Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 16
Song Shi’an’s expression became very complex, as if he had opened a paint-dyeing workshop. He twisted several times, turned his face to the other side, and grunted twice without answering.
Xu Zhongyue simply smiled.
He understood what Song Shi’an was thinking. The little shuanger might have a strained relationship with his biological father, lacking trust in men and often acting tentatively. Despite being rejected once, he was eager to find someone else to connect with.
However, Xu Zhongyue comprehended his intentions.
Even if he didn’t understand it in the past, after working as a butcher for over a year, many young unmarried people admired him, like the shuangers or girls, came to him with homemade meals and, sewn clothes and handkerchiefs, just as Song Shi’an had taken the initiative to cook and deliver meals.
Since his unmarried shuanger was reserved, Xu Zhongyue didn’t want to pressure him. He simply laughed heartily and asked Song Shi’an to lock the door in front of him.
Song Shi’an went to check on the chickens in the coop under the tree. It was hot, so he had moved the coop out and separated it from the vegetable garden with a fence.
Because the five chickens were much older, they liked to roam around the yard with the hens. These chickens had powerful claws and would not only peck at vegetables but could also easily pull-out vegetable roots.
Originally, Uncle Sun had promised to make a fence for him, but it turned out that Xu Zhongyue had helped him construct this fence. It was sufficiently high, and every bamboo strip was polished, ensuring there were no thorns to hurt his fingers.
He gently touched the head of a young hen, waking up other hens in the nest, who blinked at him with wide eyes.
He hadn’t anticipated that he would be so captivating.
He had failed to win over the beautiful older sisters, not even the plump and adorable Yun ge’er next door, but Xu Zhongyue had fallen for him at first sight. Recollecting the sincere affection of this man, Song Shi’an felt a sense of guilt.
He couldn’t sleep well, and when Aunt Liu came to find him, he became anxious.
“It’s natural for people to be anxious before getting married, but you’ve known Xu Zhongyue for a while, so why worry to the point of harming your health?” Aunt Liu gently touched his thin face, her gaze drifting to the dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m fine; it’s just the hot weather making me feel uncomfortable,” Song Shi’an replied with a forced smile. He tidied up the empty wooden cart and quickly invited Aunt Liu inside, offering her a refreshing bowl of mint tea to beat the heat.
The weather in Qingjiang Town had turned scorching early; it was only the beginning of April in the lunar calendar, yet hard-boiled eggs could easily be set out on the bluestone floor.
“Aunt, why are you out and about? You should be at home…” Seeing that Song Shi’an was concerned about her, Aunt Liu quickly explained, “It’s alright. Your Uncle Gao has been acting strange lately, so he needed someone to make a crutch for him. He left on a crutch early in the morning and didn’t even know where he was gone. That’s when I thought of coming to see you, as you’re about to get married. If there’s anything you need help with, your aunt is here for you.”
Aunt Liu had a keen eye for work. Even before Song Shi’an could point it out, she spotted a roll of fabric on the chest of drawers. The fabric wasn’t just any ordinary material; it was a shiny silk that glistened even in the dimly lit room.
Her eyes widened with a smile, and she nodded with satisfaction, saying, “This fabric was sent by Butcher Xu, right?” The high-quality fabric showed that Butcher Xu was considerate.
They were all ordinary folks in town, not seeking wealth or fame. Their happiness was simple: to see their children live a contented life with a good partner and grow old together.
“It’s been a while, and you haven’t even started making the wedding clothes from this fabric?” Aunt Liu scolded gently, then got up and borrowed a tape measure from a neighbor. She asked Song Shi’an to stand and measured his body as he stood on tiptoes.
Song Shi’an always felt the warmth and care of his mother through Aunt Liu’s actions. He complied, raised his arms, and said, “Aunt, if you ever face real trouble with my uncle, you and your daughters can come live with me. I can easily teach you and my cousins how to make hot dry noodles and tofu skin dishes, and support yourselves.”
Aunt Liu’s weary face brightened with a smile as she responded, “That would be wonderful. Let’s save together. We can collect some money and rent a shop, which is better than pushing a cart exposed to the elements.”
Song Shi’an had the same idea, “That’s a good plan.”
Aunt Liu took the fabric back home, fearing her mother-in-law and husband would get into trouble. She worried that they might steal the fabric to exchange for money. She safeguarded the cloth by sleeping with it in the west wing, away from prying eyes.
Aunt Liu was an embroidery expert and worked for the local embroidery workshop year-round. This was how they managed to make ends meet despite Gao Mingda’s gambling habit.
Most girls in the town embroidered just one or two motifs on their wedding clothes. But Aunt Liu wanted Song Shi’an to have a magnificent outfit. So, she closed the windows at night and quietly embroidered dragons, phoenixes, auspicious clouds, wishful patterns, and begonia branches by lamplight.
She was afraid that Gao Mingda might catch her and cause trouble, but lately, Gao Mingda had been acting strangely. He left early in the morning and came back late on crutches. When he saw Aunt Liu staying up late at night, he assumed she was waiting for him. His face showed cruelty and a conflicted expression, but he remained silent for a while before returning to his room to sleep.
Aunt Liu was unaware that not long after Xu Zhongyue and Zhuang Yan had met, Gao Mingda’s gambling buddies had paid a visit, bringing fried chicken bones, pig ears, fine Jinhua wine, and other delicacies.
This was a surprise to Gao Mingda, as they usually only hung out for food, drinks, and gambling. When he was losing, they were nowhere to be found.
One of his friends slapped a bottle of Jinhua wine and handed it to Gao Mingda, saying, “Brother, there’s a new, luxurious gambling house in the suburbs. Even if you don’t gamble, they have courtesans performing in the evening, and you can openly enjoy mountain and sea delicacies. If you can walk, I’ll take you there!”
Gao Mingda quickly fetched money from his secret stash, cursed, and asked Aunt Liu to find someone to make him a pair of crutches. He limped out of the house eagerly.
This trip would prove to be quite an eye-opening experience.
Not only did he visit a particularly opulent gambling house, but he also encountered numerous enchanting courtesan ladies.
These beautiful women donned delicate gauze attire and danced with grace, captivating Gao Mingda with their exquisite and alluring charm. He was in awe of their youth and beauty, and didn’t have dared to approach any of them. However, he found himself in an unexpected affair.
An older, more composed lady with a gentle demeanor approached him, noting that he was one of the rare patrons who didn’t gamble. He appeared to be decent and trustworthy.
In reality, Gao Mingda didn’t gamble because he had been facing financial difficulties lately, and his legs were not very agile. He couldn’t berate and force Aunt Liu to work for money. When the gentle and attractive lady praised him, he naturally played along.
This lady’s last name was Shui. Over a few interactions, she shared her life story with Gao Mingda.
As it turned out, Lady Shui was in her mid-twenties, and her life in the world of courtesans wasn’t sustainable for the long term. Due to her age, her madam had started to relax the terms. If a man was willing to marry her, the redemption fee was merely five hundred taels of silver.
Gao Mingda was taken aback by this and wondered if he was about to spend five hundred taels to redeem a prostitute. Wasn’t this a grave mistake?
Seeing his silence, Lady Shui quietly opened a box for him to see.
Gao Mingda was momentarily blinded by the sight. The box and cage were filled with jewelry. Pearls the size of thumbs gleamed, and golden phoenixes and jade bracelets were piled high.
Lady Shui whispered, “Over the years, I’ve secretly amassed a considerable collection of jewelry without the madam’s knowledge. However, the pawn shop in Qingjiang Town has connections to the madam, so I’m afraid of raising suspicion by pawning these treasures.”
Gao Mingda was shaken and found himself at a loss.
“If my future husband can help me regain my freedom, the madam has agreed that I can take these jewels with me when I get married. I can hide them in my clothes so no one will notice,” Lady Shui confided.
Gao Mingda thought that this jewelry could be exchanged for at least a thousand taels. He had never seen so much money in his life. If he married the woman in front of him, all of it would be his!
Seeing him look up again, Lady Shui’s expression changed dramatically. She smiled contentedly and said, “But there’s one condition. I want to be your only wife, not a concubine.”
“Alright, alright, it’s just…” Gao Mingda was overwhelmed and then lamented, “Five hundred taels of silver is no small sum. Even if I were to sell my ancestral home, I’d get at most three or four hundred taels, and I’d be left with nothing. What should I do?”
Lady Shui nestled into Gao Mingda’s arms and spoke softly, “Don’t worry, Sir, I still have these one hundred taels. Now that we are a family, we’ll face this together.”
Gao Mingda was still hesitant, but Lady Shui encouraged him and mentioned that if he didn’t genuinely marry her, she would stop bothering him and find another partner.
After Gao Mingda gave his earnest promise, he hurried home on crutches, one foot forward and one dragging behind, taking a peek into Aunt Liu’s and her daughter’s rooms before entering his mother’s house.
The old lady Gao refused to agree at first, as her ancestors had a tradition of not letting prostitutes in, but she was tempted after hearing about the boxes of jewelry.
Gao Mingda stamped his feet and said, “It’s not like I’ve never married a pure girl, so what’s the use? This lady is not only young and beautiful, but she also has so much money. When she comes into the house, we can all enjoy it!” He took advantage to tempt his mother.
When Aunt Liu took her daughter out to work and he took Lady Shui home. Lady Shui dressed up elegantly and beautifully, and brought several loads of dried meat, fragrant tea, and exquisite pastries.
The sweet grandson of the Gao family ate them deliciously. He shouted “Mother” directly at Lady Shui.
Because Lady Shui was in a hurry to get in, Gao Mingda wrote the divorce letter early the next day, and when Aunt Liu came over, he threw it on her face.
Although Aunt Liu was illiterate, she still recognized the divorce letter and her own name. She immediately remembered the words of Song Shi’an and Xu Zhongyue, and she felt sad and happy at the same time, and it was difficult to distinguish the taste.
“… We are a married couple; do you really want to divorce me?”
Gao Mingda said impatiently: “You are disobedient to your parents-in-law, don’t know how to serve your husband, and are not good at taking care of your son. I should have divorced you long ago.”
Aunt Liu she saw he was unfeeling, her heart became cold, and she asked slowly, “Okay, but I have to take Yu’er and Lu’er with me, okay?”
The old lady Gao hesitated, “You can only go out alone, how can you take the children with you?”
There were two granddaughters in the family. You could sell them for money later!
Mother Liu said, “If you don’t let me take away the child, I won’t leave unless I file a lawsuit. I served my father-in-law until he die, so I can’t be abandoned.”
What she said was right. She did serve her father-in-law until he was gone.
Without his first wife gone, he couldn’t let Lady Shui in, Gao Mingda frowned and said, “Mom, let her take the girls. But my son can’t!”
Aunt Liu moved her eyes towards her son and asked, “You really don’t want to go with your mother and sisters?”
Gao Yaozu hugged the old lady Gao tightly and shouted, “I won’t go with you. If you leave, my father will give me a new mother. She is prettier than you, and she brings more meat and snacks than your nephew.”
Aunt Liu’s eyes dimmed, and she nodded repeatedly and said, “Okay, okay, in that case, let’s break up the bond between our mother and son.”
She walked out of the Gao family’s door holding a daughter by each hand, and the door immediately slammed shut behind her, as if she was afraid that she would regret looking back.
Both her daughters and she had tears in their eyes, they finally came out completely!