Chapter Seventy-One: Longing

The new shop was so busy during its first two days that business was booming.

Zhang Liuyi, Xiong Zijuan, and Li Xiulan, the three sisters-in-law, stayed up all day long without their feet touching the ground.

The three of them squeezed into the small attic on the third floor and made do with sleeping there. The river breeze blew in through the gauze window, carrying moisture, which relieved some of the summer heat.

The space was cramped, and with three people crammed into one bed, it was difficult to even turn over. If one of them got up at night, the other two would wake up.

On the morning of the third day, before dawn, Li Xiulan sat up, rubbing her aching back, which woke the two of them.

“Listen, Juan’er. I have to go back today.”

Zhang Liuyi also woke up and looked at the dark circles under her sister-in-law's eyes: "Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Are you tired?"

Li Xiulan shook her head and sighed, "I'm tired, but... Xiao Nan'er is still at home. I've been away for two nights. The child misses his mother, and I miss the child too. I was just woken up by a fright; I dreamt of him crying."

“I feel at ease with my mother-in-law taking care of her, but… I’m always worried about her.”

Xiong Zijuan sat up beside her and whispered, "What Xiulan said... I also miss Xiaobao. I'm always worried that he hasn't eaten enough."

The three of them are all stuck here, and they really can't take care of their families.

The child is still young, separated from his mother, which mother wouldn't be heartbroken?

She may not have children of her own, but the bond between them is just like the one she shares with her father, and she understands it.

"Okay, sister-in-law, Sister Zijuan, you should go home tonight."

Zhang Yili said decisively, "There are fewer customers in the shop at night, and I can manage by myself. You should go back and get some rest and spend time with your children."

“Then you’ll be all alone…” Li Xiulan was a little worried.

"fine!"

Zhang Liuyi waved his hand: "There are only a few tables for drinks tonight, we can manage. Besides, there's Zixiang, he can come and lend a hand after he gets off work."

Li Xiulan and Xiong Zijuan exchanged a glance and nodded.

They really do miss their children terribly.

After a quick wash and tidying up, the two women got up to open their shop. By noon, there were hardly any customers, so they hurriedly went home.

The shop suddenly became much quieter.

Looking at the empty tables and chairs, Zhang felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

But the work had to continue, so she cheered herself up, cut and arranged the braised food on plates, and cleaned the shop inside and out.

Evening still had a lot of customers. She was busy running around and was exhausted. Her heart was filled with longing for her family, which made her understand even more why her sister-in-law and sister wanted to go home.

These past few days, Xiong Zixiang has been working at the county government office, but he's been thinking about the shop and, even more so, his wife.

When he came back from his shift the first two nights, the three women in the shop were crammed into the small attic, and he, a grown man, couldn't go up there, so he could only go home and sleep on the cold kang (heated brick bed).

During the day, he patrolled the streets of the yamen, speaking even less, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the downstream direction of the dock.

His colleagues in the cell would chat and joke around, and he would just listen, occasionally chuckling along, but he rarely chimed in.

But something was scratching at my heart, making me anxious.

During the day, while patrolling the streets of the yamen, the image of someone busy at the stove would occasionally pop into my mind.

That day, he timed his shift to end, greeted the registrar, and headed to the shop early.

When he arrived at the shop, through the screen of the large window, he saw a person busy inside, whose figure appeared somewhat thin.

He pushed the door open and went in.

"pay attention to!"

Zhang Liuyi was bending down to clear the dishes from the table when she heard the sound, looked up, saw her husband, and her eyes lit up.

He took off his servant's outer robe and hung it on a nail in the corner, revealing the short jacket underneath: "What work do you have on hand now? I'll do it."

Zhang looked at him, and the emptiness in her heart was suddenly filled.

She shoved the rag in her hand into his arms: "You've come at the perfect time! Wipe these tables first! There are still a few bowls by the stove over there, wash them! Also, cut up a plate of those braised pig ears, and the customers at the window table will order them!"

Xiong Zixiang was taken aback by her series of instructions, then smiled and took the rag: "I'll get to work right away, shopkeeper."

He moved swiftly, rolling up his sleeves and starting to wipe the table, wash the dishes, and cut the braised meat.

He wasn't as attentive or meticulous as Zhang, but he was strong and quick, so he did a decent job.

Before long, the guests who wanted to have a few drinks that evening began to arrive.

Most of them were acquaintances at the dock, or shopkeepers and employees of nearby shops.

"Oh my! Officer Xiong? You're here... traveling incognito to experience the lives of ordinary people?" a familiar peddler joked.

Xiong Zixiang was carrying a plate of sliced ​​pig ears to the guests' table when he heard this. He wasn't annoyed; he just twitched his lips slightly and nodded in response.

"What do you mean by 'traveling incognito'? He's just working as an assistant to his boss!"

"Tsk tsk, Officer Xiong is afraid of his wife!" someone nearby teased.

Xiong Zixiang put down the plate, straightened up, glanced at the man, his face expressionless, and only mumbled a "hmm," which was considered as if he had heard.

He turned around and went to do other things, without responding. He was always a man of few words in front of outsiders.

Zhang listened intently by the stove, a slight smile playing on his lips.

She knew her husband's temperament; he wouldn't get angry, nor did he care what others said.

With him around, I feel at ease.

With Xiong Zixiang helping to greet guests and serve dishes and drinks, Zhang Yimou's workload was greatly reduced. He only needed to focus on making soup, serving porridge, and cutting braised dishes at the stove.

The couple worked seamlessly together, one inside and one outside.

By the time the last table of guests had left, the moon was already high in the sky.

The shop quieted down, with only the crackling of embers from the stove remaining.

Xiong Zixiang helped put the tables and chairs back in their places and cleaned up the wine stains and food scraps on the floor.

Zhang Liuyi wrapped the unsold braised food in oil paper and put it into a small jar on the second shelf.

The two of them worked together to install the door panels one by one, and then put down the window panels and secured them with latches.

The small shop has become a quiet and warm corner by the riverbank.

After getting ready, the two of them climbed the sturdy wooden ladder one after the other to the small attic on the third floor.

The attic was small, but with only the two of them there, it felt cozy.

Zhang Yili lowered the mosquito net and carefully inspected it.

Xiong Zixiang filled a basin with water, and the two of them washed their faces and rinsed their mouths with the water.

Lying on that small bed, although it was still a bit cramped, it was much more spacious than when three people slept together.

Xiong Zixiang turned to the side and pulled his wife into his arms.

"I missed you..." His voice was deep, his breath hot against Zhang Xiaoli's ear, and he tightened his arms around her.

Zhang Liuli blushed, snuggled closer to him, and without saying a word, simply wrapped her arms around his waist.

There were no lights in the attic, only the hazy moonlight filtering through the window and falling on the curtains.

Xiong Zixiang whispered sweet nothings of longing in her ear, their sweat mingling and their breaths mingling.

After their lovemaking had subsided, the two lay embracing each other on the sweat-soaked sheets.

Xiong Zixiang embraced his wife contentedly, his fingers gently caressing her smooth back.

"You must be exhausted these past few days?" he asked in a low voice.

"Hmm..." Zhang Yili leaned against him, her voice still a little lazy: "It's okay during the day, but at night, it feels a bit... empty."

"You're here, I feel much better."

Xiong Zixiang didn't say anything more, but just hugged her tighter.

My chin rested on the top of her head, and I smelled the faint scent of soap and smoke on her body.

She didn't say she missed him, but Xiong Zixiang understood.

“If you’re alone at night, I’ll come over.” Xiong Zixiang kissed the top of her head: “I’ll help you pack up your stall and sleep with you.”

Zhang felt sweet inside, but said it aloud.

"What about the kang (heated brick bed) at home? It's all cold now."

"So what if it's cold?" Xiong Zixiang said indifferently. "Wherever you are, I'll be there. I don't want to sleep on that cold kang without you."

Zhang Liuyi was amused by him and lightly punched him: "You're such a chatterbox!"

The two spoke in hushed tones for a while longer.

Zhang Liuyi mentioned that the braised dishes served with alcohol were selling well, with pig's head meat jelly being particularly popular; however, he had to ask the liquor store at the West Market intersection if there were any discounts.

Xiong Zixiang said with a smile, "I'll go ask my dad later to see if the pig's head meat can be cheaper so we can buy more. I heard that the family at the West Market is related to Master Si. I'll go ask them later and see if they'll give us that kind of face."

The two chatted on and on, talking about the trivial matters in the shop and expressing their longing for each other over the past few days.

In the distance, the sound of the Zhuoshui River could be faintly heard, like a lullaby.

After a long day, my body completely relaxed in my lover's arms.

Zhang listened intently to her husband's steady and powerful heartbeat, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she soon drifted off to sleep.

Xiong Zixiang held her close and closed his eyes contentedly.