Chapter 9: Buying Popsicles

The nearest supply and marketing cooperative to Old Li’s home stood right at the alley entrance. From the outside, it didn’t look very large, but inside, it stocked a surprisingly complete range of goods.

Residents nearby, except when purchasing bulky items at the Wangfujing Department Store, usually came here for daily necessities.

Inside the cooperative, several sales clerks sat behind the counter, huddled together gossiping about someone. One middle-aged woman kept chatting away while knitting a sweater, her needles flying up and down.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and, still knitting, asked, “Xiao Jiang, coming to buy soy sauce?”

She was just thinking about how this kid didn’t even have a bottle for soy sauce when she heard Li Xiangdong greet her. Only then did she look closely and say, “Oh my, Dongzi, when did you get back?”

“I’ve been back for a while, Aunt Zhang. It’s my fault for not coming to see you sooner.”

Aunt Zhang was an old friend of Li’s mother. Through her, Li’s mother could buy imperfect cloth and broken biscuits—items others wanted but couldn’t get.

Most importantly, when Li’s mother shopped here, she never got shortchanged. Cheating on scales had existed in all eras, but here, it was avoided.

Of course, Aunt Zhang’s family was never short of coal.

“Oh, don’t overthink it, child. Auntie just hadn’t seen you for some time. When you came in just now, I barely recognized you. Usually, people coming back from the countryside look dark and thin, but you seem even paler than before.”

Li Xiangdong felt awkward. Though he had been sent to the countryside, he hadn’t done field work, so naturally, he hadn’t tanned.

“Well, Auntie, mother and I will chat more when we have time. The kids at home are all waiting for their popsicles.”

He counted on his fingers and said, “Aunt Zhang, five popsicles, three cream popsicles, and four creamy ice creams, please.”

He turned to Li Xiaojiang beside him and asked, “Which one do you want?”

“Red bean popsicle.”

Xiaojiang was self-aware—he didn’t ask for the priciest creamy ice cream, but having helped out, he didn’t want the cheapest popsicle either.

“Popsicles cost two fen each, red bean and cream popsicles five fen, creamy ice creams one mao. That’ll be seven mao in total.”

Li Xiangdong handed over the last yuan in his pocket. His mouth was dry; he had thought about buying a pack of cigarettes but decided to just borrow some from his father at home.

Aunt Zhang put down her knitting needles and yarn, quickly collected the money, gave change, wrote a receipt, and clipped it onto a wire hanging above. With a flick of her hand, the clip slid along the wire to the cashier.

Soon, the cashier stamped the receipt and tossed it back.

The popsicles were kept in a wooden box, wrapped in a thick cotton quilt.

Children with elders working at the cooperative never lacked sweet treats in the summer. Since there was no refrigeration, popsicles didn’t keep well; melted ones were unwanted and usually ended up as employee perks.

Li Xiangdong saw Aunt Zhang carefully squeezing each popsicle, picking out the firmest ones for them.

“Next time you come, remember to bring your own cloth bags,” she said.

Seeing the uncle and nephew standing empty-handed, Aunt Zhang turned and took out a sheet of greaseproof paper used for wrapping snacks. After wrapping the popsicles, she tied them with string and handed the bundle to Li Xiangdong.

“I was in such a hurry just now, I forgot. Sorry to trouble you.”

Li Xiangdong didn’t really notice. He was used to shopping in his past life and forgot that plastic bags weren’t common now; going out meant carrying bamboo baskets or cloth bags.

After greeting Aunt Zhang, the uncle and nephew hurried home to prevent the popsicles from melting.

The few hundred meters left them sweaty from the heat. Just as Li Xiangdong entered the courtyard, several children waiting at home rushed over.

“Third Uncle, you’re finally back!”

“Time for popsicles!”

“Don’t fight! Whoever fights won’t get any. Aren’t you hot standing in the sun? Follow me to the main hall.”

Like a ringleader, Li Xiangdong was surrounded by his nieces and nephews as they entered the living room.

Li’s mother came out of the west room, looking at Li Xiangdong and asking, “What all the noise? Did you buy them popsicles?”

“The kids helped me a bit, so I, as their uncle, should reward them.”

Li Xiangdong placed the wrapped bundle on the dining table, opened it, and said, “Line up and take your share one by one.”

The children obediently lined up, each taking their portion from him. Then, eager, they tore open the wrappers and carefully licked their treats.

“You spend money like a prodigal! Just giving them popsicles would’ve been enough. Why buy the creamy ice creams too?”

Seeing the cream popsicles and creamy ice creams in the hands of her grandchildren, Li’s mother felt heartache.

One creamy ice cream could buy five popsicles. Saving that money to buy meat would have been so much better!

As for her youngest son’s claim that the kids had helped out—wiping tables and earning creamy ice creams? Such good fortune didn’t exist. She wanted to do the work herself!

Ignoring his mother, Li Xiangdong tore open a popsicle and stuffed it into his mouth as he handed out the rest.

“Xiao Jiang, these two popsicles—one for your mother, and the other for your second aunt.”

Since everyone in the family was accounted for, he didn’t want to leave out his elder sisters-in-law. But he didn’t want to splurge on them either; popsicles were good enough. He himself was eating a popsicle too.

“Okay, Third Uncle,” Xiao Jiang responded.

Li’s mother saw the eldest grandson about to dash outside with his popsicle and hurriedly said, “Tell your mother and second aunt to come help with lunch.”

“Got it, Grandma.”

She didn’t call the youngest daughter-in-law to help. The little granddaughter was clingy, and since coming back, aside from the youngest son and his wife, anyone else holding the child for too long was frowned upon.

Her third son was lazy to the extreme—not even steady enough to pick up a spilled soy sauce bottle—so he certainly wouldn’t help his wife with the child. Calling Zhou Yuqin over wouldn’t help much and might just make things worse.

Li Xiangdong went to the east room but didn’t see his grandparents. Coming out, he asked, “Mother, where did Grandpa and Grandma go?”

Li’s mother replied, “They just went next door to Mrs. Liu’s to play cards.”