Chapter 58 Not Enough to Go Around, What Do You Suggest We Do?

"It's true, Third Uncle, I'm not lying to you. I couldn't even taste it when I ate it just now. How about you give me another one? I'll eat it slower this time."

Li Xiaotao scratched his head, his adorably foolish eyes filled with anticipation.

Watching her silly son, Eldest Aunt was driven to a bitter laugh. "Get lost right now, you fool who doesn't even know what shame is!"

"Eldest Sister-in-law, what kind of way is that to speak?"

Hearing her eldest grandson's wife, Old Mrs. Li grew displeased. Although Li Xiaotao was a bit slow, always making a fool of himself and occasionally saying absurd things, no matter how flawed he was, he was still a child of the Li family.

Rebuked by Old Mrs. Li, Eldest Aunt didn't dare talk back, only offering an awkward smile.

"Taozi, come here. Great-grandma has candy for you."

Old Mrs. Li called her great-grandson to her side, grabbed two creamy white rabbit candies into his palm, patted his head, and said, "Eat one today and one tomorrow, you understand?"

Holding the candies, Li Xiaotao wore a conflicted expression. "Great-grandma, I already ate one just now. Can I still eat another one today?"

Old Mrs. Li sighed. "Eat it, eat it."

"I won't eat it now, Great-grandma. I'll save it to eat when Big Brother gets a beating tonight. I'm going out to play."

Clutching the candies, Li Xiaotao turned and ran outside.

Watching her great-grandson run out of the room, Old Mrs. Li wore a worried expression. "What is going to happen to a child like Taozi when he grows up?"

Noticing the somewhat heavy atmosphere in the room, Li Xiangdong handed the daughter in his arms to Zhou Yuqin, turned back to the kang, and took out five packets of instant noodles.

"Xiaomei, Xiaolan, Third Uncle is going to make something delicious for you. The two of you go help Third Uncle stoke the fire."

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

"Instant noodles produced in Shanghai."

Li Xiangdong showed the two sisters the packages.

Both Li Xiaomei and Li Xiaolan knew what instant noodles were, as the department store had a counter selling them.

It was just that the ones sold there were Beijing-brand instant noodles, and the packaging looked different from the ones he brought back, which was why the two sisters hadn't recognized them.

"Third Brother, put those away quickly and save them for Xiaohai to eat."

"Third Brother, don't be foolishly generous. They've already eaten creamy candies, there's no need to give them instant noodles as well."

Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt stepped forward to block Li Xiangdong, refusing to let him leave the room and insisting that he put the instant noodles back.

Unable to break free as his two sisters-in-law swarmed around him, Li Xiangdong said, "Xiaomei, Xiaolan, you two go start the fire first."

"I'd like to see any of you dare go!"

Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt each kept a sharp eye on their respective daughters.

"Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt, I'm saving some for Li Xiaohai, there's enough for him to eat. These five packets are just meant for everyone to taste. If you won't let your own children eat them, can't I be filial to my own grandparents?"

Li Xiangdong was truly defeated. Because of a few packets of instant noodles, his sisters-in-law were actually blocking their own brother-in-law from leaving the room.

Old Mrs. Li smiled. "Stop trying to block him, let Dongzi go. I'm waiting to taste what instant noodles are like myself."

With that said, Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt had no choice but to clear the path.

Li Xiangdong beckoned to the two sisters, and the three of them left the room.

Playing in the courtyard, Li Xiaojiang and the other three saw the instant noodles in Li Xiangdong's hands and asked, "Third Uncle, what are you holding?"

"What delicious thing is this again?"

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

"Instant noodles! Third Uncle, you're the best!"

"Third Uncle, I love you so much!"

Surrounded by the children, Li Xiangdong came to the stove by the entrance of the main room.

Seeing the children watching eagerly with big eyes, he opened the instant noodle packets one by one, put the seasoning packets together, and placed all the noodle cakes into a clean wicker basket.

Holding the five empty packages in his hand, he looked at his eldest nephew, Li Xiaojiang, and said, "There are still some crumbs left inside these bags, but there aren't enough to go around for all six of you. You're the oldest brother, you tell me what we should do."

Li Xiaojiang swallowed hard. "I understand, Third Uncle. I won't eat any, give it to my younger brothers and sisters."

"Sensible."

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

"Dad, there's none left in mine."

Li Xiaohai tilted his head up, holding his instant noodle bag open for his dad to see.

Li Xiangdong lowered his gaze and took a look; there really wasn't much left, just a few scattered crumbs.

He reached into the wicker basket, broke off a piece, dropped it into Li Xiaohai's bag, and even helped him crush it up a bit.

"I get to eat instant noodles too~"

Delighted, Li Xiaohai hopped around happily and chased after his older cousins to show off.

"Stop droving."

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

"Thank you, Third Uncle!"

Once the water boiled, he put in the noodle cakes and seasonings. Since there was a bit too much water, he had to add some more salt.

In this era of plain and simple diets, the scallion-oil-flavored seasoning packets were utterly overpowering!

Elder Li didn't know where he had wandered off to wearing his grandson's overcoat, but as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he caught this rich fragrance.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, he asked, "Dongzi, what are you making? Why does it smell so good!"

"Instant noodles."

Seeing his grandfather holding the overcoat in his arms, Li Xiangdong asked, "Where on earth did you go wandering off to?"

Elder Li noticed his grandson's peculiar gaze fixed on him. "Where would I go? I didn't go anywhere!"

Watching his grandfather enter the west wing room without looking back, Li Xiangdong could guess even without being told.

He had definitely gone to show off to his chess-playing friends!

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

From start to finish, Li Xiaojiang had never left the stove.

Li Xiangdong stirred the pot with chopsticks and tasted the broth for saltiness.

"They're ready, we can eat. Xiaomei, Xiaolan, you don't need to stoke the fire anymore. Xiaojiang, count how many people are in the family and go get the bowls and chopsticks ready. Don't count little Xiaoqi, she's eating with me."

"I know, Third Uncle."

Acknowledging the order, Li Xiaojiang immediately got busy.

Seeing the other children rush back to crowd around the stove, Li Xiangdong said to Li Xiaotao, "Go call your great-grandfather and great-grandmother to come out and eat instant noodles."

The noodles were dished out.

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

Grandpa, Grandma, and the others came into the main room, sat down at the table, and looked at the steaming bowls of instant noodles before them.

Except for Li Xiangdong, everyone else was swallowing hard. There was no helping it; the temptation was simply too powerful!

With a creamy candy melting in his mouth, Elder Li looked at the bowl of instant noodles set before him and sighed repeatedly. "I'm living in luxury, truly living in luxury. Who would have thought that in my old age, I'd get to enjoy a good life thanks to my grandson."

"With Dongzi being so filial, the two of us old folks have plenty of blessings ahead of us."

Old Mrs. Li picked up her bowl and took a sip of the soup first, smiling as she said, "This instant noodle broth is so rich, no wonder it smells so good."

Eldest Aunt nodded and said, "I reckon you could boil the sole of a shoe in this broth and it would still taste delicious."

"That's hard to say."

Second Aunt smiled. "Our family's Xiaobo's father spends all day in the boiler room, and that pair of feet of his smells awful. These seasonings wouldn't be enough, you'd need at least two more packets."

At that moment, Elder Li suddenly asked, "Dongzi, where is your mother?"