Year 1979: Eating meat with my wife and children

After finishing their conversation, Li's father and his two older brothers hurriedly went out to work.

The more honest a person is, the more afraid they are of being late for work, always feeling that everyone's eyes are on them.

After cleaning up the dishes, Li's mother and her two sisters-in-law went back to their rooms to continue their chores: sweeping the kang (a heated brick bed), folding quilts, mending clothes, and then preparing lunch. Women in this era, although mostly not working, never had a moment of rest.

The children in the family don't need to go to school; they just started their holiday a couple of days ago. They're all very sensible; they don't leave the yard without adult permission, but they run around wildly in the yard, shouting and yelling.

Zhou Yuqin carried her sleeping daughter back to the west wing. The little one was at a clingy age and couldn't be left alone for even a moment.

"Dongzi, come in."

When Li Xiangdong heard Old Lady Li calling him, he went into the east room and saw Old Lady Li taking an egg out of the kang (a heated brick bed).

He had completely forgotten about it, but Old Lady Li still remembered.

Grandma Li stuffed the egg into his hand, saying, "Remember to throw the eggshells into the alley, so your mother doesn't see them."

After giving Li Xiangdong her instructions, she turned around and took out a blue plaid handkerchief from under the blanket. Inside was a stack of money.

“Take this money. Grandma knows you don’t have any money on you. This is your grandpa’s pension that he just received. If you need more, just tell Grandma.”

Li Xiangdong quickly declined, saying, "I can't accept this money. You and your grandfather should keep it for yourselves."

Old Li said, "Take it if I give it to you. How much money do your grandma and I need? My retirement savings are all in the bank for you."

Hearing these words, Li Xiangdong felt very uncomfortable. The old couple always thought of him, and he could only repay their love by being even more filial.

The Li family hasn't split up yet. Every month, the eldest and second eldest brothers of the Li family pay 5 yuan for food expenses, and they save the rest of the money themselves.

Li's father covered most of the household expenses; the old man Li didn't care about these things.

Over the years, Old Man Li has spent a lot of money renovating this courtyard, and it's only in these few years that he's been able to save up his retirement savings.

He would occasionally buy some treats for his great-grandchildren, and the rest of the money was deposited in the bank for Li Xiangdong.

Old Mrs. Li urged him to put the money away, "Quickly put the money in your pocket, don't let your mother and sisters-in-law see it."

Since he's already said that, it would hurt his grandparents' feelings if he didn't take the money.

Furthermore, he was worried that if he kept refusing, someone would see him. His mother might just roll her eyes at most, but if his sisters-in-law saw him, things would get complicated.

As Li Xiangdong came out of the house, he had eggs in his left pocket and money in his right.

He suddenly felt much more confident. The old saying was right: money gives a man courage.

With nothing else to do, he accompanied his grandparents back to the large dining table in the living room for a chat.

"what?"

Li Xiangdong hadn't noticed it while eating, but now he stared at the table in front of him, carefully examining the patterned stripes on the surface. He then peered under the table and finally got up and walked around it.

A rosewood eight-immortal table from the early Ming Dynasty.

In his past life, he didn't understand these things when he was young. He only started to get involved in them when he was over forty, just for fun. He dabbled in a lot of miscellaneous things, but he was a jack of all trades and master of none.

However, he could still tell the difference between something that was clearly inside.

Li Xiangdong remembered that in his previous life, after his eldest nephew Li Xiaojiang got married, he moved into the back room, and Li's father moved this table there.

Later, when Li Xiaojiang and his wife bought new furniture, they burned this table as firewood.

孽 孽!

Li Xiangdong's heart still bleeds when he thinks about it now.

He paid for all the furniture for his nephew's wedding, and he accepted this table on his behalf.

However, Li Xiangdong looked at the long willow bench under his buttocks. Where was the matching stool?

"Grandpa and Grandma, where did this table in our house come from?"

Old Li said mysteriously, "You can tell it's a good thing, right?"

Li Xiangdong was somewhat surprised, "Grandpa, you know about these things?"

Sitting to the side, Old Mrs. Li began to belittle her husband, "Your grandfather doesn't know anything, don't listen to his nonsense."

"What are you saying, old woman? I don't understand where this table came from?"

Old Li was displeased; how could he say such things to his grandson in front of him?

Seeing her grandson's curious expression, Grandma Li urged, "Old man, stop talking nonsense and quickly tell Dongzi what's going on with this table."

Seeing his grandson's eager expression, Old Man Li said with a proud look, "During the great upheaval of humanity, many of the houses across the alley from ours were ransacked by the Red Guards. This table is one of the ones I picked up back then."

"The families living across the alley are particular about their possessions, so the things they use must be of high quality."

So that's how it is...

Li Xiangdong was still young at that time and didn't join in the commotion. He spent his days playing wildly with his childhood friends and didn't pay any attention to these things.

He had just thought that Old Man Li really knew about antique furniture.

But there might be another story behind the "found" part. Could his grandfather have found it at someone else's house...?

"Dongzi, this wasn't stolen by your grandpa."

Old Li was a little unhappy. Li Xiangdong had grown up with the two of them since he was a child, so it was easy to guess what he was thinking.

Li Xiangdong chuckled twice but didn't try to argue his point.

Grandma Li interjected, "Don't think so badly of our grandson, Dongzi. Let me tell you, it was very chaotic back then. Those people went from house to house along the alley entrance, ransacking homes from day to night. The crying and shouting kept your grandfather and me awake."

She was still a little scared as she spoke, and after patting her chest, she continued, "They're all old neighbors. Your grandfather was afraid someone might die, so he took your father and the two brothers, Weiguo and Weimin, and planned to go out together to check on things."

Old Li interrupted his wife when he heard this, as he didn't want her to talk about these things with their grandson.

"Let me tell you the rest. When your dad and I went out, those people left in trucks. This table probably couldn't fit in the trucks, so they dumped it in the alley, and then I brought it back."

In Li Xiangdong's memory, these things happened too long ago, spanning several decades across two lifetimes, and he doesn't remember many of them.

However, he knew that Old Man Li's words were clearly partly meant to deceive him.

He didn't care whether it was real or fake, and he didn't think too much about it. Anyway, so much time had passed, and this mahogany table was an heirloom of the Li family!

"Grandpa and Grandma, I'd like to move this table to my west wing."

With so many children at home, he doesn't feel at ease leaving them here. He'd be heartbroken if they bumped or scratched themselves.

Seeing how much interest he had in it, Old Man Li asked, "Is this really a good thing?"

Li Xiangdong gently patted the table and said in a low voice, "This thing is old mahogany furniture from the Ming Dynasty."

How much is it worth?

Old Li had no doubts about why his grandson knew these things. In his mind, his grandson was very smart in everything except for not liking to study.

Li Xiangdong answered truthfully, "It's worthless, only worth the price of a table."

In the 1990s, collectors from Hong Kong and Taiwan began to get involved in the antique furniture market, which led to a surge in prices.

These are all unwanted items now; people are looking for new-style furniture.

"Dongzi, what's so great about this broken table? Besides, you don't even have room for it."

Grandma Li didn't understand what antique rosewood furniture was; she just thought it was a table for eating.

Li Xiangdong laughed and said, "It's okay if you can't put it down, just swap it with the table in my room, right?"

“That table in your room is new; it was made for your wedding. We can’t replace this broken table.”

Grandma Li was worried that her beloved grandson would suffer a loss.

Li Xiangdong smiled and said, "Grandma, don't worry, when have I ever made a losing deal?"

He thought to himself, "Things from before my rebirth don't count!"

After a long morning of fussing and chatting with Li Xiangdong about everyday matters, the elderly couple were feeling a bit exhausted and went back to their room to take a nap.

Li Xiangdong, who was standing alone in the living room, had only taken two steps after lifting the table, and before he even stepped out of the door, he put the table down.

We have to let it go.

That's way too heavy! It almost hurt his back!