BYBOTE Chapter 59: Brother Dayun

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"Second Brother, what are you drawing this time?" Luo Ru asked as she brought potato pancakes to Luo Fei. She found him carefully sketching something.

"A small bowl," Luo Fei replied. "A small bowl for holding ice cream."

"Huh?" Luo Ru was stunned. "You're using a bowl just to eat ice cream? That bowl's probably more expensive than the ice cream itself!"

"Exactly, that's the point. I'm just sketching a few designs first to see if they work," Luo Fei explained. "I don’t have much room for development in my current circle, but Shi Shi and Li Siyuan know a lot of people. Maybe they can sell these. Most people love beautiful things. Sometimes, they might even buy the bowl just because they like it, and the ice cream is just an excuse. Kind of like when I was in the modern world—I didn’t think one brand of bottled water tasted better than another, but I kept buying a certain brand just because I liked its packaging."

Luo Fei designed four different bowls. The shape of each bowl was the same—white and narrowing towards the bottom—but the designs varied. One had lotus flowers, another had plum blossoms, one featured koi fish, and the last one had peonies. These were all motifs that ancient people loved. Luo Fei did his best to make the drawings beautiful, hoping that they would appeal to customers at first glance.

A touch of a girlish aesthetic—he wasn’t sure if it would work, but at least it was pretty!

Luo Fei turned around and saw his sister pouring potato pancakes onto a plate.

That’s right! She’s a girl, isn't she?!

"Sanbao, do you think these little bowls look nice? Do you like them?" Luo Fei held up the sketches. "Once made, they’ll be about the size of my fist."

"They're pretty, but if it's only the size of your fist, that’s way too small. If you put ice cream in it, wouldn’t it be gone in just a couple of bites?" Luo Ru clenched her fist and compared. "Your fist isn't even as big as mine. If it were my size, maybe it’d be okay."

"Just tell me if you like the look of them!" Luo Fei insisted.

"Depends—does it cost money? If I have to pay, I don’t like it. But if it’s free, I could use it to hold some soybean paste," Luo Ru giggled.

Luo Fei: "…."

Luo Fei bit his lip and suddenly called out, "Qing-ge, Luo Yong! You guys, come in for a moment!"

The group outside was butchering a sheep. Originally, Luo Fei had wanted to buy some lamb for cooking experiments, but the lamb sold outside wasn’t the same as the ones Jingrong raised. So, he asked Jing Rong to slaughter one. He didn’t mention it was for an experiment, just that he was craving lamb and bought one from Jing Rong.

Jing Rong refused to take money, but Luo Fei insisted—business is business.

"What’s up, wife?" Xi Yanqing called from outside. "I’m covered in blood; I’m handling the sheep’s organs. Is it urgent?"

"Not urgent!" Luo Fei replied. "Wait for me! I’ll come outside!" The midday sun had started melting some ice, making the ground a bit slippery. Luo Fei carefully stepped outside and approached Xi Yanqing and the others. "Do you guys think these sketches look nice?"

"Hmm…"

"What is this?" Luo Yong asked, noticing Xi Yanqing deep in thought and staying silent. "A tea cup?"

"A small bowl for ice cream," Luo Fei explained. "Don’t be polite—just tell me what you really think."

"It’s cute," Xi Yanqing said.

"But isn't it too small?" Luo Yong countered. "If it’s for ice cream, you’d finish it in two bites. It’d be better for holding soy sauce for dumpling dipping."

"You two really are a pair!" Luo Fei pointed at both Luo Yong and Luo Ru. "Sanbao said she’d use it to hold soybean paste, and now you’re saying soy sauce. I give up on you two!"

"Second Brother, what are you saying!" Luo Ru blushed. Even though her family had already accepted Luo Yong’s betrothal gifts, she hadn’t officially married yet! How could he call them a couple so openly? She glared at Luo Yong and quickly left the Xi family’s home.

"Pfft! Qing-ge, at least let Third Miss keep some dignity," Jing Rong chuckled. "But I do think the bowls look great. If they can be fired successfully, I’d like to keep a set—especially the lotus and koi ones. They’re beautiful."

"Really?" Luo Fei was skeptical. Could it be that his designs weren’t charming girls but attracting handsome young men instead?!

"Really. But it might be difficult to make. With such intricate designs, the cost of the bowl will probably be higher than the ice cream itself."

"That’s true, but some people can afford it. Qing-ge can bring them to the Shi family later. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just consider it a fun experiment." Luo Fei rolled up his sketches. "Sanbao brought potato pancakes. Why don’t you all wash up and have some before finishing up?" He realized that he had been so caught up in drawing that he hadn’t started preparing lunch yet.

"You eat first. We’re almost done here. We’ll wash up and change before eating—otherwise, we’ll reek of blood," Xi Yanqing said, turning to the others. "What do you think?"

"Agreed," Luo Yong said, mainly because he knew the pancakes wouldn’t be enough for all of them. Better to save them for the proper meal later—his fiancée’s cooking was always reliable!

Jing Rong didn’t object, and the three of them continued handling the sheep.

Luo Fei had Xi Yanqing cut him a tender piece of lamb. He decided to make lamb skewers for lunch.

Of course, he wouldn’t be grilling them on iron skewers over charcoal—since neither iron skewers nor charcoal were available. Instead, he planned to pan-fry the lamb and season it with spices to mimic the flavor of grilled skewers.

Many of the spices he knew to be edible were commonly used here as incense or insect repellents. They weren’t often used in cooking yet.

"Smells amazing," Xi Yanqing said as he entered the kitchen, having washed his hands and changed clothes. The rich aroma of meat filled the air, making his mouth water. "Is that stir-fried lamb slices?"

"Yeah, I added some sesame seeds and Sichuan pepper powder." There was no cumin here, and he hadn’t found chili peppers yet, so the flavor wouldn’t be quite the same as modern lamb skewers. But everything had to start somewhere. Luo Fei had crushed some sesame seeds before sprinkling them on top. It looked pretty good. He had also toasted some slices of mantou, making them crispy on the outside and soft inside. They paired perfectly with the lamb.

"Should we ask Brother Shi if he's ever seen cumin and chili? What do you think?" Xi Yanqing was fed a piece of meat. "But this is really good too. It's just missing that cumin aroma."

"We could ask Brother Shi and Brother Li as well. But I have another idea," Luo Fei said. "Qing-ge, do you remember the scented wooden balls I sold in sachets last Dragon Boat Festival? I think that scent is really pleasant. If we use them to roast lamb, I bet it would be amazing. I also used them to smoke the cured meat we made before the New Year, and didn't you say it smelled great back then?"

"Yeah, using fragrant wood for smoking and roasting is a good idea," Xi Yanqing said. "I can help with that. Once it gets a bit warmer, I'll be heading into the mountains again. There are some in our mountains."

"Mm. I'll ask Han Xu for some first, and when we need more, we can figure out how to get it ourselves. I have a good feeling about this. Also, if we had honey, it would be even better." Beekeeping wasn’t common here yet, so honey was rare and expensive. The ones available on the market were all wild honey, making it even harder to come by. But if they could get some, they could make honey-roasted meat. Just the thought of it...

"You're drooling," Xi Yanqing teased.

"Huh?" Luo Fei quickly wiped his mouth but found nothing. "You're terrible!" he said. "You're the one drooling and blaming me!"

"I'm not drooling. You're the little greedy donkey."

"You are!" Luo Fei pounced on Xi Yanqing and licked the corner of his mouth. "Look! So much drool! It's dripping down!"

Xi Yanqing: "…"

A waterfall? Dripping down?

"Mm, doesn’t taste bad," Xi Yanqing licked his lips. "Come here, let me try it on you."

"Ahhh! Hey!" Luo Fei yelped as Xi Yanqing grabbed him and licked him all over, leaving him weak in the knees.

If they hadn’t heard Luo Yong and Jing Rong returning, Xi Yanqing might have skipped lunch altogether and just eaten "donkey meat."

Luo Fei caught his breath, his face red as he turned his back to the door and pulled some steamed buns from the pot.

The buns were still a bit hot, having just been cooked. But they smelled delicious. Taking a bite—crispy on the outside, soft on the inside—was incredibly satisfying.

"How is it? Tasty?"

"Delicious." Jing Rong held a bun in one hand and a piece of lamb in the other. He had eaten this dish before at Fu Yue Restaurant, but honestly, he thought Qi-ge’s cooking was better. If the one at Fu Yue Restaurant had been sitting out for a while, he might have understood, but both were freshly made, yet Qi-ge's was clearly superior.

Luo Fei hadn’t made too much at first, worried it might go to waste if it wasn’t good. But when Xi Yanqing tasted it and found it delicious, he made another batch.

"This bun with lamb is amazing!" Luo Yong initially ate one bite of bun and one bite of lamb, but after seeing Luo Fei slice the bun open and stuff it with meat, he copied him. That first bite—wow! The crispy bun, the tender inside, and the insanely flavorful lamb—it was beyond good. With a dish like this, even eating until stuffed wouldn’t feel enough.

"How does it compare to dumplings?" Xi Yanqing asked.

"Just as good!" Luo Yong said. "Wait, no—this seems even more fragrant!"

"It really is," Jing Rong agreed, already on his second bun. He followed suit, stuffing it with meat. "Qi-ge, how did you come up with this? The taste is just incredible."

"Do you think this would sell?" Luo Fei asked.

"Of course! If someone sold this, I'd buy it every day! But who’s going to sell it?" Luo Yong pointed out. "We're already so busy we have to trouble Luo Ji to help build our houses. Besides, not just anyone can make this."

"Actually, it’s not that hard to make. I can prepare the meat in advance. Today I made it in a rush, but normally, marinating it first would make it even more tender. I skipped that step because I didn’t want you guys to starve at noon. As for the buns, they’re even easier—just steam them and then toast them over fire, or pan-fry them. Anyone can do it." Luo Fei thought for a moment. "I'll let more people try it first. If everyone agrees it’s good, we can start selling these meat buns in the fall. We could also make lamb soup from the bones. What do you guys think?"

"Qi-ge, your cooking is truly amazing. I swear on my conscience! But like I said earlier, who’s going to sell it?" The farming season was approaching. Even though they didn’t farm grain, they still had their vegetable gardens to tend to. Without them, what would they eat? Qi-ge was pregnant and couldn’t do heavy labor. Between their new and old houses, they had five large vegetable gardens to take care of.

"Yeah, that's a problem," Luo Fei said, tearing the crust off another bun. "Qing-ge, what if we do what we did with the ice cream and sell it through the pastry shop?"

"Ice cream is a finished product—it only needs a display space and doesn’t interfere with the shop’s business. But this is different. It requires additional preparation, so it wouldn’t be suitable for the pastry shop," Xi Yanqing explained. "How about this—tomorrow, my wife, you make this dish again, and I’ll take it to Fu Yue Restaurant to meet with their owner and manager. Let’s see if they’d be interested in ordering lamb from us. The reason I brought food back from Fu Yue Restaurant in the first place was to inspire you with fresher ideas. Now that you have one, let’s give it a try."

"That works. As long as we can sell the lamb," Luo Fei said. "I think it should be fine. Brother Shi seems to have a good relationship with the owner of Fu Yue Restaurant."

"We’ll find out tomorrow." Xi Yanqing took the bun Luo Fei had stripped bare and ate it, letting him peel another. In no time, the four young men finished off two large plates of stir-fried lamb—eating so much, they felt overheated!

Xi Yanqing was fine—he had his wife to cuddle at night. But Jing Rong and Luo Yong suffered. Especially Luo Yong, who tossed and turned like a griddle cake all night before finally falling asleep.

His dreams were filled with Lou Ru's embarrassed and angry face. Why did he like her so much?! It was like he was bewitched.

_

The next morning, when Jing Rong woke up, he saw Luo Yong scrubbing his pants. At first, he didn’t understand and asked, "Why are you washing your pants first thing in the morning?"

Luo Yong's face turned red, even his ears. "N-nothing. It’s just one pair, and the weather’s nice. If I wash it now, I can wear it again tomorrow."

Jing Rong glanced outside. "You call this nice weather?!"

Luo Yong stayed silent. But just as he finished washing his pants and went to hang them up, snowflakes started falling outside…

The heavens had a sense of humor. Just a few days ago, it looked like spring was around the corner, and now it was snowing again. Was this deliberate humiliation?!

Jing Rong thought about it for a moment, then grinned mischievously and patted Luo Yong's shoulder. "Hey, don’t tell me you—"

"Go, go, go! What are you talking about?! Stop making things up!" Luo Yong quickly changed the topic. "Are you going to town with Xi-ge today? If you are, I’ll go tend the sheep."

"I’m not going today, and Xi-ge probably isn’t either. If I go, it might make negotiations harder for him," Jing Rong said. "Since it's snowing, we can’t work on the new house, so let’s fix up the vegetable gardens."

"Alright, I’ll go grab the wood, and you find the plane and axe." Luo Yong huffed as he went to carry the wood for the fences.

Meanwhile, Xi Yanqing was unmolding ice cream. The manager of Fu Yue Restaurant had asked when they could restock, so he decided to bring some along—it would make negotiations easier.

The ice cream was made by Xi Yanqing overnight again, and fortunately, the temperature dropped at night; otherwise, it might not have frozen properly.

He unmolded the ice cream and set it aside, then took the lamb that Luo Fei had prepared early in the morning. After reminding Luo Fei to be careful at home, he headed to town.

On the way, the snow actually started falling heavier. Xi Yanqing walked as quickly as possible, thinking that he had to finalize the business deal this time no matter what.

Perhaps the beginning of anything is always the hardest, but he had confidence in Luo Fei's craftsmanship.

"Hey?! Xi Ge, why are you going to town so early?" He quickened his pace and unexpectedly ran into Luo Yi, who was on his way to school! Xi Yanqing hadn't seen Luo Yi for some time. Ever since Luo Yi started school, he was always leaving early and coming back late.

"Aren't you also up early?" Xi Yanqing smiled. "Have you been going to school this early every day?"

"Yeah, it's a long way, so I leave home early. I'm always the first one there. My classmates don't like to clean up, so since I'm going early anyway, I do some tidying up."

Luo Yi had grown quite a bit in the past six months—he was already up to Xi Yanqing's shoulders. His speech had also become more confident, giving off the feeling that he had matured.

"Xi Ge, why are you going so early?"

"I have some business to take care of. How's school? Are the teachers nice? What about your classmates?"

Xi Yanqing cared a lot about his young brother-in-law. Luo Yi had supported him marrying Luo Fei even before Luo Fei liked him. Although Luo Yi sometimes made trouble for his older brother, he was ultimately a kind-hearted kid.

"It's all fine," Luo Yi said, walking against the wind and snow. "Especially the teacher—his lectures are very detailed."

"That's good." Xi Yanqing had intended to ask more, but seeing that Luo Yi didn’t seem keen on talking about school, he didn’t push further.

In reality, it wasn’t hard to tell how Luo Yi was doing at school. For example, if he had close friends, why was he always the only one cleaning? But some things in life have to be faced alone—perhaps that’s just part of growing up.

"Xi Ge, I have to turn here. You take care."

"Alright, go on."

Xi Yanqing stood in place for a moment, watching Luo Yi leave before continuing towards Fuyue Restaurant.

The snow was a bit of a hassle—because of it, he hurried on the road and ended up arriving too early. Fuyue Restaurant wasn’t open yet. With no other option, he went to a nearby shop that sold tofu pudding and sat for a while.

He ordered a bowl, finished it, and then gazed at Fuyue Restaurant from a distance.

After a short while, the snow eased up a bit, and his tofu pudding was finished. Xi Yanqing picked up his things and walked towards Fuyue Restaurant.

The morning delivery workers had come and gone—the vegetable supplier, the fish vendor, and now the meat supplier.

Xi Yanqing recognized this man since he had bought meat from his Yunji Butcher Shop before. But today, the man wasn’t alone—he had brought three children with him.

The eldest was a girl, about six or seven years old, with two slightly uneven braids. The other two were boys—one looked around three or four years old, and the youngest was at most two. The two little boys sat in a wooden pushcart.

Though their ages and genders differed, they all had one thing in common—their clothes were extremely worn out.

Did selling fresh meat not make money?!

A thought of doubt flashed through Xi Yanqing’s mind as the man spoke.

"Da Mei, I’m going up to deliver the meat. You take care of your little brothers, and don’t run off, okay?"

The man, who was about the same size as Jing Rong but possibly even thinner, carried a large slab of pork on his shoulder. He held some beef and lamb in his other hand.

"Don’t worry, Dad," the girl said, rubbing her hands together. "I’ll watch my brothers properly."

The man nodded and went inside Fuyue Restaurant. A short while later, he came out, counting silver coins in his hand. He had the girl get into the cart, then pushed them toward the apothecary run by Shopkeeper Jing.

Xi Yanqing wasn’t sure why he hadn’t gone into Fuyue Restaurant right away. It was open, and there weren’t many customers yet, making it a perfect time to discuss business. Maybe he subconsciously felt it wouldn’t be appropriate to go in right after the regular supplier had just finished his delivery. Or maybe it was simple curiosity.

Either way, he stood outside for a long time.

Long enough that the man and his children came out of the apothecary. Strangely, instead of heading home, he went back into Fuyue Restaurant, once again leaving his three children outside.

Xi Yanqing became curious and followed him inside.

"Manger, could you advance me two taels of silver? I’ll supply you with meat for free later, and you can deduct it from there…"

It was the man’s voice.

"Brother Dayun, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but you haven’t even paid off the last advance I gave you. I actually timed today's settlement because I knew it was time for you to buy medicine for your wife. That’s why I made an exception and paid you immediately for today's meat," Manager Hong sighed. "But this business belongs to my boss—I’m just a worker, and I really can’t help you any further."

"But I’m still two taels short for the medicine. Please, could you make an exception?"

"I really can’t. Try to find another way."

Manager Hong hesitated for a moment, then added, "Brother Dayun, we’ve known each other for years, so don’t take this the wrong way. But I think… you should focus more on your children. Otherwise, when will this ever end?"

"But I can’t just sit by and do nothing."

Dayun clenched his fists, lowered his head, and left.

"Manager, that man seems to be in trouble?" Xi Yanqing asked apologetically. "Sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping—I just happened to hear as I walked in."

"His wife nearly died giving birth to their third child. She survived, but after being bedridden with a fever for so long, she was left with chronic illness. She’s been bedridden for nearly three years now—she can’t even get up. Whenever it gets cold, her coughing is unbearable. He has four children—imagine, one man supporting five people, including someone who needs constant medication. How easy could that be?"

Manager Hong sat down.

"Our boss knows about his situation, which is why we always buy meat from him—to help him out a little."

"The boss is a kind man."

"Yes, he’s well-known as a generous benefactor in this town."

Manager Hong suddenly realized something. "Oh right, Brother Xi, why did you come so early today? Did you bring ice cream? Many customers have been asking about it."

"I did. I left it in the shade earlier when I arrived."

"That’s great! Let me settle the payment for you."

Manager Hong quickly counted the money and then asked, "Have you had breakfast yet? If not, let’s eat together."

"I’ve already eaten, but thank you for the offer."

"In that case, you should head back early. Looks like it’ll be snowing all day—your family will feel better knowing you’re home safe."

Xi Yanqing clasped his fists in thanks and left without looking back.

"Manager, the man’s already gone. Why are you still staring?" the assistant asked.

"I’ve always wondered why Boss Shi treats a country man like a brother. Today, I finally understand."

Manager Hong folded his hands across his stomach.

"He’s a good man too. That lamb smelled so good I almost asked him for some, but he didn’t even mention it himself."

“What kind of lamb is this?”

“Yeah, what kind of lamb? It smells amazing. But no matter how good it smells, it can't compare to this person.”

“Huh?!” The waiter’s eyes widened in shock. “Boss, don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to Brother Xi here?! I heard he’s already married!”

“Get lost, get lost! What nonsense are you spouting?! Am I that kind of person?! If you don’t understand, just get back to work!”

The sky outside was getting darker and darker, just as Manager Hong had said—it really looked like it was going to rain all day.

Xi Yanqing left Fuyue Restaurant but didn’t head straight back.

Instead, he went to find the man who had walked out of the restaurant only to enter a pharmacy again—Brother Dayun.

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