Year 1979: Eating meat with my wife and children

"It's true, Uncle. I'm not lying to you. I didn't even taste it when I was eating it just now. Could you give me another one? I'll eat it slowly this time."

Li Xiaotao scratched his head, his adorable eyes full of anticipation.

Looking at her simple-minded son, Sister-in-law Li was so angry she laughed. "Get out of here right now, you idiot who doesn't know what shame is!"

"Eldest daughter-in-law, how dare you speak to me like that?"

Grandma Li was displeased when she heard her eldest granddaughter-in-law's words. Although Li Xiaotao was a bit slow-witted and often made a fool of himself, saying absurd things from time to time, he was still a child of the Li family.

When Li's sister-in-law was scolded by Li's mother, she didn't dare to argue back and just smiled awkwardly.

"Taozi, come here, your great-grandmother will give you candy."

Grandma Li called her great-grandson to her side, grabbed two milk candies for him, patted his head, and said, "Eat one today, and one tomorrow, understand?"

Holding the candy, Li Xiaotao looked conflicted. "Great-Grandma, I already ate one. Can I have another one today?"

Grandma Li sighed, "Eat, eat."

"I'm not eating Grandma's food now. I'll wait until my older brother gets a beating tonight. I'm going out to play now."

Li Xiaotao took the milk candy in his hand, turned around, and ran out.

Grandma Li looked at her great-grandson who had run out of the house, her face full of worry. "What will happen to Taozi when he grows up?"

Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was a bit tense, Li Xiangdong handed his daughter to Zhou Yuqin, then turned around and went to the kang (a heated brick bed) to take out five packets of instant noodles.

"Xiaomei, Xiaolan, your third uncle is going to cook something delicious for you. You two go and help your third uncle start the fire."

Li Xiaolan asked, "Third Uncle, what are you holding?"

"Instant noodles produced in Shanghai."

Li Xiangdong showed it to the two sisters.

Li Xiaomei and Li Xiaolan knew what instant noodles were; they could be found at a counter in the department store.

However, the instant noodles sold there were from Beijing, and the packaging was different from the ones he brought back, so the two sisters didn't recognize them.

"Third brother, quickly put it away and save it for Xiaohai to eat."

"Third brother, don't be so generous. They've already had the milk candy, so don't give them any more instant noodles."

Sister-in-law Li and Sister-in-law Li stepped forward to stop Li Xiangdong, refusing to let him leave the house and insisting that he put the instant noodles back.

Li Xiangdong was being pestered by his two sisters-in-law and couldn't get away. "Xiaomei and Xiaolan, you two go and start the fire first."

"Let's see who dares to go!"

Sister-in-law Li and Sister-in-law Li each stared at their own daughters.

"Sister-in-law, I saved some for Li Xiaohai. It's enough for him. These five packs are so that everyone can have a taste. If you won't let your own children have them, then how about I take care of my own grandparents?"

Li Xiangdong was utterly exasperated. Just because of a few packets of instant noodles, his sister-in-law had blocked her brother-in-law from leaving the house.

Grandma Li laughed and said, "Don't stop him, let Dongzi go. I'm still waiting to try what instant noodles taste like."

Having said that, Sister-in-law Li and Sister-in-law Li had no choice but to make way for them.

Li Xiangdong waved to the Li Xiaomei sisters, and the three of them came out of the house.

Li Xiaojiang and his three friends, who were playing in the yard, saw the instant noodles in Li Xiangdong's hand and asked, "Third Uncle, what are you holding?"

"What delicious food is this?"

Li Xiaolan exclaimed excitedly, "Third Uncle is going to cook instant noodles for us!"

"Instant noodles! Uncle is so great!"

"Third Uncle, I like you so much!"

Li Xiangdong was surrounded and led to the stove at the entrance of the main room.

Seeing the children staring longingly, he opened each instant noodle bag, put the seasoning packets together, and took out the noodles, placing them all in a clean winnowing basket.

He held five empty bags in his hand and looked at his nephew Li Xiaojiang, saying, "There are still some broken pieces left in these bags. There aren't enough for the six of you. You're their eldest brother, so what do you suggest we do?"

Li Xiaojiang swallowed hard. "I understand, Uncle. I won't eat it. Let my younger siblings have it."

"sensible."

Li Xiangdong nodded in praise and gave one to Li Xiaotao and the others.

"Father, it's not inside me."

Li Xiaohai tilted his head back, supporting the instant noodle bag with his hand, so that his father could see it.

Li Xiangdong glanced down and saw that there really wasn't much, just a few scattered bits and pieces.

He reached into the basket, broke off a piece, put it in Li Xiaohai's bag, and even squeezed it for him.

"I get instant noodles to eat now!"

Li Xiaohai was overjoyed and chased after his brothers to show off.

"Stop being envious."

Li Xiangdong added several large ladles of water to the pot, and then broke off a piece for Li Xiaojiang as well.

"Thank you, Uncle!"

He boiled the water, then put the noodles and seasonings in. There was too much water, so he had to add some salt.

In this era of bland food, scallion oil seasoning packets are incredibly popular!

Old Li, wearing his grandson's coat, had gone for a stroll somewhere, and as soon as he entered the yard, he smelled this fragrance.

He stood in the middle of the courtyard and asked, "Dongzi, what are you doing? It smells so good!"

"instant noodles."

Seeing his grandfather holding a coat, Li Xiangdong asked, "Where have you been wandering around?"

Old Li saw his grandson looking at him strangely, "Where could I have gone? I didn't go anywhere!"

Li Xiangdong watched his grandfather enter the west wing without looking back, and he could guess what was going on without being told.

He must have gone to show off to his chess friends!

"Third Uncle, is the instant noodles ready yet?"

Li Xiaojiang never left the kitchen from beginning to end.

Li Xiangdong stirred the pot with his chopsticks and tasted it to check the saltiness.

"Alright, we can eat now. Xiaomei and Xiaolan, you don't need to light the fire. Xiaojiang, count how many people are in the house and prepare the bowls and chopsticks. Xiaoqi, don't count, she'll eat with me."

"I understand, Third Uncle."

Li Xiaojiang replied and got to work.

Seeing the children running over and crowding around the stove again, Li Xiangdong said to Li Xiaotao, "Go and call your great-grandparents to come out and eat instant noodles."

The noodles are ready.

Li Xiangdong helped carry the bowls to the dining table in the main room.

Grandpa and Grandma came to the main room, sat at the table, and looked at the instant noodles that were emitting a delicious aroma in front of them.

Everyone except Li Xiangdong was swallowing hard; there was no way around it, the destructive power was just that strong!

With a milk candy in his mouth, Old Li looked at the bowl of instant noodles in front of him and exclaimed repeatedly, "I'm so lucky! I'm so lucky! Who would have thought that I could enjoy such a life with my grandson in my old age?"

"Dongzi is so filial, we old folks are going to be very lucky in the future."

Grandma Li picked up the bowl, took a sip of soup, and said with a smile, "This instant noodle is so oily, no wonder it smells so good."

Sister-in-law Li nodded and said, "I think even the shoe soles taste good when cooked in this soup."

"That's hard to say."

Li Ersao laughed and said, "Xiaobo's father spends all day in the boiler room, and his feet smell terrible. This amount of seasoning isn't enough; we need at least two more packets."

Old Li suddenly asked, "Dongzi, where's your mother?"