Chapter 198
The day after the family returned from Jixing Town, Shen Yaoqing once again borrowed Lin Shouyi’s mule cart and headed to town early in the morning. He delivered twenty-five rabbits to the butcher’s shop - any more wouldn’t sell. If Yang Xian’s tavern needed rabbits, they could simply pick them up from the butcher’s, saving him the trouble of another delivery.
After arriving, he stayed to help slaughter and chop the meat, only returning in the afternoon.
Lu Gu carried the freshly awakened Little Lingjun toward the new house, with Guaizi following behind. On the way, they met a village dog, and Guaizi went over to sniff at it. By the time Lu Gu walked further ahead, Guaizi dashed back. Before they even reached the fork in the road, they spotted Shen Yaoqing unhitching the mule cart in front of Lin Shouyi’s house.
"Eldest Brother," Lu Gu called out before getting close.
Shen Yaoqing acknowledged him with a sound, then grinned at the teary-eyed Little Lingjun. "Our Lingjun’s been crying again, huh?"
He puckered his lips and whistled a playful, lilting tune, making Lingjun giggle in Lu Gu’s arms.
Lu Gu adjusted his hold on the child and said, "Exactly. He’s been crying ever since he woke up."
Lingjun stretched out his arms, wanting Shen Yaoqing to hold him. Shen Yaoqing laughed, finished unhitching the cart, and said cheerfully, "In a good mood today, are we? So generous! Wait a bit, let your uncle put the cart away first."
As they chatted, Lin Shouyi’s wife came out with a bowl in hand. Seeing Little Lingjun smiling, she asked, "Have you two eaten yet? If not, come in and have some food."
The Lin family had cooked lunch late and were just eating now. The others were sitting in the main hall and, seeing Shen Yaoqing pushing the cart inside, urged him to join them.
Lu Gu had already eaten, and Shen Yaoqing had had his meal in town. After a few polite refusals, Shen Yaoqing tied the mule to the stone trough under the tree in front of the house. Since they’d borrowed the cart for two days, he planned to fetch some fodder for the mule later.
Noticing Lingjun still reaching for him, Shen Yaoqing dusted off his hands and clothes, then happily took his little nephew into his arms.
Lu Gu walked with him toward the new house and asked, "How was Erqing’s business today?"
Shen Yaoqing’s smile widened. "Very good. The pork was sold cheap, and people who didn’t know yesterday came rushing to buy once they heard. Even the tavern on the street corner bought twenty catties in one go. Since it’s a tavern, we gave them an extra discount, one less copper coin per catty. By the time I left, only about twenty catties were left in the shop. Six rabbits were sold, fewer than yesterday."
"Mm." Lu Gu nodded. That was good, business had to start slowly.
They turned onto the forked path, with Guaizi charging ahead like the wind. By the time Lu Gu entered the courtyard, he saw the dog play-fighting with Xiaohuang.
Compared to previous years, Guaizi had become a bit more composed, not quite as mischievous, though it still lacked Dahui’s steadiness, remaining as playful as a child.
Ji Qiuyue was boiling water in the back to wash Zhao'er’s dirty clothes. With Shen Yaoqing carrying Lingjun and playing with Zhao'er in the main hall, Lu Gu had nothing to do, so he went to help Ji Qiuyue.
Last year, Shen Xuanqing had spent a few days each month hunting in the mountains. Now that he was managing the butcher’s shop in town, his stays were longer. For Lu Gu, it wasn’t too hard to adjust, with Wei Lanxiang and Shen Yan helping care for the children at home, the burden wasn’t as heavy.
A newly opened butcher’s shop couldn’t afford to close every few days. If customers kept finding the door shut, they’d eventually stop coming. Lu Gu understood that well enough.
As for Lingjun’s milk fruit, Shen Yaoqing would gather it from the mountains, so even without Shen Xuanqing around, the child wouldn’t go hungry.
Six days passed. Lu Gu sat in the room, putting a tiger-head hat on Lingjun and slipping piglet shoes onto his feet. The wind was blowing today, but the child was used to going outside daily. If kept indoors for too long, he’d grow restless and demand to be carried out for a stroll. The piglet shoes were made by Ji Qiuyue, since Lingjun already had several pairs of tiger-head shoes, she’d made something different for him.
Outside, the wind wasn’t too strong, and the sun made it less chilly. He carried Little Lingjun out. Shen Yan was mending her old clothes, during the busy spring planting or when cutting grass, wearing old clothes meant she wouldn’t mind getting them dirty.
Sitting on a chair, she looked up at Lu Gu holding Lingjun and clicked her tongue twice in a playful tease.
Seeing her sewing, Lu Gu said, "Your second brother has two sets of old clothes that are torn. I was going to use them for patchwork, but maybe I’ll pick one to mend and resize so I can wear it when working in the fields."
Back when he first came to the Shen family, his wedding clothes had been sold, and the tattered clothes he’d arrived in had been torn apart for patching. He really didn’t have many old clothes left. With all the mud and water in the fields, he couldn’t bear to ruin good new clothes.
As they spoke, Guaizi came trotting in from outside, tail wagging, and rubbed against Shen Xuanqing’s leg, whining softly.
Lu Gu’s eyes lit up in surprise, he hadn’t expected Shen Xuanqing back today.
Shen Yan was equally startled, her apricot eyes curving into a smile. "Second Brother, just got back?"
"Mm, just arrived. Left the mule cart over there." Shen Xuanqing nodded, then walked up to Lu Gu and clapped his hands. Sure enough, Little Lingjun reached out for him to hold.
"Aiyo." Shen Xuanqing’s heart swelled with satisfaction as he took his little shuang'er into his arms. He’d shaved his stubble that morning and now planted a kiss on the child’s cheek.
"Have you eaten?" Lu Gu’s smile was soft, but his bright eyes made it especially lovely.
"No, I got up early to sell the chickens and ducks, then delivered the remaining five rabbits to Brother Yang. After that, I came straight back without stopping." Shen Xuanqing was overjoyed to hold little Lingjun, who still remembered him. He had originally thought that after being apart for several days, his little shuang'er might not recognize him anymore.
"Then I’ll go make some food. You rest and have some water." Lu Gu said, lifting the pot to pour him a bowl of hot tea before heading to the kitchen.
Shen Yan finished the last few stitches, cut the thread, and also got up to go to the kitchen. She helped boil water and heat the steamed buns, working together made things faster.
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