1983Fishing and Farming between Mountains and Seas

Chapter 8 A little thought

There weren't so many rich seasonings in that era, and steamed sea bass didn't require complicated seasonings.

The sea bass is crystal white, sprinkled with tender yellow shredded ginger and emerald green onion, and that’s all.

When it was served, it smelled so delicious that it made people fan their noses and all the gluttony in their stomachs came out.

If we pour another layer of hot oil on it after serving, it will probably be even more fragrant, Liang Ziqiang thought to himself.

Of course, it's just a thought. Cooking oil is so expensive nowadays that we don't want to put more in cooking.

This kind of sea bass is usually sold after being caught at home. I brought this one home and was scolded by my mother just now.

Three-year-old Liang Xiaohai was not even as tall as the table, but he understood the principle of self-reliance. He moved a wooden stool, climbed up, and immediately prepared to catch the sea bass.

But he happened to meet Liang Defu who was coming back from outside for lunch and saw him at a glance.

Liang Defu just glared at his grandson. The little guy still had a fresh memory of the beating he had just received, and his chopsticks trembled, and he consciously slipped off the stool.

A large plate of fried shrimps and two leafy vegetables were also served on the table one after another.

Although the family was poor, there were still some rules. When picking up the dishes, everyone waited for Liang Defu to take the first bite of sea bass before they stretched out their chopsticks. This included Liang Xiaohai, who had been standing by the table leg and looking forward to it.

Liang Ziqiang took two bites.

The meat of sea bass is tender and has few bones, except for one larger main bone. Most importantly, it has no fishy smell, only a fresh fragrance that spreads along the tongue.

That's silky!

During his decades of wandering, Liang Ziqiang rarely ate sea bass.

This feeling only appears in my own thoughts.

Lunch was finished quickly.

While no one was leaving the table, Kuang Haixia looked at her father-in-law and suddenly asked in a speculative tone:
"Dad, has our family started preparing for Aqiang's wedding gift recently?"

Liang Ziqiang glanced at his sister-in-law.

Again.

Based on his understanding of his sister-in-law, this was definitely not a proactive concern for his marriage. To put it bluntly, she was still thinking about the hundred yuan and was trying to find out what the money was for.

Liang Defu was also an old hand. He raised his eyelids and answered his eldest daughter-in-law:

"According to reason, the betrothal gift should have been paid long ago, but haven't you been able to collect enough money? What's the matter? Do you have some spare money left?
That's great, hurry up and take it out, whatever you can get together will do the job for Qiangzi!"

This army's defeat made Kuang Haixia so confused that she forgot what she was going to say next.

His sharp father, although he doesn't talk much, is very sharp when he talks back at people! Liang Ziqiang almost gave him a thumbs up.

"Dad, you are kidding. Mom is in charge of the money. Where would Tiancheng and I get the money? I'm just concerned. Even if I want to help, I don't have the ability..." Kuang Haixia said depressedly.

Two attempts to divide the money ended in failure.

Especially this time, he usually took the initiative to rush to the dock to sell fish, and the little private money he secretly withheld was almost implicated.

Frustrated, Kuang Haixia gave Liang Xiaohai, who was sitting at the table, a slap on the face:
"You're the only one who eats slowly! Just eat, why are you biting the chopsticks?"

Liang Xiaohai was filled with question marks: ???

I didn’t even do a somersault just now, why am I being targeted again suddenly!

Liang Ziqiang was sitting nearby and felt the bitterness of life for his three-year-old nephew!

Liang's father saw everything. How could he not see what his eldest daughter-in-law was thinking?
He stopped her and said:

"Why are you hitting a kid for no reason? Lizhi, get out of the way, Xiao Haidai. I haven't even finished what I was saying.

Logically, we should prepare the betrothal money for the second son as soon as possible. Besides, a large part of this money was won by Ah Qiang last night, so it can be regarded as the betrothal money he earned for himself."

Hearing this, Kuang Haixia curled her lips, but her father-in-law changed the subject:
"But Aqiang's idea is to save enough money to buy a new boat for his family first, so that he can go out to sea a little further in the future, and other things can be dealt with later. Now that everyone is here, what do you think about buying a boat? Tell us."

The third son, Liang Zifeng, has never been interested in such matters. Liang Defu was actually asking his eldest son and daughter-in-law for their opinions.

Kuang Haixia almost thought she had heard it wrong. She was just afraid that the second son would take advantage of the situation and take too much money from the family as a betrothal gift.

Unexpectedly, Liang Ziqiang was willing to give up the money to buy a boat for his family?
Liang Tiancheng was as surprised as she was, and immediately said puzzledly:
"A while ago, didn't you yell about marrying Ah Qiang? Ouch!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, his wife pinched him from behind, cutting off his words. "Dad, Mom, just follow Aqiang's wishes. What can we think?"

Kuang Haixia immediately became "reasonable".

After buying the boat, the income from fishing was spent by the whole family, and her family of three accounted for the bulk of the expenses. Even if they split up the family one day, the boat would be a common property, and she would have to convert it into cash and give them a large sum.

As for Aqiang's wedding, just postpone it. The later the marriage is, the more expenses the family can save.

No matter how you look at it, this is a good thing for her!
Liang Ziqiang noticed all of his sister-in-law's little actions.

He really couldn't have as much affection and kinship towards this self-righteous sister-in-law as he did towards his elder brother and younger brother.

Father Liang looked at his three sons:
"That's good. I was in the village this morning and asked someone about buying a new boat. It's a little more expensive than I expected, about three hundred and fifty.

All in all, I still need about 150 yuan. I will also go to my relatives and borrow some more, so I can buy it sooner; if not, I can buy it later. "

Liang Ziqiang thought about it, and added the twenty or so he had caught from the sea with a stilt fishing net in the morning, he was actually still short of one hundred and thirty.

But this is still a huge number!

It seems that making money is definitely the top priority these days.

After lunch, the whole family habitually poured a bowl of herbal tea and drank it.

It is called herbal tea, but in fact it is just kapok flowers, mulberry leaves, selfheal and other ingredients picked locally near the village by Liang's mother and put into an aluminum kettle to boil water.

Liang Ziqiang also poured a bowl and took two sips when he saw a small figure swooping forward.

"Lizhi, walk carefully! Where are you in such a hurry to go?" Liang Ziqiang dodged and fortunately did not accidentally drop the tea bowl in his hand.

"We were going to the sea to pick up snails at noon. You forgot about that!"

Liang Lizhi looked disappointed and betrayed.

Only then did Liang Ziqiang notice that she was holding the bucket in her hands.

I seem to have really forgotten it... We had made a promise this morning that I would go to the beach with her to dig for clams and snails when the tide went out.

but……

He looked up at the sun hovering above his head, and suddenly realized that he had agreed too hastily...

Moreover, when the sun is very strong, shrimps and crabs like to hide in shady corners. This is really not the most ideal time to go to the beach!
"Lizhi, the sun is very strong right now. It would be ugly if you get tanned. How about we go at another time?"

Liang Ziqiang said patiently and persuasively.

"No way! Lychees are not afraid of the sun and they won't get tanned!" Liang Lizhi was stubborn and full of confidence.

Liang Ziqiang held his forehead with his hands, he had no other choice.

The silly girl's face was emitting a proud glow, a glow that was enough to compete with the sun outside, making it impossible for him to look directly at it.

When he was at a loss, fortunately, Liang's father beside him put down his tea bowl and spoke:

"Wait until the sun gets lower and go with your mother and sister-in-law! Your brother is a grown man, shouldn't he do some work? After taking a break, he will come with me to turn over the sugarcane field."

This time Liang Lizhi pouted and didn't refute. She could disobey her brother, but she couldn't disobey her father!
Liang Ziqiang felt relieved and wanted to say thank you to his father!

But on second thought, that's not right...

It is better to dig clams at the beach than to hoe the sugarcane field in the hot sun at noon.

……

Until the sun sank into the sea, Liang Ziqiang finally ended his busy first day after returning to this era.

Because I was tired, I didn’t go out to set the traps at night.

I fell asleep as soon as I fell on the bed and woke up the next day when I smelled the sweet potato porridge.

Today's breakfast is simpler than yesterday's, it's sweet potato porridge, but there is a bowl of dish on the table, which is a long and thin dried dragon head fish.

Father Liang chewed the dried fish and said:
"This is perfect with rice. Qiuying, please prepare some for me. Also, rice, firewood, and drinking water, have you prepared everything?
I may have to go a little further recently, so I will definitely eat lunch on the boat every day, so I will prepare everything I need!"

Go further? Eat on the boat?
Liang Ziqiang, who was drinking porridge, suddenly felt his throat stiffen and a bad premonition came over him.

(End of this chapter)