Chapter 29 Shameless
Zhao Xiping left quickly, not even saying goodbye to Sui Yu. Only after the clamor had left him far behind did he slow down his pace. From the moment he agreed to Sui Yu setting up her stall, it meant that he would often face predicaments like today. People, familiar or not, would inevitably look at him with sympathy and pity, and even gossip about him behind his back.
"Captain Zhao, you didn't go to the fields to work today?"
Zhao Xiping turned his head and looked over. The person who spoke was a soldier under his command. He nodded and said, "The work in the fields is done. I will borrow some oxen to plow the fields tomorrow."
Wang Erniu reined in his camel and walked over. He felt quite sympathetic towards Zhao Xiping's plight. As he approached, he said, "Captain Zhao, we are brothers who have fought together in the battlefield. I speak frankly and don't hold back. If I've offended you, don't take it personally. It's like this: you have to support three people with your salary alone. I imagine it's quite tight. Why don't you come to the fields and help me harvest the beans, and I'll give you food."
Even though he knew he meant well, Zhao Xiping still felt embarrassed. He waved his hand and said, "Someone else mentioned it before. Your sister-in-law doesn't want me to go. She's worried that I'll be exhausted from the heavy work."
"Oh, forget it then." Wang Erniu immediately stopped talking.
Zhao Xiping felt more at ease after saying this. He patted the camel's belly, walked around it, and said, "Feed the camel more hay; it has diarrhea. Its hump is also deflated, so give it less water."
Wang Erniu nodded and said, "I've been busy these past few days. My dad is taking care of the camels. I'll be careful when I get back."
"You go back to your work. I'm leaving too." Zhao Xiping walked away with his hands behind his back. After a few steps, he turned back and said, "Thank you for thinking of me."
Wang Erniu scratched his head and wondered when did Captain Zhao become so polite?
Zhao Xiping did not go back. Instead, he took a detour to the government office to register and borrow a plowing ox. At that time, most people's crops had not been harvested yet, and the plowing oxen were still idle. He picked a fat and strong young ox, selected a good plow, and carried it away.
Sui Yu's stall was also open, and another group of merchants entered the city. Perhaps under the instructions of the city guard, they went straight to her stall and bought a pot of buns in one go.
"Twenty-five buns, seventy-five coins." Sui Yu put the hot buns into his bag and said with concern, "You must have had a hard time on this trip. You left at the beginning of the new year and will be back at the end of the year."
"I'm lucky to be back alive." The big man shook his head, his voice still hoarse from the wind and sand.
After the people left, Sui Yu put the wrapped buns into the steamer and said, "Brother Liang, add more fire."
Sui Liang sat on the ground and stuffed a few more firewood into the clay stove after hearing what he said.
Baozi's mother on the other side of the road stared at him coldly. When Sui Yu looked over, she quickly looked away.
The water in the pot boiled, and white smoke rose from the steamer. A strong wind blew in from outside the city, and gray-yellow dust flew up on the road. Sui Yu hurriedly took something to cover the basin and stuffing.
"New here?" A man with a crooked turban came over and said, "Do you understand the rules of setting up a stall?"
Sui Yu nodded, "How do you collect the money?"
"Two cents a day."
Sui Yu took out two copper coins and handed them over.
"That's quite tactful." The man walked away with the two cents.
Sui Yu sighed, and when the wind and sand stopped, she wiped the chopping board with a rag, then pinched the dough and continued to wrap the stuffing.
"What are you selling? Buns?" An old man came over.
Sui Yu looked up when she heard the voice. She lifted the lid of the pot covering the bowl of stuffing and said, "Dumplings stuffed with radish. I fried the stuffing with lard. Want to try some? Three cents each."
"Okay, give me three."
Sui Yu opened the steamer and pressed down on the buns. The dough quickly bounced back, indicating they were done. She took out three buns and placed them on the chopping board. She waited until they cooled a little before handing them over.
The old man took a bite as he stood in front of the stall. The radish was sweet, without any spicy flavor, but with a hint of meaty oil. The dough had a hint of wine when he chewed it. He nodded and said, "I haven't seen you before. Are you here just now?"
Sui Yu nodded, "I just came this afternoon, is it delicious?"
"Good, take two more and I'll eat them tomorrow morning." The old man took out another six copper coins.
Sui Yuxi smiled happily, handed over the bun and said, "If you like it, come back next time."
After the old man left, a newly arrived Hu merchant came over with a camel. Seeing that she only had vegetarian buns, he walked across to buy some cakes.
Sui Yu rubbed her hands, took a few deep breaths, and when a caravan of merchants passed by, she mustered up her strength and called out, "Freshly cooked radish stuffed buns, three cents each, stuffed with lard. They're so delicious you'll cringe in your mouth."
The three escorts walking behind heard the noise and came over. One of them came over with his horse and asked, "Is it stuffed with lard?"
"Yes." Sui Yu showed them the bowl of stuffing. "Lard turns white when it cools down. I can't lie to you about that."
"Give us whatever is left."
There were thirty steamed buns in one pot and two baskets. The old man bought five, leaving twenty-five. Sui Yu packed them for them and charged another seventy-five coins.
Sui Yu estimated that the dough in the basin could be steamed for another pot, so he quickened his pace to knead the bread filling. Two people came over in the middle of the process, and seeing that the steamer was empty, they went to the other side.
The last pot of buns was put into the steamer and the sun was setting. There were fewer people entering and leaving the city gate at this time, and some of the children selling water were preparing to go back with buckets on their backs.
"Is the filling really made with lard?" A boy came over.
Sui Yu nodded. She showed him the remaining bowl of radish stuffing and said, "But the buns have just been put into the pot. They will take another quarter of an hour to be steamed."
The boy put down the bucket and squatted aside waiting. Pork was too expensive for him to eat. He could make up for the loss by selling an extra bucket of water for every bun he made.
"Gouzi, we're back." Another child leading a sheep came over with a bucket.
"I want to buy some buns with lard filling. Do you want some? Three cents each."
The kid leading the sheep hesitated for a moment, then walked over and asked, "Is it really lard?"
Without waiting for Sui Yu to speak, Gou Zi was the first to pat his chest and guarantee it.
Sui Yu smiled, "You two are buying both? You really have money."
"It's not hard to earn money from a bucket of water." Gouzi looked at the steamer and said, "It's smoking. Is it almost done?"
"Yeah, it's almost done." Someone else came into the city. Sui Yu turned around and shouted again: "Buns stuffed with radish and mixed with lard, three cents each."
The merchants entering the city took a look and drove their camels away. Gou Zi and the child leading the sheep immediately chased after them with buckets, pestering them and asking if they wanted to buy water.
As the buns came out of the pot, Sui Yu glanced at the two sheep standing still in front of the stall. When the child came back, she asked, "How much does a lamb sell for?"
"Seventy or eighty coins."
Sui Yu picked out two large buns and handed them to the two children, saying, "Come back for more if you enjoy them."
"Okay." The child left with a bun in his mouth, a bucket in one hand and a sheep in the other, feeling satisfied.
Sui Liang stood aside and watched, then turned his head to look outside the city.
Thirteen more buns were sold one after another. The sun set and the sky was filled with sunset glow. Sui Yu went to the foot of the city wall to lead the camel. On its back were two baskets. She stuffed the clay stove, wash basin, cutting board, and steamer into the baskets.
"Brother Liang, you lead the camel and I'll carry the steamer. We'll go back now." Sui Yu said.
"It's sold out so quickly?" Huang Ancheng asked as he passed by.
"I still have about ten left. I won't sell any more. It's getting dark, and I have to go back to cook." Sui Yu put the steamer down again and said, "Xiping didn't introduce me, so I don't know how to address you. You can take these remaining buns back and eat them. They're still clean."
Huang Ancheng thought her buns tasted good, so he deliberately came over to take a look. He took out a handful of money and threw it into the basket, saying, "I bought the buns. I'll come to your house for dinner some other day."
Sui Yu smiled and said, "Then I'll make a note of it. When you're not on duty, come over. When you're done with the farm work and have some free time, Xiping will have a drink with you."
Huang Ancheng nodded, called a colleague over, and the two of them each took a few buns and emptied the steamer.
Sui Yu held the empty steamer and said hello to the person opposite: "Sister-in-law, I'm going home first."
The bun lady smiled perfunctorily. She had been selling buns for several years, but this was the first time she encountered someone who was trying to steal her business and greeted her like a neighbor. He was really shameless.
After leaving the west city gate, Sui Yu relaxed. She lowered her head and talked to Sui Liang in a good mood, and her usually slow steps became brisk.
When Zhao Xiping saw people stop, he crossed his arms and stared at them, wondering when the brother and sister would see him.
The camel saw the people first and let out a loud breath. Sui Yu turned her head and saw the man standing under the tree. The next moment, her eyes lit up. She ran over quickly, holding the steamer, and asked in surprise, "Are you here to pick us up?"
Zhao Xiping took the steamer and asked, "Sold out?"
"Thanks to your brother, he bought the last ten or so."
Zhao Xiping took the camel's rope and led it away, saying, "When he's not on duty anymore, I'll invite him to my house for dinner."
"I said that too." Sui Yu circled around him. Seeing that the man's shoes were covered with dirt, she knew that he had gone to the fields again.
When I got home, I saw a working ox tied to the door. The ox was pulling alfalfa to eat while pulling the rope.
"Will you pick me up tomorrow?" Sui Yu asked as he entered the room.
Zhao Xiping didn't think she needed to pick it up, so he led the camel over and brought the things back in one trip.
"Please come and pick me up tomorrow. I'll be happy if you come." Sui Yu said.
"I'm not going to work anymore?" Zhao Xiping frowned. He stuck the steamer into the stove and said, "No, come back by yourself."
Sui Yu said nothing. She was busy unloading things. After bringing them into the house, she poured out the copper coins from the basket and counted them. There were thirty-eight coins.
"What's your brother's name? What does he like to eat?" she asked.
"Huang Ancheng likes to eat meat."
Zhao Xiping led the camel into the pen, turned around and came out to get a shovel to pick up the manure. Now if he didn't clean the livestock pen, no one would clean it.
"Let's have porridge tonight. I still have a bowl of stuffed radish left. I won't cook anymore." Sui Yu stretched and said, "I sold eighty-five buns today and earned one hundred and fifty coins. If I go earlier tomorrow, I can sell three more pots and earn another three hundred coins."
"I don't want to drink porridge." Zhao Xiping felt that she was becoming more and more perfunctory in cooking.
"So what do you want to eat?" Sui Yu walked outside the camel pen and exclaimed, "I've noticed you've become picky about food. The day I came, you were still drinking leftover porridge at noon."
"Can you make soup noodles?"
"Will you pick me up tomorrow?"
Zhao Xiping stood up straight and stared at her. Sui Yu confronted him with wide eyes and said, "Come pick me up tomorrow and I'll make you soup noodles."
"I'm not eating alone." He used her words to embarrass her.
"Soup noodles, hot soup noodles, hot soup noodles with pickled cabbage and egg sauce as topping." Sui Yu muttered to herself. She stared at the people in the circle with interest and asked proudly, "Will you come pick me up?"
Seeing her success, Zhao Xiping said bitterly, "Sour cabbage and eggs, that thing."
"Okay, remember to pick me up tomorrow." Sui Yu jumped and ran away.
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