“All right then, if you want a soccer ball, I’ll go to the city next time and buy one for you. They don’t sell them around here, and maybe not even in the county town, but the city definitely has them,” Lin Guangyuan said excitedly, practically jumping three feet high. “Great! The city for sure has them. I’m going to have a soccer ball soon!”
“Not immediately, you’ll have to wait until I happen to be going to the city, then I can pick one up on the way,” Ye Yaodong replied.
“Okay, no rush then. Whenever you go, just buy it then—I can wait patiently. If there’s not enough money, you, young uncle-in-law, can cover it for me. I’ll come back next year to pick up squids and pay you back!”
Ye Yaodong patted him on the shoulder. “No need. When I buy it, if there’s extra money, I’ll give it to you; if it’s short, I’ll make up the difference. Playing soccer’s good. More exercise is always a good thing.”
How good the soccer ball actually is didn’t matter—what mattered was that he liked it.
Enjoying soccer was a good thing.
If there’s basketball too, he thought, I’ll bring one back for the two little kids at home to play with.
Playing basketball might help them grow taller.
These past couple of years, there’s been no shortage of meat, eggs, or milk, so they should grow taller than last time.
And the older nephews might benefit as well.