The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 95

Because of the shoe sole sewing, the two had a small conflict, but they quickly reconciled.

After reflecting on himself, Li Wenxuan said to Tian Xiaoman, “Xiaoman, I know you want to help the family, but sewing shoe soles takes a lot of strength. You’re pregnant now, it’s not suitable for you to do this.”

“Mm.” Tian Xiaoman nodded, a little embarrassed—it was all because he was being too stubborn.

Seeing that his attitude was good, Li Wenxuan said, “If you really want to earn money, I have an idea! What do you think is the most plentiful thing in the mountains right now?”

Tian Xiaoman thought for a while. “Wild vegetables!”

“Besides wild vegetables? What else?”

“Oh, bamboo shoots!” Tian Xiaoman remembered the large bamboo groves in the back mountains. But because he was pregnant and couldn’t eat too much, he had forgotten about them this year.

“Exactly. Bamboo shoots. When I was escorting the master and his friends for business, we passed by a village where the locals dug up a jar of bamboo shoots to treat us. Even now, just thinking about the taste makes my mouth water!” Li Wenxuan said with a nostalgic expression.

Tian Xiaoman’s mouth began watering just hearing about it. “What did it taste like? It sounds delicious!”

“It was sour, crispy, a little spicy, and slightly sweet after chewing. Really whets the appetite.”

After that description, Tian Xiaoman wanted to eat it even more. “Do you know how to make it?”

Li Wenxuan paused. “Xiaoman, how would I know how to make it?”

“Then what was all that for? Were you tempting me on purpose?”

“Of course not! I just thought—you’re so smart, especially when it comes to food. If I described the taste to you, maybe you could figure out how to make it?”

“Hmph, obviously!” Tian Xiaoman puffed up proudly at the praise.

So they took a bamboo basket and a hoe and headed for the back mountain.

It was still a little chilly in early spring. Walking through the shaded bamboo forest, Tian Xiaoman couldn’t help but shiver. 

Li Wenxuan noticed, took off his coat, and put it on him.

Tian Xiaoman tried to take it off, but Li Wenxuan stopped him. “You wear it. I’m not cold I’ll be digging soon anyway—clothes will just get in the way. You keep it.” He smiled, then picked up the hoe and went ahead.

Spring bamboo shoots aren’t like winter ones—they’re hidden deep underground and only show their tips, which makes them easy to spot. Li Wenxuan quickly found one.

He loosened the soil around it, waited until it was half-exposed, then grabbed it and pulled. This way, the shoot wouldn’t break, even though he wasn’t exactly a pro at it yet.

Tian Xiaoman brushed off the dirt from each shoot and put it in Li Wenxuan’s backpack.

One or two wasn’t enough. Li Wenxuan looked around and found another. As they chatted and worked, they eventually dug up seven or eight.

These shoots were all big, so the backpack filled up quickly. 

Tian Xiaoman looked at it and said, “That’s enough. Any more and we might mess them up.”

Li Wenxuan nodded. “Alright, let’s work with these for now.”

As he carried the hoe back, he was already sweating. Like he said, digging shoots was warm work.

Tian Xiaoman was already thinking how to recreate the taste Li Wenxuan described.

Once home, Li Wenxuan went to boil water for a bath. He was used to hot baths now thanks to Tian Xiaoman’s care. Last time, when he wasn’t home and took a cold bath, he really felt the chill. 

He sighed—going from frugal to luxurious is easy, but going back is hard. The ancients weren’t lying.

Tian Xiaoman sat in the yard with a kitchen knife and began peeling the bamboo shoots. If he didn’t get it done today, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

Although they looked big, there wasn’t actually much inside—the skin was thick. After peeling layer after layer, the tender white shoot inside was only one or two sizes smaller.

The underground part was tough and not good to eat, so that had to be cut off too.

In the end, all that was left was a single basin. Tian Xiaoman rinsed it at the well, then took it to the kitchen and sliced it.

What next? He figured bamboo shoots had to be cooked first, otherwise they’d taste bitter. He boiled the water again and added the bamboo shoots.

The sliced shoots rolled around in the pot—actually, there were quite a lot. 

Tian Xiaoman stirred them with a spatula, but a large hand took it from him and helped him stir.

“Xiaoman, I think there were some spices in it,” Li Wenxuan said thoughtfully.

“Really?” Tian Xiaoman turned around, got some spices from the cupboard, and added them. Then he added two spoonfuls of salt.

“And chili peppers. Otherwise, it won’t be spicy.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Tian Xiaoman loved chili, though lately he’d been more into sweets. He added a handful of chilies. The red and white in the pot looked very appealing.

“Should we add vinegar? I remember it being pretty sour,” Li Wenxuan suggested.

Tian Xiaoman thought, then shook his head. Vinegar would make it less crisp, and how much would it take to make it properly sour?

He thought of pickled cabbage—it gets sour just by sitting in a jar. Maybe the same applied to bamboo shoots?

Once the shoots were about 70% cooked, Tian Xiaoman turned off the fire, found a clean, dry jar, and nodded to Li Wenxuan.

Li Wenxuan poured the bamboo shoots into the jar. After it cooled, Tian Xiaoman sealed it with oil paper and tied it with string.

Li Wenxuan had already dug a hole in the yard, and they buried the jar together.

Just then, Li Amu returned from the pigpen and saw them. “What are you burying? Hiding treasure?”

Tian Xiaoman blushed. “Amu, we’re making food.”

“Nice! You always make the best stuff,” Li Amu praised, then hurried away with the teapot—his old man was still waiting.

Tian Xiaoman felt a lot of pressure. He’d never made this before and was just guessing. What if it turned out bad?

Li Wenxuan saw his worried look and laughed. “Don’t be afraid. If it turns out bad, we’ll just throw it away and buy something else from the street to pass off. I guarantee no one will laugh at you.”

Tian Xiaoman rolled his eyes. This wastrel again. He’d rather be laughed at than waste food. If it was bad, Li Wenxuan would have to eat it all—after all, it was his idea.

Just imagining Li Wenxuan’s face eating something gross made Tian Xiaoman laugh out loud.

After burying the bamboo shoots, Tian Xiaoman thought about how they would taste every single day. Finally, after seven or eight days, he decided to dig the jar up. Life or death, he needed an answer, if only to not waste the jar.

Li Wenxuan dug in the courtyard for quite a while. The pit he had dug before was too deep, and now he had trapped himself. 

Li Amu and Father Li also came out holding their bowls to watch. They had come back late and Tian Xiaoman and the others had already eaten. Hearing there was something new to eat, they were very curious and came out with food in hand.

Le Ge’er and Liu Xilin were playing in the yard but kept sneaking glances, clearly interested too.

Finally, Li Wenxuan dug the jar out. It looked dirty on the outside. Le Ge’er was disappointed—it didn’t look like it held anything delicious.

Tian Xiaoman washed the jar, untied the string, and removed the oil paper. A sour, spicy, salty fragrance burst out, instantly making everyone’s mouths water.

Father Li sniffed, swallowed, and said, “This smells pretty sour. Xiaoman, pick some out. I’ll help you taste it first.”

Li Amu rolled his eyes. He clearly just wanted to eat.“Yes, Xiaoman, take some out. There isn’t much left inside. We can eat it with rice.”

Li Wenxuan was speechless. There was still more than half a basin left. They had even set some aside. They just didn’t want to miss out.

Encouraged by the smell, Tian Xiaoman felt more confident. He fetched chopsticks and a plate, and scooped out a few pieces.

Because the shoots were pre-cooked before going in the jar, they still looked white. With the red chilies beside them, they looked great.

Father Li picked one up and bit down—it snapped instantly. Crisp! But… was it still raw? He chewed a bit hesitantly. A strong sourness filled his mouth—not too strong, just right. It was natural, like the original flavor. Then the spice kicked in, balancing the sourness. It was crisp, sour, spicy—and delicious. He grabbed a mouthful of rice and went back for more.

Seeing his reaction, the others joined in. 

Li Amu took a bite and found his appetite doubled. Even though he’d already eaten, he wanted another bowl of rice.

Li Wenxuan and Tian Xiaoman felt the same.

So, the whole family ended up eating another bowl of rice—paired with the sour bamboo shoots.

Sour and spicy in the mouth, faintly sweet when swallowed, crispy and tender—the taste was unlike anything else they’d eaten.

That afternoon, everyone sat in the yard rubbing their bellies—they were all too full.

“Father, Amu, do you think this could make money?” Tian Xiaoman asked. He really cared—he originally made it to earn some income.

“Yes! I love it. It’s the lean season now, and there’s not much good food. This is appetizing. Rich folks who’ve eaten meat all winter might actually appreciate something like this.” Li Wenxuan replied quickly. He remembered how even the second master, who rarely had an appetite, ate three bowls of rice with this dish.

“Alright, I’ll go to the county to sell it tomorrow!” Tian Xiaoman said, full of confidence.