The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 23p3

Chapter 23: Crispy Pancakes and Pickled Cabbage p3

After Lin Shuang brought her basket back, she was in no mood to deal with it. She rested for a long time before going to make lunch.

Old Madam Jiang saw that her face was pale and that Jiang Huaizhen was not there, and asked what had happened.

She told her what had happened on the mountain. Hearing this, Old Madam Jiang sighed gloomily.”It’s all my fault for being a burden to her. Now, for money, she’s even killed people and doesn’t care about anything.”

Hearing this, Lin Shuang’s anger also dissipated. She comforted her in return, “We don’t steal or rob. Even as an executioner, she kills the incorrigible criminals sentenced by the court. She earns clean money, and even the heavens have nothing to say.”

“That’s true, but—sigh—”

Seeing the old woman sighing, without her usual sharp and sarcastic demeanor, Lin Shuang was a little unaccustomed to it.

Jiang Huaizhen returned at the second quarter of the Hour of the Monkey.(3 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

The old woman had just come out, supporting herself against the wall. Seeing that she was carrying a three or four-catty grass carp, her worry turned to joy. “Did you catch it in the river at the village entrance?”

Jiang Huaizhen carefully glanced at Lin Shuang next to her and nodded. “Yes, I just happened to catch it.”

Lin Shuang saw that her shoes and socks were not wet, so how could she believe her? Besides, she knew the situation with that river. But she was too lazy to expose her.

The old woman said happily, “A few days ago, when Shuang’er was pickling vegetables, she said that pickled fish is delicious. Now we can finally have some.”

Lin Shuang went forward and took the fish from her, along with a bulging small pouch, and went into the kitchen.

She opened the small pouch and saw that it contained five-spice powder, soy sauce, fermented soybeans, and seven or eight other spices, all of which she had mentioned to her before.

She placed the spices on the cabinet and carried the fish to the water vat outside the door to clean it.

Jiang Huaizhen helped the old woman to the main hall to sit down, then returned to the water vat. She watched Lin Shuang scooping water to wash the fish and said softly, “Let me do it…”

“Do you know how?” Lin Shuang said without looking up.

“I’ve seen the vendors at the market do it. It’s not difficult.”

“Forget it. My hands are already wet,” Lin Shuang said, deftly making a cut in the fish’s belly.

Seeing that Jiang Huaizhen hadn’t left, she asked, “How much did you sell it for?”

“One hundred copper coins… If it were alive, it could have sold for eight or nine hundred.”

“How much did this fish cost?”

“Forty-three copper coins,” Jiang Huaizhen replied honestly.

“And the spices?”

“Fifty-seven copper coins.”

Now, all the money she had just earned was spent. Lin Shuang took a deep breath and looked up, wanting to scold her, but she swallowed her words.

She had said that in this life, she would earn money and enjoy life. Life was nothing more than eating, drinking, and having fun. What was wrong with eating a fish?

Then she remembered the old woman’s sighs from just now, and all her anger dissipated. “I made porridge for lunch. Eat some to fill your stomach. We’ll have the pickled fish for dinner.”

Seeing that Lin Shuang’s voice had softened, Jiang Huaizhen paused, replied with an “alright,” and then turned to go inside to drink her porridge.

After finishing her porridge, she went to wash everyone’s clothes.

Because of her fever the night before, Lin Shuang was not allowed to help. She didn’t insist and went to the vegetable garden to pick the old leaves, chop them up to feed the chickens, and then cleared the weeds and leaves from the garden.

By the time she finished and returned home, it was almost evening. She began to wash the rice and cook.

Pickled fish had to be paired with dry rice. Jiang Huaizhen would definitely like that. As for the old woman, there was still some porridge left from the morning, which would be just enough for her when heated up.

Jiang Huaizhen was now in the main hall, weaving the large mat. Seeing her return, she put down her work and went into the kitchen. “Do you need me to do anything?”

Lin Shuang felt that she was being a little cautious and guessed that her reaction on the mountain today had scared her. She shook her head. “There’s nothing for you to do. But you’ve been sitting there hunched over for a long time. You should get up and walk around, or you’ll get a hunchback when you’re old.”

Jiang Huaizhen was stunned, probably thinking about the seriousness of this matter. Finally, she said “oh,” and indeed leaned against the door, watching her prepare dinner without going out again.

She had learned all the skills of that cook from her past life, so making this dish was a piece of cake.

She separated the fish meat from the bones, sliced the meat, and marinated it with a little flour, five-spice powder, and soy sauce. The fish bones were seasoned with ginger and wine.

The wine was leftover from Jiang Gui’s time and was in a cabinet in the kitchen. Lin Shuang had seen it on her first day.

The scallions and pickled cabbage were already chopped, and the vegetables were washed and ready.

By the time the rice began to smell fragrant, the sky was starting to darken.

The firewood crackled against the bottom of the pot. Lin Shuang scooped a spoonful of congealed white lard into the iron pot.

As soon as the oil began to bubble, she slid the chopped fish bones down the side of the pot. A “sizzle” echoed, and an aroma of seared fish blended with the scent of ginger wafted through the air.

Jiang Huaizhen leaned against the doorframe, watching the fish bones curl up in the hot oil.

The heat rose up the chimney, and the kitchen was filled with the mixed aroma of cooked rice and pickled cabbage.

After the pickled cabbage was stir-fried through, she added hot water, brought the soup to a boil, and seasoned it.

When the fish bone soup had boiled to a milky white, Lin Shuang slid the marinated fish slices into the pot.

The black fish skin and white fish meat rose and fell in the waves of the soup with the rising steam, and in just a few moments, they were cooked through.

There wasn’t a bowl large enough to hold the three-catty fish and the soup. Lin Shuang simply poured the entire pot of cooked pickled fish into another soup pot and then sprinkled it with scallions.

She then heated half a spoonful of pork soup and drizzled it over the chopped scallions. The rising steam was immediately filled with a fragrant aroma.

Jiang Huaizhen, who was behind her, was stunned.

Lin Shuang added water to the pot to cook the vegetables later. She turned and looked at her, then beckoned to her with her finger.

When she came over, she picked up her bamboo chopsticks, picked up a trembling piece of fish, and brought it to her lips.

“See if it’s salty enough?”

Just as Jiang Huaizhen was about to open her mouth, she suddenly saw a fish scale on Lin Shuang’s sleeve and wanted to reach out and pick it off. In that moment of distraction, the hot fish meat had already slipped into her mouth.

She was instantly scalded and squinted her eyes, but she couldn’t bear to let go.

The fish fillet was as tender as the tip of a spring bamboo shoot. The sour and fragrant taste went straight down her throat and into her stomach, causing a thin layer of sweat to break out on her back.

The sparks in the stove suddenly crackled, startling both of them.

“Go and help Grandma out to eat.”

Knowing that they were having pickled fish tonight, Old Madam Jiang had been looking forward to it since noon. She had heard the “sizzle” of the fish bones hitting the hot oil clearly. But when Jiang Huaizhen came to ask her to eat, she pretended to be nonchalant, let her help her out of bed, and slowly shuffled toward the kitchen.

The water in the pot was already boiling, and Lin Shuang put the vegetables in.

The leftover porridge from noon was also heated up.

After settling the old woman in her seat, Jiang Huaizhen brought over the porridge and then served dry rice for herself and Lin Shuang.

The vegetables just needed to be blanched to be cooked. Lin Shuang scooped them out, put them on a plate, drizzled a spoonful of soy sauce over them, and brought them to the table. She then drizzled the thin layer of oil floating on top of the pickled fish onto the vegetables, and it was done.

Twilight, wrapped in cooking smoke, filled the kitchen. The three of them sat around the rough wooden square table.

Golden-red oil floated on the surface of the milky white soup. The old woman picked up a trembling piece of fish. The hot fish meat melted in her mouth, and the sour and fragrant taste mixed with the spiciness of the peppercorns went straight to her head, causing her to cough unexpectedly.

Jiang Huaizhen quickly got up and brought her a cup of water.

The old woman took a sip of water and, after a while, said, “I haven’t eaten anything spicy in years.”

Lin Shuang said, “Grandma can’t eat spicy food. I won’t put it in next time.”

“Put it in, why not? How can it be delicious without it?” the old woman said, tapping the table.

She would never admit that it was so delicious that she had choked on it.

“Then eat slowly.”

And next to her, Jiang Huaizhen, without a word, had already scooped up her second spoonful of fish soup.

The fish soup, wrapped in shredded pickled cabbage, slid down her throat. The beads of sweat on her forehead were shining.

Half a fish tail suddenly appeared at the edge of her bowl.

She looked up and saw the old woman’s stern face. “What, do you think the fish tail has too many bones?”

The skin on the fish tail was fried crispy, and it was the part Jiang Huaizhen had craved the most as a child.

Lin Shuang pursed her lips and smiled lightly.