bookrebus Chapter 21 Pickled Fish
Chapter 21 Pickled Fish
Zhao Zhongren then took him to a two-story courtyard house. There was a screen wall at the entrance, 6 rooms on the east and west wing, and 5 rooms in the main house. There was a pomegranate tree in the yard, and the yard was paved with bluestone.
The second courtyard has the same configuration, but the yard is smaller than the front yard. There are stone chairs and stone benches in the yard, as well as a jujube tree. The house is a bit run-down, and it can be seen that no one has lived in it for a long time. The furniture and kang inside cannot be used. The roof is leaking, and the bluestone in the yard is also bumpy. The maintenance of this house is also a big expense.
"Brother Lin, I won't hide this house from you. The location and the house are both good, but it's too old and the repair costs are quite high, so the owner is only selling it for 150 taels."
150 taels, and "only", isn't that expensive? How many houses can he build in the village?
Zhao Zhongren took Lin Dashan to see several houses and shops. He could only say that he didn't like the bad ones and couldn't afford the good ones. It was getting late, and thinking about going home to make crystal sashimi and the fish his daughter wanted, Lin Dashan and Zhao Zhongren said goodbye.
"Thank you Mr. Zhao for your help today. Let my family discuss this matter and then make a decision."
"Of course, Brother Lin, take your time to think about it. If you are not satisfied with any of them, I have other houses in my hands. Let's take our time to look at them and choose."
"Okay, okay!" He was very satisfied with Zhao Zhongren and would not give him a cold shoulder just because he only looked but did not buy.
Carrying the fish and pork skin, Lin Dashan saw pears being sold at the market, so he bought some and took them home. He also brought a bag of cakes and melon seeds for Xiaomi, and then returned home.
Today he was really hit hard. He had always thought that having 400 taels in his pocket was already extremely rich. Even in Linjia Village, there were few families richer than him. Today, when he was looking for a house and a shop, he realized that his 400 taels were really nothing in the county town. When buying a house, you can't even choose the best one.
Alas, the road to making money is long, and he still has to work hard!
After returning home, Wang was busy making crystal minced meat, while Lin Dashan continued to go up the mountain to chop wood. No one asked about the house. In their family, they were used to chatting after finishing all the work.
"Xiaomi, what should we do with this fish?"
Wang looked at the fish and then at the sauerkraut, and really didn't know how the two could be put together.
"Mom, just slice the fish thinly and cut the pickled cabbage into pieces, just like the beans."
Wang's knife skills are good, and the fish slices are very thin. Xiaomi also taught her mother how to marinate the fish slices. There is definitely no cornstarch, so just make do with it.
"Cut the fish bones into pieces and fry them together with the fish head in a pan until they turn golden brown."
Wang scooped half a spoonful of oil and fried the fish. If her mother-in-law, Li, saw this, she would definitely scold her to death. Recently, she has been trained by Xiaomi to be more and more daring in using seasonings. Needless to say, dishes fried with more oil and salt are indeed delicious.
"Mom, take out the fish pieces, put the ginger, garlic, and chili in and stir-fry!"
"Mom, add a ladle of water! When the water boils, add the fried fish pieces and pickled cabbage into the pot."
After the fish pieces were cooked for about 5 minutes, Lin Xiaomi asked her mother to put the fish slices into the pot, add salt, and serve the fish immediately after it boiled.
"Mom, chop some green onions, add half a spoonful of oil to the pot, heat the oil, and pour it over the green onions!"
Wang didn't know how her daughter could cook so well, but every time she cooked, it tasted delicious. Her cooking skills seemed to be getting better and better, and the head of the family also liked it. So, she always followed Xiaomi's instructions.
When hot oil is poured on, the aroma immediately comes out. "It smells so good!"
"Mom, serve the rice. Dad washes his hands and eats!"
"Come on, I can smell the delicious food in the house. What delicious food did you make today?"
“Sour fish!”
Two dishes and one soup were served. The fish meat was as delicate as silk, tender and smooth. The fish meat melted in the mouth, accompanied by the sour and spicy taste of sauerkraut, which was a perfect match with rice.
Lin Dashan unconsciously quickened the pace of picking up the dishes, taking a mouthful of rice, a mouthful of fish, and a chopstickful of pickled cabbage. Lin Xiaomi also squinted her eyes happily, although the seasoning was not enough, it was a familiar taste.
"It's delicious!" After finishing the meal, Lin Dashan wiped the sweat from his forehead, "This dish is delicious and appetizing! Damn, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"
"Dad likes it, so let Mom do it often!"
Seeing that the head of the family was satisfied with the meal, Wang was also happy. As expected, it was right to listen to her daughter, and the head of the family praised her!
After washing up, the family sat on the kang. "Today I went to the city and looked at a few houses. A decent house in the city costs 150 taels or more, and a house in a good location costs 200 taels or more. Shops are about the same price, and they are not in busy areas."
Upon hearing this, Wang took a deep breath. The money her family had saved was not enough to buy it!
Lin Xiaomi understood. After all, it was a county town, so how could it be cheap?
"Dad, what do you think?"
"I've picked a shop for 110 taels, with two rooms. The shop is OK, but the backyard is not big. As for the house, I've picked a house owned by an old scholar. The old couple are old, and they plan to move to the capital to live with their son, so they're planning to sell their house in the county town. It's 270 taels, with a three-story yard. The furniture inside is still new, and the house is well maintained. The kang was newly bought this year, and the house was also renovated this year. They said that the furniture and everything else will stay, so you can move in without having to prepare anything after you buy it."
"Dad, tomorrow our whole family will go to the city to take a look at the two houses you mentioned. If they are suitable, we will buy them! Mom has never been to the city either, so we can go shopping there while we are there."
Wang was a little excited. She heard that the city was very big and beautiful, so she looked at Lin Dashan expectantly.
"Then let's go together, bring some money, and if you like it, buy it!"
Lin Xiaomi felt that her father was becoming more and more straightforward and generous. He spent hundreds of taels of silver without hesitation.
Thinking about having to take money out tomorrow, Wang climbed down from the kang, and Lin Dashan followed her down with a shovel in his hand.
The corners of Lin Xiaomi's mouth twitched. How deep a hole must her parents have dug to hide the money?
Behind the house, under the firewood shed, two people moved the firewood and dug hard. Lin Xiaomi helped with the light. It was dark and windy at night, and it felt quite scary.
Wang fished out a jar from the cave, opened it, and took out the silver. She took out 400 taels, leaving the last 20 taels. Then she stopped. The head of the family said, take more, in case you like something more expensive, and you don't have enough silver, you have to make another trip.