“Mm-hmm, Mother knows. I’m fine. Here, take the tofu and eggs—you handle the cooking. I’ll go outside and tend to the vegetable patch. In a few days, the vegetables we grow ourselves will be ready to eat,” Li Shi said, trying not to cry in front of her daughter. She quickly found an excuse to leave.
Watching her mother’s retreating figure, Shen Youyou sighed. Once she had a little silver in her hands, her mother would likely worry less.
They said money could solve most problems, and Shen Youyou felt there was truth in that.
For now, her task was to make the fish soup. She hadn’t had fish soup in a long time, and just thinking about it made her mouth water.
Shen Youyou efficiently scaled and gutted the fish, cleaning it thoroughly.
She rubbed it quickly with salt and vinegar, then rinsed it with water to remove any fishy smell.
The three eggs Li Shi had brought were all taken out. She fried them into golden poached eggs and set them aside.
She heated oil in the pan again, adding ginger slices and the white parts of green onions to release their aroma. Once fragrant, she removed them and added the prepared crucian carp, sprinkling a little salt. She pan-fried the fish until both sides were golden. Then, she poured in boiling water from the Mǎnmǎn Mini Kitchen, enough to cover the fish.
Using a wood fire, she brought it to a boil over high heat. As the fish soup gradually turned white, she removed the fish to set aside.
Into the soup, she added the tofu and golden poached eggs, seasoning with salt, soy sauce, and a bit of pepper. She let it simmer on low heat for a while.
While the soup was cooking, Shen Youyou took the fish she had set aside to the Mini Kitchen. She planned to turn it into fish crumbles for the children.
She first removed the large bones, then crushed the remaining meat with the small bones. She pan-fried the mixture over low heat until it was crispy and golden. Sprinkled with barbecue seasoning, it was ready to serve.
She tasted a small piece—it was delicious and safe to eat. The tiny fish bones had turned crisp, adding texture and flavor. Shen Youyou was extremely satisfied.
Once the meal was ready, she called everyone outside.
Before nightfall, the family gathered around the outdoor table.
The dinner consisted of a plate of fish crumbles, a large bowl of tofu and poached egg fish soup, some mixed wild vegetables from Shen Fu, and coarse rice buns.
Looking at the food on the table, Shen Youyou thought to herself: this was truly a healthy dinner—green, nutritious, and with whole grains.
She served each of the three little ones a bowl of fish soup and a poached egg.
“Here, one bowl each. Eat up, and you’ll grow tall!”
Mo Yan looked at the white broth in his bowl and the large soup pot and asked,
“What kind of soup is this? Why is it white?”
Shen Youyou glanced at him, then at her equally surprised parents, and replied,
“Fish soup. It’s very fresh—try it and see.”
Seeing her confident expression, everyone lowered their heads and took a sip.
One sip was enough to shock them with the rich, savory flavor.
This… this is so fresh and tasty? This is actually fish soup?
Even the family expected this reaction—they were used to little meat in their diet, so fish was likely even rarer. But even Mo Yan, the young master from the capital, was stunned.
Could it be that fish soup wasn’t common in the capital? Impossible!
Shen Youyou asked him directly:
“Why are you so shocked? Haven’t you ever had fish soup before?”
She was speaking to Mo Yan, who realized quickly and explained:
“I’ve had fish soup before, but never this delicious. And it’s white, very fresh, with no fishy taste. Your cooking is incredible—better than the chefs in the imperial kitchens… no, better than those in the big restaurants of the capital!”
He even gave her a thumbs-up.
Shen Youyou had truly impressed him. After eating her meals every day, he already knew she was a good cook, but this fish soup made him realize her skills were extraordinary.
Her culinary talent alone could easily run a successful restaurant, and the business would surely flourish.
What he didn’t understand was—she had been “dull” before, so when had she learned such cooking skills?
But Shen Youyou didn’t want to explain, and he didn’t ask. Everyone had their secrets. As long as neither posed harm, that was enough.
Encouraged by Mo Yan’s praise, Shen Youyou felt even more confident in her cooking. She was determined to use her skills to give her family a better life.
The three children were also amazed after tasting the fish soup. They began praising Shen Youyou enthusiastically.
“Sister Youyou, you’re amazing! This is the best fish soup Yuanzi has ever had!”
“Yes, it’s really delicious. Can it really make us grow taller?”
Tuanzi asked skeptically.
Shen Youyou answered firmly:
“Of course! There’s plenty of good stuff in this soup. You’ll grow taller for sure.”
Shen Nan joined in, smiling:
“I want another bowl too! I want to grow tall so I can protect sister in the future.”
Everyone laughed at the children’s antics, enjoying their meal with jokes and chatter.
As expected, the pan-fried crispy fish also received rave reviews—it was delicious.
After dinner, as the sky darkened, Li Shi cleared the dishes and went to rest.
Shen Youyou lay down on the straw in the house, closing her eyes to rest. Soon, the sounds of gentle snoring filled the room.
Although it was early, in the old days there were no evening activities, and staying awake would require lighting candles, which wasted money.
The rural schedule was simple: work from sunrise to sunset. Shen Youyou slowly adapted to this rhythm.
As she drifted off, she had one last thought: she needed to earn money quickly and build two more rooms next to their house. Living all together in one space was inconvenient.
The next morning, Shen Youyou rose with the sun.
Her first task was to retrieve the braised ducks from yesterday. She tasted them—they had absorbed the marinade overnight and were perfectly flavorful.
She placed all five ducks in a large food container, lined with oiled paper underneath, and carried it to find Mo Yan.
This container had been made with Shen Fu’s help earlier and was just the right size—though quite heavy. If she weren’t strong, she might not have been able to lift it.