“Are you really a chef?!”
Xiong Mei looked at the neat and tidy counter. Two snakeheads were placed upright on the cutting board. On a side plate sat the fish maws, and there was no trace of blood in the sink or on the counter. Even the kitchen knife and cutting board were spotless, as if the two fish had been bought in this condition.
This kind of agile technique was something only an old chef would likely possess.
Qiao Man took off her apron and let out a little chuckle. “I’ve been killing fish at a fish stall for ten years.”
Xiong Mei’s mouth twitched twice. Seeing Qiao Man taking An’an’s hand to leave, she stopped them.
“I promised An’an I’d make her chicken soup wontons tonight.”
Fearing Auntie Xiong would try to keep them longer, Qiao Man quickly found an excuse.
Just now, Auntie Xiong had invited them to dinner because she was afraid the people in the community would make things difficult for them. Qiao Man knew she couldn’t take it literally; helping Auntie Xiong process the snakeheads was her way of returning the favor.
Auntie Xiong fell silent for a moment and didn’t insist further. She simply told her to wait a second and then turned around, “thump, thump, thump,” running back into the kitchen. A moment later, she came out carrying a white plastic bag containing the uncut fish. “The two of us can’t finish this fish anyway. Take it back.”
Seeing Qiao Man hesitate to accept it, she pulled a long face and said, “If I had spent money on it, I’d never give it to you, so take it quickly. Hurry up and think of a way to make money. I don’t care about anything else, but you can’t be late with the rent—at most one week. Also, the heating fee is due at the end of the month. That’s paid directly to the heating company; I can’t help you with that.”
After saying that, she turned around with a stern face and closed the door.
Outside the old security door, Qiao Man shrugged. Carrying the fish in one hand and holding An’an with the other, she headed upstairs.
“Auntie, is Grandma Xiong angry?” An’an looked up, wanting to comfort Qiao Man but not knowing how to say it.
The chicken soup noodles from this morning seemed to have opened An’an’s heart; she had spoken more to Qiao Man today than in the previous two days combined.
Qiao Man stroked the top of her head. “Not at all. Grandma Xiong is just being fierce because she’s embarrassed.”
An’an nodded, seemingly understanding. Although she couldn’t quite figure it out, Grandma Xiong had given her delicious snacks and a fish, so she was a good person.
“Grandma Xiong is a good person and she’s not angry, so why are you frowning, Auntie?”
Mama had said that frowning meant being unhappy.
Qiao Man didn’t hide it. “Because Auntie has run out of money. If Auntie doesn’t think of something to do soon, we’ll both be drinking the northwest wind.”
An’an scratched her head. “Auntie, we still have a fish… and, and the chicken soup from this morning!”
They weren’t quite at the point of starving yet.
True, at least the two of them could have a full meal today.
In the post-apocalyptic world, Qiao Man was used to living one day at a time. She adjusted her mood quickly and asked An’an with a light step, “An’an, how about we have the chicken soup wontons tomorrow morning instead? We have to cook this fish today. How do you want to eat it?”
Good moods are infectious. An’an also broke into a smile. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Auntie, I want to eat fish that’s sour and sweet. Grandpa made it for me when I was little!”
“You still remember things from when you were little?”
“I heard Mama tell me about it.”
At the mention of Qiao Ya, the two fell silent for a moment. Qiao Man changed the subject. “I don’t know what your grandpa made for you, but Auntie has a specialty dish that’s sour and sweet.”
The window was opened again in the kitchen of 403. Qiao Man washed the fish, filleted the meat, and applied cross-hatch cuts. When deep-fried twice, it turned a golden-brown color. Then, she coated it in a pre-made sauce that was oily, bright, and red. The sweet and sour fragrance wafted into the nostrils, immediately making one’s mouth water.
An’an leaned against the stove, her large eyes shining as she watched Qiao Man plate the dish. She sniffed hard and swallowed her saliva. “Auntie, what is this?”
Qiao Man picked up a fish ball and stuffed it into An’an’s mouth. “Is it good?”
An’an’s large eyes gradually narrowed. She chewed several times in a trance, reluctant to swallow, and nodded vigorously. “It’s delicious! Just as delicious as the chicken soup noodles this morning! No, even better!”
Qiao Man smiled, her eyes narrowing as well. “This is called Lychee Fish Balls. Come, An’an, take this box of fish balls to Grandma Xiong downstairs.”
After the two left, Xiong Mei picked up the fish meat and looked it over.
To be fair, despite Qiao Man’s youth, her basic skills were truly excellent. The fish was processed very cleanly; even the surface mucus and the blood near the bones had been scrubbed away.
She didn’t know if the girl’s chef credentials were real or not, but at least her skill in killing fish was professional and skilled.
“Wife, look what I brought back!”
The sound of the door opening and closing came from the living room. Xiong Mei’s husband, Cheng Xiangdong, had returned, carrying a plastic bag. “I ran into Old Wu downstairs. He gave me a piece of soy-sauced beef. This is beef sauced by his own mother—half a pound of sauce for every pound of meat. It’s much more fragrant than that stuff outside that uses eight taels of sauce per pound!”
Xiong Mei put down the fish and came out of the kitchen with her eyebrows raised. “Weren’t you going to have a drink with your old squad leader?”
Cheng Xiangdong placed the beef on the dining table to please her. “Something came up at the squad leader’s house, so he was called back. I also thought about how you couldn’t kill the fish and rushed back… where’s the fish?”
As he spoke, he ran to the kitchen, but it was spotless. There was only one processed fish on the cutting board.
“Did you ask Auntie Li across the hall for help? No, Auntie Li’s hands are shaky; there’s no way she could have cleaned the fish this beautifully. Where’s the other one?”
Since the “chef” was back, Xiong Mei stood outside the kitchen door and said, “Xiao Qiao helped clean them. I gave her one.”
Cheng Xiangdong looked at Xiong Mei, thought for a moment, and suddenly realized. “The young girl who’s renting our son’s apartment. Her skills are quite good; she really is a chef!”
Xiong Mei leaned against the kitchen doorframe with a frown, directing Cheng Xiangdong on how to cook the fish. “Just stew this fish with tofu; it saves trouble. I don’t know if she’s a chef or not, but she has a child and no income yet. How about you see if there’s a suitable job over at Xiaojuan’s place?”
Cheng Xiangdong waved the spatula and shouted, “Don’t you usually stay out of other people’s business? Why are you helping her find a job this time? Have you asked Xiao Qiao yet?”
“I asked. She said she wants to start her own business. What kind of business can someone so young do? What if she loses money? Besides, she has no capital. Her pockets are cleaner than her face. When I asked her today, she only had about a hundred yuan left. I don’t even know if she can pay the heating fee.”
“If you ask me, don’t worry too much. If people want your help, they’ll come and ask you themselves,” Cheng Xiangdong said, turning off the range hood. “I think the doorbell rang.”
Xiong Mei went to open the door. Standing outside was the little one, An’an, looking up and holding a plastic lunch box. “Grandma, these are Lychee Fish Balls my aunt made. She said to bring them for you and Grandpa to try. They were made with the fish you gave us.”
Facing the child, Xiong Mei couldn’t keep a cold face. She took the lunch box and let her in. “What is your aunt busy with?”
An’an said clearly and loudly, “Auntie seems to be doing accounts. She said she’s going to sell breakfast. Grandma, I won’t come in. I have to go back and eat. Goodbye, Grandma!”
After speaking, she turned around and ran back upstairs, “thump, thump, thump.”
The buildings in the Happiness Community were thirty years old. The layout featured three households per floor. The homes were crowded, and the hallways weren’t spacious. Some families hadn’t replaced their security doors, so the gaps were so large that you could hear the neighbors arguing just by leaning against the door.
An’an’s words were naturally heard by the neighbors, who all sighed at how the children of the poor mature early.
However, the young grandson of Grandma Li across the hall still caught the words “Lychee Fish Balls” and clamored to ask his grandparents what kind of delicious food it was.
The Cheng couple didn’t care what others thought. They looked at the plate of Lychee Fish Balls with complex expressions.
Cheng Xiangdong saw that the fish balls were bright red in color, with a faint sweet and sour fragrance drifting into his nose. He swallowed his saliva unproductively and said, “How about… you pay the heating fee for them this year first?”
As he spoke, his hand reached toward a fish ball.
Xiong Mei slapped his hand away with her chopsticks, her face stern. “Does your money blow in from the wind? Next month is our granddaughter’s birthday, and your grandson’s birthday is coming up too. In two more months, it’ll be New Year. You haven’t even gotten back the money you lent out, yet you’re thinking about giving more away!”
Cheng Xiangdong went to get chopsticks and said coaxingly, “Oh, my point is you can advance it for them first and let them pay you back once they’ve made money. I heard the little one at the door just now say her aunt is going to sell breakfast… Holy crap, wife! These fish balls are so damn delicious! Hurry and try one!”
He had just stuffed a Lychee Fish Ball into his mouth, and he hadn’t expected it to be so good—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, perfectly sweet and sour. Even with such a thick piece of meat, it didn’t feel bland inside or greasy outside.
Though they had cooled down a bit, there wasn’t a hint of fishiness!
Cheng Xiangdong was an experienced eater, yet this plate of cold Lychee Fish Balls amazed him. If they were fresh out of the pan…
“Why are you starting to swear again? Be careful the children don’t hear and learn—Mmm!”
Before Xiong Mei could finish her sentence, a Lychee Fish Ball was stuffed into her mouth.
Actually, she didn’t like sweet dishes; she always felt they were cloying and not substantial. Simple home cooking suited her taste better.
However… she chewed and chewed. Old Man Cheng was right; these fish balls were so damn delicious!
Cheng Xiangdong stuffed two more fish balls into his mouth and immediately got up to get some wine. “These fish balls go perfectly with wine. You haven’t had a drink in a long time either; let’s the two of us enjoy ourselves today.”
As it turned out, eating something sweet can make people happy. Xiong Mei finally smoothed her brow, downed her wine cup in one go, and stuffed another fish ball into her mouth.
The cold fish balls no longer had much of a fragrance, but the color remained bright and the taste was uniquely flavorful.
Cheng Xiangdong savored the taste of the fish balls. Looking at the few remaining balls on the plate, he was reluctant to eat them. Suddenly remembering something, he asked Xiong Mei, “What was I saying just now? Oh right, selling breakfast! These Lychee Fish Balls this girl made are so delicious; looking at the knife work and the control of the heat, she’s a proper chef. Why doesn’t she open a shop? Wouldn’t that make more money than selling breakfast? It’s freezing cold during the dead of winter here. Being a chef in a restaurant is much more comfortable than setting up a stall outside.”
Xiong Mei suddenly stood up and walked quickly toward the kitchen. Holding the washed plastic lunch box, she said, “I’m going up for a bit.”
Just before heading out, Xiong Mei suddenly turned around. “Leave two for me, or don’t even think about drinking wine for the rest of the year.”
Ignoring Cheng Xiangdong behind her as he looked at the fish balls to satisfy his cravings while drinking, Xiong Mei walked quickly to 403. This time, it was Qiao Man who opened the door.
Xiong Mei entered and closed the door. Handing the lunch box to Qiao Man, she hesitated for a moment before saying, “Thank you for the dish. I have something to tell you—well, to discuss with you.”
Qiao Man invited her into the living room, poured her a glass of water, and then said with a smile, “Perfect, I also have something to discuss with you.”
Xiong Mei was puzzled, then immediately became wary. “If you’re asking me to reduce your rent, don’t even think about it…”
Qiao Man waved her hand to interrupt.
“Then what is it?” Xiong Mei was even more puzzled.
Qiao Man sat opposite her and asked with a smile, “Would you like to invest? In other words, I’m going to start a breakfast business. Would you like to partner with me?”