This is a typical southern rural living room with a mud floor and walls blackened by the stove fire. Simple bamboo chairs and wooden tables are placed in the room.
There was a pile of fishing gear in the corner. Although it was simple, it was still neatly arranged.
An old woman was sitting by the stove, lighting a fire. When she saw them come in, she quickly stood up and looked at them curiously.
"Thank you, uncle! Thank you, aunt!" Lu Qingyang and Chen Mo thanked them repeatedly and hurried into the house. Fearing that the rain would get their bodies too wet, they stood cautiously near the door.
"Oh, I'm soaked! Come over to the stove and warm yourself up by the fire!"
The old woman greeted warmly.
The enthusiastic lady caught a glimpse of the string of sea fish and prawns that they had placed on the eaves of the door. The fish and prawns were strung together with straw ropes and were occasionally jumping.
"Hey, you guys also bought fish? These shrimps are pretty fresh."
The old lady's eyes lit up. She walked over, picked up the string of seafood, and looked at it. "This rain won't stop for a while. You didn't eat lunch, did you? It's useless to leave it there. I'll clean it up for you and cook it here so you can have something hot!"
Lu Qingyang waved his hands quickly: "Auntie, this is too much trouble for you! It's already very disturbing for us to hide from the rain, how can I have the nerve to ask you to do more trouble..."
"Oh, what's the trouble?" The old lady interrupted him quickly. These fish and shrimps must be eaten fresh. If they are left for too long, they will be spoiled. We are close to the sea, so getting some fish and shrimps is the most convenient. The stove is burning brightly, so we will be ready soon. Go to the inner room and change your wet clothes to avoid catching a cold."
The old man nodded honestly beside him: "Let's listen to her, her cooking skills are not bad."
Unable to refuse such a kind offer, Lu Qingyang and Chen Mo had no choice but to express their gratitude repeatedly.
The old lady was busy at the stove. She scraped the scales, removed the internal organs, and cleaned the fish with deft movements, using the heavy kitchen knife with incredible skill.
The old man was adding firewood to the stove, and steam was starting to rise from the water in the big iron pot on the stove.
There are no complicated seasonings, just a few slices of ginger, a pinch of coarse salt, and a little homemade fish sauce or shrimp paste.
The old lady put the processed fish into the boiling hot water, and then set up another small pot to blanch the prawns in clear water.
Soon, a fresh and sweet fragrance filled the entire small hall.
"Come on, come on, eat while it's hot!" The old lady brought a large basin of milky white fish soup and a large plate of red boiled shrimp to the table. She also brought a few coarse porcelain bowls and a small dish of simple dipping sauce. "Have some to warm yourself up."
The fish soup is snow-white and steaming hot. When you take a sip, a warm current instantly spreads from your stomach to every part of your body.
The boiled shrimp is firm and chewy, with a natural sweetness. Dipping it in a simple ginger vinegar sauce makes it a supreme delicacy.
Lu Qingyang and Chen Mo were drinking delicious fish soup and repeatedly invited the old couple to eat some together. The old man couldn't resist and symbolically scooped some soup in a small bowl. The old woman smiled and waved her hand, saying that she was still watching the fire on the stove.
At this moment, footsteps were heard from the yard. A dark-skinned young man, about 27 years old, wearing a wet straw raincoat, lowered his head and rushed into the main room, muttering:
"This rain is really weird, it's so heavy as soon as it's said..."
When he looked up, he suddenly saw two strange young men sitting in the room. He was stunned for a moment, with a puzzled look on his face: "Mom and Dad, these two...?"
The old man quickly put down his bowl and stood up. "Is the army back? It's okay, it's okay. These two were passing by and got stuck in the rain. Come to our house to take shelter."
He turned to Lu Qingyang and introduced to Chen Mo, "This is my son, Bao Dajun, from the production team's fishing team. He came back early today after the rain."
Bao Dajun looked at Lu Qingyang and Chen Mo, the vigilance in his eyes had not completely disappeared.
This is not surprising, the fishing village is relatively isolated, and it is normal for people to be wary of strangers, not to mention that these two people obviously do not look local.
Lu Qingyang immediately stood up, extended his hand, and explained with a frank smile:
"Hello, Dajun, excuse me. My name is Lu Qingyang, and this is my love. We came here for an inspection, but we didn't expect to encounter such a heavy rain, and the car couldn't move. Fortunately, the uncle and aunt were kind enough to let us in to shelter from the rain and even made us fish soup. Thank you so much!"
Bao Dajun also extended his hand and Lu Qingyang shook it: "Oh, it's okay, just hide from the rain, it's raining heavily, and the dirt road is like mud after the rain."
He took off his raincoat and hung it behind the door.
The old lady quickly served her son a bowl of hot soup and said, "Come on, Dajun, have a bowl of soup to ward off the cold. These two volunteers also bought fish and shrimp and insisted that we eat together."
Bao Dajun took the bowl and was relieved when he saw the basin of fish and shrimp on the table. He smiled at Lu Qingyang a little embarrassedly:
"My home is simple, please don't be surprised. You can eat and feel free to eat."
The atmosphere became harmonious, and the four of them sat around drinking soup and eating shrimp.
Bao Dajun was a down-to-earth person, and after a few mouthfuls of hot soup, he started to talk a little more.
He sighed, his tone filled with deep sorrow:
"Oh, don't even mention it. I don't know what's wrong with the situation today. The fishing season near the coast is much less than usual. The catch from each trip often doesn't even cover the cost of gas. Several of our old boats are always breaking down, and repairs are another expense. These days feel like they're getting worse and worse. It's so hard."
He paused, his eyes fixed on the gradually shrinking rain outside the door. He spoke with a mixture of confusion and longing, "I heard that out there... and even further away, the policy has been relaxed, allowing for individual business and contracting. It seems like a lot of people are thinking about going out and trying their luck, trying to find a way to make a living. I'm also feeling overwhelmed, but I don't know where to go or what to do..."
Listening to their son's words, the old couple also had worries on their faces and sighed in silence.
Going out and exploring the world is something that is both unfamiliar and full of risks for them.
At this moment, Lu Qingyang slowly shook his head and put down the bowl:
"Brother Dajun, I understand your difficulties, but I think that going out to explore the world is one option, but staying at home may not mean there are no great opportunities."
"Oh?" Bao Dajun looked at him puzzledly. "What great opportunities can we have guarding this fishing village? Besides fishing, what else can we do?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
