Chapter 230: Pickled Fish and a Piggy Bank

“What happened?”

Hearing a startled cry from up ahead, Lin Heng thought his father had fallen and rushed forward in alarm.

Elder Brother Lin Yue also hurried over, despite being a little tipsy himself.

“Keep your voice down.”

Father Lin’s voice came from the front.

“What’s going on?”

When Lin Heng got there, he saw that his father hadn’t fallen after all, leaving him confused.

“There’s an injured eagle. Looks like it can’t fly.”

Father Lin pointed toward the woods ahead.

“An injured eagle?”

Lin Heng was puzzled and walked over first, with his elder brother following behind.

Looking in the direction their father had indicated, they saw a large bird with mottled gray feathers dragging one wing along the ground. Its feathers were a mess, suggesting it had been hurt for a while. The bird looked thin and weak, as if it were on the verge of death.

“Wow, it’s huge. Is that a golden eagle?” Lin Yue asked curiously as he approached.

Lin Heng shook his head. He didn’t recognize it either. Even after being reborn, his knowledge hadn’t magically expanded. Though he’d read a lot last year, none of it had to do with species identification.

While they were talking, Lin Wei arrived and, excited at the sight of the massive eagle, said, “Let’s take it home and raise it!”

Lin Heng chuckled and shook his head. “That’s not going to happen. Eagles only eat meat. One rabbit a day is nothing to them. You couldn’t afford to keep it.”

“And don’t be fooled by its injuries. Its claws are still sharp. One peck and you’ll lose a chunk of flesh,” Father Lin added.

Lin Yue nodded. “Then we’ll just catch it and bring it back. We can’t kill anything today, but we can keep it until tomorrow.”

Lin Heng knew both of his nephews wanted to raise it, but that was impossible. This was a full-grown eagle. He patted their shoulders with a smile. “Better to get a parrot or something in the future.”

With that, he stepped forward to help.

The eagle had been crouched there motionless for a long time, but now, sensing their intentions, it began to flee into the woods.

But without the ability to fly, it moved far too slowly. Lin Heng and his elder brother grabbed a couple of sticks and chased it for about thirty meters before pinning it down. Then they used their hands to hold it in place, tied its legs, and gripped its neck.

“Its wing’s broken.”

After securing the eagle, Lin Heng examined its shoulder.

Somehow, the joint in the middle of its shoulder had snapped, leaving only flesh connecting the wing. That’s why it had been dragging one wing on the ground.

Lin Yue thought for a moment. “I bet it’s a fledgling from last year. Probably broke its wing from poor flying skills.”

“Whatever the reason, let’s just bring it back first.”

Lin Heng lifted the eagle and weighed it in his hands. It was about four or five jin—roughly two to two and a half kilos. It probably had just over a jin of meat. Though eagles have hollow bones, their feathers and organs add a lot of weight.

Once they were out of the woods, Lin Heng handed the eagle to his father and went over to Xiulan to brush the snow off his clothes. Just a bit of movement in the woods would send snow falling in sheets, and now he was covered in it.

“What am I supposed to do with this? You guys take it,” Father Lin said, shaking his head.

“Let’s just carry it back for now,” Lin Heng said with a grin.

“Yeah, hurry up. The wind’s picking up and it’s freezing,” Mother Lin agreed, seeing that Lin Heng and the others had frozen feet from catching the eagle.

Father Lin didn’t argue further and carried the eagle ahead. The creature seemed to have no strength left and didn’t struggle.

Lin Heng picked up Xiao Xia and quickened his pace.

The way back had more downhill stretches than the trip out, but with the snow, it was actually harder to walk. Especially where the path had already been trodden down—he had to use a stick as a walking aid just to keep his footing.

Though it had stopped snowing, the sun hadn’t come out either, so the snow hadn’t melted much. By the time they got home, it was already three in the afternoon.

Once inside, Lin Heng lit the fireplace and the charcoal burner. It took an hour before he finally felt warm again.

“I’m going out to check if the snow’s melting on the road.”

He rubbed his hands together and stepped outside.

Even with the snow, the village was lively during the New Year. Kids were playing in the snow and setting off firecrackers, while adults played cards and drank.

Lin Heng checked the road. The snow had been trampled into slush, but if the sun didn’t come out tomorrow, it would all freeze into ice—slicker than snow.

While walking through the village, he spotted a few unfamiliar motorcycles and several bicycles parked in front of different houses. He only glanced at them and didn’t think much of it.

On his way back, he ran into his elder brother’s family carrying gifts. It wasn’t hard to guess—they were heading to his sister-in-law’s family for New Year’s greetings. Sure enough, that was the case.

His sister-in-law’s family lived in Baima Village, which wasn’t far.

Lin Heng had originally planned to invite them over for dinner, but from the looks of it, his sister-in-law couldn’t wait to go show off. Though his elder brother’s family wasn’t as well-off as his own, they were still doing pretty well.

After all, just from selling yams, Lin Heng had helped his elder brother earn 200 yuan—about the same as a rural family’s entire annual income.

Turning back, Lin Heng went to check on the eagle. His father had locked it in a cage and given it some water. It already looked much better.

After checking on it, Lin Heng said, “Dad, come over for dinner tonight. Otherwise, it’ll just be the three of us, and that’s no fun. Let’s kill that black carp and make pickled fish.”

“Alright, we’ll come over in a bit.”

Father Lin nodded. Eating at his son’s house wasn’t something he’d refuse.

After that, Lin Heng went home to catch the black carp. The fish pond had only a thin layer of ice, which shattered with a light tap. Since the water came from an underground spring, it stayed relatively warm.

In this cold weather, the fish barely moved. Lin Heng took a net and aimed for the black carp floating in the water.

Splash!

Water flew everywhere as the black carp darted out of the net. By the time the water settled, it was already in another corner of the pond.

Splash!

Lin Heng tried again, but before the net even reached the fish, it shot off to another side.

“Alright, alright. You had your chance. If you don’t want to live, then you’ll die.”

Lin Heng chuckled in frustration. The pond was four meters long, and catching this thing wasn’t easy. There was even a small wooden bridge in the middle, making it harder to maneuver the net. And the fish just kept running.

He went back inside, grabbed his compound bow, nocked one of his handmade wooden arrows, and let it fly.

With a splash, the arrow pierced the water. A moment later, blood began to spread, and as the ripples faded, the black carp floated to the surface, its body still twitching faintly.

The arrow had gone straight through the fish’s head. The wooden tip had hit a rock and snapped off. If it had been a metal tip, it would’ve shattered the stone.

“That’s what you get.”

Lin Heng shook his head and pulled the arrow out, easily hauling the fish up.

“This fish didn’t just stay fat—it got even bigger. Must’ve been feasting on those creek fish.”

He weighed it in his hand and spoke to his wife, who had just come out of the house. The black carp had originally been six or seven jin, but now it looked like it was pushing eight or nine.

Xiulan nodded with a smile. “Of course. The little fish here have nowhere to hide. Back in autumn, you could hear it hunting every day.”

Lin Heng nodded. He laid the fish on a worn-out snakeskin bag, pulled out the arrow, and began cleaning it with a knife.

Xiulan took his net and went to release the koi from the secondary holding tank into the main pond.

She really liked those koi and made a habit of feeding them every couple of days.

Lin Heng quickly removed the black fish’s scales and gills, then used a knife to slice along the spine. He took out the innards, split the fish in half, removed the head and tail, and with practiced precision, deboned the fish and picked out the only remaining bone. The remaining flesh was sliced into thin, delicate fillets.

He was especially fond of pickled fish stew. In his previous life, he had taught himself how to make it, and had butchered no fewer than fifty black fish in the process. Naturally, his technique had become second nature.

“Not bad at all,” Xiulan said with a wink. His skill was on par with a professional fishmonger.

“I’ve been cleaning fish since I was a kid. Once you see how it’s done, it’s easy.”

Lin Heng smiled. Back then, he really had picked it up just by watching once.

“You’re making pickled fish?” Xiulan asked.

“Yep,” Lin Heng nodded.

It was getting late, so the two of them got straight to cooking. Since it was just family, there was no need to prepare too many dishes, and they already had a variety of marinated meats ready to go.

Xiulan stir-fried five hot dishes and made a caramelized sweet potato dish. Then it was Lin Heng’s turn to make the fish.

Pickled fish stew was simple to prepare. First, he chopped up some pickled vegetables and spicy pickled chilies and stir-fried them. Then he sautéed some minced garlic.

Next, he pan-fried the fish head and bones in oil until both sides turned golden brown. Once done, he turned up the heat and poured in a pot of boiling water at 98 degrees Celsius. As the water boiled, the fish broth turned a beautiful milky white.

It wasn’t because of milk, but because the fat in the fish bones had dissolved, giving the broth its color. Of course, it also released some nutrients, though not in large quantities.

He further broke down the fish bones to extract every bit of nutrition, then filtered out the residue.

After that, he added the stir-fried pickled vegetables and garlic. Lin Heng liked to add vermicelli noodles as well. The noodles absorbed the sour, spicy, and savory broth, making them incredibly flavorful. For him, vermicelli was a must in pickled fish stew.

Once the vermicelli was added, he seasoned the broth. When it was done cooking, he scooped out the noodles and pickled vegetables and laid them at the bottom of the serving bowl. Then he gently dropped the black fish fillets—already coated in starch and egg wash—into the broth and simmered them on low heat for half a minute before serving.

The traditional method called for pouring hot oil infused with green and red Sichuan peppercorns and chilies over the dish, but Lin Heng found that too greasy. Instead, he just added a handful of chopped cilantro and brought it to the table.

Before it was served, Xiulan snuck a bite. The fish was tender and tangy, and the vermicelli, soaked in the rich broth, was bursting with flavor. One bite wasn’t enough—she couldn’t help but go in for another.

“This tastes amazing. Even better than mine,” Xiulan said with a wink, realizing Lin Heng had a real talent for cooking fish.

“When summer comes, go fishing for black fish with me. If we catch any, I’ll make pickled fish stew,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Deal,” Xiulan nodded, smiling as she carried the dishes out.

Soon, the table was full of food, and everyone dug in.

“Everyone, try the pickled fish I made. There’s vermicelli underneath too,” Lin Heng said as he helped himself to a chopstickful of noodles. Then he picked out a piece of fish for Xiao Xia—it was boneless and safe to eat.

Caiyun tasted a piece and exclaimed in surprise, “This fish is delicious! You really made this, Second Brother?”

“Of course. If you don’t believe me, ask your sister-in-law,” Lin Heng replied with a grin.

“These noodles are amazing. I didn’t expect this from you, son,” said Mother Lin, who normally didn’t like fish but had fallen in love with the vermicelli.

Father Lin gave a big thumbs-up and kept helping himself to more.

“Daddy, more please,” Xiao Xia said after finishing her portion.

Lin Heng gave her another serving. The fish was easy to digest, so there was no worry about upsetting her stomach.

The vermicelli was devoured mostly by Lin Heng, Xiulan, and Caiyun. In no time, the entire bowl of pickled fish stew was gone—even the broth was finished.

With the stew gone, everyone moved on to the other dishes. The marinated donkey meat, chicken, pig ears, and more were all big hits.

Xiulan’s stir-fried chicken and garlic shoots with pork were also delicious, but nothing could beat the pickled fish in terms of whetting the appetite. Dishes like that made you want to keep eating.

That night, Lin Heng drank rice wine—fragrant, sweet, and low in alcohol, just the way he liked it. Xiulan, Caiyun, and Mother Lin also drank rice wine, while Father Lin had sugar wine.

They ate, drank, and chatted happily. Life was hard for people at the bottom, and they looked forward to these few days of comfort all year—days when they could eat and drink without worry, enjoy foods they normally couldn’t afford, and dream a little about the future.

As long as everyone at the table knew each other, New Year’s meals were never boring. There was always so much to say, and the time always felt too short.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, their faces were lit with contentment.

Father Lin let out a satisfied burp and asked with a smile, “Son, are you taking Xiulan to visit her family tomorrow?”

Lin Heng nodded. “That’s the plan, but it depends on whether the snow melts. If it does, we’ll leave early. We’ll stop by the city first to check out the festivities, then head to my father-in-law’s place for lunch and come back in the evening.”

Starting tomorrow, they were expecting a lot of relatives. As the saying goes, “When you’re poor in a bustling city, no one knows you. When you’re rich in a remote mountain, even distant relatives come calling.” Word had long gotten out that their family had become a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household, so plenty of relatives would be dropping by for the New Year.

Lin Heng wasn’t keen on entertaining relatives he hadn’t seen in years. All the small talk was a hassle. So he planned to spend the day out and return in the evening.

“That’s fine. You go have fun. If any relatives show up, I’ll take care of them,” Father Lin said with a smile. He understood how Lin Heng felt.

“Once I buy a car, we can all go out during the New Year—visit temple fairs and lantern festivals,” Lin Heng said wistfully. Celebrating in the mountains was nice, but it wouldn’t hurt to venture out once in a while.

“Don’t waste money. There’s no rush for that,” Father Lin said, patting him on the shoulder.

After chatting a while longer, Father Lin and Mother Lin went back to their room. Caiyun grabbed a book from Lin Heng’s study, read for a bit, and then also turned in.

When it was time to wash up and rest, Lin Heng saw Xiao Xia sitting there opening the red envelopes she had received that day.

The ones from Lin Heng and Xiulan each had five yuan—big money. Father Lin also gave her five yuan, Mother Lin gave one, and her uncles each gave three.

All of them were generous envelopes, and together they added up to about a month’s salary for a worker.

“Xiao Xia, put your money in here. When you grow up and know how to spend it, you can use it then.”

Lin Heng handed her a square box made of red toon bog wood, fifteen centimeters on each side. The box was sealed with mortise-and-tenon joints and water, with a three-millimeter-wide slot on top for inserting money.

It was one of the boxes Carpenter Liang had made from leftover scraps.

Xiao Xia took the savings box and examined it, not quite sure how to use it. Lin Heng showed her once, and she immediately started putting all her money inside.

“When I… when I grow up… I’ll buy candy,” she mumbled softly as she stored the bills. Afterward, she happily shook the box and placed it on her bed.

Xiulan had originally wanted to take the money back—not because she didn’t want to give it to her, but because she was worried Xiao Xia might lose it. Carrying around that much cash wasn’t safe.

Lin Heng offered a better solution: give her a savings box. By teaching her how to manage money from a young age, she would gradually develop a healthy sense of financial responsibility.

And when she grew up and opened that box, she’d be met with a pleasant surprise and a sense of accomplishment.

If you promise to save money for her but forget about it later, the child will think you’re unreliable and start to lose trust in you.

“You’re right,” Xiulan nodded, convinced by Lin Heng’s reasoning.

(End of Chapter)

— Translator’s Notes —

• When you’re poor in a bustling city, no one knows you. When you’re rich in a remote mountain, even distant relatives come calling.: This is a well-known Chinese proverb commenting on how wealth attracts attention and ‘relatives,’ while poverty leads to isolation, even in a crowded place.

• mortise-and-tenon joints: A classic woodworking joint where a tenon (a protruding piece of wood) is fitted into a mortise (a cavity) to join two pieces together, known for its strength and common in traditional Chinese carpentry.