Chronicle of the 70s

Li Jianqing didn’t say how long he would stay, just that it would be for a very long time. Li Xianglu was very happy, cleaned up Qin Zhen’s room for him, set up a bed, and let him move in.

Li Jianqing was a diligent person. The next day, he began to smooth out the uneven parts of the ground in the courtyard.

Regarding coal, he built a small coal shed in the corner of the wall and broke all the coal into the size of bricks, packed them in enzyme bags, and neatly arranged them inside. Someone who didn’t know better might think they were grain.

Li Xianglu thought this was too much trouble, but Li Jianqing explained that they were usually not around and Mr. Li was getting old. Those large chunks of coal needed to be smashed before they could be used, which was really inconvenient. Hearing this made Li Xianglu feel ashamed. How had she not noticed?

When Qin Xi saw his wife’s guilty look, he immediately explained that he would prepare a week’s worth of coal every time he came back, so she shouldn’t feel guilty. This instantly lifted Li Xianglu’s spirits.

Li Jianqing watched the intimate interaction between the two with mixed feelings.

Finally, that evening, Li Xianglu called Li Jianqing to her room and dug out several new pieces of clothing: two white shirts, one blue pullover cashmere sweater, two pairs of black pants, a new pair of leather shoes, and long johns as well. In the end, Li Xianglu brought out a large bundle, starting with a quilt, made of nine pounds of military-grade cotton. Pointing at it, she said, "Take this back with you this time; give this quilt to Grandma. She’s getting old and should use something new."

Then, pointing at some clothes, she said, "There are also some clothes. You can decide who to give them to. They were bought in Hong Kong—brand new with tags still on. Just one thing, don’t give any to Ge Sanmei and Li Jianwen!"

Li Jianqing touched his sister’s hair, which had grown much darker, and said, "Sure, I’ll do as you say."