Chapter 14 (Part 1): The Ugly Ger’s Farming Story

“Knowing that it has a smell, why did you still prepare and eat it?!” Xie Ama couldn’t accept the odor coming from Xu Qing and kept some distance.

“That’s because you haven’t tasted the way I cook it. I guarantee you’ll love it!” Xu Qing loved experimenting with fish, especially when it was tender and without much fat.

Xie Ama wore an incredulous expression. When he first married into the Xie family, he had gone through several years of hardship without enough food. During winters when there was no surplus grain, Xie Ama had to figure out a way to catch a few fish. The smell of the cooked fish was nauseating even just thinking about it!

Helplessly, Xu Qing shrugged. “Once I’m done cooking, you can taste it. If you don’t like it, you can drag me to your house to eat!”

Xie Ama finally eased up a bit. “Fine, if it still smells fishy and pungent, it’ll be a waste of my time.”

Xu Qing quickly nodded, gesturing for Xie Ama to enter the courtyard. Then Xu Qing went to the well and cleaned up another fish. Since Xie Ama was here, one fish wouldn’t be enough. Later, he would have Uncle Xie try it too. Xu Qing thought about it and worried it might not be enough, so he picked a robust-sized fish as well.

Xie Ama watched Xu Qing deftly clean the thorny fish, feeling a slight soreness in his eyes. It was evident that Xu Qing was familiar with this fish from regularly eating it.

“In fact, once the thorny fish is properly prepared, it tastes delicious. It’s just that it has a strong fishy odor and thorns, so those who aren’t accustomed to it find it hard to accept.”

Xu Qing was focused on scraping the fish scales and didn’t see Xie Ama’s face. Otherwise, he might have trouble explaining again.

Xie Ama composed himselves and tried to make his voice sound normal. “Really? I only cooked it once, and your uncle Xie couldn’t stand it. After that, our family’s situation improved, so we never caught this fish again.”

“How did you cook it?” Xu Qing asked curiously.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“I cut off the fish head, clean the belly, and chop it into pieces before boiling it!” Xu Qing explained.

But as soon as Xu Qing mentioned cutting off the fish head, there was a hint of discomfort in Xie Ama’s expression. “You didn’t use ginger?”

Xie Ama asked with confusion, “Isn’t ginger usually used to dispel wind and cold? Can it be added to the dish? It would taste unpleasant and not refreshing!”

Xu Qing didn’t explain much and proceeded to separate the fish head from the rest of the fish using a knife and then sliced the rest into thin pieces.

“Your knife skills are amazing!” Xie Ama exclaimed, astonished by Xu Qing’s skillful and swift movements. He held his nose and examined the fish slices. “He are really thin, just make sure he don’t overcook when boiling!”

Xu Qing’s face turned red with embarrassment, but he didn’t want to belittle Xie Ama’s face, so he endured it. “Don’t worry, I’ll cook it once for you to taste. If you find the flavor good, we can have it as a meat dish on the dining table without spending any money!”

Xie Ama felt even more touched hearing these words. Xu Qing was teaching him without holding back, truly a kind-hearted child!

“You know, if this turns out well, it will make life better for the families in this village. Spring plowing is about to begin, and it’s hard work. We don’t have much money at home, so being able to have meat is a great thing. There are plenty of thorny fish in the river!”

Xu Qing nodded in agreement. Today, he had used the spiritual spring water in a shallow water area to lure the fish, and he were easily caught. Apart from the benefits of the spiritual spring water, it was clear that the villagers didn’t catch fish frequently, which made them less alert, just like the animals in the mountains.

“This year is perfect. Now that you’re getting married and there will be a man in the house, you can cultivate all the land!” Xie Ama thought about Xu Qing’s land and the upcoming marriage, feeling even more content.

Xu Qing remembered the day when Li Changfeng mentioned finding a date to marry him. He blushed a little but also felt anticipation. He had been lonely for too long and longed for the feeling of having someone by his side.

“Even if I didn’t get married, I still have you, Xie Ama, and Uncle Xie, right?” Xu Qing smiled. “Let’s divide the fish head into four pieces!”

“Pei! What nonsense are you talking about! Stop babbling!” Xie Ama pretended to want to give Xu Qing a little hit but refrained, afraid of accidentally injuring him while he were cutting the fish head.

“Haha, I’m just lightening up the mood!”

After Xu Qing finished cleaning the fish guts, he brought the sliced fish into the kitchen. Xie Ama stopped complaining and immediately rolled up his sleeves to help Xu Qing start the fire.

Sparks flew in the hearth, and the fire quickly ignited. Xie Ama smelled a peculiar aroma, which tickled his nose. He watched as Xu Qing sprinkled something into the fish.

“What’s that? It smells strange!”

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Thingyan: The story progresses quite slowly. I guess for some readers, this might make them have a negative impression of the novel. Ai! Sigh! What if I promise there will be some meat later? 😉