Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Fried Fish

Xu Shuhua didn’t say much more.

After all, she had four sons!

It was great that some of them could go out and do business, but someone still needed to stay home and tend the fields.

Now that all four had tried it out and made their own choices, she no longer worried they’d harbor any resentment or dissatisfaction.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Shuhua brought up another matter. “Fourth, tomorrow go to the county town again and ask about enrolling new students at the county elementary school.”

Since they’d decided to let Yu Wei go to school, and the family wasn’t short on money anymore, Xu Shuhua wanted Yu Wei to attend school in the county.

If nothing else, at least the education would be much better.

Most importantly—they could afford it!

As soon as Xu Shuhua said this, Yu Jiang knew it was about Yu Wei’s schooling.

Other things he could leave alone, but this was about his own son—he couldn’t just leave it all to Yu Hai.

If he did, what kind of father would that make him?

“Mom, I’ll go with Fourth tomorrow.”

Xu Shuhua looked at Yu Jiang as if he were an idiot. “Nonsense! I was telling Fourth to go with you. He’s been to the county more than you and knows his way around. Did you really think you wouldn’t have to go yourself?”

After being scolded by Xu Shuhua, Yu Jiang didn’t feel embarrassed or angry at all—in fact, he even laughed.

That’s right, this was the mother he knew so well.

The Yu family’s dinner, like most families in the village, was fish.

But their way of cooking it was a little different.

Most people in Sanliqiao weren’t living easy lives. If they could eat their fill, that was already good enough—meat or fish was a luxury they didn’t even dare to dream about.

Even now, after gritting their teeth and trading grain for fish, most families would just boil it in water.

It was tasty, sure—but only if you had nothing to compare it to.

Tonight, Zhang Yugui was in charge of cooking. She first poured oil into a small pot, and once it was hot, she put in the cleaned and drained fish, frying it until both sides were golden brown before adding water.

This was to make fish soup. Once the soup was almost ready, she’d add the prepared tofu to cook together.

While the fish soup was simmering, the oil in the big pot was already hot.

Zhang Yugui brought over a porcelain basin from the side. Inside were small fish, already cleaned and seasoned, coated in batter.

She picked up the little fish with chopsticks and placed them one by one into the hot oil, watching as they turned from white to golden, frying up crispy on the outside and tender inside.

She fried a whole basin full of little fish and set them aside, then started frying fish chunks.

These were pieces cut from big fish, also seasoned and battered. Once fried, they could be eaten just like the little fish, or braised in soy sauce for a different flavor.

The fried little fish were taken out by Chen Qiaoqin and placed on a small stool in the courtyard.

“Weizi, take your younger brothers to wash your hands and come eat fish!”

At her call, Yu Wei and the others ran over, each holding out both hands for Chen Qiaoqin to inspect.

“Fourth Aunt, look, we’ve already washed up!”

Chen Qiaoqin checked each of them and saw that all six brothers’ hands were clean and white.

These six kids—whenever there was something good to eat at home, they didn’t need to be told; they’d always wash their hands in advance.

“Alright, you’re clean. Go ahead and eat, but be careful.”

Although Chen Qiaoqin reminded them to be careful, she wasn’t worried at all.

She’d already tasted one herself—the little fish were fried so thoroughly that even the bones were crispy, so you could chew and swallow them whole. Even little kids could eat them without worrying about getting a bone stuck."

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