Juhua looked at their rapt expressions, as if they were receiving a profound lesson. She almost laughed but held it back.
After a mont, she slid her spatula under the fish and flipped it over. The newly exposed side was a light golden-brown, and the skin was perfectly intact, not sticking to the pan in the slightest. She let the other side fry briefly before pouring in so soy sauce. She turned the pieces of fish over and over, patting them gently until they took on a glossy, reddish-gold hue. Only then did she add water, chili paste, and garlic cloves. Finally, she poured the finely chopped pickled vegetables over the top, completely covering the fish.
izi asked, her eyes shining, "Is that all? Is it ready?"
Juhua smiled. "Almost. Now, just keep spooning the hot broth over the fish with the spatula. And don’t put the lid on—that’s the secret to keeping the fish at tender."
’She wasn’t an expert when it ca to famous, elaborate dishes. Even for recipes she knew, the flavor wasn’t quite right if she just followed the steps. Take the dishes she sold to the Chen Family last ti—she had actually modified them, adding a few rustic twists, and the taste had turned out pretty well.’
’What she knew best were simple, ho-style dishes. Most were rustic recipes she had learned from her mother, filled with the rich flavors of the countryside. Things like fish braised with pickled vegetables, pork with pickled vegetables, stead pork with rice flour, pork stir-fried with garlic, braised loaches, and stewed small fish. Even her thods for preparing pig’s head at and offal—every single one was sothing her mother from her past life had made, and that she had learned from her.’
’Country folk ate different dishes with each of the four seasons. When you added in the livestock they raised and the wild ga foraged from the mountains, rivers, and fields, you could probably fill a thick cookbook. Having spent so many years in the city, she never felt that the food from big restaurants was any more appealing than these rustic als.’
’If a restaurant tried to cook these rustic dishes, the flavor would be all wrong. It was like putting a village girl in a royal wedding gown—utterly out of place. It wasn’t just the ingredients. In restaurants, everything seed to be swimming in oil; even a simple plate of greens ca out slick and shiny. And if a restaurant did try to appeal to custors with "lighter" fare, those dishes were the product of countless, elaborate steps. It was nothing like her stir-fried spinach, which was perfect after just a few tosses in the pan and tasted divine.’
Juhua continuously spooned the rich, yellow broth over the thickest part of the fish. When she judged it was nearly cooked through, she had i add the chopped green garlic shoots. A mont later, she sprinkled in chopped scallions and finely minced cilantro, then removed the pan from the fire.
The aroma of the fish, mingled with sour and spicy notes and layered with the fragrance of scallions, garlic, and cilantro, filled the air. It was a completely different scent from the braised offal with pickled vegetables, but it had one thing in common: it made your mouth water. This wasn’t just a craving from hunger; it was a physical reaction, the insides of your cheeks tingling as saliva flooded your mouth.
izi voiced the question on everyone’s mind. "Juhua, how do you know when it’s ready?" At her house, they always covered the pot and cooked fish for quite a while.
Juhua winced inwardly. ’How was she supposed to explain that? It was all based on personal feeling. You couldn’t just turn it into a formula and expect it to work.’
After thinking for a mont, she said, "It cos from long practice. Eventually, you just know. For now, you can try a simple trick: keep picking off a tiny piece of at with your chopsticks to taste it. When it feels tender and smooth, it’s ready."
Just as she was speaking, Little Shitou burst in, his face lit up with a huge grin. "Juhua, is it ready? I could sll it! It’s the fish!"
Juhua brushed off her clothes. "It’s ready. Ti to eat. Jinxiang, heat up so charcoal for the stove. We’re making stewed greens and tofu."
Jinxiang replied, "I already have. The mont you said the fish was done, I got the charcoal started."
As she spoke, she added the glowing red charcoal to the brazier and asked i to carry it into the main hall. Jinxiang followed right behind with the clay pot of greens and tofu. izi carried another large clay pot containing the fish with pickled vegetables, while Juhua and Yan helped serve everyone rice. Mrs. Yang ca in as well, and they all worked together to set the food on the table.
izi laughed. "Let’s eat quickly! Everyone else is probably already at Tiaozi Pond."
Zheng Changhe reassured her, "Don’t worry, they won’t be that quick. They’re all bound to be cooking fish for lunch today too."
Just as expected, the fish was tender and packed with flavor, and even the pickled vegetables were a delicious mix of savory, sour, and spicy.
The young girls weren’t shy or reserved at all. For one, izi and the others had eaten here before and spent a whole day running around and playing. For another, these country children were quite perceptive; they could clearly sense the genuine, unpretentious warmth from Mrs. Yang, Zheng Changhe, and Qingmu. And third, the temptation of the delicious food was simply too great. Being the innocent, carefree girls they were, they offered a few polite pleasantries and then focused completely on eating.
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