Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The little mute will make you a delicious fish soup...
Two days later.
Tian Ge, carrying a bamboo basket in his arms, walked with his second brother towards a house at the northernmost end of Qingshui Village.
It was sunset, and half of the sky was bright yellow.
The villagers carried farm tools, walked along the edge of the fields, and chatted with each other.
The faces under the straw hats all looked tired, but they also had a hint of smile.
This summer's first harvest was good.
"Tian Ge, it's so late. Where are you going with your second brother?" The person walking towards him asked with a smile.
Tian Ge raised the corner of his mouth, smiled in response, then reached out and pulled his second brother's sleeve.
Tian Er chatted with everyone for a while, "We went to the hunter's house to deliver some cucumbers and vegetables grown at home. We hurried so fast that the sun had already set."
The news of Tian Ge falling into the water two days ago had already spread among the villagers.
I heard that the mute boy from the Tian family almost drowned, thanks to the hunter who jumped into the water to save him.
"Then we'll go first, otherwise it will be completely dark. Uncle and aunt, take care." Tian Er said.
"Well, Tian Ge is a blessed person. After this disaster, he will surely have good days in the future."
"Tian Ge, when you are free, come to my house and sit down."
.....
Look, the two brothers of the Tian family are walking away.
The group chatted a little more.
"It's a bit too poor to just give some vegetables to the benefactor who saved my life."
"The Tian family was dragged down by their sick father. A prescription costs hundreds of coins, and the family has lost all their money. Even having vegetables as a gift is good enough."
"Tian Ge's basket was covered with cloth. Who knows what's inside? I smelled the aroma of meat."
"You dog nose, I saw it all, there are cucumber heads sticking out from the edge of the basket."
"Maybe I smelled it wrong."
"Have you heard that old woman Li Xiufen has gone crazy, telling everyone behind Tian Ge's back that the hunter saw her naked..."
......
The sun has completely set.
The sky was deep blue, and two figures were moving on the edge of the field.
Tian Ge lifted the cloth covering the basket.
A large bowl of fish boiled in thick white water was still steaming and not a bit spilled.
They really don't have anything to give away.
Tian Ge thought about it and took out all his private money - eighteen copper coins.
I bought a fish from Uncle Liu, a fisherman in the village.
The villagers usually catch small fish in the river, which have little meat and many bones.
Uncle Liu can catch big fish weighing five or six kilograms.
After hearing about his drowning, Uncle Liu took pity on him and sold him a big fish for eighteen copper coins, asking him not to tell anyone else.
Tian Ge sliced the fish and marinated it with salt and potato starch to lock in the moisture and ensure a fresh and tender taste.
Stir-fry the sliced ginger and minced garlic in oil, then add the fish head and bones and stir-fry until fragrant. Increase the heat and add boiling water.
The base soup is thick and white.
Add the fish fillets and cook until they change color, then pour the meat and soup into a large bowl.
Lettuce slices, bean sprouts and tofu are placed at the bottom of the big bowl in advance, and the hot soup makes the food taste refreshing.
The last step is also the most fragrant.
Put green peppercorns picked from the mountains and chopped green onions into the bowl.
Heat oil and drizzle.
The oil splashes and the aroma is fragrant.
You have to pay for oil and salt.
But if this dish is to taste good, these two ingredients are indispensable.
Tian Ge uses seasonings meticulously, carefully considering every drop of oil and every grain of salt, making the taste just right.
A fish, half of it is for the family to eat.
He packed half of it into a bamboo basket, mixed it with cucumbers and vegetables picked from the fields, and gave it to Qin Xiong.
It is the busy farming season, and my brother and sister-in-law are both busy.
Tian Ge originally wanted to ask his nephew Zhuangzhuang to go with him to deliver the gifts.
But the second brother insisted on accompanying him and said that they would go to see him off in the evening when there were more people around.
Everything is done in a clear and transparent manner, so those in the village who want to gossip have nowhere to go.
It’s closer to Qin Xiong’s home.
Qin Xiong lives in the northernmost part of the village, at the foot of the back mountain. This place is in the shade and never gets sunlight all year round.
Eerie.
Tian Ge has only been here a few times since she was a child.
It's only a dozen steps away.
A loud scream startled Tian Ge and made him tremble.
The second brother was behind him, putting his hand on his back.
The sound came from Qin Xiong's house. Qin Xiong was the only family living in this area.
"Brother, hit me! Just beat me to death. Third brother is your only real brother anyway, and you always look down on me!"
The young man's voice was full of energy. He held his head and emerged from the main door mumbling.
The man who came out next was holding a broom in his hand. He was taller than the man in front and obviously stronger.
It was Qin Xiong.
"That's Qin Xiong's second brother Qin Yong. You haven't seen him. After he got married this year, he set up his own family in Qianshan." Tian Er pointed at the man who was running away and said to Tian Ge.
Tian Ge nodded.
"Brother, you can't do this to me. I'm your biological brother. When the family was divided, I didn't take a single grain of rice. I'm only borrowing ten taels of silver from you. When my business is successful, I'll pay you back double or triple."
"roll."
“Brother…”
Tian Ge watched Qin Xiong beat the man away and even threw the broom far away.
Very fierce.
Tian Ge let his second brother walk in front of him.
He was approaching right in front of me.
Tian Ge hid most of her body behind her second brother and looked up at Qin Xiong.
So inch, just right to make eye contact with the person.
The anger from just now could still be vaguely seen in those sharp eyes, and the long scar on his cheek made him look even more ferocious.
Tian Ge thought, fortunately it was his second brother who accompanied him.
If Zhuangzhuang was a timid boy, he might have been scared to tears.
He lowered his eyes to avoid it, and suddenly saw Qin Xiong's black cloth shoes.
There was a hole in the toe of both shoes, revealing the toes.
It was a bit funny. Tian Ge couldn't help laughing in his heart, and he was not so afraid of this person anymore.
"Brother Qin, have you had dinner?" Tian Er greeted warmly.
Qin Xiong is twenty-six years old and Tian Er is twenty-four this year.
Qin Xiong also did their family a big favor, and Tian Er deserves to call him big brother.
"Yes." Qin Xiong nodded. "Come in and sit down. If you have anything to say, let's go inside and talk."
"That's great, sorry to bother you."
Since his second brother said so, Tian Ge had no choice but to follow him, step over the threshold and into the yard.
What comes into view is a small tiled house.
There is an annex on the right side of the tile-roofed house. A faint glow of fire can be seen inside. It should be the kitchen.
There was a thatched shed on the left side of the tile-roofed house, and the shed was full of neatly stacked firewood.
Everyone starts stockpiling firewood in the fall, and it's only summer now.
Tian Ge's family was considered hardworking, but they didn't have so much firewood. He couldn't help but take a few more glances.
"Brother, are there any guests coming?" A young man suddenly walked out of the kitchen with a bowl in his hand.
He looks to be no more than ten years old, with delicate features, but judging by his broad shoulders and tall stature, he doesn't look like a young boy.
Tian Ge couldn't help but compare them, but Qin Xiong had too much beard on his face, so he couldn't tell whether the two brothers looked alike.
Qin Xiong welcomed them to the kitchen and they sat around the fire pit.
The objects in the house were mostly in order, except for the firewood on the ground that was tilted here and there, and in the corners of the walls were piled shoes, hoes, sickles...
The bench against the wall was covered in dust, so Qin Xiong wiped it with corn leaves.
There was a pot in the middle of the fire pit, and in the pot was a bunch of wild vegetables of unclear species, mixed with pickles, corn kernels, and bacon slices, which smelled a bit burnt.
It looks like it has enough oil and water, but it just doesn't look very tasty.
"Brother Tian, Brother Tian, you haven't eaten yet, right? If you don't mind, let's eat together." Qin Bao enthusiastically went to get the bowl.
They had already known each other and knew that Qin Bao was Qin Xiong's younger brother.
He is also a man, only thirteen years old this year.
Tian Er quickly declined, saying that they came over after dinner.
Qin Xiong went to the outer room and poured two bowls of water.
There were some cracks on the edge of the bowl, but it was clean. There was steam in the bowl, which was hot water.
After walking all the way, Tian Ge was indeed thirsty.
Tian Er took two bowls of water and handed one to Tian Ge.
Tian Ge first made a "thank you" gesture to Qin Xiong and smiled.
Qin Xiong nodded to indicate that he understood, without any extra expression on his face, and did not speak.
This person is like the water at the bottom of the river, cool even in the hottest summer.
So cold.
Tian Ge turned around and decided to just be polite and not try to please others.
He held the bowl of water and sipped it.
!
Tian Ge opened his eyes wide in disbelief and tried it again.
It’s really sweet.
So sweet.
It's sweet water with sugar.
White sugar is very expensive, one hundred coins can only buy one pound, and one pound is only a tiny bit.
When Tian Ge was a child, he was sick and his mother gave him sweet water to drink.
For this reason, Tian Ge even pretended to be sick secretly. When he was pretending to be sick, he felt uneasy, but he still got to drink the sweet water as he wished every time.
Later, when he heard his mother making fun of him, Tian Ge realized that every time he pretended to be sick, his eyes were wandering and his sign language was trembling.
Whether it is true or false, mother can tell it at a glance.
Qin Xiong actually sweetened the water for him and his second brother to drink.
Tian Ge raised her eyes to observe, but Qin Xiong was talking to her second brother and this time she couldn't meet his eyes.
"Brother Qin, thanks to you for saving our Tian Ge's life that day." Tian Er took out the bamboo basket. "These vegetables are grown by us, and the boiled fish is made by Tian Ge. They are not expensive things. Don't despise them, Brother Qin."
The fish soup he made was served, but Tian Ge was so nervous that he didn't even have time to drink the sweet water.
Although his eyes didn't move, his ears were erect, listening to the movement.
Tian Er knew what his brother was thinking at a glance.
"My brother is a good cook. Everyone in the family likes the food he cooks." Tian Erhao praised him generously.
"Thank you." Qin Xiong took the bowl and said.
Nothing else to say.
Tian Ge's ears, which had been erected, drooped down and he sipped the sweet water in the bowl.
"Wow, Brother Xiaotian, this fish soup smells so good. Your cooking skills are amazing." Qin Bao was the one who gave him face and held his chopsticks eagerly, "I'm drooling just by smelling it."
Qin Bao picked up a piece of fish fillet, put it in his mouth, and wailed.
Tian Ge was startled and wondered what was wrong with the fish.
Qin Bao was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. "It's delicious, Brother Xiaotian. It's so delicious. I didn't know fish could taste like this. You didn't know that the fish my brother cooked was completely slag with only bones left."
"Qin Bao, even eating can't stop your mouth." Qin Xiong scolded.
Qin Bao shut up and concentrated on eating the fish with a smile on his face.
Looking at Tian Ge again, she had two shallow dimples on her cheeks when she smiled, and she was happy from the bottom of her heart.
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