Chapter 3: Delicious Fish Soup
Su Juesheng, ten years old, was in the fifth grade at Yuhuai Village Primary School. Although most rural families at the time didn’t place much importance on education, Su Huimin was a teacher himself and was therefore quite strict about his own children’s studies. When the school didn’t assign any homework, Su Huimin would create his own winter break assignments for them and supervise their completion every day.
Su Juesheng was at that mischievous age where he couldn’t possibly sit still and focus on his work. He kept looking out the window, as restless as if he hadn’t bathed in days, and the characters on his paper grew increasingly sloppy.
“Write seriously. Catch up on all the work you’ve missed,” Su Huimin said sternly. His gaze then shifted to Tangtang, who was sitting nearby weaving a straw sandal, and his tone softened. “Tangtang, have you started school yet?”
Tangtang shook her head. Back in Waguan Village, several of her peers had gone to school. She had wanted to go too and had mentioned it once to her mother, Su Yandi, only to receive a harsh scolding. What was the point of a girl going to school? In the end, she’d just be married off to another family anyway. Any amount of education was a waste.
“You’re at the age where you should be in school. It’ll be too late in another couple of years. When the fall semester starts this year, you’ll go to school with your brothers,” Su Huimin said, ruffling her hair.
A smile blossomed on Tangtang’s face. Her bright, dark eyes shone with cautious hope. “Dad, I can go to school too?”
“Of course. All the children in our family must go to school. Education is the only way out in life.”
“Third Brother Su, I think you’ve meddled in so much business you’ve forgotten your own name! School? Tuition, books, miscellaneous fees—which of those doesn’t cost money?! Your meager salary is a drop in the ocean of this family’s expenses, and you still dare to talk about sending this girl to school?!” Yu Juanfang had just walked in and immediately launched into a tirade upon hearing the conversation.
In truth, Yu Juanfang harbored a deep-seated resentment. In her view, although her husband’s salary was low, he was still a public school teacher. Every month, he not only earned a full laborer’s work points but also received an extra eighteen-yuan subsidy. In this day and age, which family had a fixed income of eighteen yuan a month? She herself could earn eight work points a day by working in the fields. If their third branch were to live separately, the two of them could raise their three children in relative comfort. But as it was, her husband’s salary was handed over to the family matriarch every month, leaving them without a single cent to their name. All they ate was black bean porridge, wowotou, and dried sweet potatoes. Their vegetable dishes never even saw a drop of lard, and they were lucky to eat meat once a month.
Of course, Yu Juanfang only dared to think these things. She would never be the one to bring up splitting the family and take the blame for it.
“Get ready. I’m taking you to my parents’ home.”
Tangtang didn’t think the words were directed at her and looked around. Su Huimin patted her braid affectionately. “Go with your mother.”
…
There were still a few leftover wowotou from the previous night. Yu Juanfang packed them into a bamboo basket, covered it with a piece of blue floral cloth, and led Tangtang out the door.
It was noon, and many villagers were returning from the fields with hoes on their shoulders. They greeted Yu Juanfang with smiles. “Third Brother’s wife, heading out? And who’s this little girl?”
While she was often curt at home, Yu Juanfang managed a pleasant smile now. “Oh, I’m just visiting my parents. This is Third Brother’s niece. We’ll be raising her from now on.”
Hearing this, the villagers cast curious glances her way. “Well, that’s a happy occasion, adding a new member to the family! You’re lucky, getting such a big girl for free. That’s one more person to be filial to you in the future. Your home will be much livelier now!”
Someone else peered at the cloth-covered basket. “It’s been a while since you’ve been to your parents’ place, hasn’t it? What did you bring them?”
“Hah, what could there be? Just a few leftover wowotou from yesterday,” Yu Juanfang replied with a smile, though she was growing impatient. She disliked small talk, especially when her mind was preoccupied. “I’ll get going with the girl now.”
Yu Juanfang’s family lived in Wangxiang Village, about four li from Yuhuai Village. Their situation was similar to the Su family’s, except the Sus had at least managed to repair their courtyard wall. Her parents’ home still had a crumbling wall and a dilapidated yard. Her father was nearly sixty, and her mother was over fifty. They too lived as a large, extended family. However, all her brothers were farmers. In years with poor harvests, going hungry was the norm, and they rarely had any cash on hand.
When she had married Su Huimin, her whole family had been overjoyed, thinking that since he was a teacher, she would be able to help support them. But for all these years, the Su family’s finances had been tightly controlled by Old Madam Zhu. Forget sending money home; her eldest son was already ten, and she had never even managed to bring her parents a decent gift.
Yu Juanfang looked at the few wowotou in her basket, and her heart sank. She could already imagine the reception she was about to face.
She walked quickly, her long years of labor giving her a brisk stride. Tangtang’s small legs couldn’t keep up, and the snowy path was slippery. Despite her best efforts, she fell far behind.
Yu Juanfang frowned but stopped to wait for her. “Hurry up.”
After Tangtang caught up, she expected to fall behind again, but to her surprise, Yu Juanfang slowed her pace, allowing her to keep up without struggling.
Tangtang let out a sigh of relief. A shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth when she smiled. Auntie is actually kind to me, she thought.
“Mom, look,” Tangtang tugged on her sleeve, pointing at the frozen river.
Yu Juanfang followed her finger and saw a fish trapped in the ice, perfectly positioned where it would have been obscured by reeds from an adult’s line of sight.
The fish must have been frozen solid while coming up for air. Yu Juanfang found a rock and smashed it hard against the ice. The surface cracked, and the fish twitched. She pulled it out and threaded a piece of grass rope through its gills.
It was a heavy carp. Yu Juanfang hefted it in her hand, estimating it to be at least three or four pounds.
This was a good carp—broad-bodied with a round head and a thick layer of fat on its belly. The flesh would be firm and not too fishy. In these times, fish was a rare delicacy. Yu Juanfang stood up a little straighter, her expression relaxing considerably. At least now, she wouldn’t have to feel so embarrassed on her visit home.
…
The Yu family had five sons and lived in six earthen houses. The courtyard wall had collapsed from neglect some time ago. When Yu Juanfang arrived, her sister-in-law, Gao Chunhua, was feeding the chickens with a handful of shriveled grain.
“Oh, Younger Sister is here?” Gao Chunhua scattered the grain and offered a greeting. Her eyes lit up when she saw the carp in Yu Juanfang’s hand. “Why did you bring a fish? This must be over four pounds!”
“I remembered it’s Dad’s birthday today, so I thought we could stew the fish and let everyone have a taste.”
At these words, several of her brothers and sisters-in-law gathered around. “Wow, such a big carp! We can braise it or make soup. It’s been ages since we’ve had any meat. Looks like we have Younger Sister to thank for this treat!”
“And who is this little girl?” Yu Juanfang’s mother’s gaze fell on Tangtang. She knew her daughter’s personality well; she wouldn’t bring a stranger home for no reason.
“This is Third Brother’s niece. Her parents didn’t want her, so he took her in. She’s my and Third Brother’s daughter now. I brought her so Mom and Dad could meet her,” Yu Juanfang explained succinctly.
“I see.” Everyone’s attention turned to Tangtang. They saw a little girl in a pink jacket with large, watery eyes. It was clear she would grow up to be a beauty.
Tangtang felt nervous under so many stares, but she straightened her small back. “Hello, Grandma. Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Uncles. Hello, Aunts. I’m Tangtang.”
“Look at this girl, so pretty and fair. You can tell she’s clever!”
“Younger Sister, you’re truly blessed.”
Upon learning that Tangtang was her daughter’s newly adopted child, Mother Yu’s expression instantly softened into a benevolent smile. She patted the child’s head. “Yes, good girl! Go and play with your cousins.”
After a brief discussion, the Yu family wives decided to make fish soup. That way, they could eat the fish and drink the broth. If they braised it, they would only get the meat. One of the wives quickly scaled and gutted the fish, then chopped it into chunks.
Once the wok was heated, she melted a small piece of lard to coat the pan, then stir-fried some scallions and ginger until fragrant. The fish pieces were added and pan-fried until golden on both sides before hot water was poured in, instantly turning the broth a milky white.
They had some winter bamboo shoots preserved from the previous year, which were perfect for fish soup. A large block of tofu was also added. With the lid on, the soup bubbled away, filling the entire house with its savory aroma.
When it was almost ready, a pinch of salt was added. The children lined up with their bowls to get a serving of the fish soup.
Yu Juanfang ladled a full bowl for Tangtang, filled with bamboo shoots, tofu, and a large piece of fish belly—the best part of the fish, with few bones and tender, smooth flesh that melted on the tongue.
As Tangtang drank the soup, she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. She remembered a time back in Waguan Village when she had gotten lucky and caught a large fish in a mountain stream. She had happily carried it home, but she never got a single bite. She was sent out to gather firewood, and by the time she returned, only the fish bones were left on the table.
It was different now. Not only did she get to drink a large bowl of fish soup, but she also had a big piece of fish to eat.
…
After lunch, Mother Yu called her eldest daughter into her room.
“We don’t get to eat meat often. That fish soup was truly delicious. All the adults and children enjoyed it.”
“Your cousin Xiaoyun came by yesterday. She brought your second uncle’s family a whole cut of pork belly and two boxes of pastries. Someone remarked that while we both married off daughters, our family didn’t do as well as your uncle’s. Your father’s face turned black when he heard that. But today, you brought such a big fish, and the whole village saw it. Now everyone knows we had fish today. We’ve finally regained some face.”
Yu Juanfang’s second uncle’s daughter, Yu Xiaoyun, was two years younger than her. Her husband was Jin Chengfeng, who had worked as a clerk at the county department store. Rumor had it he had been promoted to department head in the last year or two—a young man with a promising future. Yu Xiaoyun’s status rose with her husband’s, and she had completely escaped the fate of toiling in the fields.
Years ago, a matchmaker had tried to set up Yu Juanfang and Jin Chengfeng. But before anything could develop, her cousin Yu Xiaoyun had ended up in bed with him. The match was naturally called off. Through all these years, Yu Juanfang had never once spoken of Yu Xiaoyun’s scandalous affair.
Her expression soured at the mention of Xiaoyun’s name. Knowing it was a sore spot, her mother changed the subject back to Tangtang. “That girl has a kind face and clear eyes. She seems like a good child. If you raise her well, she’ll surely be good to you in the future.”
“We’ll see,” Yu Juanfang said, glancing at Tangtang outside. She didn’t hold much hope; the child was old enough to remember her past.
…
At six in the evening, mother and daughter began their journey back to Yuhuai Village.
Mother Yu insisted on stuffing a one-yuan note into Tangtang’s pocket. By the time they got home, it was completely dark. The Su family had already finished dinner. Yu Juanfang told Tangtang to wash up before bed.
There was still some hot water left in the large cauldron. Yu Juanfang used it to give herself a quick sponge bath and changed into an older set of clothes. As she passed the foot of the kang, Tangtang poked her head out from under the covers. “Mom.”
“What is it?”
Tangtang took the one-yuan note from her pocket and held it out. “Grandma gave this to me. I don’t want it. You should keep it.”
“You hold onto it. You can buy something for yourself if you want. And thanks to you today, I wouldn’t have spotted that carp otherwise.” As she spoke, Yu Juanfang pulled a handful of fruit candies from her pocket and tucked them under Tangtang’s pillow. Her tone was still somewhat detached. “Eating candy at night is bad for your teeth. Eat them tomorrow, and don’t let anyone else see.”
“Candy?” In the darkness, Tangtang’s eyes sparkled. She loved candy more than anything, but it was a rare treat. The only time she ever got to eat it was a single piece during the New Year. By now, Yu Juanfang had already lain down on the kang.
Tangtang felt under her pillow. She counted five candies, each wrapped in colorful cellophane that looked beautiful.
Though she hadn’t tasted them yet, she could already imagine how sweet they would be, how rich the fruit flavor. And this candy was a gift from her mother. At that thought, Tangtang couldn’t suppress her smile.