Chen Yang picked a pile of tomatoes from the vegetable garden, washed them one by one, removed the stems, scored them with a knife, then poured boiling water over them to peel them.
Like cutting through a tangled mess with a swift knife, he chopped the tomatoes into a large basin of diced pieces.
He turned on a low heat, added some peanut oil, and slowly simmered the tomatoes. Soon, they turned into a thick, red sauce.
Chen Yang deliberately added a little cornstarch and a splash of aged vinegar. The aroma immediately wafted up, with its sour taste and vibrant red color, it looked quite impressive at first glance.
He scooped out the "tomato sauce," washed the pot, then added oil and heated it. Chen Yang slaughtered and scaled fresh carp, scored them with a knife, and marinated them with ginger, scallions, and the rice wine brewed by his father-in-law to remove the fishy smell.
When the oil was hot, Chen Yang dipped the marinated fish into beaten egg, then rolled it in flour. Holding one end by the tail and the other by the head, he placed it into the hot oil to fry.
After Chen Yang had fried the fish until it set, he released his fingers and used a spoon to pour hot oil over the fish, frying it on low heat. Soon, a golden, crispy squirrel fish took shape.
Chen Yang placed it on a large plate and poured the prepared tomato sauce over it. The squirrel fish then released a fragrant aroma.
The little baby had been watching eagerly nearby. Upon seeing the squirrel fish, the child jumped with joy.
"Time to eat fish, time to eat squirrel fish!"
Seeing the baby's mouth watering, Chen Yang felt a little proud. A father was only qualified if his daughter liked his cooking.
"Daddy, I want some too, I want some too!"
Seeing the baby being served the squirrel fish, Chen Hao also got impatient.
"Alright, alright, Daddy will fry some more."
Chen Yang cheerfully agreed and fried another one. A few minutes later, another squirrel fish was plated. Chen Hao rubbed his little hands, eager to eat.
Zhao Wukang watched and couldn't resist teasing the little one.
"Haohao, your uncle hasn't eaten all day, I'm starving. Can you give me some first?"
Chen Hao looked at the fragrant squirrel fish in his hands, swallowing his saliva. But he looked at Zhao Wukang; his uncle often brought him good food.
Even though Chen Hao was a foodie, he was also a polite child.
"Go away, go away, don't mind your uncle. Uncle is just teasing you. Be careful of the bones."
"Wukang, you're a grown man, teasing a child. Do you still want to eat squirrel fish?"
"Brother-in-law, I'm just playing with the child! You're taking it too seriously."
Zhao Wukang scratched his head sheepishly. However, the squirrel fish was truly delicious, with both good presentation and a wonderful aroma.
Soon, Zhao Wukang also got his fish. Chen Yang was fair and didn't show favoritism; Zhang Dabiao and Liu Yong also each got a fish.
Of course, they all ate after Shen Xue. The mother-in-law and father-in-law didn't compete with the younger ones and ate last. Anyway, everyone got one fish, so there was no need to rush.
After finishing the squirrel fish, Chen Yang started making fish head and tofu soup. Zhao Wukang had bought a bighead carp weighing ten pounds.
A ten-pound bighead carp's head alone would weigh over four pounds. Chen Yang first fried the fish head in lard until both sides of the fish head and flesh were golden brown, then poured in boiling water.
The key to a milky white fish soup is to use boiling water. If you use cold water, the soup will definitely not turn white.
After pouring in the boiling water, he added chopped old tofu and simmered on low heat. Once the fish soup developed its flavor, he added salt and pepper, along with some scallions, ginger, garlic, and it was ready to serve.
The fish was too big, and they didn't have a soup bowl large enough at home. Chen Yang simply used the small iron pot they usually used for cooking rice. A pot full of milky white fish soup, emitting a rich aroma.
"Fish soup is here!"
Chen Yang held the pot handles with a towel and placed the pot on the stove. The family gathered around to have a hot pot meal.
His mother-in-law, Liu Chunmei, also cooked a pot of crispy pancakes around the edge. The golden pancakes were just coming off the heat, and a charred aroma mixed with the fragrance of fish filled the entire house.
"Daddy, I want some soup."
The little baby's face was almost buried in the plate of squirrel fish. Smelling the aroma, the child immediately lifted his head. Hearing the little greedy cat's words, Chen Yang didn't dare to delay.
He had just served a bowl of soup for her when he noticed that the baby's little cheeks were smeared with tomato sauce. Eating squirrel fish had turned her into a big calico cat.
"Look at these two little ones. I don't know who they take after, eating like little pigs. They gobbled down two-pound carp in no time."
Zhao Wukang hadn't even finished half of his fish when the baby and Chen Hao were already finishing their meal. They were even drinking fish soup. He couldn't help but exclaim.
Hearing his words, Shen Xue, who was happily gnawing on a squirrel fish beside him, suddenly felt her face flush slightly. She slowed down her eating pace.
Well, she couldn't let it slip. They must have taken after their father. How could women eat as fast as pigs!
Chen Yang smiled but said nothing. His wife was shy, and if he dared to retort, he'd be sleeping on the floor tonight.
"Dad, Wukang, Dabiao, Yongzi, come, let's have some wine and meat."
Chen Yang poured the wine. A fish head stewed over a wood fire deserved some wine, wouldn't it be a shame not to?
This meal satisfied everyone in the family. With the fish head, several people drank half a liter of wine. Zhao Wukang had a good tolerance for alcohol and was unaffected by half a liter. As it was still early, he rode his bike home.
Since getting married, he had never stayed out overnight, no matter how late it was.
At night, his mother-in-law thoughtfully took the little Chen Peng to her room to sleep. The two little ones, full and bathed, were put to bed in the small room attached to Chen Yang's bedroom.
Chen Yang drew two buckets of cold water from the well and washed himself. It was October, and while not exactly cold, these two buckets of cold water left him flushed red all over.
That's how cold showers are. In the beginning, you shiver, but as you continue, you feel warmer.
"Where are the children?"
Chen Yang dried himself and entered the room, only to find Shen Xue lying alone on the bed.
The older man was a little confused. Chen Peng was still young and needed to feed at night. Normally, Shen Xue ate and slept with the baby. Chen Yang was a heavy sleeper, and the child was too young. During her confinement, he hadn't even touched the bed, sleeping on a wooden board bed placed on a stool.
This wasn't Shen Xue's fault. It was just that he was a very deep sleeper. There had been a case in the commune before where a couple, also heavy sleepers, had rolled over and accidentally smothered their child.
So Chen Yang was accustomed to sleeping on the wooden board bed. It was natural for him to be surprised at not seeing the child today.
"Mom took them. She's watching them for us."
Shen Xue's face felt a little hot. Ten months of pregnancy, a month of confinement, and then Chen Yang went to school. When Chen Yang returned temporarily from school, he had to rush off to Hong Kong again.
This foolish man, why was he so dense? Mother knew to take the children away for them.
Hearing Shen Xue's words, Chen Yang's eyes lit up.
Looking at his wife, who had become even more voluptuous after giving birth, the older man felt a surge of heat.
"Turn off the light!"
"Oh, you're hurting me! Don't rush, don't rush..."
Shen Xue let out a surprised cry... *slap*, the light went out.
Faintly, Chen Yang's intermittent sounds could be heard. Don't be scared, don't be scared. This time, I brought good things back from Hong Kong. With this, there's no need to worry.