Thoughts

It was noon, the quietest time in the pharmacy. Su Huai packed up his medicine box and prepared to go to the kitchen to eat. He saw the waiter gesturing at him and nodding at the door.

Su Huai turned around and saw Ganzi leaning against the door, looking hesitant. Ever since he came to the pharmacy to work as a waiter, Ganzi always looked like this. Last time when he came to collect Xiao Yuan’s things, the child followed him, hesitant to speak, and ran away when asked a question. Su Huai really didn’t know what Ganzi was doing.

 “Let’s go to the back!” Su Huai couldn’t stand it anymore. He went over and carried Ganzi to the back kitchen. He ate a nang bing himself and served him a bowl of porridge: “You want to tell me something?”

Ganzi looked a little ugly. He stared at the bowl of porridge for a long time, and then hesitantly said: “That… Xiao Yuan… is he okay?”

Ganzi had been working in the town, and he didn’t go home on the day of Lu Yuan’s wedding. He heard from his family that Lu Yuan was actually a little ger. Of course, he also knew that he almost miscarried because he gave him river crabs.

“Whether he’s okay or not, go and see for yourself!” Su Huai glanced at Ganzi and said.

 “No need!” Ganzi’s face suddenly twisted: “Brother Su, just say sorry to Xiao Yuan for me. This… is the tonic I bought for him, all good medicinal materials…”

Ganzi pushed the brown paper bag halfway, and was held down by Su Huai: “If you want to apologize, go by yourself, and deliver the things yourself.”

“But… Brother Su… To be honest, I have always regarded Xiao Yuan as a buddy, and suddenly he became a little ger. I can’t talk to him normally…” Ganzi frowned, looking very embarrassed.

“What are you talking about? Aren’t you most happy to stick to Xiao Yuan?” Su Huai also frowned. Ganzi has been taking care of Lu Yuan since he came to Shihe Village. The two have a very good relationship. Lu Yuan kept talking about Ganzi a few days ago. If he knew this kid’s current attitude, he would be sad!

 “Brother Su, you knew from the beginning that Xiao Yuan was a ger, right? Naturally, you didn’t think anything of it. But, I used to treat Xiao Yuan as a brother, and he looked no different from a man… Suddenly one day this grown man became a ger, most people would not be able to accept it… Don’t my grandma and the others feel weird? Brother Su, you have to let me get used to it…”

“You feel awkward that Xiao Yuan is a ger?” Su Huai was stunned, and suddenly realized that something was wrong.

“Brother Su, did I make you angry by saying this? I really don’t mean that it’s bad that Xiao Yuan is a ger, it’s just that he really looks like a man. I was scared by this news…” Ganzi was a little anxious. He explained a lot in a long-winded way, but Su Huai didn’t say anything the whole time. In fact, he almost didn’t listen to Ganzi’s words towards the end. He kept thinking about one thing in his mind –

Logically speaking, if a man who looks like a man becomes a young ger overnight, most people would be shocked, and then it would be more awkward to get along with him. In addition, this person has no sense of being a young ger, and behaves like a man. Maybe this feeling should be added with a feeling of weirdness, or even perversion…

Ganzi’s reaction is actually normal. In comparison, after being shocked, he not only does not feel awkward, but also feels that this is not bad. Why is it?

It seems that he is quite happy that Xiao Yuan has become a young ger…

Su Huai’s heart tightened suddenly. He felt that he seemed to have discovered something extraordinary.

It seemed that Su Huai was possessed. When he passed by the market on his way home, he thought of the past and spent all his money. He spent 90 coins, and bought a lamb.

*

When Su Huai got home, he thought he had walked into the wrong door.

 The west room where Lu Yuan lived was empty, and Old Touzi’s room was empty. The whole family was crowded in the guest room where Eldest ger lived. The bed where the eldest brother sat was shaking with the drum. Lu Yuan sat side by side with him, holding the baby in his arms, rocking and patting his back. The old man sat on the chair, looking at two adults and a child, smiling comfortably.

To be honest, Su Huai had never seen the old man smile so gently.

The sunset glowed, and through the wooden lattice window, the scattered light was very soft, just like Lu Yuan’s drooping face at this moment. He seemed to say something to the baby, and then the corners of his lips raised, bending into a beautiful arc.

Su Huai’s heart suddenly tightened. Damn, why is this kid so beautiful when he smiles!

“Meh…” The sheep in his hand suddenly cried, and Su Huai found that he was stunned.

 “Hm? Brother Su, when did you come back?” Hearing the sound of the sheep, everyone realized that Su Huai had been standing at the door. Lu Yuan looked around, and then all his attention was attracted by the lamb. He quickly pushed the child to his Eldest ger to hold, rushed to Su Huai, and said excitedly: “Brother Su, why did you buy a sheep?”

“We are already married, why are you still calling me brother!” Master Su was happy to see that his new ger was so enthusiastic about his man, but he was a little dissatisfied when he heard the word “brother”.

“…” Lu Yuan was about to squat down to check the lamb, and his body immediately stiffened when he heard the old man’s words.

Could it be that he had to call Su Huai his husband from now on? Darling? Or the head of the family? A chill ran down his head and they might as well kill him with a knife!

 “Xiao Yuan is used to calling me that, let him be.” Su Huai frowned and Lu Yuan sneered. He thought that if he really called him that nasty name, this Su face-paralysis would not be able to bear it.

“How can this be! The Su family is a famous family after all, how can you be so casual! It’s okay for you, a bad boy, to mess around outside, but you have to abide by the rules when you come home!” Master Su was stubborn. It’s not that he really had to be serious about the name, but he wanted him to call Su Huai that board.

Su Huai’s face was not good, and he was about to explode. Lu Yuan’s heart was full of the little lamb at this time. He couldn’t wait for the father and son to quarrel, so he quickly pulled Su Huai to smooth things over: “Dad, don’t be angry, I’ll call him!”

Turning his face to Su Huai, Lu Yuan’s face twitched, and he whispered: “Husband…”

For a moment, everyone’s face twitched.

 “Ahem…” Master Su covered his mouth. It was not a good sight to hear him say such a little bird-like thing with his burly body…

“Otherwise, just call him by his name.” Eldest ger also agreed.

“Mm… since the young master is back, let’s have dinner. Huazi, go set the table with Dad!”

“I’ll go build a nest for the sheep.” Su Huai dragged Lu Yuan out. While walking, he lowered his head and whispered in Lu Yuan’s ear: “My name is Huai Zhi.”

*

Buying a dairy lamb is really not cheap. Master Su had another argument with Su Huai because of this matter. In the end, he heard that it was to entertain the new ger and for his grandson, so he let it go.

Su Huai directed Huazi to build a nest next to the pigpen in the yard, and also built a wooden water trough and feed trough. The town where Su Huai lived was not a pastoral area, so naturally no one raised sheep or cattle. It was easy to bring this lamb back, but it was a problem to raise it. The first problem was that there was no feed.

Lu Yuan had never raised sheep before. He only knew that sheep usually eat roughage. However, there was no pasture near the town, and he had never seen anyone raising sheep in the town. He followed Su Huai and decided to make do with the roughage for horses. If that didn’t work, he would think of other ways.

The lamb was still young and it was not time for it to produce milk. Although Lu Yuan was anxious, he was patient and raised it slowly. He ran to the sheep pen all day long to see if there was enough feed or water, or to give the lamb a bath. He also asked Old Huatou to help him find out who had raised sheep and ask for ways to raise them. Under his dedicated care, the lamb really grew up strong.

However, after being in the sheep pen and pig pen for a long time, Lu Yuan had a smell of mutton on his body, and he felt itchy from time to time.

 That night, after Lu Yuan had finished his meal and was catching a glimpse of something in the house, he heard Su Huai telling Hua Zi outside to go to the kitchen to light the stove and boil a few pots of water.

Lu Yuan was stunned. Usually, families don’t take baths in winter. One reason is that it’s too cold and people can’t stand it. Another reason is that boiling water also costs firewood. The Su family only took a bath once a month. It’s been only ten days since the last bath. How come they boiled water again?

After wondering for a while, Su Huai pushed the door open, packed a set of clean clothes, and said, “Xiao Yuan, go take a bath.”

“Why take a bath today?” Lu Yuan asked, and was pulled up by Su Huai.

 “From now on, you have to take a bath every day.”

“Why? Su… uh, Huai Zhi… do you think I stink?” He was used to calling him Brother Su, and it was hard to change his words. Lu Yuan always felt that calling him by his cousin’s name was as embarrassing as calling him husband, but he couldn’t resist the Su family, so he had to say it awkwardly every time.

Su Huai seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon continued to pull Lu Yuan to the kitchen: “You have lice all over your body, don’t you know it?”