Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 15
Song Shi’an knew that Xu Zhongyue was looking for assistance to help Aunt Liu on that hot afternoon. Being a good and law-abiding citizen, he was concerned that Xu Zhongyue might recruit help to beat Gao Mingda physically.He wasn’t sympathetic toward Gao Mingda; rather, he worried that Gao Mingda’s health was fragile and that he might be seriously injured.
There was plenty of meat left at home, it would be a shame not to consume it all. So, he fried some vegetables and prepared freshly brewed sour plum soup in a wooden container, intending to find Xu Zhongyue.
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After waiting for a considerable amount of time, Xu Zhongyue finally returned. Before Song Shi’an could approach, he noticed a slim and pretty girl walking towards Xu Zhongyue, tears in her eyes. The moonlight that night was exquisite, casting a soft glow on the girl’s face, while her large, dewy eyes were fixed on Xu Zhongyue.
Seeing this, Song Shi’an felt a pang of sadness deep within him, even more so than the sourness of the sour plum soup.
In both his lives, Song Shi’an had been fortunate in terms of birth. He, too, wished to find a beautiful girl to be his wife. When he ran the noodle shop, many lovely young women were among his regular customers, and they all had a fondness for Song Shi’an.
Unfortunately, these ladies’ feelings toward him never progressed beyond a mere liking, perceiving Boss Song as fair and adorable. It seemed they didn’t find him to be boyfriend material.
Song Shi’an was aware that, compared to Xu Zhongyue, he lacked a certain level of masculinity.
Miss Zhao from Qianzhuang had numerous concerns; one of them was her obsession with Xu Zhongyue, as long as her eyes caught sight of him, she would lose her mind and didn’t care about anything.
Her maid had keener eyes than her. As she lifted the carriage curtain and alighted, she had already spotted Song Shi’an standing in the shadows.
The astute maid rushed to Miss Zhao, tugging at her sleeve, and said, “Butcher Xu, on the occasion of my lady’s visit to the temple, you helped drive away wild wolves. My lady is deeply grateful to you, and she has instructed me to bring you some dishes as a token of her appreciation. It’s nothing extraordinary, so please accept it.”
Xu Zhongyue had previously rejected Grandma Yan’s marriage proposal involving the Zhao family from Qianzhuang, so naturally, he declined again at this moment. However, Miss Zhao was blocked by her maid. Without explicitly stating his thoughts, he didn’t want to initiate any confrontations.
So, he simply nodded, unlocked the door with his key, and beckoned for a figure in the shadows.
Song Shi’an slowly approached, and Xu Zhongyue couldn’t help but notice that after not seeing him for an afternoon, Song Shi’an seemed somewhat wilted from the sun, like a snail in low spirits.
“Miss Zhao, this is Song Shi’an, my fiancé. We’re getting married next month. If you’re available, you’re welcome to join us for a toast.”
Encountering her romantic rival left Miss Zhao greatly surprised, and her lips trembled. She shivered and had to bite down hard.
In reality, after Grandma Yan relayed the unfavorable news, her parents had advised her to calm down and avoid further embarrassment. Miss Zhao, however, had been spoiled since childhood. She discovered that Song Shi’an was making a living selling food on the docks, and she began to view it as a challenge.
“Good times are on the horizon. Congratulations… Congratulations to you.” Miss Zhao gritted her teeth and proceeded to the butcher’s residence.
“I had a busy night and haven’t eaten yet. Song ge’er, would you mind if we dine together?”
Xu Zhongyue frowned, poised to decline, but Song Shi’an enthusiastically nodded in agreement, causing a strand of hair to sway atop his head.
“Sure.”
She addressed him as “brother.” Although it wasn’t the same as ‘ge-ge’ but her sweet, melodious voice quivered slightly at the end when she called him, a sweetness that tugged at the heart.
Xu Zhongyue was rendered speechless.
Given Song Shi’an’s agreement, he couldn’t easily damage his wife’s reputation, so he lit two oil lamps to brighten the main room.
The maid from Miss Zhao’s family was the first to open the food box, proudly bringing the dishes to the table, claiming that the delicacies crafted by their renowned chef would surely surpass anything Song Shi’an had to offer.
The porters, toiling tirelessly every day and as ravenous as wolves, would eagerly devour anything cooked for them.
What culinary expertise could a food vendor on the pier possess?
Butcher Xu had a keen eye for quality, and the maid was determined to make him regret his choice, so he would wake up in the middle of the night, weeping and banging on the wall.
The dishes she unveiled were all high-end, including braised fish, crispy eight-treasure duck, steamed abalone, braised pork knuckle, and Four Treasure Soup.
Compared to the affluent Zhao family, the dishes brought by Song Shi’an were far more modest, and a simple braised pork knuckle stood out in the mix.
The maid filled a small porcelain bowl with orchid patterns and offered it to Xu Zhongyue, to which he nodded.
Although he had spent the afternoon drinking with Zhuang Yan, he hadn’t eaten much food during the drinking session. Now, he was genuinely hungry after all the talking and drinking.
Miss Zhao noticed he was serving rice but scarcely touched the food she had provided and, only touched stir-fried pork with sour beans and the braised pork knuckles from Song Shi’an. She was about to assist Xu Zhongyue with serving when, before she could stand up, Xu Zhongyue picked up an abalone and placed it in Song Shi’an’s bowl.
“Miss Zhao’s family is a regular patron of my business. They frequently visit us and are regular customers of ours. I think we should savor the dishes they’ve provided to appreciate Miss Zhao’s kindness.”
Song Shi’an blinked, realizing that Xu Zhongyue was selective in his words. He might not talk much, but when he spoke, it was spot-on.
Throughout the meal, each time Miss Zhao attempted to serve Xu Zhongyue some dishes, Xu Zhongyue would carefully and considerately put the food in Song Shi’an’s bowl, including abalone, duck elbow meat, and other delectables, stacking up in Song Shi’an’s bowl.
In response, Miss Zhao could only cast a resentful glance at Xu Zhongyue, complaining in a coquettish tone, “Xu ge-ge, why aren’t you eating my food? Isn’t it delicious?”
Her frustrated and resentful expression was adorable, with her large, captivating eyes resembling hooks.
Song Shi’an felt taken aback and had an uncomfortable feeling in his heart.
Xu Zhongyue became more popular.
Song Shi’an felt a pang of envy, but he knew that Xu Zhongyue had consistently refused, so he had no grounds to blame him.
Miss Zhao assumed that if she complained like this, Xu Zhongyue would always give in to placate her.
Unexpectedly, Xu Zhongyue naturally nodded and said, “Yes, compared to Song Shi’an’s cooking, the taste is indeed inferior.”
How could this be possible!?
Even her maid was taken aback, not to mention Miss Zhao herself.
“If you don’t believe it, try it for yourself.”
After much hesitation, Miss Zhao extended her chopsticks. The main reason was that Xu Zhongyue ate so gracefully, it was hard to notice whether he enjoyed the food or not.
Despite being a butcher, he ate with finesse. He didn’t slurp or talk with his mouth full. He delicately picked up morsels of food with his chopsticks and savored the meat by gently pulling it off the bone.
The braised pork knuckles cooked by Song Shi’an seemed to have a unique quality, with the skin’s color resembling red dates, the meat tender and succulent, and a generous sauce that exuded a delightful aroma.
Miss Zhao was rather particular about her food. She never enjoyed eating the dishes prepared by the household chef, finding the lean meat too lean and the fatty meat too greasy. She preferred simpler dishes and an assortment of dainty snacks.
She gingerly used her chopsticks to pick at a piece of meat with skin, which effortlessly separated from the bone. The maid swiftly held out a bowl to catch it, and then she began to eat.
After her first bite of the fatty meat, her eyes narrowed.
The fatty meat was tender and luscious, and the sauce was rich. It was truly delicious!
She devoured a large piece of the pork knuckle and followed it with some stir-fried shredded pork with sour beans. Not only was the shredded pork flavorful, but the sour beans were tangy and spicy, releasing a burst of juice when bitten, causing her mouth to water!
After a few bites, Miss Zhao continued to watch Xu Zhongyue eagerly help himself to the food. Seeing his bowl gradually emptying, she finally closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and told her maid, “Please, fetch me a bowl of rice.”
What? The lady usually has a poor appetite in the evening…
Once the rice was served, Miss Zhao spooned out several tablespoons of sauce to coat every grain of plump rice. She alternated between taking a bite of fatty meat or pickled beans and a mouthful of rice, relishing in the ultimate culinary delight!
Song Shi’an abstained from the battle, focusing on laboriously consuming the abalone in his bowl.
Unfortunately, the abalone hadn’t been soaked thoroughly, and it was tough to chew.
The meal concluded with Miss Zhao and Xu Zhongyue savoring the food. Miss Zhao covered her round belly, and she couldn’t hold back a shy burp.
She used a handkerchief to cover her mouth, her face turning crimson.
Before leaving, she finally averted her gaze from Xu Zhongyue and instead held Song Shi’an’s hand emotionally, stating, “I truly accept my defeat willingly.”
As Song Shi’an and Xu Zhongyue saw Miss Zhao and her maid off into the carriage, he sneakily examined his hand.
Miss Zhao held it just a moment ago.
The girl’s hands were indeed fragrant, soft, and delicate, a pleasure to hold.
Xu Zhongyue noticed that his young wife was in a gloomy mood. On the other side, Miss Zhao, sitting in the carriage, held her chin in her hands and gazed at the moon outside the window.
She sighed and said, “It was so delicious. How can I eat another meal? I wonder if Song ge’er from the Song family will personally cook for their wedding. If he does, I… I’d love to be part of it.”
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Xu Zhongyue sipped two bowls of sweet and sour plum soup before escorting Song Shi’an back home.
It was getting late, and being a dutiful husband, he was naturally concerned about his lovely wife returning home alone.
The two of them walked side by side, but the usually chatty Song Shi’an was unusually quiet. When they reached the front of the courtyard gate, he was about to close the door, but Xu Zhongyue held it firmly.
“Are you upset?” he inquired.
Song Shi’an shook his head. Just as he was about to turn away, Xu Zhongyue took a firm hold of his delicate jaw.
A man knows he should be considerate and not intrusive with his spouse before they get married, but he also knows that in a short while, the person before him will be his wife.
Under the moonlight, Song Shi’an’s complexion appeared fair and soft, his bright eyes and rosy lips were particularly alluring.
Before Song Shi’an could become uneasy, Xu Zhongyue released his jaw and tenderly stroked his chin with slightly rough fingertips, causing an unusual sensation, a tingling and numbness. The thick, soft, and cool hair was smoothed through the man’s fingers several times.
Song Shi’an gazed at Xu Zhongyue with a blank expression and couldn’t help but admit that this man possessed impeccable looks and physique, so stunning that it could render people awestruck.
He blurted out, “Why did you reject Miss Zhao?”
In his view, Miss Zhao was the ideal type of girl, beautiful and skilled in being coquettish. If it were him, he would have been smitten by now and could only utter “Okay, okay.”
Xu Zhongyue smiled, and under the moonlight, his smile appeared especially gentle.
“Because of you, I naturally had to decline her.”
“Huh?” Song Shi’an hadn’t consumed any alcohol, yet he felt more intoxicated than Xu Zhongyue, who had been drinking all afternoon. He calculated the days on his fingers. When he heard Grandma Yan talking about matchmaking, he and Xu Zhongyue had only just met…
“You… are you…?”
Xu Zhongyue was ready to reveal his true feelings in front of his beloved husband.
“Yes, I fell in love with you at first sight. How about you?”