Chapter 33.2

Translated by Aviana

Yang Tiezhu rubbed his hands with a smile, his expression solicitous.

“I thought it was inconvenient to roast it after bringing it back, and cooking it is also inconvenient. So, I stuffed the condiments in the bird’s belly and wrapped up in lotus leaves and mud before letting it bake in the stove.” Still afraid that she would not accept it, he repeatedly reaffirmed, “It’s really delicious. I used to make it frequently. If you don’t believe, why don’t you give it a try first.” Lin Qingwan smiled and glanced at him, annoyed, “Naturally, I believe in my family’s husband’s craftsmanship.”

She used her finger to tear a small piece of meat and put it into her mouth. An aromatic and appetizing smell spread all over the mouth. As the chicken was still a bit hot, she couldn’t help but blow her fingers.

Truly delicious! Although there weren’t many condiments and it was a bit salty, the quality of the meat itself was quite tasty. Moreover, as Yang Tiezhu used some unknown leaf to wrap up the chicken before baking, it gave out a type of unknown fragrance.

Seeing his wife eating it with relish, Yang Tiezhu quickly pulled away from the mud and crust on the meat and carefully picked them up and put that away.

She tore a piece of chicken down, blew it with her mouth, and stuffed it into his mouth.

“You also eat. Let’s eat together.”

Yang Tiezhu chewed up the mouthful of chicken meat in his mouth, feeling that the thing fed by his wife was truly savory.

Both of them went on with ‘I feed you once, you feed me once’, not at all disliking the lovey-dovey moment at all. Within a short moment, the chicken was shared and was finished. Lin Qingwan wiped the oil on her hands and stroked her belly with satisfaction.

It’s nice to eat till full when it’s so savory. It’s been so long since she had feasted on such delicious meat! For lunch, with great difficulty, she cooked few meat dishes, but she was only able to eat two pieces of chicken, which were grabbed by her husband for her.

Yang Tiezhu wiped the oil from his hands before putting one of his hands around his wife.

Lin Qingwan was petite and was roughly only about 1.6 meters tall. While Yang Tiezhu was very tall, according to her estimation, he should be 1.9 meters. As such, every time Yang Tiezhu embraced her in his arms, she felt was very tiny and short.

“Wife, since you are fond of eating it, in the future, I will get it for you every day.”

Lin Qingwan, glanced at him with a smile, “You do not rear the birds, then how can you get so many of them. It’s fine to have this kind of feast once in a while, okay. How can you eat it every single day.”

Yang Tiezhu scratched his head and laughed, also feeling that the words he said were a bit exaggerated. Even though he can’t guarantee it every day, he can still give a guarantee every two days. Because this time, he not only caught two birds to bring them back, but he also surveyed the whole area. The reason why he didn’t do this before because he seldomly went into the mountains and only brought back few wild animals. Also, because perhaps, he was fed up with it in his heart, this was a kind of silent protest by him. Now since his wife was fond of it, he will make an all-out effort with his heart and soul to serve his wife.

Lin Qingwan looked at his silly appearance before pushing him away and stood up, “I will go give the remaining one to the third dimei. Both the little girls have to eat with Dalang and others every day and cann’t eat good ones.”

弟妹 (dìmèi): younger brother’s wife

Yang Tiezhu also didn’t have any objections to his wife’s decision. Moreover, he was aware that the relationship between his wife and third dimei was good.

After listening to the movements outside, Lin Qingwan used tree leaves to cover the mud dumplings, opened the door, and went out.

In the room, Yang Tiezhu giggled, thinking that the way his wife glared at him was very beautiful. A thought stirred in his mind. He at once ran to the small cubicle to lite the firepit, preparing to boil water for the bath so that once she comes back, she can use it immediately.

Lin Qingwan walked out; it was already pitch-black, dark outside. The courtyard was very quiet, the door of the main room was still wide open, with a faint light inside.

She walked to the third room and knocked on the door. While knocking on the door, she yelled, “Third dimei, I have come to return your scissors.”

Yao-shi heard the sound and hurried over to open the door, wondering in her heart when had second sao looked for her for scissors.

嫂 ( sǎo): older brother’s wife / sister-in-law

She opened the door and was about to say something but was stopped by Lin Qingwan’s eyes. Immediately afterward, a still hot bundle was stuffed into her hands.

Lin Qingwan lowered her voice and whispered to her, “Once you go back, smash it open, and don’t let anyone see it. Don’t decline it, just take it as something for kids.”

Once she was done saying so, she once again raised her voice, “Third dimei, are you busy? I just came to return your scissors, nothing else.” After saying so, she turned around, intending to back to her room. Seeing still dumbfounded Yao-shi, she gestured her to go inside quickly

“Then second sister-in-law, go slowly.” Yao-shi reacted quickly, turned around, and entered the room. Recalling Lin Qingwan’s words not to let anyone see it, she again locked the door.

Yang Tiegen, who was sitting on the kang, looked at her with doubt. “What were you speaking to second sao about?”

Not knowing how to reply, Yao-shi didn’t reply but put that bundle on kang table, gesturing Yang Tiegen to look into it.

Seeing that it was just a mud dumpling inside, Yang Tiegen was about to say something when Yao-shi opened her mouth to say, “Second sao asked me to smash it open without letting others see it.”

Yang Tiegen touched mud dumplings laying on the leaves; it was still hot. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the mud dumpling along with the tree leaves, wrapped them around it, and knocked it on the table few times.

Sensing it to have broken down, he opened the leaves, and at once the exotic aroma of the meat assailed their nostrils. Erniu and Sanniu also sniffed the aroma of the meat and quickly climbed up to see what it was.

Through the fragments of broken mud, the lotus leaves inside could be seen. Due to smashing it earlier, the stuff inside the lotus leaves was also a bit visible. Yang Tiegen pushed the leaves aside, and steaming meat came into their view, astonishing them.

Yao-shi covered her mouth in surprise, finally understanding what Lin Qingwan meant, making her heart both touched and excited.

“Second sao, really…” Her lips trembled, not knowing what to say.

Erniu and Sanniu clapped their hands cheerfully for a while before they quickly stopped, fearing that other people might discover, and shushed each other with ‘hush’.

Yang Tiegen also understood the meaning of the second brother’s family and was also very much moved in his heart. But he was a man and certainly wouldn’t show it on outside.

“Okay, okay, you three come quickly and eat it. The second brother must have gone to the forest, and must have brought it back.”

The family of four happily divided among each other and ate it with relish. Yang Tiegen and Yao-shi looked at both the children happily having the food and felt reluctant to eat and gave their share to them too. Seeing their parents give all of it, the two girls sensibly pulled their parents and fed a big piece of meat to their parents.

It was just like a harmonious and joyous scene of a gentle father and filial daughter.

When Lin Qingwan returned to the house, bolted the door, and turned around, she happened to see Yang Tiezhu excitedly looking at her with a reddened face.

“What’s happened? What kind of good things made you so excited?”

Yang Tiezhu didn’t reply to this but solicitously said to her, “Wife, I have prepared the hot water for you. You can quickly go and take a bath.” While saying so, he even pushed her into the small cubicle.

Lin Qingwan suddenly understood and secretly sighed in her heart; seeing his silly look, she sighed in her heart. With her face blushed red, she turned and went into the small cubicle.

Yang Tiezhu laughed in a silly manner behind her, his lips almost reaching the base of his ears.

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