Chapter 147 The Dead Tree Sprouting Again
Zhao Xiping led a strong, black ram with large horns back to the guesthouse. The merchants were just finishing their meal, and seeing this, they all rushed over and asked, "Captain Zhao, are you preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner?"
"We're roasting lamb tomorrow night." Zhao Xiping saw their intention and said directly, "We plan to eat it ourselves, not sell it."
"How much is this sheep?" asked a merchant in wolf skin.
Zhao Xiping gestured and said, "A little over two hundred and eighty yuan."
“It’s too expensive.”
"The price of mutton has increased this year, but my sheep weighs two pounds. Look at these big curved horns, they have been growing for two years." Zhao Xiping reached out and held the sheep's horns. The irritable ram bleated and pushed forward vigorously.
Gan Da opened the sheep pen, walked over, grabbed the sheep's hind legs and dragged it in.
There was already a ram in the pen. When the two sheep met, sparks flew and their four horns collided with each other with a bang. Others gathered around to watch the sheep fight.
"Slaughter both sheep?" someone asked.
Zhao Xiping had an indescribable expression on his face. He waved his hands and said, "I dare not. This sheep is my brother-in-law's treasure. I cannot kill it."
Everyone laughed.
"Brother-in-law, it's time for dinner." Sui Liang stood outside the west kitchen door and shouted loudly.
"Watch it carefully, don't hit it until it bleeds." Zhao Xiping instructed Gan Da, "If these two sheep don't behave, take the one you bought out and tie it up somewhere."
After saying that, he strode westward.
Today I made pork and dried radish rice. The rice grains at the bottom of the pot were crispy and fragrant, and the radish had changed color. Sui Yu likes this kind of rice the most. After eating two bowls of rice and drinking a bowl of rice soup, her stomach felt bloated.
"Are these the radishes I bought last month?" Zhao Xiping asked. "They're quite delicious."
"Yeah, I'm planning to plant a few acres of wheat next year after the wheat harvest." Sui Yu walked around the kitchen yard and said, "I'll buy a jar of wine tomorrow. You don't need to prepare anything else."
"Tomorrow night we'll go to the Taoist temple near the west city gate to light torches. After we've driven away the dark night, we'll come back and roast the lamb." Zhao Xiping finished his bowl of rice soup, walked to the center of the yard, and said, "Let's dig a hole here. We'll have the fire there tomorrow. Once the gate is closed, no wind will come in, and we'll be warm by the fire."
"Would it be okay if we could join you?" Someone came in, and the leading merchant said, "You have a big yard. Roast two more lambs, and we'll come over to celebrate the New Year with you."
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping looked at each other.
"We will buy the sheep and wine ourselves, and you can help with the cleaning. We will also give you the sheepskins." The merchant added.
Sui Yu agreed without hesitation and said, "Buy the sheep today, slaughter it tonight, marinate the mutton before going to bed, marinate it for a day, and start making a fire before dark tomorrow."
"Okay." Several merchants left again. Sui Yu agreed and they went to collect the money. There were about 150 people living in the three guesthouses. If each person paid 4 cents, they could buy two fat sheep.
Sui Yu began preparing the marinade. She stir-fried Sichuan peppercorns and fermented black beans until crispy and fragrant. After cooling, she crushed the garlic, chopped the scallions, and pounded the garlic, scallions, and ginger in a stone trough until they turned into a sticky paste. She prepared a large pot of it for later use. With all that ready, she also prepared the sauce. She scooped half a pot of the sauce into a simmer, removing the moisture. Then, she poured two bowls of the chopped Sichuan peppercorns and fermented black beans into the pot, mixed them together, and covered it with a lid to let it cool.
At this time, the sound of sheep bleating was heard outside. After three short sounds, there was no movement at all.
Sui Yu went out to take a look and saw that the blood was being drained. She went back into the house. It was getting dark and the wind outside was too cold.
After cleaning the three sheep, Yin Po and the others took away the sheep's internal organs and blood in basins. After washing the internal organs, they cooked two pots of radish, which became another very sumptuous meal.
"The mutton has been rinsed clean." Zhao Xiping and his two brothers, as well as Gan Da and Gan Er, carried the sheep in.
Sui Yu pointed to the sticky onion, ginger and garlic sauce and said, "Spread this on the mutton, inside and out."
"Okay, we'll do it, don't move." Zhao Xiping said.
First, they pickled the head, had a meal in the middle, and settled the bill after the meal. After the income and expenditure were recorded, Sui Yu instructed them to wipe the chopped green onion, ginger and garlic off the mutton.
"It doesn't matter what's inside the lamb, but the green onion leaves and garlic on the outside must be wiped clean, otherwise it will be bitter when roasted." Sui Yu said.
"Have you eaten it?" Zhao Xiping asked. Before she could answer, he realized, "Yes, you must have eaten it."
"As a daughter of an official family, how could I not have eaten roasted lamb?" Sui Yu teased herself.
Sui Liang couldn't remember clearly. Only the past four years remained in his memory. Even the faces of his aunt and aunt were blurry.
Wipe off the onion, ginger and garlic juice, and then spread warm soybean paste on the whole lamb. The soybean paste at this time is made from pure soybeans, and it will become more and more fragrant after being roasted.
A cat's meow was heard in the yard. It was the cat official who had returned. Sui Liang ran out quickly, muttering, "Where have you been? Come with me! I've left you some rabbit heads, sheep's blood, and minced mutton."
"Will the cat come to steal food at night?" asked Brother Zhao.
"No," Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping said in unison. They looked at each other and smiled. Sui Yu said, "The cat official is greedy, but he doesn't steal. When we came back from hunting, there were rabbits, pheasants, and field mice hanging on the wall, but he wouldn't touch them."
"That's good." said Brother Zhao.
The meat on the lamb's butt is thick, so Zhao Xiping cut it a few times with a knife and spread the remaining sauce on it.
Sui Yu fetched some hot water and said, "Put the three sheep in the barn. Wash your hands and we'll be back soon."
Before leaving, Sui Yu told Mrs. Yin that she and Zhao Xiping would not come over during the day tomorrow. After all, their home was not here, and they still had to be busy at home on New Year's Day.
"If anything happens at the guesthouse, ask Gan Da or Gan Er to go back and notify them." Sui Yu instructed.
"Okay, ma'am, don't worry." Mrs. Yin saw her out.
Zhao Xiping asked for a torch from the guesthouse, held it up to light the way, and jogged back with his wife and brother.
There was hot water at home, so the five of them washed up and went to bed.
Early in the morning on New Year's Eve, Captain Qu arranged for someone to deliver a piece of New Year's meat to each of the ten captains. Zhao Xiping packed everything up and went to the Captain's Mansion with Captain Gu to express his gratitude.
When he came back, Sui Yu had already put the meat in the pot and said, "Make a braised pork, a tofu and fish soup, a pot of air-dried chicken, and a plate of stir-fried bean sprouts. Just four dishes, just enough to fill your stomach and save some room for mutton tonight."
"Okay, what about the others?" Zhao Xiping asked.
"I went to the street to buy peach charms." Sui Yu leaned closer and asked, "After leaving the Colonel's Mansion, did you go to the Commander's Mansion again?"
Zhao Xiping nodded.
"Captain Hu didn't offer any New Year's gifts?"
"No, I heard from Captain Gu that Captain Hu has always been generous to himself but stingy with his subordinates."
Sui Yu laughed twice.
White smoke came out of the pot. She walked over, lifted the lid, and scooped up the meat with chopsticks.
"Third sister-in-law, there are guests." Zhao Xiaomi ran in and shouted.
Sui Yu was puzzled. In the few steps she took, she thought it might be a neighbor who used to live in the military settlement, and also the wife of Captain Gu, but she never thought it would be Sui Hui. This year, she rarely thought about the people and things related to the Sui family.
"Would you like to invite me in and sit down?" Sui Hui asked.
Sui Yu led the person in silently, but he did not take the person inside. Instead, he walked into the dimly lit lobby. It was obvious that he had no intention of having a long conversation.
Sui Hui noticed it and the expression on her face turned gloomy.
"I can only come out during the Chinese New Year. I want to ask, do you have any news about my elder brother?" Sui Hui asked nervously. Like Sui Yu, she also guessed that Sui Ling's death was mostly related to the clan members. For this reason, she was even more worried about her elder brother who had disappeared.
Sui Yu told her what he had seen and knew, saying, "We have confirmed that it was him, and he is still alive. He left with the monk, and his whereabouts are unknown. As for whether he will come back, I have no idea. We can only wait for him to contact you again. I don't know anything else."
Sui Hui was both happy and sad. Her heart finally settled down and she felt hopeful again. She thanked Sui Yu and left quietly.
"Who is coming?" Zhao's mother asked Sui Yu when she saw her.
"Someone I know." Sui Yu said perfunctorily.
Mother Zhao curled her lips, saying that it was as good as saying nothing.
The woman cooked while the man made the torches. When the meal was ready, fifteen torches were also lit.
On New Year's Day, the family has one meal in the middle of the morning and the next meal in the afternoon. The whole family sits around the table and eats and drinks slowly, chatting while eating. If the food gets cold, they heat it up and don't go out until it gets dark.
Torches lit up half the sky, and the vast expanse was dotted with dancing flames. The wind whipped the blazing flames wildly, dispelling the chill from the wind. His nose was filled with wood smoke and the aroma of oil. As he approached the chanting Nuo figures, Sui Yu caught a whiff of the fresh, plant-based fragrance. The patterns on their faces were likely drawn with a mixture of plant sap and something else.
The sound of drums replaced the chanting, and powerful footsteps rushed out of the city. Sui Yu held Zhao Xiping's hand, and Sui Liang followed behind. The three of them ran quickly towards the city gate.
"Keep up!" Zhao Xiaomi shouted, encouraging her five nephews and nieces to run at a fast pace. She also teased the other two pairs of brothers and sisters-in-law, saying, "Someone ahead is setting an example. You should follow their lead."
"Go, go, go." Mrs. Zhao was not a clingy person. She pushed her sister-in-law away and said, "We'll follow behind and look after the child. You run first, run fast, and find a son-in-law like your third brother this year."
Zhao Xiaomi's heart was moved. "Then I'll run away?"
"Run quickly." Zhao Ersao laughed.
"This girl is so shameless." Mother Zhao also laughed.
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping threw away the torches used for the New Year's Eve celebration and stood by the fire pit, watching and waiting for the others to arrive. Thinking back to last year's New Year's Eve, when Tong Hua had killed Sui Ling outside the city, Zhao Xiping asked Sui Yu and Sui Liang to wait aside while he picked up a stick and went out for his inspection. Halfway along, he ran into the garrison soldiers who were also on patrol.
After revealing his identity and saying hello, Zhao Xiping returned to find Sui Yu.
"Everyone is here, let's go over now. The mutton should be roasted and fragrant by now." Sui Yu said.
At the mention of mutton, the five children became full of energy. They shouted and ran with big strides. They didn't make a sound when they fell and got up quickly.
Before he even got close to the guesthouse, he smelled the aroma of barbecue. Sui Yu quickened his pace. The closer he got, the stronger the aroma became.
"I haven't even eaten yet and I'm already drooling." Zhao Xiaomi muttered.
The kitchen was full of people, with the escorts and merchants sitting separately. The escorts were busy adding firewood to roast the sheep, while the merchants sat together drinking wine and boasting about the scenes they encountered on their journeys.
Sui Yu walked around the crowd and took over the job of roasting the sheep. The escorts had traveled all over the country, so roasting sheep was no problem for them, but Mrs. Yin had never roasted a sheep before and had never figured out how to do it.
As the family sat down, a nearby merchant poked his head over and said, "Shopkeeper Yu, the mutton is marinated beautifully. It smells amazing when it's roasted. When will you sell the marinade? Can we take a couple of jars with us when we leave?"
This is another business, Sui Yu said loudly: "Okay, if you are willing to buy, I will prepare it."
"How long can it be kept without spoiling?" someone asked.
Sui Yu wasn't sure either. She pondered, "I'll make a jar tomorrow and put it away in February to see if it's good."
"Brother Qi, come, have a drink."
A foreign merchant interrupted and the topic was dropped.
The mutton was roasted and sizzling with oil. The mutton oil dripped onto the firewood, causing flames to rise. The orange-red flames licked the mutton, illuminating the roasted mutton that was roasted red and shiny.
Some are swallowing their saliva, and some are laughing.
The outermost layer of mutton was roasted, and Zhao Xiping took out a knife to cut it. He cut two pieces and handed them to his parents, saying, "It's a little hot, eat slowly."
Mother Zhao felt relieved and felt that these days were truly a blessed life.
A Shui took the mutton and gave it to her father first. Uncle Niu couldn't chew it, so he let her eat it by herself.
"Dad, I'll chew it and feed it to you." A Shui said loudly.
Sui Yu looked over and said with a smile, "Uncle Lao Niu, please don't let the child down."
Uncle Niu laughed heartily. He chewed a piece of mutton slowly and sent Ah Shui to play with the other kids.
"Would you like some wine?" Zhao Xiping handed over the wine bowl.
Sui Yu lowered her head and took a sip. It was sorghum wine. She gasped because of the spiciness and quickly stuffed her mouth with mutton.
Zhao Xiping looked at her with a smile and took a sip himself.
After taking another bite of mutton, Sui Yu leaned over and said, "Let me drink another sip."
Zhao Xiping handed over the bowl and said, "Are you not afraid of spicing your throat?"
"Wine is delicious with lamb."
"Good!" With a cheer, everyone's eyes turned to see the energetic bodyguards wrestling.
A few children stood up to watch, but Zhao Xiping pushed them back down, saying, "Sit down and don't block others."
The whole courtyard was filled with people eating mutton and drinking wine, admiring the bodyguards' wrestling moves. Amidst the cheers, the wealthy merchants got drunk and some began to pay tips from their own pockets.
Stimulated by money, the atmosphere in the kitchen became increasingly lively.
"Captain Zhao, come up and compete." someone shouted.
"Yes, Captain Zhao, you should also come on stage and see who is better." The merchants cheered.
Zhao Xiping waved his hands, and just when he was worried about having no excuse, someone fell into his arms.
"My wife is drunk. You guys go have fun and I'll take care of her." Zhao Xiping said loudly, "Sui Liang, go get your sister's sheepskin coat."
Only then did no one make a fuss, and everyone's attention returned to the escort. Sui Yu also sat up at this time.
"Aren't you drunk?" Mrs. Zhao asked in a low voice.
Sui Yu smiled but said nothing.
"You can't beat them?" Zhao's mother asked Zhao Xiping, "You should try it too. I think they can make a lot of money from a fight."
"That won't work. If I lose, I'll lose face. If I win, it's pointless, and taking the reward money is even more demeaning." Zhao Xiping took a bite of mutton and said, "Normally, I can fight a few moves, but I can't get involved in this kind of situation."
Zhao's mother didn't understand and thought it was a military rule, so she didn't ask.
The commotion here attracted the patrolling garrison troops. Gan Da came over to report. Zhao Xiping got up and went out. The firelight illuminated his figure. His movements were neat and his body was strong. When he spoke to the garrison troops, he stood straight and looked calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.
Sui Yu took a sip of wine from the bowl, thinking that power is a man's most powerful weapon.
"The third child has really changed." Brother Zhao muttered, he is really imposing and doesn't seem like someone who could be raised in their family.
Zhao's mother agreed, and couldn't help but think of the past. This son was the most disobedient of the four children. He had been rebellious since childhood and often made his father angry, but he was not annoying. Unfortunately, the war was devastating. When the fighting just ended, the third son returned home, and she found that his temperament had changed. He was quieter and less energetic. He had a strange temper and was annoying.
Fortunately, it has changed back to normal now, and a dead tree has sprouted again.
Zhao Xiping led the garrison troops in and said, "It's cold, let's have some wine and some meat before going on patrol."
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