The Lady Butcher and the Delicate Bride - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Judging purely by her features, Chu Yu was undoubtedly one of the top beauties in all of Leshan County. When she first opened this butcher shop, countless men had rushed forward one after another, only to be knocked flat by her one by one. In the end, they had no choice but to submit; gradually, this flower became something they could only gaze at from afar, not daring to reach out and touch. After all, she was thorny and difficult to handle, and everyone wanted to live a few more days of peace.

Later on, rumors spread everywhere in the county that the young lady at the meat stall also liked women. Men would line up at her shop to grumble, saying she wasn’t being fair women were already scarce, yet she was competing with them. They said it, but no one truly believed she actually had the “habit of the rubbed mirror.”

Since the men couldn’t take advantage of her, they turned to other crooked ideas, asking if she had any sisters at home. Chu Yu would shoot them a sharp look, and they would immediately fall as silent as a winter cicada, not daring to make a sound.

Now that a fresh, dewy young girl had suddenly appeared at the meat stall, the men outside were starting to grow restless again.

When Sima Liangcai heard Chu Yu’s answer and saw this little beauty with a face like a peach blossom, he immediately lost his composure.

“Chu Yu, when will you change that lying nature of yours? I’m not that kind of person. I don’t even spare a glance for ordinary folk, but for a young lady like this, inviting her for tea is my way of looking after her.”

Wang Wu, who was following behind, also joined in: “Chu Yu, it’s one thing not to give us brothers a chance, but trying to delay this little sister’s great romantic destiny that’s just wrong.”

Chu Yu brandished the sharp knife in her hand and said, “Why would I lie to you? You wouldn’t give me silver for lying anyway.”

“Then we brothers will give you silver, so just stop lying to us.”

Several men began clamoring and bickering in front of the stall, causing quite a stir and attracting a large crowd of people who had come out early for groceries.

Mu Dingxiang saw the group of men blocking the entrance and, hearing what Chu Yu had just said, realized they were trying to flirt with her. She plucked up her courage, took a step forward, and linked her arm with Chu Yu’s, saying: “Chu Yu is right. I am her wife.”

The crowd erupted in a clamor. Chu Yu couldn’t help but look back at the young girl beside her; her lips were pressed tightly together, but her gaze was firmer than ever, and her face was flushed red from shyness and excitement. Chu Yu’s heart stirred, suddenly finding her incredibly adorable.

Just then, a plump older woman squeezed in: “Crowding around here first thing in the morning! If you aren’t buying meat, get far away; you’re in my way.”

As soon as Chu Yu saw her, her face immediately broke into a wide smile: “Sister Zhang! You’ve come at the perfect time. What can I get you? Today’s pork is excellent plenty of fat, little lean, and very fragrant and tender.”

Several men were pushed to the back by her all at once, immediately becoming indignant: “I got here first! I buy first! No pushing, no pushing!”

Auntie Zhang turned around and glared at the man: “If you got here first, why didn’t you buy? You’ve been blathering for so long my legs are about to break from waiting. Come back once you’ve made up your mind.”

Then she turned back toward Chu Yu and said with a smile: “I want a set of small intestines, two front trotters, and two kidneys.”

When Sima Liangcai heard Auntie Zhang say she wanted kidneys, he hurriedly squeezed back in: “No, no! I pre-ordered the kidneys. The kidneys must be mine.”

Chu Yu was put in a difficult position: “Sima Liangcai, I say, if you want to buy meat, then buy it properly. Instead, you’re just talking nonsense. Now Sister Zhang wants to buy them too; aren’t you making things hard for me?”

Sima Liangcai looked at the timid young girl beside Chu Yu and swallowed hard. He was just talking big for his own amusement; there was no way he could snatch food from this “tigress” Chu Yu. It was more important to secure the kidneys.

He hurriedly reached out to dig for silver: “I’m buying meat, I’m buying meat! No more nonsense. Give me the kidneys. Weigh them quickly, weigh them! Tell me how much so I can go back and make breakfast.”

Chu Yu winked at Auntie Zhang before cutting the meat for him and weighing the two kidneys as well.

“Here, thirty-five copper coins. Give the money to my wife; she’ll give you change.” Chu Yu used a bamboo strip to string the meat and handed it to Sima Liangcai.

Mu Dingxiang also began working nimbly to collect the money.

Watching the retreating backs of those men as they left one after another, Auntie Zhang then said to Chu Yu: “A-Yu, give me two trotters and a set of small intestines.”

“Sister, do you want kidneys too? I’ll save them for you tomorrow,” Chu Yu said with a grin.

“I don’t care for that stuff. Only those men who are ‘pretty but useless’ need to eat kidneys every day. I was just scaring him earlier; who knew he’d treasure those two kidneys like they were his own life.”

Chu Yu laughed out loud. She took two trotters and, following her usual habit, chopped them into small pieces and wrapped them in a large lotus leaf for her to take back.

Mu Dingxiang watched her movements from the side, learning as she went. Later, when the crowd grew larger and Chu Yu was too busy, she helped with weighing, wrapping the meat, and stringing it. She was a bit hesitant at first, but she gradually became proficient, working quickly and well, making the whole process look pleasing to the eye.

New and old customers, seeing two beauties appearing together at the meat stall today, flocked over one after another. A three-hundred-catty pig was sold out completely in no time. Chu Yu looked at the time; it hadn’t even taken half as long as usual. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

However, selling fast and closing early was a happy thing. After tidying up and closing the shop, the two headed home.

It was only when they reached home that Chu Yu slapped her forehead and said, “The meat sold so well today that I actually forgot to save a bit for ourselves.”

Mu Dingxiang, carrying the heavy money pouch, didn’t care about meat anymore. She was thinking about rushing into the cave to count the money. After all, today was her first time at the stall, participating in the entire process from slaughter to sale, and she wanted to know exactly how much they had earned in total.

Chu Yu, seeing her eager state, laughed and let her be, while she went to fetch water to bathe.

As for Zhu-er, hearing both Mothers return, she immediately hopped and skipped into the cave to find Mu Dingxiang.

“Mother—”

Looking at the little bamboo sprite, Mu Dingxiang suddenly remembered something and thought, Oh no.

Sure enough, the little bamboo sprite said with a face full of expectation: “Mother, where is Zhu-er’s sugar person?”

Mu Dingxiang instantly lost the heart to count money. She hurriedly stood up to hug Zhu-er, but the little sprite took a few steps back and said, “Mother is smelly.”

Only then did Mu Dingxiang realize she had gone out with Chu Yu to slaughter pigs first thing this morning. Her body was splashed with a fair amount of pig blood, and even the copper coins in her hand were stained with pig fat. No wonder the little sprite would despise her; she finally experienced the feeling of being called “smelly” by the little sprite that Chu Yu felt daily.

“Zhu-er, Mother accidentally forgot today—”

Hearing this, the corners of the little sprite’s mouth slumped down at a speed visible to the naked eye. Her nose wrinkled, her eyes squeezed shut, and then two bean-sized tears dripped from the corners of her eyes.

Mu Dingxiang panicked instantly. She wanted to hug her, but she hadn’t bathed yet. She spoke comforting words, but the little thing covered her ears and refused to listen, crying very, very piteously.

“Zhu-er, Zhu-er. Mother was wrong. Tomorrow Mother will make it up to you with two sugar people, okay?”

“Good Zhu-er, stop crying. Your crying is breaking Mother’s heart.”

After comforting her for a long time, Mu Dingxiang added: “Good Zhu-er, tomorrow Mother will specifically take you to the county to play. We’ll buy sugar people and candied haws, and other fun things, okay—”

Hearing her say she would take her to the county town, Zhu-er immediately stopped her tears. She opened her round eyes wide and said, “Really?”

Mu Dingxiang, seeing her ability to stop and start tears so easily, didn’t know if the little sprite was truly sad or faking it. But since she had already broken her promise once, she couldn’t mess up this time. She could only nod and say, “Really. We won’t go slaughtering pigs tomorrow; tomorrow is specifically for accompanying Zhu-er on a walk.”

Chu Yu, having finished her bath long ago, stood at the cave entrance. Seeing Mu Dingxiang being handled so easily by the little sprite, she found it quite funny. The little sprite wasn’t exactly acting; she had only recently gained sapience, much like a two- or three-year-old child. Furthermore, every growth period for a sprite was very long; these joys and sorrows were rarely intentional, but rather direct expressions of her thoughts.

“Zhu-er—”

Hearing the call from behind and seeing Chu Yu come out smelling fresh and fragrant, the little sprite then hugged her calf and said, “Chu Yu, you didn’t remind Mother to buy Zhu-er a sugar person today. Bad Chu Yu.”

“So you won’t even call me ‘Mother’ now, huh?” Chu Yu bent down to pick her up and tapped her little nose.

“Calling both ‘Mother’ is confusing. Brother Vine said.”

Mu Dingxiang, having just finished soothing the child, suddenly heard the words “Brother Vine.” Her ears instantly perked up, and her heart rose to her throat, wondering what that old vine tree had taught the child this time.

“Brother Vine said, in a home there is a Father and a Mother. But since you aren’t a man, I can only call you by your name.”

“Then why don’t you call Xiangxiang by her name and call me ‘Mother’?”

“Because you are fierce and smelly. The fragrant one is Mother.” The little sprite looked at Chu Yu with a face full of disdain.

Chu Yu burst out laughing but didn’t mind her words, stroking her head and saying, “Then let Mother go bathe so she smells fragrant too, okay?”

The little sprite finally let Mu Dingxiang go, lying on Chu Yu’s body quite obediently.

When Mu Dingxiang finished her bath and came out, the little sprite again opened two short, chubby little arms and said, “Hug.”

Mu Dingxiang, seeing her so cute and obedient, felt a surge of maternal love and reached out to take the little thing over.

Once on her body, the little sprite kept sniffing here and there: “Mother smells so good! Chu Yu, do you want to come smell her?”

Hearing this, Mu Dingxiang’s breath hitched. she hurriedly pulled the little sprite off her body and placed her on the table: “Alright, Mother is going to start counting the money-money. You must sit properly and be good.”

A child-like nature always loves playing with copper coins, and the little sprite was no exception. Unfortunately, these copper coins were stained with pig fat; she didn’t like it much, but she really wanted to play. She touched one carefully and found it wasn’t that repulsive, so she began counting along.

Unfortunately, after counting three or four times, she would forget where she was halfway through. After several rounds back and forth, she still hadn’t finished. Looking at the pile Mu Dingxiang had already finished, she said anxiously, “Mother, wait for me! I haven’t finished counting yet—”

Mu Dingxiang found her so funny and adorable. She set aside twenty coins specifically for her to play with on her own, then took out the previous small ledger to record today’s earnings.

Outside the cave, Chu Yu was already stir-frying. The greens were being fried with garlic and pig fat, and the smell was incredibly fragrant. The aroma drifted in wave after wave, making one’s mouth water and stomach growl.

Mu Dingxiang, seeing the bright scene outside the cave, carried Zhu-er and walked out. It was time for dinner.

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