Chapter 70: Chicken Stew Again

After breakfast, Liu Xing sat in the main hall and began making shoes. Around noon, Huang Xiao drove his tractor over and delivered another large load of tires. Liu Xing accepted them without hesitation, instructing Huang Xiao to keep bringing old tires.

With Liu Dongju and Liu Ziran joining in the shoe-making, the pace quickened noticeably. By dusk, the number of shoes had surpassed one hundred pairs. Of course, the most crucial steps remained in Liu Xing’s hands; he couldn’t let Liu Ziran and Liu Dongju mess around. Luckily, both were quite self-aware and never attempted the key processes.

As darkness approached, Liu Dongju stood up and brushed the rubber scraps from her clothes. “I’m going to cook dinner! If there’s anything you want to eat, just let me know and I’ll try to make it.”

“I want stewed hen!” Peanuts, having tasted chicken drumsticks once, couldn’t get the flavor out of her mind. Hearing her elder sister’s offer, she quickly raised her tiny hand.

“I want some too!” Little Dot, afraid his mother wouldn’t notice him, scrambled onto a stool and lifted his hand as well.

The sight gave Liu Dongju a headache. “Go on, you two! You haven’t done a thing all day and still expect a feast? I was talking to Liu Xing, not you.”

“That’s right. When have you ever eaten stewed hen every meal? You’d burst from all that!” Liu Ziran teased.

With that, Peanuts and Little Dot reluctantly put their hands down.

Liu Xing spoke up, “Stewed chicken is impossible, but tonight we’ll at least have a bowl of twice-cooked pork, and there are pork bones too. Let’s cook them all into soup.”

According to his parents, such meat was to be saved for guests, but Liu Xing believed it should be eaten. If they ran out, they could just buy more. It would be a shame to let it spoil, especially in the eighties, when refrigerators weren’t common in the countryside and hardly affordable.

“Alright,” Liu Dongju agreed since Liu Xing had made the decision.

Peanuts and Little Dot cheered at the news, their laughter and playful shouts echoing so merrily that passing villagers were left puzzled.

Liu Dongju shook her head but didn’t interfere, heading straight to the kitchen. To her surprise, on the country road, her father was leading the black calf, chatting and laughing with Sixth Uncle Kang Fuchuan. Behind them followed Sixth Aunt Liu Qiumian carrying two hens, and Kang Hu, shouldering an iron plow.

Clearly, they were coming over for dinner.

At the kitchen door, Zhou Qiuxiang, chopping pigweed, saw them. She was stunned at first, then quickly stood to greet them, excitement lighting up her face. “Oh! Old Six, has your husband’s strange illness really been cured?”

“Yes, indeed! All thanks to Liu Xing. He took Fuchuan to Dr. Wang, who cured him. You wouldn’t believe it! Last night during dinner, he stopped demanding raw sweet potatoes and asked for rice and eggs instead.” As she spoke, Liu Qiumian handed the two hens to Liu Dongju.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have! Why bring two hens? Don’t you need them at home?” Zhou Qiuxiang gave Liu Qiumian a reproachful look, as she was Liu Qiumian’s elder sister-in-law and could speak freely.

Liu Qiumian wasn’t offended, smiling gently as she explained, “Sister-in-law, these hens aren’t for you, but for Liu Xing. If not for him yesterday, Fuchuan might really have died from a ruptured belly caused by roundworms.”

“What exactly happened?” Zhou Qiuxiang felt awkward and, after a polite laugh, quickly changed the subject.

“Shall we talk in the kitchen?” Liu Qiumian suggested.

“Sure, sure,” Zhou Qiuxiang nodded repeatedly and led Liu Qiumian inside.

“Mom, should we stew the hens or fry them?” Liu Dongju couldn’t help but ask.

“Stew them, for Liu Xing’s health,” Liu Qiumian replied.

“No, they must be taken back. Your family relies on these hens for eggs and daily necessities!” Zhou Qiuxiang refused outright.

“You think my family’s struggling, don’t you? Now that Fuchuan’s well, we’re not worried about making money. Once he reports to the education bureau, his teaching post is secure.” Liu Qiumian grew serious; it was clear she wouldn’t back down.

Zhou Qiuxiang, knowing Liu Qiumian’s stubbornness, waved at Liu Dongju resignedly. “Alright then, stew them both! And let your sixth uncle have some to recover his health.”

“And use all the pork ribs we have. Stew them with taro, and stir-fry the twice-cooked pork. I’m happy today, happy for Old Six’s family, so everything should be eaten and drunk—nothing left out,” Zhou Qiuxiang added after a pause.

“Alright!” She got busy in the kitchen.

Peanuts and Little Dot, playing at the door, cheered when they heard there’d be stewed chicken again. Their laughter and games were so joyful that passing villagers could hardly understand what was happening.

Liu Qiumian tied on an apron and pitched in. She hadn’t believed Zhou Qiuxiang’s family really had pork ribs and twice-cooked pork, especially since it wasn’t a holiday. How could they have such good food? But when Liu Dongju brought out a large bowl of sliced pork belly from the cupboard, Liu Qiumian’s eyes widened in disbelief—her second sister-in-law’s household truly was living well now, with real twice-cooked pork.

And the pork ribs, neatly chopped and piled in a big bowl, looked delicious.

“Don’t be surprised—Liu Xing bought all this with his earnings,” Zhou Qiuxiang said proudly.

“My brother also bought me White Rabbit candy!” Peanuts ran in with Little Dot, showing off a piece of candy in her hand.

“And fried dough twists,” Little Dot added.

“Sister-in-law, isn’t White Rabbit candy expensive? If Liu Xing spends like this, how can you go on?” Liu Qiumian blurted out in disbelief.

“It’s just a small expense,” Liu Dongju said with a calm smile, before Zhou Qiuxiang could respond.

“That’s right, buying snacks is nothing for Liu Xing,” Zhou Qiuxiang agreed.

“Has Liu Xing struck it rich lately?” Liu Qiumian couldn’t help but ask. Liu Xing had paid for Fuchuan’s treatment yesterday, and she’d originally intended to mention repaying it slowly, but now it seemed unnecessary.

“I’ll explain at dinner,” Zhou Qiuxiang replied, picking up the knife and chopping peppers with a clang.

Liu Qiumian had no choice but to fall silent.

From the drying yard came a shout from Liu Dazhao: “Liu Xing, what are you doing? Put the black calf away. He earned great merit at your sixth aunt’s today—plowed ten acres in one go!”

“That’s your iron plow, not the ox,” Kang Fuchuan reminded.

“Haha… it’s all the same,” Liu Dazhao scratched his head with an awkward laugh.

“All the same? Didn’t I say no one gets to use the black calf to plow other villagers’ fields without my permission? If you’re not exhausted, the calf will be!” Liu Xing emerged at the gate, his smiling eyes sharp as his words.

Liu Dazhao felt his dignity as a father slipping, so he retorted, “What are you saying, rascal? I only plowed your sixth aunt’s fields today, not anyone else’s.”

“Didn’t you say yesterday they had only seven or eight acres?” Liu Xing asked with a frown.

“That’s right,” Liu Dazhao replied.

“Then you just said ten acres. The extra three—you secretly plowed them in Daohua Village for a side job, didn’t you?” Liu Xing spread his hands.

“Uh… uh…” Liu Dazhao blushed, unsure how to respond. He hadn’t expected Liu Xing to see right through his little scheme to earn some extra money with leftover time in Daohua Village.

Kang Fuchuan chuckled, “Second Brother, Liu Xing is sharp—you can’t hide anything from him.”

“Alright then,” Liu Dazhao laughed awkwardly.

Liu Xing laughed too. After brushing the mud off the black calf’s coat, he led it to the cowshed.

Kang Hu set the iron plow by the gate. “Second Uncle, your house is great—just the smell of meat at dinner is enough.”

“What nonsense! They’re serving it for us,” Kang Fuchuan shot him a look.

“That’s not true. We’ve been eating meat every day lately,” Liu Dazhao led the way to the kitchen. “Come see for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

“I don’t believe it,” Kang Fuchuan said, accepting the chair Peanuts brought and sitting down. “You don’t need to crowd the kitchen. I’ve got a few important things to ask you.”