“How come that Zhang family boy still hasn’t arrived?”
“Wasn’t Chen family’s fourth son sent to call him? He probably overslept.”
“What time is it already? Even if he overslept, he couldn’t have slept until this late. Oversleeping would be fine, but I hope he didn’t get drunk and fall into the river. The day before yesterday, I heard there was a drunkard in the neighboring village who drank too much and fell into the river on his way back from town. Luckily, someone passing by pulled him out. Otherwise, he would have lost his life long ago. The weather is freezing cold, and that drunkard is still lying at home.”
“That Zhang family boy is a wastrel too. Back then, his father was quite capable. I imagine he must have left him quite a bit of silver, enough to support him in spending every day in town drinking and having fun.”
The Xu family’s courtyard had two tables set up. Around them, several women and ge’ers were sorting vegetables and peeling garlic, while the men either sat or stood nearby, cracking roasted pumpkin seeds as everyone waited for the butcher. In the meantime, they naturally began talking about the village’s most talked-about figure.
“Drinking liquor is nothing. He even goes to the pleasure houses. He follows the young masters from town to the gambling dens, too. Basically, he’s gotten involved in everything he should and shouldn’t have.”
“What a sin. I’d better tell the girls and ge’ers in my family to stay far away from him. That man has no sense of propriety. If he drinks too much one day and loses his head, won’t it be the girls and ge’ers who suffer?”
Just as the words fell, the host, Xu Changren, called out loudly, “Butcher Zhang, you’ve finally arrived! The water in the pot for scalding the pig has already boiled several times!”
The villagers who had been talking heatedly in the courtyard fell silent at once when they saw the burly, fierce-looking young man stride in.
Zhang Fangyuan entered the courtyard and saw everyone looking at him. He had heard the lively chatter outside just moments ago, but the moment he came in, it had gone quiet. There was no need to ask who they had been discussing.
The villagers’ love of gossip was nothing new. Back then, he simply could not stand hearing these people constantly talk about his parents behind his back. He had been miserable and thus ran off to town to drink, going three days without returning to the village. Later, when people stopped talking so much about his parents, they began gossiping about how he was wasting his life and behaving recklessly instead. In short, there was never any peace.
After wandering through an entire lifetime and now turning back to face it all again, he suddenly found it rather amusing.
It truly was not worth caring about idle gossip.
“Sorry, Uncle Xu. I was delayed on the way. Bring the fat pig out and we’ll get started.”
When the Xu family man, Xu Changren, heard this, he did not take much offense. He hurriedly called the men who had come to hold down the pig and had them drag the animal out. The boar was extremely strong and powerful; it took four men just to restrain it.
Zhang Fangyuan took out a sharp blade that gleamed with a cold silver light. His gaze hardened, and with one swift motion, he brought the knife down. Even though many years had passed since he had last done this work, his movements were still extremely practiced.
After the pig breathed its last and was bled, its skin was scalded and the bristles removed. The men carried the pig onto two long benches. The fat, white carcass was cut into pieces, and the villagers who had come to buy meat immediately crowded around.
No matter what cut of meat they wanted or how many jin they asked for, even without a scale, Zhang Fangyuan could cut out approximately the right weight.
No matter how much the villagers disliked him, after seeing those skilled movements, someone still could not help saying, “Butcher Zhang’s hands really are quick!”
Zhang Fangyuan wiped the blade. “It’s all practice.”
This was his craft. Otherwise, with his temperament, no one would have invited him to slaughter pigs anymore.
Although Zhang Fangyuan could estimate the weight, the plump Madam Xu, Liu Xianglan, was still uneasy. After all, they had worked hard raising this animal for more than half a year. If the weight was underestimated, they would earn fewer copper coins.
She puffed out her chest and brought out the scale. “Everyone who wants meat, come weigh it!”
“Madam Xu, you really raised this pig well. The meat is so thick and fatty.”
Liu Xianglan was pleased to hear this. “Of course! We fed this animal plenty of pig feed, two or three meals a day, until it grew fat and strong.”
After they had been busy for more than half an hour, more than half of the pig had already been sold. The pig was fat, and everyone craved that rich, oily taste, so pork sold very well in the village. Liu Xianglan had plenty of silver coins in her pocket and was satisfied as well.
After the meat had been sold, the women and ge’ers took care of the cooking. The men who had come to help had nothing much left to do, so several of them gathered together to play a small dice game.
Winter was nearly here, and the New Year was approaching. There was also meat to eat, so everyone enjoyed getting together for a little game.
“Fangyuan, you coming for a couple rounds?”
Zhang Fangyuan waved his hand. “I’m going to the latrine. You play first.”
He slipped into the house. The Xu family was neither rich nor poor in the village. Their days were frugal, but they could still get by. Their house was not particularly large, but the house passed down from their ancestors was relatively spacious.
Its layout was different from the Zhang family’s. He crossed one threshold after another, and somehow ended up beside a small room.
“He-ge, hurry and put the meat on to cook. Get the ingredients for the vegetables ready. Once everything is settled, go to the kitchen and sit down for a while. You’ve been busy for so long, so let Second Sister do it.”
Zhang Fangyuan almost laughed when he heard the soft, sweet, delicate voice.
If everything was already settled, what else was there for you to do?
Hearing the voice, he could not help turning his head slightly to see which girl was so good at speaking. Looking up, he saw two young people inside the room, one a girl and the other a ge’er.
He did not step forward to ask. He immediately knew who the two were.
Everyone said the Xu family had no sons. Their eldest child had died young, and now they had only one girl and one ge’er.
The second daughter, Xu Shaochun, was fair, lively, and clearly well suited to bearing children. She was famous throughout the surrounding villages as the village beauty.
But the youngest, Xu He, was yellow-faced and sickly, with a weak constitution. His appearance was dull and unkempt, nothing like his sister at all.
The villagers always liked to gossip over their meals and tea. How could the same parents have given birth to two children who looked so completely different? With his sister as a comparison, He-ge’er was even more inconspicuous.
Zhang Fangyuan looked at the young girl standing by the stove with her hands on her waist. She was plump and well-rounded, her fair face flushed with rosy color. Her large, dark eyes were paired with cherry-red lips, and she wore a pretty sapphire-blue winter coat lined with velvet.
She looked exactly like a treasured daughter pampered by a wealthy household.
No wonder Chen Si had to swallow his drool whenever he mentioned her.
She really did have a beautiful appearance.
In contrast, the ge’er working at the stove beside her wore a cross-collared hemp garment pieced together from scraps of cloth. It wrapped around a body that was thin enough to show every bone.
There was barely any flesh on his yellow, sallow face, making his eyes appear especially large. Yet there was little life in them, and the skin around his eyes was dark and bruised-looking.
His entire person looked gray and worn-out, like a short, skinny little monkey.
He truly looked nothing like his sister.
“The radish stewed with pig lungs and heart has been simmering for more than an incense stick’s worth of time. I’ve already seasoned the soup. Once the vegetables are stir-fried, it’ll be done.”
The ge’er’s tone was flat, and his voice carried the hoarseness brought on by the winter cold. It was neither as delicate as a young woman’s voice nor as clear and melodious as a ge’er’s voice.
Instead, it sounded somewhat like a wild seagull searching for food along a riverbank, occasionally letting out a hoarse cry.
With an apron tied around his waist, he stood before the stove, wielding the spatula as he stir-fried the vegetables. He was quick and practiced when adding salt and seasonings to the wok. After only a few turns of the spatula, the aroma of the stir-fried food had already filled the small kitchen.
Zhang Fangyuan rubbed his chin. The food really smelled good, almost as good as the best restaurants in town.
“Butcher Zhang!”
A sudden shout startled Xu Shaochun inside the room, and she hurriedly picked up a clay jar that was nearby.
Zhang Fangyuan turned his head and saw Liu Xianglan hurrying over. He calmly said, “Madam Xu, I’m looking for the latrine.”
“It’s on the left. Just follow the eaves all the way over and turn the corner.”
“Okay.”
Zhang Fangyuan went in the direction she had indicated. Only after seeing him walk away did Liu Xianglan slip into the kitchen.
Xu Shaochun let out a small sigh of relief, put down the clay jar, and went over to take Liu Xianglan’s arm.
“You scared me, Mother.”
Liu Xianglan scolded her, “You have to be careful and stay away from that man. He spends all day going into town to drink and have fun. I think he deliberately came over here to have a look at you and made up an excuse about looking for the latrine. You girl, you’re so careless that you didn’t even notice.”
“Mother knows his character is bad, so why did you invite him to our house?”
“Why would I be the one who invited him? Your father called him here to slaughter the pig. Ever since the old butcher died, he’s the only butcher in our village. If we didn’t call him, we’d have to find someone from another village. Your father said that would be too troublesome and wasn’t worth it.”
After saying this, Liu Xianglan glanced at Xu He, who had remained silent the whole time.
“How are the dishes coming along? Oh, they smell wonderful.”
Seeing that they had started talking about the food, and even her mother had praised it, Xu Shaochun could not help saying, “Of course the meat dishes smell good. He-ge’er’s cooking is good, but he does make the flavors a little too strong. Mother wanted me to learn in this kitchen, but what a pity—the new clothes you had made for me in town are getting completely filled with the smell.”
“You silly girl. I know you don’t like the smoke and soot, but there are so many guests outside today. Of course we have to bring out some decent dishes to entertain them.”
The mother and daughter chatted for quite a while before finally remembering that there was still someone in the side kitchen.
They turned around and said to Xu He, “He-ge’er, once the dishes here are finished, don’t go outside later. There are people to set the tables and serve the food. Go back to your room and eat. It’s not that Mother doesn’t want you to come out. There are quite a few sharp-tongued women from the village here today. Otherwise, they’ll start comparing you and Shaochun again.”
Xu He did not even raise his eyelids. He merely nodded.
Whether it was someone else’s gathering or an event in his own home, this was always how things were arranged for him. A farming household could not afford several good meals throughout the year. Today there were several meat dishes. Once everyone had gone out to eat, he would simply add a large bowl of rice and ladle two big spoonfuls of dishes into it before eating in his room. He actually found that much more comfortable.
Zhang Fangyuan returned from the latrine and joined the village men for a few rounds of dice. His luck was quite good, and he won several rounds in a row. Those who lost were naturally not very pleased.
Fortunately, around this time, the hosts announced that it was time to eat, and the dice on the table were put away.
Everyone once again became lively as they began setting out the food and eating.
“This stir-fried pork liver is unbelievably tender. It’s delicious.”
Chen Si took a sip of liquor and praised the pork liver stir-fried with slices of green onion. After hearing him, all the men at the table eagerly picked up their chopsticks.
“It really is tender. You can’t make it like this without some skill.”
At this moment, Liu Xianglan came over after hearing the praise. Taking advantage of the opportunity to refill their liquor and tea, she pointed toward her daughter inside with her chin.
“My girl made it. It’s nothing special. Everyone, please don’t make fun of her.”
Zhang Fangyuan had been eating with his head lowered and enjoying the food. Hearing this, he could not help looking up at Liu Xianglan’s smiling face.
That dish had clearly been stir-fried by Xu He in the side kitchen just now. How had it become something Xu Shaochun had made once it was brought out?
“I’d heard long ago that Madam Xu’s second daughter was a beautiful girl, but I never expected her cooking to be this good too. Whoever marries her will surely be blessed beyond measure.”
Several women immediately chimed in as well. Liu Xianglan smiled so broadly that her mouth could hardly close.
“You all sure know how to joke.”
Zhang Fangyuan saw through it but said nothing. He tossed several pieces of radish into his mouth.
This Xu family was really interesting.
He raised his head and shamelessly called out to Liu Xianglan, “Madam Xu, today is such a good occasion. Why not call your girl and ge’er out to eat? They’ve been busy around the stove all morning, and you’re still keeping them hidden away.”
“Hahahahaha! Only Zhang Fangyuan could say something like that the moment he opened his mouth.”
The men at the table all started teasing Zhang Fangyuan again.
Without waiting for her mother to call her, Xu Shaochun actually came out amid the laughter and conversation of the group of men. She gracefully said that she had come to pour liquor for the elders who were eating.
When Xu Shaochun walked out with her face flushed and her delicate features looking especially charming, the movements of every man at the table stopped as they stared at her.
What a filial and capable girl.
Zhang Fangyuan curled up the corners of his mouth. Taking advantage of the distraction, he alone began piling large pieces of pork lung into his bowl with his chopsticks.
The Xu family was good at cooking, but they were rather stingy. In such a large basin of radish and pork lung soup, there were hardly any pieces of meat.
By the time the men at the table finally pulled their eyes away from Xu Shaochun, Zhang Fangyuan had already eaten all the meat.
After the meal, as the butcher, Zhang Fangyuan not only received a bowl of pig-slaughtering soup and rice, but the host family would also give him a piece of pork as payment.
Xu Changren was fairly generous and gave Zhang Fangyuan two jin of pork with an even mix of fat and lean meat.
After taking the things, he did not linger. He immediately turned and left.
The people remaining here were all men who had their eyes on the Xu family’s second daughter.
If he had not happened to encounter the Xu family’s two children in the side kitchen today, and if he had only seen Xu Shaochun’s beautiful appearance together with all the praise from her mother, he probably would have become rather captivated as well.
He shook his head.
A person really had to see more before judging.
Carrying the meat, he did not go straight home. Instead, he turned and headed first toward the low-lying part of the village.