Eldest Sister, Why Haven't You Married Yet Chapter 54

Published at 16th of December 2022 06:06:25 AM

Chapter 54. Learning to cook & medicine for fish

"Why did Mother marry someone like Yue Chang Lu? With Mother's excellent culinary skills, you can still make living through making food and selling it, right?" You Jin didn't expect Mrs. Su to have such background. She was actually the great-granddaughter of the former royal chef! Who can believe it? The great-granddaughter of a former royal chef fallen into the rural village and had to marry a domestic abuser for 15 years before she escaped!

Mrs. Su sighed and thought about the death of her parents. Eldest Uncle, whom had always been in harmony with her own family, actually wanted to take advantage of a dead-end household and ignore family affection. He married off them three sisters through half-sale and half-complimentary. Due to Mrs. Su's somewhat good looks, she was 'sold' into Yue Family at a good price. While her two sisters. It was unknown where they were sold. In this world, they were separated for more than ten years.

Seeing Mrs. Su's sorrowful expression and remaining silent, You Jin knew that she was recalling her sad old past. You Jin hurriedly changed the topic: "Since Mother's cooking is so good, how about we open a restaurant once we have the money?"

Mrs. Su Shi amusedly criticized: "With my body, I can barely cook for you sisters. How can I handle a restaurant?"

"Mother teach me!" You Zhu looked at Mrs. Su with bright eyes: "Once I learn, I can open a restaurant in the city!"

This was a good idea, "But Third Elder Sister, you can't even cook rice..." Now it wasn't just You Bao. Even You Ling and You Luo came to expose her sore spot.

"Don't know, then learn!" You Zhu slammed the table with her hand. Her gaze steadily looked at Mrs. Su: "Mother teach me! I can definitely learn it!"

Seeing that she was so determined, Mrs. Su turned to pleadingly look You Jin as she knew how disastrous Third Daughter's cooking skills were.

You Jin slowly put down the chopsticks and nodded slightly: "It's wonderful that You Zhu has this kind of heart. Diligence can make up for your clumsiness. Let her follow Mother every day and assist as a start. Even if she can't learn it, it can help lighten the burden. no?"

With the approval of Eldest Sister, You Zhu proudly glanced at her few sisters who complained about her: "Just you wait. I will definitely be able to make the best food in the world for you to eat!"

Everyone present was amused by You Zhu's declaration. The sisters cheerfully messed around. At this moment, no one thought that a 'terrorist' who could only set fire in the kitchen would come to learn how to cook.

You Jin was very optimistic about this matter. Even if You Zhu can't grasp the skill, it was good to remember a royal chef's recipes. Now it can only be like this. In the future, it will be necessary to write down all the recipes Mrs. Su remembered. It can be regarded as a family heirloom.

***

You Zhu was an impatient as well as serious. When she said that she wanted to learn cooking, she got down to learning from Mrs. Su.

But the reality was always different from the imagination. When the third fried into unrecognizable black charcoal fish was pulled from the pot, the originally supportive You Jin had a headache: "This..."
Although You Jin's cooking wasn't as good as Mrs. Su's, it was edible, right? How did You Zhu accomplish this? Under her and Mrs. Su's unwavering eyes, she actually turned a fish into a black charcoal???

Mrs. Su also wanted to cry but had no tears. Her father, who was disdained by her grandfather for no talent, did a lot better than You Zhu! This was the third fish wasted!

You Zhu expressionlessly dumped the 'fish' into the yard outside the kitchen. The four big puppies thought they had something to eat and excitedly circled around You Zhu. But when they saw it, it was another piece of black charcoal, they immediately all scattered.

"Pfft, hahahahaha!" You Jin couldn't help it anymore. How bad was You Zhu's culinary skills? Even the four puppies who were the least picky eaters dislike it.

The spectating younger sisters in the yard also laughed their head off. You Bao, who laughed until tears appeared, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes as she persuaded: "Third Elder Sister, why don't we change a career?"

The more it was like this, the more You Zhu was unwilling to admit defeat. She stomped her feet angrily: "I don't believe I can't do it well!"
Fervently, she turned back to the kitchen and continued to poison the next fish.

You Jin, who was panting heavily against the door frame, rubbed her stomach, which was aching from laughing. How many years had it been since she laughed this freely? After a long breather, she entered the kitchen again, stood beside You Zhu who was gnashing her teeth as she slaughtered the fish. You Jin softly spoke, "You Zhu, you have only fried three fish into ruin and you're already angry. If you learn to cook with Mother, you will be have more hardships in the future. If you can’t bear this small setbacks in front of you, then you should give up now.”

The knife in You Zhu's hand that was scraping the scales of the fish paused. Afterward, her teeth clenched. She chopped off the tail of the fish: "I won't. Eldest Sister, I can do it!"

You Jin hoped that every younger sister can learn something. Since You Zhu had set her mind, she won't stop her. She jollily complimented her: "At least you are killing fish better now than before. It's a big improvement!"

Mrs. Su sighed and whispered to You Jin, who came out of the kitchen: "Fortunately, the fishes and vegetables at home don't need to be bought with money. Otherwise, who knows how much money is gone to waste every day!"

"It's fine. Since You Zhu have the heart to, we can support it. It's not any delicacy from the mountains and the sea. Just a few fishes and bamboo shoots that are everywhere in the mountains and water." You Jin merrily spoke for You Zhu.

The daphne genkwa that You Jin had dug from the bamboo forest had been dried and ground into powder. She had also tested the knock-out medicine on the fish in a small area. The effect wasn't bad. So every time she went up the mountain, she dug up a lot of daphne genkwa back. Mrs. Su had even joked that all the daphne genkwa on this mountain had been wiped out by her.

***

She armed herself with a large bamboo basket on her back, a fishing net bought by a merchant from the south in hand, and a net bag for fishing. Taking advantage of the calm night, the three sisters, You Jin, You Yin, You Zhu, took the now imposing grown puppies quietly went to a small water pool on the upper reaches of Wuliqiao River with a lantern.

The small water pool was located in the middle of the two bamboo forests. The water of Wuliqiao River flowed from other places to here and circle around before flowing to Wuliqiao. To call it a pool, it wasn't big enough; less than half an mu in size. The nearby villagers call this small water pool a settling puddle.

The dark night shrouded the earth. You Yin and You Zhu were followed by a puppy each. Holding a lantern, their little heart cautiously jumped. They were a little scared: "Eldest Sister, do we have to go out to fish at night?"

You Jin, who was leading, casually acknowledged with an 'en': "It's too eye-catching for us to carry so many fish back in the daytime."
The night was perfect. For emergency, You Jin had a hatchet around her waist. If something really happens, it can come in handy.

April's flowing river was still a little cool in the night. You Jin handed one end of the fishing net to You Yin and You Zhu to hold. Afterward, she took off her outer clothes, took the other end of the fishing net, and crossed the river that was nearly deep enough to drown her. Once at the opposite bank, she tied the extended hemp rope tightly to the big stone by the river.

The night was so dark that the small lanterns couldn't illuminate the surrounding environment. You Jin searched for some dead branches and lit the bonfire. The dried and dried bamboos were particularly easy to burn. The blaze made the three sisters' face all red. The surrounding environment of the settling puddle became clear to sight.

After blocking the outflow of the settling puddle with a fishing net, You Jin held a lantern and went around to the inflow of the settling puddle. She poured in all the daphne genkwa powder that she had collected during this period of time. The three sisters quietly waited for the drug to come into effects.

"Eldest Sister, this settling puddle is so big, can these knockout medicinal herb really work?" You Zhu watched the motionless gurgling water surface. She was a little worried that the medicinal herb won't work.

It was You Jin's first time to use medicine on fish on such a large area. Because she was afraid that the effect of the medicine wouldn't be enough, she added twice as much daphne genkwa powder. Looking at the water with solemn eyes, she spoke, "Wait a minute. The effect of the medicine isn't so fast."

Sure enough, the three sisters waited for a quarter of an hour with big eyes and small eyes popping out. The originally calm water surface had fish with their white belly turned up! The three sisters' eyes lit up at once. You Yin and You Zhu fished the fish into the back basket one by one with the net bag tied to the wooden stick. You Jin went directly into the water to the outflow of the settling puddle where the fishing net was and picked out the fishes that weighed more than a jin.

The settling puddle had never dried up all year round. Normally the villagers don't come here to fish. So there were many big fish at the bottom of the pool. Carp and grass carp around five or six jins can be found everywhere. You Jin didn't expect that there were such bountiful harvest. Within several minutes, the three sisters' baskets were all full. But there were still many big fish floating in the water. No one would want to let go of so many fish in vain! They even used the rattan on the shore to thread through their gills and carried several big fish in their hands.

With no other option, You Jin sighed: "Put the small ones back. We only need the big ones today. Let's come back next time!"

In the end, the three sisters carried a heavy load back to the house. They didn't forget to put a wet linen on the basket to prevent the fish from dehydrating and dying.

Mrs. Su had coaxed the younger children to sleep and was anxiously waiting for the daughters to come back. She had heard before that daphne genkwa powder can knock out fish. It never cross her mind Eldest Daughter would go to use medicine on fish at night? And she was too weak and couldn't help with anything. She busied away at home in angst. Finally, movement were heard from outside: "Mother, we are back!"

Hearing the daughters' cheering call at the door, Mrs. Su was relieved. She quickly walked over to open the door: "You guys are really too bold!" 

Despite saying this, she hurriedly helped her daughters put down the basket and urged them to take a hot bath: "You're all soaked. People would assumed you fell into the river!"

You Zhu stuck out her tongue with a guilty conscience. She put down the basket and went to take a bath with her two elder sisters. Only after Mrs. Su sent the three daughters away did she notice that the smallest fish they brought back were three or four jins. The big ones were at least seven or eight jins!

It seem the effect of the medicine had passed. At the sight of the big fishes crowded in the big wooden basin prepared by Mrs. Su, Mrs. Su couldn't help muttering to herself, "These fishes are too big!"

You Jin, who came out of the bath, saw the surprised look on Mrs. Su's face and grinned: "Mother, there are still many more of these big fishes in the settling puddle. I was thinking if I can go to the village someday and find someone with a small boat. Then we borrow it and bag a good chunk of the big fishes in the settling puddle!"

Today, You Jin sisters caught two dozen or so fishes back. Which was less than one-fifth of the amount in the settling puddle. Naturally the idea of using a boat for the next batch came to You Jin. Think of all those fishes' white belly overturned under the moonlight. That was all money!

Chapter end