Chapter 18: The Fragrance of Succulent Fish

With food in hand and a fish said to be delicious, Qin Huairu felt reassured and relaxed, her spirits unusually buoyant.

She said to Duan Chengliang, “Thank goodness for you; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what to do. Thank you.”

Duan Chengliang chuckled twice. “Sister Qin, look at me running around like this—how are you going to thank me?” Saying so, he reached out to pull Qin Huairu closer.

Her cheeks flushed, her body slightly weak, yet she first pried Duan Chengliang’s hand away. “Not so fast. I need to go back and cook for Banggeng first. I’ll come find you afterward. I can’t relax unless Banggeng is well fed.”

Duan Chengliang held her tightly and kissed her for a long while before letting her go. She returned to the courtyard carrying the flour and the fish.

…

Jia Zhang and Banggeng’s stomachs had long been growling with hunger. They were eagerly awaiting Qin Huairu’s return.

When they saw her come back with the flour and the strange-looking fish in hand, they were both surprised and delighted.

“Huairu, what’s that you’re holding? It looks kind of scary.”

Qin Huairu placed the flour on the table but didn’t answer Jia Zhang’s question. Earlier, Duan Chengliang had told her not to say much to Jia Zhang—just cook the fish and let her taste it. Naturally, she didn’t waste words.

Now, empowered by today’s financial matters, Qin Huairu held her ground firmly at home, smiling as she said to Banggeng, “You’re hungry, right? Don’t worry. Mom’s cooking now, and I’m making you some fish meat. It’s really tasty, just wait.”

If Banggeng weren’t so weak from hunger, he might have been jumping up and down in excitement. Just the thought of having fish meat made him happy, no matter what kind it was.

Jia Zhang found it strange but, seeing Qin Huairu ignore her questions, busied herself at the stove.

After preparing the cornmeal mush, Qin Huairu started cleaning the hairtail fish. Soon, the aroma of the cooked fish filled the room.

Jia Zhang’s earlier confusion vanished, replaced by an insatiable appetite. Banggeng could no longer sit still; despite his weakness, he hurried to the stove, eyes wide with anticipation.

Fortunately, the common northwest wind carried the smell straight to the front yard. Though no one in the middle courtyard noticed or stirred, the scent caused a commotion in the front yard.

…

Today, the fish aroma wasn't only wafting from Qin Huairu's house. Duan Chengliang in the front yard was also enjoying fish meat with steamed bread made from a mixture of corn and wheat.

Most families these days went to bed early. The Yan family opposite, led by Yan Bugui, especially advocated early sleep and late rising to maximize time in bed and conserve grain.

As his family nibbled on small cornbread and a bowl of cornmeal porridge, they suddenly caught the scent of fish drifting through the air. Half-asleep, they instantly woke up.

Yan Bugui sat up in bed and asked Yang Ruihua, “Who’s stewing fish at this hour?”

Since he often went fishing as a side hobby, he was quite sensitive to the smell of fish.

He got out of bed, put on his shoes, sniffed the air, and followed the scent toward the outer room.

Unexpectedly, he ran into his sons, Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang, there.

The three exchanged glances. Yan Jiecheng smiled awkwardly and said, “Dad, who’s that? It’s too much. It’s bedtime; how can someone be cooking fish now? How are we supposed to sleep?”

Yan Jiefang grumbled beside him, “Yeah, who’s so shameless?”

Yan Bugui didn’t reply but opened the window slightly to look outside. He saw the lights still on in Duan Chengliang’s house opposite, took a deep sniff of the fish aroma, and said, “It must be Duan Chengliang cooking fish. The kid’s not sleeping at this late hour, secretly eating fish. Probably afraid someone will take it from him.”

Qin Huairu had cleaned the fish, which weighed over three pounds, but was reluctant to cook too much. She made less than a third of it.

When the fish meat and cornmeal mush were set on the table, Banggeng could barely contain himself.

After eagerly tasting a bite, he exclaimed, “Mom, the fish is delicious! So good! Come try it!”

Seeing Jia Zhang already holding her chopsticks nearby, Qin Huairu smiled and said, “Banggeng, eat quickly. Mom already tasted it when cooking.”

Luckily, although Jia Zhang was greedy, she wasn’t selfish enough to snatch food from her well-behaved grandson. She let Banggeng have most of the fish, only dipping a bit herself.

…

Though the fish meat was not abundant, the grandfather and grandson were extremely satisfied. Jia Zhang couldn’t help but ask, “Huairu, what kind of fish did you buy? It looks so strange but tastes really good. At first, it felt a bit odd, but after a few bites, I got used to it.”

Qin Huairu replied casually, “I don’t know what kind of fish it is. I had someone help buy it. If you like it, I’ll try to find out and see if we can get more.”

Jia Zhang was excited. “If you can get more, that would be wonderful.”

Banggeng happily added, “Mom, I want to eat this fish again. I haven’t had enough.”

“No problem. We’ll have more tomorrow. I only cooked a small portion this time.”

Qin Huairu was very happy now. Seeing Banggeng enjoy his meal eased her heart.

In the front yard, the Yan family’s lively chatter finally quieted down only after the enticing fish aroma faded.

Wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, Yan Bugui waved his hand impatiently at the family crowded by the window. “Go back to sleep. Tomorrow during the day, I’ll ask Duan Chengliang where he got the fish. Could he have been secretly fishing or involved in some shady dealings? Humph.”

Meanwhile, in the middle courtyard, Qin Huairu tossed and turned until late into the night, never finding a chance to slip over to Duan Chengliang’s place in the front yard.

Jia Zhang, having not eaten meat for a long time, developed diarrhea after eating fish once.

She was tormented, initially unhappy and wanting to complain about the fish’s cleanliness.

But Qin Huairu, feeling hot and uncomfortable herself and in a bad mood, replied, “Banggeng ate more than you, and look how soundly he’s sleeping without a peep. Maybe you’re just not suited to meat. You should eat more cornmeal mush and cabbage shreds. You’ve never had diarrhea from those.”

Jia Zhang clicked her tongue, said nothing, and could only endure it. She couldn’t help but mutter inwardly that her daughter-in-law seemed very different from before, not as easygoing as she used to be.

…