Chapter 70 The Joy of Eating Fish

These words terrified Li Cuihua, and she lost all interest in grabbing the fish bucket, which resulted in... the husky falling flat on its back, its upper body covered in a stench of fish and shrimp.

"Feng Jingling, are you... alright?"

"Ah Chao, fish, so many fish, hehe!"

He chuckled foolishly as he picked up fish and tossed them into the bucket, completely oblivious to his new clothes.

The flame that had helped him up went out instantly, and the boy took a few steps back in disgust, afraid of being tainted with stupidity.

"Ha, all the fish caught are weighed exactly by weight. I think... the extra 4 jin belong to the Wang family. Humph, you can't even keep a proper account, what kind of manager are you!"

As he spoke, he pulled a large plastic bag from his pocket, gulped down four pounds of fish, poured it all in, forcefully pushed aside the steward blocking his way, and sauntered away.

"What a disaster! How did such a scoundrel end up on Huaimin Street?"

"Xiaxia, I'm sorry you had to go through this. You must accept these few dollars."

"Uncle Liu, the fish weighs exactly 14 jin (7 catties), that's the right weight. A few words from you won't hurt you, so why feel aggrieved? But... you should pay attention to what I just mentioned!"

After saying that, they waved their hands, and the three of them, carrying the plastic buckets, walked away, playfully bickering.

"Director, what is Yun referring to?"

Layoffs mean riots. Even if each person receives a subsidy of 100 yuan, it cannot eliminate the resentment of being forced to leave the job. What's more, people who are older, have a lax attitude, are not careful in their work, etc., and who are inferior to you in every way, have actually managed to keep their jobs.

Once the 100 yuan is gone and a new job can't be found, the neighborhood committee will be in for a lot of work!

"Serving the people is our honor. Forget about all that, getting things sorted out is the priority."

"Yes, the director is right!"

...

Back home, I moved a small stool over and sat in the shade to clean the fish and shrimp.

"Alas, what a pity! Four pounds of fish and shrimp, all of them ended up in that old hag's belly."

"Big brother, do I look like someone who would suffer a loss? What I poured out... was all bad stuff, bitter and fishy, ​​enough to keep her busy!"

"They're all fish, are there any differences between them?"

"Oh, of course there are. Small, jumping fish have little meat, and cleaning them is a real hassle. If you're not careful, you'll tear their innards, and the whole fish will taste bitter. Crucian carp have many bones, so they're only good for soup. If they're dead for a while, they'll smell terrible, and the soup will taste..."

"Little butterfly, you're so clever! That old hag said she'd support you for a year, what's that all about?"

Yunxia didn't intend to hide the fact that she was being fostered. She recounted her fostering experience while eating lobsters.

Sympathy, anger, and heartache filled the boy's heart. "Little Butterfly, I'll back you up from now on. Let's see who dares to bully you again."

"Ha, protecting Yunxia? Is it your turn?"

"Hehe, Ah Chao, let's protect it together, okay?"

"Hmph, um! This one needs to be redone, the scales weren't removed properly."

The carp, about the size of a palm, has a soft belly and tightly packed, shiny scales.

The boy smiled awkwardly, took the carp, and began to work on it diligently.

After two hours of work, the fish and shrimp were all cleaned. Jiang Chao put the entrails, gills, scales and other filth into a bag and threw it into the trash can at the alley entrance.

"Little Butterfly, cats love to eat fish and innards, but not only do you not give them any, you also keep Little Black and Little White tied up. What's the reason for that?"

It was hot. Jiang Chao had just brought out a plate of watermelon when he heard this. He kicked the cat in the butt and said, "Feeding cats fish innards? Are you afraid they'll die faster?"

The boy took the watermelon, looking aggrieved, and said, "I'm quick-witted and eager to learn, and I'm not ashamed to ask questions. How am I supposed to understand if you don't tell me?"

"Big brother, internal organs are where toxins and parasites accumulate. Kittens have weak immune systems. If they eat them... they might lose their appetite and energy, and in severe cases, they might vomit incessantly."

"Goodness, this is serious. An'an, keep a close eye on Little Black and Little White, and don't let them out."

Jiang An, immersed in the joy of petting the cat, shouted loudly, "Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on it!"

After eating watermelon and resting, and estimating that the fish and shrimp were almost marinated, she pulled Jiang Chao into the kitchen and started getting busy.

Mix flour, water, and seasonings into a batter. Once the oil is hot, coat the fish pieces with the batter and fry until golden brown.

"Wow, it smells so good, it's making my stomach rumble."

Two little gluttons were perched at the doorway, their eyes fixed longingly on the golden fish chunks in the large iron basin.

Yunxia shook her head helplessly, picked up a full bowl, and handed it to him, "Take it to the main room to eat, be careful of fish bones, and feed some to the cat too."

"Okay!"

"Jiang Chao, would you like to try a piece?"

"Ugh, sitting right next to the stove, it's so hot, I have no appetite for fish!"

"Hiss, nonsense. My eyes were practically glued to it. I shoved it into his hand, glared at him, and pretended to be angry, saying, 'Hey, you stinky Jiang Chao, not eating this is disrespecting me.'"

The boy snorted and added a handful of firewood to the stove before taking small bites of the fish.

Catching a glimpse of his subtle movements out of the corner of her eye, Yun Xia's lips curled up slightly before she turned back to continue her work.

After frying the fish, my clothes were soaked with sweat and stuck to my skin, which was extremely uncomfortable.

"Yunxia, ​​go take a shower first, I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay, the oil's hot, don't move it yet!"

"Um!"

In summer, bathwater relies entirely on the sun to warm it!

Yunxia scooped up a bucket of water, carried it inside, washed herself, and then added another bucket. Soon, the water was warm from the sun. Jiang Chao took over, scooped up a bucket, and carried it back inside to bathe.

After finishing my work, it was already 2 p.m. I didn't have the energy to make lunch, so I picked up a big plate of fish and squatted on the steps to eat it.

The outer skin is crispy and juicy, while the fish meat is tender and smooth. It leaves a lingering fragrance after chewing slowly.

"Phew, my fish-frying skills are really great!"

"Ha! Like Wang Po selling melons, praising her own wares!"

"It's not good. Give me your plate."

"No!"

As he spoke, he took a big bite of the fish skin and hugged the plate tightly to his chest.

Yunxia: Never mind, never mind, he must be hungry by now after working so hard!

Soon the plate was empty. The little girl yawned, handed the plate to Jiang Chao, and went back to her room for a nap.

When I woke up, I heard some noise in the yard, so I quickly got out of bed to check.

"Feng Jingling, what are you... doing?"

"Awake! Look, there's strength in numbers!"

Four shirtless men stood beside the tree, deftly picking apricots, filling four large baskets to the brim.

"Little butterflies, let's make them all into canned goods, hehe!"

Upon hearing this, Yunxia sighed deeply, "Big brother, there's too much, I... can't finish it all by myself."

“If you can’t reason with him, just beat him up!” Jiang Chao said quietly, leaning against a pillar.

Four shirtless men turned their heads at the same time, staring at the boy with hostility.

"No, Ah Chao, Little Butterfly, give me some face in front of outsiders."

"Respect is earned, not left by others, ha!" The boy snorted and turned to go inside.

Before long, all the yellow apricots were picked. Looking at the yellow apricots in the basket, Yunxia was at a loss.

His brain raced, and finally, he sighed and said, "There's so much, we can't possibly eat it all ourselves. Bai Ye, Gu Xun, and Director Liu, each send a basketful over."

"Alright, Little Butterfly, you've had a long day. You can leave the apricot delivery to them."

After giving the address, the four burly men carried Huang Xing away!