"Spicy boiled fish and pickled fish are both Sichuan dishes, and they are both quite spicy..." Chen Lishu patiently explained the cooking methods to everyone.
In her previous life, to survive, she had cooked for others at construction sites and learned many cooking methods from the masters there.
Listening to her explanation, not only were the younger ones drooling with anticipation, but the adults were also eager to try.
"I'll borrow a net tomorrow and go to the river with my elder brothers to catch fish." Gu Xingye was a practical person, acting on his ideas immediately. Da Feng Fiction Network.
"It's so cold, and there are only a few days left for rest. After the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, everyone will have to carry manure to the fields. Fourth brother, don't just chase after rumors." Gu Xingmin was somewhat reluctant.
"Second brother, don't you want to eat it? Then you won't get any if I catch them." Gu Xingye frowned and glanced at him, then turned to Gu Xingguo, "Elder brother, are you going?"
"Yes." Gu Xingguo nodded. Eating was eating, and he was happy to put in some effort seeing his wife and children eating heartily.
"I didn't say I wouldn't go." Seeing that his elder brother had agreed, Gu Xingmin grumbled reluctantly.
The next day, although it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, rural areas didn't have as many customs as later times where one had to visit relatives. With a lot of work to do, the New Year was considered over after the thirty. Everyone went back to their usual activities.
Gu Xingye indeed borrowed a fishing net from someone else, and Gu Shoufu took his brothers to break the ice and cast the nets. The women stayed by the stove making hair ornaments.
By the end of the day, each of them had sewn dozens.
As dusk fell, the father and sons returned. Gu Xingye was carrying a large water bucket, containing over a dozen fish of various sizes. Some were three to four catties, while the smallest were only slightly larger than a palm.
"When we went, others were also fishing, so this is all we could catch."
In winter, with not much else to do, many people didn't mind the trouble to catch some food. Moreover, the river wasn't large, and it had been collectively fished by the production team before the festival. Catching so many was already quite difficult.
"Let's take out two for today, and keep the rest in the water. We can give two to each of you to take back to your parents' homes tomorrow."
"Xingmin, I think these two are good. Let's take these two tomorrow." Liu Yuemin looked into the bucket and immediately pointed to two of the largest ones.
"Second sister-in-law, you're really good at picking, always going for the biggest ones." Gu Xingye couldn't stand her petty attitude and couldn't help but comment.
"Look at what fourth brother is saying. Who wouldn't pick the big ones? Isn't that foolish? Would anyone pick the small ones?"
"Second sister-in-law thinks everyone else is foolish."
"Alright, let's hurry and cook."
Gu Shoufu put down what he was holding and said a sentence before returning to his own room.
"I'll start cooking." Chen Lishu collected her things and said to Gu Xingye as she passed, "Fourth brother, help me take the fish to the kitchen to clean."
Hearing her, Gu Xingye immediately bent down and followed with the bucket.
"Third sister-in-law, I'll help you." Zhang Qin thought for a moment and also followed.
The family already had dried chili peppers. Chen Lishu sliced the fish that Gu Xingye had cleaned and shredded the washed pickled vegetables. Although the pickled vegetables preserved at home weren't as refreshing as pickled in brine, it was better than nothing.
When she finally stir-fried the dried chili segments and poured the hot oil over the simmered fish soup, the aroma immediately filled the air.
Since she was making pickled fish, Chen Lishu didn't make any other dishes. The staple was baked corn cakes.
Taking a bite of the sweet and fragrant corn cake, and then sipping the rich and aromatic pickled fish soup, one felt a warm sense of satisfaction.
"Third sister-in-law, this is too delicious." Gu Xingye was so pleased that he almost swallowed his tongue, feeling that the cold he endured all day was worth it.
Gu Xingping was also very satisfied. "Yes, third sister-in-law, it would be great if we could eat pickled fish every day."
"Third aunt cooks really well." Gu Zhao, Gu Xingguo's eldest son, had already gotten up to get his third bowl.
Liu Yuemin felt a bit displeased hearing everyone praising Chen Lishu. "It smells good because you used so much oil, doesn't it?"
Chen Lishu looked up at her. "If everyone likes it, I'll make it again next time. At worst, I'll buy more fatty pork in town next time to get more oil."
She had money, and she was willing.
Liu Yuemin choked, about to say more, but was given a stern look by Li Xiulan, and she lowered her head to eat obediently.
In a blink of an eye, it was the second day of the Lunar New Year. Chen Lishu took the bought braised meat, fruit candy, and the two fish caught yesterday and returned to her maiden home alone.
Unlike Liu Yueming, who picked the largest ones, she chose two crucian carp weighing about one catty each. Wu Chunmei was still recovering from childbirth, and it was perfect for simmering with tofu to make soup for her recovery.
The Chen family had everything prepared early in the morning, waiting for her return. The sisters, Chen Liyuan, even ran to the courtyard gate to wait for her. As soon as they saw her figure, they immediately rushed to greet her.
Chen Lishu handed over the items in her hands and bent down to pick up the youngest, Chen Lijuan. "Did you miss your big sister?"
Chen Lijuan's sparse yellow hair was tied into two pigtails, and her round little face was particularly endearing. Hearing Chen Lishu's question, she nodded heavily. "I missed you."
"Big sister, you actually bought candy?" Chen Lifei happily exclaimed, and after being lightly slapped on the back by her second sister, Chen Liyuan, she said, "Why are you shouting so loud? Aren't you afraid others will hear?"
The sisters chatted as they entered the courtyard. Chen Mantun was also rubbing his hands, waiting for her by the door of the house.
Upon entering the house, Chen Mantun had already prepared four dishes. Chen Lishu took out another twenty cents and asked Chen Feifei to buy two pieces of tofu so she could simmer crucian carp and tofu soup for Wu Chunmei.
Chen Mantun also sliced the pig's head meat she brought, making a total of six dishes.
Seeing the six dishes laid out on the table, the younger ones all looked on expectantly, their mouths watering uncontrollably. They had never eaten so many dishes before, with both fish and meat. On New Year's Day, their father had only made two dishes to save food for their big sister.
After eating, Chen Lishu chatted with everyone for a while. Seeing that her seventh sister, Chen Lizi, was also doing well, she left in the afternoon and returned to the Gu family.
In a blink of an eye, after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the production teams gradually resumed work. The men all went to carry the frozen manure fertilizer to the fields. The women also had to prepare to carry seeds and so on.
Before the fifteenth day, Chen Lishu went to town again. Besides delivering hair ornaments, she also went to the garment factory because she was running out of fabric scraps.
As usual, five hundred hair ornaments, seventy-five yuan. This time there was no horse-drawn carriage, so she didn't buy as much, only twenty catties of fabric scraps from Liu Xiaoting.
"Niece, what exactly are you doing running to town every day? You're not up to no good, are you?"
Just as she opened her own courtyard gate, she saw Widow Liu, who had just come out of her toilet, peeking over the wall.
Her small, rat-like eyes scanned Chen Lishu from head to toe like radar, finally settling on the large bag on her shoulder.