Chapter 4: Old Mrs. Li

“Dongzi, are you thinking about working at the coal shop?”

Eldest brother Li Weiguo scratched his head and said with a worried look, “But all the positions at the coal shop are filled. They’re only hiring temporary workers to deliver coal now. Otherwise...”

Their father interrupted angrily, “Do you think he can handle being a coal delivery worker? One basket of coal weighs at least fifty jin. Our third son, that rascal, is already notorious in Changping—he spends all day cutting pigweed with a bunch of kids. You really don’t think before you speak!”

As he spoke, their father recalled the first time he visited the Zhou family in Changping for a matchmaking meeting. Hearing what the villagers said made him so embarrassed he wished the earth would swallow him up.

Sitting at the small dining table, Li Xiangdong felt both depressed and awkward...

He couldn’t let his father keep talking like this.

“Dad, do you know the street office has recruitment quotas for the railway system?”

The moment Li Xiangdong said this, the room fell silent. His father stopped glaring, and everyone’s eyes fixed intently on him.

“Is that true?” asked the second brother, puzzled.

Li Xiangdong nodded confidently; he remembered this clearly.

In his previous life, unable to resist his family’s nagging, he registered at the street office and ended up working popping popcorn. Soon after, a childhood friend told him that among the batch of educated youths returning to the city through the street office, some had secured recruitment quotas in the railway system.

Knowing there was a better job opportunity, would it be foolish not to try?

Their father frowned and asked, “Where did you get this information?”

“I deduced it.”

That was the only answer Li Xiangdong could give...

Under their skeptical gazes, he continued: “There are three policies for returning educated youths’ job placements.”

“First, children can take over their parents’ positions. Since Dad will retire in a few years, stepping in early isn’t advantageous, so we can rule that out.”

“Second, the development of collective enterprises—like sharpening scissors, popping popcorn, street barbering, and last year someone started selling large bowls of tea on Qianmen Street. That’s all collective industry.”

“The most important is the third: all government departments are expanding their recruitment quotas. They promote the idea that one person’s work can be done by three, and three people’s meals can feed five.”

“Think about it—the Beijing Railway Station is close to our home. Even if they fill positions internally, they can’t be too stingy. They’ll definitely recruit a batch of returning educated youths from society. Our street office has the authority to assist with management, so having a few recruitment spots is perfectly normal.”

Everyone in the room was stunned by Li Xiangdong’s analysis.

It was the first time the youngest son spoke so seriously and clearly before them.

Their gazes changed completely.

Zhou Yuqin, eavesdropping from behind the inner room door, felt as if she was seeing her husband for the first time.

Ordinary folks like them spent every day struggling to make ends meet, with no time or energy to ponder complicated policies.

But Li Xiangdong’s reasoning made sense. The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed true.

Their father took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, his expression solemn.

“Though the third son’s reasoning makes sense, it’s still his deduction. We don’t know if it’s really true.”

“Keep your mouths shut and don’t spread rumors. If it’s not true, fine. But if it is, we need to think of a plan.”

Their mother and sisters-in-law nodded quickly, fully aware of the matter’s seriousness.

Their mother urged anxiously, “Your father, you have to hurry and find someone to inquire about this.”

Their father said nothing. He knew time was of the essence but gathering such information required someone who truly understood the situation.

He pondered, “Why haven’t our old folks come back yet?”

There was no meat in the family meals lately. The children kept clamoring for meat, so Grandpa and Grandma went to the market before dawn to queue for meat.

This phenomenon of lining up before dawn would ease after January next year, when Beijing canceled the ration ticket system for meat—this was a policy adjustment specifically for meat products.

“They should be back soon. I’ll go to the alley entrance to welcome them.”

Eldest brother Li Weiguo said this as he walked out.

It had been decades since they had seen their grandparents, and Li Xiangdong missed them quite a bit.

Grandpa passed away in 1990. On the night of his funeral, Grandma held his hand all night and passed away shortly after.

Now, hearing that the old couple still got up early to queue for meat, Li Xiangdong worried, “They’re both over 150 years old combined. Why get up so early? Shouldn’t they get more rest? What if they fall in the dark?”

His mother frowned at his words and shot him a glance. “Who are you talking about? There’s one lazybones in the house, hiding like a lump of gold on the kang, unwilling to get down all day.”

“Cough, cough.”

Li Xiangdong coughed twice.

His father and brothers had to work; their wives and sisters-in-law looked after the children; his mother cooked. Only he was the one sleeping in every day.

“I’ll go out and take a look too.”

Feeling very awkward, Li Xiangdong got up, patted his pants, and headed outside.

Just as he reached the screen wall, he bumped into Grandma Li, who was trembling as she carried a cloth bag. He quickly stepped forward to steady her and took the bag from her hand.

Grandma Li’s hair was silver, her face deeply wrinkled. Seeing him, she smiled quietly.

“Dongzi, did you eat breakfast? You must eat breakfast; skipping it isn’t good for your stomach.”

“You’ve been in the countryside for years. I don’t know how much hardship you’ve endured. When you came back recently, you looked so thin.”

If Father heard this, he’d surely faint with anger—he sent money every month without fail!

Besides, the educated youths had holidays. Li Xiangdong occasionally came home; even if he couldn’t return in person, he sent money by mail.

And Li Xiangdong hadn’t lost weight; he was just the type who couldn’t gain weight, never had.

Feeling Grandma’s full affection, Li Xiangdong’s heart ached. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Grandma, I ate well, very full. I’ve actually put on quite a bit of weight since I came back.”

“That’s good.”

Grandma Li nodded and lowered her voice, “I saved you a boiled egg. I’ll secretly give it to you later.”

Between the main house and the side room was a one-and-a-half-meter space. Their father had fenced off a chicken coop there with wood, where they kept five old hens.

In previous years, raising poultry was forbidden, so they did it secretly.

Now no one cared, and they didn’t keep many chickens to avoid too much smell.

Every morning, their mother would get up early to feed the chickens, clean the coop, collect eggs, and boil them with hot water at breakfast to supplement the children’s nutrition.

Li Xiangdong chuckled, “Did you get up early to sneak some eggs again?”

“No, your mother was watching this morning. I waited until she fell asleep last night to sneak into the cupboard,” Grandma Li said.

She truly doted on her little grandson, even resorting to such tactics to make sure he could eat eggs.