I'm already a concubine, who wants to fight with you?

Chapter 79 Not Returning
After the big dinner in the evening, the women helped to wash the pots and dishes, cleaned up everywhere, and then carried the round table away.

The yard, which had been noisy for several days, finally became quiet and peaceful.

Xie Fei heated up the untouched portion of the food in the pot so that they could eat it when Yuan San came back.

There were still quite a few dishes left in the evening, so she kept some and asked the women to take the unfinished ones back so that they wouldn't have to eat leftovers for several days in a row.

There is pickled meat in the clay jar in the corner. It will be marinated for a while and then hung out to dry after it has absorbed the flavor.

In addition to cured meats, there are also smoked ribs, sausages, pork liver, etc.

Mother Liu and Aunt Zou took very good care of it for her. All she had to do was dry it in the sun, and after it was dry she could either store it in an ice cellar or hang it on a beam, and she could still eat it in the spring.

Looking at the meat, Xie Fei felt that he had made the right decision to buy the piglets.

Fu Yu came back from the backyard with a copper bowl after feeding the chickens, and shouted, "Girl, I finally don't have to go out to get grass for the pigs tomorrow. But there's not enough grass for the sheep. It's so cold, where can I get feed?"

Xie Fei asked, "Aren't there still a few bags piled up in the woodshed?"

It was before winter that Yuan San, an old ox and male mother, prepared it.

We made feed from chopped grass, straw, various beans, and even eggshells, and piled them up in several large bags to prepare for a shortage of food in the winter.

Fu Yu said, "Two whole sheep, not enough to eat."

Xie Fei wanted to say that two sheep were enough to eat, but then he changed his mind and tapped Fu Yu's head again.

"Are you hinting to me to kill a sheep quickly so that the meat can be delicious?"

When Fu Yu saw that she was exposed, she was not embarrassed and just laughed.

"I remember the year before last, during the winter solstice, didn't the Xie family eat roasted lamb? The taste is so delicious that I'm still drooling when I think about it now."

Xie Fei also remembered this incident.

On the winter solstice of that year, both Xie's father and the eldest brother of the Xie family were promoted, so the eldest lady began to prepare a banquet with the beating of gongs and drums.

Xie Yang said that mutton was delicious and warming, so the lady started eating roasted mutton.

Perhaps she was too happy, the lady did not forget Xie Fei and asked someone to send her a few ounces of meat.

Xie Fei shared the meal with Fu Yu, and the taste was truly unforgettable.

Although Xie Fei wanted to eat it now, he had just slaughtered a pig, so he decided to wait until the New Year to slaughter a sheep.

"Don't keep thinking about eating. There will always be a time to eat." Xie Fei looked outside the yard and said, "Go light the lantern in the corner of the yard and tell Datou that it's time to come back."

"Oh." Fu Yu went to light the lantern.

As there were many people walking around in the courtyard these days, it was inconvenient for Yuan San to stay here, so he left the village.

When a lantern in the corner of the yard lights up, it means that there is no outsider in the yard and you can come back.

But until noon the next day, there was no sign of Yuan San.

Xie Fei was worried and often looked at the wall, hoping that Yuan San could climb over it.

But at night, the lanterns were lit for a long time, but Yuan San did not climb over the wall to enter.

"Did he not see it last night?"

Fu Yu comforted him, "Maybe he went to the city. It's so cold today, Third Brother Yuan can't stay in the mountains. Don't worry, he will come back when he has had enough fun."

Xie Fei also told himself not to worry, Yuan San was a very calm and reliable person, and he did things efficiently and effectively.

But Yuan San was an illegal resident with a criminal record after all. If he was caught by the government, it would not be as simple as going to jail.

Xie Fei was so worried that he didn't sleep well the whole night and listened attentively to the noise in the yard.

It was not until dawn that the lantern in the corner of the yard went out as the tung oil burned out, and then there was a slight movement.

Xie Fei woke up suddenly, grabbed his robe, wrapped it around himself, and rushed out the door.

It turned out to be Yuan San climbing over the wall. First, his backpack fell to the ground with a thud, and then he jumped down lightly and nimbly.

Looking up, Yuan San was stunned to see Xie Fei standing in front of the door. It was dark except for the light behind Xie Fei.

Her thick black hair fell on her sides like silk. Xie Fei, wrapped in a white robe, looked like a bright and holy saint in the soft and hazy light, looking at him from afar with compassionate eyes.

At that moment, Yuan San felt as if something was twisting his heart hard, causing him to feel a sour and painful feeling.

He didn't even bother to pick up the basket on his back and hurried forward.

"Why are you standing here?"

Xie Fei leaned against the door, feeling a little cold due to the night wind.

She wrapped her robe tightly around her, looked at Yuan San dimly, and whispered, "I'm a little worried about you."

Yuan San paused and soothed him softly, "I went to the mountains and haven't been back for a few days. It's my fault for scaring you."

Xie Fei knew that Yuan San was very powerful.

When we first met, he was like a god descending from the sky. Even though he was badly wounded, he could still shoot through the black bear with one shot.

However, what happened to Chen Dafa is still fresh in my mind.

No matter how powerful a person is, he will suffer if he encounters a powerful beast that can run and climb.

She was afraid that Yuan San would encounter wild beasts and was also afraid that Yuan San would be caught by the government. She couldn't help but think about it over and over again.

Fortunately, Yuan San is back now, otherwise she would have to go to the city tomorrow to find out what's going on.

If there is no movement in the city, go to the mountains to have a look.

Yuan San didn't go up the stairs, but just stood in the corridor and said softly, "I'm back, don't worry. It's still early, go back to sleep."

Xie Fei felt relieved. As soon as he relaxed, he began to feel sleepy.

She covered her mouth and yawned, then complained, "Didn't we agree not to run around? Even if the snow melted and the mountain roads were not closed, would you dare to go?"

Yuan San said: "I wanted to find a hibernating wild animal. Whether it's a bear or a tiger, I could get a hide to keep the girl warm."

Who knew that my luck was so bad that I couldn’t even find a hare that wasn’t hibernating.

After working hard for a few days, they dug up some winter bamboo shoots and some winter kudzu roots, filling a backpack.

Now was not the time to count the Pueraria roots, and only after Yuan San's repeated urging did Xie Fei go into the house.

As soon as the door closed, she opened it again and instructed, "There is hot water in the iron pot, take a bath. There is untouched food in the antimony pot. I left a portion before serving. Remember to eat before going to bed."

Yuan San curled his lips and sighed: "Girl, you are almost becoming an old woman."

"Fuck you." Xie Fei slammed the door.

Yuan San went to the kitchen and touched the water in the iron pot. It was still hot.

The food in the tin pot was still hot, including soup, stew, and a big bowl of steaming rice.

He ate a big meal first, then took a shower and went back to his room.

The next morning, Fu Yu got up early to take care of the wild rabbits, picked up eggs from the pen, and fed the sheep. It took him half an hour to finish.

When she returned to the woodshed, she saw the backpack filled with bamboo shoots and kudzu roots, and she knew that Yuan San had returned.

We have to prepare an extra breakfast, especially since Yuan San probably hasn’t had enough to eat outside. It would be better to steam a few more steamed buns so that he can have enough.

Fu Yu was busy for a while before Xie Fei got up.

She likes to stay in bed in the winter, especially when she has nothing to do. Even if she wakes up, she will roll around in bed for a long time and will not get up until the last minute.

When they got to the kitchen, Fu Yu was adding firewood to the stove. He turned around and said, "Miss, Third Brother Yuan is back."

Xie Fei hummed and asked, "What do you want to eat in the morning?"

"I cooked preserved egg and lean meat porridge and steamed wowotou. I heated up two servings of yesterday's leftovers and paired them with kimchi. It should be enough for breakfast."

(End of this chapter)