Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 47
The weather outside was filled with the bleak autumn wind and the drizzle of autumn rain.
The rustling sound soon turned into a dense sound of raindrops falling to the ground. Xu Zhongyue entered the house with his robe in his arms.
As he entered, Xu Zhongyue smiled at Song Shi’an: “See what I brought back?”
Song Shian stood up and helped him take off his long cloak. He wiped away a few drops of water on his husband’s thick eyebrows. He saw him holding a lot of fresh wild chestnuts and a pair of delicate little boots in one hand.
“It’s for children. I asked a shoemaker to make it. They won’t be afraid of stepping into the snow in winter. It’s warm.” Xu Zhongyue said with a smile.
Song Shi’an glanced at him angrily: “Where did the deerskin come from? Did you go up the mountain again?”
The man said with a smile. Scratching his head, he looked around and said something else: “Didn’t you say you wanted to eat sugar-fried chestnuts last time? I brought back a lot.”
Because sugar was expensive, the sugar-fried chestnuts sold outside were usually not sweet enough and mixed with a lot of bad things. Song Shi’an tasted it twice and found it not delicious.
Xu Zhongyue was always worried that his wife had no appetite, so he took the time to go hunting in the mountains twice.
Recently, he didn’t even do the butcher’s job, because he didn’t want the child in Song Shi’an’s belly to feel the murderous aura from blood, and he was afraid of scaring the little baby.
Song Shi’an laughed loudly and thought to himself, Xu Zhongyue was really a genius. Sooner or later, he would know about prenatal education without any teacher.
Xu Zhongyue used his strong chin, which had not yet been shaved off, to rub against Song Shi’an’s bulging belly.
He put his lips to his belly and said, “My dear, you must be able to hear dad talking to your mother, right? Well, it’s really me, Xu Zhongyue.” My dear boy, you must be so smart!”
Song Shi’an could not imagine that Xu Zhongyue, who was actually the silent and cold Butcher Xu in the past, actually talking sweetly to his belly. He was so amused that he couldn’t stop laughing.
What he didn’t know was that Xu Zhongyue did far more funny things than that.
As the old saying goes, if parents loved their children, their plans would be profound. The day when Song Shi’an gave birth was probably in May after the spring flowers bloomed next year, so it was still far away!
Xu Zhongyue paid the deposit early and asked the best midwife in Qingjiang Town to deliver the baby.
The midwife laughed at the butcher for being too anxious. Seeing that he was still carrying four packets of different dried fruits, she was even more stunned: “Such expensive things, so many of them in one go! They are all for your wife? Men like you are really rare!”
“His tastes are changing these days. Sometimes he likes sour food, and sometimes he likes sweet food, so I bought him some.” The midwife nodded and sighed.
‘Xu Fulang is really a lucky person!’
She recalled that when she was young, she had to do heavy and tiring work, and she couldn’t eat when she felt like vomiting. Her man occasionally bought her a few sour apricots to eat, which was a rare and considerate act.
Xu Zhongyue’s idea was extremely simple. Since he had the best wife in the world, he hoped that he and their children would live the best life.
Wives from wealthy families could rest for three months without getting out of bed after giving birth to keep themselves healthy and eat well. If a noble wife ate bird’s nest and ginseng, his wife should do the same.
If he had a son, he would buy him a pony and teach him how to read, write, ride horses, and practice archery from an early age. If it were a daughter or shuanger, he would still teach them horseback riding and archery, planning to marry them off based on their own abilities in the future. He urged them to be self-sufficient and prepare generous dowries.
However, all these endeavors incurred substantial costs. Additionally, Xu Zhongyue hadn’t been hunting for a while and was genuinely itchy.
Seizing the opportunity of heavy snow to block the mountain, when animals were fattest before winter, he quietly ventured into the mountains behind his wife’s back to hunt and save more money.
Caught by Song Shi’an for not keeping his promise, Xu Zhongyue, burdened by guilt, took several precautions. He left a window half-open, covered it with a recently purchased screen, and brought a charcoal stove inside. He then prepared sugar, coarse salt, and an iron spatula, placing a chopping board on the table to cut open chestnuts one by one.
Song Shi’an found it amusing, reminiscent of Lao Liu pretending nonchalance when caught eating. Only the trembling tail and the dog’s avoiding eyes betrayed his appearance.
With a smile, Song Shi’an heated the pot, added coarse salt, and, when it was scalding hot, placed the halved chestnuts inside. He turned them slowly to evenly heat all sides. As the heat increased, the salt turned caramel, and he added a large spoonful of sugar. The chestnuts crackled, emitting a tempting burnt aroma.
Xu Zhongyue heated goat’s milk and prepared strong tea for Song Shi’an. The two sat opposite each other, enjoying the sweet, sticky chestnuts by the fire, rain outside the window, and cold air kept at bay.
Even Lao Liu sneaked in through the door crack.
As the weather turned cold, Xu Zhongyue moved his nest next to the stove. However, Lao Liu preferred their bedroom.
One night, when Xu Zhongyue and Song Shi’an slept in the same room, they were surprised by Lao Liu sneaking in, his bright black eyes blinking conspiratorially.
Despite the disturbance, Song Shi’an doted on Lao Liu, who grew up under his care. He peeled a sugar-roasted chestnut for Lao Liu, savoring the freshness. He also offered a few raw chestnuts, he stopped when Lao Liu asked for more, wary of overeating.
Indoors, Lao Liu played by Song Shi’an’s feet, reflecting the firelight on his shiny fur.