The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 69

After arriving home, Li Wenxuan put down his burden and went inside to find his Amu. He needed him to bring out a large board to place the tofu on so it could freeze outside.

Tian Xiaoman arrived a little later. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Father Li sitting at the stone table, cutting window paper-cuts, while Li Yiran was writing auspicious couplets.

“Brother, your handwriting is really beautiful!” Tian Xiaoman exclaimed, admiring the neat calligraphy. Although he couldn’t read, he could still tell what looked nice.

Li Yiran smiled and said, “My handwriting is just neat, not beautiful.”

“How can you say that’s not beautiful?” Tian Xiaoman exclaimed. “The ones Amu used to buy in town every year weren’t half as nice, and they were expensive too!”

“I think it looks good too. Brother, don’t be so modest!” Li Wenxuan added, coming out just in time to glance at the couplet. “Leaping horses soaring to prosper, hearing the cock crow and dancing to draw a grand plan.” Next year is the Year of the Rooster, so both the main and secondary couplets were fitting. It also seemed to reflect Li Yiran’s own aspirations. Not bad at all.

There were also other couplets scattered around: “Abundant harvest” on the granary, “Prosperity of livestock” on the chicken coop, “Safe entry and exit” on the door, and “Safety every year” on the cupboard—each with its own auspicious message.

Tian Xiaoman thought to himself, It’s really nice having someone educated at home. They didn’t even need to spend money on decorations. Back in his own family, all they ever had for New Year was a lonely pair of couplets and a few simple paper cuttings—nothing more.

But then he remembered Zhang Bin, that so-called scholar from his old village. Even though he could write, his family still had to buy their Spring Festival couplets because he claimed that writing them himself was “beneath a man of learning.” Tian Xiaoman had no idea what “beneath a man of learning” meant, but he knew that going to the latrine wasn’t exactly elegant either—maybe that counted as “beneath learning” too.

After admiring Brother Li’s calligraphy, the two went over to look at Father Li’s window paper-cuts. 

There were all kinds of beautiful designs, most of which were chickens—reminders that next year would be the Year of the Rooster.

“Father, can you cut out a person?” Tian Xiaoman asked curiously.

“Yes,” Father Li replied, quickly cutting out a figure that resembled Tian Xiaoman.

Tian Xiaoman held it in his hands, marveling at how much it looked like him. “Can you cut one of my husband too?” he asked, pointing at Li Wenxuan. In front of the elders, he always addressed Wenxuan properly as “husband.”

Father Li glanced at them and thought, This couple really has a good relationship. 

As he continued working, his hands moved swiftly, and soon, he had cut out two little figures holding hands that looked just like them.

“Father, you’re amazing!” Tian Xiaoman praised, grinning at the paper-cut. He wanted to stick it on their bedside so they could see it every day.

Father Li was pleased. He had been cutting paper-cuts for years, but no one had ever praised him before. It felt nice to receive a compliment from his son-in-law.

Li Wenxuan watched as Tian Xiaoman skipped back to their room. He sat down beside Father Li and said, “Father, I want to learn too!”

Father Li, “…”

After Tian Xiaoman finished pasting the paper-cuts, he stepped outside and saw that it was nearly noon. He quickly hurried to the kitchen to help Li Amu cook.

There weren’t many vegetables in the garden during winter—just cabbage and radishes. Tian Xiaoman was getting tired of eating them, but there wasn’t much else to work with in the cold season.

Suddenly, Tian Xiaoman remembered the pickled cabbage that Li Amu had set aside earlier. He hurriedly asked, “Amu, is the pickled cabbage edible?”

Li Amu thought for a moment. “I haven’t opened it yet, but wait, I’ll go check.”

He ran over to the jar where the pickled cabbage was stored in the corner, lifted the lid, and a strong, tangy smell wafted out. 

Tian Xiaoman’s mouth watered immediately; he suddenly craved sour food! It must be that Am’s pickled cabbage was extra delicious!

Li Amu, not thinking much of it, moved the stone and peered in. “Oh, it’s definitely edible,” he said, before bringing out a wooden basin and taking out two pickled cabbages.

Tian Xiaoman eagerly took them and washed them off. 

But what should he pair with the pickled cabbage? Suddenly, he remembered the pig intestines that Li Wenxuan had brought back two days ago. It was the perfect addition, so he decided to make pickled cabbage fried with pig intestines!

Tian Xiaoman handed the washed pickled cabbage to Li Amu and began looking for the two pig intestines. After a long search, he asked Li Amu where they were.

Li Amu replied, “They smelled too strong, so I hung them outside.”

Tian Xiaoman stepped outside and, sure enough, the intestines were hanging in a basket in the corner of the house. He had missed them despite going in and out earlier.

He took them down, drew a basin of water to wash them, and realized the well water wasn’t cold, but rather warm. He sprinkled a little salt in the water, which quickly dissolved.

There was some fat on the surface of the intestines, but Tian Xiaoman didn’t feel like using scissors to cut it off. Instead, he just tore it off with his hands. Then, he grabbed a cylindrical bamboo tool with a hollow end, inserted it into the opening of the large intestine, and poured water into it.

The large intestine inflated with water and became round and bulging. He then released the water, rinsing the inside properly. This was a key step. Some people would only wash the intestines briefly and then fry them, but that would result in a less appetizing smell. Tian Xiaoman was determined to do it right.

With a long chopstick, he poked the intestines, turning them inside out. He sprinkled some flour on them and rubbed it in until a lot of dirt came off, before placing them in saltwater and repeating the process with the other intestine.

After soaking them for a while, he rinsed them with clean water several times.

Tian Xiaoman checked the intestines, sniffed them, and was relieved to find no unpleasant smell.

He walked into the kitchen with the intestines, and Li Amu was surprised when he saw them. “How did you get them so clean? They don’t smell at all!” he said. 

If they could have been cleaned like this before, they wouldn’t have been discarded every time. In fact, Father Li had eventually told him not to bother with the dish because it was so hard to clean.

Tian Xiaoman proudly explained the method to Li Amu, saying, “I learned this from my Amu.”

Then, he boiled some water, added star anise and ginger, and placed the pig intestines in the pot, allowing them to cook and remove any remaining fishy smell.

While the intestines were boiling, Tian Xiaoman chopped the pickled cabbage into small pieces, set them on a plate, and also chopped some dried chilies and minced ginger.

Once the intestines were cooked and no longer soft, Tian Xiaoman took them out and cut them into smaller pieces after they cooled.

He then heated some oil in a pot, stir-fried the ginger and dried chili peppers until fragrant, and added the pig intestines, frying them until they were well-cooked. Since the pickled cabbage was already salty, Tian Xiaoman didn’t need to add any more salt, but he did splash some rice wine into the pan to help remove the fishy smell.

When the intestines were almost done, he added the pickled cabbage, stir-frying everything together. The sourness of the cabbage mixed with the spicy peppers, and the smell was mouth-watering.

Tian Xiaoman quickly added a bit of water to collect the juices, and the dish was ready. He couldn’t wait to taste it, so he called everyone to come and eat. The rice was already ready, and the other dishes had been prepared by Li Amu.

Li Yiran took a small bowl of rice and food to his room, then came out to join everyone for the meal.

Tian Xiaoman took a bite and sighed in satisfaction. He couldn’t understand why he had such a craving for this dish today!

Everyone else dug in too. After days of eating only radishes and cabbages, it was a nice change. The dish was so delicious—who wouldn’t want to eat more?

Even Le-ge’er, with his little face flushed from the spice, kept asking Li Amu for more!