They hadn’t expected to actually catch fish.
Shen Nan proudly boasted to his mother about their little afternoon adventure:
“Thanks to Brother Mo, I couldn’t have caught the fish without him!”
“Yeah, Auntie, we helped too!”
Tuanzi and Yuanzi excitedly chimed in, claiming their share of the credit.
Watching the children’s happy faces, Li Shi was overjoyed.
Ever since the family split their inheritance, life had steadily improved. They could now eat meat regularly—duck today, fish tomorrow—something she had never imagined possible before.
And all of this was thanks to her daughter regaining her wits.
Li Shi’s gaze at her daughter softened with affection. She felt that all these blessings were brought about by Youyou. Perhaps it was because Youyou had suffered so much before that the gods rewarded her with so many skills—and even the luck of those around her seemed to improve.
After placing the fish in a basin and watching it swim slowly again, the children finally relaxed—they had worried that the fish might suffocate if they took too long.
Once that was settled, little Tuanzi noticed the mouthwatering smell drifting from the cottage and squealed in excitement:
“Wow, it smells amazing! Is Youyou sister cooking something delicious again? It smells so good!”
Shen Nan, realizing his sister hadn’t come out yet, quickly added:
“Yeah, it smells so good! Sister, are you in the kitchen?”
He ran toward the kitchen, and sure enough, there was his sister, preparing something delicious.
The other two children followed, peeking curiously into the kitchen, wondering what kind of meat could smell so irresistible.
Seeing the three little heads lined up at the doorway, Shen Youyou smiled:
“Almost ready! I heard you all came back and caught fish. I can’t come out to watch because I’m cooking, but you all did an amazing job! Tomorrow, I’ll cook the fish for you. Nan Nan, go tell Mom to set the table so we can eat.”
“All right!”
Hearing that they could eat soon, Shen Nan ran off happily to deliver the message, while Tuanzi and Yuanzi helped too—one carrying a small stool, the other fetching chopsticks.
They knew that the earlier they prepared, the sooner they could eat.
After Shen Youyou ladled out a bowl of braised duck for everyone, nearly half the pot remained—enough to take to town tomorrow to try her luck. The two ducks were plump and had yielded plenty; she was very satisfied.
She carried out the duck dishes along with the wild vegetables she had just prepared, and Li Shi brought out the day’s staple—rough rice buns.
And so, a simple yet filling farmhouse meal was ready.
Shen Fu’s leg had improved enough that he could now walk slowly with support.
He insisted on eating with everyone else—it was too dull to eat alone in the house.
Once everyone was seated, Shen Youyou reminded him:
“Father, you eat from this bowl. The other one is a bit spicy, not good for your wound. And you kids, eat from this one too!”
Although Shen Fu didn’t understand what “spicy” meant, he nodded obediently, trusting his daughter’s care.
The children, however, were curious:
“Spicy? What’s spicy? Why can’t we eat it?”
Shen Youyou suddenly realized—this wasn’t the modern world. Spicy food didn’t exist here, and the children had no concept of it.
She laughed wryly to herself and quickly explained:
“Spicy is a type of sensation—it makes your tongue feel a bit painful, and your tummy can’t handle it. So you’ll be fine with this non-spicy bowl.”
Hearing that eating it would hurt, the kids nodded obediently. They didn’t fully understand the concept of spicy, but they weren’t interested in trying it anyway.
Meanwhile, Mo Yan and Li Shi were very curious about the “spicy duck” Youyou had mentioned.
As they all dug in, tasting and savoring, they began to appreciate the allure of chili.
Mo Yan tried a piece of the five-spice duck first, but soon switched to the spicy one.
To him, the five-spice flavor couldn’t compare. The spicy version was addictive—once you started, it was impossible to stop.
By the time the last piece of spicy duck was gone, Mo Yan finally paused, realizing he had eaten more than he intended. Sheepishly, he said:
“Uh… it’s just too good. Delicious and exciting—a strange sensation. I accidentally ate too much! Sorry about that.”
Li Shi dabbed her eyes with her sleeve and added:
“Yes, Youyou, this spicy flavor is amazing. I just want to keep eating piece after piece, even though my eyes are tearing up! It’s so weird!”
Shen Youyou laughed outright, completely unfazed:
“As long as you like it, that’s what matters! I was worried you wouldn’t enjoy it. So, what do you think—if I go to town to sell these braised ducks, would anyone buy them?”
Mo Yan was the first to exclaim:
“You want to set up a stall?”
Li Shi and Shen Fu looked puzzled, not understanding. Their Youyou, just recovering her mind, was already thinking about earning money—they were truly surprised!
Shen Youyou looked at them and then at the three happily eating kids and explained:
“Not exactly. I just want to go to town to see if there’s a chance to make some money. I’ve saved half of each flavor in the pot for tomorrow—I’ll try my luck and see if I can sell any.”
Shen Fu nodded approvingly:
“I think it’s worth a try. Youyou, your cooking is excellent. I don’t know how this ‘spicy’ flavor tastes, but judging by everyone’s reaction, it’s amazing! The five-spice duck is also very tasty. I think this has real potential—it even tastes better than the meals I’ve had at inns in town.”
Shen Fu had once worked in town and occasionally eaten at inns. Compared to Youyou’s cooking, those meals couldn’t hold a candle.