RMCF: Chapter 43

 

Chapter 43

Xu He held a small red envelope, untied the string, and carefully counted out sixty-six wen. This was the red envelope his Aunt Chen gave him. Handling the banquet well as the head chef deserved a red envelope, plus he stepped in the last minute, so the Chen family generously gave this much.

Actually, the money was secondary; the important part was the recognition.

He leaned back gently in his chair. No wonder Zhang Fangyuan agreed immediately when the Chen family made the request. He felt Zhang Fangyuan, though sometimes seeming unreliable with many flaws, saw things more clearly and far-sightedly on major matters.

Turning around, the man himself was already asleep in bed. The night was deep. The butcher kept the groom drinking for hours. If Madam Chen hadn’t intervened, his cousin might truly have missed the bridal chamber.

After bringing his own husband home, Xu He wiped him down and hauled him onto the bed. The big guy was twice as heavy drunk compared to sober, almost impossible to drag along. Luckily, once drunk, he just slept, didn’t vomit or act wild, otherwise it would have taken several strong men to control him.

Xu He blew out the lamp, went to the bedside, and patted the leg hanging over the edge. In his sleep, the man obediently pulled his leg back.

“He Ger, come here quickly, let me hold you.”

Hearing a clear mumble, Xu He looked over—the man’s eyes were still closed. His heart felt warm; reaching out, he held Zhang Fangyuan’s hand, lying down beside him in the dim twilight.

The next day, the two slept in late, then got up and simply ate some congee. The Chen family's event was over, and it was time to get back to work properly.

A few days later, after Zhang Fangyuan sold all the pork from his latest purchase, it was time to look for another.

“At the Chen’s banquet, the Huang family from east of the village asked me to come check their livestock in the next few days. If suitable, we’ll decide on it, saving a trip to other villages. Want to come with me?”

The couple was eating breakfast. Xu He took a sip of congee, having never gone with Zhang Fangyuan to look at livestock before, he was somewhat curious to see. “Sure, I can go pick some wild grass there to feed the horse.”

Zhang Fangyuan chuckled and said nothing more. After eating, they locked up and went out together.

Since they were just going to look at the livestock and wouldn't necessarily decide on the spot, they didn't take the ox cart, only bringing the butchering tools. If suitable, slaughtering first then coming back for the cart to load wouldn’t be much trouble, as it was just within the village.

After inspecting the pig in the Huang family's pen, it’s condition seemed pretty good, around two hundred jin. Zhang Fangyuan agreed on it readily.

Late April to early May, the village was busy transplanting rice seedlings. Families with many fields hired help or exchanged labor with neighboring households—today at the Zhangs’, tomorrow at the Lis’. No money was exchanged, but the host family had to provide three meals a day.

Usually, better food was prepared during this time with meat definitely included. Moreover, farming households made ‘piglet buns’—soft-skinned buns with meat fillings—and deliver them to the fields around late morning or afternoon for the laborers to snack on and keep their energy up.

Naturally, pork sold better during this period than usual.

After Zhang Fangyuan finalized the deal with the Huang family, he started boiling water to slaughter the pig. Villagers needing to transplant seedlings came over to buy fresh pork nearby; always serving only cured meat to guests wasn’t good. When Zhang Fangyuan returned home to get the cart, several villagers followed.

“Alright, I’ll charge fifteen wen per jin, not expensive.”

Everyone tried to use their acquaintance with Zhang Fangyuan to bargain for a cheaper price. Since he wasn't going to town, selling two wen cheaper in the village was fine. Zhang Fangyuan agreed readily, attracting more buyers upon hearing.

“Shaochun, our family needs to transplant seedlings too. There’s only two men in the family; Lian’er is at the academy and can’t help. Your father-in-law alone can’t manage. We've already arranged with two neighboring families to exchange work starting tomorrow. The Huang family slaughtered a pig. Everyone says Zhang Fangyuan sells to villagers for only fifteen wen per jin. You go buy two jin for tomorrow to treat the helping neighbors.”

The Fei family also lived in the east end of the village, with several other households nearby. News of the Huangs’ selling pork spread quickly to several families.

Xu Shaochun was washing clothes in the yard. Seeing her mother-in-law return from watching the commotion and immediately assigning her tasks, she couldn’t help frowning.

Before she could speak, Madam Fei added, “Your younger brother is there too. Talk to him privately later, see if he can lower the price a bit more. The weather's hot; go wash clothes by the river. We still need to carry water for home use. Oh, and the bedding from my room—wash that too while you’re at it. Good weather is suitable for washing.”

Bombarded with a pile of tasks at once, Xu Shaochun momentarily didn't know which one to rebut first. At home, her mother praised her for doing things voluntarily; never receiving so much complaint. Since returning from the Chen family banquet, she noticed her mother-in-law always assigning chores to her.

The daily trivial tasks never ended, from getting up in the morning until lying down in bed at night. Even after Xu He married out, chores at home weren’t as hectic as at the Fei household. She suddenly realized smaller households truly weren’t comfortable.

“My younger brother is very tight with money. Not just me, even my mother couldn’t get a discount. Better you go, Mother-in-law. You’re persuasive; might actually get him to lower the price a bit.”

Madam Fei smiled upon hearing this. “Who goes doesn’t matter; the important thing is preparing good dishes tomorrow for the transplanting work. I need to carry seedlings to the fields too; the household will rely on you then.”

Xu Shaochun's face paled slightly at these words. “I… I'm afraid I can't manage alone!”

“Nonsense. If you get up early to prepare, how could you not manage? You're just being modest and reserved. I know you—your mother said you cook well. It’s a perfect chance to show your skills.”

Madam Fei's tone was light but the voice was cool and indifferent.

Hearing Madam Fei’s intent, clearly determined to make her do it, Xu Shaochun weakly acquiesced. “With my husband away, it is only right that I share some of the household chores with my mother-in-law.”

Her agreement sounded pleasant, but after speaking, she set down the clothes, wiping sweat from her brow. “Just… didn't sleep well last night, and I'm feeling a bit dizzy and heavy-headed today. But thinking I mustn't delay the household chores, which is why I didn't go to the river and am washing at home instead. Not sure if I might start coughing. If I were to cook in this state it might… disgrace our helping neighbors.”

Hearing this delicate, breathy complaint, Madam Fei, who had been about to go inside to fetch a basket for buying meat, immediately turned back.

The anger that had been simmering for days finally boiled over at this moment. She shot a cold, sidelong glance at Xu Shaochun.  “I say, Miss Xu the Second, you shouldn't have married out; you belong on the stage with the Chunxi Opera Troupe from the city.”

Since returning from the Chen family banquet, she had deliberately assigned Xu Shaochun various farming household tasks one by one, observing secretly.

This little minx worked slowly and hesitantly; tasks that should take half a day stretched into a full day. She was always thinking of ways to sneak a break. When working, she constantly needed to use the outhouse or get a drink of water.

She could do the work, but she was by no means proficient. Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run. How could a child from a farming family not know how to do farm work? Even the scholar in their family could occasionally lend a hand.

Fooling outsiders might work, but not a laboring farmer woman living under the same roof.

Before she hadn't paid close attention and didn't noticed anything. But once she observed carefully, it truly made her seethe with anger.

Thinking back to how her mother had boasted so extravagantly—so beautiful, good at managing affairs and running a household. Now it seemed, apart from being slick-tongued, those hands of hers were incapable of decent work.

Originally, she hadn't planned to confront her, waiting for the girl to expose herself. She never expected that not only were daily tasks left unfinished, but she also had a bag full of excuses—either a headache, or cramps in her hands and feet. She even blamed the washboard and knives for being inferior and not as good as the ones in the Xu family.

Her skin was thicker than most young married women her age.

Today, she simply couldn't take it anymore. “Sick every other day and can’t do much anyway—might as well return to the Xu family, rest with your father, and let your mother take good care of you.”

Hearing this, Xu Shaochun also flared up. At home, she had rarely heard harsh words. At the Fei household, chores already doubled, yet Madam Fei was still dissatisfied. The last couple of days, she had only been making sarcastic remarks, but today she was outright cursing her! She felt both wronged and angry, and her expression turned sour. “Mother-in-law, you shouldn't be so harsh. What household chores haven't I helped with?”

“Oh! Harsh? Cutting grass, feeding pigs, washing clothes—that’s harsh to you? Go check every household in the village! Is there any daughter-in-law who does less than you? Even the Qiu family’s daughter-in-law next door, who's heavily pregnant, does more than you! Busy from morning till night, even carrying manure water to fertilize the vegetables!”

…

Xu He finished counting the silver for the pig with Madam Huang and came out to see Zhang Fangyuan scraping bristles. The villagers waiting to buy pork were already gone and the previously lively yard suddenly quieted.

“Where is everyone? Did they all buy their meat and leave?”

Zhang Fangyuan poured water from a kettle, rinsing the last bristles from the pig's tail, raising an eyebrow mischievously. “All went to the Fei house to break up a fight.”

Though 'break up a fight' was a generous term; Zhang Fangyuan knew the villagers' nature—they loved watching people argue.

“Break up what fight?”

“Madam Fei and your Second Sister are having a huge argument. Your sister is crying and making a scene. Probably a villager buying meat mentioned it to your mother. They had just quieted down over there for a bit, but your mother arrived, and it got even worse!”

The Huang family’s man had just returned from there. Arguments among village women and ger were common. Men like them couldn't easily intervene. He took a look, saw they weren't coming to blows, and came back.

Xu He, however, was shocked. They hadn't been married long; how could they already be arguing?

“Aren't you going to take a look?”

Zhang Fangyuan said, “Why go? Before everyone went to watch the excitement, they told me to finish preparing the pig quickly so they could buy it when they get back.”

Xu He frowned worriedly. “Then I'll go take a look.”

Zhang Fangyuan suddenly pulled him back. “Just watch the commotion from a distance. Don't get involved.”

Xu He nodded.

“You spoke so nicely before the marriage, but it turns out it was all an empty shell! Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning for telling such lies? My poor son, so refined and scholarly, having to swallow this bitter pill because of your family!”

“Your family suffering a loss? No family is more cunning than yours! You give the lowest bride price and still expected my child to come here and toil like an ox! Not afraid to be laughed at if this gets out! If not for you saying you'd treat the child as your own, would I have agreed? Bah!”

When Xu He arrived along the lower path, Madam Fei and his mother Liu Xianglan were standing red-faced, hands on hips, cursing each other fiercely, like two roosters with their feathers puffed up, each fiercer than the last.

“Fine! Everyone is here. Just right to judge this fairly! This Liu woman says her daughter is virtuous and capable in managing a household, but she can't even cook a few proper dishes! Why did she pretend to be sick and refuse to help at the Chen family that day? It's because Xu Shaochun is completely useless! Deceiving everyone by  claiming Xu Shaochun is capable! It was all done by that He Ger, wasn't it!”

Just then, they noticed Xu He had arrived. The villagers all looked at him. Everyone had their own thoughts, but no one spoke.

“Hey! I said my child can cook and manage a household, but I never specified which child! It's your own fault for not asking clearly; what's it to do with me?! Before, you wanted our Shaochun to bolster your family's prestige, and now you’re nitpicking! Fingers vary in length; can someone be perfect at everything? Think your Fei Lian is so great! He's just the same—can't do any work and still needs someone to take care of him while he studies!”

When it came to cursing matches, both sides felt they were in the right. They didn't hold back, deliberately aiming for the other's sore spots. They couldn't care about anything else; determined to win the argument.

“My son is a scholar with official rank! Even if he can't farm, he receives a monthly stipend from the court and has good land to use. What does your Shaochun have besides an empty shell? Can you eat that?”

“Oh, tearing down the bridge after crossing the river—never seen it done like you! Before, you only fancied our Shaochun because of her looks! Your scholar seems upright, but his eyes are glued to Shaochun!”

Seeing Liu Xianglan painting her precious son as a lecher, she became completely enraged, “Think my Lian'er is so set on your Xu Shaochun? Many want to marry into our family! Initially, my son didn’t fancy your useless Xu Shaochun; he liked…”

“Folks, the pig’s all ready. If you don't buy it now, I'm taking it back.”

Zhang Fangyuan suddenly came over, his loud voice interrupting the villagers enjoying the spectacle and cutting off Madam Fei's words before they could escape her lips.

Xu He also vaguely sensed what Madam Fei was about to say next and was inwardly horrified. Fortunately, Zhang Fangyuan stopped the argument before he could.

If Madam Fei dragged up those old matters, there would be even more trouble in the future, and none of the families involved would have any peace.

The villagers were still eager for more. Many had envied the marriage between these two families before. Seeing them tear into each other now filled them with secret delight; they wished they could hear more about the dirty laundry of both families.

But after Zhang Fangyuan's interruption, they couldn't shamelessly keep listening. They pretended to intervene and persuade the two parties to calm down, eventually managing to make both sides stop.

Xu Shaochun cried until her eyes were swollen inside the house. Now that she had lost all dignity and face, she felt strangely relieved, as if shedding a mask off her face. Not caring about what others said or thought anymore, she carried a basin of wash water and directly threw it into the yard. The villagers had no choice but to sheepishly retreat.

Xu He exchanged a glance with Zhang Fangyuan. If they knew it would come to this, why did they act that way in the first place? He didn't go forward to mediate. Going over would only make him a punching bag for their venting anyway. So, he simply returned to the Huang family with Zhang Fangyuan to collect money and sell pork.

Two days later, Xu He heard about the aftermath.

His mother Liu Xianglan, furious, called Xu Shaochun back during the Fei family’s busiest transplanting time. Madam Fei chased after them, cursing up a storm, but still had to return home to deal with the work.

Xu Shaochun stayed at her parents' house for three to five days in a row, feeling quite smug initially. But later, with no word from the Fei family, she started to feel anxious. Even when Fei Lian returned from the academy for his break, he didn’t come fetch her.

Only then did Xu Shaochun panic. After much hesitation and awkwardness, she finally swallowed her pride and returned to the Fei family on her own.

Hearing all this, Xu He sighed. For the two families to end up in such an ugly state was truly unseemly. As for divorce, that was unlikely. Ordinary households didn't go in for that. Usually, it was only widowhood, not divorce.

One marriage already took a heavy toll. Finding a second match, especially one not as good as the first, would be difficult, not to mention the cost and the scandal. They would probably just have to endure this stalemate. Such quarrels between the wife's and husband's families were quite common. Life goes on after the fight, but good days certainly wouldn't be easy.

He only hoped his second sister matured a bit from this experience. If she managed the relationship with her husband properly and lived steadfastly, there was still hope for the future. After all, Fei Lian was a rare scholar in the village.

Returning from gathering vegetables, Xu He noticed the villagers in the fields were now discussing Fei Lian and his second sister. He felt a bit unaccustomed to it. He and Zhang Fangyuan, the two ‘prominent figures’ who had always been the focus of village gossip, had suddenly been dethroned.

“Come to town with me tomorrow to sell vegetables.”

Zhang Fangyuan returned from helping Zhang Shiyuan transplant rice seedlings. His lower legs and feet were covered in mud. He scooped a large gourd of water and washed himself at the corner of the yard, splashing some on the small green onions in a broken clay pot.

Xu He was sorting the fresg vegetables. “Not going to sell vegetables anymore.”

Zhang Fangyuan's hand stilled upon hearing this. He tossed the gourd into the water vat and walked over to Xu He. “Why not? Those bastards won't dare trouble you again; they even paid compensation. I'll keep an eye on you from now on.”

Xu He chuckled. “If you're watching me, who's going to watch the meat stall?”

“Going. I saw yesterday we've saved up almost five thousand wen. Earning together, we can build a blue-tiled house before long.”

“You're quite the dreamer. Building a blue-tiled house in the village requires at least a hundred taels. Who would dare start without that?”

“Well, it doesn’t mean we can't have something to look forward to.”

Seeing Zhang Fangyuan childishly insisting, Xu He no longer kept him in suspense and stood up. “Not many wild vegetables are left to pick. The villagers all say I've moved all the wild vegetables near our village to town. Not a sustainable business, and the profit isn’t high.”

“The weather's getting hotter. I've noticed pork offal isn't selling well and spoils easily. Why don't we make it into spiced brine dishes? I'll go set up a stall in the city with you to sell that.”

Hearing this, the frown on Zhang Fangyuan's brow smoothed out. He rubbed his hands, his eyes lighting up with imagination. “That's a great idea! Spiced brine dishes can sell for more than regular pork! Why didn't you say so earlier? We should have done this long ago!”

“It's not that simple. Before, when the weather was cold, how many people would eat spiced brine dishes? Only a drunkard like you doesn't care about hot or cold, eating cold spiced dishes as drinking snacks whenever you feel like it.”

Zhang Fangyuan wanted to say he hadn't done that in a long time—with no spare money for such things. Nowadays, when it came to food, he finally understood the meaning of the word ‘expensive’ that Chen Si used to always mention.

But now, Chef Xu would make it himself. So, there was no need to crave outside food anymore.

He followed closely behind Xu He, hovering around. “Then when do we start setting up the stall?”

“Tomorrow.”

Xu He led him into the kitchen, took out a small, neatly tied cloth bag, and handed it to Zhang Fangyuan. “Smell this. Is it good?”

Hearing they would set up the stall tomorrow made Zhang Fangyuan even more delighted. He quickly bent down to sniff. “It's a spice pouch!”

“I made the spice mix. I've tested the broth, but I don't know how the marinated meat will taste. I was waiting for you to come home so we could try it first. If it's not good, I can adjust the seasoning along the way.”

“Alright!”

Zhang Fangyuan agreed immediately and went to fetch the prime cut for marinating—the pig's head.

The assembled spice pouch was porous. When dropped into a deep pot of water, it quickly tinted the clear liquid, gradually turning it the color of deep gardenia fruit mixed with aged soy sauce. Yet when ladled out, it was still translucent.

Xu He's spice bag contained mountain pepper, star anise, cinnamon, dried pine, ginger, cardamom, and so on—some he’d gathered himself; whatever wasn't available at home, he bought in town.

The pig's head was scrubbed clean before going into the pot, needing to simmer for about two hours.

After roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the fragrant aroma of the brine could be smelled even with the lid on; the closer you got, the stronger it became.

Zhang Fangyuan had only ever eaten prepared spiced meat and had never witnessed the process. While tending the fire, he kept peeking into the pot.

The brine improves with each use. To ensure the meat absorbed the flavors, the brine and spices were heavily concentrated, much saltier than everyday meals.

For the spiced meat to be delicious, the brine is one thing, but the sauce for tossing the meat is even more critical.

Chili oil was essential. Xu He prepared two flavors: a standard spicy one, and another purely numbing. He used fresh Sichuan peppercorns to make oil, adding some chilies and sesame seeds. This sauce would elevate even ordinary dishes, let alone marinated meat. But he was stingy with it; he'd never use it for everyday stir-fries.

Xu He had really splurged on these ingredients. He planned to go into the mountains to pick Sichuan peppercorns and make the oil after autumn himself; the spice shop prices were just too high.

Zhang Fangyuan readily promised that whenever he went up the mountain and saw any peppercorn trees or litsea, he'd dig them up and plant them in their backyard.

After a long wait of two hours, Xu He used a hook to lift the pig's head. Seeing the meat separate easily from the bone meant it was done.

The pale pig's head, after two hours in the brine, had transformed into a beautiful jujube red. The moment it was lifted, steam billowed from the pot, dispersing dramatically like a delicious entrance.

Just by appearance, Xu He was quite satisfied. It smelled fragrant too. The taste, however, needed testing.

Not only was he eager to try, Zhang Fangyuan had been rubbing his hands in anticipation for a long time. Xu He sliced a thin piece to ‘feed the big dog’, almost burning its mouth.

“Good, good! Whoever says this isn't good, I'll punch them!”

Xu He chuckled. “So unreasonable.”

The freshly cooked spiced pig's head had a slightly soft, glutinous texture and a rich aroma. The flavor was a bit light, but since the meat would be tossed with sauce later, it was just right. Once cooled, its distant fragrance faded, the texture becoming springy and chewy, perfect with rice or as a drinking snack.

Xu He was delighted that the first attempt at blending the spices worked so well. He calmly went to prepare the pork offal for marinating. Cleaning offal was troublesome, just right to go in the pot later; they could pack it and take it to town tomorrow morning.

“Cut a piece to send to Fourth Uncle's house. Let Xiaomao have a taste.”

Zhang Fangyuan sliced off a piece, but half of the pig's nose went into his own mouth first. “Got it!”

 

***

 

T/N

some of these chapters are getting quite long, but I don't like splitting them sooo

anyhow, truly sorry for the long wait! i'm publishing a bunch as compensation! also we reached a milestone of the first 50 chapters and over a third into the story~

a happy lunar new year to everyone, may it be filled with peace and success and full of dog food hehe

 

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