Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Preparations for the Gathering

Gu Qinghuan noticed Zhong Luoning’s dejection and exchanged a glance with Zhong Zijun and Cheng Shuying. They immediately caught on.

“Look at me, why are we talking about this! With so many fish, which one should we cook tonight?” Cheng Shuying squatted down and pointed at a mandarin fish. “How about this one? Let’s make Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish—the kids love it.”

Gu Qinghuan nodded. “No problem, we’ll make Squirrel Fish.”

Zhong Zijun sighed. Some things, others just can’t help with. She’ll have to figure it out herself.

Zhong Luoning wasn’t strong-willed enough. As an only child, she’d been pampered all her life and had never really faced setbacks. Now that she’d stumbled because of Xu Jianguo, hopefully she’d learn to stand on her own from now on.

Gu Lanting came out of the kitchen, one hand holding a freshly steamed bean bun, the other holding a meat bun.

“Mmm, my sister’s filling is always the best.”

Zhong Zijun chuckled. “You’re picky, aren’t you? Your sister’s generous with the meat, oil, and seasoning. Of course it tastes good.”

“That’s true. We had such a big haul today—what delicious food are we having tonight?” Gu Lanting was still oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, asking cheerfully.

“Want to gnaw on a stinky shoe sole? Did you forget something? Didn’t we make a bet? Loser pays up. All these fish today are your responsibility!” Gu Qinghuan pointed at the pile of fish on the ground.

Gu Lanting was thunderstruck!

He’d completely forgotten about the bet!

If he’d known they’d catch so many fish, why did he bring this on himself?

“Sis? You’re really my sister, aren’t you?” He looked at Gu Qinghuan pitifully.

“Don’t! I’m not your sister for now. Hurry up, finish eating and get to work! Mom, find him a burlap sack to use as an apron—don’t let him get his clothes dirty, or we’ll have to wash them too.” Gu Qinghuan shot him a look of disdain.

Gu Lanting looked pleadingly at Zhong Zijun and Zhong Weiqian.

Cheng Shuying smiled sweetly. “Grandma would help you, but I haven’t finished my own work! Don’t count on me!”

Zhong Zijun just shrugged, helpless.

Gu Lanting could only accept his fate.

Zhong Zijun continued making noodles and fried pork.

Gu Qinghuan started prepping ingredients for dinner.

It was a rare family gathering, and with two guests from the Ji family, she had to give it her all and make something special.

The two flying dragons (pheasants) cleaned in the morning would be simmered with hazel mushrooms for soup—this would take at least two hours, so she started with that.

She’d originally planned to make shredded chicken with the wild pheasant, but since it was winter and everyone wanted something hot, she switched to Braised Chicken with Mushrooms—a famous Northeastern dish, perfect for guests.

As for the wild rabbit, she’d stick with the classic spicy stir-fry after deep-frying it—a great dish to go with rice.

Then there was the fish. As Grandma suggested, she’d make Squirrel Fish for the kids.

Of course, she’d also make a dish for the adults—Sour Cabbage Fish, a family favorite suitable for all ages, and a regular on their table.

Grandma would soon be frying crispy pork, which counted as another meat dish, and the meat buns could be served as well.

That covered the meat dishes.

For vegetables, she planned to make Stir-fried Cabbage with Vinegar, Spicy and Sour Shredded Potatoes, Braised Radish, and a cold Black Fungus Salad.

That should be enough.

With the menu set, she could start prepping.

All the ingredients had been cleaned in the morning, so all that was left was to wash and chop them.

Zhong Luoning helped her, and the two of them got busy.

What no one knew was that at that very moment, Xu Huaian had quietly arrived in the Northeast and was hurrying home.

Ji Linhai had gone to the river to collect fish. Old Master Ji, having finished tidying up, came over first. Gu Qinghuan brewed a pot of good tea for him, and he and Zhong Weiqian played chess and sipped tea, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Zhong Zijun and Cheng Shuying laid a clean mat on the snow outside and placed the steamed bean buns and meat buns on it to freeze solid—no need to worry about spoilage, nature’s own giant fridge.

Once the buns were freezing, the two started making dumplings. There was no need to cook them; they just placed them on the snow as they made them, letting them freeze.

With the big iron pot freed up, Zhong Luoning, under Gu Qinghuan’s guidance, started frying crispy pork—golden, crunchy, crispy outside and tender inside.

A few kids, tired from playing, sneaked to the kitchen door to peek in.

Zhong Luoning spotted them.

“Come on in!”

Dabao flashed an embarrassed grin and led his sisters and Erdan into the kitchen.

“Auntie.”

Zhong Luoning gave them a basin of water to wash their hands, then handed each of them a long piece of crispy pork to gnaw on.

The kids had been running wild all day and were starving. They sat in a row at the kitchen door, munching on the crispy pork. When they finished, they didn’t ask for more, but each one licked their hands clean—it was hilarious.

Gu Qinghuan snickered quietly but didn’t give them any more. A taste was fine, but eating their fill in the kitchen wasn’t allowed—there had to be some rules.

Ming Ruxue was obsessed with the bean buns but didn’t dare eat too many, since there’d be a big dinner later and bean buns were filling.

Once all the crispy pork was done, Gu Qinghuan had all her ingredients ready.

She could finally start on dinner. There were a lot of big dishes to make today, so she had to start early.

From the sound of things outside, Ji Linhai had arrived, chatting and laughing.

“Auntie, hello, I’m Ji Linhai. I haven’t had a chance to thank you for the padded jackets you made for my father and me last time—they fit perfectly and are so warm.” Ji Linhai was meeting Cheng Shuying for the first time and greeted her politely.

“Oh, it’s nothing. We should be thanking you for all the game and furs you brought us,” Cheng Shuying said, sizing up the sturdy young man. He was just as Old Zhong had described—solid and strong.

Unlike Gu Yunchuan’s scholarly frailty, Ji Linhai looked powerful and resolute, with a determined gaze—a man with a story.

“Enough with the pleasantries, Old Ji, come inside! By the way, did you get the fish? How many did you get?” Zhong Zijun was already familiar with Ji Linhai and spoke casually.

“When I got there, they’d just started dividing up the fish. That fishing hole yielded over two hundred fish, so each household in the village got about four. The team leader was fair—everyone got four, all about the same size. My family got four too. I brought one over to add to dinner, along with a dried wild chicken and rabbit I prepared earlier—see how you want to use them.” Ji Linhai lifted his hand to show what he’d brought.

Only then did Zhong Zijun notice the things he was carrying.

“We invited you for dinner—why bring all this?”

“It’s only right! Your cooking is so good, I want to eat here more often!” Ji Linhai grinned.

Knowing he was a stickler for etiquette, Zhong Zijun accepted the gifts. After all, their families often exchanged favors.

Ji Linhai was quick to get involved, looking for something to do after the greetings.

His gaze soon landed on the young man in the corner, struggling to clean the fish.

He’d been focused on Zhong Zijun earlier and hadn’t noticed—when did this family get a young man?

Following his gaze, Zhong Zijun quickly introduced, “This is my youngest son, Lanting. He came with his sister to spend the New Year in Xujia Village. Lanting, this is your Uncle Ji—say hello!” She called out to Gu Lanting.

Zhong Zijun was clearly in high spirits, more genuine and warm than usual—hard to look away.

“Hello, Uncle Ji!” Gu Lanting had no idea that the man before him was secretly eyeing his mother. He greeted him earnestly.

Ji Linhai forced himself to look away from Zhong Zijun.

“Hello, welcome! Good lad, helping out with the chores!”

But he was clearly inexperienced and clumsy—at this rate, he’d be cleaning fish until midnight.

Gu Lanting awkwardly wanted to scratch his head, but remembered his hands were dirty and didn’t want to soil the fur hat his mother had made, so he stopped.

That morning, when he and Zhong Zijun went to pick up the elders, they’d brought over the hats and gloves she’d made. Everyone was pleased and put them on right away.

Zhong Zijun exposed him, “He’s not being diligent—he lost a bet with his sister and has no choice but to work.”

Gu Lanting gave an embarrassed smile.

“Uncle Ji, please go inside—it’s cold out here.”

Ji Linhai immediately rolled up his sleeves. “Could you get me a knife? I’ll help him out.” Otherwise, the work would never get done today.

“That’s not right, Old Ji. You should go inside—let him do it himself. Young people need to get knocked around a bit.” Zhong Zijun was embarrassed to let a guest do chores.

Old Master Ji happened to get up and walk to the door, catching the scene.

“Xiao Zhong, let him help! He’d feel awkward just sitting inside.”

Ji Linhai nodded in agreement.

So Zhong Zijun fetched a knife from the kitchen and a burlap sack to protect his clothes.

Gu Lanting had thought he was doing a decent job, but after seeing the comparison, he was embarrassed to even call what he was doing “cleaning fish”—he was just playing around.

Now, this is what you call professional.

Ji Linhai held the fish’s head steady with one hand, the other hand moving so fast it was a blur. In no time, he’d scraped all the scales off one side. With a flip, he did the other side just as quickly.

Then, with a swift motion, he slit open the belly, expertly scooped out the innards, and tossed them into a basket.

Finally, he removed the gills, scooped up a ladle of water, and rinsed the fish from head to tail—done.

Efficient and clean—the speed, the control, the skill—this was the work of someone who’d cleaned thousands of fish.

And the whole process took barely a minute or two. In his hands, even a big fish was as docile as a chick, not slippery at all.

Why was it that in his hands, the fish was so easy, but for Gu Lanting, it was impossible?

Gu Lanting was having an existential crisis—another day of embarrassment, not as good as the old, not as good as the young.

Zhong Zijun, seeing her son humbled, chuckled. “Lanting, you should learn from your Uncle Ji!”

Gu Lanting gritted his teeth and sidled over. “Uncle Ji, could you teach me?”

A smile appeared in Ji Linhai’s eyes.

He patiently taught him how to clean fish, and sure enough, with some guidance, Gu Lanting’s skills improved rapidly.

No wonder they say every field has its master—you have to learn the right techniques to get things done.

Inside, the women were busy cooking; outside, the men were cleaning fish—a harmonious scene.

Chen Fengqin and Xu Huainian, after finishing up with the fish distribution, had just brought their buckets of fish home when they realized their youngest son was missing. They figured he must be at Gu Qinghuan’s house.

Kids in the village were used to running from house to house, but it was getting late, and the hosts were probably preparing dinner. She had to bring her son home, or people would think her family had no manners, letting their child freeload at someone else’s house.

So Chen Fengqin bustled over, carrying a jar of her homemade pickled cabbage.

“Qinghuan, are you home? Is my little rascal at your place?”

As it happened, when Zhong Zijun let Ji Linhai in earlier, she’d forgotten to latch the door.

So when Chen Fengqin pushed the door open, she saw a man in the cowshed helping clean fish, and a strange woman in the yard laying out dumplings.

She guessed the woman must be Gu Qinghuan’s mother from the neighboring cowshed.

Wow, both families from the cowsheds were here—was she even allowed to watch this?

It wasn’t really rude—people in the countryside were used to this. If your door was open, people just assumed they could come in after calling out.

Still, it was a bit awkward. Chen Fengqin didn’t know how to react, but luckily Gu Qinghuan heard her and came out quickly.

“Sister Fengqin, Erdan’s here, watching the rabbits with the other kids!”

Just then, Erdan poked his head out the window. “Mom, I’m here! Dabao’s family has baby rabbits—they’re so cute! I want one too.”"