Chapter Nine Thoughts
After passing through the bustling and crowded downtown area, the crowds thinned out a bit.
The aroma of food in the air grew stronger.
Xiong Zixiang stopped in front of a stall that was steaming hot.
The wonton stall had an oilcloth canopy, under which were three or four low tables and several long benches.
On the stove, a large iron pot was bubbling with bone broth, and next to it, on the cutting board, were piles of wrapped wontons. The proprietress was deftly cooking them in the pot.
"You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Let's eat something first." Xiong Zixiang turned to the side, gesturing for Zhang to notice.
"Sometimes when I'm on duty and don't have time to eat breakfast at home, or... when I'm really hungry, I come here to grab a bite."
He explained.
"The taste is alright. The soup is made from bones and it's quite oily."
It was just past breakfast time, and there weren't many people at the stalls, only a few porters heading to the early market eating their food.
Xiong Zixiang glanced around and walked straight to a table at the back against the wall, where it was sheltered from the wind and quieter.
He brushed the dust off the stool with his sleeve: "Sit here, it's warmer."
Zhang Liuyi sat down as instructed, curiously examining the small stall.
The firelight illuminated the proprietress's rosy face, and steam rose from the pot, carrying the savory aroma of meat broth, making it especially tempting on this cold morning.
"Listen to the young lady, what would you like to eat?"
Xiong Zixiang asked, his voice softer than usual.
"Either is fine," Zhang said frankly, withdrawing his gaze.
She's not picky about food, especially since it was recommended by Xiong Zixiang.
Xiong Zixiang nodded, turned towards the stove, and raised his voice slightly.
"Boss, two bowls of wontons! Both with shepherd's purse filling, less noodles!"
"Missing noodles?"
She rarely eats at street stalls.
Xiong Zixiang explained, his voice steady.
"The dough is thinner, and the meat filling is more flavorful. The rules at this stall are that the prices are all the same, but regular customers know that you can order this way."
He paused, then added.
"Shepherd's purse filling is refreshing and comforting to eat in winter."
As they were talking, the proprietress quickly brought over two steaming bowls of wontons.
In the large, rough porcelain bowl, the soup was clear and bright, with specks of golden oil floating on top, and a dozen plump white wontons bobbing in it, emitting a fragrant aroma.
"Officer Xiong, please enjoy your meal!"
The proprietress greeted us with a smile and then went back to her work.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Xiong Zixiang responded.
He picked up the bamboo tube on the table, which contained several pairs of chopsticks. He carefully selected two pairs that looked the cleanest and handed one pair to Zhang Yili.
He then pointed to several small earthenware jars on the table.
"Here's some scallions, cilantro, and chili oil. Do you... eat spicy food?"
He remembered the jar of dogwood sauce that Zhang had given him last time, but it wasn't quite flavorful enough for him.
Zhang looked at the bright red chili powder, shook his head, and felt a little embarrassed.
"I can't handle spicy food very well; even a little bit is too much for me."
She thought of her father, Butcher Zhang, who would always grumble at her with exasperation whenever he saw her gasping for breath from the spiciness.
"You're not afraid of slaughtering pigs and bleeding them, but you're afraid of these little red peppers? You're spineless!"
"Um."
Xiong Zixiang didn't ask any more questions, he just pushed the bowl in front of him a little further away.
"Then you can add it yourself; chopped green onions and cilantro are optional."
Zhang Liuli picked up a small spoon, scooped some bright green scallions and cilantro into his bowl, dipped the tip of his chopsticks in a little chili sauce, stirred it in the soup, and that was it.
She scooped up a spoonful of hot soup, blew on it, and carefully took a sip.
The broth was indeed delicious, with a rich flavor from simmering the bones. It was perfectly seasoned and warmed up as it slid down my throat, instantly dispelling the chill that had accumulated in the cold wind.
She picked up a wonton with her chopsticks and gently bit it open.
The skin is thin yet resilient, and the filling of shepherd's purse and meat is vibrant green and tender. The meat ratio is just right, and it's infused with the fresh aroma of shepherd's purse. The seasoning is also perfect, neither too salty nor too bland, making it refreshing and not greasy.
"Yes, it really tastes good."
Zhang Liuyi gave a sincere compliment and then lowered his head to eat another one.
She was so focused on eating that she didn't notice that Xiong Zixiang across from her hadn't started eating immediately.
He watched as she lowered her head, gently blowing on the steam as she carefully bit into the wonton. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat, making her appear exceptionally gentle in the steamy atmosphere.
He picked up a spoon, scooped a plump wonton from his own bowl, and naturally handed it to Zhang Yi's bowl.
Eat more.
Zhang Liuyi was taken aback by the sudden action, and looked up to meet Xiong Zixiang's eyes.
She quickly waved her hand, "Brother Xiong, you eat! I can't finish this! There's so much in the bowl!"
Xiong Zixiang's hand froze in mid-air, as if he had just realized that his action was somewhat abrupt.
He silently withdrew his spoon, put the wonton into his mouth, and mumbled a response: "Mmm."
Then he buried his head in his food and started eating.
The two stopped talking, and the only sounds were the slight clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the soft slurping of wontons.
Xiong Zixiang quickly finished his bowl of wontons and soup.
Zhang Yili also tried her best to finish eating, but she was too full to eat anymore and only drank a few sips of soup.
Upon seeing this, Xiong Zixiang immediately got up, walked to the stove, counted out a dozen or so copper coins, and handed them to the proprietress.
"Two bowls of shepherd's purse noodles, the money is here."
"Alright! Take care, Officer Xiong! Take care, young lady!" the proprietress replied with a smile.
The two left the wonton stall and rejoined the bustling crowd.
Remembering what Xiong Zixiang had said earlier, Zhang Liuyi asked as they walked, "Brother Xiong, do you usually eat this for breakfast?"
She imagined him wearing a constable's uniform, sitting at that simple stall eating wontons.
Xiong Zixiang shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowded flow of people ahead, and habitually moved Zhang Yili to a less crowded area.
"No, not really. When I'm rushing to my shift, most of the time I just carry two steamed buns or hard bread with me and eat them on the go, or I grab a bite at the yamen's canteen. It's just that... sometimes I've been eating dry rations for days on end, and when my stomach is really bland and tasteless, I come here for a bowl of wontons. It's filling and satisfying."
Zhang listened silently without saying anything more, but quietly made a mental note of it.
How can a strong, middle-aged man, especially one who does such an physically demanding job as a constable, just eat dry rations?
With a clear goal in mind, the two became very efficient in their purchasing.
Xiong Zixiang found the stall selling New Year pictures with ease and picked out a pair of majestic door gods, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong. They were painted on red paper with gold borders, and although the painting was rough, it was still spirited.
Zhang Liuyi then carefully selected an ink stick with a fine texture and a glossy black color from a nearby pen and ink shop, and carefully wrapped it in oiled paper.
Finally, they bought a full five jin of high-quality glutinous rice flour at the rice shop, which filled the heavy bamboo basket that Zhang Xiaoyi had brought.
After buying everything, the sun gradually began to set, and the chill returned.
The two men, carrying large and small bags, walked to the oxcarts that gathered at the entrance of town to wait for passengers.
Just then, they ran into an old cart driver from the same village. His oxcart was about to return to the village, and there were already two or three women from the same village sitting on it, huddled up in their cotton-padded coats and chatting.
"Uncle, are we going back to the village?" Xiong Zixiang asked as he stepped forward.
"Come back! Come back! Officer Xiong, Miss Zhang, hurry up! There's still some time!"
The driver quickly called out and helped put the purchased items into the cart.
Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang each paid two copper coins for the fare and climbed onto the oxcart.
The space inside the vehicle was not large, so the women squeezed to the side to make room.
Zhang Xiaoli sat down next to the car and carefully placed the basket containing glutinous rice flour at his feet.
Xiong Zixiang sat to her outside, his tall frame shielding the women from the cold wind.
Amidst shouts and creaks, the oxcart started moving, slowly leaving the bustling town and embarking on the frozen road leading to Zhuohe Village.
The women on the bus soon started chattering about village gossip again, talking about who slaughtered the New Year's pig and whose daughter got engaged.
Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang didn't say much.
Zhang Xiaoli hugged his knees, watching the withered trees and field ridges rushing past on the roadside.
Xiong Zixiang sat upright, his gaze calmly fixed ahead.
The oxcart swayed and rocked, and the two men's shoulders would occasionally brush lightly against each other before quickly separating.
The oxcart creaked and came to a stop under the bare old locust tree at the entrance of the village.
The women on the bus thanked them and carried their things home.
Zhang Yili and Xiong Zixiang also jumped out of the car and grabbed their belongings.
"Officer Xiong, Miss Zhang, please take care!"
The driver gave a shout and drove the oxcart towards the village.
Only the two of them remained at the village entrance.
The cold wind whipped up the withered leaves on the ground, making them swirl.
Xiong Zixiang picked up the paper package containing the door gods and said to Zhang Yixin, "Then... I'll head back now?"
"Um."
Zhang nodded and picked up the heavy basket.
The two turned around, about to go their separate ways in the direction of their respective homes.
"Brother Bear!"
Zhang Yili suddenly called out to him.
Xiong Zixiang paused, then turned around in confusion.
"You... come with me for a moment."
As Zhang Liuyi spoke, without waiting for his reply, she turned around and strode quickly toward her home.
Xiong Zixiang was puzzled, but he immediately followed.
He even snatched the basket from her hand halfway there.
He watched as Zhang Liuyi walked straight to the base of his own courtyard wall. Zhang Liuyi put down the basket, bent down, and lifted the lid of the basin.
It is cleaned, but still has a raw smell, from pig intestines, pig stomach, and pig heart.
These things were frozen solid in the dead of winter, like dark red blocks of ice covered with a layer of white frost.
Xiong Zixiang stared blankly at the pot of things.
Zhang Liuyi dusted off his hands and pointed to the earthenware basin. "Here, take this back."
Xiong Zixiang was even more bewildered.
"This... Miss, what is this...?"
"The pig offal. A few days ago, I went to Wang Min's house in the village to slaughter the New Year's pig. He thought it was troublesome to clean and smelled bad. He didn't want to do it for good luck during the New Year, so he gave it all to me. It won't spoil if it's left outside to freeze in the winter."
She paused, looking at Xiong Zixiang's still somewhat dazed face, and added.
"Didn't you say... you're lacking in oil and fat? This stuff, once braised, is incredibly fragrant! Much better than just eating dry rations! Take it back and have your aunt braise it properly with Sichuan peppercorns and star anise, it'll definitely make you want to eat more rice!"
He opened his mouth as if to say, "Keep it for yourself..." but all the words stuck in his throat.
"This...this won't do! It's too expensive, you keep it..."
"Hey, here you go!"
Zhang interrupted him.
“I still have some at home! You’re out running around all day, how can you just eat dry rations? Take it back! Stop dawdling, you’ll get cold standing here!” As she spoke, she bent down to pick up the heavy earthenware basin.
"I'll do it!"
Xiong Zixiang quickly stepped forward and picked up the ceramic basin first.
The chill from the edge of the basin instantly seeped into his palm, but it did nothing to suppress the surging heat in his heart.
He looked at Zhang Yili's face, which was slightly red from the cold but beaming with smiles. "...Thank you."
"Thank you for being so polite."
Zhang waved his hand dismissively, bent down to pick up his glutinous rice flour basket, and said, "Then I'm going back! You should go back too, it's getting cold!"
After saying that, she turned around, pushed open the courtyard gate, and disappeared behind it.
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