The child was fast asleep behind the sofa, while the parents switched from cartoons to movies, enjoying a cup of wine and some fermented fish, savoring their precious time together.
"Where did you buy this fermented fish? It's delicious. I feel like it's great with rice, even if you don't pair it with alcohol, it's still delicious as a snack."
A piece of fish, fried until crispy and dry, is fragrant with every bite. The fish meat is originally in segments, but after frying, it has many more gaps, and these gaps are the best at absorbing flavor.
The aroma of chili and fermented black beans in the red oil seasoning, along with the flavors of various seasonings and spices, permeates every crevices of the fish meat.
The aroma of fermented rice is the second most intense flavor after the spiciness.
There's a kind of atmosphere where you're not drunk, but the aroma of alcohol already puts you in a slightly tipsy state, bringing endless reverie.
The fish pieces are soaked in glistening red oil, which makes the dried and fried fish meat less dry and more moist. The broth is also the essence of the dish.
Towards the end of the meal, the little bit of fermented fish left by the child wasn't enough, so the couple simply filled bowls with rice, piled the fish and broth on top of the rice, and started shoveling it in big mouthfuls.
Even the cheers in the movie seemed perfectly timed, as if they were for this delicious fermented fish.
"Bought in the neighborhood."
Ms. Yao was so engrossed in eating that she didn't have time to speak, and it took her a while to finally reply.
"Then buy more tomorrow and keep it at home. We can have it with porridge in the morning, take a boxed lunch for lunch, and have some wine when we get home in the evening. That would be such a great day!"
The child's father thought it sounded wonderful.
"Okay, is the child really alright? Should we take him to the hospital to get him checked out?"
While eating, Ms. Yao still felt a little uneasy looking at her sleeping child.
"This little bit of fermented rice wine won't make you drunk. It's about the same level as sweet fermented rice balls. It'll probably just make you dizzy and sleepy. You'll be fine after a nap."
The child's father was someone who had been drinking with his elders since he was a child, so how could he not know?
"Okay."
After saying that, the couple continued eating.
......
At the community fitness equipment area, Lin Zhou finished packing up all the fish that had been bought by customers who had purchased fermented fish, and the bucket of fermented fish he had brought was empty.
It's a residential area after all, so he shouldn't set up a stall here.
I don't know if the city management officers outside have left or not. If I go out and run, I should be fine, right?
Lin Zhou rode his tricycle toward the main gate.
Then, as soon as I got to the door, I was stopped by the security guard.
Lin Zhou: "Hmm?"
What's going on? Why is the security guard stopping him?
Lin Zhou, who was encountering urban management officers chasing people away for the first time, is now a bit paranoid.
I used to find it funny when I watched videos online of street vendors running away from city management officers, even abandoning their tables and chairs. I would laugh non-stop.
It wasn't until today, when he saw someone shout that the city management officers were coming, that the vendors started packing up and running away, that he realized how hard it was.
"Hey, do you still have that fermented fish? I'd like to buy some to try."
The security guard leaned over and asked quietly, like he was making a secret rendezvous.
Lin Zhou's heart immediately settled down.
"Also, fifty-one catties, how much do you want?"
"Then give me a pound."
He smelled the fragrance when he was at the entrance of the community, but when he saw a group of residents leading people into the community to avoid the urban management officers, he didn't say anything.
Now that I see Lin Zhou out, I want to buy some to try.
Lin Zhou sold another box without even leaving the gate of the residential area.
"Do urban management officers come here every day to drive people away?"
While packing up the fermented fish, Lin Zhou looked at the now empty road opposite and asked.
"That's right. When people block the road, the urban management officers come to chase them away. But it's okay, many people turn back after the urban management officers leave."
Wow, you can do that?!
Vice President Lin nodded, indicating that he understood.
The residents living nearby are definitely the ones who know the most about the vegetable market.
He didn't need to ask around; he could find out just by asking.
Lin Zhou smiled and handed the packaged fish to the security guard.
The security guard took it with a satisfied look on his face and kindly opened the fence for Lin Zhou.
Lin Zhou then left the residential area openly and, seeing an empty space at the entrance of the vegetable market, found a spot that wouldn't block the way and started setting up his stall.
As soon as I stopped, people passing by who were buying groceries came up to ask me questions.
The large signboard features only the character for "fish," and the aroma of fermented fish in the iron bucket is particularly eye-catching to passersby.
For a time, they had no shortage of customers.
After selling several portions, Lin Zhou saw the vegetable vendors who had run away earlier starting to return one after another.
In the blink of an eye, the entrance to the vegetable market became lively again.
There weren't as many people as before.
"Grandpa, do you run around like this every day?"
Lin Zhou watched as an old man carrying a basket of vegetables returned to continue setting up his stall, and asked him curiously.
"What can we do? The city management officers are doing their job of not allowing us to set up stalls."
The old man waved his hand dismissively, his dark face covered in wrinkles, but he didn't seem to care at all, as he tidied up the vegetables and cucumbers in front of him.
Judging from the uneven appearance of the cucumbers, Lin Zhou guessed that the old man must have grown them himself.
"Besides, they only chased people away and didn't fine them, which is already very good."
Lin Zhou listened and nodded.
Compared to some online reports of urban management officers overturning vegetable vendors' stalls, they only chased people away, which is really good.
They were all street vendors, and when Lin Zhou had customers, he didn't chat much and focused on selling fermented fish.
The market was crowded, and the two buckets of fermented fish he brought unexpectedly sold well and were quickly sold out.
Then I packed up and went home.
They set up their stall at six o'clock and sold out in just over an hour.
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