Chapter 230: Pickled Fish and Piggy Bank
"What's the matter?"
Lin Heng heard a scream from the front and thought his father had fallen, so he ran forward quickly.
The eldest brother Lin Yue also rushed forward immediately, even though he had drunk a little too much.
"Keep your voice down."
At this time, Lin's father's voice came from the front.
"What's going on?"
Lin Heng walked over and saw that his father did not fall down, and was a little confused for a moment.
"There is a wounded eagle that seems unable to fly."
Father Lin pointed to the forest ahead and said.
"Injured eagle?"
Lin Hengyi was puzzled. He walked over first, and his elder brother followed behind.
Looking in the direction my father pointed, I saw a large bird with gray feathers and wings. Judging from the messy feathers, it must have been injured for quite some time. Its body was also a little skinny and seemed to be dying.
"It's so big, is it a golden eagle?" Lin Yue walked over and asked curiously.
Lin Heng shook his head. He naturally didn't know it. His knowledge reserves didn't increase after his rebirth. Although he read a lot of books last year, there was nothing about species classification.
While they were talking, Lin Wei also came. Looking at such a big eagle, he said excitedly: "Let's catch it and raise it."
Lin Heng smiled and shook his head: "Of course this is impossible. Eagles only eat meat, so eating a rabbit a day is not a problem. You can't afford to raise them at all."
"Although it's injured, its claws are still sharp. One peck from you can take away a piece of your flesh." Lin's father also said.
Lin Yue nodded: "Then we can only find a way to catch it. We can't kill it today, but we can keep it alive until tomorrow."
Lin Heng knew that his two nephews wanted to raise an eagle, but that was impossible because it was an adult eagle. He smiled and patted their shoulders: "Let's raise a parrot or something in the future."
After saying that, he also went up to help.
The eagle huddled there for a long time without moving, as if it had sensed the malice of Lin Heng and the others, and began to flee into the woods.
But it couldn't fly because its speed was too slow. Lin Heng and his eldest brother found two sticks and chased it in the woods for dozens of meters before pinning it down. Then they held it down with their hands, tied its legs and pinched its neck.
"The wing is broken."
After controlling the eagle, Lin Heng looked at its shoulder and said.
Somehow this guy's shoulder was broken in the middle, with only flesh connecting it, so only one wing was dragging on the ground.
Lin Yue thought for a moment and said, "I guess this is a young eagle that left the nest last year. It was broken because of its poor flying skills."
"Never mind, just take him back."
Lin Heng lifted the eagle and weighed it. It was about 4-5 kg, and pure meat was probably more than 1 kg. Although the eagle's skeleton was hollow, its feathers and internal organs were also quite heavy.
Taking out the forest, Lin Heng handed the eagle to his father and went to find Xiulan to shake off the snow on his body. A small movement in the forest caused large flakes of snow to fall, and he was covered with snow.
"What use do I have for this? Just take it." Father Lin shook his head.
"Let's take it back first." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Yes, walk faster. It's windy and cold now." Lin's mother also nodded. Seeing that Lin Heng and the others' feet were numb from the cold from catching the eagle.
Father Lin didn't bother about it anymore and walked forward with the eagle in his hand. The guy seemed to have no strength left and didn't struggle.
Lin Heng carried Xiaoxia on his back and quickened his pace back.
The way back was more downhill than the way here, but it was actually harder to walk on this kind of snowy day, especially after stepping on a path. It was only easier to walk with a wooden stick as a crutch.
Although it was no longer snowing, there was no sun and the snow hadn't melted much. It was already three o'clock in the afternoon when everyone got home.
Lin Heng entered the house and lit the fireplace and charcoal fire. He stayed in the house for an hour before his body warmed up.
"I'll go out for a walk and see if the snow on the road has melted."
Lin Heng rubbed his hands, said something and went out.
Even though it was snowing, the village was still bustling during the New Year. Children gathered together to play with snow and firecrackers, while adults played cards and drank.
Lin Heng looked at the road. The snow on it had melted into water after being stepped on. But if the sun didn't come out tomorrow, it would easily turn into ice, which would be more slippery than snow.
After walking around the village, Lin Heng saw several unfamiliar motorcycles and bicycles parked in front of many people's doors, but he just glanced at them and didn't pay much attention.
On the way back, I met his eldest brother and his family carrying gifts. I knew without a doubt that they were going to his eldest sister-in-law's home to pay New Year's greetings. When I asked, it turned out to be true.
His sister-in-law's family is from Baima Village, which is not far away.
Lin Heng originally wanted to invite their whole family to dinner, but seeing this, his sister-in-law couldn't wait to go home and show off. Although his eldest brother's family was not as well off as his, they were also considered a well-off family.
After all, just by selling yam, Lin Heng helped his elder brother earn 200 yuan, which was equivalent to the annual income of a normal rural family.
Turning back, Lin Heng went to see the eagle. His father had locked it in a cage and fed it some water. The eagle's condition had improved a lot.
After watching the eagle, Lin Heng said, "Dad, come over for dinner tonight. Otherwise, it won't be lively for the three of us to eat. Kill the black fish and make pickled fish tonight."
"Okay, we'll be there in a moment."
Father Lin nodded. There was no reason to refuse to eat in his son's room.
After Lin Heng finished speaking, he went home to catch black fish. There was only a thin layer of ice on the fish pond, which broke into pieces when he tapped it gently. This was because the water in the pond came from groundwater, which was much hotter.
It was so cold today that the fish in the water hardly swam. Lin Heng took the scoop net and headed towards the black fish net suspended in the water.
“Plop!!”
There was a splash of water, and the black fish that had just entered the net jumped out, and when the splash dissipated, it was already in another corner of the fish pond.
“Plop!!”
Lin Heng stretched out the scoop net for the second time, but before he could reach the black fish, the guy jumped to the other side.
"Okay, okay, there is a road to heaven but you don't take it. If you don't want to live, then die."
Lin Heng laughed in anger. This fish pond was four meters long, and it was not easy to catch this guy, especially since there was a small wooden bridge in the middle. It was not easy to catch it with a scoop net, and the fish kept running away.
He went back to the house, took out the compound bow, put on a wooden arrow he made, and shot it out.
With a splash, the wooden arrow entered the water, a large amount of water splashed, and gradually a trace of blood appeared. When the water splash disappeared, the big black fish floated up, its body still struggling and swaying slightly.
The arrow went straight through the black fish's head, and then the wooden arrowhead hit the stone and broke. If it was a metal arrow, it would have smashed the stone.
“This is what happens.”
Lin Heng shook his head, pulled the arrow and easily pulled the black fish up.
"This fish has not only not become thinner, but has actually grown a lot. It seems that the brook grouper is enjoying its meal."
Lin Heng weighed it and said to his wife who came out of the house, this black fish originally weighed six or seven kilograms, and now it is estimated to be eight or nine kilograms.
Xiulan smiled and nodded: "That's right, the small fish here have nowhere to hide. In autumn, you can hear the sound of them hunting every day."
Lin Heng nodded, padded the ground with a rotten snakeskin bag, pulled out the arrow and took the dagger to start processing the fish.
Xiulan took Lin Heng's scoop net and went to put the koi in the secondary reservoir into the fish pond.
She likes these koi very much and goes back to feed them every two days.
Lin Heng quickly removed the scales and gills of the black fish, and then cut it open along the spine with a dagger. He took out the internal organs and divided it into two halves, removed the head and tail, and then used extremely professional techniques to remove the bones and the only fish bone of the black fish, and cut the remaining fish meat into thin fillets.
He himself likes to eat pickled fish very much. He taught himself how to make it in his previous life. He has killed no less than fifty black fish, so naturally he has become very proficient in this technique.
"Your technique is pretty good." Xiulan blinked. Her technique was the same as the fishmonger's.
"I have been killing fish since I was a child. I can learn this after watching it once. It's not difficult."
Lin Heng smiled and said that he indeed learned it after just one look.
"Do you make pickled fish?" Xiulan asked.
"Yes." Lin Heng nodded.
It was already late, so the two of them started cooking right away. There was no need to cook too many dishes for the people at home, and there were already various braised meats.
Xiulan cooked five hot dishes and made a candied sweet potato, and then it was Lin Heng's turn to cook fish.
Sauerkraut fish is also easy to make. First, cut some sauerkraut and sour peppers and stir-fry them, then stir-fry some mashed garlic.
Then fry the fish head and bones in oil until both sides are golden brown. After frying, increase the heat and pour in a pot of 98-degree boiling water. As the water boils, the fish soup will turn into a beautiful milky white color.
This is not because of the addition of milk, but because the fat in the fish bones has dissolved and precipitated this color. Of course, there are other nutrients as well, just not much.
Further crush the fish bones so that all the nutrients in them are decomposed, and finally filter out the residue.
Then add the fried sauerkraut and minced garlic. Lin Heng also likes to add some vermicelli. After the vermicelli absorbs the sour, spicy and fragrant fish soup, it tastes extremely delicious. Lin Heng will always add vermicelli when making sauerkraut fish.
After adding the vermicelli, you can add seasoning. After it is cooked, take out the vermicelli and sauerkraut and place them in a basin. Then throw the black fish fillets coated with starch and egg liquid into the soup and cook on low heat for half a minute before serving.
The authentic method is to add green and red peppercorns and chili peppers to the dish before serving, but Lin Heng thought that would be too greasy, so he just added a handful of cilantro cut into two pieces and served it.
Xiulan took a sneak bite before the fish was served. The fish was tender, smooth and sour, and the vermicelli had the sour, spicy and fresh flavor of the fish soup. She couldn't help but have another bite.
"It tastes so good, better than anything I cook." Xiulan said with a blink. She found that Lin Heng was very good at cooking fish.
"Wait until the summer when you come with me to fish for black fish, and I'll make pickled fish for you when you catch something." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Okay." Xiulan nodded with a smile and brought the dishes out.
Soon the table was full of dishes and everyone started to eat.
"Everyone, try the pickled fish I made, which comes with vermicelli."
As Lin Heng spoke, he picked up a piece of vermicelli with chopsticks and put it in the bowl, then picked up some fish meat for Xiaoxia. The fish meat had no bones, so it was safe to eat.
Caiyun ate a piece of fish and said in surprise, "This fish is so delicious. Did you really make it, second brother?"
"Of course. If you don't believe me, ask your sister-in-law." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"This vermicelli is delicious, I didn't realize it, son." Lin's mother, who doesn't like fish very much, fell in love with this vermicelli.
Father Lin just gave a thumbs up and took several bites.
"Dad, I want more."
Xiaoxia asked for more after she finished eating.
Lin Heng picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks for her. The fish was easy to digest, so there was no need to worry about getting an upset stomach.
Lin Hengxiu and Lan Caiyun ate the most vermicelli. After a while, there was nothing left in the pot of pickled fish and they finished all the soup.
Without the pickled fish, people started to eat other dishes. Braised donkey meat, chicken, pig ears, etc. were extremely popular.
Xiulan’s fried chicken, fried meat with garlic sprouts, etc. are also delicious, but not as appetizing as sauerkraut fish. This kind of dish with its own appetizer effect will make you want to eat more after you have eaten it.
Lin Heng drank rice wine tonight, which was fragrant, sweet and low in alcohol, and he loved it. Xiulan Caiyun and Lin's mother also drank rice wine, but Lin's father drank syrupy wine.
They drank and ate, talked about everything, and were very happy. The lower class people worked hard, and they looked forward to these few days of comfort throughout the year, when they could have enough food and drink, taste the food they could not afford normally, and talk about their vision for the future.
As long as the people sitting there are people I know, the New Year dinner is never boring. I just feel like there is always room for conversation and the meal time is too short.
After waiting for the meal and drink to be full, everyone's faces were filled with satisfied smiles.
Father Lin burped and asked with a smile, "Son, will you take Xiulan back to her parents' home tomorrow?"
Lin Heng nodded: "That's what we've decided, but it depends on whether the snow melts. If it does, we'll leave early in the morning and go to the city to see what's going on, then go to my father-in-law's place at noon and come back in the evening."
Starting from tomorrow, many relatives will probably come to his house. After all, as the saying goes, a poor man in a downtown is unknown, but a rich man in a remote mountain area has distant relatives. The news that his family has become a millionaire has spread a long time ago, and many relatives have come to visit during the New Year.
Lin Heng didn't want to entertain people who didn't move around for many years, as it would be troublesome to be polite. So he planned to go out for a day tomorrow and come back in the evening.
"That's fine. You can have your fun. I'll entertain the relatives who come." Father Lin nodded with a smile. He also knew what Lin Heng was thinking.
"When I buy a taxi, the whole family can go out to see the temple fair and the lantern festival during the New Year." Lin Heng sighed. It's nice to celebrate the New Year in the mountains, but it's also nice to go out and have a look occasionally.
"Don't spend money recklessly. There's no rush for these." Father Lin patted his shoulder.
After chatting for a while, Lin's father and mother went back. Caiyun took a book from Lin Heng's study, read it for a while, and then went back.
After washing up and taking a rest, Lin Heng saw Xiaoxia opening the red envelope she had received today.
The red envelopes that Lin Heng and Xiulan gave her were all five-yuan notes, Lin's father also gave her five-yuan notes, Lin's mother gave her one-yuan notes, and her eldest uncle and third uncle each gave her three-yuan notes.
These red envelopes are all big red envelopes, and together they are equivalent to a worker's monthly salary.
"Xiaoxia, put your money in this and use it when you grow up and know how to spend money."
Lin Heng brought her a 15-centimeter square box made of red toon wood. The box was fixed with mortise and tenon joints and water, and had a 3-millimeter-wide gap on it, which was specifically used to store money.
This box was one of the boxes that Carpenter Liang made with leftover materials.
Xiaoxia took the piggy bank and looked at it, but she didn't quite understand how to use it. After Lin Heng taught her, she deposited all the money in it.
"Then I...when I grow up...buy candy."
She murmured quietly as she packed the things. When she was done, she shook her head happily and placed the box on her bed.
Xiulan originally advocated taking the money back. It was not that she was unwilling to give it to her, but she was afraid that she would lose it. It would also be dangerous to give out so much money.
Lin Heng gave her this method, gave her a piggy bank, and taught her how to spend money from a young age, so that she would gradually form her own view on money.
When she grows up and opens this piggy bank, she will get a surprise and a reward.
If you say you will give her a gift but forget about it in the end, the child will think that you are not trustworthy and will gradually lose trust in you.
"What you said makes sense." Xiulan nodded, thinking that Lin Heng was right.
(End of this chapter)
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