Chapter 197
At noon the next day, when everyone came to buy roast duck, they saw a little girl sitting by the sales window, holding a bowl of white rice. On the small stool in front of her was a plate of golden brown duck intestines. The little girl was eating with incredible gusto, one mouthful after another, her cheeks stuffed full. She ate them like noodles, slurping them down. No one needed to ask; they all knew.
It must be delicious.
If it weren't, the girl wouldn't be eating like that.
Children are the pickiest; they usually won't eat more than a couple of bites of something they don't like.
With a mindset of trying it out, everyone bought a bit.
It wasn't expensive anyway, just six wen for a liang.
After buying it, everyone exclaimed how delicious it was. Although these were the intestines and kidneys that held waste, there was no unpleasant smell at all. On the contrary, they were fragrant and full of flavor.
Today, two large buckets of duck intestines and kidneys were also sold out. Because of the festival, Zhao Ger allocated some silver for Li Yanmei to go out on her own and buy some meat and vegetables.
By evening, the streets began to get lively.
Everyone wanted to take advantage of this day to earn some silver for the New Year. Small stalls lined the street from one end to the other, making it even busier than market day. Red lanterns hung at the entrances of shops on both sides. Hawkers called out their wares. Fang Zichen hadn't finished work yet. Guaizai clung to Zhao Ger's leg, looking eagerly towards the head of the street with longing eyes.
As dusk approached, Fang Zichen's tall, straight figure finally appeared at the end of the street.
"Father~"
Guaizai charged towards him. Fang Zichen caught him with both hands, lifted him by the armpits, and held him up, rubbing cheeks with him. "Oof, why are you so cold!"
Guaizai hugged his neck tightly. "Not cold, not cold! Guaizai misses Father, feels warm inside!"
Zhao Ger led Xiao Feng over. "He insisted on waiting at the door for you. He's been waiting for nearly half a shichen (1 hour)."
Fang Zichen freed one hand to hold him. "Don't do that next time. The wind is blowing! What if you catch a cold? Have you eaten anything yet?"
Zhao Ger interlocked their fingers. "Not yet. How about you? Have you eaten? Should I ask Sister Li to make us some noodles?"
"No need." Fang Zichen looked at the row of steaming snack stalls, feeling a bit excited. "We can just buy some snacks to eat later. Did you bring the silver?"
Zhao Ger chuckled softly. "Yes, I brought it. You can eat whatever you want later."
Fang Zichen had been waiting for this very sentence. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
The street was alive with noise and packed with people, everyone squeezed together. There were many stalls, and even more people. Gers and women who didn't usually go out much also came out at this time. Young couples whose marriages had been arranged by matchmakers often took advantage of such occasions to meet, to observe each other's conduct and appearance. Some of the more enthusiastic ones, after a few words, would even start holding hands. The Minor New Year festival was lively, and on such days, people weren't overly restrained.
Xiao Feng was short. He was said to be eight years old, but having often gone hungry or been underfed over the years, he was small for his age. Looking around now, he could only see people's butts. The 'air down below' wasn't fresh either. The air down where he stood wasn't fresh either. When people went out to have fun, eating and drinking naturally led to some gas. Furthermore, some men hadn't washed their shoes and socks much since winter began. When moving around in such a crowded space, there was inevitably some odor. The crowd jostled back and forth; Xiao Feng's hat was knocked sideways. If Zhao Ger hadn't been shielding him, he might have fallen.
Fang Zichen had Guaizai sit on his shoulders. Then he picked up Xiao Feng, and with one arm, pulled Zhao Ger close, embracing him to his side, trying his best to prevent others from bumping into him.
It was an embrace that made him feel completely safe.
Zhao Ger looked up at him, seeing only the strong line of his jaw and the slight curve of his throat. A feeling of warm contentment, like a gentle spring stream, flowed through his heart. On that busy street, lit by the glow of red lanterns and surrounded by the festive crowd, Zhao Ger felt swept up in the joyful mood. He leaned his face against Fang Zichen’s shoulder, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent. As if moved by an impulse, all his focus and feeling seemed to gather inside his chest. With his heart pounding loudly in his ears, he rose onto his toes and kissed Fang Zichen on the chin.
Liking someone is a formidable thing. It can make a person cross mountains and seas, achieve the impossible, yet it can also break a person's heart, leaving them devastated.
Zhao Ger, who was normally so shy and reserved, now found himself acting freely on a public street, following his heart's desire.
Fang Zichen was stunned for a moment.
Xiao Feng covered his eyes.
Guaizai’s little mouth hung open for a second, messing up his words: "Wow! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, Daddy is so brave! Guaizai wants kisses too!"
Zhao Ger’s eyes widened; his face flushed bright red. A low, teasing voice sounded right by his ear, making him feel so flustered he wanted to hide.
"Control yourself a bit." Fang Zichen said. "Tonight when we go back, I'll let you kiss as much as you want."
Zhao Ger laughed and gently hit him.
There were many snack vendors on both sides: some selling mung bean cakes, some selling spring rolls, sugar paintings, candied hawthorn sticks, fried pancakes, wontons, sesame cakes... so much that it was hard to decide. Fang Zichen and Zhao Ger sampled their way along the street. Business at the shop had been good, so Zhao Ger didn’t hold back on spending. This was also his first time visiting the town’s night market. When he was younger, other boys and girls his age would come in groups, chattering about it afterward. Hearing them, he couldn’t help but feel a little envious. Now, being here himself made him feel both happy and content. Whenever Fang Zichen or the kids pointed at something they wanted to eat, Zhao Ger bought it without a second thought.
Fang Zichen grinned. "Look at you, spending so freely — just like a sugar daddy."
They strolled and ate, playing and making their way to East Street, where the acrobatic performers had already started their show.
The area was wide, but it was packed with people crowded in tight circles. All of a sudden, not knowing what had happened in the center, the audience burst into loud cheers and applause: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
Fang Zichen stood at the very back. He was a head taller than the people around him. The acrobatic troupe had set up a stage, not too high, so he could still see clearly enough. Zhao Ger, however, was out of luck; he could only see the back of the heads of the people in front.
Seeing him a bit anxious and somewhat disappointed, hopping up and down trying to peer inside, Fang Zichen took Guaizai down from his shoulders and handed him to Zhao Ger.
Zhao Ger didn't think much of it, assuming he was tired. But then Fang Zichen suddenly bent down, wrapped his arms around Zhao Ger's knees, and lifted him up.
By the time Zhao Ger realized what was happening, he was already sitting on Fang Zichen’s shoulders. Only when he heard gasps and envious exclamations from the crowd did he snap back to the moment.
Up high, he could see everything clearly. At first, he felt a little embarrassed under so many watchful eyes. But as soon as the acrobat inside the circle began breathing fire, he forgot all about it.
Fang Zichen remained steady and stable, holding Xiao Feng in his left arm while carrying his husband on his shoulders.
After breathing fire, the acrobats performed sword swallowing and broke a large stone on a man's chest—acts that weren't much different from what Fang Zichen had seen on television. He didn't find them very new, but Zhao Ger and the two children watched with pure delight, clapping continuously, their little faces flushed with excitement.
"Ooh~" Guaizai pointed a little finger. "Daddy, why does that little brother have so much hair?"
Having seen acrobatic troupes perform on the streets in the capital during his childhood, Zhao Ger recognized it. "That's a monkey, not a little brother."
"Oh! So it's the Great Sage Equalling Heaven." Guaizai's eyes sparkled. "It's doing somersaults, so amazing! Daddy, look, look, it's picking its ear! It's going to pull out the As-You-Wish Gold-Banded Cudgel from its ear!"
[齐天大圣 (Qítiān Dàshèng): Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the iconic epithet of the mythological hero Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) from the classic novel Journey to the West.]
["如意金箍棒" (Rúyì Jīngū Bàng): the name of the "As-You-Wish Gold-Banded Cudgel," the magical and size-changing weapon wielded by Sun Wukong.]
Zhao Ger: "......"
What a silly son.
Other children nearby heard this and became frantic. The acrobatic troupes performed year-round, always the same routines. To avoid monotony, they traveled between various prefectures and counties, never staying fixed in one place. The children watching the show were mostly young and seeing it for the first time. Hearing Guaizai's words, they thought it was true. They pointed at Guaizai.
"Father, I want to be held like him too."
Some fathers had already lifted their children earlier so they could see. But if everyone in the second row did the same, the people behind wouldn’t be able to see anything.
The men felt stuck. They weren’t as tall or as strong as Fang Zichen. Holding up their wives and their kids, even for a short while, made their arms ache and their legs tremble. It was just too much.
Seeing their husbands struggle, the women couldn’t help glancing enviously at Zhao Ger.
"Look at that man," one of the husbands muttered under his breath. "He doesn’t look that strong, but he’s holding three people without even breaking a sweat."
As the performance neared its end, the troupe leader came around with a bowl. People tossed in few copper coins each. Having watched a spectacular show, and under the envious, jealous gazes of the women and gers around, Zhao Ger took out a string of copper coins from his purse and accurately threw it into the bowl.
A quick glance suggested about fifty or sixty copper coins. Most people only gave two or three copper coins. Zhao Ger's generosity stood out. The troupe leader was taken aback for a moment, then looked towards him. Seeing it was a family of four, he showered them with auspicious words: "Oh, thank you, Fulang! Thank you, Fulang! May Fulang and his husband enjoy a harmonious union for a hundred years, and may your children be healthy and safe!"
These words deeply pleased Zhao Ger, and he gave him another ten copper coins.
On the way back, Zhao Ger looked very happy, as if watching the performance had particularly lifted his spirits. He bought a pile of snacks and a pile of toys. It wasn't until around haishi (9-11 PM) that he finally suggested heading home.
Many people from the village had also come. They now gathered at the city gate, waiting for everyone to assemble before starting the journey home with torches in hand.
Wild animals were more active in winter. When there were many people, they wouldn't dare approach.
Liu Gouzi, carrying his son, walked behind Fang Zichen. Catching sight of him, Liu Gouzi secretly spat in disdain, muttering it was bad luck.
Liu Xiaobao saw Xiao Feng holding a rabbit lantern and started throwing a tantrum.
He didn't understand; he thought things were still like before, that if he wanted something of Xiao Feng's, Liu Gouzi would snatch it for him. But the moment Zhao Ger turned his head upon hearing the commotion and swept his gaze over, Liu Gouzi covered Liu Xiaobao's mouth and hurriedly moved to the other side.
Fang Zichen was holding Guaizai. Seeing Zhao Ger not watching the path and looking elsewhere, stumbling over a protruding stone, Fang Zichen steadied him. "What's wrong?"
Zhao Ger retracted his gaze. "Nothing. I just saw Liu Gouzi."
"Oh! He's well enough to come out and wander around? Is his hand healed?" Fang Zichen raised an eyebrow, looking around. But there were many people; walking at night in winter, everyone huddled close together for safety, so he didn't spot him.
He couldn't help but curl his lip. "That man is hopeless, like a dog who only knows one trick. Don't pay him any mind."
Guaizai, who had been starting to feel sleepy, instantly perked up upon hearing this, as if injected with energy, clenching his little fists. "Right, ignore him. If he comes, see if Guaizai doesn't poke him!"
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