Chapter Ninety: It Had Become Enchanted

At the Little Farmstead, it was nine in the evening.

In the far northwest, the sky was still bright, only just beginning to show the first hint of dusk.

Zhong Di kept an eye on the time and called everyone back. Right then, Zhong Tian and Di Chunhua arrived as well.

“What’s this? I went home at noon—how come by nightfall we’re eating a whole roasted lamb?”

Looking at the crowd, Zhong Tian could tell from the chatter alone that they were preparing a feast of roasted lamb tonight. A lamb was so expensive—how could they just decide to eat one?

“Mom, what’s this?” Zhong Di looked at Di Chunhua, already suspecting something, though he was not sure if it was exactly what he thought.

“Your father talked to me these past few days, and I thought a lot too. In the end, I decided to quit my job at the factory and come back to help you.”

“That means you’ve thrown away your rice bowl for this, Mom. It had better work out. I resigned this morning, and your father came to pick me up. On the way, he also brought back some of the things from the factory.”

Di Chunhua looked over the garden, her eyes still clouded with worry. After all, this kind of thing was uncertain. How could it compare to a steady month’s work and a month’s wages?

Just because things seemed to be booming now did not mean much. How many capable people had seen profits turn into losses, or businesses shut down overnight?

“Mom, don’t worry. It’ll be fine. Since you’ve already quit, don’t think about it anymore. Come on—tonight we eat roasted lamb. Dinner’s about to start.”

Hearing that his mother had truly resigned, Zhong Di finally felt a stone lift from his chest. Things had been all right before, but ever since his father had fallen and injured his leg while unloading cargo, Zhong Di had begun to worry.

His parents were getting older, and accidents were unavoidable. Once they fell and hurt themselves, or something else went wrong, it would be terribly hard to bear.

Take the factory his mother had worked in, for example. The hours were long, the work repetitive, and vast amounts of waste were being inhaled into the nose. How could the body stay well under such conditions? Now that she had quit, he could finally feel relieved.

“Zhong Di, Mom still has to nag you a little. You have to be careful and save some money! Your father’s been telling me these days about all the things you’ve been eating, and it’s frightening—chicken, meat, always something. That costs a lot, doesn’t it?”

Di Chunhua kept her voice low, and her expression was normal. With so many people around, she could not very well say it loudly.

“All right, I know. I’ve got it in mind. Come on, let’s go. Once the roasted lamb comes out of the oven, we’ll eat.”

Zhong Di did not grow annoyed at his mother’s nagging; he only answered her gently.

After settling his parents down, Zhong Di and Shao Hong went to lift the roasted lamb out.

They had put it in there themselves, so naturally they would be the ones to take it out. Only then would it have that full sense of ceremony, that complete sense of process, that feeling of true perfection.

Zhong Di first lifted away the damp cloth covering it. Before he even opened the lid, a rich, savory aroma of lamb surged out and struck his face.

“My heavens, why is it so fragrant?”

“Is this dragon meat?”

“I can’t even control my saliva with this smell.”

The onlookers had also caught the aroma and began talking all at once.

Zhong Di and Shao Hong were standing right beside it, taking the strongest hit. The big plate of chicken and noodles they had eaten at noon had long since been digested, and their stomachs were empty now.

The fragrance kept spreading. Zhong Di lifted the lid from the earthen kiln, and at that very moment his stomach let out a growl. His stomach acid churned wildly; his mouth filled with saliva, as though it might spill out at any moment.

“Lift!”

Shao Hong’s low voice rang out, and the two of them carried the entire roasted lamb out together.

The whole lamb was a golden yellow, and just looking at it was enough to make anyone marvel.

They quickly set the roasted lamb on the round table. It was large enough to hold the whole thing with room to spare.

The tabletop had been covered with a clean white cloth. On it were several layers of lettuce, along with some cilantro, scallions, and bowls of dipping sauce. Minced bird’s-eye chilies, garlic, and other seasonings had been added to the sauce, giving off a wonderfully fragrant aroma.

Also on the table were bottles of Red Bird Su that Zhong Di had prepared, chilled in cold water. In the dining halls of the northwest, this was an indispensable drink. A ring of white porcelain bowls had been set out as well.

Big mouthfuls of meat, big mouthfuls of liquor—that was the only way to truly feel satisfied.

“Come on, everyone, put on your disposable gloves. Use your hands, don’t be shy.” Zhong Di handed out the gloves one by one.

Perhaps caught up in the mood, even his parents began to relax. The workers, led by his elder sister Zhong Hui, all started tearing into the lamb with their hands.

Woof!

Yu Sheng barked loudly. That aroma was enough to overwhelm a person, let alone a native village dog like him.

“Come, everyone, dig in! The liquor’s on me tonight.”

Zhong Di was the first to raise his bowl, lifting it high. Nearby sat dozens of bottles of Red Bird Su, all of them stockpiled earlier; at the Little Farmstead, this could not be lacking.

“I’ll say a few words first!” Liu Lin said, taking in the scene.

He was in charge of the workers throughout the farmstead. Quality was supervised by Zhong Di’s father, but overall coordination was Liu Lin’s responsibility. His directing skills were solid, and during the orchard repairs he had handled everything very well.

“These past few days, you’ve all seen it and felt it for yourselves: how good Little Boss Zhong Di has been to us. There’s been no shortage of wine or meat, and the pay is probably the highest around here. So what does that mean?”

After speaking, Liu Lin looked around at the others.

“It means we have to give our all. Quality must be checked layer by layer, and absolutely no problems are allowed.”

One of the uncles chimed in and then went on, “Know your own limits when it comes to drinking. We still have work tomorrow. Drinking is fine, but if anyone delays the project, that won’t do.”

“All right, it’s going to get cold. Eat up, don’t be polite.” Zhong Di said again.

Watching everyone dig in, Zhong Di picked up his own share as well.

He took a piece of lettuce, added roasted lamb and cilantro, rolled it up, dipped it in the sauce, stuffed it into his mouth, and bit down.

The tender, juicy meat mingled with the heat of the dipping sauce, while the fresh scent of cilantro and lettuce rose beneath it all. The flavor was simply incredible. From that very first bite, Zhong Di could not stop. Every so often he took a sip of Red Bird Su, and it was pure bliss.

Woof!

Yu Sheng barked again beside Zhong Di, and Zhong Di turned to look at him.

Well now—judging by that little look, he was being tormented by greed.

“Here, eat.”

Zhong Di grabbed a piece of lamb and held it up to Yu Sheng’s mouth.

Woof!

He wouldn’t eat it? Soon, Zhong Di understood what Yu Sheng meant. The dog’s head was clearly nudging toward his other hand.

“You mean, like this?”

Zhong Di asked instinctively.

Yu Sheng nodded his dog head, confirming that Zhong Di had guessed right.

Zhong Di wrapped one up for Yu Sheng as well—lettuce, lamb, cilantro, then dipping sauce. Yu Sheng took one bite and finished it quickly, then even glanced toward the white porcelain bowl.

Seeing that, Zhong Di poured him a bowl of Red Bird Su. Yu Sheng took two sips and put on an expression of pure enjoyment.

Good grief—this dog had truly become a spirit. Quite a few people noticed Yu Sheng, and the lamb in their hands suddenly seemed far less tempting.

“Little Boss Zhong Di, where did you get this dog?”

“Picked him up. Just picked him up.”

“Then you really picked up a fine dog!”