Steamed Fish Banquet

  "Brother, why did you go buy fish again?"

  Lin Zhenhua came back from outside with a big grass carp, and Lin Fanghua looked unhappy and complained. It was another weekend, and Lin Zhenhua told his sister that he wanted to improve their lives, so he went to the market himself to buy groceries.

  In the past week, Lin Fanghua has been a housewife. Every day at the dinner table, there is not even a little meat dish to be seen. Lin Zhenhua is about to collapse. This is Lin Fanghua's first time as a housewife. She has taken the thrifty and frugal ideas taught by the adults around her to an extreme. Every penny is tightly grasped, so that the food in Lin's family is simpler than other families. How can Lin Zhenhua, who is used to having meat every meal, adapt?

  "Huh, didn't you say last week that the steamed fish I made for you wasn't enough? Today I specially made it again, eat as much as you want, and I'll have the leftovers." Lin Zhenhua said with great enthusiasm.

  "Good things can't be eaten like that. Wei Auntie said that living a life requires a steady and continuous flow."

  "Come on, I just bought a fish for two bucks, if this isn't a small matter, then what is?"

  "You just know how to waste money." Lin Fanghua said, "Two dollars isn't money? There are only two of us eating at home, and one meal costs two dollars. How much money do we need to eat?"

  Lin Zhenhua was furious: "I'm telling you, Xiaofang, am I the older brother or are you? Don't worry about making money, just focus on eating. You spend two bucks and then make a fuss here, do you want me to become Tang Seng?"

  "What's Tang Shang Ah?" Lin Fanghua was also confused.

  Lin Zhenhua told Lin Fanghua about Tang's anecdote, and Lin Fanghua burst out laughing: "This is also too thrifty, isn't it?"

  "That's right, I'm telling you, money isn't saved up, it's earned. After this period is over, I'll go out and earn some money, don't mention grass carp, I can even get abalone for you to eat every day."

  "Go ahead and brag." Lin Fanghua muttered, but she immediately thought of something else: "Brother, if you make steamed fish, I'll invite Yang Xin to come and eat together, okay?"

  "Why?" Lin Zhenhua was momentarily unaccustomed to his sister's stream of consciousness, having just complained that they shouldn't have bought fish to eat, and in the blink of an eye thinking about inviting guests over to eat.

  "She's my best friend," said Lin Fanghua, "whenever she has something good to eat, she always calls me to join her. How could I not call her for such a delicious dish like steamed fish?"

  "What about Yang Shu and Wei Auntie? And what about Yang Tao?" Lin Zhenhua worried, this fish is over three catties, but if there are too many people coming, it won't be enough to go around. Lin Zhenhua himself didn't care whether he ate or not, he just hoped that Lin Fanghua could eat her fill. In later generations, seven or eight people having dinner together, with a three-catty fish on the table would be enough for everyone, because there were other dishes as well, and everyone's stomachs had more oil and water, so their appetites were smaller. In this era, even three people eating one fish was not enough, if six or seven people came, Little Fang would probably only get a few pieces of fish bones to eat.

  "I'll also call them, if they don't come then that's it." Lin Fanghua said, she knew the others definitely wouldn't be coming, after all, it wasn't easy for the younger siblings to make something to eat, how could the adults bear to come and share in eating?

  "Go." Lin Zhenhua waved his hand and Lin Fanghua flew out like a small bird.

  When the chili in the boiled fish emitted a strong fragrance, Lin Fanghua pulled Yang Xin into the house. Yang Xin was still a bit restrained in front of Lin Zhenhua, but when she saw a big bowl of boiled fish covered with oil, her appetite was also stirred up.

  "Little Hua, did you do this?" Yang Xin asked disbelievingly.

  "Of course, there's no one else here, so it must be done by some snail girl who crawled out?" Lin Zhenhua laughed.

  Lin Fanghua quickly brought over a bowl and chopsticks, handed a set to Yang Xin, and said: "Yang Xin, hurry up, or there will only be fish bones left."

  Yang Xin picked up a thin slice of fish, put it in her mouth, and the tender fish melted instantly on her tongue, leaving only a mouthful of spicy aroma. She took a breath, and hastily put another piece into her mouth, the strong spiciness bringing out some tears in her eyes, she looked at Lin Zhenhua with this dazed gaze, feeling that the boy in front of her seemed to have something unusual about him.

  "How is it, Yang Xin, delicious? I told you, my brother's boiled fish is especially good." Lin Fanghua's mouth didn't stop for a moment, although she was sweating from the spiciness, her enthusiasm was getting higher and higher. Just seeing Lin Zhenhua buying fish back then, she still had some complaints, now she has thrown those complaints far away.

  Yang Xin smiled slightly, saying in a low voice: "Yeah, it's really delicious. I'll go back and ask my mom to try making some too. But, I reckon she won't make it, there's so much oil in this dish, enough for half a month's worth at our house."

  "Yang Xin, you don't know, this spendthrift, he spends money like flowing water. He actually went to the black market to buy high-priced oil for cooking fish. This fish cost over two yuan, and at least half a catty of oil was used, which is worth more than one yuan."

  Lin Zhenhua watched the two little girls eating with such relish, and his heart was even more delighted than if he had eaten a lot of fish himself. He restrained his own appetite, only symbolically picking up a few pieces of fish bones to taste, leaving most of the fish for Lin Fanghua and Yang Xin. He found that although Yang Xin looked embarrassed, she didn't eat any less, it seemed that she really liked this dish so much that her appetite overcame her shyness.

  "As long as you enjoy your meal, I'll cook for you again next week."

  "What?" Lin Fanghua looked up at Lin Zhenhua, with fish meat stuffed in her mouth, and said vaguely, "No, no, this kind of thing, eating once a month is enough, don't let you buy it again."

  Yang Xin also advised: "Little Hua, you really need to save some money. You have a bit of demobilization fee now, but it will be used up sooner or later. My parents said that you buying such good cigarettes and wine is really not knowing how to live, and in the future you'll have many opportunities to spend money."

  Lin Zhenhua said, "Alright, alright, Xiaofang is already managing me, and now you're also here to manage me. Don't worry, I have the ability to spend money, so naturally I also have the ability to earn money. You can rest assured."

  Yang Xin heard Lin Zhenhua mention making money, and suddenly remembered that she had something to say to Lin Zhenhua. She put down her chopsticks and asked solemnly: "Little Hua brother, I heard that Director Zhu told you the other day that as long as you learn technology well, he can find a way to let you be a technician, is this true?"

  Lin Zhenhua nodded: "Yes."

  "Then why don't you hurry up and learn some skills?"

  "Now I'm just a porter, when do I have time to learn skills?" Lin Zhenhua pretended to be stupid.

  Yang Xin hesitated and said: "Actually, you can find a master to teach you. If you really can't find a master, then I'll teach you what I know first, and then I'll learn new things from my own master, how about that?"

  "Are you going to teach me?" Lin Zhenhua's eyes widened, this joke was getting out of hand. A graduate student in the Mechanical Department of Huqing University, bowing down to a junior high school graduate as his teacher? This seemed a bit like Tang Bohu lowering himself to become a house slave, but what was his goal? Was it to seduce Yang Xin, who was only 16 years old?

  "Actually, I'm not sure if I can teach you, I didn't learn it very well myself, but...but..." Yang Xinpai looked somewhat embarrassed, seemingly wanting to help Lin Zhenhua, yet worried that her own abilities weren't up to par.

  Lin Zhenhua suddenly remembered something else: "Hey, Yang Xin, I feel like your master Jiang Tie Mei has a grudge against me? The other day when I greeted her in the workshop, she didn't even bother to respond."

  "She's just that kind of temper." Yang Xin said, "Actually, Master Jiang is a good person, it's just that the burden at home is too heavy, and then her temper isn't very good. She doesn't just treat you like this, she treats me like this too..."

  "This is what they call menopause syndrome." Lin Zhenhua sighed, "I deeply sympathize with you for learning techniques under her."

  "What syndrome?" Lin Fanghua asked back, that era didn't popularize the term menopause yet, so she didn't know what was going on.

  "This this...... even if I tell you, you won't understand, hurry up and eat your fish." Lin Zhenhua said with a dismissive glance.

  Yang Xin, however, was still seriously staring at Lin Zhenhua and said: "Little Hua brother, I'm telling the truth. If you can't find a master, then after work every day, you leave a little later, I'll teach you what I know, and then I'll go learn new things from Master. How about that?"

  "Yang Xin, you can't be serious?" Lin Zhenhua was really annoyed.

  Yang Xin's face turned red and she scolded: "Of course I'm serious."

  "Who would have thought that a pot of boiled fish could be so effective?" Lin Zhenhua pretended to be suddenly enlightened, turned his head and said to his sister: "Xiaofang, why don't you go invite Liang Guangping now, let's see if he'll transfer me to the factory department as his secretary after eating this pot of boiled fish."

  "Bang!" Lin Zhenhua's head was hit by a chopstick, and he looked up to see his sister staring at him with her eyes wide open.

  "Lin Zhenhua, don't you want to study well!" Lin Fanghua scolded in the tone of her deceased parents.

  "I was wrong, I was wrong, I'll change..." Lin Zhenhua could only nod repeatedly. He was naturally afraid of girls throwing tantrums. In the past, in the lab, he could joke around with his senior sisters and junior sisters, but once these beauties started throwing a fit, Lin Zhenhua would immediately shut down, hug his head, and willingly become the wooden fish for them to beat on.

  Lin Fanghua achieved victory, sat down with satisfaction, picked up a piece of fish meat and put it in the bowl, saying: "I told you, Lin Zhenhua, Yang Xin agreed to teach you technology because he saw my face. You should learn from Yang... Master well, otherwise..."

  "I'm learning, I'm learning." Lin Zhenhua turned his head to look at Yang Xin, "Or, Master Yang, why don't we have a master-apprentice ceremony? When Confucius accepted students, he would ask for six salted meats. You can just take one spicy fish from me, right?"

  Yang Xin burst out laughing, just about to say something, but unexpectedly a mouthful of spicy oil choked into her throat, and she suddenly started coughing violently, really coughing until the sky spun and the earth turned. Lin Zhenhua sat beside Yang Xin, seeing that she was coughing badly, subconsciously stretched out his hand and patted her back several times.

  "Oh no, I'm choking to death. Xiaofang, thank you." Yang Xin finally stopped coughing and thought that someone had patted her back, naturally assuming it was Lin Fanghua helping her.

  Lin Fanghua's eyes widened in surprise, she didn't expect Lin Zhenhua to help Yang Xin pat her back in such a familiar way. She wanted to stop him but didn't know how to say it, now seeing Yang Xin thanking her, she reacted slowly, pointing at Lin Zhenhua: "It wasn't me, it was him..."

  "It was him!" Yang Xin suddenly realized that the hand that patted her back earlier came from a different direction. The three of them were sitting at the edge of the table, forming a triangle, with Lin Zhenhua on one side and Lin Fanghua on the other, while the person who patted her back should have been sitting in the direction of Lin Zhenhua.

  "Cough, cough, this... my meal is finished, I'll go get more rice." Lin Zhenhua knew he had just made a move that was suspected of harassing the little loli, and hastily found an excuse to slip away.

  "Hahaha……" Yang Xin and Lin Fanghua couldn't help but burst out laughing when they saw Lin Zhenhua's embarrassed face. In their opinion, Lin Zhenhua's pat on Yang Xin's back earlier was a bit improper, but it didn't count as any serious offense. Instead, Lin Zhenhua's expression of covering his face and fleeing in embarrassment made people feel extremely delighted.

  The little girl's back, it feels so soft when patted... Lin Zhenhua escaped to the outside of the house, couldn't help but pinch the hand that had just patted Yang Xin's back, and on his hand there seemed to be some faint lingering fragrance.