sbdcsierra Chapter 1686 The Fish Struck by Lightning
Chapter 1686 The Fish Struck by Lightning
Chapter 1686 The Fish Struck by Lightning
The hairy catfish is the same fish that was struck by lightning during its tribulation. It takes more than 100 catties of fish to produce one catty of glue.
Ten catties of fish yield only one ounce of fish maw; the most valuable part of the hairy catfish is its fish maw!
Mao croaker maw is second only to the top-grade yellow croaker maw.
Ye Yaodong has been fishing for so long, but he has never caught a yellow croaker.
There's an old saying that if a child is unhealthy, just eating a piece of hairy catfish maw will make them grow taller and stronger within a year.
It's been stored for several years, but the longer this fish maw is stored, the more valuable it becomes, and the more succulent it is.
Its storage method has been used for hundreds of years. In the past, people living by the sea would usually put it at the bottom of the rice jar and store it for several years. That's what they did.
Lin Xiuqing said, "I'll go look for it; you don't know which corner it's in."
Ye Chenghu asked curiously, "What is hairy catfish? Why are we being given hairy catfish glue?"
"Because you are short, I'm worried you'll inherit it from your mother. They say if the father is short, the child will be short too."
Even as Ye's father was chopping chicken pieces, he nodded seriously, "What you said is not wrong."
Mother Ye rolled her eyes. "You talk as if you're very tall. Are you even a fist taller than me?"
"As long as I'm taller than you, that's fine."
"That's hilarious! If you were shorter than me, what would that be like?"
The elderly couple were bickering, and Lin Xiuqing protested, "Where am I short?"
Ye Yaodong ignored her words and changed the subject, saying, "Take them out and soak them in rice water overnight. Tomorrow morning, chop them up and cook a small pot of porridge for them in a clay pot."
"Okay, then I'll get up early tomorrow and cook it for them."
The old lady chimed in, "No need for you, you go to sleep, I'll stay up. I'm old and don't need much sleep, so I'll get up early. You young people need more sleep, so sleep a little longer."
Ye Chenghu asked with interest, "Dad, will I grow taller if I eat this? Did you also grow taller by eating this?"
"You think this is a cabbage? One fish maw weighs a pound, enough to buy at least a big house in the provincial capital."
He has a lot of money now, so he doesn't feel bad about spending it.
"So expensive!!!"
"Dad, if I eat this, will I grow taller, and then I'll grow bigger, prettier, and thinner?" Ye Xiaoxi asked with great interest.
"You're still growing, so you'll naturally lose weight as you get taller."
Ye Chengyang asked, "Is it really that amazing? It can make you grow taller just by eating it?"
"That's what they say, but who knows? It's not like you'll grow ten centimeters taller tomorrow after eating it today. Do you think it's a magic pill? Just listen to it and be safe with fear. Eat it first, and you'll get a taste of it. Anyway, your dad caught it at sea, and I'll stew it for you to eat first thing tomorrow morning."
Lin Xiuqing asked, "Can't we eat it at night? Aren't supplements usually eaten at night?"
"That works too. We'll cut them into small strips, then put them in a clay pot to simmer with rice wine, instead of cooking porridge."
Ye Xiaoxi said, "I'm a child, I can't drink alcohol."
"It's okay to put in a little less, since it's homemade rice wine anyway."
As Ye Yaodong spoke, he pasted the couplets on both sides, and then stood on tiptoe to paste the couplets on the door.
Ye Chenghu, standing next to him, also tried to stand on tiptoe and stretch out his fingers, and realized that he was indeed a bit short.
"Mother, then hurry up and go find it."
"What's the rush? I have to kill these fish first. Will it stop you from growing taller in a little while?"
"hey-hey……"
Father Ye said, "Dongzi, you're taller, so go to the new house and put up the couplets there while you're at it."
"The entrance over there is too high. I can't reach it even on tiptoe. I'll have to bring a ladder anyway. Let's go over and post it together after you've finished chopping up the chickens and ducks here."
"Then I'll be there soon."
After cleaning the fish, Lin Xiuqing went to the rice bin to collect fish maw. The three children were very curious and followed her around.
This fish maw is quite a "heavyweight" piece. As soon as I took it out and held it in my hand, I felt its weight and solidity.
They all still carry the mild aroma of rice, a deep amber scent, and a firm, hard aroma.
Lin Xiuqing tapped the rice bin with the fish glue, producing a crisp "bang bang" sound, similar to striking hardwood. This was a sign that the moisture had completely evaporated and the glue was highly concentrated.
"Is this it? It's so ugly!"
She reached out and tapped Ye Chenghu's head, "If you think it's ugly, then don't eat it?"
Ye Chenghu touched his forehead. "It really is quite hard. It's not brittle and will easily crumble. No wonder we have to soak it overnight. Let's start soaking it this morning, and we should be able to stew it by tonight, right?"
"Ah."
Driven by curiosity, Ye Xiaoxi grabbed Lin Xiuqing's hand and made her tap the catfish in her hand on her head, then happily said...
"It's really hard, it won't break."
"Why don't you try biting it with your teeth?" Ye Chengyang urged.
"I'm not stupid. Why don't you ask your older brother to bite you and see?"
Ye Chenghu said irritably, "You're not stupid, but am I?"
Lin Xiuqing ignored the three childish children, first soaked the maw of the catfish, and then sent them out to play, telling them not to get in the way.
There are enough adults now, so there's no need for their children.
Ye Yaodong then asked her, "Do you still have the fish maw from that giant deep-sea eel I caught a few years ago?"
"I gave away a few, used some to nourish myself, and there's still a little left."
"We're taking out a few to stew today, for New Year's Eve. The adults will eat the eel maw, and the kids will eat the maw from the hairy catfish."
"Okay, this eel maw doesn't need to be soaked for long. Soak it again in the afternoon, and then stew it after a while."
"Go through the good stuff at home, take out what needs to be cooked and cook it. Don't be stingy, otherwise you'll forget about eating it if it's left for too long."
"I've looked through everything, and there shouldn't be much left. Most of it has already been used up."
"Ah."
"Dad, didn't you say you were going to the city today?"
"I won't go today. It's New Year's Eve tonight, and I'll be back late this year. It's too much of a hassle to go back and forth."
"Oh, so you're not going to see your godfather?"
"Hmm, I'll call you later to wish you a Happy New Year in advance, and maybe you can say a few words too?"
"Okay, when are we going to the city? Do we need to drive?"
"Yes, let's go to the city on the second day of the Lunar New Year to pay our respects, and then I'll take you sightseeing in the city. On the third day, we'll bring the car back. How about that?"
"Okay, okay, then I'll bring my toys. I already told Xiaoli from the compound that I'd share my toys with her."
"Row."
Ye Chenghu hurriedly said, "Dad, I want to go to the city with you to drive a car too!"
Ye Chengyang also looked on longingly, "I want one too!"
Ye Yaodong looked at the three and was in a dilemma. However, it wouldn't make sense to bring one without bringing the other two.
"In that case, if you're going, bring your mother along too. The car will be transported back by boat anyway. We'll unload it at the cargo dock in town, a few people can ride in the car, and the rest can have their families send a tractor to pick them up."
He certainly couldn't just go driving with his dad; he had to invite two of his brothers and a few friends along, just to be on the safe side and have someone to help if anything happened.
Ye Xiaoxi raised her hand, "I want to ride in a toy car!"
Ye Chenghu raised his hand above his head and said, "I want to ride in a car too."
Ye Chengyang also raised his hand, "I want one too."
"Sure, anything is fine. Your mother can sit in the back, I'll sit in the passenger seat, and your grandfather can drive from town back to the village. We'll send a tractor to pick up the rest of the people."
The three nodded in unison.
P.S.: It's getting late, that's all for now. There might not be an update tomorrow afternoon, but I'll probably post a longer chapter before midnight tomorrow night. I've been updating in short, fragmented ways every day, and I've stayed up late again.