“It’s almost dark—why haven’t the second son and his wife come back yet?” Lin Yongnian stood at the door with his hands behind his back, looking outside.

Lin Guodong, who was smoking, blew out a smoke ring and said, “They probably went on a date with Liu Qin after work.”

Back when he and Zhang Jiao first got married, they also liked to go on dates after work on Fridays.

“Grandpa, I want to eat dumplings! I want dumplings!” Junjun, who was playing in the yard, ran back and hugged Lin Yongnian’s leg, shouting for dumplings.

Lin Yongnian patted his well-behaved grandson’s head with a loving expression and said, “Alright, tomorrow I’ll ask your mom to make you some meat and egg dumplings.”

“No, I want to eat them now! I want beef filling ones!” Junjun pouted and acted spoiled.

Lin Yongnian said, “Grandpa can’t find beef filling dumplings for you right now.”

“There are beef filling dumplings at Granny Wang’s house,” Junjun replied.

Zhao Junjun, the eldest grandson of Aunt Wang, came to the Lin family’s door carrying a bowl.

He took a big bite of a dumpling filled with beef, and the savory aroma spread.

Junjun looked at the dumplings in Zhao Junjun’s bowl with eyes full of longing, swallowing hard.

Lin Yongnian thought: When did Wang Chaoqun’s dumpling-making skills get so good?

“My family’s dumplings are bought by my grandmother from Li Nainai’s stall. The beef and celery filling is so fragrant and delicious,” Zhao Junjun said, eating the remaining half dumpling with closed eyes, savoring it.

As soon as he heard the name Li Shuping, Lin Yongnian’s face darkened.

Zhao Junjun swallowed the dumpling and added, “Junjun, if you want beef dumplings, you can ask your grandpa to buy them from your grandma.”

“Grandpa, go get some dumplings from grandma quickly, Junjun wants dumplings,” Junjun tugged at his grandpa’s pants.

Every time Lin Yongnian heard Li Shuping’s name, he got angry.

As for taking care of her business?

Even if he starved or craved it to death, he wouldn’t buy dumplings from her.

“Junjun, be good. We’re not eating Li Shuping’s lousy dumplings. Tomorrow, grandpa will take you to the state-run restaurant to eat braised pork,” Lin Yongnian squatted down, holding his grandson’s little arm, coaxing him.

Lin Guodong asked, “Braised pork? Dad, do you have money now?”

Hadn’t all his money gone to his mother?

Where would he get money to eat braised pork?

“I got an advance on half a month’s salary from the factory.”

Both daughters-in-law cooked bland breakfasts; he got hungry walking to the factory.

Life without money was really tough; when hungry, he couldn’t even buy a bite to eat.

So after work today, he asked the boss for a half-month advance.

If the breakfast wasn’t to his liking, he’d buy something to eat himself.

Lin Guodong said, “Then tomorrow, our whole family will go together.”

He also wanted to eat braised pork at the state-run restaurant. Tomorrow the second son and his wife would go back to the wife’s family, so the three of them would go with dad.

Lin Yongnian: “…”

Suddenly felt a bit speechless.

What’s going on?

“I don’t want braised pork, I want beef dumplings, boohoo…” Junjun started crying.

“What beef dumplings?” Lin Jianshe and his wife came back arm in arm.

Seeing Junjun crying, Zhao Junjun took his bowl and left, worried that if he stayed, Grandpa Lin might make him give Junjun a dumpling.

Lin Jianshe opened his mouth, and Lin Yongnian immediately smelled the scent of braised pork. “Where have you two been? It’s so late already.”

Lin Jianshe replied, “Jiao Jiao and I took a walk in the park.”

Lin Yongnian looked at him silently.

Taking a walk in the park?

Probably just sat at the state-run restaurant for a while.

Lin Yongnian felt a bit uncomfortable about his son and daughter-in-law going off to eat alone.

Lin Jianshe felt uneasy being stared at and shouted as he entered the house, “Sister-in-law, is dinner ready? I’m starving.”

Zhang Jiao was cooking the last dish and called out, “Lin Guodong, go comfort the kid.”

Lin Guodong looked at his son, whose nose was running and mouth drooling from crying, frowned in dislike, and sternly said, “Alright, stop crying.”

Junjun looked scared and kept his mouth shut, tears still flowing.

“Why are you yelling at the child?” Lin Yongnian glared at his eldest son.

Lin Guodong scratched his nose; he never had much patience with kids.

Lin Yongnian bent down and picked up his grandson. “Grandpa’s good boy doesn’t cry. Grandpa will get some candy for our Junjun.”

After getting candy, Junjun finally stopped crying, and Zhang Jiao called everyone to eat.

Although Lin Jianshe and Liu Qin had eaten alone at the state-run restaurant, they didn’t eat much to avoid being noticed, so it didn’t affect dinner.

Dinner included steamed eggs.

Lin Jianshe first gave himself and Liu Qin two big spoonfuls each.

Zhang Jiao secretly rolled her eyes but quickly took the spoon and gave two big spoonfuls to her son, husband, and herself.

When it came to Lin Yongnian’s bowl, only some broken egg bits were left.

Lin Jianshe thought of his wife; Zhang Jiao thought of her son and husband.

No one thought of him, the father and grandfather.

They didn’t even offer him a spoonful, just left scraps.

When Li Shuping was around, she would always serve him first as the head of the family.

“Dad, Jianshe and I will go back to your place tomorrow. The return-visit gifts should be prepared by the family, right?” Liu Qin looked up and said.

Smoke, alcohol, candy, and fruit were definitely necessary.

Lin Yongnian frowned.

That should be prepared by the family, “Tomorrow I’ll give you five yuan, you can buy them yourselves at the supply and marketing cooperative.”

Buy some cigarettes, a bottle of alcohol, and two packs of candy—that’s about right.

“Dad, you have money now?” Zhang Jiao looked up.

Lin Guodong: “Dad got a half-month salary advance from the factory.”

Zhang Jiao said, “Since dad has salary now, then the living expenses…”

Liu Qin: “Dad already said, since he gets salary, he’ll pay the monthly living expenses.”

Lin Yongnian: “…”

“Fine, I’ll pay, I’ll pay.”

There are only ten days left this month. Both daughters-in-law were reluctant to pay living expenses; women are just stingy.

“There are only ten days left this month. When your mother was alive, monthly living expenses rarely exceeded fifteen yuan. For the remaining ten days, I’ll give five yuan. Whoever wants it, take it.”

Lin Yongnian took money from his wallet and slapped it on the table, making quite a noise but didn’t realize he was upset inside.

Lin Jianshe rolled his eyes, “Since Qinqin buys the vegetables every day, of course Qinqin should take the money.”

“Then I’ll take it,” Liu Qin reached out to grab the money.

Zhang Jiao: “No!”

“Why not?” Lin Jianshe looked displeased at his sister-in-law.

No, just no!

Zhang Jiao thought of reasons in her heart. Her natal family was bigger, and her mother’s monthly grocery budget was just over ten yuan.

If all the grocery money went to Liu Qin, she would lose out on at least three yuan!

She absolutely could not let Liu Qin take that money alone.

“I thought about it. It’s hard for my sister-in-law to buy groceries alone. I feel bad about it too. Since we cook one day at a time, buying groceries should also be done day by day.”

“From now on, whoever cooks on a given day will also buy groceries that day. The living expenses dad gives will be split in half.”