Chapter Thirty-Seven: Family
After washing up, Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang leaned against the headboard and chatted.
Li Xiulan's words about the child during the day lingered in her mind.
"Brother Zixiang," Zhang Liuyi called to him, turning to the side, her fingers unconsciously twirling the corner of the blanket, "Today, my sister-in-law asked...about having children. What...what are your thoughts?"
Xiong Zixiang was looking at an old file brought back from the yamen by the light of an oil lamp when he heard this, so he put down the bamboo slips and turned his head.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking, looking at her carefully and saying, "Having a child is a big deal. I think it's not the right time yet."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the new but somewhat empty room: "Our family is still poor, we don't have much savings. The dock stall has just settled down, we can wait until our business is better and we have more money before having children."
"When the time comes, we can stay home to take care of the baby or ask for help, and we can be more relaxed. After the baby is born, we can make sure that the baby has the best food, clothing and other necessities."
As Zhang listened attentively, the tension in his heart gradually dissipated.
She wasn't actually in a rush to have children. Childbirth is a life-threatening experience for women, and she had heard many dangerous stories about it.
Besides, my mother-in-law, Madam Song, is open-minded and has never mentioned this matter, nor have my father, uncle, or aunt urged me to.
She enjoys the peace and comfort of living with Xiong Zixiang right now.
"Yes, that's what I think too."
She nodded, her anxiety finally subsiding, replaced by a relaxed smile.
"We're still young, no rush. Let's focus on making a living, running the business well, and earning more money."
As she spoke, she moved closer to Xiong Zixiang, her tone somewhat affectionate: "Well... for now, my husband will have to make do!"
Xiong Zixiang was amused by her, chuckled softly, reached out and pulled her into his arms, rubbing his chin against the top of her soft hair: "Hmm, a hug is nice too."
Xiong Zixiang's holiday at the government office ends today; he has to go and report for duty.
Zhang Liuyi got up early, preparing to take her mother-in-law, Song, and her sister-in-law, Xiong Zijuan, to the dock to check on her two stalls, something they had agreed on the night before.
"Mother, sister, let's go!" Zhang Yili called out.
Song and Xiong Zijuan had also finished tidying up.
The four of them rode in an oxcart from the same village, swaying and bumping their way to the county town.
Xiong Zixiang was going to the yamen, but not along the same route. He only reminded her, "Drive carefully on the road. There are many people around, so keep an eye on Mother and Sister."
He then strode quickly toward the town's government office.
Zhang Liuyi first led them to Zhang Dashan's meat stall in the West Market.
Zhang Dashan was hawking his meat, and next to the cutting board was a small earthenware jar. Because he had been busy lately, he hadn't made any new braised dishes, so he just asked his father to bring a jar along when he sold meat, and he would stop when it was sold out.
Even so, the aroma of the braised food still attracted many regular customers, and the contents of the jar were almost gone.
"Father!" Zhang Yili called out.
"Hey! Yi'er's here! My dear in-laws, Miss Zijuan." Zhang Dashan looked up and greeted them with a smile, "This braised pork offal is almost sold out again; quite a few people have come specifically to ask about it."
Song and Xiong Zijuan watched in amazement.
Madam Song said, "This braised pork offal smells delicious. My dear in-law, thank you for your hard work in helping to sell it."
Zhang Dashan waved his hand: "Oh, it's no trouble at all, it's just a small thing."
Next, Zhang Yili took them to the pork belly and lung soup stall at the dock.
The place was bustling with activity, with two large pots bubbling and steaming, their milky white broth churning.
There was a fairly long queue in front of the stall, and Li Xiulan was busy collecting money and serving soup, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
Zhang Liuji didn't take on the carpentry work today; instead, he helped clear the dishes and wipe the table.
Little Nan sat obediently on a small stool next to her, playing with a grasshopper made of straw.
"Sister-in-law! Brother!" Zhang Yili quickly called out and rushed forward to help.
"Oh my! Yi-jie, you've finally arrived! Come and help! Mother-in-law, Zijuan, please make yourselves at home!"
When Li Xiulan saw them, it was as if she had seen saviors. She was so busy that she didn't even have time to catch her breath: "Quick! Liuji, get a stool for your aunt and Zijuan!"
Song and Xiong Zijuan couldn't sit still.
Standing to the side, Song's eyes lit up as she watched the bustling scene. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! This business is really booming! It's even more lively than the town market! I'm even thinking of setting up a stall over there and selling something!"
Xiong Zijuan was amused by her mother and took her arm, saying, "Mom, look how busy Xiaoyu and Xiulan are with their stall. Do you want to make things worse?"
Madam Song laughed heartily, "That's right, Mother misunderstood. We're too busy to handle everything!"
Zhang Yili and Li Xiulan handled the guests quickly and efficiently.
Zhang Liuji was responsible for clearing away the dishes, wiping the table, and adding firewood, keeping him extremely busy.
Only after the busiest peak hours had passed and the queues had thinned out did Zhang Yiyan finally have a chance to catch his breath, wipe his sweat, and walk up to Song Shi and Xiong Zijuan.
"Mother, sister, please excuse the mess," Zhang Yili said somewhat embarrassedly.
"What are you laughing at? This is real skill." Mrs. Song praised him sincerely.
"Tell your mother quickly, how much can you sell from this stall in a day? How much is your initial investment? How much profit are you making?"
Zhang Yili then pulled them to a slightly quieter spot behind the stall and began to explain in detail.
"...This tripe and lung soup is mainly sold in large quantities, mostly by people who make a living through physical labor. The broth is made from pork bones and tripe and lungs, and the cooking time must be long enough to remove the fishy smell... The condiments include scallions, cilantro, fried tofu, and homemade chili sauce... A bowl sells for three coins, and after deducting the cost, we can make a little over one coin... The only downside is that preparing the ingredients is very time-consuming, especially washing these offal, which is the most tedious part..."
She spoke frankly and without exaggeration, laying out the hardships and intricacies of running a business.
Song and Xiong Zijuan nodded repeatedly as they listened.
Zhang glanced at the stall and saw that Li Xiulan and Zhang Liuji were already able to finish up, so he said goodbye to them, "Sister-in-law, brother, we'll head back now."
"Go back quickly! We're here!" Li Xiulan waved with a smile.
The three of them walked back to the village at a leisurely pace.
On the way, Song was still savoring the bustling scene of her stall, exclaiming repeatedly, "You don't know until you see it, Yi-jie, your stall is really thriving."
When we returned to the Xiong family's old house, the sun was already setting in the west.
Old Man Xiong must have gone to the fields; his trouser legs were still covered in mud. He was sitting on a small stool in the yard, resting, and gently patting Xiao Bao in his arms.
"Dad, please try this. This is the tripe and lung soup that they usually sell at the dock. I brought a bowl back especially for it, and it's still warm."
Xiong Zijuan took out a rough earthenware bowl wrapped in cloth from the basket, lifted the lid, and a rich aroma immediately wafted out.
She handed the bowl to Old Man Xiong, then took Xiao Bao and put him back in the inner room.
Old Man Xiong took the bowl and slurped a mouthful from the rim.
The warm broth slid down my throat, carrying the rich flavor of bone marrow and the unique soft, savory aroma of the lungs and stomach, instantly dispelling the fatigue from work and taking care of children.
"Mmm, it tastes good, even better than the one at the wedding banquet."
Old Xiong's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "No wonder the business is so good! This taste is authentic!"
Song and Xiong Zijuan also smiled.
Song said, "Is it delicious? Old man, let's drink this tonight, and heat up some steamed buns too, that'll do for a meal!"
"Okay, this is good." Old Man Xiong agreed happily, holding the bowl and taking another big gulp.
So dinner was simple.
Song heated up a few steamed buns and chopped some pickled vegetables.
The four adults sat around the stone mill table in the yard and began to eat noisily.
The soup was fresh and delicious, and the steamed buns were soft and fluffy, making for an exceptionally satisfying meal.
As for Xiong Zixiang's portion, Song had already served it out and kept it warm in the stove, since Xiong Zixiang had already chopped the firewood beforehand.
Xiong Zixiang returned under the cover of night when the moon was high in the sky.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he smelled a familiar odor mixed with a faint fishy smell.
The kitchen was lit, and the sounds of water and voices could be heard. Xiong Zixiang went over to take a look and saw his wife Zhang Liuyi busy around a large wooden basin with his parents and sister in the dim candlelight.
The basin contained several bundles of dark-colored, oddly shaped pig offal soaking in it.
There were also several small basins next to it, containing wood ash and coarse salt.
Song was holding a loofah sponge, vigorously scrubbing a section of pig intestine, muttering, "...This thing is really hard to handle! Look, I've washed it three times already, and it still smells fishy!"
"Pay attention! How do you usually do this? Look, my hands are all red from rubbing them!"
Zhang Liuyi, with his sleeves rolled up and a pair of scissors in hand, was carefully cutting open the trachea on the pig's lungs. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Mom, don't rush. This pig intestine needs to be rubbed repeatedly with wood ash and coarse salt to remove the mucus and dirt inside, and then rinsed clean with water."
"You see, cleaning pig lungs here is even more troublesome. I have to cut open the trachea, pour in clean water and rinse it repeatedly to flush out all the blood and foam inside until the water becomes clear. This can't be rushed; it has to be done slowly."
Xiong Zijuan helped change the water and looked at the various shapes of the waste in the basin. She was amazed: "So this good stuff was hidden in such a hard-to-clean place. No wonder no one ate it before."
Xiong Zixiang leaned against the door frame, quietly watching this scene.
The remaining firewood in the stove cast a warm glow, outlining the busy figures of the family.
His gaze fell on Zhang Xiaoyi's focused profile as he watched her skillfully handle the fishy-smelling ingredients, her patient explanations filling his ears.
She noticed him and said, "Brother Zixiang is back. Come and eat some food; it's keeping warm on the stove."
He walked to the stove, picked up the bowl of his own pork and lung soup, and took a sip.
The hot soup warmed his entire body as it entered his throat.
He walked over to Zhang Liuyi and held the bowl to her lips: "Wife, you've worked hard. Have some soup too."
Zhang Liuyi was busy, so he took a sip from his hand, smiled at him, and then looked down to continue eating the pig lung in his hand.
Xiong Zixiang didn't say anything more, but just stood beside her, watching her busy work, and wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead.
After slurping down the soup, he quietly went to find a brush and, trying to be attentive, began clumsily scrubbing a section of pig intestine in the basin.
His rough, large hands gripped the slippery intestines, his movements clumsy, and the intestines slipped right out of his hands.
When Song looked up and saw this, she couldn't help but laugh: "Oh, even our Chief Constable Xiong is here to wash pig intestines?"
Xiong Zixiang wasn't annoyed, he just muttered, "I'll give it a try, and I'll keep an eye on doing this every day."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liuyi paused in his actions and looked up at him.
Seeing his clumsy movements, she couldn't help but laugh. She went over, took Xiong Zixiang's hand, and used some wood ash to scrub him together.
Officer Xiong is truly a man who can see his wife.
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