Chapter 34: A Thousand Stews of Tofu, Ten Thousand Stews of Fish

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Host: Su Yu
Age: 19
Physique: 10
Strength: 15
Speed: 10
Skills: Fishing Lv3+, Basic Archery Lv9+, Tracking IV+4, Combat Lv1, Dog Training Lv1.

Su Yu and Huzi were both injured, forcing them to take a day off. Bored and idle, Su Yu decided to train his dog, Heizi, in basic commands like standing up, sitting down, and retrieving objects. To his surprise, within half a day, he had unlocked a new skill, and Heizi was learning remarkably well. After just one day, Heizi understood most commands: lying down, crouching, fetching items, staying quiet, and tracking objects Su Yu had buried. Like a game of hide-and-seek, Su Yu would hide something and Heizi would search for it; the two of them genuinely mastered the skill.

During the day, Xu Xiaoya stopped by to visit him and also went to Huzi’s house, aiming to be fair and avoid any misunderstandings. Su Yu didn't really care; he was indifferent. If she came by out of politeness, he would simply receive her with politeness.

Su Yu went to check on Huzi, who was lively and energetic, though his arm was restricted; any large movement caused him pain.
"Brother Yu, why are you here? Are you planning to head into the mountains today?"
"I came to see if you were dead. Seeing you bouncing around, I guess you’re fine."
Huzi gave a foolish grin and scratched his head. "I'm fine, just a bit of pain and bruising in my arm. It should be better in a couple of days."
"Good, as long as you're okay. I’m going to check out the Deep Pool Lake. Want to come?"
Since Huzi’s injury was limited to one arm, it didn't hinder his ability to walk or watch the fun.
"What, are you trying to catch a soft-shelled turtle for Manager Fan? Those things are hard to handle. Didn't you injure your waist? Will you be alright?"
Su Yu moved around a bit to show he was fine.
"Alright then, let me put on some clothes. Wait for me."
Huzi was bored stiff being home alone; as long as he didn't get into the water, he would be fine. Su Yu grabbed a bucket, a shovel, and a backpack, and headed downstream with Huzi.
"Stay here, I’m going down to get some loaches."
"Uh... what do you want with those? They don't taste very good."
Su Yu rolled up his pant legs and waded into the water, explaining, "The loaches aren't for us to eat; they're bait for the turtles."

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Su Yu went into the water and found a patch of mud, starting to dig with his shovel. The lake water turned murky, and soon he had dug up several loaches. Since the villagers didn't eat them, they had no natural predators and were quite abundant.
"Let's go, keep moving."
The two soon reached the downstream area, where an underground river formed a pool. The water was very deep, likely around ten meters.
"Are there really turtles here? I thought they only lived in shallow water."
"There are many kinds of turtles. The ones you're talking about are hard to catch, but these specific ones are much easier. Just wait."
Su Yu took a bamboo pole, tied on a line and hook, sliced up a loach, baited the hook, and lowered it into the pool. The two sat by the water; Su Yu lit a cigarette, chatting with Huzi while fishing. Catching a big fish would be a nice bonus, too.
"At this rate, we won't catch a turtle all day, right?"
"We’re both injured today, so we might as well give it a shot. If I recover enough by tomorrow, I can try diving in to take a look."
"Brother Yu, you know how to dive? This pool is tens of meters deep. If something goes wrong, it could be fatal."
Su Yu smiled without saying much, thinking to himself that as long as his system points were sufficient, a little diving would be a breeze. Without the system, would he have dared to promise Manager Fan?
"It’s biting... and it’s got quite a pull."
The water surface began to churn. Su Yu sighed; it wasn't a turtle—the movement was too violent, clearly a fish. Sure enough, after a short struggle, a large black carp was pulled up.
"Whoa... that fish must weigh twenty pounds, right?"
Su Yu’s strength was barely enough to hold the bamboo pole; it was lucky the pole was wet and flexible, or it would have snapped.
"Damn, we don't have a landing net. How do we get it up? If I just drag it, the line might break, or the fish’s mouth might not hold its weight."
"Hold this for me."
Su Yu handed the pole to Huzi. Huzi’s right hand still worked, though it was a bit of a struggle. Su Yu dashed into the forest and returned shortly with a makeshift harpoon. Since they lacked a net, spearing it was the only way. Su Yu approached the large fish, pierced its gills with one strike, and hauled it up.
"Good man! Even though we didn't catch a turtle, this isn't a wasted trip."
Su Yu rebaited the hook with a piece of loach and cast it back into the deep pool. Killing that large fish had earned him three skill points—a massive profit.
"If there are so many fish here, why don't the villagers come to fish? It’s not like they don't eat fish, right?"
Su Yu glanced at Huzi and muttered, "Are you stupid or am I? Don't you know that animals come to drink here? Unless you're a hunter, who would step foot here easily? What if you ran into a tiger or a pack of wolves? Wouldn't you be done for?"

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"Ah, then let’s head back quickly! Isn't it dangerous?"
Su Yu raised the harpoon, signaling Huzi to stay calm.
"Ever heard of wild men hunting with javelins? This thing works just like one. As long as it’s not a massive predator, I can take it down in one shot."
Huzi rolled his eyes and urged earnestly, "Stop messing around, I’m serious."
"Don't worry. We’re on high ground, and predators don't usually drink here. Besides, it’s my waist that’s hurt, not you. Your legs are fine, so you can definitely outrun me. What are you afraid of?"
As they talked, Huzi calmed down and stopped rushing to leave. Su Yu hadn't come here on a whim or without preparation; he wasn't lying. Although he wasn't a professional javelin thrower, he was a master at spearing fish. If any blind wolf or the like showed up, one thrust would surely send them packing.
"Something else is biting. It’s got some strength. It wouldn't be another fish, would it?"
As Su Yu pulled, a soft-shelled turtle was successfully lifted out, weighing a full eight pounds.
"Haha, we’re in luck! We don't have to dive after all; our mission is complete."
As they say, things happen when you least expect them. They were just killing time, but after moving the hook slightly closer to the shore, they had caught a turtle. It took a great effort to remove the hook from the turtle's jaw before placing it in the bucket.
"Let’s go, let’s go. This place is not meant for lingering, lest we actually run into a large predator."
With the bucket and their gear, they headed back.
"We’ll deliver this turtle to Manager Fan tomorrow. Another tidy profit."
Both were overjoyed, and taking advantage of the empty village entrance, they snuck back to Su Yu’s house.
"I’ll dress the fish and give you half to take home. Let your parents have a taste of something fresh, too."
Huzi didn't stand on ceremony and nodded, taking the turtle home.
Not long after, Su Yu came over with a basin and handed it to Huzi.
"The fish is split down the middle, including the head. You get half, I get half. Put in some tofu, and I guarantee it’ll taste incredible."
"Heh, I’ll go buy some tofu from Uncle Ren’s place. You don't need to go; just wait for me."
Huzi returned with a block of tofu. Su Yu cut the fish into small pieces, heated oil in the pot, sautéed the fish, added the tofu, water, and salt, then covered it and stoked the fire to let it simmer. As the saying goes, "A thousand boils for tofu, ten thousand for fish." When cooked together, the broth turns a milky white and becomes incredibly fragrant.
"Brother Yu, is dinner ready?"
Just as the fish was stewing, his little sister caught the scent and arrived home.