The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 91

Early in the morning, Li Am got up to cook. This morning, he made sweet potato porridge—something Xiaoman had been craving for the past two days.

After the porridge was done, he went to call Tian Xiaoman and Li Wenxuan to get up and eat. But just as he approached the bedroom door, she heard the two of them quarreling inside. 

Li Am was puzzled. These two had never argued before. What was going on?

“Wenxuan, Xiaoman, what are you doing?” Li Amu knocked on the door and asked loudly.

“Amu, nothing!” Li Wenxuan replied.

“Xiaoman? Really nothing?” he asked again, clearly still concerned.

“It’s okay, Amu! You go eat first—we’ll be there soon!” Tian Xiaoman quickly responded.

Hearing his footsteps recede, Tian Xiaoman continued glaring at Li Wenxuan.

The argument had actually started over something trivial. After vomiting the night before, Tian Xiaoman woke up and immediately crawled under the bed to grab a bucket—only to retch out nothing but sour water.

Li Wenxuan was startled awake by the noise. He quickly got up and dressed, then helped Tian Xiaoman into some clothes. 

Seeing him like that, he couldn’t help but say with concern, “Xiaoman, you just ate too many Yuanxiao last night. Don’t overeat next time.”

Already feeling awful from the nausea, Tian Xiaoman immediately snapped, “Are you saying it’s my fault?”

Li Wenxuan was taken aback. He had only said that out of worry. “No, I didn’t mean that. I just meant… if you can’t eat that much, don’t force it.”

“So now I’m being stubborn?” Tian Xiaoman’s voice rose, clearly even more upset. Was he just someone who only knew how to eat?

“No, no! I meant that if you’re full, give me some. Otherwise, your stomach will hurt, and I’ll feel bad too.”

“But didn’t you say you don’t like them?” Tian Xiaoman mumbled. “Besides, I didn’t vomit because of that at all.”

“Then why?”

“You made me sick yesterday afternoon!”

Li Wenxuan laughed helplessly, “Xiaoman, don’t be unreasonable—”

“Hmph! So now your true nature is coming out! You used to say you liked my true self, but now I’m unreasonable?” Tian Xiaoman pouted and glared at him.

“Xiaoman…”

“Hmph! I used to have a good appetite, it didn’t matter how much I ate. Now I’m vomiting—and it’s because you made me pregnant! Who doesn’t vomit when they’re pregnant? And you still blame me…” Tian Xiaoman looked more and more aggrieved as he spoke.

Seeing that he was about to cry, Li Wenxuan hurried over and gently coaxed him. Only then did Tian Xiaoman calm down a little. 

At this point, Li Wenxuan finally understood why people always said: never provoke a pregnant ger!

Fortunately, Tian Xiaoman’s mood didn’t last long. 

After breakfast, it was like nothing had happened. He took charge of arranging the lanterns, directing Le Ge’er and Liu Xilin to help him get them ready for hanging.

Once the lanterns were all hung, the courtyard looked much more festive.

But honestly, the effect during the day wasn’t that great. It wasn’t until night fell and the lanterns were all lit that the beauty came through.

The candlelight shone through the lanterns, casting soft golden glows in various shapes. It looked like a scene straight out of an ancient painting.

Neighbors from nearby came over to admire the display. Many of them had never been to the county to see the Lantern Festival. When they were younger, their families were too poor. And when they finally had a little money, they felt too old to make the trip.

Now, being able to see such beautiful lanterns right in the village filled everyone with joy. They admired and discussed the designs excitedly.

Even though there were no riddles like in the county’s Lantern Festival, it didn’t matter. Most of the villagers wouldn’t have been able to guess them anyway.

Everyone went home satisfied. Before leaving, they even came up with a new idea: next year’s Lantern Festival would be held at the village threshing ground. Every household could contribute a few lanterns, and maybe they could even organize a dragon dance. The whole village would be lively then!

After the fifteenth, the New Year was considered officially over. The villagers began preparing for the farming season—taking out tools, repairing equipment, and getting ready for work.

These days, Li Yiran had been going out early and coming back late. He was hardly ever home. 

After a while, even the others began to notice.

“Wenxuan, what’s your brother been up to lately?” Li Amu finally asked. “I hardly see him. He’s not studying either. Isn’t the spring… spring… whatever it is—coming in April?”

“Amu, that’s the Spring Examination,” Wenxuan corrected gently.

“Right! The one for becoming a top scholar. Where on earth did he go?”

“Amu, I’m not sure either,” Li Wenxuan replied honestly. He had also been busy lately, going out early and coming home late to look for pig veins. Xiaoman said that if they raised pigs this year, things would be much easier next year.

It wasn’t about relaxing—Wenxuan didn’t care about that. It was just that with a baby on the way, their household was growing. Honestly, between slaughtering pigs and yelling at the market, he didn’t make nearly as much as outsiders thought.

“You don’t know either? That’s strange… What’s your brother up to?” Li Amu frowned, growing concerned. Ever since he was little, Li Yiran had kept things to himself. If he didn’t want you to know, it was nearly impossible to find out.

“Don’t worry, Amu. I’ll take the day off tomorrow and go check in on him,” Li Wenxuan reassured her.

“Alright…” Li Amu sighed and nodded, then walked away.

The next day, as expected, Li Yiran left the house early again. This time, Li Wenxuan didn’t confront him—he knew his brother’s temper. If he didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t say a word.

So instead, he followed him.

Li Yiran was a bookish scholar—not someone who’d notice if someone was tailing him.

Wenxuan followed him all the way to the county and saw him walk into a bookstore. 

Is he buying books? Wenxuan thought. Did I follow him all morning for this?

But since he was already here, he decided to wait. He found a big tree nearby, climbed up, and plucked a leaf to chew absentmindedly. It was the kind of tree that didn’t shed leaves, even in winter.

He squatted on the tree for a long time—so long that he started to get drowsy. Still, his brother hadn’t come out.

Wenxuan shook himself awake and decided to head in. If he ran into his brother, so be it. Yiran wouldn’t blame him.

He entered the bookstore and looked around, but there was no sign of his brother. 

Gone? Impossible, Wenxuan thought. He trusted his own eyesight.

After hesitating, he went to ask the shopkeeper.

Upon hearing the description, the shopkeeper immediately nodded. “Oh, you’re here for Mr. Li? He’s in the back!”

Wenxuan followed the shopkeeper and finally found his brother—seated at a table, copying books.

What’s going on here?