The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 64

Le-ge’er pouted and looked at Tian Xiaoman. He knew that Momo was laughing at him. 

Seeing his little expression, Tian Xiaoman stopped laughing. He turned to Liu Xilin and said, “Xiao Lin, come on in. I’ll bring you the porridge!”

Liu Xilin followed Tian Xiaoman inside, thought for a moment, and then turned back to lead Le-ge’er in.

A bowl of hot Laba porridge was placed in front of Liu Xilin. He noticed a lot of things he didn’t recognize, but he could tell they were all delicious.

After a while, he picked up the spoon and began eating spoonful by spoonful. The porridge was sweet and hot, sweet enough to warm his heart and hot enough to keep him cozy.

The bowl was soon empty. Liu Xilin took the bowl to the wellhead, rinsed it, and brought it back to Tian Xiaoman. 

“Oh, you’re so obedient,” Tian Xiaoman said. “Next time, just leave the bowl here and I’ll wash it for you!”

Liu Xilin nodded obediently, though in his mind, he wondered, Will there be a next time? Maybe next year, but next year Tian Momo won’t be the new husband!

Le-ge’er, still upset from losing the chase, wasn’t in the mood to go out and play. Instead, Liu Xilin stayed with him in the yard.

After Tian Xiaoman finished cleaning the pig’s trotters, he called Li Wenxuan, who was busy in the room, out to help chop them into smaller pieces with a machete.

It wasn’t that Tian Xiaoman couldn’t chop them himself, but his Amu always said that when you’re newly married, you should ask your husband to help with small tasks, so he doesn’t fall into the habit of doing nothing and simply waiting to be served.

Tian Xiaoman had seen how his Amu treated his father, and he followed this advice.

Li Wenxuan was quick to come out when called, grabbed the knife, and chopped the trotters with a few quick strokes. “Xiaoman, is there anything else you need me to do?”

“What’s your rush?” Tian Xiaoman asked, slowly walking over to him. “Why are you hiding in your room so early in the morning? Tell me, are you hiding private money from me?”

Li Wenxuan didn’t quite understand but found Tian Xiaoman’s expression amusing. He suddenly grabbed him and said, “I am yours! Why would I hide private money? I’ll give you whatever you want!”

Tian Xiaoman smiled at first but then suddenly thought of something, and his face darkened. “Let go!”

Li Wenxuan blinked in confusion.

“You cut the pig’s trotters and didn’t wash your hands, and now you dare to hug me!” Tian Xiaoman was worried about his clothes getting stained.

“Hehe, Xiaoman, don’t be mad. I’ll wash my hands now!” Li Wenxuan ran off, shouting.

Liu Xilin and Le-ge’er, who were playing in the yard, laughed, finding the scene quite funny. 

Tian Xiaoman, though a bit indignant, went to change his clothes, while Li Wenxuan took his coat to wash, which made Tian Xiaoman feel a bit pleased.

Li Wenxuan smiled to himself. I’ll wash your clothes during the day, and you can wash mine at night!

Tian Xiaoman blanched the pig’s trotters, then prepared the seasonings: peppers, ginger, and bay leaves. After stir-frying them until fragrant, he added the trotters, fried them a little more, then added salt, soy sauce, and water, covering the trotters to cook.

Tian Xiaoman covered the big pot and placed enough firewood under it. He then sat outside to watch the two children playing. 

Li Wenxuan was hanging his clothes on the bamboo poles, and the warm winter sun bathed his face. 

Tian Xiaoman couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his chest.

This wasn’t the kind of man he originally wanted to marry, but he was the most suitable and loving person for him. Tian Xiaoman felt lucky that he wasn’t a stubborn person and had finally fallen in love with Li Wenxuan. Otherwise, how lonely he would have been!

He laughed foolishly at the thought. 

Li Wenxuan, noticing, looked over and laughed too.

After an unknown amount of time, Tian Xiaoman suddenly smelled a strong, savory fragrance. He quickly got up, realizing that the pig’s trotters must be ready.

Sure enough, only the soup remained in the pot, and the rest of the trotters were cooked through. Tian Xiaoman poked it with chopsticks, turned off the fire, and quickly removed the pot from the heat to prevent burning.

After putting the trotters on a plate, he couldn’t resist picking up a small piece with chopsticks and popping it in his mouth. The spicy flavor spread across his taste buds. The meat was so tender, he barely had to chew before swallowing.

Tian Xiaoman was happily eating when suddenly, he felt someone tugging at his clothes. “Momo, I want to eat!”

Le-ge’er climbed onto his lap and looked up at him, eyes fixed on the trotters in his hand.

“All right,” Xiaoman said with a chuckle but warned, “But don’t complain if it’s spicy.” though he still dipped the piece in boiling water for a moment before handing it to Le-ge’er. He quickly pulled it back before Le-ge’er could grab it. “You’ve been playing in the mud. Did you wash your hands?” Tian Xiaoman asked.

“Yes!” Le-ge’er answered confidently, but his little black hands made Tian Xiaoman’s eye twitch. 

He was about to ask Xilin to take the boy to wash up when he noticed the older child was already heading for the gate. “Xiao Lin, where are you going?”

“My Grandmu called me back,” Liu Xilin answered awkwardly.

“That’s nonsense! I didn’t hear anything. Come here!” Tian Xiaoman called out.

“Uncle Tian, what’s up?” Liu Xilin came over sheepishly.

“Can you take Le-ge’er to wash his hands? Tian Momo will reward you with a pig’s trotter!” Tian Xiaoman grinned.

“No, no! It’s a small thing. I’ll take him right away.” Liu Xilin refused the reward, though the fragrance of the pork made it hard to resist.

“Wait, I’m not done yet,” Xiaoman said, pretending to think. “Can you also come back this afternoon to play with Le-ge’er? He’s always alone at home, but he seems so happy today.”

“Sure, I like playing with Le-ge’er too!” Liu Xilin added, his tone sincere. The other village children rarely played with him.

“Then you must eat the pig’s trotter. Tian Momo is inviting you to play with Le-ge’er. You can’t leave without eating it. Otherwise, people might say I’m stingy. Are you okay with that?”

“Well… okay then!” Liu Xilin agreed, fooled by Tian Xiaoman’s convincing words.

Tian Xiaoman grinned proudly. Hah, fooling a child is easy. I’ve been doing it for years—just ask Yang Xiaoguo. 

He genuinely wanted Le-ge’er to have a playmate; the boy was always so alone, and it made him ache a little to see it.

After confirming that the two children had washed their hands, Tian Xiaoman handed out large pieces of trotters to each of them. 

He let it cool slightly, so they could eat it with their hands. If it wasn’t too big, he’d want to eat it that way himself—it was just more comfortable!