Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 4
Xu Zhongyue was a butcher, and it was common for him to have blood on his hands.
Song Shi’an was skilled at judging people. Despite Butcher Xu’s profession, where he earned a living by wielding a knife and placing pig heads on the ground, he exuded a compelling sense of righteousness.
This made his silence and aloofness not intimidating, but rather reminiscent of an ancient door god – reassuring.
“Xu ge-ge, what a coincidence!” Song Shi’an hurriedly approached Xu Zhongyue. Before Xu Zhongyue could respond, he raised his head and greeted him with a smile.
“Are you also going out for a nighttime stroll and find a meal?”
Xu Zhongyue raised an eyebrow and nodded. It didn’t bother Song Shi’an that he wasn’t particularly talkative. On the other hand, Song Shi’an was quite the conversationalist. He had a background in the service industry and could strike up a conversation with anyone.
Song Shi’an started by complimenting Xu Zhongyue’s pig butchering skills and then praised his handsome appearance, which drew the attention of unmarried people from near and far. At this point, Xu Zhongyue lifted his thin eyelids and calmly glanced at Song Shi’an.
Song Shi’an chuckled inwardly. He had done an excellent job of flattering Xu Zhongyue this time. Naturally, men enjoy being liked by people.
Back in his dormitory, his roommate was being pursued by a beautiful girl. Although he was clearly delighted, he still pretended to be troubled in front of his roommates, sighing theatrically. Finally, the other three brothers had kicked him from behind, delivering a resolute message, “Get out!”
After a brief pause, Xu Zhongyue unexpectedly said, “I’m not married yet.”
Song Shi’an was about to change the topic, but Xu Zhongyue abruptly uttered this sentence. Blinking in confusion, Song Shi’an smoothly responded, “Indeed, marriage is a significant matter that impacts lifelong happiness and should not be rushed. Xu ge-ge, your cautious approach makes perfect sense.”
Just as he mentioned not rushing, there was a loud noise – a growling sound that seemed to emanate from Xu Zhongyue’s direction. Xu Zhongyue possessed a trim physique, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but Song Shi’an had never seen him wear a broad green brocade belt like he did on the day he was slaughtering pigs.
Another rumbling sound followed. Song Shi’an surmised that Xu Zhongyue’s waist and abdomen were so lean that there was no room for dinner.
“Xu ge-ge, I’ve prepared some food to sell, but I’m uncertain about the taste. Would you be willing to be the first to try it?” Song Shi’an asked tactfully, as if Xu Zhongyue were doing him a tremendous favor by being the first taste tester.
In reality, Song Shi’an often boasted about his exceptional cooking skills and consistently brought home gold medals from chef competitions. Having him as a taste tester was like having a golden seal of approval.
Xu Zhongyue pursed his lips and remained silent but proceeded towards Song Shi’an’s home.
Song Shi’an followed with joy. Despite being considerably shorter than Xu Zhongyue, there was an evident camaraderie between them. Xu Zhongyue’s willingness to join in indicated that they had formed a bond between them.
Unbeknownst to both of them, they had turned away from a passing carriage on the road behind them. As the weather grew warmer, the curtains on the carriage’s windows were drawn aside. An elderly man with cloudy eyes looked out just in time to witness the red sunset glow and a crescent moon adorning the sky, illuminating the graceful, slender beautiful shuanger and the tall man beside him.
Seeing the two of them enter the same courtyard and the courtyard door close once again, Jiang Yuanwai said bitterly, “I promised him a good life, but why did he die young? It seems he didn’t like me and wanted to find a younger man!”
.
Song Shi’an had already entered the room and was unaware of Jiang Yuanwai’s curses.
He invited Xu Zhongyue to sit and wait in the main room, but Xu Zhongyue declined, opting to follow him into the kitchen with his hands behind his back.
Song Shi’an noted his kitchen was neatly organized, with the small table and bench next door having been repaired by Uncle Sun. There was no room for guests to complain.
Inside the kitchen, there were only two small hens. When they saw Xu Zhongyue walking in with his long legs, their eyes widened in surprise.
They let out a few soft clucks and huddled down in their nest, protecting the chicks beneath their wings. This man, covered in blood, exuded an eerie aura that made the chickens a little nervous.
Song Shi’an urged Xu Zhongyue to sit down as he skillfully prepared his specialty, Jiangcheng’s renowned breakfast dish, hot dry noodles.
Jiangcheng and Qingjiang Town shared many similarities – they were both vital transport hubs with a strong dock culture. Hardworking men in such places, amidst the ever-shifting elements, favored hearty and delicious fare.
It took him the entire afternoon to make the noodles. After soaking and cooling the noodles, he kneaded them with a layer of sesame oil. The light-yellow noodles glistened softly under the oil lamp.
The sieves below were brand new, crafted with great skill by Uncle Sun from leftover materials at his home. He quickly fashioned two of them for Song Shi’an.
As the water boiled, Song Shi’an deftly scooped a handful of noodles, quickly blanched them in the boiling water, and placed them in a deep bowl. He added sesame sauce, sesame oil, a touch of marinade, a generous helping of chopped pickled beans and chives, stirring the mixture until it was thoroughly combined. He then presented it to Xu Zhongyue.
The table and stools seemed a bit short in comparison to Xu Zhongyue’s long legs. It was just a couple of steps away from the stove. Song Shi’an watched him contort his legs twice and wondered how to find a comfortable position. However, when the noodles arrived, Xu Zhongyue’s attention was immediately captured.
Song Shi’an sliced a plate of pig intestines and set it on the table. He smiled and said, “Xu ge-ge, give it a try.”
Xu Zhongyue initially disregarded the braised intestines. At first glance, he recognized them as offal wrapped in something.
Despite being a butcher, Xu Zhongyue had a preference for cleanliness. As a bachelor, he would send his neighbor’s aunt his dirty laundry to starch and wash, paying her for her efforts. He wore fresh clothes every day and added fragrant gourd to maintain a clean, blood-free scent.
He never consumed such dishes himself, and he couldn’t fathom how Song Shi’an could stomach pig intestines.
The thought of Song Shi’an indulging in such food even made him hesitate. After several days of Song Shi’an not visiting, he reluctantly decided to check on him.
Xu Zhongyue rolled up some noodles with chopsticks and took a bite, momentarily stunned.
The taste was exceptionally unique.
In comparison to the usual tender noodles, these noodles had a distinct texture, both chewy and springy. They were generously coated with fragrant sesame sauce and complemented by crispy, tangy, and spicy pickled beans, creating a full sensory experience.
With each bite, the tender beans burst with juice, and the rich, velvety flavor of the sauce left him addicted.
The noodles vanished quickly, and a sense of fullness, unlike that from eating steamed buns, washed over him.
Xu Zhongyue put down his chopsticks and said, “This is delicious.”
Song Shi’an grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, “If Xu ge-ge finds it delicious, rest assured, our business will surely thrive.”
Xu Zhongyue gazed at him, contemplating.
Song Shi’an continued his persuasion, picking up a piece of pig intestine and placing it in his own mouth, saying, “Would you like to try this too?”
Although he began with a modest noodle stall due to a lack of capital, he never lost sight of his dreams of reaching for the stars and the sea.
Xu Zhongyue made a substantial income selling pork, but if he agreed to collaborate with Song Shi’an to refine the pork, the prices would undoubtedly soar.
While Song Shi’an was eating, Xu Zhongyue caught a richer meaty aroma in the air, profoundly fragrant. After toiling with manual labor year-round, meat was a daily necessity, but he had never encountered such a potent meaty aroma.
After a moment, Xu Zhongyue closed his eyes, picked up a piece of pig intestine, and savored it.
Somehow, the meat had absorbed a medley of seasonings, rendering it tender, chewy, salty, and irresistibly flavorful. After a bite of the meat, a subtle sweetness lingered between his lips and teeth.
He thought he might feel queasy.
But he didn’t.
Not only did he not feel nauseated, but his previously full stomach even made room for a whole plate of braised pig intestines.
After a prolonged pause, Xu Zhongyue opened his eyes and regarded Song Shi’an with an inexplicable expression.
In that moment, the values he had held for years underwent a seismic shift, and his long-standing germaphobia crumbled.
Song Shi’an was still interested in conversing with Xu Zhongyue, subtly steering the conversation toward mutually beneficial collaboration. However, Xu Zhongyue abruptly stood up.
It was growing late, and it didn’t bode well for two of them, along with the reputation of a shuanger, to be alone in the same room.
“Dinner was delicious,” Xu Zhongyue said after taking a few steps, pointing to something wrapped in thatch in the corner of the kitchen.
“That’s for you.”
Upon closer inspection, Song Shi’an realized it was a whole pig’s head. Now he understood why Xu Zhongyue’s hands were covered in blood when they first met.
“This is too generous…” Song Shi’an had barely taken a couple of steps to catch up, but Xu Zhongyue had already locked the courtyard door behind him, quickly striding away.
Song Shi’an was deeply moved and folded his hands in gratitude. Xu ge-ge was undoubtedly a generous soul. Even as chance acquaintances, they had shared so much. When they became true friends one day, they would undoubtedly share even more.
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One early morning, the sun rose early and the river surface glistened with golden light.
The pier was bustling with porters getting an early start.
This was a typical morning where the porters skipped breakfast to arrive at the dock early, hoping to secure an additional job that could pay as much as eighty or a hundred cents a day.
After a night’s rest, their shoulders and backs still ached. Years of strenuous labor had left them with numerous old and new injuries. So, after finishing their last night’s work, they would gather in twos and threes at a budget-friendly eatery and order… a plate of cold pancakes.
In the end, they spent a substantial sum on food, leaving them with cold pancakes for breakfast.
Several young and middle-aged men in their twenties and thirties huddled together, munching on the hard pancakes they had brought. These pancakes were usually prepared a few days in advance, making them hard to chew and occasionally irritating the throat.
“I wish I could have a bowl of hot soup.” Sighed a young man.
Another man chuckled, “The restaurants don’t open until noon. If you want soup, you might as well jump into the Mengzi River and drink up!”
Just as they were discussing their hunger, a group of people suddenly caught a whiff of an incredible fragrant aroma accompanied by the sound of a rolling cart’s wheels on the stone slabs.
A voice called out, “Breakfast for sale! Hot dry noodles, only five cents for a bowl!”
“Eat a bowl and you won’t feel hungry until noon! A single bowl just for five cents!”
Everyone was taken aback.
“Hot dry noodles….? Have you heard about it?”
“It sounds like a noodle, which would be perfect for breakfast, but noodles alone won’t make you full!”
“Well, if you don’t have rice or buns, eating a bowl of noodles would leave you hungry as soon as you are done.”
“Five cents might be not much, but it can buy five eggs!”
Enveloped in the morning mist, Song Shi’an pushed his cart toward the dock, knowing very well that starting a new business was challenging. He observed a young man in the crowd who seemed eager and kept looking at his cart.
The young man reached for his money pouch but hesitated, just one step away from making decision.
He leaned forward and asked, “Just noodles? No eggs?”
Song Shi’an raised the gauze covering the noodles and gestured to the gauze of seasoning jar, “Although I didn’t add egg but my noodles are cooked with plenty of oil. This sesame sauce is rich in oila dn each noodle gets a spoonful of sesame oil. The pickled beans are tangy, spicy and salty. They provide the right amount of saltiness.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. Song Shi’an hadn’t had the time to make the pickled beans himself, so he bought a jar from a street vendor. Salt was relatively expensive in this area and people didn’t consume spicy food at all.
The pickled he bought only tasted tangy, so Song Shi’an added spices and salt to make it better.
“You need salt to have strength to work!” Song Shi’an looked at the young man with his big, dark eyes offering a friendly smile, which made the young man felt embarrassed.
With a gentle and melodic voice, he added, “Da-ge, would you like a bowl? It’s my first day here, I will only charge you three cents for the first bowl. After you finish the hot noodles, I’ll give you another spoonful of soup to ensure you’re comfortable and full.”
The young man inadvertently placed three pennies into the basket and stood by the steaming pot. He observed the handsome man as he fetched a coarse porcelain sea bowl and deftly scooped out a large handful of noodles, which bobbed up and down in the boiling water. Once they were ready, he removed them from the pot and added seasonings.
“Are they cooked?”
“They’re cooked. If they’re not, you won’t have to pay!”
The young man fell silent and unknowingly put the three cents on the basket, he watched the shuanger thoroughly mixing the noodles. The little shuanger was very skillfully pulled the noodles from the pot and added it into the bowl to season it.
“Are they cooked?”
“It’s cooked. If not, you don’t have to pay for it.”
The young man stopped talking and stirring the noodles in his bowl. The river breeze carried away the fragrance of the sesame sauce, causing all the men to salivate in unison.
The aroma was simply irresistible!
The young man tasted a bite of the noodles with his chopsticks, and the middle-aged man beside him inquired curiously, “How is it? Is it delicious?”
The young man had no time to respond as he continued to devour the noodles. He polished off the entire large bowl.
He found himself slightly perplexed. People who worked at the dock were known for eating quickly, but he had exceeded his usual pace.
Seeing him holding an empty bowl, Song Shi’an smiled and poured in a spoonful of hot soup, which promptly dissolved the remaining condiments in the bowl. Without waiting for the soup to cool completely, the young man took a few sips, unable to resist the urge.
The condiments were just too delectable to waste!
Only when he had sipped every last drop of soup did Song Shi’an smile and gesture, placing the empty bowl into a wooden bucket filled with water.
“Can you tell me if it’s delicious?”
“Hiccup – it’s delicious, but I’m quite full.”
As he spoke, Song Shi’an’s noodle stall was already swarmed with eager customers.
“Give me a bowl!”
“I’ll have one too!”
“Hurry, hurry!”