Li Xiangdong kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the kang, sitting cross-legged and pulling his daughter in front of him.
Seeing her sit obediently, a popsicle stick in her mouth, staring at him with big eyes, his heart melted.
"Xiaoqi, call 'Daddy' for me."
"Daddy…"
"Good girl, Xiaoqi. Give Daddy the popsicle stick, and we'll play ride-the-horse, okay?"
At the mention of riding the horse, Li Xiaozhu dropped the stick on the kang and scrambled onto him, hands and feet flailing.
"Daddy… horse…"
"Alright, Daddy's playing with you."
Li Xiangdong got on all fours, letting his daughter climb onto his back. One hand braced on the kang, the other supporting her, he slowly stood, carrying her while making her giggle.
"Play… hee hee hee…"
Li Xiaozhu clung excitedly to his neck, arms wrapped tightly.
Seeing her attention shift, Li Xiangdong called out, "Xiaohai, Li Xiaohai!"
"I'm here, Dad!"
Li Xiangdong looked at his eldest son entering the room and thought a giant rat had scurried in!
The boy was shirtless, wearing only split-crotch pants, covered in dirt.
"Good grief, Li Xiaohai, you been digging coal? Where's your shirt?"
"Dad, it's too hot outside, so I took it off."
Li Xiaohai saw his sister riding on his dad's back and was green with envy.
"Dad, I wanna play with Sister!"
He started climbing onto the kang.
"Get down! Look how filthy you are! Besides, you're too heavy—I can't carry you. Grab the popsicle stick and scram. Get your sister to clean you up. If your mom sees you like this, she'll beat you!"
Hearing his dad wouldn't let him join, Li Xiaohai was disappointed, but his eyes lit up at the mention of the popsicle stick. He grabbed it and bolted outside.
Back after his rebirth, this was Li Xiangdong's first time alone with his daughter, and he played with her enthusiastically for a while.
"Xiaoqi, let's try something else."
He was getting tired and leaned against the wall, placing his daughter on his stomach.
He'd never admit he was worn out—it was just that the hard kang was grinding his knees.
Li Xiaozhu was tired too, sweaty, her hair damp, lying obediently in her dad's arms.
"Want Daddy to teach you to count?"
"Okay…"
"Good girl. Follow Daddy. One."
"Aunty…"
"One."
"…Aunty."
"It's 'one,' not 'aunty.' What's that, Xiaoqi missing her aunt?"
"Aunty…"
Li Xiangdong found playing with his little girl could be quite fun.
The father and daughter went back and forth, having a blast.
Zhou Yuqin pushed the door open and saw her husband teaching their daughter to count by holding her fingers. She paused, a bit dazed, then snapped out of it, picked up their daughter, and said, "The noodles are in the pot. Mother says we should eat first. She'll cook more when Dad and Big Brother and Second Brother get back."
"Got it. Let's go before Mother starts nagging."
Li Xiangdong got up quickly, following his wife and kids to the living room for dinner.
He saw his grandparents at the table, sipping from teacups. "The creamy popsicle syrup tastes good, huh?"
Old Lady Li smiled. "Yup, sweet with a milky flavor."
Old Man Li chimed in, "Dongzi knows how to spoil us."
Li Xiangdong said, "If it's good, we'll get more."
It was a small thing he could manage. How much could his elderly grandparents eat?
A few cents' worth of snacks could keep them happy every day.
"It's so hot, and you're still out playing cards? Why not rest at home?"
Old Lady Li said, "No cards. Your Aunt Liu's mother-in-law hasn't been feeling great, so she asked me and your grandpa to go chat with her."
Li Xiangdong gave a thumbs-up. "Aunt Liu's a great daughter-in-law. No wonder you and Grandpa like hanging out with her family."
Old Lady Li nodded. "You bet. In our alley, Aunt Liu's one of the best daughters-in-law."
Old Man Li, sharp as ever, noticed Li's mother eavesdropping by the stove outside. He nudged his wife's leg, giving her a look. Old Lady Li caught on and dropped the topic.
Old Man Li picked up, "Your grandma's not entirely right. Your mother's also a famously filial daughter-in-law around here. It's all thanks to your grandma's good eye, picking a fine wife for your dad. Look how happy our family is."
Li Xiangdong, quick on his feet, chimed in with praise for his mother.
Truth was, his mother was a dutiful daughter-in-law, taking great care of her in-laws. Her only flaw was her sharp tongue, always saying things that rubbed people the wrong way.
Time to change the subject. Seeing his two nieces setting out bowls and chopsticks and his nephews running around, Li Xiangdong said, "Li Xiaojiang, take your three little sidekicks and peel some garlic for your third uncle."
Noodles without garlic lose half their flavor. Their garlic was braided into strings, stored in the back room, and he was too lazy to fetch it.
"Yes, sir! Let's go, boys!" Li Xiaojiang led the charge, his three younger brothers following with a ruckus.
When the garlic was peeled, the noodles were ready. Li Xiangdong filled a big bowl.
The toppings were simple—carrots, bean sprouts, and cucumber.
But they were delicious. The grains hadn't yet been replaced by high-yield, fast-growing varieties. The noodles were chewy, slightly yellow, but bursting with wheat flavor.
Mixed with two-eight sauce, a bite of noodles with a bite of garlic was just two words: authentic!
He wasn't the only one enjoying it. The kids, especially Li Xiaojiang and Li Xiaotao, ate like pigs at a trough.
Li Xiangdong finished one bowl and was about to get another when he heard the door. His dad and brothers were back.
Not knowing if his dad brought good or bad news, he lost his appetite.
Then he saw his dad walk in with a grin. Unable to hold back, Li Xiangdong asked, "Dad, how'd it go?"
His dad didn't keep him in suspense. "It's done. The introduction letter's all set."
The adults in the room, except the clueless kids, were thrilled. A job at the train station was a big deal, and their third son had landed it!
Seeing everyone staring, his dad patted his pocket. "Don't worry, the letter's safe in here. But it's zhajiang noodles today—let me eat a couple bites first. I'm worn out from this morning."
Old Man Li said, "Then hurry up and eat, then tell us about it."
Li Xiangdong knew he had to keep his dad happy. He quickly served him a bowl, piling on the toppings and sauce, mixing it well before handing it over.
He hadn't even been this attentive with his own bowl!