Uncle, I want meat

"I don't have any money either."

"No money? How could you have no money?" Gu Ermao looked astonished. "You worked at the food factory. Even as an apprentice, you made ten or twenty yuan a month, didn't you? You didn't save anything in three months? Impossible. That's definitely impossible!

"Xiao Long, we're brothers. How can you refuse to help a brother in need? You used to be the first to step up whenever anything happened. Aren't my problems your problems? Let me see. Where's your money..."

As he spoke, he reached over to search Li Long's pockets.

Smack! Li Long slapped his hand away and said bluntly:

"What are you doing?"

Gu Ermao often went through Li Long's pockets and had grown used to it. Li Long had never refused him, either. A few flattering words were all it took. Li Long could never bring himself to say no and would always go along with whatever Gu Ermao wanted.

He hadn't expected Li Long to turn on him today. Gu Ermao froze for a moment, then his face flushed as he demanded:

"What am I doing? I told you, lend me some money. Don't worry, I'll definitely pay you back!"

"I told you I don't have any!" Li Long raised his voice. "Sure, I earned wages, but don't I have expenses? I live with my brother and sister-in-law and eat their food. Shouldn't I give them some money? Besides, if you're in trouble, why don't you go to your own brother? Why come to me? I'm not your actual brother!"

The merciless barrage left Gu Ermao stunned. Then his face reddened, and he said angrily:

"If you won't lend it, just say so! What's with all this bullshit? Li Long, I really misjudged you! Don't ever call me your brother again! This is all you're good for. No wonder you got fired. Serves you right! Don't come looking for me again if you've got any backbone! See if I ever let you hang out with Mao Dan and the others again!"

With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

As Gu Ermao walked away, he counted silently to himself.

One, two, three...

In the past, whenever he got angry, Li Long would usually come chasing after him before he reached ten, smiling and trying to coax him out of his mood. He knew Li Long was very vain and hated having people think badly of him. After all, Li Long hadn't been born and raised in this village. He wanted acceptance from the other villagers his age, and Gu Ermao had been the first to give it to him.

But today, he counted all the way to fifty without seeing Li Long come out. Gu Ermao couldn't understand it. Had Li Long changed? Or did he really have no money?

Still, he'd already said his piece. There was no way he would turn back and look for Li Long again. Since he hadn't borrowed any money, he would have to find another way. But he wouldn't let Li Long off easy, either.

Since you won't show me any respect, don't blame me for telling Wu Shufen what happened to you!

Li Long knew that, by tomorrow at the latest, Gu Ermao would spread the news that he'd been fired. Tomorrow, after hearing it, Wu Shufen would come to break up with him.

Perfect.

In the west room, Li Jianguo and his wife exchanged puzzled looks after hearing the commotion.

Both men had been loud, so they'd caught bits of Gu Ermao and Li Long's conversation. But they couldn't understand why Li Long, who had always done whatever Gu Ermao said, had reacted so strongly today.

"Did getting fired from the food factory change Xiao Long's attitude?" Liang Yuemei guessed.

"Maybe. Xiao Long isn't stupid. You learn from experience. Perhaps he's figured out that he can't keep letting people use him. Anyway, it's a good thing."

"Then the money..."

"Let him decide what to do with it." Li Jianguo shook his head. "He's young, and he's seeing someone. How can he manage without money?"

As they spoke, the door to the east room opened, and they immediately fell silent.

The west room's door was pushed open, and Li Long walked in.

He took out ten yuan and offered it to Liang Yuemei.

"I came home pretty unexpectedly. We probably don't have enough firewood now. Use this money to buy some coal. I'll go find some firewood over the next couple of days, so don't worry."

"Find what?" Li Jianguo glared at him. "It's freezing out, more than thirty below zero. Where are you going to find firewood?"

"Exactly. Put your money away. Young people need some money in their pockets." Liang Yuemei didn't actually have much against Li Long. Seeing her brother-in-law take this attitude was enough to satisfy her.

"Please, take it." Li Long pressed the money into Liang Yuemei's hand. "I can't keep letting you two spend all your money on me. I'm an adult, after all... Brother."

He turned to Li Jianguo and continued:

"I'm almost twenty. I didn't use my head before and did some things I shouldn't have. I know now that they were wrong. The cold's no big deal. I just need to dress warmly, so leave this to me. There's nothing much to do in winter anyway... All right, I'm going back to my room."

With that, he turned and left the west room, returning to the east room.

Letting out a long breath, Li Long felt that he had at least taken the first step.

During the latter half of his previous life, he'd regretted his past foolishness every time he thought back on it. Now that he had a chance to start over, how could he possibly repeat the same mistakes?

But right now, he was a little hungry.

In winter, people in the countryside usually ate two meals a day. They weren't very active to begin with, and their grain allotments were small, so they had to ration their food even more carefully through the winter.

With him here now, his brother's family would probably struggle to make their grain last until spring.

He really was a burden. In the past, whenever he needed food or clothes, all he'd known was to ask his brother. He'd done it as though it were his right, never considering where any of it came from.

Thinking about it now made him furious with himself!

He was still reproaching himself when he heard the door.

Looking up, he saw his five-year-old nephew, Li Qiang, pushing it open.

"Uncle, I came to... play with you." Bundled in thick clothes, Li Qiang wiped his runny nose with his sleeve. "You came back from so far away. Did you bring anything fun?"

Li Long felt ashamed. He really hadn't bought anything on his way back from Wu City. Never mind anything for his brother and sister-in-law-he hadn't even bought gifts for his niece, Li Juan, or his nephew, Li Qiang.

He rummaged through his bag and found only a box of rice paper.

It was used to wrap candy at the food factory. Once the milk candies were made, they were wrapped in rice paper, then in candy wrappers.

Rice paper was common at the food factory, but in a village in those days, it was almost never seen.

Li Long picked up a sheet and said to Li Qiang:

"Hold out your hand."

Li Qiang obediently held out his hand.

Li Long placed the rice paper on his palm, then told him:

"Don't move. Watch closely. This paper's going to move in a moment."

Li Qiang did exactly as he was told, holding his hand straight out without moving and staring fixedly at the paper.

Sure enough, the rice paper moved, slowly curling up.

"It moved! Uncle, it moved!"

Li Qiang cried out in delight.

Li Long smiled. Having lived two lives, he knew why rice paper moved. But not many people knew about it at this point, so Li Qiang found it amazing.

Li Qiang's voice was loud, and before long, Li Juan pushed the door open and came in too. She looked warily at Li Long.

Li Juan was ten and attended primary school. She also often helped with the chores-even doing work that Li Long wouldn't do.

That made Li Juan dislike Li Long quite a bit. If he weren't around, she wouldn't have minded working. Most children her age helped their families with chores. But when Li Long was there and refused to work while she had to, she couldn't help feeling it was unfair.

"Look, sis! This can move... Huh? Why did it melt?" Li Qiang had just started telling Li Juan about it when he noticed that the rice paper had stuck to his hand.

"It's all right. There's more." Li Long put another sheet on Li Qiang's palm. Brimming with curiosity, Li Qiang told his sister all about it.

Li Long placed a sheet on Li Juan's palm too. She didn't refuse, but she didn't say anything either.

Although the ten-year-old girl was upset with him, she was still at a curious age. Watching the rice paper move in her hand amazed her too, but she didn't ask any questions.

"Uncle, why?" Li Qiang had no such reservations and asked Li Long directly. "Why does it move?"

"Because it's very sensitive to temperature. That means when the room's warm, it shrinks and melts, like plastic near a fire," Li Long explained briefly. "You can eat it too."

"Eat it?" Li Qiang's eyes lit up. He immediately lowered his head and licked it.

"Yep, it melted. But it doesn't taste as good as meat." Li Qiang glanced at Li Long.

"Uncle, I want meat."

(End of chapter)