Chapter 34 Delicious Fish Balls
Once home, Xiao Bao was so excited he couldn't stop dancing around the yard, wiggling his little bottom and singing, "Maru! Maru! Delicious Maru! Maru!"
Fan, who was cleaning the millstone in the yard, looked at him and shook her head helplessly with a smile. When Uncle Wang and Old Zhao came in carrying two fish, they saw Xiao Bao dancing strangely.
"Wow, what great thing has happened that makes our little Bao so happy?"
Aunt Wang wiped her hands as she came out of the kitchen, laughing and scolding, "What else could it be? His aunt is going to make new food for her business again, this is to make him happy. You're back just in time to lend a hand."
Mentioning Fan Xiaoxiao's new business reminded Uncle Wang of the news he'd heard at the market earlier that day. He frowned and walked over to ask, "Hey? Is what they're saying outside true? Er Ya is really not selling braised pork offal anymore?"
It's true!
Fan Xiaoxiao, carrying the mung beans she had soaked the night before, responded with some difficulty. Her body was really too weak; she started trembling after carrying just three pounds of soaked mung beans for a few steps.
Water kept splashing out of the wooden basin. Uncle Wang quickly handed the fish in his hand to Aunt Wang, who was standing next to him, and took the thing from Fan Xiaoxiao's hand, asking, "What is this for?"
Fan Xiaoxiao rubbed her aching arm and gestured to Uncle Wang to move the bowl of mung beans to the vicinity of the millstone.
"This is for making vermicelli; we'll need it for our next transaction. Sister, just grind those beans into a paste as I say, and call me when it's ready!"
After saying that, Fan Xiaoxiao took the fish from Aunt Wang's hand and went into the kitchen. After removing the fishy lines from the two grass carp, she skinned and scraped the meat, chopped it into a paste, and then poured in the prepared scallion and ginger water, all in one smooth motion.
After finishing these steps, Fan Xiaoxiao began stirring the fish paste. When she felt it was almost ready, she took out the sweet potatoes that had been soaking for half a day, carefully poured off the top layer of clear water, leaving some sediment at the bottom—this was the most basic sweet potato starch. There wasn't enough time to make a large quantity of sweet potato starch right now; this was just enough for her needs.
After stirring for a while, the fish paste became elastic and felt it was about right. Fan Xiaoxiao took out the bamboo strips she had prepared and used them to place the fish balls, which were squeezed into round balls, into the boiling water one by one.
The fish balls bobbed and tumbled in the boiling water until they set, then Fan Xiaoxiao scooped them out and placed them in the cool well water. Just then, Fan's voice rang out from outside the kitchen: "Sister! The rice flour is ready!"
"Hey! They're here!"
Fan Xiaoxiao responded and picked up the filter bag she had made, then went outside.
After working for more than half an hour, it gradually got dark. Fan Xiaoxiao went back into the kitchen. By then, the fish balls had become even more bouncy thanks to the cool well water. There wouldn't be any fish ball and vermicelli soup tonight, as the process for making vermicelli was much more complicated than making fish balls. However, making fish ball soup was no problem for Fan Xiaoxiao.
A wisp of smoke, carrying the fresh aroma of fish and meat, filled the courtyard. Xiao Bao sniffed and whispered, "It smells so good!"
"Alright! Let's eat!"
As soon as Fan Xiaoxiao called out "Dinner's ready," several bowls of fish ball soup were served. The white fish balls, with some dried shrimp and scallions, floated in the bowls, looking rather round and cute. Xiao Bao exclaimed softly, "Wow, these little balls look like white balls!"
Everyone was amused by Xiao Bao's reaction. Old Zhao picked up a spoon, scooped up a fish ball, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. The moment he bit down, the springy texture of the fish meat struck his senses, and the sweetness of the fish meat filled his entire mouth.
Old Zhao's eyes widened at the delicious sight, and after glancing at the unassuming white meatball again, he began to wolf it down again: "Mmm! Delicious!"
Seeing his appearance, everyone picked up their bowls and chopsticks. After taking a bite of the fish ball, their eyes lit up, and they quickly followed Old Zhao's example and ate it in big mouthfuls.
After a delicious meal, Uncle Wang rubbed his stomach and smacked his lips, as if he was still savoring the deliciousness of the fish balls.
"Tsk, Er Ya, how much money can you sell this food for?"
"Oh, as for the exact price, I'll discuss it with the Ji family later. But I think if the Ji family really wants to sell it, this thing will cost at least fourteen coins a bowl, right?"
The incredulous voices of the crowd shattered the tranquility above Old Zhao's house, startling a bird from its roof.
"!!! Fourteen coins!"
(End of this chapter)
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