Chapter 187: Reborn in the 90s: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 187 Whole-Fish Banquet

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Mi had a splitting headache; she could already picture Song Qingshu at home right now, raging helplessly.

She figured Song Qiushui had probably taken all the ice cream from the freezer and thrown it at Song Qingshu, then just put down a basin…

Only Song Qiushui could pull off something this brain-dead.

Carrying the fish, Chai Mi called Song Qiushui to go inside.

She couldn't help feeling sorry for Song Qingshu: "Qiu Shui, I think you should treat your Second Uncle better from now on. Your Second Uncle, he's a good man!"

Song Qiushui waved a hand dismissively: "Don't worry, I've told my Second Uncle — when the day comes that he dies, I'll definitely cry a few extra times…"

"You really know how to talk."

"Naturally. My Second Uncle was so moved he jumped up at the time…"

"If it were me, I'd definitely jump up too…"

Beat her!!!

But Chai Mi guessed Song Qiushui's Second Uncle wouldn't really get angry — after all, a person lives a lifetime, maybe just hoping that when they die, filial sons and worthy grandsons will cry a few extra times.

And the Old Song Family had few members; only Song Qiushui this lone seedling remained, and she also seemed to be the only one with even a shred of hope of carrying on the Old Song Family line.

After all, Song Qiuping gave birth to a daughter, Chai Min, no son.

Chai You Fu, Chai Mi's Second Uncle, in the Song Family's eyes, though a son-in-law counts as half a son, Chai You Fu's cleverness was not something the Song Family could count on.

In the Chai Family Chai You Fu was someone who lived by bragging; the Song Family naturally wouldn't pin hopes on him either.

Chai Mi speculated that Song Qingshan and his wife raised Song Qiushui this domineering, maybe wanting to find a well-matched son-in-law family who could help the two of them prop up the family's reputation.

In ancient times great households propped up their reputation by taking in a live-in son-in-law. Modern times are the same, not much difference.

"Mom, I'm preparing a whole-fish banquet. Steamed grass carp, braised big carp, stew a crucian carp soup, and then what was that fish head dish?" Song Qiushui turned and started asking Chai Mi.

"Chopped chili fish head." Chai Mi said.

"Ah, right. Chopped chili fish head." After saying that Song Qiushui began reveling in the future: "Mom, you go prepare the ingredients. I only have fish, nothing else."

Meng Clan was baffled: "Eating fish, what ingredients do you need to prepare?"

In the past eating fish, just oil-fry it and that's it.

Today Song Qiushui listed four cooking methods at once, all of which Meng Clan had never heard before.

Meng Clan was a native local; although this place isn't a bitter cold frontier, it's not a Jiangnan land of fish and rice either, much less the seaside — every household only eats fish during festivals.

The usual staple meat is all pork. Stir-fry or stew, some pork or lard, that's enough.

Meng Clan had cooked fish before, just oil-fried; she'd never done steaming or braising, and hadn't heard of anyone else doing it that way. So when Song Qiushui spoke, Meng Clan asked with a dazed face what ingredients.

Song Qiushui didn't really know what ingredients either; it was all what she heard Chai Mi say last night, but on the road of pretending to understand when she doesn't, Song Qiushui had long gone past the point of no return: "What Sichuan pepper, spices, thirteen-spice, MSG, salt, baking soda, sesame oil, soy sauce, aged vinegar, chicken essence, starch, white sugar, rock sugar… right, green onion and cilantro too."

"No, what do you need green onion and cilantro for?" Meng Clan stared blankly.

"For cooking fish. Mom you just go prepare…" Song Qiushui then added: "Go to the village and get some milk from someone; adding milk tastes even better."

"Milk?" This sentence left Song Qingshan in the inner room dizzy too.

In this era, there's no bagged pure milk.

If you want milk, you need to find a cow that just calved and milk it…

This is too demanding!!!

Song Qingshan had a headache; surely she wouldn't make him go borrow milk now.

But before he could think much, Song Qiushui imperiously said: "Dad, you go borrow some milk."

Song Qingshan had to get up and go out; he exerted every ounce of effort before he managed to borrow a bottle of milk from a villager whose cow had just calved.

When he returned, Song Qiushui's spatula had already been taken over by Chai Mi.

A few fish lay thrown on the ground — probably Song Qiushui cooked them so badly she got angry and threw them.

Song Qingshan hurriedly picked them up: "Throwing good stuff like this, what a waste. Why don't we just feed the dogs."

Song Qiushui's family kept several dogs; mention feeding dogs and Song Qiushui perked up again, took the ruined fish out to feed the dogs.

Have to say.

The dogs weren't picky.

They ate with relish.

Song Qiushui was overjoyed and started strutting again: "Chai Mi look, the dogs are licking their lips clean — this proves what I make, dogs actually eat. Not what you just said: 'Oh, Qiu Shui, what'd you make, even dogs won't eat it!'"

After saying this Song Qiushui skipped over, grabbed Chai Mi's arm: "Hurry, praise me."

Chai Mi helplessly rolled her eyes at Song Qiushui, covered Song Qiushui's face with her hand: "Stop fooling around, the oil's hot. If it splashes your face, your skin's delicate, if you get burned I can't afford it."

Only then did Song Qiushui quiet down and run to the side.

Cooking, Song Qiushui is no good at.

So she took another tack, decided to make some staple food.

"Mom, what staple food are we eating?"

"Make dumplings…" Meng Clan said doubtfully.

She'd just said it once already.

"I'm not eating. I want roasted sweet potato." Song Qiushui said dissatisfied.

"I've eaten dumplings several meals already, not eating anymore. I want roasted sweet potato."

Meng Clan looked helpless: I think you look like a roasted sweet potato…

"Problem... problem, we don't have any sweet potatoes at home."

No sweet potatoes... but that wouldn't stump Song Qiushui.

Song Qiushui then called out to Song Qingshan: "Father, I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes."

Song Qingshan sighed inwardly, but wore a fawning expression on his face: "Whatever my daughter wants to eat, I'll go get it made. Daughter, don't worry, I'll borrow a few sweet potatoes for you right away. If I can't borrow them, even if I have to plant them, I'll plant some sweet potatoes for you first."

"Planting isn't necessary..." Song Qiushui said with a smile: "My Second Uncle's family planted a few sweet potatoes outside the east wall of their courtyard. I reckon they're ripe... I'll get them. Otherwise they'll just rot sooner or later, and it'd be a waste to let others have them."

Song Qingshan then rushed out anxiously again.

Chai Mi watched and felt this old couple really spoiled Song Qiushui; Chai Mi felt that if Song Qiushui wanted a star, these two old coots would dare to set up a ladder to the sky to pick it down for her.

But Chai Mi didn't think that was a bad thing.

At least, she wasn't lacking in paternal or maternal love.

Song Qiushui could be happier too. What right and wrong is there in this world? Anyway, we're all alive, so naturally the happier the better.

Chai Mi had done odd jobs in the back kitchen in her previous life; she was very skilled at wrapping dumplings, and as for cooking, she could make some home-style dishes.

Not necessarily especially delicious, but she was still much better than others.

And besides, Song Qiushui's home had a particularly complete array of seasonings.

Unlike Chai Mi's own home, which only had soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and thirteen-spice.

Song Qiushui's home had far more bottles and jars. With more seasonings, the food made would naturally taste better.

Four fish were prepared: steamed, braised, chopped chili fish head, and a boiled fish.

Chai Mi thought it was passable, the taste was good. But there were no good chili peppers locally, especially the small kind. There were only some not very spicy green chili peppers, so that aspect would be greatly discounted.

When Chai Mi ate boiled fish in her previous life, she especially liked the chili peppers inside; that spicy feeling indeed made people comfortable.

The dishes were basically done.

But there was no staple food.

Until Song Qiushui ran out angrily, and after a while, she came back holding a few sweet potatoes, cursing as she returned: "My Second Uncle is purely sick in the head, stingy as can be, just a few rotten sweet potatoes, and he still lectures me, saying to wait until I grow up to eat them, that I'm too small now... I spit! What kind of talk is that? Isn't planting sweet potatoes for eating? If not for eating, why plant them?"

Meng Shi immediately took Song Qiushui's side without distinguishing right from wrong: "That's right, what's more, your Second Uncle is sometimes not a thing. You say his family is big and prosperous, does he lack your few sweet potatoes? He's just bullying your father for being useless..."

Song Qingshan outside the door had an awkward face...

Meng Shi was still not appeased, and cursed Song Qingshan along with him: "Song Qingshan, look at this. Back in the day, his Second Uncle couldn't afford a wife, and it was us two who arranged it for him. Without me, he'd still be a bachelor now. You say he won't even give a few sweet potatoes now, he's not a white-eyed wolf, what is he?"

Song Qingshan trembled with his lips, not daring to answer.

After all, Song Qingshan only discovered after going that the sweet potatoes were pitifully small, they were small sweet potatoes.

Dug out, they were only as big as a thumb; eating them now would indeed be a bit of a waste. So Song Qingshan also felt that what his brother said made sense...

And Song Qingshu had promised that when the sweet potatoes grew big, he would definitely give them all to Song Qiushui to eat.

So Song Qingshan didn't insist on borrowing them...

As a result, Song Qiushui went and even pulled up the sweet potato vines...

And gave it the noble name of: helping Second Uncle reduce his burden.

Otherwise Second Uncle was old and too tired. Song Qiushui helping him reduce his burden, Song Qingshu should thank her.

As for whether Song Qingshu thanked Song Qiushui, Song Qingshan didn't know.

Song Qiushui dug up all the sweet potatoes, and only managed to gather seven or eight larger ones. But even the larger ones were only about half a span long...

Anyway, they were still small sweet potatoes.

At best, a general among dwarfs.

Meng Shi took the sweet potatoes from Song Qiushui's hand, and even deliberately looked at Song Qiushui's hand; seeing dust on her hand, she deliberately blew on it.

Then holding the small sweet potatoes, she began to "output" at Song Qingshan again: "Song Qingshan, look at this, such small sweet potatoes, what is your brother unwilling to give? I thought they were big sweet potatoes, valuable things. Just this little thing, how can he be so thick-skinned as not to let my daughter eat it."

Song Qingshan wanted to speak but stopped, but really couldn't bear it, so he said a sentence: "Her Second Uncle didn't say he wouldn't give them, he just said the sweet potatoes were too small and wouldn't taste good."

Meng Shi immediately flared up: "What sweet potatoes too small to taste good? Her Second Uncle doesn't speak a true word, he's fooling you like this and you believe it. Her Second Uncle just looks down on you, thinks you're useless, that's why he won't give them to you. I really haven't seen a man as incapable as you. If you were the Village Chief, look at his Second Uncle's—let alone a few sweet potatoes, even if our daughter wanted a cartload of sweet potatoes, he'd have them washed clean and delivered to our house. It's just that you're incapable, good for nothing."

"Right right right. I'm good for nothing..." Song Qingshan wasn't angry, just felt a bit depressed.

But Song Qingshan was already used to it...

In his heart he chattered about his wife becoming more and more shrewish, while in his heart he blamed himself that just now his face indeed wasn't thick enough, he hadn't been able to snatch the sweet potatoes by force.

It was still his own daughter Song Qiushui who took action and snatched the sweet potatoes by force.

So...

A person... can't care about face...

Song Qingshan broke through his psychological defense line, and thus wasn't so awkward anymore. But just as he wanted to eat, Song Qiushui started a new task again.

"Father, light a stove, I want to roast sweet potatoes to eat."

Song Qiushui saying this made the other few people a bit bewildered.

This was summer after all.

The dog days of summer...

The temperature was hot beyond endurance, lighting a stove was a bit bizarre.

"You don't mind the room being hot?" Chai Mi said somewhat dissatisfied: "You throw the sweet potatoes into the stove to roast them."

Meng Shi also advised: "Qiushui, it's such hot weather, it's really hot beyond endurance. Lighting a stove in the room would make it hot like a steamer. Chai Mi is right, you'd better throw the sweet potatoes into the stove, it's the same."

Song Qingshan was about to speak...

Meng Shi cursed: "Shut up! It's not because you're incapable; my daughter wants to roast sweet potatoes, and there's no place to roast them."

Song Qingshan:!!!

I didn't say a word...

"It's nothing. You don't eat anymore, go roast sweet potatoes for my daughter." Meng Shi said to Song Qiushui with a cold face.

Then immediately her face bloomed into a smile as she said to Song Qiushui: "Daughter, the fish are all done. You and Chai Mi go eat. You don't need to busy yourself, let your father that old coot handle it."

Song Qiushui felt it was fine, so she pulled Chai Mi and Chai Xiu to the Kang to eat.

The table had long been set, and the fish was also brought up.

Song Qiushui picked up her chopsticks and tasted a mouthful.

Afterwards her expression was intoxicated: "This vermicelli, is truly delicious."

Chai Mi laughed uncontrollably: "Eat the fish, what are you eating vermicelli for."

The braised fish had some vermicelli and tofu put in it, stewed until quite soft, the flavor also extremely good.

The fish's clear fragrance, plus the vermicelli's sticky texture, Song Qiushui ate extremely comfortably.

Song Qiushui ate a few mouthfuls, then ran to the side room and brought out several bottles of drinks, and also beer.

The drinks and beer were all obtained on credit from Second Uncle's House the first two days by Song Qiushui.

Song Qiushui opened a bottle of Dayao, tasted a mouthful, then started picking faults: "A bit lacking in Batu's, not too good to drink."

Chai Mi poked at her: "Make do with drinking it, you didn't spend money anyway."

"Hmph! Looking down on who? I got it on credit, don't I have to repay famine when the time comes." Song Qiushui was actually quite open about it: "This owing debts and repaying money, is only right and proper. If I can't repay in this life, I'll repay in the next life, anyway this account I'll repay sooner or later, just depends on whether my Second Uncle can live until that day."

Chai Mi teased: "I reckon it's scorching, your Second Uncle is already sixty, looking like he won't last much longer. In another ten or eight years, he'll be gone. By then, how will you repay him famine."

"Then I just can't burn more for him when I visit his grave later... I'll make him a paper plane then, let him fly it down below."