Iron Bull Legend

Heizi went back happily, and Tieniu lay alone on the warm earthen kang, feeling the warmth under his body and the warmth of home.

He closed his eyes and thought. Even the occasional sound of firecrackers outside did not pull him out of his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. So, he looked at the time and saw that it was already past two in the morning. He put on his clothes, walked out of his room and went to the kitchen.

He pulled yellow sheep out from the ring space, slaughtered eleven of them, put water in several large iron pots, lit the firewood in the stove, and started cooking.

"Tie Niu, are you stewing mutton again?" Heizi ran into the kitchen without making any sound, looking like a child who had eaten something delicious again.

"Why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing here?" Tie Niu looked at Heizi who was laughing happily, and didn't understand why he didn't sleep.

"I just kept thinking about it and couldn't fall asleep, so I thought about talking to you again, but you weren't in the room. I saw the light in the kitchen was on, so I came over."

"Okay, help me deal with the offal. Later, stew a pot of offal in this big pot. The old man likes to drink offal soup," Tie Niu ordered while adding firewood into the stove.

"Okay, I'm good at these." Heizi rolled up his sleeves swiftly and began to work, doing his work so carefully and seriously.

It was not until this time that Tie Niu realized that, although Heizi looked silly, he actually had his own little thoughts. To say that he was silly was a big mistake. He knew who treated her well and who was the one he could truly trust.

Although the little girl Xiao An'an often asked him to do this and that, that was just a way for the two of them to interact. Heizi loved the little girl and was helping her with good intentions.

"Heizi, do you have someone you like? Tell me so that I and your aunt can go to find you a matchmaker." Tie Niu suddenly thought that the reason Heizi came to him must be that he had an idea or someone he liked.

"Well...well...the girl of the tailor at the corner of the street, I just don't know what she thinks. I dare not tell her, for fear that she will reject me, and it will be so embarrassing for a grown man like me."

"You know, if you like someone, you should say it out loud, otherwise you will regret it for the rest of your life. If he likes you too, and you don't say it and he doesn't say it either, if one day he gets married to someone else, don't you think you will regret it?"

"Hmm... Yeah."

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to tell me or not? If you don't tell me, you two will miss out on a good marriage. Tell me yourself, isn't it a pity?"

"I'm afraid she doesn't like me because... I look..."

"Okay, I'll tell my aunt about this tomorrow morning. I was originally thinking of introducing you to a Japanese chick, but it seems that this won't be necessary."

"I can fight against the Japanese, but you Japanese women, I can't do it, so you better stop talking."

"Haha, you still have such a strong sense of family and country. You are worthy of being my Tie Niu's good brother. It's settled. Auntie will definitely help you fulfill your wish."

Tie Niu originally wanted to introduce Mei Ye to Heizi, so that Mei Ye could work for him peacefully and dig out those rats hiding in the darkness one by one. He didn't expect that Heizi still had his own feelings. This was also a good thing, as he had gained another great general.

The two men busily cleaned the drain, put it into a big pot and started stewing it. Then they walked out of the kitchen, picked up the tools, and started cleaning in the heavy snow.

A night of heavy snow blocked the roads in the front and back yards. If they were not cleared, it would be difficult to go out on New Year's Day. Although, as people from the Northeast, we are used to this, it is still inconvenient and we must clear a passage.

Although it is only a little past four o'clock, the dawn is already visible in the sky, and many families who got up early and opened their doors have already lit firecrackers, and the sound of firecrackers can be heard one after another.

There is a great significance in opening the door on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Whoever can open the door first will have a good harvest and great wealth in the new year. This is also a custom and tradition that has been passed down in China for thousands of years.

The old beggar yawned, stretched his old waist and walked out of the gatehouse, the position he had guarded for more than ten years. No matter it was windy or rainy, he would guard this strong fortress regardless of weather conditions.

This is the persistence and perseverance of their generation. He helped Tie Niu protect the safety of this family. When he saw Tie Niu and Heizi for the first time, he showed a mouthful of big yellow teeth.

"You little rascal, kowtow to me and wish me a happy new year so that I can give you a red envelope." The old man had a smug look on his face, looking at Tie Niu who was constantly exhaling white air, waiting for his next move.

"Okay, just keep that little bit of money for your coffin for yourself. I have so much money that I can't spend it all." Tie Niu laughed and argued with the old man.

"Huh? You are stewing mutton again? Where did the mutton come from?" The old man twitched his nose at this time, and the aroma of stewed mutton wafting from the kitchen drifted into his nasal cavity.

"Haha, I went out to get a taxi last night. Now you are in for a treat. It's a pity that there are no wild onions as a condiment. It's such a pity."

"Who said that? There is nothing to regret here with your old grandpa. Do you know that I knew you might stew mutton and drink mutton soup for me, so I planted the roots of wild onions in the greenhouse behind. Haha, you made a mistake."

"What? You actually planted wild onions in a greenhouse? Don't they need to hibernate in the winter?"

"You don't know, kid? I've already made preparations. Just go ahead and I'll go get some now. Do you know that old Loran also likes this? She dug it up with me and is waiting to eat it in the winter."

The old beggar laughed in a filthy way. He had no dignity like a leader of the Beggars' Sect. He was like a child who stole food but still had grease in his mouth.

When Tie Niu and Heizi cleared all the passages in the courtyard and cleaned it thoroughly, Mrs. Jin yawned and walked out of the room, still exhausted.

"Little Tieniu, you've stolen my limelight again. Are you going to make me unemployed in the future?" Aunt Jin looked at Tieniu and joked, her eyes filled with infinite love.

"Aunt, I couldn't sleep either, and I had nothing to do, so I thought of giving everyone some nourishment in the winter, so that everyone could eat something different, and I just made it."

"Huh? Stewed mutton? When did you catch the goat? You didn't sleep all night, did you?" It was only at this time that Aunt Jin smelled the unique meaty smell of stewed mutton.

"It's okay. I'm in good health, so I went out for a walk in the dark. I was so lucky that I came across a nest of them and caught them all. I only cooked a part of them today, and the rest can be used for a few meals." Tie Niu didn't care whether his secret would be leaked or not, but he regretted it after he finished speaking. The next step was to deal with the follow-up aftermath.

"You kid, you start to mess with those little animals as soon as you come back. Okay, never mind. If you don't have steamed buns, just heat up the sticky rice dumplings."

"Auntie, these big pots are all occupied. Pour them out and heat up the sticky tofu dumplings later." Tie Niu said as he opened the lid of the pot swiftly and tested the stewed mutton with chopsticks. The heat was just right and it was ready to be served. It was just right to use the pot to heat up the sticky tofu dumplings.

The two men began to get busy, taking out the mutton and tearing it into pieces. When everyone got up later, they would blanch it in the boiling cauldron with hot mutton soup. Also, the sheep offal and Tie Niu were taken out and cooled a little so that they could be cut into small pieces.

"Tie Niu, it's your aunt's sixth day of the New Year, you should be at home, right?" Aunt Jin was busy asking Tie Niu about his work arrangements.

"Normally there should be no problem, but I'm afraid something unexpected will happen. I came back this year to be on a mission, and I have to report there today. The staff there spent the New Year at work, and they didn't have the chance to go home and be with their families."

"Alas, you officials, you say that the old donkeys and old horses are all looking forward to the New Year, why are you so stingy, don't you want to let people live?" Aunt Jin said dissatisfiedly.

"Alas, there is nothing I can do about it. National affairs are always big matters, and our family affairs are always small matters. We really cannot take care of both. However, I will definitely attend my aunt's wedding. My aunt told me about this in Yangcheng. Now, is there anything missing? Is there anything you haven't prepared?" Tie Niu waited quietly for his aunt's reply.

"Everything has been taken care of, and nothing is missing, except that your aunt must have you attend the wedding. I don't know why that girl is so stubborn. She has already declined several times, and the Ma family has resentment. Fortunately, your uncle-in-law spoils your aunt."

"Haha, as long as they