Watching the commotion around him, Ye Yaodong felt that this was what life was all about.
After spanking the children, Lin Xiuqing put away all the canned fruit, pastries, cigarettes, liquor, and dried goods people had brought, under the two boys' longing gazes, so they would stop staring at everything instead of eating.
Angry after his beating, Ye Chenghu ate while shooting little glares at his father now and then. Ye Yaodong found it funny. The boy had quite a temper.
"Glare at me again, and after dinner, I'll give the canned fruit to your little brother and none to you."
"Hmph... Mom will split it evenly."
"Just be good and eat," Lin Xiuqing said crossly. "Anyone who doesn't finish can forget about canned fruit."
The business with buying fabric and cotton, along with the sewing machine, had cured her of some of her penny-pinching. Just now, she had actually considered saving the gifts so they would have something presentable to give if anything came up.
But seeing how badly both boys wanted some, she decided there was no need. They really weren't hard up now, and they had just earned a large sum. If anything came up, they could simply buy something.
"Then give us canned fruit when we finish dinner." It was a statement.
Neither parent answered their eldest son. Ye Chenghu took their silence as agreement and happily began shoveling down his food.
Once they finished eating, the two boys sat there, gazing eagerly at Lin Xiuqing.
"Get them some. Open one jar for them to share first. It's nothing that rare. Just let them eat it."
The brothers nodded vigorously, happily agreeing with their father, then went back to watching their mother.
Helpless, Lin Xiuqing fetched a jar and two small bowls to divide it between