Qing'an's Fish Soup

When Lin Qing'an and Lin Changyu arrived home, they found that the kitchen lights were still on. Lin Ai was waiting at the door with a warm smile on her face. She spoke in a gentle tone.

" Are you back ? I have prepared food for you in the kitchen. Hurry up and wash your face and hands, then come sit down and eat."

" Dad, are you tired today, Big Brother ? " Lin Qingyang, one of the twin brothers, looked over from the kitchen with concern.

" Not much, Yang. Today's fish sales are good. Don't worry about it," Lin Changyu replied with a smile before putting the cart down next to the house.

Lin Qing'an walked over and patted the heads of his two younger brothers.

" Are you two helping mom wash the dishes ? That's great! I can smell the clean dishes."

" Of course, we have to help Mom !" Lin Qingcheng said quickly, smiling proudly.

The whole family laughed softly before Lin Qing'an and her father sat down at the dining table. Lin Ai quickly brought a bowl of rice and side dishes over and placed them in front of them.

" Eat more. You just recovered from an illness. I don't want you to tire yourself out and fall ill again," Lin Ai said as she scooped rice for her husband.

" Don't worry, Madam. I feel very good today. Moreover, the fish sales with my daughter exceeded my expectations," Lin Changyu said as he pushed the money bag towards Lin Ai.

" Try counting how many you have."

Lin Ai picked up the money bag and opened it. Inside, it was full of Yi Ba coins. She began to count them one by one calmly.

" One thousand … two thousand … two thousand eight hundred !" Lin Ai looked up with an excited expression.

" That's two taels and eight hundred, you idiot ! That's the most money we've ever had !"

" Yes." Lin Changyu nodded.

" I never thought we would sell so many fish in one day."

Lin Qing'an smiled widely, "This is just the beginning, Your Majesty. If we have a better plan, I think our future will be much easier."

Early that morning, Lin Qing'an woke up before the first light of day shone through. She walked out to the small kitchen of her thatched-roofed, clay-built house. She used a small wooden bucket to scoop water from a jar in a corner of the kitchen, then poured it into a medium-sized clay pot and set it on fire with the firewood piled nearby.

Lin Qing'an picked up some radishes from the backyard, washed them clean in a wooden bucket, and then used a sharp kitchen knife to cut the radishes into thin slices, so that the soup would be sweet and fragrant. She picked up some old ginger that her mother had kept in a basket, peeled it, and sliced it into thin slices, placing them on a glazed clay plate.

Next was fresh spring onions, which she had removed the yellow leaves before finely slicing. She carefully prepared the herbs, and everything had to be as neat and clean as possible, because Lin Qing'an knew that good food tastes came from carefulness from the very beginning.

The fish caught from the stream the day before was still fresh. Lin Qing'an chose a medium-sized fish with firm flesh. She placed the fish on a wooden chopping board, carefully cut open its belly with a knife to remove its intestines, and then washed the fish clean with water from a jar, scrubbing off the slime on its body until its skin was clear, before cutting off its head to use for boiling soup.

" Fresh fish like this need to be blanched to make the meat firm before boiling," Lin Qing'an said to herself softly.

She poured water into another pot, heated it up, and put the fish in to boil for a while before scooping it up and draining the water. The unpleasant fishy smell was completely eliminated.

When the water in the clay pot started to heat up, Lin Qing'an picked up the sliced ginger and put it in first, followed by the thinly sliced radish, so that its sweet flavor would penetrate the soup. She let the water in the pot simmer to let these herbs release their fragrance.

After that, she carefully put the fish head and fish pieces into the pot, using a wooden spatula to stir gently so as not to bruise the fish meat.

" The soup must be clear and not cloudy, so the taste will be well-rounded." Lin Qing'an thought to herself as she watched the soup pot.

She added a little salt to enhance the flavor, but not too much. She knew that the freshness of the fish would be the key to the flavor of this soup.

When the fish soup was boiled to perfection, Lin Qing'an scooped it into a large clay bowl, sprinkled some chopped spring onions and coriander for some color, and placed the bowl on the dining table. The faint fragrance of radish and ginger filled the air, causing everyone in the house to wake up with their stomachs growling.

" What is this smell ! I'm hungry before I even wash my face!" Lin Qingyang hurriedly ran to the dining table, smelling the soup wafting over.

" Brother Qing'an, did you make something delicious again?! " Lin Qingcheng shouted after her.

Lin Changyu walked in with a smile, "You make fish soup? My daughter is really good."

" Mother, please arrange the dishes. I made fish soup for everyone to eat." Lin Qing'an smiled proudly.

When everyone sat around the table and tasted the fish soup Lin Qing'an made, they all praised its taste. Lin Ai teased her daughter in a playful tone.

" I think I should put down my knife and wash my hands. Your food tastes better than mine."

Lin Qing'an laughed softly.

" No, Mother. I just learned from you."

The family atmosphere was filled with laughter and happiness. Everyone could feel the love and care Lin Qing'an had put into this meal.

After the meal, Lin Qing'an told everyone that she would take the remaining soup to give to the village chief as a thank you for helping the family.

" I'll help you carry it." Lin Changyu walked over with a cloth bag for carrying things.

" Father, you don't have to. I can go by myself," Lin Qing'an quickly replied, but Lin Changyu shook his head.

" You've been cooking all morning. Let Dad help you," he smiled before picking up the soup pot.

Lin Qing'an and Lin Changyu walked along a dirt path that stretched through the green fields. They chose to take a detour around the village to avoid the attention of the villagers, especially the Zhu family who were always looking for an opportunity to cause trouble.

" This soup will definitely please the village chief," Lin Changyu said as he walked over.

" I hope so, Father." Lin Qing'an smiled.

Soon they arrived at the village headman's house, which was located on the edge of the village. The house was made of simple woven bamboo, but had a spacious, clean yard.

" Who's here so early in the morning ?" the village headman asked from inside the house before he walked out.

" Elder, I bring you some fish soup," Lin Qing'an said with a bow.

" Oh ! It's Lin Qing'an! And this is Lin Changyu too. It's rare to see the father and son together." The village chief smiled warmly.

" I would like to repay you for helping us in our difficult times," Lin Qing'an smiled faintly.

" No need to go through so much trouble. You guys already have a lot to do." The village chief chuckled, but he reached out to take the soup bowl from Lin Changyu.

" This is a token of our family, please accept it," Lin Qing'an said firmly.

The village head looked at Lin Qing'an with admiration.

" You are truly a grateful child. Thank you very much. I will have the people in the house prepare the food and we will eat together."

" Senior, you don't have to bother. Just let your family have a taste." Lin Qing'an smiled and bowed her head again.

After the two of them delivered the fish soup, they walked home with a relaxed heart. Along the way, Lin Changyu looked at his daughter with pride in his eyes.

" Qing'an, you are really kind. Our family will continue to get better because of your cleverness."

" It's not me, Father. Everything is our family's cooperation," Lin Qing'an replied, a warm smile plastered on her face.