On the dinner table, there was a simple version of a whole fish feast: braised fish head, fish scale jelly, spicy fish intestines, pickled raw fish, and clear soup fish balls.

A single fish head is usually enough to fill half a pot, which is too much for three people to finish, let alone a meal consisting of four dishes and a soup.

Old Ma looked at the table full of delicious food, then turned to Aunt Ma and asked, "Now that we have such good food, we need some good wine to go with it. Shall we have a drink?"

Aunt Ma didn't answer his question, but looked at An Moxue and said, "Moxue, how about we drink some fruit wine?"

“Sure!” An Moxue replied cheerfully.

Old Ma, understanding the unspoken meaning, immediately said, "You two sit on the kang (heated brick bed), I'll go get it."

"Look how enthusiastic you are about drinking. That fruit wine was the one you brought me before you left, and I haven't finished it yet."

"Old woman, it's been so many years since you've prepared such a lavish fish feast. I'm just borrowing your cooking skills, aren't I, Mo Xue?"

"Yes, Auntie, how else do you cook fish? I'd like to try them all sometime."

Old Ma brought out some liquor; his was strong liquor, not much, only two or three ounces. Aunt Ma and An Moxue had fruit wine, each with more than half a cup.

When Aunt Ma talks about what she's good at, she goes on and on, "Mo Xue, let's eat and talk at the same time. There are so many dishes, just fish head alone, there are several kinds, like braised fish head, steamed fish head, sour soup fish head, spicy fish head, I can make more than twenty dishes with this fish."

"Auntie, you're amazing! Uncle Ma, have you tried them all?" An Moxue asked curiously.

"I've eaten most of them, but it was years ago. That's why I'm saying I'm getting this opportunity today!"

An Moxue picked up a fish head with her chopsticks. It had the rich aroma of sauce and the freshness of fish. "Auntie, it's delicious."

Aunt Ma picked up a piece of fish scale jelly for her. It was crystal clear and served with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, aged vinegar and minced garlic. It was smooth, refreshing and bouncy, and very appetizing. An Moxue liked it after just one bite.

An Moxue ate all the dishes except for the raw fish. Old Ma secretly watched and chuckled to himself. It was truly amazing that none of the three of them, grandfather, grandmother, and granddaughter, ate raw fish.

Aunt Ma noticed that she hadn't touched the raw fish and asked, "Mo Xue, why aren't you eating this raw fish?"

"Auntie, can I say that I don't eat raw fish and shrimp?" Mo Xue said somewhat shyly.

"Ah! You don't want to eat it? You should have said so earlier! I would have just ordered a cooked dish instead of sashimi. You silly child, we old folks don't really like this dish either, it's not essential to us," Aunt Ma scolded.

An Moxue chuckled and said, "Auntie, I've never seen this before, so I wanted to broaden my horizons."

"Fine, you're right! Eat more! The two of us can't eat much, and it won't be as fresh as it is when it's reheated for the next meal. Especially the fish head, we have to eat it the first time." Aunt Ma glared at her and took a sip of fruit wine.

"Auntie, Uncle, you should eat too!" An Moxue laughed and took a sip of fish soup, which was so delicious that it made her tongue curl up.

"What's up? Did something good happen?" That's why he's a veteran scout! With his keen observation skills, he immediately saw the key point.

"I've made a fortune, doesn't that count?" An Moxue winked and made Aunt Ma laugh so hard she was shaking.

"Forget it, keep dreaming! You're so outspoken, watch your mouth, saying whatever comes to mind!" Old Ma said, seemingly to make light of the situation, but actually out of concern.

"It's just the three of us, no outsiders here! Can't I even dream about getting rich? Such a big fish, shouldn't I be happy? This is comparable to the first fish caught in the winter, this year must be a good omen."

As she spoke, she picked up a piece of fish intestine and said, "Auntie, this is the first time I've ever eaten fish intestine. I never knew you could eat fish intestine."

"It has to be big fish intestines to eat, small fish intestines are not edible. Just like these fish scales, there's not enough oil, otherwise we could make crispy fish scales, frying the fish scales in oil until they're crunchy, that would be delicious!" Aunt Ma said with some reminiscence.

"Auntie, next time I'll get another big fish. You can cook it however you like, and I'll prepare the seasonings."

"What's wrong? Out of gas!" See, that's why the old couple understand each other so well.

"Yes, for the next few months we'll have to eat boiled vegetables," Aunt Ma said matter-of-factly.

"It's alright, I'll get it for you in town the day after tomorrow. We'll just make do with what we have tomorrow!"

"Uncle, make more, or bring me some oil from my house so we can fry fish scales tomorrow. I want to eat fried fish scales! I've never had them before!" See, Old Ma loves her occasional rascality, just like his second master, who is generous and unpretentious.

"What? You think this one fish is so rare? You want to catch more? You've got some ideas, haven't you? Where in the mountains did you catch this fish?"

"It was a gift from my ancestors." The sentence seemed like a joke, but Old Ma knew what it meant.

Is it dangerous?

"Uncle, don't worry! I know how to make fish bait, it works really well, especially for catching big fish."

"As long as there's no danger, it's fine. If there is, then forget it. Are you getting ready to go to work tomorrow?"

"go."

"Keep an eye on those new educated youths," Old Ma instructed.

"Uncle, these educated youths are quite troublesome, aren't they?"

"A few troublemakers, all good-for-nothings. You'll see when you see them." Old Ma took a small sip of wine and picked up a piece of sashimi with his chopsticks.

The three of them ate until dark before An Moxue went home.

Old Ma sighed, "Mo Xue is still the best."

"Yes, there's good wine and good food. This girl is really amazing, managing to get such a big fish. We only ate the fish head today, you didn't see it, the fish was almost as tall as her."

"That's right, like begets like, this skill is hereditary." Old Ma said with pride.

"I hope those educated youths won't cause her any trouble when she goes to work tomorrow!" Aunt Ma was a little worried.

"Don't worry, these are just small fry, that girl can handle them."

"Do you think those people will... now that this girl is back?"

"It's hard to say, but I think this girl is as shrewd as her ancestors, so we should have faith in her. Look, what did she bring back this time?"

"What? It's still just one nose and two eyes." Aunt Ma was confused.

"Confidence, what does that mean? It means you've become more capable. This fish today is proof of that. A fish this big can't be easy to catch, can it? Don't you think so?"

"Yes, we have to have faith in her."

"Tell me, have you suffered a lot these past six months? Why do I feel like everything tastes especially good since I came back? I don't know how I got through these past six months!" Aunt Ma's eyes were filled with tears, and she was about to cry.

"Don't ask how she's been doing. There are some things we shouldn't know, so we shouldn't ask. Just make sure she's well-fed and nourished while she's at home. That's better than anything else," Uncle Ma comforted her.

"Then you'll have to gather as much food as possible. I'm a skilled cook, but I can't cook without rice! I should have grown up in luxury, but I've started my own household at such a young age." Aunt Ma immediately stopped crying and became full of energy.

"I'll get it done the day after tomorrow, and I'll give you more money."

"Here you go. People! How much suffering they endure or how much happiness they enjoy in their lives cannot be forced."

Go to sleep early!

......