Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 28
In the next two or three days, Xu Zhongyue and Song Shi’an enjoyed a contented life in the small house.
Song Shi’an couldn’t stop, he gathered beehives, repurposing discarded earthen jars from the kitchen to store honey, meticulously covering them and securing them with straw ropes. He also washed the fruits collected over the past few days.
Carefully, Song Shi’an preserved the black bear paw that Xu Zhongyue had cut off. If left at the mountain’s foot for a few more days, it might have spoiled, but the cold mountain weather preserved it well.
Once the deer’s legs had slightly healed, Xu Zhongyue fashioned a sturdy long grass rope. He led the deer and the wild goat together, placing the two pheasants and the bear paws into a bamboo basket. Together, they descended the mountain toward Chenliu Village.
During the five or six days in the mountains, the eldest brother of the Chen family didn’t rest. With five acres of paddy fields and two acres of dry fields, the family worked collectively. The seedlings were planted, and weeds were removed multiple times. After the old buffalo’s illness, they sold it and bought another majestic buffalo for plowing.
With newfound free time, the eldest brother of the Chen family directed the children to work in the morning, then to the paddy fields to catch eels and loaches.
In the evening, he checked the buckets one by one. “This won’t do. These eels are just small fry, not even as thick as chopsticks. Put the bucket back, catch them again tomorrow,” he instructed, unmoved by his second brother’s sons.
The wife of the second brother subtly winky at the side. Despite this, the eldest brother insisted, “Take it back or I’ll throw the bucket away. Starting tomorrow, you won’t have to fish here anymore. Many in the village want this job. If you don’t want it, leave!”
Nervous, the nephews quickly returned the buckets to the field ridge. The eldest brother continued checking other buckets, confirming the eels and loaches were sizable. After counting out the copper plates, he noticed they were knotted. Despite the children’s pockets only having buckets, without a penny left, they happily accepted and ran away.
Once everyone left, the eldest brother of the Chen family noticed sarcastic expressions on his second brother’s face. Blowing his pipe, he spoke plainly.
“You think that I embarrassed Wang’er and Ergou just now in front of other children, and you feel uncomfortable, right?”
Chen Laoer remained silent, while his wife burst into laughter, saying, “Look at what the eldest brother said. You are Wang’er and Ergou’s uncle, so you should give them a few words of advice. It’s just that Butcher Xu’s money is in the hands of eldest brother. After all, we are a family, it’s just a bucket of eels and loaches. What does it matter if it is a little thinner?”
The eldest brother of the Chen family said with a serious expression: “You are so smart yet confused! We’ve been relying on Butcher Xu to kill pigs and cows in Chenliu Village for years, but don’t you realize he’s a shrewd person? It’s easy to fool him once, but it gets harder every time!”
“Not to mention the distance; there are thousands of acres of paddy fields nearby. How many eels are in the canals that cannot be caught? He is willing to ask me to help collect eels. Naturally, it’s our years of friendship and his trust in us.”
“If this trust has been shattered. With money in his hands, he can find others to collect eels, yet he still chooses to collect from us bucket by bucket.”
In fact, the second brother Chen’s wife wasn’t a bad person. She had toiled in the countryside year-round, diligently working to procure food.
The two brothers’ wives, worn and hunched, usually take turns cleaning and cooking. Being a mother was hard work, so she felt sorry for the two boys in the family.
When they made trouble, the second daughter-in-law always wants to help cover up.
Seeing his second sister-in-law lowering her head after being spoken to, the eldest brother of the Chen family softened his voice: “We are so busy all year long that a bead of sweat is broken into eight petals. The food collected is sold in the town. A pound of rice only sells for two cents. If you fish a bucket of eels like this, you can earn three cents. While drinking, Butcher Xu also said that his wife would buy a restaurant in the town and try to sell some loach and eels first. Wouldn’t that restaurant ask for rice, vegetables, or anything else in the future? If our family takes over this business, not only will there be buyers for our vegetable plot, but we may also be able to sell it to others for rice and vegetables. How much money can you make from this? Have you ever thought about this?”
The wife of eldest brother Chen and the second wife of second brother Chen were both a little ashamed for having thought of such a distant thing.
Second brother Chen thought about it quickly, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
“The eldest brother is still powerful. We have to listen to the eldest brother when it comes to our family affairs!”
Anyway, the family had not been separated. The younger brother would do whatever he says and followed his eldest brother to make a fortune.
The two wives were a little unconvinced at first; how could it be so easy to open a restaurant in the town?
But then they thought about it. Butcher Xu’s husband was as skilled as a chef, and the beef he produced was fragrant and tender. Others in the village bought their own old beef and found it a bit tough, proving Xu Fulang’s culinary skills.
After what the eldest brother of the Chen family said, everyone in the Chen family was united.
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When Xu Zhongyue and Song Shi’an returned to the village hand in hand, they saw that the mule’s fur was shiny after eating, and the mule cart was cleaned and polished.
The buckets of eels and loaches in the backyard had expelled the sediment, and the water was changed every day. The plump eels were lively and jumping around.
Seeing them coming back, the Chen family’s two wives politely said they had foods in the kitchen, suggesting they ate together.
Xu Zhongyue, contemplating about selling bear paws in town, declined with a smile.
The eldest brother of the Chen family summoned his second brother and neighbors, swiftly loading the eel, loach, and water buckets onto the mule cart. Concerned about stability, he tied the buckets with hemp rope he made himself and filled gaps with straw. Xu Zhongyue appreciated their careful work, thanking them and promising to return.
Wary of the deer and wild goats causing a disturbance, Xu Zhongyue secured them with hooves tied to the mule cart, even including the chickens. To spare Song Shi’an from any potential smell, he pulled him to sit beside him. With a wave of the whip, the well-recovered mule galloped swiftly.
Back in town, Xu Zhongyue headed to the drug store.
There were two drug stores in town, one selling cheaper herbal medicines and finished medicines for common ailments, the other adorned with rosewood and catering to wealthier clients. Xu Zhongyue, a regular customer, was directed to the back room to discuss.
Song Shi’an stayed outside, glancing at the mule cart. After a brief tea break, Xu Zhongyue emerged with a small package and several medicine bundles in hand.
“I bought these for you. They’re good tonics.”
The man’s voice was gentle and affectionate. Song Shi’an saw high-quality astragalus red ginseng among the items. Moved and helpless, he stowed away the medicines. The mule cart arrived at Aunt Liu’s house before sundown.
Song Shi’an carried in the pheasant and a jar of honey, but Aunt Liu insisted they stay for dinner.
“Aren’t you tired from the mountain trip? Look at your thin face. Dinner is ready; you’ll eat at Aunt’s house!”
Speechless, Song Shi’an wondered where he lost weight. After a day of eating dry food, the aroma of freshly cooked dishes from Aunt Liu’s kitchen made them both hungry. Fearing no one would watch the mule cart, Aunt Liu brought the table out, and the two cousins carried it. Sitting on small stools, they enjoyed white rice, hot tofu and fish ball soup, and fried bacon with garlic sprouts.
Aunt Liu meticulously removed thorns from the fish meat, and the fish balls were fresh and tender. The aroma of the hot soup filled the air as they savored the meal.
While eating, Uncle Sun from next door went for a walk and encountered Song Shi’an, who greeted him obediently.
Uncle Sun, the honest and impartial judge of his situation, examined him and nodded approvingly, saying, “After getting married, your complexion is rosy, and your face has more flesh. You’re white, fat, and energetic! This marriage is really good!”
Touching his beard, he wondered aloud, “I wonder if my Yun Ge’er is as lucky as you.”
“Thank you, Uncle Sun, you are really discerning!” Song Shi’an proudly puffed up his chest, glancing at Xu Zhongyue with clear eyes, eliciting a reaction from him.
“Yun Ge’er is not very old. It would be good for him to stay with you and aunt for two more years to enjoy the blessings.”
Before leaving, Song Shi’an discussed purchasing two items with Uncle Sun. When he mentioned buying a store, Uncle Sun was shocked, giving a thumbs up. Song Shi’an expressed his desire to make a plaque with “Dragon Looks Back” and a majestic dragon coming down from the second-floor window. They made plans to visit Uncle Sun’s shop the next day to measure the size.
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Returning home, Xu Zhongyue called a few neighbors for help, rewarding them with wild fruits and braised beef belly. They quickly unloaded everything from the car.
There was a well in the yard of Shuimo Fang Alley, making water changes convenient. The men were busy, tending to the mules, tying up the deer and wild goats, and preparing food. They plucked the dying pheasant and marinated it.
Song Shi’an heated up the water, and the two took a quick bath, donned clean clothes, and blew their hair half-dry before resting in the house.
Xu Zhongyue handed a small bundle to Song Shi’an, who was pleasantly surprised upon opening it.
Twenty-two silver ingots, fat and heavy.
“Put these four ingots together with the six hundred taels in the box. Use these twenty taels for yourself.”
“How can this work?” Song Shi’an didn’t expect a bear’s paw to sell for this much, realizing Xu Zhongyue had accumulated a significant fortune in just three years.
Xu Zhongyue, seeing his changing thoughts, maintained a calm expression. “I said I would give you money, so just keep them. It’s natural for a husband to let his wife live well. If you’re truly grateful, think about how you want to repay me.”
As he spoke, he turned his face away, revealing his clean and strong profile.
Song Shi’an was momentarily stunned, until Xu Zhongyue touched his cheek with his tongue inside his mouth.
He woke up as if from a dream, putting his arms around the man’s neck and kissing him on the cheek.
“Xu ge-ge, you treat me so well!”