Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 11
“If Aunt Liu hadn’t inquired, Song Shi’an wouldn’t have known how challenging and thrilling Xu Zhongyue’s past had been.
He had heard that Xu Zhongyue had only arrived in Qingjiang Town three years ago, but this “arrival” was rather passive word.
He had, in fact, drifted downstream along the river. This occurred during a time when the war was beginning to erupt, and fishermen who had sought refuge in the countryside were gradually returning.
While collecting fishing nets by the river, the fishermen witnessed a man lying on a wooden board, floating down the river. There was blood seeping from beneath him, staining the water around him a faint shade of red.
It was not uncommon to encounter floating corpses in the river each year, and fishermen typically avoided them. This time, however, they decided to assist the man due to his bleeding.
After applying some herbal medicine both externally and internally, his injuries gradually improved. However, he had lost his memory and no one came forward to claim him for a long time.
It was likely that he had lost relatives in the war.
Aunt Liu remarked, “So, you’re all alone.”
During peaceful times, orphans without parents or siblings were quite rare. Families typically valued their lineage and continuity. It was considered a blessing to have a thriving family with multiple generations living together.
Regrettably, the rumors started a few years ago, even the emperor couldn’t stay in the Golden Palace. He hastily fled with his beloved concubine. Various forces clashed, leaving the world in chaos, and many lost their loved ones.
Some couldn’t even find bodies to bury, so they resorted to burning paper money at intersections during the Qingming Festival. The wind would scatter the ashes, creating a desolate scene.
Xu Zhongyue’s experience was sadly commonplace in those days.
Xu Zhongyue nodded, and Aunt Liu sighed, “Like An ge’er, they are both unfortunate children without parents.”
In her eyes, Song Yuchun was no better alive than dead, and even more burdensome.
Song Shi’an commented, “We’re all on our own. It’s good if one person can provide for themselves and the family.”
Aunt Liu gave him a disapproving look, thinking the young shuanger had said something naive. How could a single person compare to a family with children?
Right now, it wasn’t the New Year yet, and An ge’er could still enjoy some freedom all alone. But once the winter came, when the north wind blew and people lit firecrackers for family reunions, it was lively, but An ge’er would be all alone, which pained Aunt Liu’s heart.
Song Shi’an’s curiosity led him to inquire further, “Xu ge-ge, how did you come to know your surname? Who gave you your current name?”
Xu Zhongyue searched his collar and retrieved a jade seal hanging from a red string.
Aunt Liu, being illiterate, couldn’t closely inspect it herself. She was waiting for Xu Zhongyue to untie the rope, but Song Shi’an, without hesitation, approached and got closer.
As he did, he could smell the fresh scent of soap on Xu Zhongyue’s clothes, and his long eyelashes almost brushed against Xu Zhongyue’s fingers.
Song Shi’an had limited knowledge of jade but noticed that it had a milky, smooth, and shiny appearance with Xu Zhongyue’s name engraved on it. Although he might not have been able to write traditional Chinese characters, there was no problem reading it.
He then smiled and said, “It appears that Xu ge-ge is correct; you are indeed from the Xu family.”
Xu Zhongyue replied, “Yes, after the new emperor ascended the throne and granted amnesty to the world, the officials responsible for each city will return to their positions. I will go to the government to register my household.”
Aunt Liu felt relieved upon hearing this. Discussing times of peace and prosperity, she knew the government wouldn’t typically handle household registration for people who suddenly appeared without proof of origin.
However, in recent years, many people had fled to other places. In order to rebuild livelihoods, the government often allowed them to re-register their households on the spot, enabling them to obtain certificates of good citizenship and help the government assess the local population for taxation.
With Xu Zhongyue having a household registration, An ge’er could be included in his family’s records, effectively separating her from Song Yuchun.
She asked hesitantly, “In that case, you can make your own decision regarding your marriage?”
Xu Zhongyue calmly nodded. He was a solitary man with no roots in Qingjiang Town. Initially, when rescued by the fishermen, he rented a room in someone else’s house. During the day, he worked as a day laborer in the countryside and earned money by assisting with pig and cattle slaughters.
After saving some money quickly, he equipped himself with short knives, long knives, bows, and arrows, and ventured into the mountains for hunting.
Although he couldn’t remember his past, the moment he picked up the bow, arrow, and long knife, he felt an inexplicable familiarity. In the mountains and forests, he naturally knew how to follow streams into the mountains, set up ambushes in dense forests, and create intricate traps.
He could always release arrows skillfully when the prey appeared and return with his game.
During times of frequent war and high casualties, the wildlife thrived. The mountains teemed with valuable creatures, including deer, yellow sheep, foxes, leopards, wild boars, pheasants, and hares, all of them fat and delicious.
Even restaurants in Yuezhou City were willing to buy them. Fox fur pelts were particularly expensive, and wearing a fox fur collar symbolized wealth. It wasn’t challenging to make a living this way.
As a hunter, Xu Zhongyue lived alone, hunted, sold his game to restaurants, and resided in an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city.
However, when he purchased a house last year and began working as a butcher, marriage proposals from various suitors started flooding in. At one point, he was close to marrying someone he didn’t desire to stop it, which frustrated him greatly.
After rejecting many offers, Xu Zhongyue realized he needed to marry soon. If his family wasn’t settled swiftly, one of the rejected suitors might report his name to the government, and he could end up with a less-than-desirable wife.
Song Shi’an gathered a few pieces of thick firewood and sat next to Aunt Liu. When Aunt Liu and Xu Zhongyue discussed marriage, he felt discomfort all over.
Xu Zhongyue, looking down at him, could clearly see that his fair and delicate face was gradually flushed.
Like burning clouds dyeing the water red, the wind ruffling the spring water.
Aunt Liu frowned, pondered for a while, and then said sincerely, “I believe you already understand An ge’er’s family situation. Let me say something unpleasant. His biological father was influenced by vicious second wife and was unable to be a true father to him. My nephew no longer has a motherly figure, I don’t have want too much. I just hope that this remnant of my sister’s blood can have a husband who can care for him in times of both cold and warmth. When I meet my sister meet again in the underworld, I won’t be ashamed.”
She paused and then continued with a mischievous smile, “The marriage contract proposed by his stepmother was her own initiative, but she is still An ge’er’s mother… You cannot defy your parents’ orders unless there is a previous marriage contract.
“Just say that when my sister was pregnant with the child, she and your mother had an agreement. If a son was born, they would become brothers. After giving birth to their daughter or shuanger, they became husband and wife. Now that my sister and your mother have passed away, with no proof of death, I will act as a personal witness. You should hurry up and get married, and transferring An ge’er’s household registration will be sufficient.”
Song Shi’an was stunned, his ears burning and numb. He lowered his head, not daring to meet his aunt’s eyes, feeling deeply embarrassed after Xu Zhongyue’s rejection.
He wished he could dig his hole into the ground and run away.
Xu Zhongyue lowered his eyelids and remained silent, there was a cold and emotionless demeanor. Song Shi’an anxiously awaited his response, expecting harsh words to come out.
But to his surprise, Xu Zhongyue simply said, “It’s alright. It all depends on my aunt’s arrangements.”
Song Shi’an suddenly raised his head and asked, “What? You agree to marry me…?”
He managed to swallow the word “fake” due to his aunt’s presence.
Xu Zhongyue raised the corners of his lips in a rare smile and inquired with a half-smile, “Why not? You were the one who brought up marriage last time.”
Song Shi’an was left speechless by these words. He wasn’t foolish.
Xu Zhongyue’s idea of marriage was likely different from the “fake” marriage he had suggested. However, rejecting Xu Zhongyue’s proposal now would make him appear heartless.
Aunt Liu was elated, saying, “That’s wonderful. Do you have your horoscope at home? Check it quickly and find a suitable day for the wedding. An ge’er is not familiar with these matters. I’ll guide you through the preparations…”
Before she could finish, they heard the distant shouts of the old lady Gao.
The old woman was full of curses, blamed Aunt Liu for not preparing food quickly, accusing her of trying to starve her mother-in-law.
Song Shi’an knew that prolonging their stay would be detrimental to his aunt, so he consoled her and arranged to meet again in two days, then quickly left with Xu Zhongyue.
.
As they were leaving the woodshed, they encountered the old lady Gao who had stood up by the window. She had seen this unusually tall, imposing young man with an air of distinctiveness and had wanted to scold Aunt Liu for provoking a wild man. However, she didn’t dare to.
Xu Zhongyue raised his voice and said, “Auntie, we’ll take our leave. I’ll bring some meat to visit you another day.”
On their way home, Song Shi’an limped uneasily. He had never been in love, let alone married.
During his school years, he was only concerned with his studies. During holidays, he enjoyed exploring the country. After taking over the family business, his focus was entirely on managing it. Back then, he had dreams about his future life, but he had never expected that it would turn out like this, with Xu Zhongyue as his tall and strong spouse.
A man with indescribable temperament.
Song Shi’an vomited bitterness in his hearts, and Xu Zhongyue supported him as they walked. When they passed by a silver shop, Xu Zhongyue came to a halt.
Song Shi’an wasn’t sure why, but Xu Zhongyue gestured for him to enter the shop. As they stepped inside, a shop assistant greeted them.
The man, experienced in the jewelry business, had a keen eye and could tell that the men were well-dressed. The brocade belt around Xu Zhongyue’s waist appeared to be of high quality.
Both of them wore bamboo-green, slightly worn robes, yet they were tidy. The red diamond-shaped insignia on Song Shi’an’s forehead was striking, he spoke warmly to them, “Are you interested to buy jewelry?”
Xu Zhongyue replied, “Let’s have a look at the silver bracelets first.”
The shop assistant placed a wooden lacquer tray on the counter and arranged several thick and thin silver bracelets.
Song Shi’an examined them with curiosity, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that the ancient smelting technology had produced silverwares with a mirror-like shine, engraved with elegant patterns like moon and star, squirrels with persimmons, lotuses, double carp, flying swallows, and more. They were exceptionally beautiful.
Xu Zhongyue furrowed his brow and didn’t seem satisfied after the first look. The shop assistant remained patient. Discerning customers was another job for him. He brought another set of silver bracelets for them to consider.
After going through this process three times, Xu Zhongyue finally selected a pair of silver bracelets with ornate pumpkin head designs. These bracelets were exceptionally thick, featuring peony petal engravings on the outside and inscriptions on the inside that read “a lifetime of peace” and “a lifetime of joy.”
The shop assistant beamed with delight and said, “You have an excellent eye. Each of these bracelets weighs one tael of silver. Most people can’t afford such a fine pair made from snowflake silver.”
He was right; a pair of these bracelets cost three taels, an amount that could cover the living expenses of a small affluent family for half a year.
Xu Zhongyue nodded and promptly paid for the bracelets without haggling.
The shop assistant weighed the silver ingots then returned the change to Xu Zhongyue, leaving Song Shi’an in a daze.
When Xu Zhongyue handed him the two bracelets carefully wrapped in a veil, Song Shi’an asked in astonishment, “What are these for?”
“Keep them. They’re your betrothal gift.”
Song Shi’an, “What!?”