The Lady Butcher and the Delicate Bride - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Hearing that Mu Dingxiang was not afraid of her, the tension on Chu Yu’s face softened slightly. Back at the Mu house, seeing those two foul faces, she hadn’t been able to resist the urge to intimidate them.

Some people only bully the weak and fear the strong; if you don’t show them some color, they’ll truly think you’re a soft touch.

Mu Dingxiang, however, thought Chu Yu was merely comforting her and said uneasily, “Don’t be unhappy. I can help you do many things in the future, and I will pay you back those twenty taels you spent for me—I’ve saved nearly two taels now, I’ll go get it for you right away.”

She turned to run out in a hurry but was caught by Chu Yu like a little chick.

“Keep that money for yourself. You don’t need to pay back the twenty taels either. Aren’t you married to me now? There’s no such thing as a wife earning back her own bride price to pay her husband.” Chu Yu’s previous displeasure had vanished, and she looked at the girl with a half-smile.

Mu Dingxiang was momentarily at a loss for words. If the other person were a man, she certainly wouldn’t have suggested this, but Chu Yu was a woman. When a woman marries a woman, what does she stand to gain? In her eyes, two women marrying was nothing more than partnering up to get through life; Chu Yu was purely helping her.

Feeling embarrassed, she said, “But… even if I marry you, I can’t give you anything. I can’t even give you children…”

“Didn’t you say you can farm? With those ten or so mu of land at home, if you farm them well and feed me, that’s enough. Didn’t you also say you can do laundry and cook?”

“Farming and laundry are no problem, but as for cooking… I really am not very good at it.” After seeing the meal Chu Yu prepared last night, Mu Dingxiang no longer dared to claim she knew how to cook. If Chu Yu brought home a whole pig’s head one day, she wouldn’t even know where to start.

“Fine, it’s a deal then. You’re responsible for the farming and laundry; I’ll go slaughter pigs in the morning and come back to cook. If I’m free in the afternoon, I’ll head to the fields with you. How’s that?” Chu Yu stopped teasing her.

That was more than fine. Mu Dingxiang felt her heart leap with joy. No worries about food or shelter, and no one to beat or scold her—this life felt like a dream.

Seeing her happy smile, Chu Yu said, “We left in a hurry just now, and I didn’t let you pack your things. Let’s go to the county seat and buy a few sets of clothes for you to change into.”

“Actually, I don’t have many clothes,” Mu Dingxiang said bashfully. She only had two or three outfits that she rotated; they were washed until they were pale and covered in patches. Looking at her own clothes and then at Chu Yu’s, her small face burned: “Will I… make you lose face?”

“No loss of face. For things like food and clothing, as long as you’re full and warm, it’s enough. One should live within their means. The Mu family’s food and clothing weren’t bad, yet I don’t know why they were so harsh toward you.” Chu Yu felt a wave of disgust whenever she recalled the scene earlier.

“Maybe it’s because they’ve always favored boys over girls. In their eyes, a daughter is just a tool to work and trade for money, while a son is precious.” Mu Dingxiang thought of her two sisters, her voice tinged with sadness.

“Your mother is a woman herself; how can she look down on women like that? It’s outrageous. Let’s not mention her. Today is the happy day you leave the Mu family. We’re going to the county to buy some things; we must celebrate properly tonight.” Chu Yu pushed the irrelevant people out of her mind.

Hearing they were going to the county seat, Mu Dingxiang’s eyes sparkled. All her previous unhappiness was instantly forgotten. In all her years, she had only been to the county once, when she was eleven and secretly followed Mu Mother and her brothers. When she was discovered, she had been chased and beaten by her mother for half the day.

The county was full of a dazzling array of things, and the food was incredibly tempting. Mu Dingxiang had always hoped to go back one day, but she never had the chance. Now that Chu Yu suggested taking her to buy clothes, how could she not be happy?

She stammered with excitement, “I… let’s go dig up my money first. I have my own money.”

“Little thing, I’m not short of your silver. Keep it as your private savings. Let’s go—” Chu Yu scooped Mu Dingxiang up by the waist, placed her on the horse, flipped herself up behind her, and urged the horse toward the county seat.

Mu Dingxiang had never really done much needlework in her life, nor was she good at sewing. To avoid being sold, she had taken on all the farm work alone; when she was free, she helped others cut pig grass. Her clothes were either hand-me-downs from her sisters or salvaged from others; patches were sewn upon patches with crooked, ugly stitches.

It was fine when she was working in the fields since no one cared, but now that they were in the county and she was held in Chu Yu’s arms, she felt a trace of unease about her tattered appearance.

People on the road greeted Chu Yu one after another, their eyes frequently darting to the young girl in her arms with ambiguous looks. Chu Yu was a famous female butcher in the county. She was beautiful—once even dubbed the “Pork Xi Shi.” When Chu Yu first heard someone call her that, she raised an eyebrow and swung her cleaver at the man’s face; it narrowly missed his cheek and embedded itself in the wood behind him, slicing off a lock of his hair. The man was scared senseless on the spot, and from then on, no one dared call her “Pork Xi Shi” again.

But Chu Yu became famous because of it. Although men didn’t dare tease her to her face, who didn’t like watching a beauty work? Thus, every time she finished slaughtering and opened her stall, it was always crowded with men. These men were just there to buy meat; they didn’t dare be disrespectful or get handsy, so Chu Yu said nothing. After all, no one complains about having too much business.

Initially, other women thought this female butcher was just using her looks to get by and were displeased with her. Groups of them would visit her stall to cause trouble, only to find that the men were actually buying meat quite seriously. Furthermore, Chu Yu was fierce; the men had to think twice before saying anything off-color.

Gradually, they let it go. If men wanted to act like fools, she couldn’t exactly chase customers away. Plus, it was later revealed that Chu Yu was a veteran who had fought in the famous Battle of Cangshui. It was said that after the army suffered heavy losses, a fifty-man suicide squad was sent deep into enemy territory to assassinate the beast leader. Only three survived, and Chu Yu was one of them. Because of the squad’s success, the battle was won. Once people knew this, no one dared to look at Chu Yu with frivolous eyes again; even their meat-buying became sincere.

Moreover, Chu Yu had a good reputation in business; the pigs she slaughtered were always fresh and of high quality. Though she had a bit of a temper, it was directed at the frivolous; she greeted regular customers with a smile. Consequently, Chu Yu gained a group of loyal old customers. The rumors about her liking women had spread from the county to the village, so seeing her with a young girl in her arms today, everyone’s gaze held a bit of deeper meaning.

Chu Yu didn’t mind at all and made no effort to avoid suspicion. She held Mu Dingxiang as they dismounted and led her into a ready-to-wear clothing shop, instructing the shopkeeper to pick out a few suitable outfits.

The couple who owned the shop were old regulars of Chu Yu’s; she bought all her clothes there. The proprietress even asked why she wasn’t at her stall today, as she hadn’t seen her when she went to buy meat.

Chu Yu replied, “I went to the village to pick up my sister. I brought her here to your shop to buy some clothes. Help her pick some out—see what suits her. Two nice sets for going out, and three regular sets for everyday work.”

Buying five sets of clothes at once was a big order. Gui Niang, the shopkeeper’s wife, smiled so wide her eyes disappeared into slits. She pulled the somewhat restrained Mu Dingxiang inside and said, “Where did you find this sister? Are you sure she’s not a ‘dear sister’? She’s truly pretty, though a bit undernourished and thin.”

“What are you talking about? She really is my sister.” Chu Yu ignored the teasing and began flipping through the bolts of fabric on display.

Gui Niang took a measuring tape to Mu Dingxiang and then brought out several sets of ready-made clothes. “These colors will complement this little sister’s skin tone. Try these on first; if you don’t like them, I’ll make you new ones later.”

Mu Dingxiang went in to change as instructed. Feeling the brand-new fabric against her skin and the smooth silk in her hands—so sharp a contrast to her rough palms—she felt embarrassed. She had truly never seen such fine fabric in her life. She hesitated until Gui Niang called to her several times from outside the curtain before she slowly lifted it and stepped out.

As the saying goes, “Buddha depends on gold, and people depend on clothes.” This was entirely true. Usually, Mu Dingxiang wore coarse, grey-black hemp clothes with patches stacked upon patches; when had she ever worn such bright colors? She was naturally young, but chronic malnutrition made her look smaller than her peers. Fortunately, her face was well-shaped with soft features—unlike the heavy brows of the rest of the Mu family. Under the highlight of the new clothes, the girl’s bright, youthful charm was further accentuated.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! This is a completely different person from the little village girl who just walked in. This is clearly a young lady from a great house.” Gui Niang took her arms and examined her carefully. “A real beauty in the making. She hasn’t fully blossomed yet. If you feed her a bit better, Chu Yu, this little girl might not stay with you. Her hands are just a bit rough; it looks like she’s done no small amount of farm work.”

“What’s all this talk about staying or not staying?” Chu Yu turned around to carefully examine the transformed Mu Dingxiang and couldn’t help but be stunned. “She’s also a bit tanned.”

Mu Dingxiang had always felt she was darker than other children her age, and for good reason. In the heat of summer, she was the one working in the fields; while the rest of the family napped at home, she didn’t want to go back, so she’d find some shade under a tree to rest. It would be a wonder if she weren’t tanned. Fortunately, her underlying complexion was good, so the tan didn’t look out of place.

Gui Niang laughed, “This kind of tan from the sun will fade and turn white again if you take care of it. It’s no problem.” She then turned to Chu Yu: “Well? Isn’t this set beautiful? I tailored it myself; the workmanship is top-tier.”

“It’s because she’s pretty; she’d look good in anything. It has nothing to do with your handiwork,” Chu Yu shot back.

“Yes, yes, your ‘dear sister’ is beautiful, just look at how proud you are.” Gui Niang didn’t care about the banter; if her clothes weren’t good, why would this person be a frequent customer?

Hearing the two of them teasing her, Mu Dingxiang bit her lip, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Chu Yu’s heart softened. She patted the girl’s shoulder and said, “Go change out of that and try on another set.”

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