Chapter 39 Loach and Taro Stew

After getting off the donkey cart, the three members of the Lin family still had to walk for a little over fifteen minutes to reach Linjia Village.

“It’s harvest season now, they must have gone to the fields, and it’s probably just your maternal grandmother at home.”

As they walked, Lin said, "Jiaxing, once you're in the yard, grab your tools and head to the fields to help with the work. Let's go to the Lin family first, then we'll visit Chun."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely make your aunt happy." Qiao Jiaxing knew that the key to borrowing money lay with his aunt. His maternal grandparents were easy to talk to, but his aunt was simply not very happy.

Lin sighed and headed home after entering the village.

The road was almost deserted. Upon arriving at the Lin family home, Lin saw the elderly woman with graying hair under the courtyard wall. Her throat tightened, and she cried out, "Mother!"

"Oh, it's Guilan! Why did you suddenly come back?" Madam He was feeding her great-granddaughter sweet potatoes. The whole family had gone to the fields, leaving her at home to take care of her great-granddaughter and cook. "Didn't we agree to come back after Wangchun gave birth?"

"I missed you." Madam Lin put down the casserole, went into the familiar kitchen, took out a bowl and served braised pork. "This was made by Mianmian. She's very capable now. The family's food stall depends on her. Here, have a taste."

She fed him a piece of braised pork, saying, "Isn't it tender and flavorful? It's delicious!"

Mrs. He was old and had lost her front teeth, so she thought the meat would be tough, but it melted in her mouth.

Her great-granddaughter in her arms saw it and wanted to eat it too, so she fed her a piece. "Why did you spend so much money to bring so much meat back? Your family is struggling financially, but we can afford to eat meat."

“Grandmother, my mother said she misses you very much. Whenever there’s something good to eat at home, she thinks of you and Grandfather.” Qiao Jiaxing was sweet-talking and the best at talking. He went inside and found some tools. “I’m going to find my cousins ​​to do some work. You two chat.”

"You don't need to go!"

Mrs. He stood up anxiously, "I've come all this way, how can I let you do the work!"

Lin pulled her mother back, "Let him go. He gets along well with Baoshan and the others. Otherwise, he'd have nothing to do at home."

Lin Xiahe also helped wash the clothes in the yard, which made He Shi pause for a moment. She quickly realized something was wrong. "Gui Lan, has something happened to your family?" Otherwise, why would the two children start working as soon as they got home?

Madam Lin pursed her lips and helped wash the clothes in the basin. "It's not a bad thing. I'll tell you all at once when my elder brother and the others come back. I've finished washing the clothes for you. I'm going to go see Wangchun first."

"You brat, why are you hesitating? Can't you tell me what's going on first?" Madam He stopped her daughter, her brows furrowing slightly when she learned it was about buying a house. "Jinshan just got married not long ago, so your older brother probably doesn't have much money. I have some money, so take it directly and don't tell your sister-in-law and the others."

“No, that won’t do. If you give it to me secretly, my sister-in-law will definitely be unhappy if she finds out. We have to be open about it and consider her feelings. You go back now, I’m going to visit Chun.” When Lin left the house, her palms were sweaty, but she could only speak her mind to her mother. “Also, don’t tell me about my second brother yet. You know his family situation. You can send the braised pork over after I leave.”

Mrs. He sighed as she watched her daughter's retreating figure.

She had two sons and two daughters. Her third daughter died at the age of one, leaving her with only three children. Her eldest and second sons were ordinary farmers. The elderly couple lived with their eldest son, while their second son's family was poorer because his wife was in poor health and often needed to take medicine.

She loved all three children. Her youngest daughter, in particular, had a very difficult time; when she was sent home after being divorced, she almost couldn't survive.

Mrs. He felt bitter, but then she thought that buying a house was a good thing, and she thought that she had to raise enough money for her daughter no matter what.

She went to the vegetable garden to find her husband, and the two of them, carrying eggs, went to visit other relatives.

Most people in Linjia Village are surnamed Lin, and relatives from the same clan all live here, so if anything happens, everyone can help each other out.

Lin Wangchun's husband's family were among the few outsiders in Linjia Village. The Li family had fled famine and Li Changshun had married a girl from Linjia Village, so they settled down there.

However, the Li family had no land, so they became hunters.

The Li family lived on a hillside north of the village. When the Lin family arrived, only Lin Wangchun and his wife were at home.

"mother!"

Lin Wangchun stood up with a look of surprise, using the wooden chair for support. "Why are you here?"

She was far pregnant, one hand supporting her lower back, her face somewhat swollen.

"The family's food business is doing well, and Xia He misses you a lot, so I brought her to see you." Madam Lin walked around the house and learned that her father-in-law had taken the two children to chop firewood. She went into the kitchen to get busy, but she didn't stop talking. "Keep the business going, you can all eat this meat together. Save the eggs for when Wang Chun is born, and cook them with brown sugar for her."

Li Shouye reached out to take the eggs, but Lin Shi didn't need his help and put them directly into the cupboard. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say to his mother-in-law who was already working.

Lin Xiahe was talking to her sister in the yard, touching her sister's protruding belly, "Hey, it really moves."

"Yes." Lin Wangchun was usually a man of few words, with a soft voice. He only spoke more in front of his younger sister. "Xia He, has Mother arranged a marriage for you?"

“They’ve talked about it, but nothing’s been decided yet.” Lin Xiahe didn’t want her sister to worry. “Don’t worry about me. I’m helping the family make braised meat now. I have my own skills and I can do needlework. I’ll find a good family eventually.”

"On the contrary, you need to take good care of yourself. The Li family is all men. Do you really need to do the laundry and cooking every day?"

Lin Wangchun shook her head and said no, "Your brother-in-law said it's inconvenient for me, so he told my two younger brothers to wash themselves. They washed themselves before I married into the family. My grandmother often brings me food and sometimes helps with the cooking. Besides, I'm not that delicate, and cooking isn't tiring for me."

She spoke slowly, but having not seen her younger sister for a long time, she had a lot to say. Holding her sister's hand, she whispered, "Our Xiahe is growing more and more beautiful."

"Sister, I miss you so much." Lin Xiahe leaned on her third sister's arm. When Lin Shi came out, she saw this and patted her on the shoulder. "Your third sister is pregnant, and you're still sitting next to her. Help me take apart their bedding and wash it all while the sun is shining today."

Lin Wangchun said no need.

“What do you mean you don’t need to? I smelled sourness as soon as I walked in. With a whole family of men, and you being pregnant, you must not have washed in a long time.” Madam Lin wouldn’t talk about her troubles with her third daughter; she only thought about chores. Last time she came, she only cleaned the yard and kitchen; this time, she had to tidy up the house as well.

Lin quickly dismantled the bedding, then, carrying a wooden bucket, instructed her son-in-law, "Take the cotton out to air it, and pat it with a stick to keep it warm."

If it weren't for wanting to make her daughter more comfortable, no mother-in-law would go to her son-in-law's house to do chores. As soon as Lin arrived at the river, she began to wash the bedding.

When she returned, it was already noon. She helped clean and wash the house, and while her son-in-law was not around, Lin took out a piece of silver from her bosom and stuffed it into her daughter's hand like a thief.

"Don't talk, just keep what's given to you." Madam Lin pressed her daughter's hand. "It's not much, just three taels of silver. Tell Shouye to get two pieces of cloth and make a small quilt for the child. Oh dear, why are you crying? I'm not one to cry, how did I end up with such a crybaby?"

“Mother, you are so kind.” Lin Wangchun said that she had money. “In the autumn, Shouye and Father-in-law caught two wild boars. We have been eating well and dressing warmly lately. I can’t take your money.”

If the Qiao family found out, they might worry, and she didn't want to see her mother in a difficult position.

"What do you mean 'mine' and 'your'? I'm your mother. What have I worked so hard for? Isn't it all so that you children can have a better life?" Lin glared at her daughter. "Stop crying. You're going to be a mother yourself. Take the money. Didn't I tell you the family business is doing well?"

If it weren't for the need to buy a house, she would have given an extra two taels of silver, but the family was in dire straits, so this was all she could give. She knew her son-in-law's situation well; a half-grown boy could eat his father out of house and home, not to mention that Li Shouye had two younger brothers.

Seeing her son-in-law return with water, Madam Lin stood up and said, "It's getting late, we have to go back. After you give birth, have Xia He come and take care of you during your postpartum period. If you need anything, go to your maternal grandparents. Don't keep it bottled up, understand?"

Lin Wangchun nodded. She wanted to see him to the door, but Lin Shi pressed her shoulder down.

"Shouye, can you see me off?" Madam Lin led her son-in-law to the door and earnestly instructed him, "Shouye, Wangchun is heavily pregnant, so please take good care of her these days. Childbirth is like a woman stepping into the gates of hell. Don't go into the mountains these days. Money can never be earned enough; you have to stay by Wangchun's side, understand?"

Her son-in-law was honest and kind, which was what attracted her to him in the first place. After they got married, he had nothing to say to his daughter.

Li Shouye nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, that's what my father said too. These days when they go into the mountains, they don't take me with them."

"After the baby is born, you'll have time to work. Don't bother seeing me off, I'm going home now." Lin was reluctant to part with her daughter, but she had no choice. Every day she delayed meant one less day of income, and the family urgently needed money.

When she returned to the Lin family home and saw her elder brother and sister-in-law there, Lin Shi silently took a deep breath and put on her most affectionate smile. "Elder brother, sister-in-law, have you eaten the braised pork? Where are Baoshan and the others?"

“They’re always busy in the fields, they’re just born poor. They come back for a drink of water and then go back to the fields.” Madam Zeng said sternly. “Guilan, don’t blame us for not remembering our past kindness. Last time your family bought a house, your elder brother and I gave it to you right away. This time we really don’t have the money. Jinshan just got married last year, and your elder brother and I still owe money to people.”

That's the truth. What's really upsetting is that the two elderly people were willing to lend money to Lin Guilan when she asked for it. If they borrowed it in their own names, wouldn't that create a famine for her family?

Knowing that her sister-in-law was about to say something, Lin could only continue smiling and say, "Sister-in-law, I know you all have it tough, but I can give you interest."

"Don't say that! If word gets out, people will gossip about me." Madam Zeng kicked Lin Yongnian beside her. "Say something! Don't you know whether our family is rich or poor?"

Lin Yongnian was speechless. He wanted to help his sister, but he truly had no money. "Guilan, I..."

“I know, brother. Everyone has their difficulties. Don’t be embarrassed.” Seeing her brother’s troubled expression, Lin knew that he was really short of money. “It’s getting late. Let’s go back first. I’ll come back after Wang Chunsheng is born.”

As she spoke, she turned to look for someone, "Big brother, where are Mom and Dad?"

Lin Yongnian pursed his lips and remained silent. Zeng snorted, "You are the apple of your parents' eye. Knowing you were short of money, they went door to door to borrow money for you. When Jinshan got married, they refused to ask for any."

"Why are you bringing this up?" Lin Yongnian frowned. "Didn't your parents give you money for the wedding in Jinshan?"

When Lin Jinshan got married, the He couple gave him money. As for why they didn't borrow money, it was Zeng's family who lent him the money on their own initiative, so there was no need to borrow any more.

Moreover, the nature of the loan is different. If it's a loan for the eldest son's family, the elderly couple will most likely have to repay it with their savings for their funerals. After all, they live with their eldest son, and there are many things that are difficult to clarify.

They borrowed the money on behalf of their youngest daughter, knowing she would definitely repay it. The elderly couple weren't that biased; although they were the ones who initiated the loan, it was in their youngest daughter's name. Their own money was a separate matter.

Zeng turned her head away and remained silent.

Lin felt a pang of pain in her heart. Her father was sixty-seven years old, and at such an advanced age, he still had to swallow his pride and borrow money for her sake. Her eyes gradually welled up with tears.

She had just said that Wangchun was prone to crying, but now she herself was almost unable to hold back.

At this moment, Madam He returned, covered in sweat. In front of her eldest son and daughter-in-law, she took out the silver and IOUs. "Don't say that I'm biased. The IOUs are all in Guilan's name, and there are some without IOUs. All in all, it's a total of twenty-three taels of silver."

As she spoke, she took out her own money and gave her daughter forty taels of silver. "This is my money for my coffin, and it's also a loan," she said, looking specifically at her eldest daughter-in-law.

Hearing that the IOU was signed with Lin's name, Zeng felt a little better. "Mother, why are you looking at me like that? I didn't stop you from lending me the money." Her sister-in-law was usually quite trustworthy when it came to repaying loans, but this time she really didn't have the money.

"I had to let you know, otherwise you'll talk about me behind my back again." Madam He said this intentionally, then turned to look at the door and muttered, "That old man, I told him not to go, but he insisted on going, and he's still not back at this hour!"

Lin asked what was wrong.

Mrs. He snorted, "Knowing you were coming back, he specially went to pick hazelnuts, wanting you to take them back to eat. He said that these were your favorite food when you were little, and it just so happens to be hazelnut season now. I already told him that you would be back soon, and I would give them to him then, but he wouldn't listen."

"You should go back first. I'll save it for you. You can come and get it next time."

Since entering the house, Lin hadn't even seen her father yet, but hearing about all that her parents had done for her made her feel uneasy. "Mother, I..."

"Alright, aren't you in a hurry to get back and earn money? If you don't leave now, you'll really have to stay another day, and there's not much rice left at home," He Shi said deliberately. Zeng Shi's face flushed. She could tell that her mother-in-law was saying she was stingy. But how could she be stingy? They had to count every penny they had; they weren't a wealthy family.

Lin had no choice but to say goodbye to her family and return home with her two children. She felt empty inside because she didn't see her father.

The three of them walked out of the village, intending to look for a donkey cart as they went. Just as they reached the main road, they heard a warm call of "Gui Lan".

They turned around to look, and saw a person running down from halfway up the mountain. Lin quickly said, "Father, slow down!"

"Hehe, it's alright. Your dad's hair may be white, but I'm still strong. I knew you'd be in a hurry to get back, so I didn't dare go home and came straight to the village entrance to find you." Lin Rong put down his basket. "I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time, so I packed some back with the shells on. Be careful when you take them back, so you don't prick your hands."

"Dad, I'm not a seven or eight-year-old child anymore, why are you doing this?" Lin muttered.

Lin Rong poured hazelnuts for Qiao Jiaxing, saying, "In your father's eyes, no matter how old you are, you're still my daughter. I don't have any other skills, so I can only get you some snacks. As for the money, don't blame your older brother. He went to the Zeng family to pay back the money a couple of months ago. He's not having an easy time either. It's not that I won't lend money. Your sister-in-law is a talkative person, but if she really has money, she will lend it to you."

Fearing that the two children might feel resentful, he added a few more words, "Alright, go back now. Don't bring meat next time; keep it for your own family to sell."

Lin pursed her lips and murmured an "Mmm," unable to speak, afraid that if she opened her mouth, tears would fall.

Lin Rong urged, "Hurry up, if we don't have a donkey cart, we won't get there until dark."

It's not safe after dark; if the city gates close, we'll have to pay to stay at the inn.

Fearing they wouldn't be able to return to the city before dark, Lin took her two children and bid farewell to her father before setting off.

After her maternal grandfather could no longer be seen, Lin Xiahe sighed, "Grandpa's white hair seems to have increased even more." The last time she came to Linjia Village was when her third sister got married last year. In just one year, the two old people seemed to have aged a lot.

Thinking of her father's slightly hunched back, Lin felt a pang of sadness. The family had walked two steps when a figure suddenly darted out from the bushes ahead. Upon closer inspection, Lin realized it was her second brother.

Lin Yongquan walked over angrily, his face dark. "You don't even care about me, your second brother, anymore, do you?"

"Second brother, I..."

"I may not have much to offer, but you're really looking down on me." Lin Yongquan was dark-skinned and thin, his brows furrowed tightly as he handed Lin a money pouch. "If it weren't for the neighbor saying your parents would help you borrow money, I wouldn't even know you were back. Don't think it's too little; I'm your brother, no matter how poor we are, I'm still your brother! Understand?"

Lin couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face. "I...I can't accept it."

Her second sister-in-law was in poor health, and the family was always in need of money. Her second brother farmed during the busy season and worked odd jobs or chopped firewood to sell during the off-season; he was never idle throughout the year. She knew her second brother's family situation very well, which was why she specifically told her parents not to tell her second brother.

"Why can't I take it? My money is hard-earned, clean money, why can't I take it?" Lin Yongquan shouted, one hand on his hip. "You're getting more and more insensible as you get older. I'm your own brother. If you're in trouble, you should at least tell me. Or do you think I'm poor and don't want me as your brother?"

Lin: "I didn't!"

"If you don't have it, just keep it. You made me travel so far, and I still have a lot of things to do at home. Hurry up on the road, don't be late!" Lin Yongquan waved his hand and disappeared into the bushes, taking the shortcut to get there faster.

A cool breeze blew by. Lin took a deep breath, wiped her nose, opened her purse and saw some loose silver and copper coins, estimating it to be about seven taels of silver. Tears started falling uncontrollably again.

Seven taels of silver wasn't much, but Lin knew it represented most of her second brother's savings.

Lin Xiahe and Qiao Jiaxing dared not speak. After Lin wiped away her tears and said she was going home, they silently followed behind her.

Meanwhile, Qiao Mianmian in the city hadn't closed her stall yet. Luo Da arrived late today, saying that his son, who didn't like taking medicine, loved the medicinal dishes made by Qiao Mianmian, and Madam Luo wanted Qiao Mianmian to make some more.

“Okay, once I’ve finished making it, I’ll have my older brother deliver it to the Luo family,” Qiao Mianmian said. “If you have any medicinal herbs, you can use them, so I don’t have to go and buy them.”

"Sure, I'll go back and get a ginseng root." Luo Da noticed that Qiao Mianmian had added a few more dishes to her menu and asked curiously, "Your business must be doing very well, these dishes are all new."

Qiao Mianmian said it was alright, "The main thing is to earn more money. My family needs money, so I have to find a way to earn more."

Her mother went back to borrow money, but she definitely couldn't borrow more than a hundred taels of silver. The rest she could only go to a money exchange. But money exchanges charge interest, so they have to make more money.

Luo Da didn't ask any more questions; he was very sensible and went back to get the ginseng.

Qiao Mianmian made ginseng chicken soup for the young master of the Luo family. Before sending it over, she specifically instructed, "I only used half a ginseng root. I'm afraid it's too nourishing and the young master of the Luo family can't handle it. Tell Luo Da that the young master of the Luo family only needs to drink one bowl of chicken soup, and the rest can be enjoyed by the other members of the Luo family."

She packed up and went home.

Grandparents were washing pork. Fourth Sister wasn't home today, so Qiao Mianmian braised the offal and pig's head meat together before preparing dinner.

For dinner, we ate the loach and taro that Xu Zhongyi had sent. We heated the pan, added the processed loach, removed the slime, and then fried the loach in oil until both sides were golden brown.

"Grandma, please keep an eye on the braised meat in the pot, don't let it burn." Qiao Mianmian reminded her, then heated the oil in the pot again, stir-fried the taro with lard until fragrant, added light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chili powder and hot water, and once the water boiled, she added the loach to stew.

Soon, the broth will thicken. Use a spatula to cut the taro into smaller pieces so that it will absorb the flavor better.

Qiao Mianmian tasted it; the broth had the smoothness of taro and the umami flavor of loach. She wondered how delicious it would be to mix with rice. Finally, she added some scallion leaves and kept it warm in the pot so her family could eat when they got home.

Qiao Mianmian finished cooking and went out to check on the braised meat. It was almost done. She removed the firewood from the stove, and the braised meat needed to soak for another hour to absorb the flavor.

Hearing her grandfather and Lord Lu talking, she skipped to the front hall, "Lord Lu, you've arrived! Wait a little longer, my mother and the others will be back soon."

Lu Zhao agreed, while Qingjiu excitedly held up the wild boar leg in her hand, "Miss Qiao, look what this is!"

"Is it wild boar meat? Did you buy it?" Qiao Mianmian looked at the dark-colored wild boar leg and subconsciously thought about how to eat it.

"My master wouldn't be willing to buy it," Qingjiu said with a smile. "Today, we went out of town and happened to run into this wild boar. We brothers weren't going to let it get away, so we chased after it. In the end, it was my master's arrow that hit the boar right in the throat, and that's how we got the biggest piece of meat. My master and I don't know how to cook it, so could we leave it at your house and cook it for us? We'll come over to eat it tomorrow."

He spoke cautiously, knowing that Qiao Mianmian wouldn't refuse, but he was still a little embarrassed.

Qiao Mianmian said of course, "This wild boar leg also has some pork leg meat on it, enough to make a big pot when cooked. If you give me the meat, my family will be making a profit. We'll clean out the hair first today."

"Do you need any help?" Lu Zhao asked.

“No need. My dad and older brother are the best at removing pig bristles.” Qiao Mianmian told her older brother to take care of it, while she waited at the alley entrance.

Upon seeing three familiar figures in the distance, Qiao Mianmian jumped up excitedly, "Mom, Second Brother and Fourth Sister!" She ran over and took her mother's arm, "Have you missed me all day?"

"No, not at all." Madam Lin smiled.

"You're lying. You're smiling as soon as you see me, which shows how much you like me," Qiao Mianmian said cheerfully, and the family entered the alley.

It was time for everyone to cook, so only the children were at the door. Qiao Mianmian pinched Erlong's chubby cheeks and followed her older brother and sister home.

After a long and tiring journey, the three Lins were starving, especially Qiao Jiaxing. Smelling the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen, he couldn't wait and said, "Fifth Sister, hurry up and serve the food! My stomach is growling!"

"Okay, I'll go get the food. You can wash your hands and eat." Qiao Mianmian went to the kitchen to serve the loach and taro stew. Because the amount was so large, it required three bowls to hold it.

The fragrant mudfish and taro stew emitted an enticing aroma, and Qiao Jiaxing stared at it, unable to look away, while Qingjiu was also swallowing his saliva.

“I cooked a little extra rice today, and this soup is especially delicious with rice.” Qiao Mianmian helped her mother pick up some food and spit out some soup. “You’ve worked hard today, so you should eat more. The loaches that Brother Xu brought are not big, but the meat is very fresh. Smaller loaches absorb the flavor better when cooked, and I couldn’t resist eating two just now.”

"You, you." Looking at her youngest daughter, who was the best at coaxing people, Lin felt that no matter how hard it was, it was nothing. When she came home, there was a hot meal and a family chatting and laughing. Isn't this what life is like when you have something to look forward to?