"Little Lord Yuan, buy some cigarettes."
"Okay."
Li Zhuiyuan walked to Aunt Zhang’s little shop and pointed at the pack of Zhonghua on the shelf.
"That one."
Aunt Zhang said with a teasing tone: "Oh, Uncle Sanjiang’s getting fancy now."
Li Sanjiang, walking behind, didn’t notice much at first and just replied offhand: "Yeah, I've always been a dapper fellow."
As they got closer and saw Aunt Zhang hand a pack of Zhonghua to Little Lord Yuan, Li Sanjiang paused for a moment, then smiled and reached for his pocket.
That brand was expensive—too much to burn as a daily staple—but once in a while smoking a pack was something he could afford.
Before Li Sanjiang could fish out his money, Li Zhuiyuan had already taken his own cash and handed it to Aunt Zhang.
Aunt Zhang: "That's too much change."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Um, get a whole carton."
Aunt Zhang: "Done."
The pack of Zhonghua was placed in Grandpa's hand.
The boy carried a plastic bag with a carton of the cigarettes Grandpa usually smoked.
Li Sanjiang tore open the wrapper, opened the box, pulled a cigarette out and sniffed it at his nose, then bit it between his teeth and struck a match to light it.
Aunt Zhang laughed: "Uncle Sanjiang’s lucky today."
Li Sanjiang flicked the cigarette and replied: "You bet."