Seeing the whole family waiting for him to speak, Li Xiangdong knew he had to come clean today.
Gritting his teeth, he decided to own up, embarrassment be damned. "A few days before coming back to the city, I wasn't paying attention while gathering pig feed and nearly killed the village pigs."
The courtyard fell silent.
Everyone's looks turned strange, even his grandparents shook their heads.
Li's mother stormed over, pounding him. "You useless thing! Can't even carry a pole or gather pig feed right—what can you do?"
Li's father, furious, yanked off his shoe to whack him. "You good-for-nothing! Can't do anything right but always stirring up trouble!"
Dodging, Li Xiangdong shouted, "It wasn't on purpose! Besides, the pigs didn't die—they just had diarrhea for a few days!"
He wasn't lying. He'd been thrilled about returning to the city and wasn't focused on the task. He didn't know what those collective pigs ate, but they were sick for four or five days, nearly dying of dehydration.
The village accountant confronted him, saying the pigs had been weighed and, knowing it wasn't intentional, rounded down the cost, demanding 6 yuan in compensation.
He had no money then.
Writing home for cash wouldn't arrive in time, and he was leaving in a couple of days. So, he shamelessly went to Zhou Family Village to see his father-in-law.
Too embarrassed to admit the truth, he fibbed, saying his family was returning to the city and urged his father-in-law to visit his grandkids before they left.
Zhou's father, a simple rural man, never suspected his son-in-law's scheming.
Not only did he fork over 6 yuan, but he also shared in the humiliation.
Feeding pigs so badly they nearly died from diarrhea was a huge joke in the village!
Li Xiangdong still remembered his father-in-law's trembling lips as he left, seething.
"Dad, Mother, stop hitting him," Zhou Yuqin said, knowing her husband was too ashamed to face her father in Zhou Family Village.
She stepped in front of Li's parents. "It's settled. He doesn't want to go back. I'll go myself in a few days. Don't be mad."
Old Man Li asked, "Did your dad clean up his mess?"
Zhou Yuqin nodded. "My dad paid the 6 yuan. It's fine now—he's just too embarrassed to see him."
Old Man Li sighed, looking at Li Xiangdong. "As long as the pigs didn't die and money settled it, it's not a big deal. But what's your plan? Never see your father-in-law again?"
"I'm just embarrassed," Li Xiangdong said, scratching his head awkwardly. He knew village gossip spread fast—his father-in-law probably couldn't show his face for a while.
Li's father kicked his butt. "You little punk! Making trouble at home, stealing my cigarettes, and now screwing over your father-in-law in the village! In a few days, buy something and go apologize in person!"
Old Lady Li added, "Dongzi, do as your dad says. When you and your wife go back for the hukou certificate, apologize to your father-in-law yourself."
Li Xiangdong brushed the footprint off his pants and nodded. "Got it, Grandma."
"No one mentions this again. Act like it never happened. Tell the kids in the house to keep quiet—we don't need the neighbors hearing about it," Old Man Li declared firmly.
Everyone nodded and followed his orders.
In the west wing, Li Xiangdong rummaged through his things. He was reporting to the train station tomorrow and needed to look decent.
He pulled out his few clothes from the wardrobe. Hardly anything was suitable.
His pre-countryside clothes no longer fit and had been altered by his mother for Li Xiaojiang and his brothers. Every household did this—hand-me-downs, patches on patches, pant legs full of needle marks.
During his time in the countryside, as a sent-down youth "re-educated" by poor peasants, he had to wear patched clothes to seem earnest and blend in with the masses.
Even after returning to the city, he hadn't managed a patch-free outfit. Fabric ration tickets were limited, saved for New Year's clothes, and defective cloth from the co-op wasn't always available. The tank top and shorts he wore now were his dad's.
He finally pieced together a patch-free outfit—his wedding clothes, bought in summer, so they still fit. A short-sleeved polyester shirt and army-green cotton pants. The pants were fine, but the polyester shirt didn't breathe—work in that, and you'd be soaked in silence.
But he had no choice. He put them on, pulled out a new pair of work boots—plenty of those at home, thanks to his dad and brothers—and posed in front of the mirror, fixing his hair.
After seven or eight years in the countryside, his handsome face still looked youthful. Time always left a little leeway for people like him.
Turning to Zhou Yuqin, who was helping their daughter practice walking on the kang, he boasted, "Well? Your man's pretty dashing, huh? Four years married, and I'm still as good-looking as when we met."
"Stop preening. You're worse than a woman," Zhou Yuqin said, exasperated.
She'd been charmed by his looks and smooth talk during their blind date, foolishly marrying him. Back then, she hadn't imagined life would be this tough.
But since this morning, she'd noticed a change in him. With his job secured, she believed things would get better.
Li Xiangdong shook his head. "You don't get it. I'm youthful. In twenty years, I'll still look like this. We'll look like mother and son. In forty years, people will see us out and think, 'Wow, what a filial grandson, taking his grandma for a stroll.'"
Snapping out of it, he spat a few times. "Pah! Why'd I rope myself into that?"