Chapter 268 Lying
The ribs are stewed in soup, the pork butt is used to make braised meat, the pig head is singed and stewed with the four pig legs, the pork belly is braised, the front leg meat is used as stuffing for steamed buns, the hind leg meat is stir-fried, the tenderloin is used to make sweet and sour pork shreds, the pig heart, lungs and intestines are stewed with sauerkraut, and the pig's trotters are stewed with soybeans. One pig can be made into eight main dishes, and the other odds and ends are stir-fried in another pot, and the pig-killing dishes are ready.
Merchants who wish to eat the pig-killing dish can pay fifty coins per person and eat as much as they want. This is an old rule of the guesthouse, and everyone who is not staying there for the first time knows it.
When the pig-killing dishes came out of the pot, Zhao Xiping took a portion for each of them and brought it to the teahouse. There was only one table in the teahouse for Sui Liang and Xiaozai to entertain their classmates for dinner.
"Would you like to drink some mulberry wine? I'll warm up a pot of mulberry wine for you." Zhao Xiping asked.
Sui Liang looked at everyone. Before he could ask, the kid said, "The wine isn't tasty. It's choking. Let's drink soup. The kelp in this kelp and tofu soup comes from the sea. Do you know the sea? My mother said the sea is very, very big. It's bigger than the four Hexi counties put together, and bigger than the desert outside the Great Wall. The fish in it are also very, very big. The biggest one is bigger than a camel and can eat people..."
"Let's talk about soup." Sui Liang interrupted him, "You can drink more kelp and tofu soup. My sister said eating more kelp can cure goiter."
"Right, right, right." The cub's thoughts changed. "Kelp is delicious. It can cure diseases and it's not bitter."
"I've never seen this thing before." said Gu Dalang.
"This is something from the seaside. It's the first time my sister has bought it, but she heard from my father that it can cure goiter, so it must be true." Sui Liang patted his chest and guaranteed. He scooped a bowl of soup for himself, and poured a bowl for Xiaozai and Aning respectively, saying, "Believe it or not, if you don't want to eat it, leave it for us."
"I know someone with goiter," Captain Yang's youngest son said. "Do you want to see her? She looks really weird. I saw her once, and it was terrifying."
"Which one? I want to go and see, Yang San, I'll go back with you later." Gu Dalang said.
Yang San looked at Sui Liang and asked, "Are you going to see it? Let's go with a bowl of kelp and tofu soup and see if what your sister said is true."
"It must be true." Sui Liang was convinced. "You should bring two more bowls to that person. No, three bowls. I'll take out all the kelp from the basin and you can take it over."
"Don't you want to go and see? That girl is whiter than you." Yang San asked.
Sui Liang shook his head. "I don't know her, why would I go over to see her? She's already pitiful because of a strange disease, so don't laugh at her. Gu Dalang, you're not allowed to go either. If you go, I'll give you more homework. The same goes for the rest of you. If I find out you went to see her make fun of her, I'll complain to the old teacher."
Gu Dalang hissed at him: "You're a prude, a fusty old-fashioned person. No, you're a little fusty old-fashioned person."
"You're the hypocrite." The kid couldn't stand it anymore. He said angrily, "You're the bad one. My uncle is the good one."
Gu Dalang glanced at him and didn't bother to argue with the little brat.
"I'm not a prudish person, nor am I old-fashioned. When I was little, I couldn't speak. I lived in a military settlement at the time, and the kids there called me dumb and stupid. When I walked outside, people pointed and talked about me. I felt terrible back then." Sui Liang explained seriously, "Believe me, she's suffering the most because of this strange disease. If we go to watch the fun, we'll drive her to death."
There was a moment of silence at the dinner table. Everyone looked at him in surprise. Even Xiaozai and Aning were dumbfounded.
"Really?" Gu Dalang asked.
Sui Liang nodded. Everyone present should know his family's background, so he didn't hide anything and said frankly, "My sister and I were exiled. Before we were sent to prison, my mother hanged herself in front of me. I was so scared that I couldn't speak."
Aside from Xiaozai and Aning, the youngest present was seven, the oldest being Sui Liang. The others were between seven and twelve. Kids their age were impulsive, reckless, and clueless, but due to their upbringing and upbringing, they weren't particularly malicious. They resented threats and forced head restraints, and were most at a loss when faced with their peers' honesty. At this point, they were at a loss for words to comfort Sui Liang, so they nodded and agreed not to visit the big-necked girl.
"Eat the food, it's getting cold." Sui Liang took the kelp and tofu soup from the table and said, "Eat this. Let Yang San take this dish away later."
Yang San nodded again.
"Then don't let your sister and brother-in-law know about this. I'm afraid my parents will beat me if they find out." Yang Santi requested. He whispered, "I dug a dog hole to sneak out, then sneaked into an abandoned house and found that strange girl. Her parents don't seem to allow her to meet outsiders, and she doesn't really talk."
Sui Liang thought for a while and nodded in agreement.
Perhaps they all had a secret that they were hiding from their parents. Among the 19 classmates, except for the absent-minded little kid and Aning who was chewing on the pig's trotter, everyone else was very excited and didn't have much attention for eating.
When Sui Yu came over after having a full stomach, most of the dishes were still left on the table.
"Are you not enjoying the food? Why is there so much left?" Sui Yu asked.
"It's delicious, but we're not hungry." Gu Dalang said vaguely. He scratched his head a little embarrassedly and asked, "Xiaozai's mother, why are we calling you? You are Sui Liang's sister and Xiaozai's mother, and Xiaozai and Sui Liang are both our classmates."
Sui Yu was also stumped. She thought for a while and said, "Call me auntie, according to the boy's generation. As for you and Sui Liang, we each have our own way. I'm the auntie, and he's the brother."
Sui Yu's attention returned to the dinner table. Yang San was afraid she would see the kelp and tofu soup under the table, so he thought quickly and was about to find an excuse to ask her to leave when the little boy suddenly said, "Mom, I want to drink honey water."
"Okay, I'll make it for you and also make a pot for your friends." Sui Yu left.
"Hurry, hurry, pick out the kelp." Yang San looked around and quickly took out his shoulder bag. He poured the charcoal pencils, wooden board, and water bag on the table. He squatted down and used chopsticks to scoop the kelp into his pocket.
His second brother helped take away his charcoal pencil and wooden board, and Chen Dalang ran out to keep watch.
When Sui Yu came out of the kitchen with her food in her hand, she seemed to see a figure passing by the door of the teahouse, but when she walked in, she found that a table of children were drinking soup from bowls.
The little boy felt the most guilty, feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. He felt that he had deceived his mother, and the honey he drank tasted bitter.
"Are you still going to eat? If not, I'll call someone to clear the table. Now that the snow has stopped, I'll arrange for someone to take you home." Sui Yu said.
"Then we'll go back now." Gu Dalang stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, auntie."
"Haha, no need to be so polite." Sui Yu found it quite interesting that the child spoke like an adult.
Zhang Shun and Li Wu brought people with camels and helped a group of children to ride on the camels. They also followed on their own camels, intending to send these young masters home one by one.
"Why do you smell so strongly of vegetables? Or is it kelp? Did you spill the soup?" Aniu asked Yang San.
Yang San nodded with a stern face.
After watching the group of children leave, Sui Yu left the teahouse holding Aning in one hand and the little one in the other. She asked gently, "Why are you two unhappy? Don't they think you're too young to talk to you?"
Aning subconsciously looked at his brother and saw that the little boy had his head down and he was also walking silently with his head down.
Sui Yu smiled and didn't ask any more questions since she saw there was no big problem.
She took the two children back and washed their hands with bath beans, then let them play in the warehouse. She went back to the house and took out the sheepskin coat and wolfskin mattress and put them in the snow to rub the snow. Zhao Xiping and Sui Liang also squatted in the snow to help.
On the way, Sui Yu went to the kitchen warehouse to ask Xiaozai if he wanted to go out and play in the snow. Seeing that he refused listlessly, she went out to ask Sui Liang for information: "What's wrong with Xiaozai? Why is he so listless after eating a meal?"
Sui Liang subconsciously looked away, his gaze drifting to the mulberry tree by the river. He said, "It's nothing. I'll go and persuade him later."
"Then go over now." Sui Yu said.
After Sui Liang left, she said with certainty, "These three guys must be hiding something from us."
"No way?" Zhao Xiping refused to believe it. "If Sui Liang had something to hide from you, it would make sense, but I don't believe it, little boy. He's more loyal to you than our dog."
Sui Yu pushed him and hit him with snow. "How dare you talk like that? He's a human being. What's the point of being loyal or not?"
"I'm telling the truth. The big black dog even hid bones behind your back. Your son treats you sincerely and doesn't hold anything back." Zhao Xiping refused to change his words.
Sui Yu still believed in her intuition and eyes, but the kid was already four years old, so it was normal for him to have some little secrets. She suppressed her curiosity and didn't ask.
I don’t know what Sui Liang said, but at night, the kid was in a much better mood. However, when it came to bed, he refused to sleep with his uncle and insisted on sleeping next to Sui Yu.
Zhao Xiping was furious.
But this child was restless in the middle of the night. After much effort to coax him to sleep, he woke up from a dream before half an hour had passed. He climbed up from the end of the bed and started crying loudly.
"Are you dreaming?" Zhao Xiping quickly stood up and hugged him, coaxing him softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Daddy is here. Come back to your senses."
Sui Yu put on her coat and sat up. She took the child and patted his back gently.
Sui Liang and Zhao's father and mother were awakened by the crying. Sui Liang opened the door and asked what was wrong. When he learned that it was just a nightmare, he went back to the house shaking.
"Don't cry." Sui Yu wiped his tears and said, "Mom will hold you while you sleep. You won't have nightmares for sure."
"Mom, I dreamed that you didn't want me anymore." The kid sobbed.
"Of course not, how could I not want you? You are my good baby." Sui Yu touched his head, his hair was wet with sweat, and it was obvious that he was really scared. "Tell me, are you stupid? How could your mother not want you?"
"But I wasn't good. I lied to you."
Sui Yu paused for a moment. She looked at the man in the dark. She must have guessed it right.
"It's okay, you lied to me, mom likes you too." Sui Yu said with a smile.
The boy was relieved now and wiped away his tears himself.
"What did you lie to your mother about?" Zhao Xiping asked quietly, "Is it related to your uncle?"
Sui Yu clearly noticed the body in his arms stiffen.
"Do you think hiding things from us is a bad thing?" she asked tentatively. "Is your uncle doing something bad?"
"No, he's doing good things." The kid denied excitedly, "We're helping people get well. My uncle said that the sister with goiter was very pitiful. Oh, and he also said that when he was my age, he couldn't speak. Mom, is that true?"
As soon as he blurted out, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping guessed half of it. The two of them then quietly inquired about it, and the little fool confessed almost everything he had been hiding from them.
Sui Yu thought about it, and after school the next day, she found Sui Liang and Xiaozai, and also brought Aning along.
"I know that you asked Yang San to bring Hai Dai to that little girl." Sui Yu went straight to the point and used his ultimate move right at the start.
Sui Liang looked at the kid in disbelief. He had explained everything to him yesterday afternoon in vain.
"I didn't say that." The kid covered his mouth, but his expression looked guilty.
"I guessed it." Sui Yu pulled the little boy into her arms and said, "My little boy is a good kid. He tricked me and made me feel bad and guilty. I had nightmares at night, and then I and his father tricked him out."
The more she praised him, the more guilty he felt. He lowered his head in shame, regretting it deeply.
Sui Liang rolled his eyes.
"Why are you rolling your eyes?" Sui Yu took out the wooden stick hidden behind him and hit Sui Liang with it. "Is it worth you going to so much trouble to hide such a trivial matter from me? I'm willing to give you the fine horse I brought back from thousands of miles away, but I can't bear to give you a little kelp to do good deeds? What kind of villain am I in your eyes?"
"No." Sui Liang quickly denied it. He explained, "I promised Yang San not to tell you. He was afraid that his parents would find out and beat him."
"You can discuss it with the kid, but you can't discuss it with me? I just don't tell his parents, and that's it." Sui Yu hit him again, "You didn't discuss it with me, and you still want to use my kelp? What? Are you planning to steal the kelp?"
"We are all family, there is no point in talking about stealing or not." Sui Liang refused to take the blame.
Sui Yu raised his stick and hit him again, "We are all family, why are you hiding anything? Why are you lying?"
Sui Liang remained silent this time.
"I'll give you the kelp. You don't need to tell Yang San that I already know. I won't go looking for his parents either. Just continue doing your good deeds." Sui Yu hit him again and said in disgust, "Get lost. How could you be so stupid?"
Then he said to Xiaozai and Aning, "Don't follow this idiot. We love you so much. Even if you do something bad, as long as you know it's wrong, we won't blame you. What's more, if you do something good, I will only praise you for your kindness. But you are still young and may not think things through. If this happens, you should tell an adult and we will help you."
Xiaozai and Aning nodded in unison.
"Mom, you are so nice. I will never lie to you again." The kid reflected.
Sui Yu didn't believe it, but she kept smiling.
The lie was finally over, and Xiaozai and Aning were free from worry and happy all day long. But Sui Yu was still concerned about the sick girl. She asked Yin Po to fry half a head of kelp every day and then pass it on to Yang San through Sui Liang.
After Yang San had been digging in the dog hole for a whole month from the winter month to the twelfth month, he brought good news: "The girl's neck has become thinner. Eating kelp seems to be able to cure goiter."
At this time, Sui Yu went to visit Yang San's mother. She confessed the things that the children had been hiding behind their backs. The two of them found out the parents of the girl who was locked up in the abandoned house. Sui Yu gave her some dried kelp, and the couple took it with many thanks. Then they took the little girl who had been locked up for four years back.
"Shopkeeper Yu, can I say a few words to you?" A merchant with an injured arm came out of the teahouse and called out to Sui Yu.
Sui Yu had just returned from the city after buying peach charms. She was startled by the merchant's serious attitude and said hurriedly, "Of course, shall we go to the teahouse to chat?"
"No, it's fine outside. I want to ask you about the kelp business. As you know, our goods were taken away by the Xiongnu, and half of our camels were lost. It's difficult for us to trade outside the Great Wall anymore, so I want to change the trade route."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com