Hearing this, Li Jianguo shot Lu Ping’an a glare and scolded him jokingly:
“Nephew, are you trying to make your uncle lose face? You caught all the fish—what money would I be splitting?”
“If word gets out, how am I supposed to show my face?”
“If not for you, these three fish wouldn’t even be in the bucket. I’d be going home empty-handed again!”
“You brought your second uncle some real pride today—that’s better than anything!”
“Don’t mention this to anyone else. And don’t tell your second aunt either.”
“It’s not that she’s stingy, but she has a big mouth. If she finds out, the whole courtyard will know in no time—and then it’ll spread even further.”
“Later, just tell her I caught these three fish. Let your uncle save some face!”
Lu Ping’an was about to speak but was silenced by another sharp look from Li Jianguo.
“Enough. Listen to your uncle. Your aunt and I both have jobs—we’re not short on money.”
“You, on the other hand, have many places to spend it. You just asked about a bicycle coupon—must be for your father. That made me happy.”
“When your eldest uncle went to the Great Northwest, he made me promise to take good care of your family.”
“Now that you’ve grown capable like this, he’d be very pleased to know.”
A trace of sadness flickered in Li Jianguo’s eyes, though he quickly suppressed it.
At the mention of his eldest uncle, memories surfaced in Lu Ping’an’s mind.
Two years ago, his eldest uncle Li Jianfei had been framed and publicly criticized. The entire family had been sent to the Great Northwest for reform.
When the incident occurred, his uncle decisively severed ties with his siblings and family, even publishing a notice in the newspaper to formally cut relations.
Even so, Li Jianguo had been implicated. Once the deputy factory director of the Kyoto Xuehua Refrigerator Factory, he had been demoted to an ordinary staff position.
Two years had passed, and his situation had improved somewhat.
Though Lu Ping’an came from the future and wasn’t truly tied to this era’s past, he knew historically that those who had been criticized would eventually be rehabilitated and return to Kyoto.
He said nothing more. It was just over a hundred yuan—hardly worth dwelling on.
If his uncle’s family needed help in the future, he would contribute more. There was plenty of time ahead.
He felt genuinely fortunate. The family around him was kind—something he had never truly experienced in his previous life.
When they returned to the courtyard on Dongsi Fifth Alley, it was bustling.
When they had left earlier, only a few women were around. Now more than a dozen people had gathered.
Men and women alike turned to greet Li Jianguo as he appeared.
“Steward Li, went fishing again?” called out a balding man in his fifties, stepping forward with a grin. He offered Li Jianguo a Great Front Gate cigarette.
Li Jianguo accepted it without ceremony and borrowed a light.
“Brother Huang, off work early today? Home already?” he said, exhaling a ring of smoke.
The man was Huang Fugui, husband of Sister Huang, and a factory worker.
“Damn, Steward Li! You’re on fire today—three huge fish!”
Another man in his forties, Li Tiezhu—Sister Li’s husband—peered into the bucket and exclaimed loudly.
His words drew everyone closer, surrounding Lu Ping’an and Li Jianguo.
“Wow, those fish are enormous!”
The children stared wide-eyed. Some were already drooling.
“Grandma, Dad! I want fish! I want fish!”
A sturdy seven- or eight-year-old boy cried out, saliva running down his chin.
Smack!
Before he finished speaking, a man in his forties slapped him on the head.
“Get lost! All you think about is eating!”
The man was Zhang Dacheng, husband of Sister Zhang. The boy was his son, Zhang Ergou.
Zhang Dacheng had previously had three daughters—one died young, another starved. When Zhang Ergou was born, they named him “Ergou” (Second Dog) in the countryside tradition, believing humble names were easier to raise.
Perhaps it worked—the boy was robust and healthy.
There were five households in the courtyard. Besides these four families, the fifth consisted of an elderly couple raising a young granddaughter.
Zhang Ergou burst into tears after being struck.
Sister Zhang rushed over and shouted at her husband, “Why are you hitting him? He’s just a child—it’s normal to want fish!”
“You can’t provide, so you take it out on your son? What kind of man does that make you?”
Her words made Zhang Dacheng’s face darken. Being scolded publicly by his wife was humiliating.
But he endured it, puffing hard on his cigarette.
Lu Ping’an calmly observed everyone’s expressions. In Sister Zhang’s eyes, he caught a flicker of greed. She had likely scolded her husband deliberately—her gaze kept drifting toward the fish in their bucket.
“Mom, I want fish! I want fish!” Zhang Ergou cried louder, emboldened.
Lu Ping’an grinned slightly. He wanted to see how his uncle would handle this.
Li Jianguo remained composed. Though there were only five households, each had children. If he gave away fish, there wouldn’t be enough to divide.
After finishing his cigarette, he smiled.
“Sister Zhang, didn’t you say at noon you’d trade a meat coupon for fish?”
“Your Ergou’s crying for fish—why not bring out that coupon?”
Her face instantly stiffened. She had indeed said that earlier.
“Mom, go get the meat coupon and trade!” Zhang Ergou piped up, tears forgotten.
“Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you think about! Can’t you think about studying instead?” she snapped.
She smacked Zhang Ergou several times on the backside, making him wail anew, then dragged him inside.
Li Jianguo turned to the other two women with a genial smile.
“Sister Huang, Sister Li—you asked me to save you a fish, didn’t you? I brought them back. Just bring your meat coupons and we’ll trade.”
He smiled broadly.
He had endured plenty of teasing from these women before. Today, he wouldn’t miss the chance to strike back.
At his words, Huang Fugui and Li Tiezhu both turned to glare at their wives, anger simmering in their eyes.
Fish was good—but nothing compared to fatty pork. One bite of rich pork belly—that was true satisfaction.