[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-siheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-good-life":3,"chapter-siheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-good-life-siheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-beautiful-life-chapter-13":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Siheyuan: The Salted Fish's Beautiful Life",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},2103856,3398,"Chapter 13: The Xu Family Eats Fish","siheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-beautiful-life-chapter-13",13,"\u003Cp>Sihe Academy ===== CHAPTER 23 =====\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When Cao Cao Weiguo passed by the Jia family, Bang Geng was playing with Xiaodang, and Jia Jia Zhangshi was sitting at the door sewing shoe soles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fish!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So many fish!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang Geng's eyes lit up when he saw the carp in the bucket, \"Cao Cao Weiguo, give me a fish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo said with a cold face, \"You don't even call me Uncle, and you want to eat fish? Go play somewhere else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Zhangshi said shamelessly, \"Cao Cao Weiguo, we're all neighbors. The child wants to eat some fish, just give him one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo said, \"I have uses for all of these; there are no extras.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Zhangshi's face darkened, and she cursed viciously in her heart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My family is so poor, and you have more fish than you can eat in that bucket, yet you won't help us. You're just wicked; it serves you right that you're an orphan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Jia Jia Zhangshi with disgust, Cao Cao Weiguo went home with a cold face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang Geng jumped and shouted greedily, \"I want to eat fish, I want to eat fish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Zhangshi said angrily, \"Eat, eat, all you know is how to eat! If you want to eat fish, go ask your useless mother. There isn't a single good person in this whole courtyard, and none of them will have a good end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Jia Jia Zhangshi's curses, he was already accustomed to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mean, selfish, unreasonable, and a mouth fouler and more poisonous than a cesspit...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was an old woman; what could you do to her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you touched her, you'd probably be blackmailed into bankruptcy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could you rush in and beat her up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is the cornmeal bun in jail delicious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or do you think the bed boards at home are too hard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to avoid trouble than to invite it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evil people are dealt with by other evil people!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home, Cao Cao Weiguo poured the fish into a laundry basin. There were five black-brown carp, the smallest being over twenty centimeters long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Picking the largest carp, Cao Cao Weiguo took it to the sink, removed the internal organs, gills, and bloodline, and washed away the blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking the cleaned fish into the kitchen, he made diagonal cuts on the belly with a knife, rubbed it with a little salt, and poured in a little cooking wine to marinate for 10 minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shredded the green onions and dried chili peppers, sliced the ginger, and minced the garlic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drained the water from the fish, patted on a little cornstarch, and put it into the oil pan to fry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When both sides were slightly yellow, he took it out. He left some oil in the pan, added sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, green onions, ginger, garlic, dried chili peppers, cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, and the fried fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cooked it on high heat for 5 minutes until the sauce was reduced. The braised carp on the plate emitted a rich aroma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aroma quickly spread through the windows to the entire courtyard, making people swallow their saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is too fragrant!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This guy Cao Cao Weiguo is too infuriating!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cooking fish so fragrantly—he's trying to make people die of craving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Master, who was reading the newspaper, was so tempted he had no interest in national affairs, \"Old woman, let's get a fish to eat too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the steamed fish in the pot, the Third Master swallowed his saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Third Aunt sighed, \"The fish Cao Cao Weiguo cooks is too fragrant. If Yu Yu Haitang marries him, she'll have a treat in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang Geng smelled the aroma of the braised carp and immediately cried and made a scene out of craving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grandma! I want to eat fish! I want to eat fish!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Jia Zhangshi cursed venomously, \"Fish have bones. That heartless Cao Cao Weiguo will be choked to death by a fish bone. We won't eat fish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao, who was stir-frying in the back yard, smelled the aroma and his eyes lit up with craving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ezi, whose family is cooking fish? It's so fragrant!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe ran out and then ran back, \"It's Cao Cao Weiguo's family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao said impatiently, \"Ezi, you finish the stir-frying, I'm going to invite Cao Cao Weiguo over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe shook her head, \"How would I know how to stir-fry?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao was so angry he wanted to throw the spatula, \"You spendthrift woman, whose wife is like you—can't even cook a meal!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knock, knock, knock!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Xu, Sister E!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe was just about to lose her temper when she heard someone knocking on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao responded quickly, \"Cao Weiguo, we're just stir-frying, come on in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe went to open the door enthusiastically. Her eyes lit up when she saw the braised carp Cao Cao Weiguo was carrying, \"I could smell your braised fish from across the room.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo handed the fish to Lou Lou Xiaoe, \"I was lucky enough to catch some fish, just right for an extra side dish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe placed the fish on the table, and Xu Xu Damao also brought out the dishes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm so embarrassed. I invited you to dinner, and you still had to go to such expense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo said, \"Caught the fish at Houhai, didn't spend a cent. Let's all just have a good time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao enthusiastically invited Cao Cao Weiguo to sit down, and Lou Lou Xiaoe took a bottle of Fenjiu from the cupboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the five dishes on the table: shredded potatoes with meat, braised pork, radish stewed with meat, pork stewed with vermicelli, and deep-fried peanuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This table of food was worth a lot in this period; it definitely wouldn't cost less than three or four days' wages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Xu, Sister E, why make so many dishes? This is too sumptuous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao said generously, \"I'm celebrating with a brother I grew up with, how could I skimp? Besides, you know, your brother here is a projectionist; what's a little oil and water like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe rolled her eyes at Xu Xu Damao and said enthusiastically, \"Cao Weiguo, sit down quickly. Treat this place like your own home, don't be polite.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo said with emotion, \"In this courtyard, only Sister E and Brother Xu are good to me. Today I must toast you both a few more times.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile on Xu Xu Damao's face grew wider, and he picked up the wine bottle to fill Cao Cao Weiguo's glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the enthusiastic hospitality of Xu Xu Damao and Lou Lou Xiaoe, Cao Cao Weiguo also ate happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they drank, Xu Xu Damao started talking to Cao Cao Weiguo about Seeing Shazhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were full of resentment and disdain, inciting Cao Cao Weiguo to fix Seeing Shazhu together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be said that Xu Xu Damao and Seeing Shazhu were a pair of enemies; the two had never gotten along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because Seeing Shazhu could fight, Xu Xu Damao was always the one who suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shazhu was known as the War God of the Sihe Academy, and his attacks were heavy and dirty. Xu Xu Damao had suffered a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo clinked glasses with Xu Xu Damao, his face flushed, and said, \"Seeing Shazhu acts unreasonably, as if he's possessed. I don't even want to bother with him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of Seeing Shazhu's actions, Cao Cao Weiguo also felt very unhappy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calling him a villain every chance he got!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tripping him up in the kitchen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he weren't afraid of going to jail, Cao Cao Weiguo would definitely beat Seeing Shazhu up to vent his anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao said happily, \"Seeing Shazhu is just a bastard. In the future, our brothers will be of one mind and make Seeing Shazhu completely submissive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy of an enemy is a friend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having found an ally in Cao Cao Weiguo, Xu Xu Damao was happy in his heart, thinking that this meal and wine were not wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao said drunkenly, \"And that First Master, acting all benevolent and righteous while colluding with Seeing Shazhu, unable to distinguish right from wrong. Let's work together to drive that hypocritical First Master out of office, and then we brothers can be the masters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo had neither good feelings nor malice toward the First Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he had always avoided contact with people in the courtyard, and the First Master hadn't paid any attention to him, the invisible man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, one who eats another's food is soft-mouthed. Drinking Xu Xu Damao's wine, Cao Cao Weiguo wouldn't say anything to spoil the mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo raised his glass and responded, \"I support Brother Xu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xu Damao was full of joy, \"Good brother, brother will toast you another one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe didn't care about the affairs in the courtyard and ate the braised fish with relish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After she was full, she went to the kitchen to do housework, shaking her head speechlessly at the drunken talk of the two men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This drinking session lasted from noon until the afternoon, and Xu Xu Damao was drunk and slumped on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe felt stifled, and Cao Cao Weiguo got up drunkenly to say goodbye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cao Weiguo, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I've brewed some hangover soup for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe walked over to keep him, but didn't notice her feet and tripped over Xu Xu Damao's leg, falling forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Lou Xiaoe was terrified, her face pale, and was immediately caught by Cao Cao Weiguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao Weiguo was holding her, and her face was pressed against his chest. ===== CHAPTER 24 =====\u003C\u002Fp>",1659,"2026-06-16T06:41:09.589Z","2026-06-16T08:22:04.667Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","40b71690ea6a0496e09561b9aba878e40143f81b7fe1be0ea41a4526e161321b","siheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-beautiful-life-chapter-14","siheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-beautiful-life-chapter-12",843,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsiheyuan-the-salted-fish-s-beautiful-life-cover.gif"]