The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 78

Lian Meng had a nightmare that night. In the dream, his belly kept growing larger and larger until Li Yiran and others pressed him down onto the bed. Doctor Tang, holding a sharp knife, stabbed him in the stomach.

It seemed they were trying to find a child, so they cut open his belly. But there was no child inside. They searched desperately, rolling around inside him, and finally gave up, leaving his intestines scattered all over the floor.

Lian Meng woke up with a start, his back drenched in cold sweat. He closed his eyes, but the horrific scene from the dream was still vivid in his mind. 

Trembling, he touched his belly, relieved to find it still intact. He let out a deep sigh of relief.

The sound of firecrackers popping in the distance reached his ears. It was a local tradition to set off closing cannons after staying up all night, and in the morning, they would set off opening cannons to welcome in the new year, symbolizing prosperity.

The sky was still dark, and Lian Meng’s mind drifted back to his nightmare. He began to worry it was an omen. What if Doctor Tang was planning to kill him? He had never heard of anyone surviving surgery like that! He remembered everything he had seen hanging on the wall that day. What if Doctor Tang used those tools on him? The thought sent a chill down his spine. 

After some contemplation, he made up his mind.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Tian Xiaoman woke up to the sound of firecrackers. The loudest crackles came from his own family. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Li Wenxuan grinning at him. 

Upon noticing he was awake, Li Wenxuan said, “Happy New Year, Xiaoman!”

Tian Xiaoman smiled back, “Happy New Year, Wenxuan!”

They both chuckled foolishly under the covers for a moment before Li Wenxuan pulled out a red cloth bag from under the pillow and handed it to Tian Xiaoman.

“What’s this?” Tian Xiaoman asked, taking the bag and slowly opening it. Inside, he found a beautifully crafted silver bracelet. Tian Xiaoman beamed with joy. “My husband, you’re so thoughtful!” He slipped the bracelet onto his wrist, admiring it for a while. Then, a thought struck him. “Where did this come from? You still have money?”

Since their marriage, Li Wenxuan had given all his private funds to Tian Xiaoman because Tian Xiaoman thought he was a bit of a spendthrift. So, Li Wenxuan had to hand over his earnings every day after selling pork.

Li Wenxuan was caught off guard by this sudden leap in Tian Xiaoman’s thoughts. He froze for a moment, then finally reacted. 

Tian Xiaoman, now slightly annoyed, said, “So you’ve been hiding your money behind my back, huh?”

“No, no,” Li Wenxuan quickly pleaded, “How could I? I’d give you my life, how could I hide money from you?”

After hearing this, Tian Xiaoman calmed down. Li Wenxuan truly cared for him, and he trusted him completely.

“This money,” Li Wenxuan continued, “Do you remember the monkey we bought last time?”

“Monkey?” Tian Xiaoman thought for a moment before recalling the little monkey that had only stayed in their home for a day, costing them twenty taels.

“Yes, the man who sold it to us went off to take the military exam. I ran into him on the street, and he told me he passed and had been assigned to the Southeast Camp as a deputy general. He stayed in Anyang County for a couple of days to wait for us.” Li Wenxuan shared the story. “… In the end, he gave me some silver, but I only took twenty taels.” 

Li Wenxuan was not the type to spend money recklessly, and he made sure to only take what was necessary.

Tian Xiaoman nodded, understanding. “Tan Shan is not the kind of person who expects anything in return, but the favor he showed us was genuine. It’s rare for people to help others without expecting anything back.”

With a smile, Li Wenxuan added, “After receiving the silver, I went straight to the jewelry store to have this bracelet made for you. I personally chose the design.”

Relieved by the explanation, Tian Xiaoman smiled warmly. He leaned into Li Wenxuan’s arms, apologizing, “Sorry, husband, I wronged you.”

Li Wenxuan hugged him back and smiled gently, “It’s okay, Xiaoman. As long as you understand my heart.” 

He then pulled out the remaining dozen taels of silver from under the pillow and handed it to Tian Xiaoman, asking him to keep it.

Li Wenxuan had intended to hide some money for surprises, but it seemed that Xiaoman was too sharp-eyed for that. He decided not to hide anything from him anymore.

Tian Xiaoman also reflected on himself. It seemed he didn’t inherit any of his Amu’s talent—Wenxuan had kept this hidden for days, under his pillow no less, and he hadn’t noticed. He would have to be more diligent in the future.

While Li Wenxuan enjoyed a sweet start to the new year, Li Yiran’s day was off to a rougher beginning. 

Due to Lian Meng’s health, Li Yiran had been sleeping in the study. As the sky brightened, everyone had to rise early to celebrate the new year, but when Li Yiran noticed there was no sound from Lian Meng’s room, he decided to go check.

After knocking for a long time with no response, Li Yiran became worried and pushed the door open. The door creaked as it gave way with a slight push.

Li Yiran frowned. Had Lian Meng already woken up? 

But when he entered the room, it was empty. The bed was neatly made, as if no one had slept there.

Confused, Li Yiran went out to the kitchen where Li Amu was already preparing dumplings. He asked her, “Amu, have you seen Meng Ge’er?”

“No! Did Meng Ge’er leave the house?” Li Amu asked as he continued cooking.

“He’s not in the house. He must have gone out for a bit. I’ll go look for him,” Li Yiran said before heading outside.

After searching the yard and the surrounding area, he still couldn’t find Lian Meng. 

Panicked, he returned to the house, but he still saw no sign of him. Now, he was truly worried.

Where could Lian Meng have gone when he was sick? As Li Yiran’s anxiety grew, others began to gather.

“Don’t worry, Brother. Maybe Brother -in-law left a note for you. Our village is peaceful; nothing bad has ever happened here,” Li Wenxuan said, trying to reassure him. 

Li Yiran agreed and went back to check Lian Meng’s room. However, he found that many of Lian Meng’s belongings were gone. His worry deepened. He opened the box where they kept money—only to find it empty.

Li Yiran sat in stunned silence, his mind racing. 

Li Wenxuan entered and immediately saw his distraught expression. “Brother, what’s wrong?”

Li Yiran, barely able to speak, finally managed to whisper, “Meng Ge’er… he’s gone.”

“Where did he go?” Li Amu asked, concerned. “Where could he possibly go when he’s sick?”

Li Yiran shook his head, helpless. “I don’t know where he went… I thought he was better. He even said he’d take Le-ge’er back to take care of him after he recovered! I thought everything was fine. I never expected this!”

“Wenxuan, get the cart ready! Let’s go look for him! He’s a ger, and he’s sick; he can’t have gone far!” Li Amu made a decisive call, sensing the urgency of the situation.