Chapter 6 Fish Soup_1

Just at this moment, Liuliu walked in with a roe deer, and Xiaoquan, carrying some fish, followed her into the mud-brick house.

"Dad, Mom, let's cook this roe deer for tonight. We shouldn't eat the bran anymore. Who could stomach it?" As soon as Xiaoquan entered, he saw the glimmering bran cakes on the dining table and immediately showed his disgust.

"Where did you get all these fish from?" The old woman was astonished to see the quantity of fish her son had brought. It was not surprising that the debtor had a roe deer - there could be some on the mountain sometimes. But fish were rare, particularly in winter. It was a luxury even for wealthy households. When they were prosperous, they could afford fish every month. After marrying this unluckly daughter-in-law, they were so destitute that they didn't even have enough food to eat, let alone fish.

"My sister-in-law and I caught them in a ditch. Mom, we're starving. Let's cook this deer first. No need for that bran."

Seeing her mother-in-law glare at Xiaoquan, Liuliu came over to take the roe deer she had killed. After handing it over, she was hoping for some fish soup. Freshly cooked fish soup was both fresh and delicious. She wouldn't shortchange herself.

Xiaoquan frowned when he saw the sister-in-law preparing to cook the fish. "Sister-in-law, we're going to sell this fish tomorrow. We can make a profit at the gambling house!"

"What's wrong with me wanting to eat it? Without me, where would you get the fish?" Liuliu retorted fiercely. Trying to talk nicely didn't seem to work. They had already discussed making fish soup for dinner on the way home, but he was reluctant and now he's still the same. Was he asking for a beating? She shot him a fierce glare.

Xiaoquan got colder under her glare. He was afraid when the sister-in-law was angry. Fine, he would keep his peace. Liuliu took four crucian carps ready to make soup. Xiaoquan wasn't included and who asked him to only think about gambling? Tomorrow she would accompany him to sell fish. She would use the money to buy rice and other necessities. They couldn't continue eating bran, could they? That was something she could not stomach. Wild vegetables didn't taste good either. It couldn't compare to stir-fried wild vegetables in a restaurant in her previous life, which were wonderfully fragrant. They were simply incomparable.

Liuliu didn't realize that wild vegetables required a lot of oil to cook. A dish of wild vegetables without oil tasted tough. Moreover, modern people were used to eating oil. Of course, they would find wild vegetables refreshing.

"Sister-in-law, there are five of us, and you're only cooking four fish?" Standing by his sister-in-law, washing the fish, Xiaoquan asked.

"You're not included. Didn't you say you're reserving it for sale?" Liuliu retorted impatiently.

"Sister-in-law, since you're going to cook it, why wouldn't I eat it? Fetch another one! One for each! Catching the fish myself and not eating it would be a loss." While talking, Xiaoquan grabbed another crucian carp and tossed it to the sister-in-law.

Liuliu gave him a stern glance. Look at him, wasn't he just greedy?

"Mom, do we have any oil at home?" Liuliu seemed to remember the old woman saying that they didn't have any oil.

"We don't," the old woman answered softly. She dared not say that the remaining bit of oil was used to make bran cakes. Otherwise, the bran could not even be swallowed.

"Xiaoquan, you go boil a pot of water!" Liuliu ordered directly.

"Mom, you go boil the water, I'll roast the deer meat." Yang Xiaoquan knew his mom's game dishes didn't taste good. The game dishes made by his eldest brother were the best in the house. His sister-in-law's food didn't compare to those of his third sister's cooking. Even his second sister's dishes didn't taste as good as the third sister's. If he wanted to enjoy his meal, it was better to roast the deer himself. If he let his mom cook it, there might be an earthy and fishy taste.

Looking at the old woman, Liuliu felt she was pitiful. She had such a fierce daughter-in-law who totally spoiled her fourth son and brought trouble to her eldest son. She sensed that the elderly woman was wary of her. Well, maybe this was good. She could do whatever she wanted in the future. There were advantages in it! She was in no hurry to show her respect to the old woman.

When the meal was ready, the younger brother, Yang Xiaowen, refused to eat. He insisted on eating bran even when his mother prepared a bowl of fish soup for him.

"Hey, you don't eat fish?" Liuliu couldn't stand it. The kid was so skinny that it was clear to see he was malnourished. Yet, he was so stubborn that he refused to eat the fish she caught. He really seemed to bear a grudge against her!

"You're the one who can't eat fish! Our family used to eat fish frequently." The child disdainfully looked at his sister-in-law. If it hadn't been for you, would our family be in such a state? Would my fourth brother be like this?

"This fish soup is really delicious! I heard it's good for the brain! I'll eat one on your behalf. When your eldest brother comes back, tell him to pay me back!" Liuliu guessed the kid still wanted to eat. His mouth was tightly shut, probably resisting the allure of the fish soup.

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaowen thought it was reasonable. When his big brother came back, there would be everything. Then he would be able to pay her back. He didn't owe her anything! He swallowed his saliva, slowly reached out his hand, took the fish soup, and started eating.

The fish soup made by Liuliu was actually quite good. It was made without any oil or MSG, just boiled fish and a bit of salt. The taste was quite fragrant. Of course, this was after having eaten a wild vegetable pancake that it felt very delicious. As Liuliu was eating, she thought if she had scallions and ginger, it would taste even better.

Yang Xiaoquan thought the fish soup made by his sister-in-law was delicious. He quickly finished it, then started eating the roasted deer meat he had prepared. Comparatively, the roe deer was slightly bigger than the bunny they caught earlier. Each person had a share. This time, his little brother, Yang Xiaowen, didn't hesitate and ate happily. He felt okay knowing that when his big brother came back, he would pay her back.

The old woman and old man didn't say much. They neither praised Xiaoquan nor scolded him further. Liuliu got some peace. But she noticed the old man didn't seem to have gotten up from his seat even once. Could it be there was something wrong with his legs?

After finishing her meal, Liuliu stood up. She didn't intend to wash the dishes or anything. She didn't even know how people in ancient times washed dishes or what they used. She wasn't daring enough to randomly do it herself. Moreover, a fierce daughter-in-law like her shouldn't be washing dishes, right? She needed to maintain her imposing image.

In the dimly lit kitchen, the old woman cleaned up the pots and dishes by herself. The old man remained seated by the dining table, unmoving. Xiaowen respectfully poured a glass of boiled water for his father, then took out his book and started reading under the dim kerosene lamp.

Liuliu saw the old woman using a gourd spoon to scoop water and then a straw brush to scrub the dishes. It gave Liuliu goosebumps watching it. Was this how they washed dishes in ancient times? It was too hard! She must improve this if conditions allowed!

Seeing Xiaowen reading under the dim light, Liuliu couldn't stand it again. He was not taking care of his eyesight, which could lead to shortsightedness. In this impoverished ancient times, there weren't even glasses for shortsightedness.

"You can't read like this, you'll damage your eyes!" Liuliu couldn't help commenting.

"None of your business!" Yang Xiaowen flared up. If it hadn't been for her, their family wouldn't have ended up impoverished and he wouldn't have had to quit school. Now he couldn't hear Master's teachings and could only study by himself.

"How can't I interfere? Listen to me, in a quarter of an hour, I'll come and take the kerosene lamp. You better be done by then." Initially, Liuliu wanted to take the kerosene lamp away instantly. But thinking that they would need the dim lamp to help them wash up and get to bed, she only gave him fifteen minutes.