Chapter 90: with translation of title

People who often kill fish know that some fish scales are easy to handle, while others are not.

Especially the black membrane inside the fish belly, it's so fishy-smelling that nobody wants it.

But right now, Lu Xiu Bai has caused trouble.

He actually cut the fish's gallbladder!

He furtively lifted his eyes and glanced around.

Grandfather and Section Commander Duan were playing chess, fully focused.

The brother-in-law was stir-frying in the kitchen, while the younger sister was in the family courtyard chatting with her sister-in-law about the medical manuscripts in the box.

Good, nobody saw him, so he pretended nothing happened and rinsed the fish belly with well water.

Can't see, can't see; after it's braised later, you probably won't taste it, right?

Little did he know, a pair of mandarin duck eyes on the roof had already spotted his little move.

Tangyuan licked its paws, thinking the owner's brother was really stupid to actually cut the fish's gallbladder!

In their view, this is a major taboo; no female cat will favor it!

Later I'll remind the owner not to eat that black-spined pomfret.......

Jiang Ye saw the processed fish and said nothing, only telling his brother-in-law to stay and tend the fire—can't just eat and drink for free without doing anything.

Once the gallbladder breaks, no matter how you wash it, any area contaminated with bile will retain some green traces.

He could see that fortunately only the largest black-spined pomfret was contaminated; the other palm-sized fish didn't have their gallbladders pierced.

As for the finger-length fish, he picked them out, planning to dry them into small fish jerky for daily feeding to Tangyuan as a chew snack.

Love the house and thus the crow—this moment made it concrete.

Tangyuan is also a small cat with a sense of propriety, knowing the owner and the big shot won't mistreat it, so it doesn't engage in any sneaky eating.

But it's strange—why is there no second cat in Jiashuyuan?

It's been living here for several days already, and I haven't heard any other cat sounds.

As time passed, tempting aromas drifted from the kitchen, making everyone's hunger worms crawl out.

Section Commander Duan's stomach growled; he occasionally glanced toward the kitchen, thinking, 'This brat, clearly his cooking is good, yet he never used to cook a special dish for me before.'

Now, thanks to little Shen's favor, I can still mooch a meal.

Sigh, he feels his future retirement living standard will be rather difficult.

At this point, Pei Yan Ting had already organized for her sister which medical texts and pharmacology to start with; rote memorization is the norm, everything is key, and she must be able to recite them backward.

In a month, she will compile the key points for this year's military medical exam; besides rote memorization of medical manuals and medical knowledge, physical training must not be neglected.

She will handle the former, and let the brother-in-law take care of the latter.

Mealtime: mixed fish pot, steamed black-spined pomfret, bone and radish soup, stir-fried vegetables, garlic mashed cucumber, and plum-dried vegetable braised pork.

Nowadays we don't fuss over exquisite plating; we just care about generous portions, as long as the dishes look passable.

Those present, aside from Jiang Ye who can cook, are all about equal skill; nobody looks down on anyone else.

Having something to eat makes us even less likely to complain; besides, Jiang Ye's dishes are perfect in color, aroma, and flavor.

Especially with a bottle of strong liquor on the table, the men couldn't take their eyes off it.

"Where did this liquor come from?"

Section Commander Duan knew Jiang Ye's nature—he would never buy liquor on his own—so he instinctively asked.

"Well, that's a long story......"

Shen Man took over the conversation, leisurely recounting what happened today at the entrance of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in town.

These days, TVs aren't yet widespread, and radios are rare; only people like Section Commander Duan and Grandfather Lu have the privilege to enjoy them first, while others rarely get to use communication tools that connect to the outside world.

Thus Shen Man's little anecdote ended up being something everyone listened to with great interest.

"Such an illness is rare; that little boy's condition likely means he won't feel gratitude toward his family even when he grows up."

Pei Yan Ting sighed, saying that as a medical student she had heard of similar cases from her grandfather and friends, but the outcomes were always very bad.

That patient was a man who beat his wife and daughters; during his final episode he strangled them, then fled; after the matter was exposed, he even stabbed several innocent passersby at the train station, and was finally shot dead by the Public Security Bureau.

One could say that for such patients, whether treated or not makes no difference; they become violent, emotionless outliers.

"No wonder the boss there kept insisting on giving you a bottle of strong liquor—you helped him solve a big problem."

Section Commander Duan nodded, sighing repeatedly.

If his descendants turned out like that, he'd rather shoot them himself than let them harm society!

Grandfather Lu, however, remained silent; if it were him, he probably couldn't bring himself to be so decisive as to destroy his descendants.

Just like a son who makes a mistake—he feels anguished, but aside from beating him severely and making him unhappy, could he really kill his own son?

Perhaps, in fact, he isn't a good grandfather.

Jiang Ye casually twisted open the bottle cap, bowed slightly, and poured nine-tenths full of liquor into the cups before the two elders, then spoke feelingly:

"When water is full it overflows; when the moon is full it wanes; in life, modest contentment beats perfection."

When the moon is full it begins to wane; when water is full it overflows.

Just as when a person or thing reaches its peak, it easily declines.

Pursuing a state of modest contentment in life—maintaining moderation and leaving room—is more ideal than chasing ultimate perfection.

"What a fine saying: modest contentment in life beats perfection!"

After hearing it, Grandfather Lu suddenly understood, slapped his thigh, and laughed heartily.

Yes, how could he have almost fallen into that misunderstanding!

Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; he should be content!

He likes this grandson-in-law!

"Grandfather, what are you talking about? I can't understand—don't start with the heavenly script; hurry up and pick up your chopsticks."

Lu Xiu Bai was all at a loss, what full/not full, what loss/not loss, he was hungry!

"Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating—how come you only grow taller but not smarter?"

Lu Old Master glared at his grandson with disdain, then put on a smile, and explained to his daughter-in-law:

"Yan Ting, don't despise him—since this child was kicked by you when he was young, his brain's been like paste..."

The implication is, his stupidity is also from your kick back then—it definitely isn't an intelligence problem of the Lu family.

Pei Yan Ting raised her eyebrows, understood the old master's hidden meaning, but she'd done this deed, and really couldn't shirk responsibility.

She could only smile and nod, speaking obediently:

"Mm, Grandfather, rest assured, I don't despise him."

Her own man—being a bit stupid is fine.

Her grandmother had taught her since childhood, a man shouldn't be too clever.

A man who's too clever is hard to handle.

Being a bit stupid is also cute.

Isn't it easy to handle,

"Grandfather, am I still your biological grandson?"

Lu Xiu Bai stared at his grandfather with doubtful eyes—how could he side with outsiders?

"You'll have to ask that brainless dad of yours."

Lu Old Master spoke coolly, then picked up his cup and sniffed it—ah, wine, I haven't had a drink in ages!

Thinking of his own worryingly low‑IQ dad, not only did Lu Xiu Bai fall silent, but Shen Man did too.

She had a bold guess—that grandfather and older brother still didn'tknow—that years ago, mother had given the scoundrel father an infertility drug.....