The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 35

Li Wenxuan rode on his horse, galloping through the village, while thinking of a way to persuade Tian Xiaoman to come play at his house, so that his parents could meet him.

After thinking for a while, Li Wenxuan decided to appeal to his love for food. 

That’s right! His eyes lit up. There was a big lake next to Willow Tree Slope, and now that it was autumn, it was the perfect time for crabs. He’d use this excuse to lure Xiaoman!

With that plan in mind, Li Wenxuan continued his ride. 

As he reached the entrance of the village, he ran into Yang Amu. Knowing that he was looking for Tian Xiaoman, Yang Amu told him that Xiaoman and his Amu were at the lotus pond digging lotus roots. Li Wenxuan thanked him and made his way there.

At the pond, many villagers were gathered. When they saw Li Wenxuan, they all smiled and greeted him. Making good friends was important—who knew, next time they might end up getting more meat! 

Li Wenxuan smiled and nodded back.

As he reached the pond, he stood at the edge and scanned the area. After a moment, he spotted Tian Xiaoman, bent over with his butt sticking out as he dug something from the mud.

Li Wenxuan circled around to Tian Xiaoman, squatted down, and observed his movements with great interest.

After Tian Xiaoman had gathered seven or eight lotus roots, he felt his backpack was nearly full. He stood up and poured the lotus roots onto the grass by the shore. Just as he was about to go back and dig more, he felt something slippery slip over his instep again. This time, Tian Xiaoman wasn’t going to let it get away. He bent down and reached into the water, but the thing was too slippery. He only managed to touch it once before it darted away.

Frustrated, Tian Xiaoman rolled up his sleeves and decided that he wouldn’t leave until he caught it. 

Splashing the water with his hands, he drove the fish toward a corner of the shore, scooped it into his backpack, and quickly lifted it out. After the water drained, he saw several palm-sized crucian carps flopping in the backpack.

Tian Xiaoman beamed with pride at his catch. 

He looked up and saw Li Wenxuan squatting on the shore, watching him leisurely.

Tian Xiaoman’s face flushed. Li Wenxuan had seen his embarrassing attempt to catch the fish! He scowled. “Why didn’t you say anything when you came? Trying to scare me to death?!”

“I would never!” Li Wenxuan replied, puzzled by the sudden outburst. “I was afraid of scaring the fish away. If I did, wouldn’t it have been a waste of your effort?”

Tian Xiaoman couldn’t find a retort. He put the basket on the bank, braced his hands, and prepared to climb up. Li Wenxuan quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

Once Tian Xiaoman was up, he rushed over to inspect the fish. He counted them: four crucian carps, each about the size of an adult’s palm. He couldn’t help but feel happy thinking about how good the stew would taste tonight.

Li Wenxuan praised him at the perfect moment, “Xiaoman, you’re amazing! You caught so many fish!”

Tian Xiaoman, oblivious to the flattery, thought he had really impressed Li Wenxuan and said, “Of course, I catch a lot of fish every time!”

“Yes, yes, Xiaoman is the best!” Li Wenxuan grinned, his voice full of affection. “But the weather is getting cooler, and you’re all wet. How about I take you home to change clothes first?”

Tian Xiaoman shivered slightly. He hadn’t felt cold in the water, but now, as the wind blew on him, he felt chilled. Looking at his catch, he hesitated, but decided it was fine. His Father was still working, and no one would mind him leaving for now. 

After saying goodbye to Yang Xiaoguo, he mounted Li Wenxuan’s horse and headed home with him. Before they left, he didn’t forget to take his fish with him. As for the lotus roots,they had to wait until everyone finished digging and divided them.

When they arrived at Tian Xiaoman’s house, he called out, “Amu, Li Wenxuan’s here!”

Tian Amu quickly came out. Upon seeing Li Wenxuan, he smiled warmly. “Wenxuan, have you eaten yet? Should I boil you some eggs?”

“No need, Amu. I’m full for now. I’ll eat later when I get hungry. But right now, I’ll go boil some water for Xiaoman so he can wash up—he’s all wet,” Li Wenxuan replied, heading to the kitchen.

Tian Amu turned his gaze to Tian Xiaoman, who was glaring at him with a hint of resentment. 

What happened? Why did his Amu only see Li Wenxuan when he was around? Was Xiaoman even his child anymore, or was he being replaced by Li Wenxuan?

Tian Amu, seeing the look in Tian Xiaoman’s eyes, couldn’t help but laugh. “Go to your room and take off those wet clothes. I’ll bring you some warm water. You should lie down and rest so you don’t catch a cold.”

After Tian Amu finished speaking, he made his way to the kitchen to prepare ginger soup for Tian Xiaoman.

Li Wenxuan, seeing Tian Amu come in, quickly stood up. “Amu, what are you doing? Let me help!”

“No need,” Tian Amu responded with a smile. “I’m making ginger soup for Xiaoman to help him warm up.”

“Oh, I see.” When it came to cooking, Wenxuan had no say. Instead, he seized the chance: “Amu, could Xiaoman come to my house for a couple of days?” He thought he’d first get Amu’s approval.

Tian Amu paused for a moment. He thought it over while stirring the pot. Since Wenxuan’s family hadn’t met Xiaoman yet, it would be fine for him to visit.

“Yes, but you must remember, don’t bully Xiaoman! If you do, I won’t forgive you!” Tian Amu emphasized the word “bully.”

Of course, this bullying wasn’t the usual kind—and Wenxuan understood perfectly. He agreed solemnly.

After a while, the water was boiled. Tian Amu brought it to Tian Xiaoman’s room and asked him to wash up and change into dry clothes. He also brought him a bowl of ginger soup.

When Tian Xiaoman emerged from his room, now comfortably in dry clothes, Father Tian returned with lotus roots that he’d dug earlier. They’d be digging more tomorrow.

With hot water ready in the pot, Tian Amu asked Father Tian to take a bath.

Tian Xiaoman looked at the lotus roots his father had brought back, then at the crucian carps in the basin. He decided to make a pot of crucian carp lotus root soup.

First, he cleaned the fish by removing the scales, gills, and intestines. Then he asked Li Wenxuan to chop some green onions, ginger, and garlic for later use. In the pan, he heated oil and fried the peppercorns until fragrant, then added the fish and fried it until both sides were golden brown. He set the fish aside and prepared an earthenware pot.

Tian Xiaoman added the right amount of water to the pot, put in the fish along with the green onions, ginger, and garlic, and covered the pot to cook. After it boiled, he kept cooking it for a while, adding peanuts to the pot to make the soup even more fragrant.

When it was ready, he washed and sliced the lotus root and added it to the pot.

After the lotus root was cooked, he seasoned the soup with salt and stirred it evenly. It was ready to serve.

The soup was a creamy white color, and the fragrance made Tian Xiaoman’s mouth water. He poured out a small bowl, topped it with some chopped green onions, and drank it happily. 

After a few sips, he didn’t forget to share some with Li Wenxuan.