The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 14

To entertain the young men, Tian Amu and a few others gave it their all, preparing a feast with dishes like fried cucumber with minced meat, stir-fried sour taro, stewed pork ribs with potatoes, fried pork meatballs, dry-fried beans, bitter melon omelet, braised winter melon, stewed chicken with mushrooms, and more. In total, there were twelve dishes, as local custom called for an even number.

The eight young men who had come to deliver the betrothal gifts, along with Li Wenxuan, the Tian family members present, and some relatives and neighbors who had come to help, gathered around three large tables, creating a lively atmosphere.

Tian Fu also brought two large jars of wine from the restaurant where he worked. His master had insisted on sending them, saying that even if he couldn’t attend the engagement, he’d at least contribute a glass of wedding wine for the actual ceremony.

Tian Shou’s master likewise promised to personally make a dressing table for Xiaoman. His disciples knew that unless it was for someone particularly important, he rarely took action himself—an honor reserved only for those he held in high regard.

When the group saw the wine, they were as excited as if reuniting with long-lost kin. After only a few sips, they began calling each other “brother” and “little brother.”

Seeing this, the others just smiled, glad to witness such a joyful occasion.

Worried that the men’s liquor was too strong, Tian Amu brought out his homemade rice wine and drank along with them.

The atmosphere remained warm and lively, filled with laughter, clinking cups, and shared toasts that strengthened the sense of community.

Outside, food continued to be served. Inside, Tian Xiaoman and Yang Xiaoguo were no less enthusiastic. Sitting side by side, they ate with gusto, their chopsticks flying. Xiaoman grabbed an extra piece of pork rib, and not long after, Yang Xiaoguo snatched an extra meatball. With their cheeks puffed full, both had their eyes locked on the next bite.

This habit came from their Amu. Both gers had grown up believing that food fought over tasted better. Back when there hadn’t been enough to go around, one of them always ended up hungry, so eating naturally turned into a game of competition.

That said, it was a rivalry reserved just for the two of them—when dining with others, they still remembered their manners.

After the meal, everyone gathered in the main room to rest.

Li Wenxuan, however, couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed—he hadn’t gotten a glimpse of his young husband that day.

Just then, Tian Amu gave him a subtle signal to come outside.

Confused but curious, Li Wenxuan followed him.

Once in the backyard, he found Tian Xiaoman standing there, looking very surprised to see him.

Xiaoman looked equally startled. After dinner, his Amu had told him to wait in the backyard, and he hadn’t expected Li Wenxuan to be the one to show up.

“What the— Is this a setup?” he thought suspiciously. That sneaky Amu of his!

Their customs were relatively open—an engagement was considered nearly the same as marriage, just without the ceremony. If someone backed out, it could spark conflict between both villages.

So for someone like Tian Xiaoman, meeting his fiancé in the backyard wasn’t unusual. In fact, some couples started living together right after engagement, though they might get teased for it.

“Xiaoman, your Amu said you wanted to see me, right?” Li Wenxuan teased.

“See you? What a big-headed ghost! I didn’t want to see you!” Tian Xiaoman retorted, thinking this person had no shame.

Li Wenxuan secretly laughed, seeing that Xiaoman was truly irritated. “Really? Then why am I seeing you here?” he asked, pretending to be clueless, though he was silently grateful to his future Amu-in-law—this was a real Amu-in-law!

“My Amu told me to come… Wait a minute—you and my Amu planned this together!” Realizing the trap, Xiaoman spun around angrily, ready to leave. But Li Wenxuan quickly caught his wrist.

A wave of heat surged through Tian Xiaoman at the sudden touch. He instinctively tried to pull free, but no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free—Li Wenxuan’s grip was like a steel clamp.

“Let go!” he shouted, flustered. He’d never been this close to a man before. Knowing that this man would be his husband only made it more awkward.

“No way. You’ll be my husband soon, and I’m not letting go,” Li Wenxuan said firmly, his grip tightening.

Li Wenxuan was surprised to find that although Xiaoman looked slender, he was actually quite muscular. It made him all the more eager to hold him again in the future. Forgive the youthful fantasies of a hot-blooded man confronted with his fiancé—otherwise, he’d suffocate from restraint.

“Oh, so you’re not letting go?” Xiaoman quickly came up with a plan.

Just as he prepared to stomp on Li Wenxuan’s foot, the other reacted even faster, spinning him around and pulling him into a tight embrace.

Xiaoman’s face turned bright red, as if it might start bleeding. This was the first time someone had ever held him like this.

Overwhelmed with embarrassment, he started crying softly.

Li Wenxuan, enjoying the warmth of the embrace, quickly sensed something was wrong. Xiaoman wasn’t fighting back or yelling anymore. Looking down, he was shocked to see tears on his fiancé’s face.

“Xiaoman, I was just joking,” he said quickly. “If you’re mad, you can hit me—I won’t dodge, I promise.” He took Xiaoman’s hand and raised it to his own cheek.

Startled, Xiaoman opened his eyes just in time to see Li Wenxuan actually slapping himself with Xiaoman’s hand.

In a panic, he yanked his hand back. “Who wants to hit you, you idiot? Your face is so thick, it’d hurt my hand!” he snapped.

“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault for having such thick skin. Your poor hand must be sore!” Li Wenxuan said with a grin, taking Xiaoman’s hand again and pretending to blow on it. “There, it won’t hurt anymore.”

“You’re treating me like a kid!” Xiaoman said, but he couldn’t hold back a laugh at how silly it all was.

“You’re not mad anymore, right?” Li Wenxuan grinned wider.

So what if he embarrassed himself in front of his future husband? He’d make it up to him later.

“Hmph!” Xiaoman crossed his arms, remembering he was supposed to still be angry. “Let me go right now!” The guy was still holding him!

“Alright…” Li Wenxuan let go, albeit reluctantly. He hadn’t expected Xiaoman to give in so quickly—he’d hoped to hug him a little longer.

Xiaoman hadn’t expected Li Wenxuan to actually listen. He had planned to scold him some more, but as soon as he was free, he found Li Wenxuan staring at him so intently that it made his heart race again.

Unable to stand the tension, Xiaoman turned and fled back to his room, stomping hard on Li Wenxuan’s foot on the way out.

Li Wenxuan stood there, smiling to himself as he watched him leave.

After a while, he returned to the main room, gathered his brothers, and, carrying away a heart full of happiness along with a basketful of “tofu,” left in satisfaction.