Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 174 The Castrated Donkey

Yang Yusuo pulled her hand out of Yang Deming's bed.

He began to gesture with his hands and feet on the ground, imitating Hu Xianjun.

It turns out that Hu Xianjun heard his donkey braying loudly at night.

He shook the donkey down with a stick and castrated it himself.

After squeezing out the two "appetizers," they hadn't even had time to sew the outer skin back on.

The donkey woke up in pain, broke free of its rope, and darted into the woods.

By the time they found it, the donkey had already bled to death.

He lay stiffly in the ditch, having met his end.

Because of this, Hu Xianjun was so frightened that he ran to find Yang Xiuqing.

He didn't dare go home for two days, and in the end, Yang Xiuqing took him back.

His father asked Hu Xianjun to bring all the donkey meat to Yang Xiuqing's family.

Because of this, these guys started calling Hu Xianjun "brother-in-law" in advance.

After Yang Yusuo finished speaking, the people lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) laughed so hard they couldn't straighten up.

"Grandpa, you all get up quickly. My mother said she'll steam donkey meat dumplings for you later."

Yang Yusuo ran and jumped out of the house to fetch firewood from the woodpile.

After eating a large steamed dumpling filled with donkey meat and radish, Zhang Changyao started biting his chopsticks in silence, pondering in his mind.

"Brother-in-law, hurry up and eat while it's hot. Hu Xianjun will be here soon, so you guys should leave quickly."

If the donkey walks fast, I reckon the two of them could make a round trip today.

Wu Fengxia put two large dumplings on Zhang Changyao's plate, and one on Du Qiu's plate as well.

"Sister-in-law, I'm not hungry. Could you please wrap up these two dumplings in my bowl so I can take them back to Wu Ni and let her try them?"

When Zhang Changyao saw the dumplings in his bowl, he finally found a reason to take them home.

"Brother-in-law, you should eat this. It's Wu Ni's. I packed it up a long time ago and it's freezing outside."

These two dumplings aren't even enough to fill a tooth gap in my Wuni's mouth.

Wu Fengxia pushed the dumplings that Zhang Changyao had offered back to him, tapping the rim of the bowl to urge him to eat.

Zhang Changyao only started eating after hearing that Yang Wuni had already been given frozen dumplings.

I ate five or six of those bright yellow steamed dumplings made with fermented rice noodles and donkey meat in one go.

Looking at the few children staring longingly at him on the ground, Zhang Changyao put down his chopsticks and pretended that he had already eaten.

"Xiuqing, I borrowed a bicycle, let's ride there."

Before even entering the house, Hu Xianjun called out to Yang Xiuqing, who was carrying firewood towards the woodpile.

Yang Xiuqing glanced back at Hu Xianjun but ignored him.

Hu Xianjun had gotten used to Yang Xiuqing's indifference towards him, and pushed his cart closer to the wall of the house on his own.

Hu Xianjun was dressed at attention today, wearing a black-trimmed, military-green cotton hat on his short hair.

The sheepskin coat was patched up with all sorts of colorful patches, making it look like a beggar's clothes.

Its originally short but sturdy body is now wrapped up like a clumsy, large gourd.

"Uncle-in-law, when did you arrive?"

Hu Xianjun saw Zhang Changyao inside the house before he even went in, and greeted Zhang Changyao through the window.

Zhang Changyao did not respond; he wanted Hu Xianjun to come inside so he could greet him.

But Hu Xianjun didn't go inside. He stood at the doorway waiting for Yang Xiuqing, who was carrying firewood back.

"Hu Xianjun, where do you want me to sit?"

Yang Xiuqing placed the firewood for heating the kang (a heated brick bed) on the ground floor of the outer room.

He came out and pointed to the bare tail of the bicycle, asking Hu Xianjun.

"Xiuqing, you can sit on the front beam, that way it will be easier for me to ride."

Hu Xianjun pointed to the bicycle frame, which was as thick as a fire poker, and explained to Yang Xiuqing.

"Hu Xianjun, I can sit here, but where do I put the things I bought?"

Yang Xiuqing's question silenced Hu Xianjun.

"Hu Xianjun, you ride your bicycle and follow behind the donkey cart for a while."

When you arrive at my house, you can leave your bicycle there.

You and Xiuqing took my donkey cart to buy things.

Then, they drove a donkey cart to bring Xiuqing and Dongxi back.

When you bring me the donkey cart, bring the bicycle back with you.

Zhang Changyao, who could hear everything clearly from inside the house, came out to give Hu Xianjun some advice.

"Uncle-in-law, you're an educated man, you're quick-witted."

Hu Xianjun rubbed his hands awkwardly and followed Zhang Changyao into the house.

Du Qiu ran home to take a look, and returned fuming after being scolded by his mother.

The group went home together, and Du Qiu got off the car at Wang Ga's house.

In order not to delay things, Hu Xianjun and Yang Xiuqing didn't even go inside the house before driving their donkey cart to the town.

Zhang Changyao was overjoyed, holding a bunch of frozen dumplings in his arms. Steamed dumplings with white flour and donkey meat were a rare treat.

Regardless of whether it was mealtime or not, he put all twelve large dumplings in the pot to steam.

"Changyao, why are you steaming them all? It would be better to give Wuni a couple of meals."

Yang Deshan, who had gone out for a stroll, came back and looked at the dumplings in the pot, saying, "Zhang Changyao."

"Uncle, I'm thinking of letting Wu Ni have her fill all at once. Two meals of sweets and numbing creams aren't enough."

Zhang Changyao picked up the dumplings, put them in a basin, carried them into the house, and placed them on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Zhang Changyao, give two dumplings each to Uncle and Liao Zhi."

Yang Wuni looked at the dumplings in the bowl, trying hard to control her drooling.

People with a hunger pang are like that; when they see food, they can't help but stuff it into their stomachs.

"Wu Ni, I don't eat dumplings. You eat them while they're hot."

Yang Deshan took off his shoes, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and began to sift the tobacco leaves from his tobacco basket.

"I won't eat it either. If I eat something oily, it'll make everyone else suffer."

"Oh dear! If you two aren't eating, I won't eat either. We'll just leave it here to dry."

Yang Wuni put down her chopsticks, pouted, and pretended to be angry.

"Then...then Liao Zhi and I will each eat one, and you can eat the rest." Yang Deshan looked up at Yang Wuni.

"Okay, Uncle, you eat one and feed Liao Zhi one."

Give four to my aunt, the rest are mine.

Yang Wuni took the rice bowl from Zhang Changyao and divided the dumplings in the basin into three portions.

I ate my six big dumplings in two bites each.

Yang Deshan ate one himself and fed one to Liao Zhi.

Liao Zhi ate it without hesitation; the temptation of the donkey meat filling made him unable to resist indulging.

Zhang Changyao carried four steamed donkey meat dumplings, wrapped them twice in a handkerchief, and delivered them to Zhang Shuhua.

"Changyao, you're becoming more and more irresponsible."

Why did you bring this to me when my sister-in-law Wu Ni gave it to me?

"Your aunt isn't seventy or eighty years old, why would I compete with someone who's in postpartum confinement for food and drink?"

Zhang Shuhua pushed and shoved, insisting that Zhang Changyao take the dumplings back for Yang Wuni to eat.

"Grandma, I want to eat dumplings, I'm hungry." Little Douzi hugged Zhang Shuhua's leg and whispered.

"Be a good boy, and Grandma will make you big steamed dumplings tomorrow, with sauerkraut and sizzling oil filling, okay?"

Zhang Shuhua bent down, picked up Xiao Douzi, and stroked his head.

"Grandma, my mom said that when I grow up, she'll give me meat dumplings every day."