Chapter 106: Grilled Fish

Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong, and Xie Jue were on the opposite boat, while Xie Ying was on this side. The four each took a spot, grasped their fishing rods, selected their bait, and began to fish.

Wei Ruo’s supplies arrived a little later, but it didn’t matter, as none of the four anglers had caught anything yet.

After a while, Chu Lan’s fishing rod twitched first.

After some tugging, she reeled in a black fish weighing just over two pounds. Though not as delicious as the mandarin fish, it was still a fine, meaty catch, perfect for grilling.

Chu Lan instructed her men to bring the fish over to Wei Ruo’s boat.

To prevent the fishy smell from dampening the mood, Xiu Mei took the fish to the stern and began cleaning it with swift, fluid motions—scaling, gutting, removing the gills. Soon, the lively fish was transformed into a pristine specimen.

She then scored the belly and sprinkled coarse salt for marinating.

While Xiu Mei prepared the fish, the Xie family servants ferried the purchased ingredients over to Wei Ruo: garlic, scallions, lettuce, bean sprouts, and tofu skin — all the freshest ingredients available now — along with a small iron pot.

To speed things up, Wei Ruo and Xiu Mei divided the tasks: Xiu Mei handled the prep, and Wei Ruo took charge of cooking.

Wei Ruo rarely cooked these days, usually leaving it to Xiu Mei.

She moved the two stoves and racks used for boiling water to the bow, lit the fire, and set up the iron rack.

Meanwhile, Xie Jue caught a prize as well—a grass carp weighing over four pounds.

Seeing his two brothers had catches, Lu Yuhong grew anxious. Although the others weren’t competing, Lu Yuhong harbored a competitive streak.

Xie Ying was also anxious, confidently declaring she would catch a big fish to grill for Wei Ruo, but so far, her rod had been lifeless. Frustrated, she glanced over at Lu Yuhong, determined not to be the last to catch anything—she had to outfish him.

But fate was unkind; her rod remained still while Lu Yuhong’s finally twitched.

With eager anticipation, he pulled up his line, only to find a pitifully small crucian carp.

Though tasty, its many bones and small size made it unsuitable for grilling.

Disappointed, Lu Yuhong’s spirits sank just as an excited shout came from Xie Ying’s side of the river.

“Ruo Ruo, I’ve got a bite! Help me pull it in! It’s so strong!” Xie Ying’s voice brimmed with excitement.

Wei Ruo hurried over to steady the rod, preventing it from being pulled away.

“What do we do, Ruo Ruo? I can’t get it up!” Xie Ying grew anxious.

“Don’t rush. We’ll let it run a bit, then reel in gently, like a dance—when it tires, we pull it in,” Wei Ruo calmly instructed.

“Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”

Together, they worked the rod back and forth, easing and tightening the line in turns.

The three on the opposite boat had intended to send help but saw the two young women working methodically, unhurried and composed.

Xie Jue’s anxiety eased; if the fish escaped, his sister might be upset for weeks.

Lu Yuhong, still curious, watched closely, eager to see what kind of fish the Xie lady had caught.

Chu Lan observed the scene with interest, impressed by Wei Ruo’s composed words and calm demeanor.

After what felt like the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the fish’s strength waned.

Wei Ruo said to Xie Ying, “Now we pull hard.”

Xie Ying nodded eagerly, “Got it!”

Together they heaved the rod, finally bringing the fish to the surface.

At that moment, Xie Ying exclaimed in awe, “Ruo Ruo, look at this fish! It’s huge!”

“That’s a bighead carp, also known as silver carp or fathead. Large head, tender meat,” Wei Ruo identified the fish.

Bighead carp can grow very large, and the one Xie Ying caught was about seven or eight pounds, though the lake surely held even larger specimens.

“Ruo Ruo, use this one for grilling—it’ll be delicious!” Xie Ying beamed.

“This fish is too big to grill whole and cook through evenly. I’ll cut off the head for fish head soup, grill the belly, and pan-fry the tail later,” Wei Ruo explained.

“Okay, okay, you decide—I’ll trust you,” Xie Ying nodded enthusiastically, preferring to leave the cooking to Wei Ruo as she resumed fishing.

Lu Yuhong, glancing between Xie Ying’s bighead carp and his small crucian carp, felt his spirits sink.

No, no—how could he, Lu Yuhong, lose to a girl?

He asked his men for another fishing rod, planning to cast multiple lines and fish from both sides.

After helping Xie Ying with her catch, Wei Ruo began the grilling.

The charcoal was just right; the first black fish was almost done marinating.

Wei Ruo brushed a layer of vegetable oil on the fish and placed it over the fire.

While the fish grilled, she used the other stove and the iron pot to stir-fry aromatics—adding soy sauce, salt, five-spice powder (a blend of cardamom, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise), cooking wine, scallion, and ginger from her supplies.

Within moments, a rich fragrance wafted across the water.

Lu Yuhong, ever the gourmand, brightened at the smell and stood up, peering toward Wei Ruo’s boat.

Once the sauce was fragrant, Wei Ruo set it aside, waiting for the fish to brown perfectly.

When the black fish was golden on both sides, she transferred it to the pot, arranging sliced vegetables on the bottom.

She placed the fish atop the vegetables, added boiling water, and began to simmer.

From her backpack, Wei Ruo took out a jar of dark beans, spreading them over the fish.

As the water boiled, an enticing aroma filled the air, the blend of spices infusing the fish.

Lu Yuhong, who had been so determined to catch a big fish himself, found his appetite overtaking his fishing zeal, stealing glances at Wei Ruo lest he miss any detail.

Xie Ying was also tempted, eager to taste the grilled fish Wei Ruo was preparing.

When the stew was nearly ready, Wei Ruo called for a bowl, portioned half the fish and vegetables into it, and instructed the Xie family servants to deliver the remaining fish and pot to the opposite boat.

The servants took the iron pot from Wei Ruo’s hands and rowed over to Chu Lan and the others.