Chapter Six: The Master of Ceremonies

Xiao DashI said, "Hey, caught eight fish."

Lin Qiuran glanced down at her belly—several days in a row now, she'd managed to catch fish. Perhaps this child truly carried a bit of fortune; at least they wouldn’t have to worry about food each day.

Sun and Xiao Dashan went to clean the fish while Lin Qiuran set about preparing the batter, readying to fry the fish shortly.

They had been using a lot of oil for cooking and frying these past two days, so Lin Qiuran reminded Sun to buy some more on the way back.

Sun replied, "Isn’t there still some left? We’ve only fried two or three times; it’s not dirty yet, so we can keep using it."

Lin Qiuran said, "Mother, it’s one thing when it’s just us eating at home, but we can’t sell food that way. Oil can only be used two or three times at most before it goes bad. The leftover oil can be saved for home cooking and used up quickly. Otherwise, if customers get sick from it, even if we don’t make much money, we’d have to pay compensation."

Now that everything in the household was under Lin Qiuran’s direction, Sun could only listen obediently. After all, it was about making money; if they needed to buy some oil, they would.

The fish had to be fried first, then stewed. The fish meat was scored and dipped twice in batter, then shaken to remove excess. When fried, the fish would bloom, looking much better than homemade pan-fried fish. Frying helped set the shape, so when stewed, the fish remained whole, not falling apart at all. Moreover, the color was golden yellow, the broth a light brown, and scallion and garlic pieces were sprinkled on top, making for an appealing combination of color, aroma, and flavor.

Worried about not selling all the fish, Lin Qiuran didn’t cook them all—only ten were prepared, with the rest kept lively in a water bucket.

Before they left, Lin Qiuran reminded, “Mother, buy some meals in town for lunch, don’t just starve yourselves. I won’t keep any food for you today. If you’re still hungry, you’ll have to go hungry for the day. If you don’t sell everything, come back.”

Yesterday’s sales had gone well, perhaps because the fish were fresh for the first time; today might not be as good.

Sun nodded. “Just rest at home. Don’t bother with the grass in the garden; we’ll weed it when we return. There’s hardly any meat left at home. Finish the leftover chicken, and I’ll buy some pork for dinner.”

Lin Qiuran nodded, watching as the two loaded the bucket of stewed fish onto the cart, tied it securely, and pushed it away together.

She went back inside to check the fish—seven remained, still lively in the bucket. Relieved, Lin Qiuran washed some grapes to eat, their sweet and sour taste quite pleasant.

After sitting a while, she placed some melon in the well water to chill, so Sun and Xiao Dashan could enjoy them upon return. With these tasks done, Lin Qiuran set out—she couldn’t rely solely on selling fish, so she intended to ask around if anyone needed a cook or, if not, a helper.

Most villagers in Xiao’s family village had some kinship ties. Xiao Dashan’s brothers had severed relations years ago due to their father’s favoritism, not even attending Xiao Xun’s funeral.

Aunt Yu from the Li family, who had a good relationship with the Xiao family, lived next door. Lin Qiuran planned to ask her.

She picked two small pumpkins from the garden—never arriving empty-handed—and knocked on the Li family’s door.

Aunt Yu opened, saying, “Qiuran’s here.”

She ushered Lin Qiuran inside and poured her a cup of water. “How’s your health?”

Aunt Yu already knew Lin Qiuran had decided to keep her child but was worried she might not handle the recent blows well.

Lin Qiuran nodded, “I’m fine.”

Aunt Yu smiled. “That’s a relief. Your father-in-law and mother-in-law have good tempers; staying here might not be so bad.”

Lin Qiuran smiled slightly. “You’re right. I want to live well from now on. I came today to ask if anyone in the village was hosting a banquet and needed a cook. At Xiao Xun’s funeral, you tasted my cooking. If I can get some work, it would ease things at home.”

Remembering the funeral, Aunt Yu recalled how delicious and generous the portions were; the village spoke well of the Xiao family.

Aunt Yu thought for a moment. “I’ll ask around, but for weddings, it might be difficult. Your husband’s passed, and people are superstitious about that. As for funerals… and with your child on the way…”

She hesitated, worried Lin Qiuran might be uncomfortable discussing such matters.

Lin Qiuran shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not afraid. If someone needs help, I’d appreciate it if you could ask.”

Aunt Yu nodded. “Alright, I’ll ask.”

With her purpose fulfilled, Lin Qiuran didn’t linger and took her leave. Aunt Yu watched her go with a pang of sympathy—widowed so soon after marriage, she hoped to help however she could.

Back home, Lin Qiuran reheated a simple lunch of rice and chicken, eating only a few bites.

Afterward, she went to her room. Since the original occupant had only recently married in, the room was still fairly clean. It was an earthen house with wooden beams overhead but no ceiling, so it was quite dark inside.

Lin Qiuran was unused to such a dwelling. The bedboards were hard, and the heat made it difficult to sleep. When she finally did, she woke drenched in sweat.

After washing at the well, she waited by the door. As the sun dipped westward, Sun and Xiao Dashan returned, pushing the cart.

Several aunts sitting at the village entrance asked where they’d been these days. Sun smiled, “Just out looking around. The autumn harvest hasn’t started yet, so we’re idle and thought to see if there’s any work in town. It’s hard to find anything, and there’s no money yet.”

Hearing this, the others nodded knowingly and cautioned them to take care of their health and not overwork themselves. “Everyone’s counting on you both; you can’t afford to fall ill.”

With a key worker gone and the decision made to keep the child, Xiao Dashan and Sun had to think of new ways. When Xiao Xun was alive, hunting helped; now, things were tougher.

Sun gave brief answers before heading home, steering the cart inside. Lin Qiuran quickly closed the door.

She lifted the bucket’s lid; the fish were all sold, and the bucket and ladle had been cleaned. Nearby, a cloth covered the scale and a small woven basket used to weigh the fish. Made from rattan, this basket let the fish drain their broth; without plastic bags in this era, such items were practical. Buyers came bearing their own basins and bowls, making it convenient.

Besides these, there was a slab of pork belly skewered on a twig, weighing two or three jin. Next to it was a large jar of oil Lin Qiuran had requested.

Sun smiled at Lin Qiuran, her voice low but brimming with joy. “Qiuran, all the fish sold today. We earned three hundred forty-eight wen from selling fish. We bought ten jin of oil for fifty wen and spent twenty wen on this pork. We still have two hundred seventy-eight wen left. Oh, and we had buns for our meal.”

Sun pulled out a money pouch filled with jangling copper coins. “Qiuran, here’s the money for you.”

Lin Qiuran smiled and accepted the pouch, then carried the pork belly inside. The meat was a beautiful color; Sun had chosen the best cut. If it weren’t for braising it, it would be a waste of such fine pork.

She pulled a few scallions from the garden and rummaged through the house for some star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. While cutting the meat, Lin Qiuran told Sun, “We’re almost out of peppercorns and star anise. If we keep making fish, we’ll need to buy some more tomorrow.”

Sun nodded. “I’ll get some tomorrow.”

Lin Qiuran said, “Mother, I went to Aunt Yu’s today and asked if anyone was hosting banquets who needed a cook. If there is, I’ll go.”

Sun paused, then nodded. “Alright. We don’t have fish every day anyway. I’ll come with you when the time comes.”

Lin Qiuran added, “If anyone in town hears of anything, please keep an eye out for me.”

While speaking, her hands worked steadily, frying the pork belly and saving the rendered fat in the oil jar.

This method made the pork rich but not greasy. Though meat was scarce in this era, many still longed for rich flavors, but Lin Qiuran was content without excess.

After caramelizing sugar, she evenly cooked the meat. She didn’t like heavy spice flavors, so she used only a little peppercorn, star anise, and cinnamon, seasoning with salt, a bit of sugar, soy sauce, and soybean paste. She even added a few grape seeds to help tenderize the meat during braising.

Pouring hot water over the pot, she covered it and let it stew gently for over half an hour.

Slow simmering in a large pot gave the food a rich aroma that grew stronger with time.

That evening, Lin Qiuran ate rice while Sun and Xiao Dashan had porridge. Two jin of meat made a small basin of braised pork, its surface gleaming a golden red like agate stones.

Sun placed the meat in front of Lin Qiuran and set out a dish of cucumber salad and some pickles for herself and Xiao Dashan. She explained, “You eat this. Your father and I don’t want it; we just had chicken yesterday.”

Lin Qiuran served two pieces to each. “Father, Mother, taste this meat. If one day we can’t catch fish, I’ll see if I can make some meat to sell instead.”