Reunion Fish Soup
It took a few more days than expected. Meng Yan wandered back and forth in the nearby market, feeling that one person was inefficient. Since there were more mechanical kites, wouldn't it be a waste to leave them unused? So he called on everyone to come out for some fresh air and took the opportunity to explore the surrounding market.
"Brother Li, when you go to negotiate business, just keep the costs within the range written on the paper. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If one business doesn't work out, try another one."
"Brother Hao, go cry with Brother Li. When others raise prices, just cry. Do whatever makes you poor and desperate."
"The rest of you senior brothers and sisters, come with me these next few days to make a new set of tools. They're really useful. Once we've finished making the replicas, I'll go back and return the originals to the old gentleman."
Li Li nodded: "Okay."
The senior brothers and sisters who stayed in the valley: "Okay."
Howling Senior Brother: "Okay, but who is Howling Senior Brother?"
Everyone turned to look at him, the answer was obvious, and their unspoken understanding made them laugh involuntarily.
"Me?" Senior Brother Hao's eyes widened in disbelief, but he accepted the new title in an instant and resignedly smacked his head: "Fine!"
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Everything proceeded busily but in an orderly fashion; the fish, crabs, and geese in the stream were still fighting.
On her sixth trip to the stream to end the power struggle between the two overlords, Meng Yan grabbed the goose by the neck and shook it, listening to its two "quack quack" accusations. She then shook the net basket that often caused trouble in the water, feeling the slight reduction in weight. After some deep thought, she went to the kitchen to visit her junior brother.
"Senior sister, you really cook it in different ways every day, steaming, boiling, stewing, and stir-frying it several times. We can't finish it all, we simply can't finish it all!"
The junior sister, who was also deeply affected, was also distressed: "Not only have we tried all the recipes and tasted all the flavors, but everyone's curiosity about these things has also decreased day by day. They are not as filling as steamed buns, nor as convenient as porridge. Eating them is like getting tired of them and then dipping them in some seasoning. Nobody eats them all the time."
"Except for Master," the junior brother quietly added.
"Yes, except for Master! He always happily takes a few bites every day, and he always avoids everyone. Sometimes I really want to cook it and just take it to his room. What's there to be ashamed of at his age? Besides, no one is going to take it from him." The junior sister perked up when she mentioned this, but her junior brother kept giving her meaningful glances.
Meng Yan poked the fish head, which was about to die, and asked, "Are fewer and fewer people eating it?"
"By the day after tomorrow at the latest, I will be able to cook for him alone in front of my master's door."
I've considered that people might not be very accepting of seafood due to dietary differences, but it's too unfair to both sides to the point of such a dismal situation.
"Here's what we'll do: you guys keep some to marinate until everyone's forgotten what they taste like before you cook them. I'll take the rest to give away, so we don't have to argue with Da Bai and Er Bai anymore." Meng Yan gestured excitedly and slammed the hammer down, making the fish on the cutting board roll their eyes.
"What about Master..."
She readily explained, "Just say that the goose stole the fish and let it escape. It was so angry that it challenged the shrimp and crabs, but it got a few feathers pinched off and then all of them ran away. What you've been pickling is all that's in the valley."
A perfectly planned scheme; aside from Li the Traitor and the two geese, everyone in the valley was overjoyed.
The conversation took place in the morning, and the man and the fish escaped in the afternoon. The afternoon nap was the best time to escape; if they didn't run away now, when would they?
A dark shadow obscured the sky and vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye.
Flying away from Ping'an Valley, Meng Yan headed straight for the wealthy man's mansion, dropping his belongings and running off without a word. Along the way, he encountered a tailor returning from buying cloth, and gave her a ride, accidentally slipping some fish into her hand before parting. Finding the residence of his fishing net partner, Meng Yan knocked, delivered, and closed the door. After several trips, the mechanical kite was a sight to behold.
When giving fish to people, she would just hand it over and run away based on her gut feeling. Now that all her acquaintances have fallen victim to her cruelty, there are not many fish left, and there is no need to give them any more gifts.
Taking them back would be tantamount to admitting guilt without being asked. Meng Yan lingered in the woods for a long time before finally turning around and heading towards that place he rarely visited but could not forget.
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Carrying the leftover fish to the door, Meng Yan saw her reflection in the door studs and felt a moment of panic—her long hair was disheveled by the wind, her dress was wrinkled and stained with water, and she held a tattered net bag that kept dripping water.
Looking up at the red door, she paused for a moment, then quietly tightened her grip on the fishing net, took a deep breath, and kicked the door open.
Who is it?
A gentle female voice approached from afar. The two women were startled when they opened the door, but their surprise quickly faded with laughter. The mother reached out to take the heavy object from Meng Yan's hand, but Meng Yan nimbly dodged her and gestured with her chin towards the courtyard.
The old wooden door echoed with a long, drawn-out sound, scaring away the birds perched in the trees. A few feathers drifted down. Meng Yan was glad she had knocked with her foot; if she had used her hand, she might have had to pay for the door before she could leave.
Her mother circled around her, trying several times to take the things from her hands, but she stopped her each time. The net bag had been spilling water all the way since she came in, and her clothes were stained with a lot of fishy water, so she didn't want to add to her mother's burden.
Today is neither a holiday nor a day of etiquette, and there is no one else at home, which is why she dared to barge in looking so disheveled. Her mother wouldn't mind, and she wouldn't care what others thought.
The two fetched buckets and water, hurriedly removing the clutter blocking their path. Only then could Meng Yan free his hands to hug his mother, nuzzling against her fragrant gray hair, just like when he was a child.
"Mother guessed there would be many people behind the door, but no one expected it to be our Jian'er." Her mother's hand wiped her face again and again, tidying her hair and wiping away the dust from the road.
"Why are you so busy today? If you're so busy, you don't need to come see your mother." Her mother's gaze swept over her clothes, feeling distressed and heartbroken, as if her eyes had been pricked by a cold needle.
Meng Yan shook his head, pointed to the lively fish in the bucket, and gestured to the water stains on his body, making up a story about catching fish to tell his mother. He rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs, making it seem like he really knew what he was doing.
"These fish were all caught by Jian'er himself?" The mother praised the fish for being plump and big, and talked about how delicious the soup would be, but her eyes never left Meng Yan.
How could he not feel this burning concern? Meng Yan put down the fish, wiped his hands clean, and leaned close to his mother, gesturing carefully as he said, "I want to drink the soup you make, Mother."
The mother, doubting her own eyes, wiped away her tears and held her daughter's hand to confirm again, "Jian'er, do you want to stay for dinner?"
"Mm," Meng Yan replied, tightening his sleeves and nodding towards the kitchen.
"You can rest outside. You're already tired from rushing back. Don't go inside and get smoked by the firewood. I'll call you to serve the soup when I've finished cooking."
She coaxed Meng Yan as she always had, thinking that she would nod and sit obediently in the yard counting the fallen leaves, just like when she was a child, until she served the rice and called her. But Meng Yan didn't answer, stuck out her tongue at her, and went into the woodshed.
The shadow had been inside for a while before the mother's expression softened. She smiled very softly, shook her head, and walked towards the kitchen.
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In the evening, Lin Yu returned home full of complaints. His faded robes had a few more patches than before. He was about to get angry when he smelled the aroma of fish and saw smoke rising from the chimney. Dinner must be ready.
The closer he got to the woodshed, the stronger the aroma became. He thought it was a treat that could only be enjoyed during festivals and holidays, and there would be a gap of several months between each occasion. Even if he missed it, he could only go to a friend's house for a couple of bites, while his own family would still eat white rice with yellow noodles.
He didn't remember leaving any money to buy fish, nor did he think Meng Shuang would have the money to do such a thing. She stayed at home all day, busy with laundry and cooking. How could she have the means or ability to earn money? If that was the case, then only his good daughter Lin Yun was left. If she could be chosen by a rich young man like her sister, he wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of his life. Not only food and drink, but all the things he had never dared to dream of in the past would be brought to him by his extravagant son-in-law.
Adopting the airs of a father-in-law, Lin Yu strolled around the main room as if nothing was amiss. He looked around, but not only did he not see his eligible bachelor, Lin Yun was nowhere to be seen either. His dream was shattered, and his anger subsided. He immediately roared in the room.
Beside the earthen stove, Meng Yan put the last piece of firewood into the stove. With a bang, sparks flew everywhere, and the whole stick broke into several pieces in an instant. She raised her eyebrows and poked them deeper into the stove.
"No need to add firewood, Jian'er. It'll be ready in no time. The steam is scorching, so go outside and hide." Her mother kept an eye on her while chopping vegetables. When she heard the sound of firewood, she put down her knife and turned around. She was only relieved to see that Jian'er was alright.
Lin Yu's roar echoed in Meng Yan's ears. He had heard it clearly ever since Lin Yu returned home. From the time Meng Yan waited peacefully until Lin Yu fell ill, less than a quarter of an hour had passed, and the roar hadn't changed at all. Meng Yan thought it would be better to watch the firewood; at least that would be more peaceful.
"If you don't want to go out, then be careful when I lift the lid of the pot later, don't get burned." Lin Yu's voice was so loud that even the knife that was constantly moving couldn't be stopped. As soon as she heard it, she understood why Meng Yan didn't want to go out. Helplessly, she glanced at the main room and gently reminded Meng Yan.
Just in time to make her move, Meng Yan appeared in the courtyard. She walked to the front of the main room, knocked on the open door, and without giving the people inside a second glance, she withdrew and went straight to the table to find a seat.
When Lin Yu was interrupted by her, his raised hand was heading towards Lin Yun's cheek. Disturbed by her, he reluctantly withdrew his hand, shook off his clothes, and stepped into the courtyard as if nothing had happened.
"Why did you come back without telling me beforehand? I didn't even have time to cook you a nice welcome-back meal."
Meng Yan glanced at him, thinking to himself that he wasn't stupid. He hadn't seen him enter the kitchen for years. Even when there was a banquet, his mother had to handle everything by herself. He could only say polite words in front of outsiders, but he still had the nerve to say them at home. He really didn't know where to put his face.
Lin Yu finished speaking but received no response. Feeling awkward, he could only call out to Lin Yun inside the house: "Yun'er, come out and eat. Bring an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks. Your sister is here tonight too. It's a rare opportunity for us to have a family reunion dinner."
The hypocritical kindness sent a chill down Meng Yan's spine. Just then, her mother came out with a bowl of hot fish soup, so she followed her and carried her and her mother's bowls and chopsticks back to the table.
Lin Yun had just stood by the table when Lin Yu tapped on it. "What are you standing there for? Are you waiting for the bowls and chopsticks to fly over by themselves?"
After several twists and turns, the family finally sat down together. The warmth of the fish soup masked the chill of late autumn, as if the cold of the past was just an illusion.
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