Buying Sheep

After the first month of the lunar year, the weather becomes warmer and warmer. It is a good time to make wine while the cold weather is still there. The Su family is the busiest at this time of the year, except for the autumn harvest and fruit wine.

Several wine shops in the town are supplied by the Su family. The craftsmanship of the old Su family has been passed down for three generations. The wine they make is rich and mellow, which is very popular. However, the Su family is not prosperous, and they always take orders that are just enough to make a living. Even so, they are still very busy at this time of year, and they have to ask the men of the eldest ger’s family and the eldest son to help. This year, Su Huai returned home. Naturally, under the rigid request of Master Su, he greeted the medicine shop and stayed at home to make wine.

The Su family built two kitchens. The small kitchen is used for cooking, and there is a large kitchen with a large stove pit and a large pot specially used to distill liquor. The stove is specially used to steam and cook grains mixed with koji. After the Hua father and son have mixed the koji, Eldest ger will help to steam and cook it. When it is half cooked, everyone will spread the half-cooked grains into a wooden dustpan of one meter square and carry it to the drying hall outside to dry and ferment. After half a day, it will be put into a large wine jar and sealed in the wine cellar for half a month. They repeat this process until the wine cellar is full, which means it will be busy for three to five days.

When Lu Yuan and Su Huai lived in Shihe Village, they knew that Su Huai was very good at making wine. They thought they could take the opportunity to see Su Huai’s wine making skills, but they didn’t expect that everyone in the Su family participated in making wine, but Su Huai would rather take on the work of cooking and doing chores, and didn’t get involved.

At this moment, Lu Yuan kneaded the dough in front of the chopping board where Su Huai sat, and his mind was full of this strange thing.

 “Huai Zhi, aren’t you good at making wine? Why don’t you help?” Lu Yuan wrinkled his nose after kneading a crooked dough and putting it in the steamer.

Su Huai made wine buns. The dough had a faint aroma of wine. Although the smell made his head a little dizzy, Lu Yuan was so greedy that he wanted to take a bite right now.

“My eldest ger’s man came to help in the afternoon. He said that the caravan will stay in the town for a few days. There are cattle and sheep among their goods. He’ll take us to see them in the afternoon. You need to let the ewe lambs at home produce milk, so you can take the opportunity to buy a ram for breeding.” Su Huai didn’t look up, and kneaded a bun. It was smooth and round, and it looked better next to Lu Yuan’s bun.

“Really? Why didn’t you tell me earlier!” Lu Yuan was surprised to hear the news. He almost jumped up and squeezed the dough in his hand into a big pancake. Su Huai frowned, grabbed his hand and forcibly took the dough away and kneaded it.

 “Where did the caravan come from this time? Are there many sheep? Are there any good sheep farmers…” When it comes to this, Lu Yuan starts talking non-stop. Su Huai answers incoherently, and for a moment he seems to have forgotten what he said at the beginning.

Su Huai, as Lu Yuan knows, will never bring up a topic by himself. If you don’t speak, he will be quiet. Even if you speak, he will reply one sentence out of three, and it’s good to reply ten words in one sentence. Today, Su Huai deliberately brought up the topic to divert the conversation. Of course, Lu Yuan can see clearly that it is his question that he not only doesn’t want to answer, but also can’t listen to.

Su Huai likes to make wine. It’s obvious that no one can make that kind of good wine without passion. Master Su asked Su Huai to inherit the family business more than once, but this guy not only refused, but he even stopped making wine since he returned home… Lu Yuan always felt that there must be a problem here, and it’s hard to say, it’s still a knot.

He really wanted to help Su Huai untie this knot. 

After a while, the white and plump steamed buns were ready. After being steamed in the steamer, they were steaming hot and fragrant, and looked very appetizing. Su Huai took down the first layer of steamers, dotted each one with red, put it on the table and ordered: “This is wine steamed buns, don’t eat it.” Then, he took down the second layer of steamers: “Eat this kind.”

The Su family loves wine, and there must be wine with every meal. When they are busy making wine, they have no time to sit down and eat properly. Even if they steamed buns to fill their stomachs, they have to steam them with the taste of wine.

Lu Yuan pursed his lips and glanced at the wine steamed buns. The red dots seemed to be able to seduce the soul. While Su Huai turned around, he took one and put it in his arms.

“Xiao Yuan?” Su Huai turned his head and frowned when he saw Lu Yuan’s strange expression.

“Heh… why don’t you give the buns to everyone?” He forced a smile, and the steamed bun in his chest was so hot that it was uncomfortable.

 “…” Su Huai didn’t move, but walked towards Lu Yuan. When he was approaching, Lu Yuan was about to say something, but Su Huai put one hand on Lu Yuan’s chest: “What is this? So bulging?”

It’s so hot-

Lu Yuan glared and wanted to curse. What is this, Su face paralysis, you ask even though you know the answer! Do you believe him when he says this is your wife’s chest?

When Eldest ger’s man entered the kitchen, he saw Su Huai and Lu Yuan, one standing and the other sitting. Su Huai was pulling open Lu Yuan’s clothes and reaching out to touch his chest. He immediately blushed and forgot what he was here to do, and turned around and left.

“Brother Zhang?” Lu Yuan looked at the man from the side and called him.

 Su Huai also turned his head when he heard the voice, holding a cool towel in his hand. When he saw that it was Brother Zhang, he did not greet him, but turned back to help Lu Yuan tie his clothes: “Brother Zhang family, please wait outside for a while!”

After saying that, he listened to the person leaving before continuing to dip the ointment on the table and slowly applied it on Lu Yuan’s slightly red chest.

“It’s just a red burn, it’s nothing, why do you need to apply medicine! Huai Zhi, let’s go out. Brother Zhang is here to pick us up to see the sheep, don’t let him wait anxiously!” Lu Yuan said, and avoided Su Huai’s hand that wanted to put on his clothes.

“Don’t move! Brother Zhang is here, and you can’t even wait for a moment!” Su Huai refused and pressed Lu Yuan to continue applying the ointment.

It’s not that Lu Yuan is really impatient, he just applied the ointment. When he was covered with knife wounds, Su Huai also applied the ointment to him, and he didn’t feel anything. But this time, he didn’t know why but he always felt uncomfortable and embarrassed to let Su Huai’s hands touch his whole body.

“Does it hurt? Your heart is beating so fast?”

Pah–

He knocked Su Huai’s hand away at once, and both of them were a little stunned. Lu Yuan stood up suddenly and put on his clothes: “I’m anxious, who told you to move so slowly?”

After saying that, he rushed out in a panic. Su Huai looked at Lu Yuan’s appearance, pursed his lips slightly, then put away the ointment. He took the steamed buns, and followed him out.

Brother Zhang is a simple and honest man. Seeing Lu Yuan and Su Huai coming out one after another, he was still a little embarrassed. He lowered his head and coughed twice. Su Huai took the steamed buns and gave one to him. He called Hua Zi, kept two for himself, and let him take the rest.

“Brother Zhang, are we going to the caravan now?” Lu Yuan took the steamed bun handed by Su Huai, and took a bite. There was no smell of alcohol, and pursed his lips.

“No hurry!” Brother Zhang smiled honestly: “Let’s go and see the sheep at home first. I’ll see what breed it is, so that we can choose a matching one when the time comes.”

As soon as they said it, the three of them stood and chatted for a while, finished eating the steamed buns, and went to the sheepfold together. Brother Zhang seemed to be an expert. He squatted over to check, and his face didn’t look good when he stood up.

“Brother Zhang?” Lu Yuan was a little nervous for a while.

“This sheep is too weak, it must be sick, alas…” Brother Zhang sighed: “You must have been cheated!”

“Cheated?” Su Huai was also stunned, his face didn’t look good.

Brother Zhang patted the dirt off his body and said, “Brother Su, your sheep may have been infected with the disease when you bought it. I will talk to them when we get to the caravan to see if there is any way to cure it.”

This sheep was not cheap, and it has been expensive to raise it these days. If it is cured now, it will probably cost more. Master Su doesn’t want to raise such a mess. Su Huai uses his own medical treatment money. Since Lu Yuan followed Su Huai, he eats and lives by his side. Now he is asked to pay so much money. No matter how thick-skinned he is, he can’t stand it.

 Just as he was struggling, someone rubbed his head hard. When Lu Yuan looked up, Su Huai pushed his forehead: “Don’t be silly! If you don’t leave, the old man will see you and he will talk a lot again!” After saying that, he came over and whispered in his ear: “The family is busy. Let’s go out now. No one will watch you. If you want to do something, do it as soon as possible.”

Lu Yuan was stunned. Su Huai’s eyes were scanning his belly. After three months of pregnancy, he had already shown some signs of gaining weight. Lu Yuan was always irritated when he looked at this deformed belly in the morning. Now that Su Huai reminded him, he immediately realized that this time going out was a good time to abort the child!

Noticing that Su Huai’s eyes were a little heavy, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but raise his hand and touch his belly.

Master Su called grandson every day, and the Hua father and son smiled as soon as they saw him. If the child was really gone, it was hard to say whether the elderly in the family could bear it.  But if this child is kept, not to mention himself, will Su Huai be made a fool for the rest of his life and raise a wild child for him?

Lu Yuan suddenly wanted to ask Su Huai what he thought.

“Huai Zhi…” Lu Yuan hesitated to speak after looking up, but was immediately grabbed by the shoulders and pushed forward.

“Let’s go.”