Chapter Forty-Seven Night Talk

As soon as it was light, the roosters crowed in the village, and Xiaozhi got up. The chill was even more intense than yesterday, and Xiaozhi's breath condensed into white mist.

Contrary to the weather, Zhang Yi was full of energy, with two large pots cooking simultaneously in the kitchen.

One sip is Li Xiulan's tripe and lung soup base, with milky white waves bubbling around, its domineering freshness and aroma as consistent as ever.

The other bite was Zhang Xiaoyu's new attempt: sweet potato shredded sweet porridge.

In the pot, the rice grains were turning over and over in the boiling water. Zhang Xiaoli grabbed a large handful of the dried sweet potato strips he had cut the night before and sprinkled them evenly into the pot.

The shredded potatoes tumble and float in the rice water, gradually softening and releasing the natural sweetness locked in by steaming and drying.

The sweetness was different from that of sweet porridge with added sugar; it was a more rustic and sweet flavor.

As the steam rose, it permeated the cool air, subtly threatening to rival the rich aroma of the nearby tripe and lung soup.

The porridge gradually took on a warm, light orange hue, making it look incredibly comforting.

"Sister-in-law, let's try our hand at making this sweet porridge today!" Zhang Liuyi said confidently to Li Xiulan, who had come to help, as she put the lid on the pot.

Upon arriving at the dock, the two pots were set out, and their sweet, warm aroma indeed attracted a lot of attention.

Especially those laborers and boatmen who had just unloaded the goods, covered in sweat and chilled to the bone by the cold wind.

Their noses twitched, and they followed the scent.

"Young lady, what kind of porridge is this? It smells so sweet and fragrant!"

A burly man with a full beard approached the pot of sweet porridge and took a deep sniff.

"Brother, this is sweet potato porridge! It's made from dried sweet potatoes that we sun-dried ourselves, cut into strips. We didn't add any sugar; it's just cooked with the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. It's piping hot, and a big bowl costs only two coins!"

Zhang Liuli smiled and lifted the pot lid, the steam carrying a sweet aroma rushing towards the man's face.

Two coins? One coin cheaper than your pork liver porridge?

The burly man's eyes lit up at the mention of it. He looked at the pot again; the orange-yellow porridge was thick and tempting, and the soft, cooked sweet potato shreds were almost completely integrated with the rice grains.

"Hey, this color looks so appealing! And the smell is so appetizing! My mouth is so bland, give me a bowl to try!"

Zhang Liuyi deftly ladled out a large bowl and handed it over, steaming hot.

The burly man wasn't afraid of the heat. He blew on it, then slurped a large mouthful along the rim of the bowl. The scalding hot porridge slid down his throat, making him grimace, but he couldn't help but praise it.

"Wow! This porridge is sweet, even sweeter than the sweet porridge from that shop in Xishikou. It even has a hint of sweet potato flavor. So comforting!"

He finished the bowl of porridge in a few bites, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his whole body felt warm.

"Young lady, another bowl, please! This stuff is filling and satisfying!"

Once there's a first one, there will soon be a second and a third.

Many men who find their mouths bland, or are simply drawn in by the sweet aroma, are willing to spend two coins to buy a bowl of hot and sweet sweet potato porridge, which they can eat with pickled vegetables or simply drink on its own to warm their bodies and hearts.

Suddenly, a small queue formed in front of the sweet porridge pot. Although it wasn't as crowded as the pork belly and lung soup, it was still much more lively than the deserted pork liver porridge the day before.

Li Xiulan glanced at him briefly, then gave Zhang Liuli a reassuring look. Zhang Liuli smiled back, and his slight anxiety finally subsided.

Xiong Zixiang finished his shift exceptionally late today.

As dusk settled and the dim lights of every household illuminated the night, he finally returned home, his body still chilly.

The county is not safe. According to reliable intelligence, a thief who travels to many places and specializes in stealing valuables and paintings from wealthy families may have recently come to this county.

This afternoon, a colorful porcelain vase treasured by the wealthy Wang family on the outskirts of the county town disappeared without a trace. The method was swift and efficient, leaving almost no trace at the scene.

The county magistrate strictly ordered all city gate checkpoints and patrol officers to thoroughly investigate unfamiliar faces. Xiong Zixiang was on duty at the city gate, his eyes almost aching from staring so hard. He questioned and investigated every person entering or leaving the city who looked unfamiliar or suspicious. He also patrolled the main streets of the city several times, his legs aching from walking, but he found nothing.

The thief vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

The case weighed heavily on his mind, slowing his pace on the way home until nightfall.

As I opened the door, a warm aroma of food and sweet porridge wafted out, dispelling some of the chill and fatigue.

An oil lamp was lit in the main room, casting a warm yellow glow. Zhang Liuxin was lying on the heated kang bed, with a thick cotton quilt beneath him.

She was still awake, and by the light of the oil lamp, she was intently counting a pile of copper coins scattered on the quilt.

One, two…

She counted very slowly and carefully, muttering something silently to herself, and gently pushed the counted coins aside with her fingers, piling them into a small heap.

His focused yet slightly mischievous expression appeared especially vivid and endearing under the dim light.

Standing at the door, Xiong Zixiang looked at his wife's appearance, and the tension he had felt while handling the case today strangely dissipated by most of it, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

He walked over quietly, sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and asked in a low voice, "Counting money? What are you counting it for?"

Zhang Liuyi was startled by his sudden voice. He looked up and saw that it was Xiong Zixiang. His face immediately broke into a smile.

"Brother Zixiang, you're back!"

She quickly gathered the copper coins aside, then nimbly got off the kang (heated brick bed): "Are you starving? There's some food warming on the stove, I'll go get it for you!"

She shuffled into the kitchen, bringing out a bowl of warm sweet potato porridge, a bowl of stewed radish until soft, and a small dish of pickled vegetables, placing them on the kang table: "Eat quickly, it's still warm!"

Xiong Zixiang was indeed hungry, so he picked up the bowl and started eating heartily.

Zhang Liuli sat opposite him, watching him eat while continuing to count the money. When he had almost finished eating, he sighed and pointed to the pile of copper coins in his hand and on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"I was just worrying about it, and now the New Year is almost here again."

Xiong Zixiang swallowed the last bite of rice and put down the bowl.

"Chinese New Year? There are still two months left, what's there to worry about?"

"I'm worried about money!"

Zhang Liuyi counted on his fingers: "In our first year of marriage, we have to visit all our relatives during the Spring Festival. We can't skimp on the etiquette, right? We also need to prepare gifts for visiting relatives, rice, flour, oil, and meat. All of these cost money. There are so many relatives on both sides combined."

"This is just the gift; there's also the red envelope! When you see the younger generation's children, you have to give them lucky money, right? Nan'er, Xiao Bao, and several nephews and nieces from my sister-in-law's side of the family, and I heard from my mother that she has quite a few relatives... Adding it all up, it's no small amount."

The more she spoke, the more her brows furrowed, and her tone became somewhat aggrieved.

"We work so hard setting up our stall, braving wind and rain, to earn these few copper coins. It feels like they're gone before we even have a chance to enjoy them. It seems like the longer we live, the more we have to spend money."

Looking at her slightly furrowed brows and earnest little face, Xiong Zixiang suddenly felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

She felt sorry for the family; she meticulously managed everything, both inside and outside the home.

He also felt a little guilty. He was just a constable with a limited salary. He might not be able to make great contributions in major cases and get much reward money. If he let her follow him, he would still have to be careful with the daily necessities.

He reached out and his broad, warm hand grasped Zhang Xiaoli's slightly cool hand.

"Silly girl, isn't money meant to be spent? We won't skimp on things that need to be spent. Besides, isn't that how we all get by? Don't worry, look at that pout, you could hang three oil bottles on it."

Zhang Liuyi felt the warmth and comfort from his palm, and her anxiety subsided somewhat.

She gripped Xiong Zixiang's hand tightly in return, shook her head, and her tone became lighter.

"I'm not stupid! Brother Zixiang, I'm not complaining. I'm content with our family as it is now!"

“You’re a constable in town, keeping those petty thieves at bay, so we street vendors can do business in peace. Isn’t this environment something we’ve earned through the hard work of those of you in the police force? Besides, you’ve helped me a lot both at home and outside.”

She started counting on her fingers again.

"In business, preparing ingredients is the most troublesome and tedious task. The stomach and lungs need to be cleaned thoroughly, and the pig's head needs to be singed and scraped clean... Every single one of these is time-consuming and physically demanding. But every time you come back from your shift, don't you roll up your sleeves and help me with the work? Chopping wood and carrying water are also easy tasks for you. Brother Zixiang, your thoughtfulness is more valuable than any amount of money!"

She looked at Xiong Zixiang with bright eyes and spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

Xiong Zixiang felt a warmth in his heart as she looked at him, and her words soothed away his guilt.

He held her hand tightly, his rough thumb gently stroking the delicate skin on the back of her hand, and whispered, "You are my wife, if I don't help you, who else should I help? It's what I should do."

The warm yellow oil lamp flickered, casting long shadows of the two people on the wall, nestled together.

Zhang Liuli's cheeks flushed slightly as she leaned closer. The couple whispered some intimate words, their voices filled with the sweet intimacy typical of newlyweds. Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, the atmosphere was warm and cozy, brimming with affection.

After washing up, he blew out the oil lamp.

The two crawled into bed, the thick quilt keeping out the chill.

Xiong Zixiang habitually stretched out his arm, and Zhang Yili naturally nestled into his warm and generous embrace.

The bed quickly became warm and cozy, and the two of them exuded a familiar scent.

In the dark, vision is blocked, making other senses exceptionally clear.

Zhang Liuyi rested her head on Xiong Zixiang's arm, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and couldn't help but think of visiting relatives during the Spring Festival.

"Brother Zixiang, shall we reconsider our relatives?" she whispered.

"Yes, go ahead," Xiong Zixiang's voice rang out in the darkness.

"Your father seems to be the only one in the village, right? I heard he has a younger sister who works for a wealthy family in the city. I'm afraid she won't be able to come back for the New Year?"

“Yes, my aunt lives in the prefectural city, which is far away. The family rules are strict, and they don’t easily let people return during the holidays. As for my father, apart from the clan elders, everyone else is beyond the fifth degree of kinship, so there aren’t any relatives he needs to visit,” Xiong Zixiang replied.

"What about Mother?" Zhang asked.

“My mother’s side… My uncle’s cousins ​​are all in Zhuohe Village, which is close by, so we’ll definitely visit them during the New Year. There are also two aunts who are married in a neighboring village, which isn’t too far away, so we’ll have to go there too.”

Xiong Zixiang thought for a moment and said, "In total, there are quite a few relatives on my mother's side, but they are all nearby, so it's convenient to visit them. We just need to show them the proper etiquette, and there's no need to spend too much money."

Zhang Liuli made a mental note of it and then started to plan his own actions.

“Besides my father and my eldest uncle’s family, there is also… there is a close cousin in Nianping Village in the next county. During festivals, my father and eldest uncle would send some rice and flour over. The three of them are very close. This year, since we are newly married, we will probably have to go there too. It’s a bit far, but we can’t be late with the formalities.”

As Xiong Zixiang listened to her detailed calculations, he gradually came to a conclusion.

He tightened his arms, holding the person in his arms even closer, and gently rubbed his chin against the top of her head: "When you think about it, it's actually not that bad. There aren't many families that really spend a lot of money on lavish gifts."

"Red envelopes...give a few to the younger relatives, as long as it's a token. Make the envelopes for Nan'er and Xiao Bao thicker, and for the other children, give them a few coins for good luck. I don't think anyone will complain. Our family has a business now, and we have income. We're much better off than in previous years. Wife, you're just putting too much pressure on yourself."

Zhang Liu snuggled closer to him, finding a more comfortable position. Hearing his calm voice, the anxiety in her heart did indeed dissipate by more than half.

She said sullenly, "I just... I just can't help but overthink things. I'm afraid of not being polite enough, afraid of being laughed at as an ignorant new bride, and also afraid... afraid of not having enough money and not having a proper New Year."

"Nonsense." Xiong Zixiang chuckled softly, his chest trembling slightly.

"We live our own lives. Whether it's dignified or not doesn't depend on what outsiders think, but on how comfortable we feel. You manage this household so well, inside and out, and we all see that. Who would laugh at you?"

"As for money... we'll do as much as we can. Right now, the most important thing is to run the stall well, stabilize the business, and get through the year-end period smoothly. As for spending money on visiting relatives during the holidays, we'll figure that out when it comes. There's always a way out. Thinking so far ahead only makes you worry."

His words were like a reassuring pill, settling firmly in Zhang Xiaoyi's heart.

Yes, why worry so much about the future?

Right now, the business is starting to improve, my husband is considerate and reliable, my family is harmonious, and my bed is warm—that's enough.

"Mmm... I understand." Zhang Yili responded softly, snuggling closer into his arms, absorbing the reassuring warmth.

After a long day of tension, their nerves finally relaxed, and sleepiness gradually crept in. The couple embraced and fell asleep.