Chapter 64 – Returning Home
Yan Shuqin excitedly placed the ten pounds of pork belly next to Yan Shuyun.
Yan Shuxue also had an excited expression on her face.
Although the sisters were reluctant to spend money, the thought of being able to eat big chunks of pork tonight filled their hearts with joy no less than Yan Xiaosi’s.
Yan Shuyun looked at the large piece of pork belly on the wooden cart, her mouth agape in surprise.
“Big sister, second sister, why did you buy so much meat?”
Yan Shuxue answered, “Fourth brother bought it. Thanks to him, we have meat to eat.”
“Fourth brother not only bought pork belly, but also pig intestines. Mom is holding them.”
After placing the large piece of pork belly properly, Yan Shuqin instructed Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuyun, “Second sister, third sister, watch the stuff and the ox cart here. Mother and fourth brother are still shopping. I’ll go help them.”
At the moment, Yan Xiaosi and Ms. Zhong were standing in front of a vegetable stall.
Since it was already late in the afternoon, there weren’t many vegetables left on the stall. The good-looking ones had been bought by others. The remaining ones were all odd-shaped and imperfect.
Yan Xiaosi looked at the small, odd-shaped potatoes on the stall, then glanced at the pig intestines in Ms. Zhong’s hand. Suddenly, she thought of a dish and, drooling, said to Ms. Zhong, “Mom, potatoes stewed with pig intestines taste delicious.”
Ms. Zhong turned her head and looked at Yan Xiaosi with a strange expression.
Yan Xiaosi was born shortly before Yan Bowen died, and after his death, the third family of the Yan household fell into decline. Thus, Yan Xiaosi had hardly ever eaten meat in his life, let alone the opportunity to eat potatoes stewed with pig intestines.
Realizing that she had misspoken, Yan Xiaosi said, “Mom, I was just imagining. Potatoes are good, and when stewed with pig intestines, they must be delicious.”
Only then did Ms. Zhong put away that strange look and turned her head to ask the vegetable stall owner, “Boss, how much for these potatoes?”
Since the potatoes didn’t look good, the owner didn’t overcharge.
“Buy them all and they’re six wen per pound; if you don’t buy them all, it’s eight coins per pound.”
“Mother, let’s buy them all.”
The next market day was five days later and Yan Xiaosi didn’t want to have vegetables for one meal and then run out for the next.
Although the potatoes looked odd-shaped and imperfect, once they were cooked, the taste and nutritional value were the same.
Only then did Ms. Zhong say to the vegetable stall owner, “Boss, please weigh all of them.”
After buying the potatoes, Yan Xiaosi took Ms. Zhong and Yan Shu Qin to buy white radishes and Chinese cabbage. It was the season for radishes and cabbage, which were already inexpensive, and since it was late afternoon at the market, the sellers lowered their prices even more, making it a great deal.
Ms. Zhong bought a pile of cabbage and radishes before heading to the rice and grain store to buy oil, salt, rice, and noodles. When the ox cart entered the vegetable market, its wooden platform was empty, but now it was fully loaded, and there was less room for people to sit. Yan Shuqin had to sit at the front of the cart with Ms. Zhong, while Yan Shuxue, Yan Shuyun, and Yan Xiaosi squeezed together in the back.
As they left the market, Ms. Zhong asked Yan Xiaosi, “Xiaosi, do you have anything else to do? If not, let’s head back to Shaoyao Village.”
Having been away for so long, Yan Xiaosi was worried about Long Hao.
If those Rongdi scouts appeared again, it would be a small matter if they captured Long Hao, but a big problem if it implicated their entire family.
“Mom, I have nothing else to do. Let’s go back.”
Only then did Ms. Zhong drive the ox cart quickly, leaving the town of Daxing and heading towards Shaoyao Village.
“Excuse me, miss, have you seen a man about eight feet tall, exceptionally handsome, wearing a dark robe?”
Just as the ox cart was about to rush out of the town, a young man with extraordinary clothes and outstanding appearance suddenly appeared, attracting Yan Xiaosi’s attention.
The young man was asking passersby about someone.
Because the man’s appearance was too outstanding and eye-catching on the street, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun all noticed him.
Long Hao was about eight feet tall and wore a dark robe when he appeared.
Yan Shuyun, recalling the incident at the dilapidated temple, felt a sudden jolt in her heart and moved closer to Yan Xiaosi to ask, “Xiaosi, is this man looking for Brother Long?”
Yan Xiaosi intuitively felt that the man in front of her was looking for Long Hao, but she couldn’t be sure if he was Long Hao’s friend or a Rongdi spy. Before she could figure out the situation, she didn’t dare to tell Yan Shu Yun her thoughts. “Third sister, don’t make wild guesses. Didn’t you hear what that man said? He’s looking for a man who is eight feet tall, exceptionally handsome, and wearing a dark robe. Although our Brother Long Hao is also about eight feet tall and wears a dark robe, his face can hardly be considered outstanding.”
Yan Shuyun thought about what Yan Xiaosi said and felt it made sense, so she dismissed her concerns.
Ms. Zhong drove the ox cart, continuing straight down the street. Yan Xiaosi occasionally turned her head to look at the man, who eventually entered an inn in Daxing Town and didn’t come out again.
Since the man didn’t come out again, Yan Xiaosi noted the name of the inn and stopped paying attention.
At the entrance of Shaoyao Village, Wang Sanniang was standing there, looking at the muddy road leading into the village.
Tian Dazhuang had finished his work in the fields and was passing by the entrance to the village on his way home when he saw his mother from afar.
“Mom, what are you looking at? Have you cooked dinner yet? I’m hungry.”
At this moment, Wang Sanniang had no intention to cook. Yan Xiaosi had borrowed their ox cart for most of the day and hadn’t returned it yet. She had just gone to the dilapidated temple at the edge of the village, and the people from Yan’s third house still hadn’t returned.
“Dazhuang, why hasn’t that little rascal Yan Xiaosi come back yet? Do you think he lost our ox cart and is too scared to come back?”
Tian Dazhuang thought his mother was overthinking it. He carried the hoe with one hand and pulled Wang Sanniang with the other to go home.
“Mom, Xiaosi isn’t that careless. He’ll take care of our ox cart. Besides, aren’t Aunt Yan, Ah Qin, Ah Xue, and Ah Yun with Xiaosi? Let’s go home and cook.”
“You’re too easygoing.”
Wang San Niang pulled away from Tian Dazhuang’s hand and stubbornly stood at the village entrance without moving.
“That ox cart is the most valuable thing in our family. Every year, we rely on that old yellow ox to plow the fields. If Yan Xiaosi loses the ox cart, we won’t be able to get by.”
Tian Dazhuang couldn’t do anything about his stubborn mother, so he put down the hoe he was carrying on his shoulder and waited with her at the village entrance.
Before long, the mother and son heard the sound of the yellow ox’s call coming from the front.
“Mom, it’s Xiaosi and the others coming back.”
Tian Dazhuang fed the ox every day and could tell from the sound that it was their old yellow ox.
Wang Sanniang stared at the muddy road at the village entrance and soon saw Ms. Zhong, Yan Xiaosi, and Yan Shuqin riding the ox cart towards the village entrance, feeling reassured.
“Qin’er, look, are the two people standing at the village entrance your Aunt Tian and Brother Dazhuang?”
When Yan Bowen died, Ms. Zhong cried so much that her eyesight became somewhat bad. She could vaguely see a man and a woman standing at the village entrance.
Yan Shuqin took a closer look and told Ms. Zhong, “Yes, it’s Aunt Tian and Brother Dazhuang. It’s dinner time. What are they doing at the village entrance?”
Sitting on the cart, Yan Xiaosi, who was originally dozing off, suddenly spoke, “What else could they be doing? Aunt Tian must be worried that we lost their ox cart.”
