Dinner was simple. A plate of stir-fry leafy vegetables, a plate of tender pumpkin, plus four meat filled steamed buns.
Li Shu had said that he already ate some in the market. The remaining four steamed buns were for everyone else, one for each person.
“You should eat it. I really don’t like steamed buns.” Li Man gave her steamed bun to Li Shu.
However, Li Shu thought she was using an excuse to give him the steamed bun. His heart ached and also felt touched. “Wife, I really had some already. I kept this one for you to eat. Just wait, wait until the day I earn lots of money, I promise you’ll be able to eat steamed meat buns every day.”
Pfft. Hey, please don’t say something so scary. Okay?
“I really don’t -“
At this time, Li Mo put his steamed bun into Li Shu’s bowl and said, “Third brother, you can have mine. I’m not hungry. Eating some vegetables will be enough for me.”
“Oldest brother -” How could Li Shu take this? His oldest brother was injured. He should be eating some meat for nourishment.
The corners of Li Man’s lips twitched as she watched Li Shu putting the steamed bun back into Li Mo’s bowl. Every time there were steamed buns, they had to go through this play of moving food back and forth. “Oldest brother, you should eat it. Li Shu, here, I’ll give you half. If you dare to give it back to me, I’ll -“
Although she glared at him, the threatening part of her sentence wasn’t actually said.
Seeing her flushed face, Li Mo lowered his head and bit into his steamed bun. Slightly smiling, he said, “Alright, enough, third brother, just eat it. Little Five, you should eat quicker too before the food gets cold.”
“En.” Little Five and Li Shu agreed in unison. Li Shu was beaming with joy. He finished that half of a steamed bun in two bites.
After dinner, as Li Man stacked up the bowls and chopsticks, Li Shu retold what happened in the market. He said the shopkeeper had paid three silver taels and to pass on the message that Li Mo should properly recuperate.
Li Mo nodded. Remembering something, he prompted Li Shu, “The doctor’s fee of one silver tael, go pay him tomorrow.” He would have never thought about reneging on a debt. It was only that they couldn’t gather that amount yesterday.
“En.” Li Shu nodded.
Li Man had picked up the stack of bowls and chopsticks and was about to leave when she suddenly remembered that Li Shu had given her that money. She had put that money in her pocket. She quickly put the items down on a small side table and took out the remaining to give to Li Mo, “Oldest brother, here’s the money. You should keep it.”
However Li Mo didn’t reach out to take the money. “You can keep it.”
“Me?” Li Man was stunned. Why would she keep the money? Besides, other than being able to count the coins, she didn’t recognize the other type of currency. “I don’t know anything. Oldest brother, it’ll better if you keep it.”
After saying this, she placed all of the money on the table and picked up the stack of bowls before leaving.
Li Mo opened and closed his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t say anything.
Li Shu didn’t think this was a big deal. “Oldest brother, make sure to put it away. I’ll ask for the doctor’s fee tomorrow.”
“Oh, just take it and put it away in the wardrobe then,” said Li Mo.
—
Li Man returned to the kitchen, placed the bowls and chopsticks into the large pot, ladled out a scoop of clean water, and slowly washed.
There was a small oil lantern by the stove. Because there wasn’t much oil left, the light from it was a bit weak. She tried to adjust the wick, but it didn’t make much of a difference, so she could only give up.
Once the bowls and chopsticks were cleaned, she put them away in the cabinet and started to wipe the stove down. At this time, someone came inside.
She though it was Li Shu because he was the stickiest member of the family. And so, she didn’t even raised her head and only said, “There’s almost no oil left in this lamp. Go get some oil to add to the lamp. It’s getting almost too dark to see.”