Standing up for his niece

"Dad, keep this stuff here so we can cook it for ourselves." Once Tao Daqiang had warmed up and filled his stomach with a couple of cornmeal buns, he got dressed and said to Tao Jianshe,

"Don't let my brother take it away again, and don't send any over to him either. If you do, I won't bring anything home next time. There's no point bringing it back if I never get to eat any. New Year's is almost here. We can't spend the holiday eating nothing but cornmeal buns, can we?"

Tao Jianshe said nothing, and Tao Daqiang left.

Tao Jianshe knew his eldest son would certainly get an earful from his wife when he went home, but whose fault was that?

Being caught in the middle was hard on him too, but he knew he really couldn't send any more supplies to his eldest son.

His younger son was finally starting to make something of himself. If his own actions crushed the boy's motivation, they would be in real trouble.

He might keep saying that once he was gone, Daqiang would have to rely on Da Yong for help.

But considering his daughter-in-law's temperament, whether that would ever happen was another question. Surely he couldn't really swallow his pride and turn up at Da Yong's door?

Tao Dayong returned empty-handed and, sure enough, got an earful from his wife.

"You didn't bring anything back? I saw plenty of stuff on that sled. Why didn't you bring any home?"

"The rice and flour were for Dad," Tao Dayong said as he took off his shoes. "I can't bring everything home, can I? We already took all the wood. Dad's place is freezing, and he's out of coal. I'll take him some in the next couple of days."

"Take him what? What'll we burn if you take our coal over there? Isn't Daqiang hauling wood with Second Li? Just have him bring back some more!" Ma Chunhong had no intention of giving her father-in-law anything from her own household.

"Then we'll haul that wood back to him." Tao Dayong was getting angry too. "The Li Family borrowed that horse cart and broke the trail themselves. Why should they haul more just because you say so? I told you then not to bring all the wood home, but you had to take every last stick..."

"My younger brother's planning to get married next year, and that wood looked good for making furniture..." Knowing she was in the wrong, Ma Chunhong lowered her voice considerably.

"So your brother just takes and never gives anything back? I don't mind you finding wood for him, but shouldn't we spare a thought for my dad? He's getting on in years, and his house is cold. Can't we send him some coal?"

Ma Chunhong turned her head away without answering. Clearly, she wasn't willing.

Thinking it over, Tao Dayong grew angry at his own cowardice. He put his shoes back on and prepared to leave.

Ma Chunhong knew exactly what her husband had in mind. She blocked the doorway and shouted,

"Tao Dayong, if you dare take our coal out of this house, I'm going back to my parents!"

"Then get out!" Remembering what his younger brother had said, then thinking about everything he himself had done over the past two years, Tao Dayong felt a stabbing pain in his heart. He grabbed Ma Chunhong and pulled her aside, then went out to the coal shed.

Damn it, I really am a piece of shit!

Ma Chunhong fell to the floor when Tao Dayong shoved her aside. Seeing that her husband had no intention of helping her up, she sat there and began wailing.

When Li Long hauled the sled home, he saw Li Juan and Li Qiang walking angrily back from the neighbors' house.

"Juan, Qiangqiang, what happened?" Li Long asked at once.

"Uncle, you're back?" Qiangqiang ran over. "My sister was playing knucklebones with Lu Nier, and she insisted two of my sister's ankle bones were hers. My sister asked for them back, but she wouldn't give them to her. She even had her brother kick us out!"

In the past, Li Long would certainly have brushed it off with a generous "Forget about them." But after living two lives, he knew how sensitive children of Li Juan's age could be. If her family failed to stand up for her, it would inevitably create a rift between them.

"Come on. I'll get them back for you!" Li Long pulled the sled into the yard and, without even going inside, took Li Juan and Li Qiang straight to the Lu family's house.

Hearing the noise from inside, Liang Yuemei came out to look. She saw the things on the sled but no one around. She went outside the gate and still saw no one, so she started carrying everything indoors.

As she unloaded one item after another, Liang Yuemei was delighted by how much there was. Now they really had nothing to worry about for New Year's.

The five kilograms of cooking oil, in particular, solved a major problem for the family.

The several kilograms of pork belly were just as important. A New Year's feast with only chicken, fish, and lamb always felt as though something was missing.

When Li Long reached the Lu family's door, he heard children laughing inside.

He knocked, then faintly heard someone whisper inside,

"It must be Li Juan coming back again. Quick, hide them..."

Li Long simply pushed the door open and went in. In the main room, he saw Lu Nier hiding something behind the heated wall.

"Bring them out!" Li Long's expression was grim. "I found Li Juan's ankle bones in the mountains. They all came from the same place, and they're different from yours!"

"I didn't take them!" Lu Nier stood right in front of the heated wall and answered loudly, though a trace of guilt crept into her voice.

"Then bring yours out and let us see."

"Why should we show you?" Lu Nier's fourteen-year-old brother, Lu Tietou, picked up a stove poker from beside him and tried to sound intimidating.

The boy was big and tall. He had probably used his size and strength to drive Li Juan and Li Qiang out. But Li Long wasn't about to be afraid of a kid like him.

"You won't bring them out? Then don't blame me for getting rough." Li Long's voice remained calm, but it sounded frightening. "Our Li Juan never lies. She was playing here, so naturally this is where they went missing. You'd better hand them over now. If I have to search for them myself, it won't look good."

He took two steps forward and swept Lu Tietou, who was blocking his way, aside with one hand. Tietou was still young, after all-big, but not strong. Humiliated at being pushed aside, he tried to come forward again. Li Long swept him aside with another swat, and he lost his balance and landed on his backside.

Li Qiang couldn't help laughing.

Sister-in-Law Lu heard the commotion from the kitchen in the side room and came over holding a spatula. She paused when she saw Li Long, then smiled and said,

"Oh, Xiao Long, you're here! Come on, have a seat."

"I won't sit. I'm here to get Juan's ankle bones back for her." He pointed toward Lu Nier.

"Then give them to Li Juan." Sister-in-Law Lu didn't know what had happened, and she hurriedly told Lu Nier, "If you want to play with them later, just go over to the Li Family's house."

The two families lived opposite each other and had always been on good terms, so the Lu Family's Eldest Sister-in-Law thought nothing more of it.

Lu Nier still wanted to lie, but Li Long pointed behind the heated wall and said,

"You're not going to make me fetch them myself, are you? If I have to do it, this will turn into a much bigger problem!"

Sister-in-Law Lu caught his meaning. She glared at Lu Nier and said,

"Bring them out. They aren't yours. Give them back, now!"

Li Long let out a breath of relief. Sister-in-Law Lu was reasonable, which made this easy to settle.

Lu Nier trembled at her mother's tone. Slowly, she reached behind the heated wall and pulled out a handful of ankle bones.

"Two of those are mine," Li Juan said, stepping forward.

"Give them to Juan, now," the Lu Family's Eldest Sister-in-Law repeated, glaring at Lu Nier.

"It's all right. Next time you want to play, you can come to our house or play here. Either is fine." Li Long's tone softened a little.

These days, some parents were unreasonable, while others held their children to higher standards. Still more cared about saving face and didn't want anyone criticizing their children's character.

"Exactly." Hearing Li Long give them a way to save face, the Lu Family's Eldest Sister-in-Law smiled. "You get along so well. Isn't it nice to play together?"

Li Juan took the ankle bones Lu Nier handed over, then turned and went straight to the door.

"Well, Sister-in-Law Lu, we'll head back now."

"All right, I won't keep you. Come over when you have time." the Lu Family's Eldest Sister-in-Law answered with a smile.

Once they were outside the Lu family's house, both Li Juan and Li Qiang were smiling.

"Uncle, you're amazing!" Li Qiang gave him a thumbs-up. "Before, we never thought..."

"Things are different now," Li Long said with a quiet sigh.

Yes, they were different.

(End of chapter)