Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 6
Wang Jiaojiao rarely woke up early, but on this particular morning, her anger had kept her awake all night, driving her in hurry to the dock.
Wang Jiaojiao had been considered a beauty since her childhood, and she had always displayed more spirit than other girls. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, she willingly married Song Yuchun, a widower almost thirty years her senior.
Her main reason for the marriage was her interest in his family’s restaurant business. While it didn’t offer her luxurious jewelry or fancy clothes, it at least provided her with a steady source of food, including meat and fine grains.
However, shortly after their marriage, a series of wars erupted, leading to frequent disruptions in their lives. Soldiers from various factions would storm Qingjiang Town, forcing their family to flee into the mountains each time. During these turbulent times, Song Shi’an was just a child and was unable to escape easily.
So, Song Yuchun had to carry him on his back while Wang Jiaojiao chased after them. One day, she had sprained her ankle, and the pain was excruciating. Just as she was about to cry out for help, Song Yuchun, the man she married, abruptly abandoned her without hesitation, fearing that the rebels would kill him.
This incident planted a deep seed of hatred within her, and she grew to despise Song Shi’an. Wang Jiaojiao never accepted him as her own child, and she often dismissed Song Shi’an, claiming that their shuanger didn’t resemble him.
She also accused Song Shi’an of having a bad luck, given the early death of his mother. After the birth of Song Shiqing and Song Shijin, Song Yuchun began to neglect his eldest son.
Song Shi’an had a timid nature, and he endured countless beatings and verbal abuse from Wang Jiaojiao. He would remain as still as a rock, allowing his stepmother to abuse him, all in a bid to prevent others from seeing her cruelty.
She ensured that all beatings occurred in places that outsiders wouldn’t see, such as his arms and thighs. Song Shi’an survived the cruelty, and despite being hungry and abused daily, he managed to reach the age of eighteen, ultimately creating some value in his life.
When she thought about this, Wang Jiaojiao’s heart ached. She remembered that she had been entrusted with three hundred taels. The heavy, shining silver sat on a red velvet tray like a chubby child and was brought to her door by Jiang family’s housekeeper.
Tragically, the young bitch suddenly became stubborn and starved himself to death. Left with no choice, Wang Jiaojiao went to Jiang Yuanwai’s house in tears. Despite losing more than half of the money, she managed to retrieve two hundred taels, with the remaining one hundred taels used for Song Shi’an’s funeral.
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Now, the restaurant was bustling, and Wang Jiaojiao and Song Yuchun were busy serving customers when an unwelcome visitor arrived. The housekeeper, who was not a member of the Jiang family, stood there with an unpleasant expression and confronted them in front of all the customers.
“Master Jiang has a message for you. Since time immemorial, even Chang’e had love affairs when her man while she was still alive. If the precious shuanger you raised is eager for extramarital affairs without a matchmaker’s blessing, you the elders should at least be somewhat discreet. Don’t falsely mourn a living person as dead.”
“In all my years of life, Master Jiang has never encountered someone daring to deceive him out of his money. It’s absurd to lament the death of a person still living.”
Wang Jiaojiao and Song Yuchun looked at each other in shock. Song Yuchun was easily manipulated and had a serious, timid nature, so he couldn’t even stand up for himself.
Wang Jiaojiao gathered the courage to speak up, “Our child had a frail body. He suddenly fell ill and died instantly. I personally checked his breathing, and his body was cold. He couldn’t possibly still be alive. Don’t make jokes about us.”
The housekeeper’s retort was vehement, “Nonsense!”
He shouted loudly, leaving Wang Jiaojiao too intimidated to continue speaking.
“Go and see for yourself. Your precious shuanger is living a carefree life in Zaozi Lane. He has a stepmother better than his own mother and is in excellent health. Your fraudulent schemes won’t work on us. I’ll give your family three days to return the money. My master is wealthy, and I won’t engage in a dispute with you. If you don’t comply, I’ll take you to the officials, and you’ll be accused of a serious crime—fraudulent schemes to deceive money.”
After the housekeeper left, they could no longer continue running their restaurant business.
Wang Jiaojiao was so terrified that she collapsed into a chair. Song Yuchun sent a servant to Zaozi Lane to investigate, and after half an hour, they received a report. They learned that there was indeed a person with great culinary skills who ran a thriving noodle stall in the area.
Song Yuchun had been hesitant for a while, but eventually said, “Jiaojiao, since the person is still alive, maybe we should return the money…”
Wang Jiaojiao vehemently disagreed, saying, “Nonsense! Haven’t you heard that money saved this year will be spent next year to participate the Jinshi Examination? Do you know that Jinshi Examination requires us to live in the provincial capital beforehand? Have you considered the cost of renting a house with a yard in the provincial capital? Not to mention the expenses for pens, ink, paper, inkstones, and hiring a teacher from the provincial capital academy for tutoring.”
Finally grasping the situation, Song Yuchun stammered, “Are you saying that you spent all of the one hundred taels? Didn’t you mention earlier that we could deposit it in the bank and earn interest?”
Wang Jiaojiao snapped, “Isn’t it because the Song family is incapable of rising? There are scholars, farmers and merchant, but we are stuck with the lowest trade and industry. We tremble for three days whenever we cross paths with those with power! Thankfully, Jin’er is good at his studies, and he has the potential to attain academic honors. Should we bring him back home and serve him cold tea and water unlike all the other students?”
Wang Jiaojiao’s outburst left Song Yuchun dumbfounded, and he mumbled, “So, you mean… that you’ve spent all the one hundred taels of silver?”
Wang Jiaojiao knew that the restaurant business appeared profitable on the surface, but it also entailed significant costs. The daily expenses for purchasing meat and vegetables added up to a significant sum, and there were numerous wealthy merchants who kept accounts, both inside and outside. They could only provide so much money.
The real problem was that asking her to return the money was even more painful than parting with her own heart.
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From a distance, she saw Song Shi’an surrounded by a group of laborers. He was chatting and laughing with them, showing no signs of shame. She couldn’t fathom how a shameless person like him refused to marry Jiang Yuanwai and instead gave his precious body to poor men for free. It was a disgrace.
Wang Jiaojiao stormed over and caught Song Shi’an off guard. She pulled his hair forcefully and berated him vehemently.
One man tried to intervene, but before he could speak, Wang Jiaojiao roared, “He is my child, and already engaged. I’m taking him back to get married. What’s it to any of you? Who dares to stop me? I will report you to the officials for kidnapping!”
When they learned that she was Song Shi’an’s mother and kidnapping was indeed a grave crime, the onlookers fell silent and took a few steps back, leaving a large circle for the two to confront each other.
Song Shi’an would never strike a woman, but he had to defend himself this time. He stepped back and unintentionally stepped on Wang Jiaojiao’s foot.
The pain caused her to release her grip, and Song Shi’an calmly responded, “You are not my mother; you’re just my father’s second wife.”
The Wang Jiaojiao in the original memories was cruel and merciless. She would physically abuse him and call him derogatory names, showing no concern for the original owner who was starving.
It made him feel half-hearted and regretful, but he couldn’t bring himself to address this person in a warm and motherly way. Wang Jiaojiao was scolded by Song Shi’an for the first time, leaving her stunned. She screamed and wiped her tears with her handkerchief.
Wang Jiaojiao replied, “Your mother passed away shortly after you were born. Didn’t I raise you well? You grew up wearing fine clothing while the girl who crawled out of my womb only got to wear plain linen. Speaking this way truly wounds a mother’s heart.”
Wang Jiaojiao believed that Jiang Yuanwai took shuanger as his concubine simply to enjoy some novelty. They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and now, Song Shi’an, who appeared a bit plumper, looked more charming and attractive.
Wang Jiaojiao thought that by dressing him up and sending him to Jiang Yuanwai now, could lead to an award of the two hundred taels of silver she’d reclaimed.
She used her status as an elder to bully others, hoping to get Song Shi’an away openly. She was cunning enough to make sure the injuries on Song Shi’an’s arms and legs didn’t show, preventing the men from seeing them.
If the original owner was still fearful, Song Shi’an wasn’t.
He looked at Wang Jiaojiao with resentment and spoke up, “You’re wrong. I’ve worn many silk clothes since I was a child, but those are old garments that you no longer wanted. They’re worn, torn, stained with oil, and you’d use that as an excuse to beat me behind my back.”
As he spoke, he pushed up his sleeves, revealing a pair of startlingly white arms with old bruises and scars covering his forearms.
“Our family comes from a good lineage, yet you forced me to be a concubine for three hundred taels. You keep talking about legal matters, but what about the crime of forcing a respectable family into concubine? If the family were impoverished and starving, selling me for sustenance would be one thing, but the Song family restaurant is thriving! I didn’t want to go, so you and Dad locked me in the woodshed, refused to feed me, and eventually starved me until I fainted.”
This part was fabricated by Song Shi’an; he felt no qualms about inventing stories to suit his purposes. After all, Wang Jiaojiao had concocted the story of the original owner.
“You both thought I was dead. You didn’t even give me a proper burial; you wrapped me in a mat and tossed me into a mass grave. If it weren’t for my stroke of luck, waking up after being soaked in the rain, I’d have perished long ago. I’ve already died once, so it’s no different to return to my father as a mere skeleton. If you have anything else to say, why not accompany me to the official? And why not invite Master Jiang to join us!”
As he spoke, the men around him murmured in agreement.
“What a wicked stepmother!”
“Her husband is nothing!”
Wang Jiaojiao’s face alternated between red and white. In her moment of hesitation, she spotted a tall, handsome man approaching. He spoke in a deep voice, “If you wish to report to the authorities, we are all witnesses.”
One of the porters who frequently bought meat from Butcher Xu knew Xu Zhongyue well. When he saw that Xu Zhongyue, a well-connected figure in Qingjiang Town, was willing to speak on An ge’er’s behalf, he quickly chimed in, “The meat from the county government office was supplied by Butcher Xu, and we’re all familiar with one another. Since you, mother and son, have your own explanations, why not meet with an official!”
Xu Zhongyue raised an eyebrow and said, “Let’s go.”
He was subtly indicating that he would take Wang Jiaojiao to the government office.
Wang Jiaojiao’s body trembled slightly, and she eventually stamped her foot and stated firmly, “Very well, you’ve become quite insolent. I’ll have your biological father take care of you!”
With that, she turned and left.
Xu Zhongyue didn’t collect the pigs today. Upon his arrival at the dock, he saw Wang Jiaojiao causing trouble for Song Shi’an. She was such a shrew, cursing loudly at Song Shi’an by the clear river. He wanted to help Song Shi’an, but it was an argument between a woman and a shuanger, and he didn’t couldn’t interfere as a man.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Song Shi’an made his escape.
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The thin shuanger lowered his head, and his frail shoulders and lonely wrists appeared even more pitiable. The pancakes he had been cooking had turned to charcoal. He carefully removed the burnt pancakes, wiped the griddle clean with a damp cloth, and brushed it with a layer of clear oil.
Song Shi’an remembered that the man who had just paid didn’t receive the braised pork pancake. Seeing the man growing impatient and a splash of spicy sauce landing in his eye, he couldn’t rub it with his hands, so he endured the pain, blinking away the tears, though his vision remained blurry. Nonetheless, he managed to deftly roll up a pancake and handed it out.
When he raised his eyes, Xu Zhongyue saw that they were red and teary. Something within him, cold and detached, suddenly felt a heavy blow.
This sensation was so unfamiliar that he couldn’t quite comprehend what it meant.