Chapter 34: Xie Zhao’s Special Method!

With things on their minds, they finished their noodles much faster.

Xie Youzhen and Xie Cheng wolfed down their food and hurriedly headed out.

Xie Tian, meanwhile, clutched her shoes, blinked, and turned to look at Xie Zhao.

“Second Brother? Is there anything I can do?”

She really loved these shoes.

Tian Xiufen didn’t know how much they cost, but she did.

Ten yuan!

Her second brother had been so generous to her; she had to do something to help too!

Xie Zhao winked at her. “Do you know how to play house?”

Xie Tian’s eyes widened.

“What? Play house?”

*

Shishui Village wasn’t large, but because it was surrounded by mountains on three sides, the population was concentrated.

In those days, every household did their best to have kids. Who didn’t have three or four?

The area around the large willow tree at the edge of the village was the gathering spot for the kids.

A small creek ran through, crossed by a dirt bridge, where a flock of ducks swam and quacked noisily.

At a glance, half-grown kids with bare bottoms and runny noses from the cold were stubbornly fighting over half a roasted sweet potato, refusing to let go.

“It’s mine! Give it to me, or I’ll beat you up!”

“No way! I stole it from my aunt’s cellar! Since we roasted it, I should get the bigger half and you get the smaller one! Give it back!”

“Hmph! Let’s fight! Whoever wins gets the bigger half!”

Wang Erhu and Zhao Tieniu started scrapping like two fierce young bulls. The surrounding kids cheered and hollered, creating a racket that could be heard from far away.

Just as the two were fighting until their faces were red, a little kid holding a grass-woven grasshopper suddenly stiffened, widened his eyes, and took a deep sniff.

“Wow! It smells so good! Smell it, there’s a smell of meat!”

Meat?

Where would meat come from?

A bunch of half-grown kids eating their fill could easily eat their families out of house and home!

Even when a household managed to cook meat on ordinary days, it was served to the hardworking men first. The children had to wait, and whatever was left over would be divided among them.

They were lucky just to get full, let alone eat meat.

So, the moment the aroma of meat drifted over, the seven or eight children reacted like cats smelling fish. They raised their heads, widened their eyes, and began searching frantically.

Wang Erhu and Zhao Tieniu stopped fighting immediately, their mouths watering.

Who cared about a roasted sweet potato when there was meat to be had?

“It seems to be coming from the ridge! The wind is blowing from that direction!”

Zhao Tieniu took a deep breath, his eyes lighting up as he pointed.

The seven or eight children bolted, swarming like a nest of locusts. They quickly crossed the dirt bridge and scrambled over to the other side of the ridge.

Once they crossed over, the sight before them made it impossible for them to take another step.

It was meat soup!

Wow!

It smelled amazing!

Right now, on this side of the ridge, Xie Zhao was making soup with Xie Tian.

Cooking outdoors was actually quite fun.

Xie Zhao had dug a hole in the side of the ridge and stacked a couple of stones he found nearby. The hollow space underneath was perfect for firewood. When the wind blew across the ridge, the flames flared up, burning hot and fierce.

He had brought a large clay pot, though it had a chipped rim. The family used to use it to boil water, but once it chipped, it was tossed into a corner. During the household division, Wang Jinhua had insisted on forcing it on Xie Youzhen.

It was big enough to hold half a wooden bucket of water.

Xie Zhao was truly “picnicking.”

With a roaring fire underneath, he first rendered some lard in the clay pot, then fried a small plate of leftover small fish from yesterday’s catch until they turned slightly white. After scooping the fish out, he tossed in a handful of minced meat to stir-fry.

He added ginger and scallion whites to remove the fishy odor, and finally poured the fish back in before adding half a bucket of water. Soon, a full pot of milky-white soup simmered, with a thick layer of oil floating on top.

By now, the soup was boiling.

The rising steam carried an aroma that made everyone’s mouth water.

Even though Xie Tian had come here full of noodles, she couldn’t help but swallow her spit at the smell.

She stole a glance at Xie Zhao.

She wondered to herself.

When did Second Brother get so good at cooking?

How could a simple pot of fish soup smell this delicious?

What Xie Tian didn’t know was that the fish soup smelled so good because of the generous amount of lard and that handful of lean meat.

The Maillard reaction, a scientific term from decades in the future.

The seven or eight children peeked out quietly, constantly swallowing their spit.

Their dark little eyes darted around, completely glued to the pot!

Xie Zhao suppressed a smile and turned to Xie Tian. “Do you know them all?”

Xie Tian took a look and nodded, whispering back, “The ones on the very edge are Zhao Tieniu and Wang Erhu. They’re the kings of the kids around here. They’re the best at fighting, and everyone listens to them!”

Xie Zhao signaled that he understood.

He picked up the ladle and stirred the clay pot. The milky-white broth, rich with the aroma of meat, instantly sent a delicious scent wafting through the air. Even from a distance, Xie Zhao could hear the kids gulping down their saliva.

“Little Sister, if you want to drink this soup, you have to do Second Brother a favor!”

Xie Zhao raised his voice on purpose. “Food in exchange for labor, how about it?”

Xie Tian raised her voice as well.

“Of course! Labor is the most glorious!^[1] Second Brother, just tell me what it is! I’ll definitely do it!”

Xie Zhao laughed, kicked the dirt beneath his feet, and jerked his chin.

“Pond snails, do you know what those are? Whether they’re pond snails or river snails, I want them! If you can gather them, I’ll scoop you a bowl of soup, and I’ll pay you fifty cents per jin! What do you think?!”

Xie Tian covered her mouth, her eyes wide and her mouth open in a perfect ‘O’. She even took a few steps toward where the other children were hiding.

“Really?! Then can I have a bowl of soup first, and then go find river snails for you?”

Xie Zhao smiled and nodded. “Of course you can!”

As he spoke, he picked up a chipped bowl, ladled out a generous portion, scooped in two small fish, and handed it to Xie Tian.

Xie Tian was taken aback.

She silently mouthed to Xie Zhao, Is this for me to eat?

Xie Zhao raised an eyebrow.

“It’ll help you grow. Drink up.”

Xie Tian smacked her lips, a warm feeling spreading through her heart. She took the bowl and grinned at Xie Zhao. “Second Brother, it’s like you’ve become a completely different person. You’re so nice!”

After she finished speaking, she blew on it carefully and leaned down to take a sip.

The next moment, her eyes lit up.

“This is delicious!”

She took a loud slurp, feeling an indescribable, savory richness explode in her mouth, washing over her lips and teeth, completely captivating her.

In all her years, she had never tasted a soup this delicious!

Well, now.

This scene was witnessed clear as day by several children standing not far away!

The weather was still freezing, and the six- and seven-year-olds were running around bare-bottomed, shivering and shaking whenever the cold wind blew.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed hard, their voice trembling. “It smells so good. I want a bowl too! It must be so warm! And it smells like meat, I saw it! Big drops of oil! Brother Tieniu, Brother Erhu, can’t you think of something?”

One of the children looked at the older boys with eyes full of hope.