Chapter 4: Fish Soup
June 21
“Dodo, I’ll help you light the fire!” Xiao Nanhua followed inside, declaring earnestly.
Su He smiled, knowing she mostly just wanted some food.
He started a fire, heated a pot, added water, and brought it to a boil. Over on the other side, Ye Chuanxiu was cooking rice.
In the countryside, for breakfast they make porridge by first cooking the rice a little, then taking most of it out. They leave a few grains in the water to make porridge. This way, they use less rice.
In poor families, every bit counts, so they try to waste less food.
The rice they take out is steamed again at lunch. It comes out a little dry with separate grains, and can be hard to swallow. But this kind of rice fills you up more, even if it's not the tastiest. Su He only ate this kind of rice as a child; later on, he had other options.
In this era, grown men could eat two or three bowls of rice at a meal, which seems unbelievable in the future.
In later generations, some women might just eat a salad for dinner to slim down. But in the 1970s, that wasn't an option. People had to work hard every day in the fields, and they needed enough food to keep going.
Ye Chuanxiu finished cooking the rice but didn't make any other food. She put away the vegetables she had picked earlier.
Su He noticed this. "Mom, aren't we making anything else for lunch?"
Ye Chuanxiu explained, "We have fish, so let's just have fish soup with rice. We can eat some pickles with it."
Su He knew his mom was trying to save food. That's how things were for poor farm families at this time.
Su He was paranoid enough to think that if it weren't for his second sister, Su Rong, who had just returned from the hospital and needed rest, Ye Chuanxiu might have sold the fish to earn some cash.
The family was struggling financially lately.
And in just over a month, school would start, but Su He had failed the high school entrance exam, and it was unlikely that the family could afford to send him to other kinds of school.
Initially, Su He had earned money himself to pay for his education.
His eldest sister was about to get married and had already graduated from high school, so she no longer needed to study.
However, the dowry would also be a considerable expense.
The funds obtained from selling the water buffalo were utilized for Su Rong's surgery, leaving little remaining.
There was still money reserved for Su Rong's education, as well as for his third sister and fifth brother!
They didn't have the means or ability to earn money for their schooling.
Su He was lost in thought as he gradually added the fish pieces to the pot.
Thankfully, there was a bit of fish oil in the fish's belly, ensuring that the fish soup wouldn't be too bland.
During those times, the scarcity of oil compelled people to eat much more to feel satisfied.
Without oil, there was no energy.
Gradually, the fish soup started to boil. Su He lowered the heat and allowed it to simmer.
Xiao Nanhua fetched a small stool, sat down, and eagerly awaited the meal, her tiny nose twitching in an adorable manner.
Unfortunately, during these times, cuteness held no value.
The small stool was crafted by Su Zhaohua himself. Many men in Nanzhu village were good at carpentry.
Similarly, Su He had learned to make bamboo baskets and chairs from the elders.
Su He viewed these as lucrative skills.
However, in these days, independent businessmen were non-existent.
Conducting business meant resorting to the black market.
There were no official markets; people were forced to buy goods from supply and marketing cooperatives.
But the problem was the attitude there!
Supply and marketing cooperative clerks were notorious for their dark expressions, a common view during these times.
But even so, many people coveted those clerks' positions, as they offered job security, protection from the elements, and substantial wages.
Ye Chuanxiu, a primary school teacher, earned a meager 12 yuan per month.
Su Zhaohua, employed as a forest ranger near home, earned even less, only 9 yuan per month.
However, the cooperative clerks earned nearly 20 yuan, with many earning even more than that and there was the backroom deals that came with their jobs, a little here and there.
Hence the adage, ‘Beating the cow, eating meat and selling milk’, encapsulated the clerk's privileged status in these days.
To Su He, this was a stain on that era.
The clerks, with their secure government jobs, often displayed bad attitudes.
“And if I recall correctly, this era was dominated by various ration tickets. Oil required an oil ticket, and even matches needed a match ticket! There were meat tickets, grain tickets, and industrial coupons.”
Su He’s eyes brightened at the thought.
As far as he remembered, city workers didn’t receive many tickets.
Many couldn’t afford meat, and even vegetables and grains were scarce.
If he could obtain these items, they could be sold for a good price.
“But first, I need to acquire these items. However, in my warehouse…”
As Su He pondered this, the warehouse scene reappeared in his mind.
Just as he was about to investigate further, Xiao Nanhua’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Dodo, the water is boiling…”
The scene vanished, leaving Su He with a surge of anticipation.
If only he could gain access to the warehouse—the stockpiled goods from his pre-rebirth. Not to mention the substantial amounts of grain, meat, and various snacks he had acquired.
If he could retrieve them, their worth would be immeasurable.
Shaking his head, Su He dismissed these musings. He lifted the pot lid and checked. It was still early.
Su He was good at cooking fish soup. Despite the limited seasonings available—adding just the right amount of salt and fish oil—he could still create a delicious fish soup.
As he thought about fish soup, Su He recalled the substantial quantity of seasonings he had purchased and stored in the warehouse. If he could gain access to them, he wouldn’t be lacking in flavor-enhancing ingredients for his cooking.
The important ingredient was the salt. Without enough salt, not only would the taste suffer, but a person would also feel weak.
Salt was the one thing that couldn’t be compromised, no matter how impoverished one was.
Soon, the fish soup began to turn white, signaling that it was ready. Cooking it any longer would cause the fish pieces to fall apart, affecting the taste.
With many mouths to feed, Su He had added plenty of water. For the entire family, a two-catties carp would yield just a few pieces each.
In later decades, this wouldn’t be sufficient. However, during these times, every household faced the same scarcity.
Xiao Nanhua brought over a bowl, eagerly watching Su He.
Su He had no choice but to relent. “Alright, hand it over.”
Xiao Nanhua’s face lit up with joy! Su He ladled the fish soup into Xiao Nanhua’s bowl, carefully adding several tender pieces of fish, the belly part. She should at least have some advantage, right?
“Go ahead and enjoy!” he encouraged warmly.
Chapter 4: Fish Soup
June 21
“Dodo, I’ll help you light the fire!” Xiao Nanhua followed inside, declaring earnestly.
Su He smiled, knowing she mostly just wanted some food.
He started a fire, heated a pot, added water, and brought it to a boil. Over on the other side, Ye Chuanxiu was cooking rice.
In the countryside, for breakfast they make porridge by first cooking the rice a little, then taking most of it out. They leave a few grains in the water to make porridge. This way, they use less rice.
In poor families, every bit counts, so they try to waste less food.
The rice they take out is steamed again at lunch. It comes out a little dry with separate grains, and can be hard to swallow. But this kind of rice fills you up more, even if it's not the tastiest. Su He only ate this kind of rice as a child; later on, he had other options.
In this era, grown men could eat two or three bowls of rice at a meal, which seems unbelievable in the future.
In later generations, some women might just eat a salad for dinner to slim down. But in the 1970s, that wasn't an option. People had to work hard every day in the fields, and they needed enough food to keep going.
Ye Chuanxiu finished cooking the rice but didn't make any other food. She put away the vegetables she had picked earlier.
Su He noticed this. "Mom, aren't we making anything else for lunch?"
Ye Chuanxiu explained, "We have fish, so let's just have fish soup with rice. We can eat some pickles with it."
Su He knew his mom was trying to save food. That's how things were for poor farm families at this time.
Su He was paranoid enough to think that if it weren't for his second sister, Su Rong, who had just returned from the hospital and needed rest, Ye Chuanxiu might have sold the fish to earn some cash.
The family was struggling financially lately.
And in just over a month, school would start, but Su He had failed the high school entrance exam, and it was unlikely that the family could afford to send him to other kinds of school.
Initially, Su He had earned money himself to pay for his education.
His eldest sister was about to get married and had already graduated from high school, so she no longer needed to study.
However, the dowry would also be a considerable expense.
The funds obtained from selling the water buffalo were utilized for Su Rong's surgery, leaving little remaining.
There was still money reserved for Su Rong's education, as well as for his third sister and fifth brother!
They didn't have the means or ability to earn money for their schooling.
Su He was lost in thought as he gradually added the fish pieces to the pot.
Thankfully, there was a bit of fish oil in the fish's belly, ensuring that the fish soup wouldn't be too bland.
During those times, the scarcity of oil compelled people to eat much more to feel satisfied.
Without oil, there was no energy.
Gradually, the fish soup started to boil. Su He lowered the heat and allowed it to simmer.
Xiao Nanhua fetched a small stool, sat down, and eagerly awaited the meal, her tiny nose twitching in an adorable manner.
Unfortunately, during these times, cuteness held no value.
The small stool was crafted by Su Zhaohua himself. Many men in Nanzhu village were good at carpentry.
Similarly, Su He had learned to make bamboo baskets and chairs from the elders.
Su He viewed these as lucrative skills.
However, in these days, independent businessmen were non-existent.
Conducting business meant resorting to the black market.
There were no official markets; people were forced to buy goods from supply and marketing cooperatives.
But the problem was the attitude there!
Supply and marketing cooperative clerks were notorious for their dark expressions, a common view during these times.
But even so, many people coveted those clerks' positions, as they offered job security, protection from the elements, and substantial wages.
Ye Chuanxiu, a primary school teacher, earned a meager 12 yuan per month.
Su Zhaohua, employed as a forest ranger near home, earned even less, only 9 yuan per month.
However, the cooperative clerks earned nearly 20 yuan, with many earning even more than that and there was the backroom deals that came with their jobs, a little here and there.
Hence the adage, ‘Beating the cow, eating meat and selling milk’, encapsulated the clerk's privileged status in these days.
To Su He, this was a stain on that era.
The clerks, with their secure government jobs, often displayed bad attitudes.
“And if I recall correctly, this era was dominated by various ration tickets. Oil required an oil ticket, and even matches needed a match ticket! There were meat tickets, grain tickets, and industrial coupons.”
Su He’s eyes brightened at the thought.
As far as he remembered, city workers didn’t receive many tickets.
Many couldn’t afford meat, and even vegetables and grains were scarce.
If he could obtain these items, they could be sold for a good price.
“But first, I need to acquire these items. However, in my warehouse…”
As Su He pondered this, the warehouse scene reappeared in his mind.
Just as he was about to investigate further, Xiao Nanhua’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Dodo, the water is boiling…”
The scene vanished, leaving Su He with a surge of anticipation.
If only he could gain access to the warehouse—the stockpiled goods from his pre-rebirth. Not to mention the substantial amounts of grain, meat, and various snacks he had acquired.
If he could retrieve them, their worth would be immeasurable.
Shaking his head, Su He dismissed these musings. He lifted the pot lid and checked. It was still early.
Su He was good at cooking fish soup. Despite the limited seasonings available—adding just the right amount of salt and fish oil—he could still create a delicious fish soup.
As he thought about fish soup, Su He recalled the substantial quantity of seasonings he had purchased and stored in the warehouse. If he could gain access to them, he wouldn’t be lacking in flavor-enhancing ingredients for his cooking.
The important ingredient was the salt. Without enough salt, not only would the taste suffer, but a person would also feel weak.
Salt was the one thing that couldn’t be compromised, no matter how impoverished one was.
Soon, the fish soup began to turn white, signaling that it was ready. Cooking it any longer would cause the fish pieces to fall apart, affecting the taste.
With many mouths to feed, Su He had added plenty of water. For the entire family, a two-catties carp would yield just a few pieces each.
In later decades, this wouldn’t be sufficient. However, during these times, every household faced the same scarcity.
Xiao Nanhua brought over a bowl, eagerly watching Su He.
Su He had no choice but to relent. “Alright, hand it over.”
Xiao Nanhua’s face lit up with joy! Su He ladled the fish soup into Xiao Nanhua’s bowl, carefully adding several tender pieces of fish, the belly part. She should at least have some advantage, right?
“Go ahead and enjoy!” he encouraged warmly.
