Chapter 7: The Most Delicious Taste I've Ever Experienced in This Life
When Xiao Weiguo returned home, the children trailing behind him did not leave; instead, they lingered at the doorway, watching him. In these times, children’s bellies were empty of oil and nourishment. They could only taste meat during the New Year—on any other day, to hope for a mouthful of meat was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Everyone was barely scraping by.
Of course, life in the city was a different story altogether.
He paid the children no further mind. With brisk efficiency, Xiao Weiguo lit the stove, first boiling a large pot of water to have on hand.
Then, on the floor, he began to clean the black fish. The most troublesome part of preparing black fish was always the slimy coating and the scales.
Yet, in his previous life, Xiao Weiguo’s greatest passion had been crafting and savoring all manner of delicacies. He was well-versed in the handling of various ingredients and all the little tricks of the kitchen.
To deal with the black fish’s mucus, first you had to scald its skin with water at about eighty degrees Celsius; the slime would then wash away easily.
Next came the scaling, gutting, and other preparations.
Today, he planned to make a black fish soup. It was a pity there was no tofu—if only he had some, a black fish and tofu soup would be so fragrant it could knock a man’s teeth loose.
He glanced at the potatoes in the kitchen corner; there was nothing to be done, so black fish and potato soup it would be.
He found the jar of lard; only a third remained. Without hesitation, he scooped out a large spoonful and dropped it into the pot.
His grandmother, seeing this reckless extravagance, cried out in agitation, “My dear boy, do you not plan to live through the year? That’s far too much. This lard must last us until the New Year!”
Only then did Xiao Weiguo realize this was not his former life, the era where oil was as plentiful as water. “Sorry, Grandma. I’ll be more careful next time.”
To make black fish soup with a beautifully milky white broth, the key was to fry the fish pieces until both sides were golden, add ginger to release its aroma, and then pour in the boiling water straight from the pot.
He piled on the firewood, letting the pot simmer at high heat until the fish and water melded perfectly together. Gradually, the broth turned a creamy white.
Next, he chopped the potatoes into chunks and tossed them in, reducing the heat and letting them cook until tender.
Finally, just before serving, he seasoned the soup with salt.
A pot of fragrant, enticing black fish soup was ready.
The rich, milky color alone was mouth-watering.
“Wow, Big Brother, it smells amazing,” said Xiao Weijun, who was standing by the stove.
Xiao Hongmei and Xiao Lianxin also returned halfway through the cooking. He ushered them into the main room to sit with their grandmother and wait for the meal.
At that moment, Xiao Weijun noticed the children still gathered in the courtyard. He called over Xiao Hongmei and Xiao Lianxin, saying,
“Hongmei, Lianxin, you two carry this basin of fish soup and a bowl. Give each of them a bowlful—there’s plenty of soup.”
“All right, Brother. Lianxin, grab a bowl and spoon,” Xiao Hongmei replied.
“Come on, Taro, you have the first bowl,” called Xiao Hongmei to a little boy in the crowd. “One bowl each, no pushing—there’s enough for everyone.”
“This is delicious! It’s the best fish soup I’ve ever had!” Taro exclaimed after finishing his bowl.
One by one, the children in the courtyard drank their soup, satisfied, and then left.
Now it was their family’s turn to eat. Xiao Weiguo served each person a bowl of fish and said, “Eat the fish first, then drink the soup.”
Grandmother Zhao Xiuxian looked at the fish on the table and said, “I’ll just have a bit of soup. You all eat more fish, but be careful of the bones.”
Xiao Weiguo quickly reassured her, “Grandma, there’s plenty of fish and soup today. Everyone, eat your fill.”
As he spoke, Xiao Weijun could not wait any longer and started eating. “This is amazing—truly the best fish and the best soup I’ve ever tasted.”
Xiao Weiguo sipped his soup with small, contented mouthfuls, smiling as he watched everyone enjoy the meal, his heart full of satisfaction.
Those who cook often lose their appetite by the time the food is ready, so Xiao Weiguo just warmed his stomach with some soup.
He was already familiar with Xiao Hongmei and Xiao Weijun, but Xiao Lianxin, his second younger sister, he was meeting properly for the first time.
She ate with a gentle grace—so quiet and reserved, her eyes tinged with insecurity. Compared to Xiao Hongmei’s stubborn resilience, Lianxin was delicate and shy.
“Lianxin, hurry and eat. See, Weijun’s already on his third piece of fish, and you haven’t finished your first,” Xiao Weiguo urged.
With a hint of timidity, she replied, “Alright, Brother.” She picked up her pace a little.
Xiao Weiguo turned his attention to his own bowl, thinking the taste was quite decent; if only he’d had tofu instead of potatoes, it would have been perfect.
When Xiao Weijun drained the last drop of soup from the pot, he sighed in satisfaction and announced, “I declare this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life!”
“Brother, if there’s more next time, promise you’ll call me,” Xiao Hongmei pleaded.
Xiao Lianxin also looked at Xiao Weiguo with hopeful eyes.
“Don’t worry. If you’re ever hungry, just come find me. I’ll make sure you have a feast.”
Then, turning to his grandmother, he said, “Grandma, I’m planning to head into town this afternoon to try and sell that carp. Let’s see if I can find a buyer.”
“I want to go too!” Xiao Weijun immediately piped up.
“It’s over twenty li away—you’ll be walking for two or three hours. Are you sure you want to go?” Xiao Weiguo asked.
Xiao Weijun reconsidered and quickly lost his enthusiasm.
Grandmother turned to Xiao Weiguo with concern. “Be careful on the road. Put the fish in a bag so it doesn’t show. Wear a straw hat, leave early, come back early, and don’t spend the night outside.”
She fetched a hemp rope bag from the west room and handed it to him.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll come straight home after I sell it.”
He drank a bowl of cool, boiled water, picked up the bag with the carp, and set off.
Once out of the village, he stowed the carp and bag away in his space, then strode off toward the town.
He had no idea where to sell the fish in town—his main goal was to sell all the fish in his space.
He hoped to secure his first cash in this era, and then find a way to acquire some ration coupons—grain tickets, meat tickets, cloth tickets, and the like.
In these days, money alone was not enough. Without coupons, you couldn’t buy much at all. This was the era of ration certificates.
Next, he needed to deal with the seeds in his space and buy a few things for use there.
He would have to build a stove in his space, to cook and eat there. Otherwise, if he ate meat in the village every day, someone would certainly report him, and he’d be sent off to a penal labor camp.
He also needed a wooden bed for sleeping and resting in his space.
He hoped to get some cloth too—living with nothing to cover himself was unbearable.
After two or three hours of walking, Xiao Weiguo finally reached the town. He reminded himself that he’d have to get a bicycle as soon as possible—traveling on foot was painfully slow and exhausting.
He made inquiries along the way and soon found himself near the town’s supply and marketing cooperative.
He pondered for a while and decided to sell the fish to the cooperative. With his special space, there was little benefit to selling privately for a few extra cents, and the risk was far greater.
Upon entering the town, he noticed the buildings along the street had multiplied—a line of two-story houses, mostly brick structures, all fairly new. Away from the main street, the houses were much like those in his village: mud walls, thatched roofs, and picket fences.
He watched the crowds coming and going at the cooperative and observed that the townsfolk, in their appearance and dress, were much neater and cleaner than the villagers. Of course, among them were a few who were clearly from the countryside.
Spotting a man in a Zhongshan suit heading toward the cooperative, Xiao Weiguo quickly approached and asked,
“Comrade, could you please tell me how to get to the fish market?”
The man in the Zhongshan suit turned, looked Xiao Weiguo up and down, and answered in a deep, measured voice: