Hearing the noise, Li Xiaohai knew his dad was back. He piped up, "Mom, Dad's home."
"Dad… Dad…"
Li Xiaozhu, having napped too much during the day, wasn't sleepy at all. She was crawling around on the kang, chasing her brother for fun. When she heard him say Dad was back, she turned her head, big eyes fixed on the door.
"I'll go open the door for your dad. Xiaohai, watch your sister. Don't let her fall off the kang."
"Got it, Mom. I'll keep an eye on her."
Zhou Yuqin threw on a jacket and stepped outside, asking softly at the door, "Who's there?"
"Your man. Open the door quick—too many mosquitoes out here."
Li Xiangdong remembered his daughter once saying his blood type attracted mosquitoes. He sure seemed to draw them—when he was with others, the mosquitoes only went for him!
"Why're you back so late? It's nine o'clock already."
As the gate opened, Zhou Yuqin took the plate Li Xiangdong handed her. Seeing him head back out, she asked, "Where are you going?"
"There's still stuff outside. I gotta bring it in."
Li Xiangdong explained briefly and made two trips to haul the four square stools from outside into the courtyard.
"Tomorrow, wipe down those four stools and put them in our room."
Zhou Yuqin was puzzled. "Why'd you bring back stools? We don't need more at home. And that table—what's the story there? You still haven't told me."
Li Xiangdong swatted at the buzzing mosquitoes by his ear. "Let's go inside first. I'll explain in there."
He put an arm around his wife's shoulders, nudging her into the house. It was much better inside—the room had been smoked with mugwort to keep bugs away.
Li Xiaohai stood on the kang, shouting, "Dad, you're back!"
Li Xiangdong looked at his lively son and daughter. "Why aren't you two asleep yet?"
"Sister isn't sleeping, so I'm not either. I'm playing with her."
Li Xiaohai, butt in the air, scrambled off the kang barefoot and circled his dad. "Dad, didn't you bring back any meat?"
"Meat…"
Li Xiaozhu, sitting on the kang, chimed in. Her own shout delighted her, and she covered her mouth, giggling.
"Didn't you eat your sister's pig's tail already? Asking for meat this late? And no shoes? You looking to get spanked? Don't step on the kang—sit properly at the head!"
Zhou Yuqin was fuming. She plopped Li Xiaohai at the head of the kang, ordering him to stay put, or the freshly changed sheets would need washing again tomorrow.
Once Li Xiaohai sat still, she grabbed a basin and went to the courtyard to fetch water.
Seeing his mom leave, Li Xiaohai dangled his feet off the edge, leaned back, and sprawled on the kang, squirming restlessly.
Seeing his son wriggling like a big meat worm, Li Xiangdong scolded, "Right now! Sit up straight!"
Li Xiaohai, seeing his dad's stern face, immediately behaved, sitting up at the kang's head without daring to move.
Li Xiangdong walked over, looked down at him, and softened his tone. "You're the big brother. You've got to set a good example for your sister. When your mom tells you to sit still, you listen, got it?"
Li Xiaohai puffed up proudly. "I'm the best at listening. Grandma says I'm more sensible than Brother Xiaotao."
"Alright, you're the most sensible. Sit there nicely and wait for your mom to come wipe your feet."
Li Xiangdong thought kids needed proper teaching. "Did you eat all of your sister's pig's tail?"
"Mom told me to eat it. She said Sister shouldn't eat so much meat."
Li Xiaohai tilted his head up at his dad.
Li Xiangdong sat beside him, patting his head. "If your sister couldn't eat it all, did you ask Great-Grandpa, Great-Grandma, Grandpa, Grandma, or your mom if they wanted any?"
Stumped by his dad's question, Li Xiaohai lowered his head, sitting silently at the kang's head.
Li Xiangdong decided to let him think it over. Turning, he saw his daughter sitting cross-legged on the kang, playing with her toes. He chuckled, leaned in, and kissed her cheek.
Li Xiaozhu wrinkled her nose, pushing her dad's head away. "Stinky… hit you…"
"Not stinky. Where's the smell? Is it your feet?"
Li Xiangdong sniffed his daughter's little feet—they weren't smelly at all. Suddenly realizing, he covered his mouth, exhaled, and laughed. "It's just that Dad had some liquor. You smelled it?"
"Stinky… stinky…"
"I'll go wash up. You play by yourself."
Seeing his wife come in with a basin of water, Li Xiangdong ruffled his daughter's head and took the basin from her.
He washed up quickly, sat at the kang's head, and soaked his feet in the basin. He watched his wife wet a cloth and wipe Li Xiaohai's dirty feet.
"Why's he crying now?"
Zhou Yuqin saw her son's head drooping, tears falling as he sniffled. She couldn't help but smile. While fetching water in the courtyard, she'd overheard her husband teaching their son and thought he made some sense.
"Alright, stop crying. Go play with your sister on the kang."
Zhou Yuqin wiped the tears from her son's face, gave his bottom a couple of pats, and shooed him onto the kang. She turned to Li Xiangdong. "He's still young. Teach him slowly. He'll understand when he's older."
"Sigh."
Li Xiangdong let out a sigh, unsure what to say.
"I'll go dump the water."
Zhou Yuqin took the cloth Li Xiangdong had used and carried the basin out.
Li Xiangdong glanced back and saw his son sprawled in the middle of the kang. He nudged him. "Scoot over. You're taking up the whole kang. How's anyone else supposed to sleep?"
"Nope!"
Li Xiaohai buried his head in a small quilt, refusing to budge.
"You've got some temper, kid."
Li Xiangdong gave him a firm push, sliding him to the wall side.
Li Xiaohai peeked out from the quilt, realizing he'd been moved to the edge. He blinked, saw his dad laughing, let out a "hmph," and buried his head back in the quilt.
Li Xiaozhu thought her brother was playing with her. Butt in the air, she crawled over and tried to wiggle into the quilt. Li Xiaohai clutched the edge, not letting her in.
"Play… play…"
"I'm not playing!"
"Play…"
Li Xiaozhu tugged at the quilt relentlessly.
"If your brother won't play, Dad will. Let's ride the horse."
Li Xiangdong scooped up his daughter, leaned his head against the wall, and lay back. He set her on his stomach, holding her arms and swaying her. "Ride the big horse, giddy-up, giddy-up!"