The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 65

“Little child, don’t be greedy — once Laba passes, the New Year comes!”

As the New Year approached, Li Wenxuan became very busy. Not only did he have to manage his stall, but he had also promised to help the villagers slaughter pigs.

Fortunately, his father no longer went up the mountain and could help share some of the burden. Otherwise, Li Wenxuan would have been overwhelmed doing it all by himself.

Tian Xiaoman didn’t have much time to think about him lately. He had been busy making clothes. He had made a cloth tiger for Le-ge’er before and suddenly remembered that everyone had to wear new clothes for the New Year. It didn’t make sense for him to not prepare some for his family.

He was well aware of his own limits; he couldn’t make outer garments. Even their wedding robes had been completed only because Tian Amu had guided him step by step. So, he had already bought good fabric and sent it to the skilled embroiderer in the village.

Li Amu would make the clothes for Father Li and Le-ge’er, so he only needed to make clothes for himself and Li Wenxuan.

The time spent making clothes passed slowly—boring and tiring—and he had to keep a close eye on his work. Every so often, he’d find an excuse to step outside for a stroll before returning.

Le-ge’er was no longer as clingy as before. With a new playmate, he had become bolder. Sometimes, he would talk in his sleep at night about what he had played during the day.

That day, Xiaoman couldn’t stand staying home any longer. The house was empty—Li Amu had gone with a neighbor to a nearby village, where someone’s hens were said to be exceptionally fine. Li Amu wanted to pick one to raise.

Xiaoman grabbed the small basket that held his sewing tools, shut the gate behind him, and went out. In the village, he wasn’t close to many people, but he did get along well with Ayun—the tofu maker’s husband—so he decided to visit him.

People often say that there are three hardships in life: rowing a boat, forging iron, and selling tofu. But Ayun seemed to be doing well because his husband’s tofu stall was in the county town, and they rented a house nearby, grinding and selling tofu there every day. The tofu was full and fragrant, and it was very popular. In winter, everyone would buy a few pieces to make frozen tofu.

Ayun was sitting in his yard, mending something when he heard Tian Xiaoman calling him. He immediately got up and opened the door.

“Brother Ayun, I came to play with you!” Tian Xiaoman laughed and sat down without any formalities.

“You came just in time; I was bored too!” Ayun smiled.

Tian Xiaoman set down the basket, glanced around casually, and his eyes landed on a piece of clothing. It was a small piece of fine cotton cloth, looking very cute, about the size of two palms.

“Brother Ayun, who are you making this for?” Tian Xiaoman asked, looking at Ayun. He didn’t remember Ayun having a newborn baby.

Hearing this, Ayun touched his belly and blushed, his face full of happiness. 

Tian Xiaoman understood and smiled. “Brother Ayun, you’re pregnant!”

“Yeah,” he answered softly, lowering his head, his face glowing with happiness.

“Congratulations, Brother Ayun! Soon you’ll have a cute baby to play with!” Tian Xiaoman was also very happy. This child was something Ayun had been longing for for a long time.

…

Tian Xiaoman sat there for the afternoon, and his efficiency improved a little. Sure enough, chatting while working made the time pass faster.

When he returned home, he found that the gate to the courtyard was open.

“Amu, are you back?”

“Yes, look at the big rooster I caught! It’s so beautiful! The tuft of hair on its tail is so bright!” Li Amu was very excited, proud of his find.

Tian Xiaoman turned to look and saw the big rooster. It was full of energy, well-built, and had a beautiful tuft of red feathers on its tail.

“Amu, when we eventually slaughter it, I want its feathers. I’ll use them to make a shuttlecock!” Xiaoman said immediately.

“All right, all right! Whatever you say,” Amu laughed. This child had become like a real son to him—nothing was ever too much to give.

“Someone in the neighboring village is selling osmanthus candy, so I bought some and put it on the table. If you want some, take it yourself,” Li Amu added, looking around. “Where’s Le-ge’er?”

“He went to play with Lin Xiaozi. I’ll go find him,” Tian Xiaoman said, about to leave. But he turned back and grabbed a few pieces of candy from the table before heading out.

Tian Xiaoman walked around and soon found them in a grassy field. 

The grass was almost as tall as Le-ge’er, and he was watching Lin Xiaozi catch crickets, clearly enjoying himself.

“Le-ge’er!” Tian Xiaoman called out. 

Le-ge’er immediately stopped, and Tian Xiaoman stuffed a candy into his mouth. The sweetness hit his taste buds, and he looked up to see Tian Xiaoman. He quickly hugged Tian Xiaoman’s legs, acting spoiled.

After a moment, Le-ge’er suddenly remembered something. He spread his hands and said, “Brother, eat candy too!”

“Oh? So now you know to share, do you? Look at your hands—tsk tsk tsk, they’re so dirty!” Tian Xiaoman pretended to be disgusted, clicking his tongue a few times. “Go call your brother over, and I’ll put it straight into his mouth.”

Le-ge’er nodded eagerly and ran off, not daring to open his mouth to shout for fear the candy would fall out.

When he got close to Lin Xiaozi, Le-ge’er took a deep breath and then told him what Tian Xiaoman had said. 

Soon, Lin Xiaozi followed him over.

“Good afternoon, Master’s husband!” Lin boy greeted obediently.

A few days ago, Li Wenxuan had formally accepted Liu Xilin as his apprentice, starting him with the basics of martial training—mostly horse stance drills. Every morning, Xilin practiced diligently; his master had said that a solid foundation began with the stance. Li Wenxuan himself had trained for more than a year that way.

Tian Xiaoman smiled and nodded, then took out a candy and stuffed it into Liu Xilin’s mouth. Seeing his cheeks puffed up as he tried to chew, and Xiaoman couldn’t help laughing at the sight.