Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Song Guangfu is pregnant, and he only found out about it a few days ago.

Although he has the ability to bear children, he doesn't have a woman's menstrual cycle. If not for the child moving, he wouldn't have known he was pregnant.

An elderly villager who knows how to detect pregnancy felt his belly and conservatively estimated that he was already four months along. It seems he must have conceived before being sent to the nunnery.

However, Song Guangfu wasn't particularly joyful about this. The timing was wrong, and it wasn't a child he wanted. Unfortunately, it was too late to terminate the pregnancy, and his body wouldn't allow him to give birth, so this child was destined not to survive...

Song Lao'ai was quite pleased to hear about the pregnancy. There was only Song Ping in the family, and if another child could be added, the two would have each other for company. These days, she had been more gentle with him.

"Xiaoqing, don't chop wood these days; be careful not to tire yourself," Song Guangfu's full name is Cao Qing. Since Song Changfu died, no one had called him by his name anymore. Now, hearing his mother-in-law suddenly call him by his name, he was still adjusting.

"Oh." Song Guangfu responded and put down the axe.

Song Lao'ai went to the west room and woke up her second son, "Changshun, stop sleeping and go chop wood!"

Song Changshun turned over, "Let Da'niang do it."

Song Lao'ai slapped him, "Still calling her Da'niang! You're married now; call her by her name!"

"Let Cao Qing do it; he can handle it."

"He's carrying a child! What if something happens to my precious grandchild?"

Song Changshun became impatient, "Then you do it yourself; you're so annoying."

"You ungrateful brat, how dare you talk to your mother like that!" Song Lao'ai was furious and hit him with a shoe.

Song Changshun pulled the blanket over his head, refusing to move. Frustrated, Song Lao'ai had no choice but to ask Song Guangfu to chop wood again, instructing him to be careful not to hurt the child.

Song Guangfu picked up the axe expressionlessly and walked out. Soon, the sound of chopping wood echoed in the courtyard.

Song Changshun finally got dressed and came out, humming a tune smugly.

Song Guangfu didn't even look at him, just gripped the axe tightly and chopped the wood fiercely, his eyes filled with hatred.

As soon as the twelfth lunar month began, the festive atmosphere grew stronger. Today was the day to settle accounts for tofu sales. Early in the morning, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan delivered tofu to the restaurant.

Xu Bin had the accountant count out the silver for them, "You don't need to deliver tofu tomorrow. The restaurant will reopen on the eighth day of the new year."

*

He needed to visit relatives in Ping Prefecture during the New Year, which would take over twenty days.

Lu Yao took the silver and tucked it into his chest, bowing with a smile, "I wish Mr. Xu prosperity and good fortune all year round."

Xu Bin smiled, "May you also prosper. There aren't many customers today. There's some frozen meat and vegetables left in the kitchen; feel free to take them if you want."

Lu Yao naturally had no reason to refuse and quickly went with Zhao Beichuan to collect the leftovers.

The cook pointed to a large barrel nearby, "There's some pig offal and a pig's head inside. Do you want them?"

"Yes." Free meat, why not take it?

Zhao Beichuan reached in and pulled out the items; there were quite a few.

The cook picked out some dried mushrooms and dried fungus for them, "Soak them in water and stew them when you get home."

"Thank you, brother."

Each of them carried a pile to the cart, and Lu Yao couldn't stop smiling. "I'll make a delicious meal tonight!"

"Great!" Zhao Beichuan knew Lu Yao's cooking skills; if he said it was good, it definitely would be.

Back home, Lu Yao quickly heated water to clean the pig offal and placed the pig's head near the stove to thaw. It still had some pig hair, which needed thorough cleaning later.

"Sister, did you buy meat?" Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou ran over, attracted by the smell.

"Not bought; the restaurant owner gave it to us."

"Wow! Such a big pig's head, how will we eat it?" Xiaonian squatted beside it and poked it.

Xiaodou was a bit scared, "Sis, stop poking it. What if it comes back to life and bites you?"

"How silly, pigs are dead; they can't come back to life."

"Don't you remember the story Sister told us... Second Brother could come back to life... I'm not eating it." She ran into the house.

Zhao Xiaonian was also a bit scared and quickly withdrew her hand, "Sister, is there any other meat?"

Lu Yao pointed to the pig intestines in the pot, "There's pig offal."

Having seen wild boars slaughtered, Xiaonian knew these intestines held pig feces. Her face turned pale, and she ran into the house, not wanting to eat pig intestines!

Lu Yao clicked his tongue, "When I finish cooking, see if you can resist even a bite!"

The water in the pot warmed, and the intestines thawed. Lu Yao used chopsticks to turn them over, sprinkled a little flour, and scrubbed them clean. In his previous life, his elder sister had taught him this method to remove dirt from pig intestines.

After scrubbing, he rinsed them with clean water, and the intestines turned pink and tender.

The restaurant had given them a lot of offal, more than what one pig would yield. Lu Yao chose the larger intestines to braise and planned to stuff the smaller ones with minced meat for sausages during the New Year.

After finishing the intestines, he focused on cleaning the pig's head. He needed to scald it with boiling water and scrape off the hair with a knife. For hard-to-reach areas, he used a hot iron to burn the remaining hair. This task was assigned to Zhao Beichuan.

The two worked quietly in the kitchen, occasionally exchanging a few words, creating a peaceful and warm atmosphere.

After cleaning the pig's head, Lu Yao placed it whole in the pot to braise. This would take at least two hours to infuse the flavors.

With nothing else to do, Zhao Beichuan started making rope, "We don't need to deliver tofu tomorrow. I thought about reinforcing the fence." With the money earned today, their jar now contained over forty taels of silver. Having so much money at home made him uneasy.

As the New Year approached, desperate people might do anything. Although others didn't know exactly how much money they had, it was better to be cautious.

Lu Yao, while tending the fire, asked, "Do we have enough wood?"

"We do. When I gathered firewood, I brought back extra logs."

"Alright, I'll help you with that."

Zhao Beichuan looked at him, his affection evident, and couldn't help but touch his head.

Lu Yao turned around in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Zhao Beichuan lowered his head, "Nothing."

Lu Yao's mischievous thoughts stirred again as he moved his stool next to Zhao Beichuan. "Husband~"

Zhao Beichuan's ears immediately turned red.

"Should we heat the fire pit in the main room tonight?"

"Heat it!"

*

On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Lu Yao gave Lin Daman a break. After being busy for half a year, it was time to prepare for the New Year.

Today was the last big market day, and Lu Yao had originally planned to go shopping with Lin Daman.

But Lin Daman declined, saying that he still hadn't eaten the ribs given to him last time. He had preserved them for the New Year to save on buying more meat.

Due to the cold weather, Lu Yao left the two children at home to watch over things. Before leaving, he told Xiaonian to lock the door from the inside and not to open it for anyone who knocked. If there were any issues, they should go to the back and call for Daman.

Xiaonian responded crisply, "Sister-in-law, don't forget to buy us some meat buns."

Lu Yao patted her head, "I won't forget. Behave at home and don't fight with Xiaodou."

The carriage ran through the icy snow for over an hour before finally reaching the town.

There were many things to buy for the New Year, and meat was a must. Regardless of wealth, everyone would buy a few pounds of meat to satisfy their cravings after a year of hard work. It was time to rest and enjoy.

The price of pork had risen from fifty cash per catty to seventy cash per catty, but it was still in high demand. The butcher's shop was packed with people, and the owner was sweating profusely from the rush.

When Lu Yao came out of the butcher's shop, he was carrying a rack of ribs, four catties of pork belly, and a pig's trotter.

"I couldn't get any belly or hindquarter meat." He had managed to secure this much only by competing with several women and young men.

Zhao Beichuan took the items and placed them in the cart.

"It cost me one thousand two hundred cash. Pork is really expensive!" Lu Yao winced, feeling as if the meat had been taken directly from his own body.

Zhao Beichuan couldn't help but laugh, "It's the New Year. Spend what you need to spend."

"Let's continue shopping up ahead."

The mule cart followed slowly behind the pedestrians. Lu Yao went to the grain shop and salt shop to buy two catties of sugar, one catty of salt, and a jar of rapeseed oil.

At a stall selling rice cakes, three cash each, Lu Yao bought four and wrapped them in grass leaves before putting them in a cloth bag.

Seeing a vendor selling sundries, he bought two wooden hairpins, a stack of red paper, and a box of mutton fat ointment. With the cold weather, their faces and hands were chapped and sore from going out so often. Since they wouldn't be delivering tofu during the New Year, Lu Yao planned to apply the ointment and let them heal.

"Sir, would you like peach charms? Fifteen cash each pair." The vendor pulled out a pair of peach charms from his basket.

Lu Yao remembered that in this era, the custom was to hang peach charms instead of Spring Festival couplets. These charms were made of peach wood, inscribed with the names of the guardian deities Shen Tu and Yu Lei, or sometimes with carvings, which were twice as expensive.

Lu Yao paid for a simple pair, about the size of a palm, with a hemp rope attached. He could hang them on the front gate when he got home.

Further down the street, he saw stalls selling eggs and roosters. Lu Yao got off the cart to inquire about prices and, after some haggling, spent 280 cash on forty eggs and two large roosters.

Passing through the bustling streets, they reached various shops. Lu Yao planned to buy some fabric for his mother.

The old lady had worn coarse cloth all her life, and Lu Yao wanted to buy her some finer material. He chose a less conspicuous earthy brown color, suitable for both men and women.

The fabric hadn't increased in price and remained at two thousand six hundred cash per bolt. Lu Yao paid with one tael of silver and over one thousand cash.

Passing by a bun shop, Lu Yao bought six steaming hot meat buns. He and Zhao Beichuan each ate one, saving the rest for the children.

Finally, they visited the blacksmith's shop, where Lu Yao bought the iron pot he had long desired. Although expensive, it meant no longer worrying about burning the pot while cooking.

This iron pot, though pricey, was made with ample material and weighed at least twenty catties! Such a thick pot could last for decades. It could be passed down through generations, remaining intact even after its owners were gone.

With the time getting late, they started heading back. On the way, they unexpectedly ran into Lu Yun and his wife.

"Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law!"

"Halt—" Zhao Beichuan pulled the reins to stop the cart.

"From afar, I thought it looked like you, but didn't expect it to actually be you!" Wang Youtian smiled broadly as he got off his cart, and Lu Yun greeted the trio.

Lu Yao: "Did you come to the market too?"

Wang Youtian enthusiastically replied, "We went to town to buy some food. Lu Yun, give Third Brother a pack of sugar from the cart."

"No need, no need. We just bought some ourselves." Lu Yao quickly showed them the sugar he had bought.

"Then give them some pork."

Lu Yao laughed, "We've already bought everything we need. Keep it for yourselves."

Wang Youtian smiled warmly, "Our village is just ahead. Come in for a meal before you leave."

Zhao Beichuan waved his hand, "The children are waiting at home. Maybe next time."

Lu Yun: "Third Brother, when are you going back to your mother's house after the New Year?"

"We're going on the second day. Are you going back too?"

Lu Yun nodded.

"In that case, we can go together."

After a brief exchange, Lu Yao urged them to hurry along due to the cold, and he also prompted Zhao Beichuan to get back on the cart and head home.

As soon as they arrived at the door, Lu Yao noticed something amiss. In the morning, Xiaonian had locked the door from the inside, but now, although it was still locked, the latch seemed to have been tampered with, showing fresh scratch marks.

"Beichuan, come take a look."

Zhao Beichuan hurried over, his face darkening. Someone had tried to pry open the door.

"Xiaonian, come open the door!" After calling twice, the two children ran out from the house.

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you're back!"

Lu Yao: "Did anyone come by this morning?"

"No, it was just Xiaodou and me."

"Did you hear anyone knocking?"

The children shook their heads; they had been playing with bean bags inside and hadn't heard anything outside.

Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan exchanged glances. It seemed someone had indeed tried to break in but had abandoned the attempt halfway.

"How is it, Sister-in-law?"

"Nothing, come inside quickly. I bought you meat buns and rice cakes; we'll heat them up for you to eat."

"Okay~" The two children ran happily into the house, but Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan couldn't cheer up. In the past, they feared thieves would have their eyes on them; now, they had indeed caught the attention of a thief.

Lu Yao, carrying things from the car, whispered, "What should we do?"

Zhao Beichuan pondered for a moment and said, "It's cold outside; you go in first. We'll figure something out tonight."

The two hungry kids had already run to the kitchen to start a fire and prepare to heat up the buns and rice cakes.

The rooster was still alive and needed to be killed and frozen later. The eggs were carefully placed in a basket on the shelf. He took out four eggs and handed them to Xiaonian, telling her to boil them.

With worries on his mind, Lu Yao barely ate anything during dinner. It was Zhao Beichuan who peeled an egg for him and made him eat it.

The two children sensed that Sister-in-law was in a bad mood and hurriedly cleaned up after dinner, washed up, and went to bed early.

Inside the room, an oil lamp was lit. Lu Yao sat on the kang, unable to sleep, his mind preoccupied with how to catch the thief.

Zhao Beichuan secured the main door and found a wooden beam to prop it shut. This way, even if the thief managed to pry open the lock, they wouldn't be able to push the door open. He checked the livestock shed and chicken coop, ensuring everything was secure before entering the room.

After washing his feet and getting onto the kang, he saw that Lu Yao was still restless, sitting up at every slight noise outside.

Zhao Beichuan pulled him into his arms, "Don't worry. Even if we're not here, Lin Daman is in the back yard. He will definitely come over if he hears any noise."

"There are only thieves who can steal for a thousand days, not people who can guard against them forever. What if he doesn't hear? Xiaonian and Xiaodou are so young; what if they get hurt by that criminal?" Lu Yao buried his head in Zhao Beichuan's chest, "By the time we catch the thief, it might be too late..."

Zhao Beichuan patted his back to comfort him, his mind racing. Suddenly, he thought of a plan. Since the thief dared to break in while they were away, he would surely try again. Why not set a trap?

"I have an idea. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Lujia Village..."