Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 22
As soon as Aunt He was awakened by her eldest son, she snapped out of her dream and immediately became worried.
“If I had known, I would have agreed when he asked me. I haven’t replied for so long, he must have found someone else, right?”
The eldest son, Shen Fusheng, reassured his mother, saying, “There are many things to take care of when it comes to getting married. They have plenty to keep them occupied. It’s been a while. Besides, Boss Song’s husband is in the butcher business, and I heard he’s quite well-off, so he may not be in a rush for money.”
Aunt He followed her eldest son Shen Fusheng’s advice and carefully counted out five hundred cents from the belongings at the bottom of the box. With the money, she added thirty more cents, bought a small bag of peach cakes, and hurried to Shuimo Fang Alley.
Song Shi’an noticed her anxiety and saw the small bag containing the cents, which made him realize her sincerity.
Before Xu Zhongyue left, he had received a new key for the door lock. Song Shi’an checked the kitchen’s open fire, locked the door, and walked to Zaozi Lane with Aunt He.
Aunt Liu was indeed overjoyed to hear the news.
Aunt He, like Aunt Liu, was also a widow who believed that people like Gao Mingda was dead. It was easy for two women of similar age to connect.
The two agreed on a daily schedule for picking up goods, and Aunt He left happily. Song Shi’an knew that her family was facing financial difficulties, so he gave Aunt He a generous bag of rice flour before her departure, knowing it would be helpful for her.
After Aunt He left and closed the door, Song Shi’an taught Aunt Liu the techniques of making hot dry noodles.
He planned to pass down the marinade recipe for hundreds of years. Aunt Liu followed his instructions and prepared the marinade as needed. It turned out well and would be very useful.
Aunt Liu practiced it three times after being taught once, and the noodles turned out perfectly. By the fourth time when the noodles were coated with sesame oil, they were no different from those made by Song Shi’an himself.
Meanwhile, Aunt Liu bought two large jars and a big basket of beans to follow Song Shi’an’s instructions and marinated the sour beans in them.
Liu Yu, who was older, was a keen learner, helping with tasks like carrying water, dusting noodles, washing vegetables, and soaking mushrooms.
Song Shi’an was concerned that Liu Yu might become tired, but she said earnestly, “I want to learn to cook as well as my cousin. I’ll cook to earn what I want to eat. It’s the right thing to do.” Liu Yu spoke sincerely.
Liu Lu, younger and no longer part of the Gao family, had no strength to help, but she insisted on fanning the stove with a big banana-leaf fan. Unfortunately, she was hit by flying smoke, leaving her with black marks on her face, leading to her sister’s disapproval.
Liu Lu pleaded, “I won’t cause trouble. I can be a big help!”
Liu Yu skeptically asked, “How have you helped?”
Liu Lu couldn’t come up with an answer, and her eyes welled up with tears. Song Shi’an pinched her little cousin’s cheek and said, “You’re everyone’s cheerleader.”
Seeing the adorable, tearful face, Song Shi’an grew quite fond of it. Both Yu’er and Lu’er had plain clothes and no adornments, but with such lovely girls at home, it became even more important to earn money.
Liu Yu asked curiously, “Cousin, what is a cheerleader?”
“This…”
After Aunt Liu had prepared all the food for the next day, and the steamer was heating up, Song Shi’an nodded. Seeing that it was getting late, he hurried home.
Aunt He handed him the five hundred copper cents, and he casually placed the bag down. Unexpectedly, Aunt Liu had a determined look in her eyes and tugged on Song Shi’an’s sleeve, refusing to accept it.
“You’ve helped us so much, given us all these food recipes; we can’t take these five hundred cents!”
Song Shi’an didn’t want to argue with her and quickly replied, “You still need money for daily expenses, Aunt. Just take it; we’re all family, so don’t be too polite.”
“Let’s split it in half, that’s fairer!”
“No, no, no!” He wasn’t fussy at the moment, but Song Shi’an was not willing to accept two hundred and fifty copper cents.
Seeing him walking away, Aunt Liu shook her head with a smile and said, “Alright then. When the money situation improves, I’ll use these 500 copper cents to buy you two boxes of Kunling Pills. May you have a baby soon and be blessed with many children!” She chuckled.
Song Shi’an nearly stumbled at the mention of Kunling Pills; it seemed they were never-ending.
.
Xu Zhongyue stood in front of his locked door in a daze when he heard the patter of footsteps approaching from behind. He turned around and saw his wife sprinting towards him, his cheeks flushed, panting but wearing a bright smile.
His heart suddenly warmed.
For three years, he had lived alone, with only one person hunting in the mountains, slaughtering pigs, washing off blood, buying farmland, cooking and feeding the family, sleeping, and locking the door.
Sometimes, when he saw families out on the streets, he felt a tinge of emotion, although he was not typically sentimental.
As he returned home, he saw the familiar copper lock hanging there, and that nostalgic feeling washed over him. Thankfully, it was short-lived, as Song Shi’an rushed towards him.
“Be careful.” The alley was now quiet, with no passersby. He squatted down and embraced Song Shi’an until his feet dangled off the ground.
Song Shi’an clung to his neck, and the two of them shared an affectionate moment. Then, he noticed the large creature standing behind Xu Zhongyue and exclaimed, “Whoa! What’s this big fellow?”
The mule let out a grunt in response. “You bought a mule… and even a cart?”
Song Shi’an’s face was filled with surprise.
Xu Zhongyue nodded, one arm around Song Shi’an and the other holding onto the mule. Unfortunately, he had no free hands to unlock the door, so Song Shi’an took care of it.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to the countryside to collect pigs, and I can take you with me.”
In the past, Xu Zhongyue never considered buying a mule. When he went to the countryside to slaughter pigs, he simply walked there. After collecting the pork, he would borrow a cart to haul it back; after all, he was strong enough to manage it.
But now, with a wife by his side, the thought of spending the entire day away from him in the countryside left him feeling empty and uncomfortable. He wanted to bring Song Shi’an along but couldn’t bear the idea of him walking for hours on his own two legs.
Song Shi’an had chubby toes, soft soles, and tender feet. Xu Zhongyue didn’t want those feet to develop calluses.
After some consideration, he debated between buying a horse or a mule. Considering that horses were better for riding and not ideal for heavy loads, and mules could handle heavier work, he visited the market and spent eight taels of silver on a young, robust mule.
The cost wasn’t much, so he didn’t need to dip into hidden capital. The scattered silver he had on hand was sufficient.
After purchasing the mule, Xu Zhongyue headed to a place where mule carts were sold and spent three taels of silver to buy a wooden cart cover. This way, when they traveled, he could drive the cart up front while his wife comfortably sat in the back, shielded from the wind and the scorching sun. It was indeed quite comfortable.
Song Shi’an joyfully patted the mule’s head. The mule had a bit of a stubborn nature and snorted at him.
‘Our fixed assets have increased once again!’
Song Shi’an couldn’t help but think that in ancient times, a horse might be akin to a Ferrari sports car, while a mule cart would be the equivalent of an economical and practical SUV.
With the addition of this cart, it felt like their family was becoming more affluent!
Seeing him fondly interacting with the mule, Xu Zhongyue felt a twinge of jealousy but controlled himself, wrapping his arm around Song Shi’an’s waist and asking, “The weather is warm, and the mountains are cool. If you’re willing, we can take a trip to the mountains. I haven’t been hunting in a long time. Would you like to go?”
Song Shi’an eagerly nodded, “I want to go, I want to go!”
However, since they didn’t have warm clothing at home, the two of them tethered the mules and set up a trough before heading hand in hand to a clothing store to purchase autumn and winter jackets.
.
The road was bustling with people. Song Shi’an attempted to withdraw his hand from Xu Zhongyue’s grasp, but Xu Zhongyue held on firmly, his calloused fingertips brushing against Song Shi’an’s palm. With a blushing face, Song Shi’an reluctantly gave up.
Inside the clothing store, Song Shi’an was drawn to a jacket in a shallow lake green color. The fabric felt thick, smooth, and durable, likely crafted from excellent satin. However, he considered the dense forests in the mountains and worried that such fine material might easily tear with a single day’s use.
Moreover, it was a bit expensive. The shopkeeper explained that the jacket was made of newly harvested cotton, with fine Hangzhou silk used for both the outer layer and lining. The cuffs and hem were intricately embroidered with flowers, plants, fish, and insects. The total cost was one tael of silver.
It was just too pricey for Song Shi’an’s liking. He figured it would be better to purchase something like that when the new store was operational and money was more readily available. Instead, he asked the shopkeeper to get a jacket made from coarse cloth.
The uncolored coarse cloth jacket appeared somewhat dusty. Song Shi’an patted it, and the shopkeeper quickly assured him, “This one is also made from newly harvested cotton. It’s thick and soft. This one only cost fifty cents.”
“This one, I’ll take it!”
Before Song Shi’an could reach for his money bag, Xu Zhongyue had already produced some silver to settle the bill. He also pointed to a Hangzhou silk jacket nearby and said, “I want this one too, please wrap it up.”
“Certainly, certainly, certainly!” The shopkeeper was overjoyed as he processed the two orders and neatly wrapped the jackets in thick paper, even adding camphor wood blocks to ward off insects.
Leaving the store, Song Shi’an remarked, “It’s quite expensive, and the satin material gets easily soiled.”
Xu Zhongyue smiled and said, “It suits you well.”
The lake green color made Song Shi’an’s complexion appear even paler, resembling fresh snow on the lake. It was indeed a good match.
.
The following morning, Xu Zhongyue hitched up the mule cart, while Song Shi’an carried various bags inside the cart. As Xu Zhongyue urged the mule forward, the cart moved smoothly and swiftly on the bluestone road.
Song Shi’an felt like he was on an outing, so he didn’t notice that as they left the town, someone rode a donkey into the town.
Song Shijin was only three years younger than Song Shi’an and had grown into a handsome young man of sixteen. He was heading home with his book boy.
Wang Jiaojiao had only wanted him to read the texts of sages, so he was aware that Song Shi’an had passed away due to illness, but he remained unaware of the subsequent developments.
As the mule cart and the donkey passed each other, Song Shi’an leaned out of the cart while chewing dried meat. He wrapped his arm around Xu Zhongyue’s neck and playfully fed him some dried meat.
Song Shijin was taken aback and nearly fell off his donkey. The sight seemed surreal under the clear blue sky! It was a ghost!