Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 12
Song Shi’an pushed the cart to the dock with mixed emotions and began a busy morning.
Unlike before, he now had an old and heavy bracelet on each wrist. His wrists were slender, and the bracelets swayed up and down as he worked, which irritated him.
He used to think of himself as a dignified and unadorned male, but now he had to wear bracelets.
At first, he resisted wearing them, but Xu Zhongyue’s expression darkened, and he didn’t say a word, his face was so dark it almost pouring out water. Song Shi’an wasn’t afraid of Xu Zhongyue, but because he couldn’t bear to see him unhappy, he reluctantly placed the bracelets on his wrists.
Little did he know that after he had put on the bracelets, Xu Zhongyue would go further, asking the shop assistant to bring him earrings and hairpins.
Song Shi’an, would be busy with his food business, didn’t want to wear such adornments, so Xu Zhongyue eventually gave up.
What Song Shi’an was preparing today was “Three-Fresh Tofu Skin.” The egg skin was fried until golden and tender, with layers of sticky and delicious glutinous rice on top. It was filled with diced pork offal, bamboo shoots, dried seeds, and shiitake mushrooms.
The first bite was soft and crispy, delectable, and carried a savory aroma, especially with the dried tofu and shiitake mushrooms absorbing the rich flavors of the sauce, making it mouthwatering.
The men intentionally left their mouths unwiped after eating, showcasing their shiny lips. A quick glance could tell anyone that they were savoring a delicious meat dish early in the morning!
This tofu skin dish was rich in ingredients. The skin alone required high-quality rice and mung bean powder, and plenty of eggs were added. Consequently, it was priced at twice the cost of hot dry noodles, a full serving costing ten cents.
Whether you ordered hot dry noodles or three-fresh tofu skin, you could enjoy mung bean and lily soup. The mung beans were boiled until soft and pink, and a bit of white sugar and a few red dates were added.
It was specially prepared in the well, then chilled and served. On a non-rainy day with the sun blazing, two bowls of cold mung bean soup were remarkably refreshing.
For the tofu skin, there was no need for bowls; a wooden plate made by Uncle Sun next door sufficed. While waiting for Song Shi’an to serve the tofu skin, the men noticed the heavy bracelet on his wrist.
“Did An ge’er find himself a good husband?” the men asked, grinning. Generally, women wouldn’t buy pairs of silver bracelets for themselves.
Song Shi’an replied with a simple “hmm” and continued working.
.
In truth, on the first day he wore the bracelets, Yun ge’er, who came to visit, noticed them immediately. His eyes lit up as he weighed one of the bracelets on his wrist. Yun ge’er had been pampered since childhood, making it difficult for him to develop excess fat; his skin was soft and fragrant, unlike Xu Zhongyue’s hard, iron-like body.
Yun ge’er asked what had happened and who had given him the bracelet. Song Shi’an lowered his head, struggling with mixed emotions.
The thought of actually marrying a man felt surreal and far from reality.
Still, Song Shi’an remained bewildered until the early hours of the following morning when Xu Zhongyue unexpectedly startled him.
He hadn’t even had a chance to rinse his mouth with green salt when he heard commotion outside.
Yun ge’er banged on his door and called out, “An ge’er, please open up! No wonder the magpies were chirping so early this morning. You will have a good day! Happy events are knocking at your door!”
The neighbors all opened their doors to witness the excitement.
Xu Zhongyue, dressed in a new light green robe, pushed a cart over. On the cart, there was a whole pig that had been neatly disassembled and reassembled.
You see, although the townspeople lived better lives compared to those in the rural villages, they couldn’t afford to eat meat every day. Except for a few wealthy households, others could only afford to buy a pound or two of meat occasionally, which was already considered a luxury.
Now, they witnessed a tall, strong, and handsome man pushing an entire pig with a bright red ribbon tied to its head. They all guessed that this was a betrothal gift.
“What a grand gesture!”
“I think this pig is very fat. It weighs around three to four hundred kilograms and is worth at least four to five taels of silver.”
When Xu Zhongyue stopped in front of Song Shi’an’s house, the neighbors were all excited. Everyone knew about Song Shi’an, and they were genuinely surprised to see that he had found such a strong, handsome, and respectable husband.
Song Shi’an hesitated for a moment and then opened the door wider to allow Xu Zhongyue to enter.
Xu Zhongyue could clearly see the turmoil in Song Shi’an’s expression. He didn’t say a word but carried the pig into the yard, then handed out gifts to the neighbors who had gathered to watch. He said, “An ge’er and I are planning something special. Please wait. I’ll invite all our neighbors for a meal and share some wine and treats.”
Since they usually entertain relatives and elders for their marriage but both of them didn’t have it, so, they decided to invite their neighbors before the wedding, at least to share some dried dates and apricots.
Song Shi’an only had one aunt, and Xu Zhongyue had no close relatives, so they invited more people to share happiness.
With many witnesses, there would be less room for gossip.
Xu Zhongyue put the cart away and asked Song Shi’an where to place the pig. Faced with such a large pig, Song Shi’an was momentarily stunned before saying, “Let’s move it into the kitchen. It’s too hot to leave it outside. We’ll only keep what we can eat in these two days. The rest should be made into sausages and preserved.”
Xu Zhongyue nodded and suggested, “I’ll help you with that. Let’s finish the preparations as soon as possible and send some to your aunt.”
According to tradition, this betrothal gift was intended for the bride’s family to enjoy. Naturally, Song Shi’an wouldn’t give it to Song Yuchun and Wang Jiaojiao, it made sense to give it to Aunt Liu.
Song Shi’an intentionally engaged in a detailed conversation with Xu Zhongyue, asking why he had initially been unwilling but had now changed his mind. However, Xu Zhongyue took out another package, which turned out to be a piece of bright red satin fabric.
Song Shi’an was taken aback, and Xu Zhongyue explained, “This fabric is enough to make a set of wedding clothes, along with a red bedcover. If you can’t make them yourself, you can ask a tailor for help. The eighth day of next month is an auspicious date. No need to rush; we have time to prepare properly.”
Xu Zhongyue also presented a package of herbal medicine.
“Do you have a medicine bag at home? Boil three bowls of water with one bowl of this medicine. It helps promote blood circulation and reduce blood stasis. Then, wrap the herbal residue in gauze and apply it to your foot injury. It’ll help it heal faster.”
Song Shi’an had almost forgotten about his sprained foot. Although the pain had subsided quite a bit after sitting at Aunt Liu’s house, his right foot couldn’t bear much weight, so he had to be cautious. He had even walked home slowly on that day, assuming Xu Zhongyue had forgotten about it. Yet, to his surprise, Xu Zhongyue remembered it.
When Xu Zhongyue said he would start, he meant he would be the one to handle all the work from then on. He asked Song Shi’an to sit on a small stool, fetched a pot, boiled the medicine, and handed it to him to drink.
Then, he carefully opened a section of Song Shi’an’s trousers and applied the herbal medicine to the injury.
Meanwhile, in the yard, the pig was prepared. A fire was lit using a piece of wood to remove its hair. Then, Xu Zhongyue personally went out to borrow a large pot, setting it up in the yard with the help of a wooden fork. At this point, Song Shi’an had no choice but to follow his guidance, instructing him on how to add water and marinate the meat.
Luckily, Song Shi’an had previously separated the marinade into portions with gauze bags. With so much pork, he only needed to prepare four more bags according to the portions.
Xu Zhongyue worked tirelessly at Song Shi’an’s house for two days, meticulously handling the pork stew and sausage-making. He used wooden poles to hang the sausages in the yard, their plump and tender forms resembling colorful flags that added a festive touch to the somewhat quiet courtyard.
With gauze wrapped around his legs and feet, Song Shi’an sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves, watching Xu Zhongyue work and chatting with him.
Unexpectedly, Xu Zhongyue asked him, “All the neighbors around here are quite thin.”
Song Shi’an had long forgotten his own comment, “Yes, the people living next door to my house are mostly involved in small businesses. Uncle Sun next door is a carpenter, so he’s quite energetic. Aunt Liu’s son works as a salesman, carrying a heavy load while walking the streets. It’s hard to gain weight.”
Xu Zhongyue added some firewood to the stove and glanced at his own waist, which seemed rather narrow in comparison to his height.
The other potential marriage partner for Song Shi’an, who was described as “white, fat, straightforward, and cheerful,” had disappeared from the scene.
In Xu Zhongyue’s eyes, Song Shi’an seemed somewhat affected.
After being turned down, he didn’t appear to be sad and had quickly found another prospective partner. Xu Zhongyue was a bit annoyed but couldn’t leave Song Shi’an alone, fearing that Song Shi’an might get married before he could act.
He had fallen for him at first sight, indicating that he had good taste.
However, when he thought about the heavyset man who was a potential match for Song Shi’an, this shuanger sense of taste became difficult to describe.
After completing all the work, Xu Zhongyue didn’t hurry to leave. Instead, he fetched another bamboo chair and sat beside Song Shi’an in the courtyard. The late afternoon heat had begun to subside, and the tree shadows swayed while producing a soft rustling sound. The aroma from the stew pot remained quite potent.
Song Shi’an expressed his concern, “I’m not sure how much my aunt can eat if I give her meat. I’m worried that most of it will be taken by Gao Mingda and the old lady Gao.”
When Xu Zhongyue noticed Song Shi’an seeking his advice, he suggested, “If your aunt is willing to leave, she can lead a peaceful life. For instance, the yard you’re living in now will be vacant after you move to Shui Mofang Alley following our marriage. If your aunt agrees, she can reside here with her daughters.”
Song Shi’an was surprised and considered Xu Zhongyue’s proposal. It seemed like a reasonable solution.
“But she’s a married woman. How can she leave the Gao family?” Song Shi’an questioned.
Xu Zhongyue replied with determination, “If she is willing, I have a plan. But she must genuinely want to leave the Gao family.”
Song Shi’an realized that Xu Zhongyue was not making a joke. He’d seen numerous cases where women were badly mistreated, yet they were unwilling to leave their husbands’ homes because departing meant having no support and having to fend for themselves, which was no easy feat for women during these times.
Hearing Xu Zhongyue’s unwavering words, Song Shi’an began to feel at ease. He looked at Xu Zhongyue quietly and noticed his tall, confident stature, both while standing and sitting.
It wasn’t only women who appreciated good-looking men; men did as well. This man was also reliable and seemed capable of handling any task he was entrusted with.
Song Shi’an, previously the only child in his family, had to shoulder the responsibilities of a breadwinner. Now, he felt that he could trust and rely on Xu Zhongyue.
This fresh and complex feeling filled Song Shi’an with warmth, and as he pushed the cart to the dock and received friendly teasing from the porters, he carried a sense of budding contentment in his heart.