Farmers don't fear hardship, they fear hunger and poverty!
The elders had lived in poverty their whole lives. They finally saw their son achieve success, only to face this misfortune. It was as if the sky had fallen upon them.
Xie Sui was cleaning the fish in a water basin, saying, "Canned goods have too short a shelf life. We don't have a production line, and the weather is getting hotter. By midsummer, they won't even last overnight. So, this business is only for this month."
"I had anticipated this. We'll move on to dried fruits and jelly business next. Those have larger profits, longer shelf lives, and are more lucrative."
"Really?"
Zhao Xiu'e stopped crying, wiped her tears, and started cleaning fish with Xie Sui, her spirits immediately lifting.
"Would your son lie to you?"
"Today, we're having a whole fish feast: sweet and sour fish, crucian carp in tofu soup, deep-fried crispy fish, steamed fish, fermented black bean fish, and steamed rice. Let's treat it like a festival."
"We don't even eat this well on festivals. Don't get carried away just because you have a little money. Stay grounded."
Xie Dahe's expression also relaxed. He put down his pipe and chided him.
"I know, Father. It's all from the river, so we didn't spend money. How can I be carried away? You haven't even seen me when I'm truly ambitious!"
Xie Sui chuckled. His father might have had his flaws, like favoring sons over daughters, not caring much for his daughters, but he truly loved him as a son. Xie Sui felt a deep sense of filial piety.
In his past life, his parents never lived to see his success. Due to the deaths of Lin Wanwan and their children, they died of grief. Xie Sui had profoundly experienced the pain of wishing to be filial but being unable to.
After cleaning the fish, Xie Sui went into the kitchen to get busy.
He first coated the small fish and shrimp in batter. There were many of them, filling a basin, weighing over ten catties. He deep-fried them until golden brown, then drained them. The bones were so crispy. He sprinkled them with salt and pepper, making a nice snack and accompaniment to drinks.
He scooped out a bowl and sent it to Aunt Wang next door, then another large bowl to his uncle's house. The rest was for their own family.
He used the remaining oil to fry the two largest fish for the sweet and sour dish.
While steaming rice in another pot, he also steamed the marinated fish. Unfortunately, he didn't have steamed fish soy sauce, so he had to make do with regular soy sauce.
Lin Wanwan buried the fish entrails and scales in the vegetable patch behind the house. Looking at the empty pigsty and chicken coop, she thought about getting some piglets to raise.
She could also raise some chicks and ducklings; the children loved them.
The aroma of fish and rice filled the air, finally making the elders believe Xie Sui had changed for the better and that life held promise.
"Wanwan, what delicious food do you have at home? It smells heavenly."
Cai Jinhua greeted her, and they chatted over the wall.
"Xie Sui caught some fish to eat. He's tinkering around, I don't really know."
Cai Jinhua beckoned her closer and whispered conspiratorially, "Tell Xiao Sui to be careful. The Zhao family is also buying peaches, offering five fen more per catty than you. Those short-sighted ones are all selling to the Zhao family."
"Zhao Tiegang is the village head, clearly snatching your business. It's shameless."
Lin Wanwan smiled and said, "It's alright. No one said only our family can do this business. If the Zhao family has the ability, let them do it. Different businesses, different profits. I hope they can also make money. It's good if everyone gets rich."
Cai Jinhua gave her a thumbs-up. "As expected of someone who has studied. Your perspective is so broad. Well said. Our family will definitely stand with you. If you need any help, just say the word. We're all family."
"Thank you. I fried some crispy fish. Please wait a moment, I'll pack some for the children to eat."
"Oh, no, you don't have to. It would be too embarrassing."
Cai Jinhua said this, but her feet wouldn't move. The smell was too tempting.
Lin Wanwan packed over a pound into an oil-paper bag. Just looking at the golden color made one's appetite soar. "Take this home for Dabao to eat. It's from the river, not worth much."
"Thank you. The child is craving it, so I'll shamelessly accept. I'm leaving now."
"You have a good journey."
Lin Wanwan saw Cai Jinhua off. Xie Sui had already set the table, laden with a feast that made the elders hesitate to start eating.
"Eat quickly, it'll be bad if it gets cold. Wanwan, you eat. I'll pick out the fish bones for the children."
Fish was delicious, but picking out bones was troublesome. Xie Sui meticulously removed them, worried about the children choking. But when he looked up, the children were already happily eating the crispy fish, and had already eaten more than half of their bowls mixed with fish soup.
"Dad, the crispy fish is also delicious, and we don't have to worry about bones. We'll eat this."
"Alright, you made me work for nothing. Give it to Mom."
He passed a piece to Lin Wanwan. "Wife, you eat."
"I can pick out bones myself, you don't need to."
"Can that be the same? My picking is perfect. Do me the honor and have a bite."
Zhao Xiu'e's expression clearly darkened slightly. Xie Sui said, "Eat more fish to nourish your brain. Our family's account books all depend on you to calculate. It would be a big loss if we lost money."
Zhao Xiu'e immediately picked out a piece for Lin Wanwan. "Exactly, Wanwan, eat more."
Lin Wanwan: "..."
This man remembered every single transaction in his head; there was no need to calculate. He was far more capable than her. But he insisted on saying this, elevating her position so much that her in-laws dared not treat her poorly.
His well-intentioned efforts were very much appreciated by Lin Wanwan, leading to another harmonious day between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
After dinner, Doudou and Dingding ran out to play with other children. Xie Sui packed some crispy fish and went out visiting.
He went to Xie Yugui's house. Xie Yugui was the eldest living elder in the Xie family. Xie Dahe called him cousin uncle, and Xie Sui had to call him grand-uncle.
Xie Yugui had four sons, all of whom were extremely poor and hadn't married yet. Having too many sons was also a burden.
"Grand-uncle, have you eaten?"
Xie Yugui was in his early fifties, a lean and capable old man. In his youth, he was someone who could stand his ground against Zhao Tielin without losing.
"Xiao Sui is here. Come in and sit."
Xie Yugui's wife, Ge Aiyun, came out from the kitchen, her gaze falling on the basin in Xie Sui's hand.
"Grand-aunt, I fried some fish. To add a dish to your meal."
Ge Aiyun smiled. "You're welcome, but you shouldn't bring anything!"
She had already taken the basin. Smelling the aroma of fried fish, her sons couldn't sit still.
"Cough cough!"
Xie Yugui coughed. One by one, they obediently picked up their bowls, slurped the corn grits and sweet potato porridge, ate a bit of pickle, and dared not look any further.
"Hello, cousin uncles. Tomorrow, let's go fishing together. If you want to eat well, look for me. We're all family, we should be united."
The eldest son, Xie Chengping, was the same age as Xie Sui, but a few months older. However, Xie Sui still had to call him cousin uncle.
"Xiao Sui, it's settled. Remember your uncles when there's a chance to get rich. We're all family. Even brothers unite to fight tigers."
They hadn't thought this way before. They used to avoid Xie Sui, fearing he would deceive them and then help him count money!