Fish Stew
Realizing he could ask for help, Bai Wu’s idea of making roof tiles spread rapidly through his mind like wild grass sprouting in spring.
That evening, Bai Wu went to find Ta.
Ta’s family was chatting around the fire pit. Seeing Bai Wu arrive, Ta’s parents offered him their seats.
“Wu, what brings you here today?”
“Uncle, Uncle, I’ve come to ask Ta for help.”
Ta glanced at Bai Wu. “You want that white fluff too? Sure, I’ll pick some for you when I come back from hunting tomorrow.”
“It’s not white fluff. I want to fire a type of pottery called ’tiles.’ I’d like you to ask your friends if they’re free and willing to come help after hunting every day. They can help until dark. I’ll treat everyone to dinner while they help.”
“What do you need it for?”
“To cover the roof like thatch to keep out the wind and rain.”
“Why not just use thatch? Pottery shards are so heavy.”
“It’s hard to explain now, but you’ll find out later. You know the beastmen, so ask them for me. It doesn’t matter if they’re willing or not.”
“It’s nothing. So, you’re going to help out at the pottery kiln after the hunt, right? I’ll go get some people for you later. How many do you need?”
“The more the merrier.”
“What?”
Bai Wu smiled brightly. “I mean, the more the better. I don’t mind how many people.”
“Such a boast! How many tiles do you need to fire?”
“Tens of thousands? Anyway, as for building materials, if I have extra, I’ll build a couple more houses; if I don’t, I’ll build a couple less. If I really can’t use them all, I can leave them aside and use them for maintenance.”
“Look at your boast.” Ta gave him a thumbs up. “Just for what you said, I’ll go get some people for you and see what you can produce in the end.”
“Then it’s settled!”
Ta had many companions, mostly young, strong, single beastmen, each one with a huge appetite.
Bai Wu said he would exchange food for labor. He didn’t dare to sleep when he returned to his nest. He searched all the broken baskets in the house overnight and made two more large fish traps. He carried torches and carried the two large fish traps downstream in the night before yawning and going back to his nest to sleep.
The next morning, Bai Wu went to collect the fish traps, carrying a bucket that was more than half full.
After collecting the fish, he put the intestines and gills back into the traps, planning to return in the evening.
If all went well, he should be able to get a bucketful of fish.
These fish, once cleaned, would be excellent ingredients whether stewed, grilled, or used in soup.
He could make a fish dish, along with a stew of wild meat, and that would be more than enough to entertain guests.
After collecting the fish and feeding the sheep, Bai Wu went out to gather food, carrying a basket on his back.
He had found some beans recently, and now he had two baskets of beans stored in his nest.
He planned to use these beans to make bean paste, but that would have to wait until the weather got colder; the beans themselves remained untouched for the time being.
Bai Wu hummed a tune, thinking that if food ran short, he could also take some beans out in advance to make tofu.
In the evening, Bai Wu returned deliberately early. Unexpectedly, a group of beastmen were already there, laughing and joking around his nest.
The beastmen greeted him excitedly as he returned.
Bai Wu quickly called out to them as well.
Bai Wu looked up at the sun hanging in the sky. “It’s too early now. Why don’t we all rest for a while before heading to the pottery kiln?”
“Rest for a while? The sun will have already set. How much work can we do then?”
Bai Wu smiled and poured bowls of cool water for the beastmen. “Have some water first. I’ll tell you what I want you to do.”
It was still too early. Bai Wu was only providing a meal; making them work for so long would seem like taking advantage.
He planned to chat for a bit first, then set off when it got a little later and the sun wasn’t so strong, so everyone wouldn’t be so exhausted.
Bai Wu’s conversation was met with enthusiastic responses from the beastmen.
He was a well-known troublemaker in the tribe, always managing to create something special.
The beastmen, hesitant to get too close to the sub-beastman, had long been curious about him.
Finally getting a chance, they all bombarded him with questions.
After the small talk, they got down to business.
Bai Wu patiently explained the method of making the tiles and their purpose. The beastmen looked at each other, not quite understanding.
“Wu, are we really going to make this?”
“This thing is so strange, are you sure it will work?”
“Absolutely. Thank you all. Today we need to dig some clay to make molds before we actually make the tiles.”
Making the tiles is simple: use clay to make a hollow cylinder without a top or bottom. He then cuts this cylinder evenly into two, four, or more pieces according to his needs. After drying and firing, the resulting tiles are the tiles.
As for how many pieces to cut, that depends on the size of the cylinder and the maker’s requirements.
Bai Wu planned to cut the cylinder into four pieces.
The beastmen were all skilled potters.
Bai Wu gave a simple demonstration, and the beastmen immediately understood what he wanted.
The following tasks were all hard labor, and Bai Wu felt out of place among them. The beastmen persuaded him to return to cooking, while Ta led everyone else to continue working.
As darkness fell, Chuan and Mo returned and went to help at the pottery kiln.
An stayed by the nest to help Bai Wu prepare dinner.
“I gathered a lot of wheat-based fruits today, Wu, let’s cook some wheat-based fruits; they’re easier to fill our stomachs with.”
An said, tilting the basket to show Bai Wu the nearly overflowing wheat-based fruits.
“Really?” Bai Wu laughed. “I was worried about what to cook for the beastmen this afternoon; ordinary food isn’t very filling.”
An put his hands on his hips, looking smug. “I said I’d help you, and I will. Don’t worry.”
Bai Wu rushed over and hugged him. “Thank you, brother.”
“Get off me, get off me! Why are you always so mushy? You should be going to collect the fish traps, right?”
“Yes, I’m going now. I’ll take the stone knife with me and clean the fish by the river.”
“Shall I wash the fish for you?”
“Okay. After you wash them, just boil them in water. I have another use for them.”
“Not stewing them with meat? Boiled fish in water doesn’t taste good; it has a bitter taste.”
“No, I’ll make something special for you today.”
When setting the fish traps this morning, Bai Wu specifically chose a spot with a calmer current.
Now, pulling them up, he noticed that the fish inside were slightly different species.
One of the fish traps had caught three eel-like fish!
These fish were scaleless, covered in slime, and yellowish in color. They were as thick as an arm and looked very plump.
The moment Bai Wu saw them, he already knew how to cook them.
Humming a tune, Bai Wu poured all the fish into a bucket, pulled out a stone knife, and deftly gutted and cleaned them. He threw the innards and scales back into the fish trap and then released it back into the river.
The fish traps shouldn’t be left in the river for too long. He would come back to collect them tomorrow morning; he was sure he’d have another catch.
This virtuous cycle had been established. It was conceivable that their family wouldn’t lack fish for a long time to come.
When Bai Wu brought the fish back, An came to greet him. Seeing the eels in his bucket, An picked one up, his eyes widening as he examined it closely. “What kind of fish is this? I’ve never seen it before!”
“Eels, I guess? Anyway, they’re edible. I’ll chop them up and marinate them; we’ll make eel stew later.”
“How do you stew these?” An had just asked when he met Bai Wu’s gaze, then slapped his forehead. “Alright, I’ll see for myself later.”
Bai Wu gave him a thumbs-up, and An playfully punched him.
The two brothers laughed and joked for a while before getting busy by the fire pit.
Bai Wu chopped all the fish, big and small, into small pieces and marinated them, then turned back to processing the dough.
The dough in the earthenware pot was already cooked. Bai Wu had An take it out, peel it in water, and then pound it into a paste. He himself took the bucket to milk the goats.
Goat milk was also a staple food for their family.
The lambs have almost stopped drinking milk; all the goat milk is now supplied to their family.
Bai Wu milks twice a day, morning and evening, producing enough milk to fill two large earthenware jars.
To ensure the flavor and quality of the goat milk, Bai Wu uses a new earthenware pot specifically for boiling the milk each day.
Today is no exception. Bai Wu boils the milk in the pot, adds salt, and then adds mashed fruit.
Smoked meat is shredded into small pieces, sautéed with shallots until fragrant, and then mixed into the goat milk and mashed fruit mixture. A fragrant goat milk and mashed fruit dessert is ready.
An scoops out a small spoonful, blows on it to cool it, and puts it in his mouth.
The slightly astringent taste of the mashed fruit is completely masked; only the rich aroma of milk and mashed fruit remains. After chewing a few more times, one can taste the salty and savory bits of smoked meat, perfectly balancing the blandness of the mashed fruit.
An gave Bai Wu a thumbs-up. “I thought we hadn’t hunted anything special, and we wouldn’t have anything good to offer our guests today.”
“How could that be? Even if we don’t have anything good, I can conjure it up! Brother, it’s getting late. Go to the pottery kiln and call Uncle and the others back for dinner. Don’t work too late.”
“Can you handle so many fishes all by yourself?”
“Stewed fish is easier than making noodles. Hurry up, or the fish will be overcooked.”
An didn’t say anything more, immediately transforming into a large white bird and flapping his wings to call for them.
Bai Wu’s fish were still marinating in the bucket, but he wasn’t in a hurry at all.
He took five handfuls of scallions from his nest, removed the roots and dry leaves, and washed them. Then he halved them, marinated them with sour fruit jam and salt, then mixed them with animal fat. Slowly spreading them on the bottom of his family’s pottery pot, which was like a bathtub, he slowly fried them over a low flame.
The scallions simmering in the animal fat, quickly released their moisture releasing a rich aroma as they bubbled and sizzled in the pot.
Bai Wu layered the eels on top of the onions, then piled more fish on top, filling the large earthenware pot to the brim. He then covered it with a lid and poured more animal fat over it.
Steam hissed and bubbled from the small holes in the lid, carrying the rich aroma of fish far and wide.
Bai Wu calculated the number of people eating, washed the dishes and chopsticks, and waited patiently by the fire pit for the fish to cook.
Before the fish was even cooked, a large group of beastmen returned, flapping their wings.
They hadn’t even reached Bai Wu’s nest when they smelled the rich aroma.
“Heh—”
The beastmen cried out involuntarily, their cries filled with joy.
“It smells so good!”
“Everyone says Wu’s cooking is delicious, and today I finally understand.”
“I’m so hungry! Is it fish today?”
The beastmen landed, one by one straightening their animal skin skirts and crowding around.
“Father, Dad,” Bai Wu greeted them, then enthusiastically served them bowls of sweet potato puree. “Today’s special is sweet potato puree with braised fish. I wonder if you’ll like it.”
As he spoke, Bai Wu opened the pot lid and sprinkled in chopped scallions.
The steam rose, and the sky was dark, so for a moment no one could see what was in the pot; their sense of smell was overwhelmed by the burst of fishy aroma.
One beastman sniffed deeply and muttered, “This smells amazing. Just for this dish, I want to come tomorrow!”