Year 1979: Eating meat with my wife and children

Wang Dahai, the elder Li Xiangdong mentioned, felt a warmth in his heart after hearing these words.

He thought that Dongzi was a good kid, and he couldn't let him suffer too much.

Remembering what Li Xiangdong had mentioned about pre-Qingming Longjing tea, he got up and walked towards his locker. He took out a can of tea and strode towards Li Xiangdong.

"Dongzi, take this can of tea and drink it."

As Wang Dahai spoke, he stuffed it into Li Xiangdong's hand.

"Uncle Hai, I'm not after your things."

Li Xiangdong pushed away Wang Dahai's hand and took two steps back.

"What did you say? Come here and take it! Do you think Uncle Hai is stingy, only willing to give you a can of tea?"

As Wang Dahai spoke, he took out a few more meat coupons from his pocket. "Your kids at home must be lacking meat, right? You've only just started working and haven't managed to get anything good yet. Take these meat coupons and buy some meat to take back to your kids to help them get some nutrition."

Seeing that he didn't move, Wang Dahai took two steps forward, staring at him with eyes as big as a bull's, "Catch!"

The sudden shout startled Li Xiangdong. "Uncle Hai, one can of tea is enough. You should take the hostage back."

"Take it!"

Wang Dahai stuffed it directly into his pocket. "Dongzi, I'm not trying to be mean, but why are you acting like a stubborn brat? You insisted that I put it in your pocket! You can't refuse things from your elders, understand?"

"Uncle Hai, thank you."

Li Xiangdong initially just wanted to do someone a favor; he never expected to gain anything unexpected.

He was holding a can of tea in his hand and had a few meat coupons in his pocket, and he was very happy.

"That's right."

Wang Dahai patted Li Xiangdong on the shoulder, then looked at his apprentice, Erguaizi, and asked, "Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"Yes, of course, Master."

Erguaizi pulled two oil coupons out of his pocket. "Brother Dong, take these."

"If you dare refuse again, I'll beat you up!"

Wang Dahai took the two fuel coupons from Erguaizi for Li Xiangdong. "All packed!"

"Thank you, Uncle Hai, and thank you too, Erguaizi."

Li Xiangdong, being a considerate person, certainly couldn't keep putting Uncle Hai in a difficult position, so he reached out and took the oil coupons and put them in his pocket.

Liu Erdan, who had witnessed the whole thing, was displeased. "Uncle Hai, aren't you going too far? Dongzi is partnered with our Hou San. You can't only have eyes for one person!"

Wang Dahai was momentarily embarrassed upon hearing this. He hadn't meant to; he had simply been habitually ignoring Hou San.

However, he only had two boxes of tea in his locker. He gave one box to Hou Jianshe yesterday and the other box to Li Xiangdong. Moreover, he also gave all the only valuable commodity he had, the meat coupon, to Li Xiangdong.

"San'er, Uncle Hai doesn't have any good stuff on him right now. Can we get him some more later?"

"Oh"

Hou San shrugged, looking dejected and extremely aggrieved.

"You, you."

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Wang Dahai thought for a moment and said, "How about this, San'er, next time your dad wants to beat you up, just run to our office, and Uncle Hai will help you block it, okay?"

When Liu Erdan heard this excuse meant to fool a child, he was just about to refuse on behalf of his brother-in-law.

Hou San, standing next to him, was so excited he almost jumped up. His eyes darted around. "Uncle Hai, once isn't enough. You have to block for me at least twice!"

Wang Dahai smiled and nodded, saying readily, "Alright, then it's settled between us, neither of us can hold it against you later."

Hou San chuckled and said, "Anyone who tries to settle scores later is a little dog."

Liu Erdan propped his elbows on the table, rubbed his face vigorously, and could only helplessly smile bitterly while holding his forehead.

Hou San, who was enjoying himself, glanced at Er Guaizi, who was secretly laughing to himself, and asked, "Er Guaizi, Uncle Hai agreed to help me. What about you?"

"Hou San, don't look at me like that, I can't afford to offend your father!"

Erguaizi almost jumped up. He wasn't his master, Wang Dahai, and he didn't have the face to do that in front of Hou Jianshe.

"How about I give you two gas coupons too?"

As he spoke, Erguaizi pulled out two half-jin (2.5 kg) oil coupons from the Beijing area from his pocket.

"give it to me."

Liu Erdan intercepted the oil coupon halfway, reaching out to grab it and putting it into his pocket.

As Hou San watched the two oil coupons disappear before his eyes, he felt that he, like his brother Dong, had taken advantage of Wang Dahai and his apprentice.

But he didn't get anything, and he felt something was wrong. He looked at his brother-in-law, Liu Erdan.

"Ahem, what are you looking at? What if you lose it? Besides, I'm taking these two oil coupons to make something delicious for your nephew. I'm not lying to you, I'll fry meatballs for your nephew tonight when we get home."

Liu Erdan blushed and tried to explain himself to Hou San.

"Ah."

Hou San nodded in satisfaction. "Brother-in-law, you should eat less of the fried meatballs. My nephew has lost weight."

"Your nephew is just growing taller. Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand."

Liu Erdan waved his hand, signaling Hou San to stop talking.

After dismissing Hou San, Liu Erdan looked at Wang Dahai and said, "Uncle Hai, you've been bothering me all day about the shift change. Now that Dongzi and Hou San have agreed to go to Shandong Province for you, you should be satisfied. Hurry up and go home, don't let my aunt worry."

"It's time to go back for dinner."

Wang Dahai raised his wrist to check the time, then called to his apprentice, Erguaizi, that they were about to go home.

Li Xiangdong picked up a few packets of fried dough twists and rushed forward, saying, "Uncle Hai, this is a small token of my appreciation as a junior."

Wang Dahai took the twisted dough stick, walked back, and put it on his desk. "You're such an honest kid. I told you not to give it to us, but you just wouldn't listen!"

As he spoke, he walked out, saying, "Even I, an honest and simple man, am getting anxious and frustrated with you. Erguaizi, what are you looking at? Hurry up and come with me."

The office door slammed shut with a bang.

"Erguaizi, can't you learn from Dongzi? Why are you always so full of cunning schemes?!"

Standing at the door, Li Xiangdong could hear Wang Dahai in the corridor still using him as an example to educate Erguaizi, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Dongzi, now there are only the three of us. Tell me the truth, why are you helping Wang Dahai? You're not stupid, you must know the ins and outs here."

Liu Erdan looked at Li Xiangdong with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Team Leader Liu, you really can hide anything from me."

Li Xiangdong's face first showed a conflicted expression, then suddenly he seemed to have come to a realization. He sighed and repeated the prepared statement to Liu Erdan.

Liu Erdan was surprised after hearing this. He asked incredulously, "You did this just to help a friend?"

Seeing Li Xiangdong nod, he picked up the cup of tea that Hou San had brewed for him and took a sip. Although the tea was too strong to swallow, he felt that he needed to drink some water to calm himself down.

These days, there are fewer and fewer people like Li Xiangdong who are loyal and devoted to their friends!