, Li Xiangdong told Zhou Yuqin which two paper bags belonged to A Zhe. He then quickly came out of the house and looked at Old Man Li, who had already walked to the vicinity of the large water vat.

"I told you I don't need any help, I can manage on my own, Grandpa, please go back inside."

Li Xiangdong quickened his pace to the front gate, picked up the two cases of wine from the ground, and his daughter and dog followed closely behind without him even asking.

"Good boy, Coal Ball, wait outside for a while."

Li Xiaozhu stepped over the threshold into the east wing, ruthlessly keeping the coal briquettes outside.

After closing the door behind her, Li Xiaozhu walked to the table with a grin, tiptoed and craned her neck to look at the cloth bag on the table.

"Dad, what's in the bag? It smells so good!"

"Let me show you."

Li Xiangdong took a roast chicken out of his bag and opened the paper bag.

"Roast chicken, Dad, is that the smell?"

Li Xiaozhu's eyes lit up, and she asked the question knowing the answer already.

Li Xiangdong said helplessly, "That's it."

Li Xiaozhu shook her head, "I don't believe you unless you let me try it."

"Just smell it, it's too cold. We'll heat it up before eating it at dinner."

As Li Xiangdong spoke, he began to repackage the food. Li Xiaozhu, who had not achieved her goal, said, "Dad, it's not that I want to eat, it's just that I'm hungry. I'm still a child."

“You just finished lunch less than two hours ago, and you’re already hungry? I’m going to ask your mother what’s going on. Why won’t she let you eat your fill when I’m not home? This won’t do. We have plenty of food at home, how can she let the child go hungry? Your mother has to explain this to me.”

Li Xiangdong put down the roast chicken in his hand and made a move to walk into the inner room.

Li Xiaozhu was startled when she saw this!

She not only ate her fill at noon, but also filled every nook and cranny, so she dared not let Li Xiangdong actually confront Zhou Yuqin.

Li Xiaozhu, who had hurriedly blocked the road, stretched out her arms to stop the person.

"Dad, you work hard to earn money. I was just kidding you. Funny, right? Hahaha."

As Li Xiaozhu spoke, she grinned first, and Li Xiangdong raised his hand and flicked her forehead.

"I knew it was just your craving. Let me wash my hands and I'll give you a chicken foot."

"Hmm, I love gnawing on chicken feet the most. Dad, how many roast chickens did you buy?"

"There are three in the bag. One is for your grandpa Sun, and the other two are for your grandparents and siblings to eat together tonight."

Two aren't enough.

"Three yuan each. If you want to eat them, stay home and behave. I might consider bringing two more back next time."

"Okay, Dad, I'll get you some hot water."

Upon hearing that there would be food, Li Xiaozhu eagerly went to fetch the thermos.

Li Xiangdong took over halfway through, poured the water himself, and said, "Come and wash up too."

The washbasin was placed on the floor, and the father and daughter washed their hands together.

Li Xiangdong tore a chicken foot off the roast chicken on the table. "Eat it."

Li Xiaozhu's eyes crinkled with joy as she smiled, "Dad, you're so good to me."

Save your flattery for sucking up to your mother.

What is my mother doing in the inner room?

With the chicken feet in hand, Li Xiaozhu thought of Zhou Yuqin, and also remembered that Li Xiangdong had brought back six bulging paper bags.

"Mom, don't steal any food, wait for me!"

She held a chicken claw in her hand and lifted the curtain of the inner room. She saw that Zhou Yuqin was not stealing food, but standing in front of the kang (a heated brick bed) holding a trench coat against her body to measure it.

Under Zhou Yuqin's direct gaze, she came to the kang (a heated brick bed) while munching on chicken. "Mom, what's in the paper bag?"

"Eat your chicken feet first, and I'll tell you after you're done."

Zhou Yuqin had already briefly looked through the four paper bags in her house. They contained her clothes, two boxes of skincare products, new clothes for her two children, toys, and four new scarves.

"Mom, please let me take a look?"

“I told you to wait until you finish eating before you look at it. I heard everything you said in the living room. If you keep going on like this, don’t blame me for settling the score with you.”

Zhou Yuqin's words implied that she wanted to hit someone, and Li Xiaozhu immediately changed the subject.

"Mom, the clothes in your hands are so beautiful. No, the clothes only look good on you, Mom. Hehehe."

"That's a good compliment."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangdong, who had just entered the inner room, smiled and said, "What are you comparing? There's a turtleneck sweater inside. Try it on and see if it fits."

Li Xiaozhu sucked on a chicken foot and nodded, "Okay, give it a try."

Urged by the two men, Zhou Yuqin rummaged through the paper bag and took out a wool sweater, then took off her coat and cotton-padded jacket and put on the two new clothes.

"good."

Li Xiangdong nodded.

Li Xiaozhu nodded vigorously, "It looks good."

Hearing the praise, Zhou Yuqin blushed slightly and asked, "How much did these two outfits cost in total?"

"A wool sweater costs thirty yuan, and a trench coat costs thirty-five yuan."

As soon as Li Xiangdong finished quoting, two surprised voices rang out in the room.

"how much is it?"

How much did it cost?

Ignoring Zhou Yuqin's surprise, Li Xiangdong turned to look at his chubby daughter, who had stuffed chicken feet into her mouth and forgotten to eat them.

"What are you yelling about?"

"Thirty plus thirty-five equals sixty-five, Dad. You're willing to spend sixty-five yuan on new clothes for Mom, but why won't you spend an extra three yuan on a roast chicken? Don't you love me anymore?"