Zhao Aiguo, overjoyed, skipped and hopped home. His mother was altering his clothes inside the house. Just as she finished cutting them, Zhao Aiguo came in. As soon as his mother turned around and saw him, she felt that he had done something bad and said, "What wicked thing have you done now?"
Zhao Aiguo walked up with a smile and said, "Grandma, why are you looking at me like that? Can't I do a good deed?"
Zhao's mother looked at her with disbelief, then realized something and said, "Where's the lunchbox? Didn't your grandfather tell you to get the lunchbox?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Aiguo's expression turned somewhat unnatural, and he said in a low voice, "I gave it to Grandpa Da Pu."
"What?" Zhao's mother, who weighed over 140 pounds, almost jumped up. She asked nervously, "Where did you see Old Pu?"
Zhao Aiguo nodded and whispered, "At the front gate, I gave it to him secretly. Nobody saw me. Grandpa Da Pu also gave me a pen and a pocket watch." He then took them out and gave them to Zhao's mother.
Zhao's mother took it, wrapped it in the cut-off cloth, put it in the sewing basket, sighed, and said nervously, "You naughty child, are you sure no one saw it?"
Zhao Aiguo nodded and whispered, "No, Grandma, what happened to Grandpa Da Pu? He's a good man!"
Zhao's mother sighed and said, "You're still young. You'll remember most things anyway. Don't get involved in those things. Just focus on your studies." Not wanting Zhao Aiguo to dwell on this, she changed the subject, "Have you memorized your multiplication tables yet? It's been two years! If you still haven't mastered them, your mother will beat you, and I won't be able to stop you!"
"Oh, I know, Grandma, I'm hungry." Zhao Aiguo sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and swung his legs.
Zhao's mother got out of bed and took a bag of peach shortbread and a can of meat from the cupboard, saying, "You eat first, I'll go cook some noodles."
Zhao Aiguo nodded and said, "Cut some more pickled vegetable shreds, stir-fry them with oil, add chili oil and sesame oil! And also, give me two poached eggs!"
Zhao's mother laughed and scolded, "You really know how to eat!" But as she walked toward the kitchen, her face fell.
The image that comes to mind is someone who always combs their hair meticulously, likes to wear suits, white shirts, and gold-rimmed glasses, and keeps their pocket watch in the breast pocket of their jacket, with the watch chain always clipped to the third buttonhole—a person who loves to nitpick.
A wave of sadness washed over me, and I didn't know if I could get through it. I sighed and went to the kitchen.
When he returned, Zhao Aiguo ate half of the peach shortbread and left half of the canned meat.
Zhao's mother placed two bowls of noodles on the table, then turned around and brought in some pickled vegetable shreds and chopsticks.
Zhao's mother poured the remaining half into the plate of pickled vegetable shreds, picked out a few pieces and gave them to Zhao Aiguo, saying, "Eat more!"
Zhao Aiguo ate without looking up, saying, "I ate half." The implication was that the remaining half was his.
Zhao's mother knew his habit; he always thought of others when it came to food since he was little. She smiled and said, "You also drink milk. You're still growing, so eat more!"
Zhao Aiguo slurped down the big bowl of noodles, patted his belly and said, "I need steamed buns too. Rice is filling, but I'll be hungry again soon after eating this."
Zhao's mother nodded and said, "Yes, that's for sure!"
Zhao Aiguo's eyes lit up and he said, "Grandma, I want to eat the meat-filled bread that the bakery makes!"
Zhao's mother nodded, took out two cents and gave them to Zhao Aiguo, saying, "Ah...right! Then go buy some bread. When you get hungry, just buy some bread to tide you over. Don't bring it back. These two cents are enough for you."
Zhao Aiguo took the money, said "Yes," and then grabbed a peach shortbread before leaving. At the alley entrance, he saw Hu Daming, a thin, monkey-like man with a pointed snout and a monkey-like face, slightly taller than Zhao Aiguo. Zhao Aiguo handed him the peach shortbread, which Hu Daming took, holding it in one hand and catching it with the other, eating it in a few bites, then shoving the crumbs from his other hand into his mouth. After swallowing, he asked, "Did you get the money from your grandma?"
Zhao Aiguo took out a dime and gave it to him, saying, "I gave you two dimes. I said I'd buy bread. You take one dime, and I'll keep one dime to take the bread home tonight!"
Hu Daming nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Good brother, I'm leaving now. If anyone bullies you, just tell me."
Zhao Aiguo nodded twice and went to school.
After school, he walked quickly to the bakery, ordered a meat-filled bread for one cent, smelled the aroma, swallowed hard, and walked back home with it.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw Zhao's father had just parked his bicycle and shouted, "Grandpa!"
Mr. Zhao turned around and said, "Why are you back later than me today!"
Zhao Aiguo took out a loaf of bread wrapped in oil paper from his schoolbag and proudly declared, "I'm going to the bakery to queue up for bread!"
Zhao's father nodded, took out fifty cents from his pocket, secretly stuffed it into Zhao Aiguo's hand, and whispered, "When you're growing, go buy some food if you get hungry!"
Zhao Aiguo nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes." The grandfather and grandson went inside together; Zhao's father was still unaware that he had lost two lunchboxes…
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