85 Fish Sashimi
◎ Just take a sip and the fresh juice will overflow.◎
She leaned her hands on the counter and asked about Yu Dongqing's hobbies. "My wife has worked here since she was a child, so she must be familiar with Doctor Yu. Do you know what he likes to order, such as cakes, snacks, or local specialties?"
Jin Huan heard her ask this, thought for a while and said, "I went to his room to clean up before, and saw a copy of 'Suiyuan Food List' among his pile of medical books.
I was curious at the time, so I flipped through it and saw that it was full of food from all over the place. There was one page that was particularly interesting and had a mark on it. Because it was quite special, I still have some impression of it.
"Do you remember what's written in it?"
That was several years ago. I only took a quick look at it then and never thought about it today, so I couldn't remember it for a while.
She tried to recall for a while, then spoke haltingly about the clues. "It seems to be a delicacy from Chuzhou, from Huai'an County. I can't remember the exact name, but I know it's made with a special kind of fish from Huai'an County. That fish is white and very rare."
Although the clues given by Jin Huan were fragmented, she mentioned the two most important points, Huai'an County and white fish. Based on these two things alone, Song Jinyi could infer that it was Huaibai fish.
This fish is named after its snow-white scales, and is also called white stripe in the waves; because its body is flat and slender like a waist knife, it is called silver knife; its head and tail are slightly upturned, so people figuratively call it upturned whitefish.
However, this fish is born in Huai'an and dies as soon as it comes out of the water. It is difficult to transport, so it is difficult for outsiders to taste it. It is considered a niche delicacy.
After Jin Huan finished picking up the medicine, he came over and asked, "Madam Song, why are you curious about this?"
Song Jinyi smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just want to do business with Doctor Yu."
"Business?" Li Zhen was only slightly puzzled, but did not continue to ask. Instead, he asked Xie Wuyang, "Madam Song, why didn't Mr. Xie come with you today?"
Song Jinyi replied that he had something to do.
A visible look of disappointment flashed across Jin Huan's face. He hummed softly and asked him if he would come again next time.
Song Jinyi noticed that she looked strange and asked what was wrong.
Jin Huan tilted her head slightly and asked shyly, "Madam Song, do you know if Mr. Xie is married?"
Song Jinyi simply said that he was not married, then calmly asked her, "Could it be that you have fallen in love with him?"
Jin Huan's little face turned red instantly. She lowered her head and hummed softly.
Perhaps it was because Song Jinyi was about the same age as her and had a very friendly face, so Jin Huan poured out her girlish thoughts.
Jin Huan said that Xie Wuyang's eyes were like a pool of dark green water, and he had golden curly hair. She noticed this unique man the first time she saw him.
A few days ago, he dressed up specially, wearing new clothes and letting his golden hair down. He looked very handsome, like a foreign prince described in a storybook. She had never seen such a handsome man.
She saw Xie Wuyang busying himself in the kitchen at night and thought he was hungry, so she wanted to help him. Only then did she find out that he was making longevity noodles for his sister.
Jin Huan said this, then suddenly turned to look at Song Jinyi and said, "He is not a good cook. He doesn't even know when a bowl of noodles is done.
He even burned his hands several times while frying an egg. He was clumsy, but he was very attentive. He could have bought a bowl of noodles for a few cents outside, but he didn't want to rely on others.
Song Jinyi felt mixed emotions as she listened to Jinhuan describing the scene at that time with great excitement.
She tried hard to suppress the strange feeling rising in her heart and said casually, "If you really ate his noodles, you wouldn't think so."
"Mrs. Song, since you are Mr. Xie's sister, could you please ask Mr. Xie about his feelings for me?"
She looked at Jinhuan's expectant eyes, was silent for a while, and responded softly.
******
When Song Jinyi and Li He returned to the inn, they saw Xie Wuyang waiting at the door.
Li He subconsciously turned his head and glanced at Song Jinyi.
Seeing that Xie Wuyang looked like he had something to say, Song Jinyi let Li He go first.
Xie Wuyang spoke first: "Sister, did I do something wrong?" His words were full of grievance.
Song Jinyi didn't speak for a long time. She just looked at his left hand wrapped in white gauze. Then, thinking of Li Zhen's words, she changed the subject and asked, "Is your hand injured? Did you apply any medicine? I have some medicine for external injuries in my room. Go up and ask Li He for it first."
After saying that, she turned her head and prepared to leave, but she felt her sleeves become heavy. She sighed softly and pulled her sleeves out of Xie Wuyang's hands, "If you have anything to say, wait until I come back and tell you."
There is a lake in the Yaowang Island, located in the southeast corner of the island, named Sun and Moon Lake. It is like a shining pearl inlaid in this green island. The lakeside is covered with lush grass, and the emerald green grass rolls down endlessly like a furry blanket.
Looking out into the distance, the blue lake is vast and boundless, like a huge silver mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, green water and green mountains.
Song Jinyi inquired with the innkeeper and learned that there were also silverfish in the Sun Moon Lake, but the number of silverfish was small, their temperament was fierce, and they were difficult to catch.
Because its meat is rare, no one on the island eats it, and naturally no one sells it.
If you want this silverfish, you need to go fishing in Sun Moon Lake yourself.
Song Jinyi came to the lake with a borrowed fishing rod on her back and looked out for a while. The vast lake stretched to the sky, and the beautiful scenery of the lake was connected to the distance. It was truly a rare and beautiful scenery.
There was a group of people not far from her. She looked carefully and saw that it was the nobleman from that morning, who was also fishing. Two servants followed him, and a maid stood on either side of him, holding an umbrella for him.
There is also a wooden table next to it, with a stove, charcoal... everything you need. I think they are going to go fishing and have a picnic, which is really fun.
Song Jinyi had no experience fishing, and usually bought fish for cooking. Now, as a married woman, this was her first time fishing. Although she asked about the steps of fishing, theory and practice are two different things.
She watched for a while, then followed suit, put some bait in the lake and threw it in, waiting for the result.
The fishing line was quietly sinking, and Song Jinyi was waiting bored on the shore. She didn't know how long it had been. When she came, the sun was still in the sky, but in the blink of an eye, she was about to fall into the water.
The crimson sunset dyed the entire sky, and even the clear lake water was dyed with the bright color.
Perhaps out of sympathy for her as a fellow angler, the old man next door called out to her, "It's getting late. If you want to go fishing, why not come back tomorrow? There's still plenty of time."
Song Jinyi said with unyielding determination, "Old man, you don't know, I must catch that white fish today."
"My wife, you want to catch white fish? That's really not easy." The old man asked him why he had to catch this white fish.
Song Jinyi made up a story, "I have a little brother who has had a poor appetite and a weak body since he was young. After reading a food review, he kept clamoring to eat the white fish. As his elder sister, I am like a mother to him, so I must do my best to satisfy him."
She was not lying. It was indeed her brother who was sick. Yu Dong, who wanted to eat white fish, was younger than her and should call her sister.
The old man sighed and said, "So my wife did this for my younger brother. If that's the case, Huai'an is my hometown, and I brought a lot of pickled white fish with me this time. Since we met, it's fate, so I'll give you two."
Hearing this, Song Jinyi was naturally happy.
Song Jinyi quickly bowed and thanked him, and said, "As the saying goes, 'No favor, no reward'. Since my father-in-law is willing to donate generously, then I must return the favor.
I don't have anything else, but I can show off my cooking skills. I see that my father-in-law has a complete range of utensils, so why not let me make a dish to express my gratitude?"
The old man smiled and said, "I really wanted to have a picnic surrounded by the natural scenery. Unfortunately, my servant was careless and forgot to bring the soybean oil. So I am going back in a hurry."
Even though the servant made a mistake, he did not blame him but just smiled and let it go. He is indeed a kind and open-minded person.
Song Jinyi patted her chest and said, "It's okay. Frying, stir-frying, and stewing are impossible without soybean oil, but there is another way to eat it. Not only does it not require soybean oil, it also ensures that the fish retains its original flavor."
Song Jinyi picked out a sea bass from the fish basket and said, "This sea bass is pretty good."
She picked up a knife, cut open the fish, removed the internal organs, cleaned it, and used the knife to cut the fish meat into slices as thin as cicada wings, and stacked them in staggered layers.
This sea bass was caught not long ago. The fish meat is at its freshest and tenderest, with a pink luster and every fiber clearly visible.
Song Jinyi took another small bowl, poured in soy sauce, ginger vinegar, leeks and other seasonings, stirred them evenly, and asked her father-in-law to taste it.
The father-in-law gently picked up a piece of fish with chopsticks. The thin fish slices were like agar-agar, and would slip through the chopsticks if you were not careful. He put it in his mouth and took a sip, and the fresh juice overflowed.
The old man used his chopsticks four times in a row. When he was about to pick up another piece, the maid next to him reminded him gently, "Master, this raw food is cold, so it's better to use less."
The old man paused with a hint of regret. "I've heard that fish sashimi is popular in Shengjing, but I've never tried it. Now that I see it, it's truly unique. It's not cooked with soybean oil, but it doesn't have that fishy, smelly aftertaste. The aftertaste is just like the warmth of the river breeze and the sweetness of the lake water. It's wonderful."
Song Jinyi exchanged pleasantries with him over the fish sashimi. When she was about to get up and leave, she heard him say, "Neither you nor I can finish it. There's still half of the fish left. Why don't you ask the young man behind you to try it?"
Song Jinyi looked back in confusion, only to find that Xie Wuyang had followed her at some point and was standing behind the tree without making a sound.
Song Jinyi waved him over and asked him in a low voice why he followed her.
"This place is remote, and I'm worried about my sister fishing alone. I know she's been mad at me lately, so I followed her quietly."
When Xie Wuyang came closer, the old man saw his pupils and hair color clearly and asked in surprise, "It seems that your friend is not Han Chinese. Is he from the Western Rong or the Northern Qiang?"
While answering her father-in-law's questions, Song Jinyi helped Xie Wuyang prepare the dipping sauce.
After he finished, Song Jinyi urged him to pack up his fishing gear and asked him to go back first.
The father-in-law looked between the two of them and said jokingly, "It seems that you two have a good relationship. If you get married one day, please buy me a glass of wine at the wedding."
Song Jinyi's face flushed red, and she quickly explained that they were not in that kind of relationship.
"Really? But I don't think your reaction seems like you don't like him."
Song Jinyi quickly changed the subject and stopped talking about this.
After bidding farewell to their father-in-law, Song Jinyi and Xie Wuyang walked towards the inn one after the other. After walking for about two or three miles, they gradually saw people. It was the time when farmers were lighting fires and cooking.
From time to time along the way, you can hear laughter and the warm aroma of food from the huts on both sides.
Song Jinyi thought with emotion: Her previous life was a complete disaster, and barely surviving was a luxury, so she never thought about falling in love, let alone starting a family.
Now that Xie Wuyang suddenly confessed his feelings, she was flustered for a moment and became unlike herself. If she encountered business difficulties, she would definitely face them bravely and be positive and decisive. But when it came to love matters, she became a quail.
She smiled self-deprecatingly, stared at Xie Wuyang's back, took a deep breath, called Xie Wuyang, and decided to talk things out.
"You didn't do anything wrong? You just misunderstood your feelings."
This sentence is the answer to Xie Wuyang's question at noon.
Xie Wuyang looked at Song Jinyi steadily and asked, "What's the misunderstanding?"
“If you mistake gratitude for love, when you find someone you like in the future, you will know what true love is.”
Xie Wuyang pursed his lips and lowered his head, so Song Jinyi couldn't see the expression on his face. She only felt that he was unusually silent.
"Sister, have you ever liked anyone?" Xie Wuyang asked her in a low voice.
Song Jinyi shook her head frankly.
"Then why do you think my feelings are a misunderstanding? I know exactly what I'm doing, and I know the difference between gratitude and liking someone." He said, staring at Song Jinyi as he moved forward step by step.
Song Jinyi wanted to step back but was pulled back. A cool breath slowly blew over her head. "Sister, would you like to kiss someone? Or would you like this?" As he spoke, his aggressive gaze moved down inch by inch, staring at her fair neck until a blush spread from her ears to her neck. He chuckled and slowly let go of her hand.
The surroundings were silent, but she felt her heartbeat was deafening and her mind went blank for a moment.
Song Jinyi's throat tightened with nervousness. She tried hard to calm herself down, determined not to let him see her shyness. She turned her head away, thinking of Jin Huan's words, and asked, "Then what do you like about me?"
"I like your kindness and loyalty. In my eyes, you are the best woman in the world. I like everything about you."
Damn it!
Song Jinyi's face became increasingly hot. How could this boy be so good at saying sweet words? If he hadn't been by her side every day, she would have thought he was some amorous young man from nowhere.
"I know there are still many things in my heart that have not been resolved, and there are many concerns. I can wait, even for a lifetime. As long as you are willing to give me this opportunity, I can stay with you like this now, and nothing will change."
These words were spoken in an extremely humble manner, expressing willingness to accompany someone for a lifetime without any official status. Even if Song Jinyi had a heart of stone, it was inevitable that he would be moved.
She had indeed never thought about getting married, but she had already regarded Chayuan as her home and the people in Chayuan as her family. Naturally, she could not imagine the scene where Xie Wuyang would leave her one day.
Song Jinyi thought for a moment and quickly said, "Give me some time."
"What?" Xie Wuyang didn't quite hear it and asked again.
Song Jinyi didn't answer him, but just quickened her pace and walked forward.
After the two finished talking, they went from walking one in front of the other to walking side by side. On the way, Xie Wuyang asked Song Jinyi, "So, there's nothing that Sister likes about me?"
"Yes." Song Jinyi stared at his face and said bluntly, "You are good-looking."
Xie Wuyang touched his face and said, "Then I have to thank my mother for giving birth to me like this, so that I can please my sister."
After hearing this, Song Jinyi said with a half-smile: "Of course your face is beautiful, and I am not the only one who likes it. Someone asked me to propose to you today. Will you agree or not?"
"Ah?" Xie Wuyang looked surprised.
Song Jinyi then told him what Jinhuan had said this morning and asked, "You provoked her for no reason, what are you going to do?"
"She must have misunderstood something. I'm not very good at cooking, and she happened to come in, so I asked for advice a few times. If she had any other thoughts, I would naturally explain it to her in person."
Song Jinyi nodded. If she didn't like him, she should tell him clearly as soon as possible to avoid hurting his feelings. She also knew that Xie Wuyang had a cold personality, so she advised, "If you go, tell him clearly and don't hurt her face.
******
The next day.
The old man sent someone to deliver white fish. White fish cannot survive out of water, so fishermen usually pickle it with wine dregs, salt and other materials immediately after catching it.
She leaned over and sniffed. The marinated Huaibai fish exuded the aroma of wine lees. She poked it with chopsticks and found that the fish meat had more texture and elasticity.
Song Jinyi steamed the food with seasonings, then took the food box and went to the medicine store with Xie Yunting.
After Song Yunting finished his follow-up consultation, he went to get his medicine. Song Jinyi took the opportunity to take out the Huai River white fish cooked with wine and said with a smile on her face, "I heard that Doctor Yu likes this white fish, so I made it specially today..."
She lifted the lid, and a fresh and mellow fragrance instantly filled the air. It was the unique freshness and aroma of wine-marinated Huaibai fish, like a breeze in the mountains, carrying the scent of lake water.
Doctor Yu, who was originally leaning lazily on the chair, smelled the smell and sat up straight like a cat smelling fish, his eyes fixed on the food box in Song Jinyi's hand.
Song Jinyi observed his reaction and saw that what Jinhuan said was true. He was indeed interested in this dish.
Yu Dongqing excitedly stretched out his hand, wanting to take the food box, but Song Jinyi blocked his hand. He looked up at her in confusion.
"Doctor, you are so kind and have taken such good care of my brother and sister. I am deeply grateful, but the medicine is expensive and I am broke. I cannot refuse this small gift."
Upon hearing this, Yu Dongqing withdrew his hand slightly embarrassedly, stared at the food box for several more times, and asked her, "How much does this dish cost, Madam Song?"
When Song Jinyi saw the fish was hooked, she couldn't hide her happiness, "Five taels."
This price was naturally higher than the market price, but she believed that Yu Dongqing could afford it. After all, a consultation cost one hundred taels, and she was just trying to reduce her burden a little.
When Yu Dongqing heard the price, he lifted his eyelids and looked at her intently, a half-mocking light surging in the depths of his eyes. "How about I exchange this dish for a secret related to Madam Song?"
Song Jinyi cursed him inwardly, "You're so stingy! You're not willing to pay even a mere five taels?" No secret is worth five taels to her.
She said with a wry smile, "I guess not."
"Song Jinyi, don't refuse yet. Wait until I finish speaking. It's up to you to decide whether it's worth it or not."
Yu Dongqing's tone was his usual indifferent tone, but his words made Song Jinyi's heart tremble. "——My brother is fine, it's all just pretense."
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