HNYWEF -Chapter 33 Chickens and Ducks

The next morning, the sun finally came out.

The snow had started to melt. Water dripped from the eaves with a steady drip, drip, leaving patches of the stone courtyard slick and wet.

Zhou Xiong stood in the shop, placing a freshly forged sickle onto the rack.

Outside came a series of footsteps, splashing through slush with wet squelch, squelch sounds.

Then the door was pushed open.

Cheng Yaojin stood at the entrance, holding two things in his arms — a country chicken and a country duck. Both were tucked under his armpits, unusually obedient, though it was hard to tell whether they were frozen or simply terrified.

Zhou Xiong glanced at him.

Said nothing.

Grinning, Cheng Yaojin walked inside, set the chicken on the floor, then set the duck down beside it.

The chicken flapped its wings twice before shrinking into the corner. The duck looked around cautiously, then huddled up as well.

“For you.”

Zhou Xiong looked at him.

Cheng Yaojin said, “Didn’t you say raising chickens and ducks helps keep pests down? I figured I’d bring you two first. If it really works, next year I’ll have all the farms on my estate raise them too.”

Zhou Xiong still said nothing.

After waiting a moment and getting no response, Cheng Yaojin continued:

“Besides, even if they don’t stop pests, you can still eat ’em. Chicken soup, roast duck — both smell great.”

As he spoke, he smacked his lips.

Zhou Xiong looked at him.

For three breaths.

Then he spoke, his voice as heavy and rough as ever.

“Cheng Yaojin.”

Cheng Yaojin froze for a second.

Zhou Xiong continued:

“Did you drink so much horse piss you still haven’t sobered up?”

Cheng Yaojin opened his mouth.

Zhou Xiong didn’t give him the chance to speak.

“When I talked about raising chickens and ducks, I meant promoting it throughout the capital region. Letting the common people raise them. Letting every household raise them. Not you hauling two damn birds over here for me to stew into soup.”

Cheng Yaojin blinked.

Zhou Xiong stepped forward.

“Do you even know what animal husbandry is? It means giving the people another source of food, another way to earn money, and reducing pest damage in the fields. And you bring me two birds — what the hell is that supposed to mean? You think I’m lacking a bite to eat or something?”

Cheng Yaojin took a step back.

Zhou Xiong took another step forward.

“If I wanted to eat chicken, couldn’t I buy it myself? Did you really need to carry them all the way here? What am I, a three-year-old kid who loses his mind at the sight of chickens and ducks?”

Cheng Yaojin backed all the way to the doorway, his shoulders bumping into the frame.

Zhou Xiong stood there, staring at him.

His mouth was still slightly open, but the scolding stopped.

He just looked at him.

Cheng Yaojin stood in the doorway, stunned for a long while.

Then suddenly, he laughed.

Like he’d just found buried treasure.

“Blind Bear!”

he shouted.

Zhou Xiong’s brow twitched faintly.

Cheng Yaojin strode back over and slapped a huge hand onto Zhou Xiong’s shoulder.

“You cursed at me! Damn it, you actually cursed at me!”

The slap nearly knocked Zhou Xiong sideways. He steadied himself and glared at him.

Cheng Yaojin was grinning so hard his eyes had nearly disappeared.

Zhou Xiong said nothing.

But his hand twitched slightly.

It was hard to tell whether he wanted to shove him away or something else.

Cheng Yaojin didn’t care.

He just stood there laughing at him.

“That was great! Curse me again! Come on, give me another one!”

Zhou Xiong looked at him.

For a very long time.

Then he finally spoke.

“Get lost.”

Just two words.

Cheng Yaojin laughed even louder.

“Yes! That’s it! Exactly that!”

He laughed so hard he squatted down, clutching his stomach.

The chicken and duck in the corner shrank tighter into themselves from the noise.

Zhou Xiong stood there watching him.

His face showed no expression at all.

But in his eyes—

Beneath that layer of fog, something stirred.

Like a crack opening across a sheet of ice.

Tiny.

But undeniably there.

At that moment, the curtain to the inner room lifted.

Zhou Yi walked out rubbing his eyes.

He had just woken up. His hair was a mess, and there were pillow marks still pressed against his cheek.

He saw Cheng Yaojin crouched on the floor laughing, saw his father standing there, saw the chicken and duck huddled in the corner.

He froze for a moment.

“Uncle Cheng, what’s wrong with you?”

Cheng Yaojin looked up at him, laughing too hard to answer.

Zhou Yi turned to his father.

Zhou Xiong said nothing.

Zhou Yi scratched his head.

Then he looked back at Cheng Yaojin.

“Uncle Cheng, what did you do? How’d you make my dad angry?”

Cheng Yaojin froze briefly.

Then he laughed even harder.

But after a moment, the laughter slowed.

He looked at the child.

That face.

It looked like her.

Too much like her.

But that tone of complaint when he spoke—

That was exactly like his father.

Cheng Yaojin suddenly stopped laughing.

He stood up and looked at Zhou Yi.

Looked at him for a long while.

Then he reached out and rubbed the boy’s head.

“Kid, your father just cursed me out beautifully. Want me to teach you?”

Zhou Yi blinked.

He looked toward his father.

Zhou Xiong immediately kicked at Cheng Yaojin, but Cheng Yaojin dodged.

Zhou Xiong raised a hand and waved it sharply toward the door.

Cheng Yaojin laughed again.

He headed for the entrance.

At the doorway, he turned back around.

“Keep the chicken and duck. If you won’t eat them, feed the kid.”

With that, he pushed the door open and left.

Outside, water still dripped steadily.

Drip. Drip.

Zhou Xiong stood in the shop, staring at the swaying door.

Zhou Yi walked over and stood beside him.

“Dad, what did Uncle Cheng do?”

Zhou Xiong didn’t answer.

He lowered his head and looked at Zhou Yi.

For a while.

Then he said:

“Nothing.”

Zhou Yi blinked.

Then he looked toward the chicken and duck in the corner.

“Dad, what do we do with them?”

Zhou Xiong didn’t answer immediately.

He turned and started walking toward the inner room.

After two steps, he stopped.

Without turning around, he said:

“Raise them.”

Then he lifted the curtain and went inside.

Zhou Yi remained standing in the shop, staring at the chicken and duck.

The chicken and duck stared back at him.

Zhou Yi squatted down.

“Don’t be scared. My dad isn’t fierce.”

The chicken didn’t move.

The duck didn’t move either.

Zhou Yi thought for a moment, then added:

“He’s only not fierce when he’s yelling at people.”

Sunlight streamed in from outside, spilling across the floor.

The melted snow still dripped.

Drip.

Drip.