Stir-fried cabbage, stir-fried tofu, spinach soup — Lin Yongnian held his chopsticks and frowned as he looked at the dishes in front of him.

He couldn’t help but complain, “Why isn’t there any meat cooked?”

Zhang Jiao also frowned and whispered her complaint, “Junjun doesn’t like tofu, and I don’t like spinach.”

“When Mom was around, she always made a meat dish for dinner,” Lin Guodong also expressed dissatisfaction with tonight’s meal.

Mom always said, after working hard all day, dinner should be a bit better.

Lin Jianshe also thought the meal was too plain, but since it was still his wife who cooked tonight, he didn’t say anything.

Liu Qin clenched her chopsticks tightly.

She had bought the ingredients and cooked the meal herself, working hard for half a day, but no one said a word of thanks or complimented the food’s appearance — only complaints.

“In the morning, no one said anything about buying meat. You didn’t tell me what you don’t want to eat. I’m not a mind reader; how could I know everyone’s likes and dislikes?”

Zhang Jiao said, “It’s just that Junjun and I don’t eat tofu or spinach, no other meaning. I admit I didn’t say so beforehand, sister-in-law, don’t be angry.”

Liu Qin got even more upset.

The way Zhang Jiao said it made it sound like she was the petty one.

Lin Yongnian said to the second daughter-in-law, “From now on, every dinner must have a meat dish. Even if you don’t cook meat, at least make an egg dish. We all work hard, and after work we want to eat something good. There are kids at home, they need nutrition too.”

Liu Qin nodded but thought to herself: having a meat dish every night will cost a lot more.

Wasn’t the old man implying she was stingy and that the groceries weren’t bought well enough?

Lin Yongnian glanced at the eldest daughter-in-law and said, “You two should tell the second daughter-in-law what dishes you want or don’t want to eat every day. Don’t wait until everything is bought then complain about what you don’t like.”

Zhang Jiao drooped her mouth and nodded — it was clear the old man was taking the second daughter-in-law’s side.

Lin Yongnian thought he handled the matter well and had prevented any future quarrels between the two daughters-in-law.

“Sister-in-law, today’s groceries cost 20 cents total; you owe me 12 cents,” Liu Qin began to collect the meal money at the table.

“Okay, I’ll give it to you after dinner,” Zhang Jiao rolled her eyes secretly.

This Liu Qin was really petty, always asking for the 10 or 20 cents, afraid someone would shortchange her.

Because the dinner was so poor, Lin Yongnian ate only one bowl of rice, then put down his chopsticks and went out.

…

In House No. 5 of Yard No. 23, shepherd’s purse and pork dumplings had just been put into boiling water.

They were originally going to make Guobaorou (crispy sweet and sour pork), but the freshly picked shepherd’s purse was no longer fresh after a night, so they decided not to use it.

Lin Xiaoyu wanted shepherd’s purse dumplings, so Li Shuping mixed the pork meant for Guobaorou with shepherd’s purse and made dumplings instead.

As the water boiled, the aroma of shepherd’s purse pork dumplings made the kids in Yard No. 23 drool. One by one, they clamored for meat dumplings.

Those who cared about face scolded the kids, keeping them inside so they wouldn’t be embarrassed standing by the kitchen door begging.

Those who didn’t care said, “If you want it, go ask yourself. See if they give you any.”

The kids listened and gathered at the kitchen door of House No. 5.

“Grandma Li, I want dumplings,” Cui Juanzi’s youngest son, Nicknamed Big Head, leaned on the doorframe, his nose dripping.

He was almost ten years old, still had a runny nose, and was shamelessly begging at someone else’s door.

“I want some too! I want some too!” the other two younger kids called out as well.

If it had been the old Li Shuping, she would have given each begging child one or two dumplings to get them to leave.

But now she wouldn’t be so generous.

These kids were strangers with no relations.

Their mothers and grandmothers might even talk badly about her behind her back.

Her family didn’t have extra meat to waste on them.

Why should she give them any?

Li Shuping stirred the dumplings in the pot with a ladle, smiling but not really, “If you want dumplings, go home and ask your moms to make some. My dumplings are only enough for my own family.”

Big Head said, “My mom won’t make them. She told me to come ask at your house.”

“My mom won’t either,” the other two kids nodded.

Li Shuping laughed in disbelief — these kids were really shameless.

Since they were shameless, she wouldn’t hold back either.

“Then it must be your moms don’t like you, or they’d make you whatever you want and wouldn’t let you beg at others’ houses.”

“Look at me — I really like your sister Xiaoyu. When she said she wanted dumplings today, I made shepherd’s purse pork dumplings for her.”

Lin Xiaoyu, waiting for the dumplings to finish cooking, blushed suddenly — her mom said she really liked her!

Big Head denied, “No way, my mom likes me best. She calls me her ‘sweat son,’ her little sweetheart.”

Big Head was Cui Juanzi’s youngest, born when she was in her mid-thirties.

“Then why doesn’t she make you dumplings if she likes you?” Li Shuping retorted.

“My mom likes me best anyway,” Big Head stomped.

“I don’t believe it,” Li Shuping shook her head. “If she doesn’t even make dumplings for you and lets you beg, how can she like you?”

“I’ll go home now and make her make dumplings for me,” Big Head declared, no longer begging, and ran home.

The other two kids remained crouching by the kitchen door.

“Go home quickly. I don’t have extra dumplings for you,” Li Shuping said.

The two kids pouted and left, heading back to complain to their parents.

“Mom, it wouldn’t hurt to give them one,”

When they had good food before, the kids in the yard would come begging, and Mom would give them some.

“No, it’s not about that,” Li Shuping smiled, “Today someone in our family got dumplings. If we keep making good food, all the kids in the yard will come begging. You believe that?”

Lin Xiaoyu frowned, “Is it really that exaggerated? Before, when the family made good food and kids came begging, you still gave them some.”

Old Madam Li looked at the plump dumplings floating in the pot, “Before, when we lived in Yard No. 18, most neighbors were your dad’s factory colleagues. Except for a few stingy ones with thick skins, everyone was kind and generous. If you gave the neighbors’ kids food, they’d remember and return the favor. That’s called reciprocity.”

“But look at the people in this yard. Do you think they’ll return the favor? They only think about bullying us and taking advantage of our family. You don’t know, last night, that seemingly kind Aunt Yuan borrowed soy sauce from us, and the first thing she did was pour out half a bottle.”

Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes widened, “Aunt Yuan looks so kind and gentle — how could she do that?”

Li Shuping said, “If even she’s like that, just imagine the others.”

Lin Xiaoyu didn’t dare imagine — she felt there were no good people in this yard.

“Living here, you have to be careful. Don’t be naive and let people bully you or take advantage. Avoid contact when you can.” She didn’t plan to stay here long, so she didn’t want to get along with these neighbors.