The nearest co-op to their home was at the mouth of the alley. From the outside, the storefront looked small, but it was well-stocked.
Locals went to Wangfujing's department store for big purchases, but for daily necessities, they came here.
Inside, a few clerks sat behind the counter, gossiping about someone's business. One middle-aged woman, talking nonstop, knitted a sweater, her needles flying.
Hearing the door, she looked up and saw the visitor. Still knitting, she asked, "Xiaojiang, here for soy sauce?"
Wondering why the kid didn't bring a bottle, she heard Li Xiangdong's greeting and looked closer. "Well, look at that! Dongzi, when did you get back?"
"Aunt Zhang, I've been back a while. My bad for not visiting sooner."
Aunt Zhang was a close friend of Old Lady Li. Through her, Old Lady Li could get flawed cloth and broken biscuits—things others couldn't buy.
Most importantly, Old Lady Li never got shortchanged at the co-op. Skimping scales existed in every era.
And Aunt Zhang's family never lacked coal.
"Hey, don't overthink it, kid. I didn't mean anything by it. Just haven't seen you in a while. When you walked in, I barely recognized you. Everyone comes back from the countryside all dark and skinny—how're you paler than before?"
Her question embarrassed Li Xiangdong. He'd gone to the countryside but hadn't worked the fields, so of course he didn't tan.
"Uh, Aunt Zhang, let's catch up another time. The kids at home are waiting for ice pops."
He counted on his fingers and said, "Aunt Zhang, five regular ice pops, three milk ice pops, and four cream ice creams."
He turned to Li Xiaojiang. "Which one you want?"
"Red bean ice pop."
Li Xiaojiang knew his place. He didn't ask for the priciest cream ice cream but, having helped with work, didn't want the cheapest ice pop either.
"Regular ice pops are 2 cents, red bean and milk ice pops 5 cents, cream ice cream 10 cents. That's 70 cents total."
Li Xiangdong handed over his last yuan. He'd been craving a cigarette, but now he'd have to mooch off his dad.
Aunt Zhang set down her needles and yarn, swiftly took the money, gave change, wrote the receipt, clipped it to a wire, and with a flick, sent it sliding to the cashier with a clatter.
"Dongzi, got a job lined up since you're back? No more fooling around. You've got two kids now—time to step up for your wife and family. And your grandparents, they spoil you rotten. You gotta earn money to take care of them…"
Aunt Zhang's chatter was relentless, classic middle-aged nagging in full force.
Li Xiangdong stayed quiet. She was an elder, and her words, though well-meaning, grated on him. He regretted coming—should've sent Xiaojiang alone.
Amid her nagging, the cashier stamped the receipt and sent it back.
The ice pops were in a foam box, covered with a thick quilt.
Kids with relatives at the co-op never lacked syrup in summer. With no refrigeration, unsold ice pops melted, becoming perks for the staff.
Aunt Zhang pinched each one, picking out the firmest.
"Next time, bring a cloth bag."
Seeing the uncle and nephew empty-handed, she grabbed oiled paper used for pastries, wrapped the ice pops, tied it with string, and handed it to Li Xiangdong.
"I forgot in the rush. Sorry for the trouble."
Li Xiangdong hadn't remembered. In his past life, he was used to plastic bags, forgetting that now you needed bamboo baskets or cloth bags.
He said goodbye to Aunt Zhang, holding the bundle of ice pops. As he pushed the door open, a wave of heat hit him.
The two hurried home—couldn't dawdle, or the ice pops would melt.
A few hundred meters left them sweaty. As Li Xiangdong entered the courtyard, the waiting kids rushed over.
"Third Uncle's back!"
"Finally! Third Uncle's here!"
"Ice pop time!"
"No grabbing! Anyone grabs, no ice pop. Standing in the sun, aren't you hot? Follow me to the living room to split them."
Like a king of kids, Li Xiangdong was swarmed by his nieces and nephews into the living room.
Mother Li came out from the west room, looking at him. "What's all the noise? You bought them ice pops?"
"The kids helped me with some work. As their uncle, I gotta treat them."
Li Xiangdong set the paper bundle on the dining table, opened it, and said, "Line up, one at a time."
The kids formed a line, each taking their share, eagerly tearing off the wrappers and licking carefully.
"You spendthrift, burning money! Regular ice pops would've been fine—why buy cream ice cream?" Mother Li saw the milk ice pops and cream ice creams in her grandkids' hands and felt a pang. One cream ice cream cost as much as five regular ones—money better spent on meat!
As for her third son saying the kids helped with work, wiping a table for cream ice cream? What a deal—she'd do it herself!
Li Xiangdong ignored his mom, tore open a regular ice pop, stuck it in his mouth, and handed out the rest. "Xiaojiang, these two ice pops—one for your mom, one for your second aunt."
He'd bought for everyone, couldn't leave out his sisters-in-law. But he wasn't splurging on expensive ones for them—regular ice pops were fine. He was eating one himself.
"Got it, Third Uncle," Li Xiajiang replied.
Mother Li saw her eldest grandson about to run off with the ice pops and said, "Tell your mom and second aunt to come help with lunch."
"Got it, Grandma."
Mother Li didn't call her third son's wife to help. Her little granddaughter was clingy, and since coming back, only her parents could hold her long before she fussed.
Her third son was too lazy to even pick up a fallen soy sauce bottle, let alone help his wife with the kids. Calling Zhou Yuqin wouldn't help—it'd likely make things worse.
Li Xiangdong checked the east room but didn't see his grandparents. He asked, "Mom, where'd Grandpa and Grandma go?"
"They went to play leaf cards at Aunt Liu's next door," Mother Li replied.
Leaf cards, or madiao, were the precursor to modern mahjong.
Li Xiangdong knew how to play but rarely did—no one joined him. In the elders' eyes, young people playing leaf cards or mahjong was idling away.