Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 463 Don't blindly believe in authority
In the kitchen, Chen Fan stood in front of the stove. Seeing the large pot heating up and smoking, he added some oil, ginger slices, and scallions. When the aroma was irresistible, he poured a basket of small mixed fish into the pot and then kept stirring it with a sizzling sound.

Liu Dan and Huang Li stood by the stove, dumbfounded. The four girls next to them were even more stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Yangmei tilted her head and asked her sister in a low voice, "The fish meat is all overcooked, is it still edible?"

Yang Ju looked somewhat conflicted. "I've never seen him make fish jelly before. It's probably a special method."

They absolutely wouldn't believe that Teacher Chen couldn't make fish jelly.

But it was truly unexpected that the fish would be cooked like this.

Did they boil the meat and bones until they were mushy, then mix them with the broth and freeze them into fish jelly?
Those little fish bones are such a hassle!

Chen Fan glanced at them and said in a serious tone, "This dish is called 'Stir-fried Mixed Fish,' and the name comes from the word 'rotten,' so the fish must be stir-fried until it's very tender; otherwise, it won't taste good."

Although Liu Dan and Huang Li, who were learning cooking from him, did not understand, they nodded repeatedly to show that they had kept it in mind.

Seeing their expressions, Teacher Chen shook her head repeatedly, "You lot, I'm going to teach you a lesson today."

Seeing that the six girls had perked up, Chen Fan handed the spatula to Huang Li, "Keep stirring."

He then gestured for Liu Dan and the others to stand in a line, and paced in front of them with his hands behind his back, saying, "Do you know what kind of behavior this is?"

All six people, including the oriole who was cooking, shook their heads.

Chen Fan snorted twice, "That's called blindly following authority. And stir-fried mixed fish, the fish is all overcooked, the pot is full of bones, how can anyone eat that? Are you trying to choke on your own?"

The six people were dumbfounded. Wasn't this the rotten stir-fried fish you were talking about?

Chen Fan glared at them. "You guys are still not convinced. What I say goes? Do you believe me if I say the earth is flat, the sun is cold, and what's falling outside isn't snow but rain?"

Yang Ju blinked rapidly, turning her head to look at the pot, "Then what's this pot of fish for?"

Chen Fan walked up to Liu Dan and said, "You speak."

Liu Dan frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly her eyes lit up and she raised her hand and said, "I know, make it for Ba Liang to eat."

Eight Liang is the cat that Chen Fan prepared for Jiang Tiantian. He plans to send it to her in a couple of days so that it can keep Half Jin company.

Chen Fan rolled his eyes. "Do I really need to make cat food myself?"

Huang Ying's eyes lit up, and she immediately raised her hand. "I know, it's to make fish jelly."

Chen Fan took two steps back, grinned at her, and said, "You're really smart."

Then his face hardened, and he glared at her, saying, "I already said from the beginning that I was going to make fish jelly. Did you need to tell me?"

The oriole pouted and decisively lowered its head.

The others also fell silent, expressing their fear.

At this moment, Huang Li, who was stir-frying the fish, looked thoughtfully at the residue in the pot, "Could it be for making fish soup?"

Chen Fan suddenly turned around to look at her, paused for two seconds, and then asked with a smile, "Continue."

The oriole shrank its neck and said timidly, "I just find it smells better and better. If I add boiling water now, the fish soup will be very delicious."

Chen Fan nodded. "Then let's boil the water."

Huang Li quickly said "Oh," and scooped a few ladles of water from the large pot next to her into the fish pot. In no time, the soup turned milky white.

Chen Fan watched as the fish soup began to boil before saying with his hands behind his back, "I know that Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and Xiao Lu, you guys don't do well in your studies. That's why the captain and the others sent you here, hoping you could learn some skills so you can have a livelihood in the future."

If you just want to be an ordinary winemaker, chef, or tailor, then as long as you work hard, you can earn enough to support your family.

However, in any of these professions, if one wants to go deeper and become more specialized, becoming a master brewer, chef, or tailor, one needs continuous learning, research, and the accumulation of knowledge.

The three girls who were called out couldn't help but exchange a glance and silently lower their heads.

They thought to themselves, "We just want to learn a skill and that's it. We never thought about going deep or becoming an expert."

But no one dared to say it.

Chen Fan had no idea what the three little girls were thinking. He pointed to the boiling white soup in the pot and said to Huang Li, "Do you know why fish soup turns into fish jelly?"

The oriole tilted its head and thought for a moment, then whispered, "Because it's cold?"

Chen Fan chuckled twice. "The cold weather is one thing, but why doesn't the vegetable and tofu soup freeze?"

The oriole looked blankly at her; she hadn't thought of that.

She looked to her sister for help, pleading for her life!

Huang Ying was also trying to think of something. She really wanted to say it was because of the fish, but she was worried that Teacher Chen would ask why.

How could she possibly know so many "whys"?!
Not expecting an answer, Chen Fan continued, "The reason fish soup turns into fish jelly is because the collagen in the fish skin melts into the soup. When the temperature drops to a certain level, it solidifies..."

Chen Fan went on and on explaining, but the six people next to him were completely confused.

I have absolutely no idea what collagen is.

Finally, Chen Fan pointed to the fish soup and said, "So, once you know the principle, you can innovate on the fish jelly dish, instead of just making a bowl of fish with soup as before, eating the fish, leaving the remaining soup overnight, and then eating the fish jelly the next day."

This kind of fish jelly isn't bad, but it's at best a home-style dish, and it's leftovers at that. As a professional chef, it's not good to serve leftovers, even if you didn't touch the dish at first, it won't stop others from thinking that way.

However, this problem won't occur if you use a completely new method to make this fish jelly.

He then pointed to Huang Ying and the others, saying, “Just like blindly believing in authority, if you don’t know how to be flexible, you will only fall into fixed thinking and not be able to find a new way out. Whether you are studying humanities or science and engineering, this is a very fatal flaw.”

Huang Ying and the others nodded quickly, not daring to breathe.

However, no one had any objections; they all realized that Teacher Chen was teaching them a lesson.

Believe it or not, they'll probably never forget this teaching method for the rest of their lives.

Oh, and I also learned how to make fish jelly using this method.

Then Chen Fan added seasonings to the soup and asked Huang Li to bring a large earthenware pot, the kind that's as big as a washbasin. He then placed a clean bamboo sieve on top of it and lined the sieve with two layers of gauze.

Only then did he pick up the large ladle, scoop up the soup and fish together, and slowly pour it onto the gauze.

The fish meat and bones of the mixed fish were isolated on the gauze, and the milky white broth quickly seeped down and fell into the earthenware pot.

After scooping out the whole pot of fish soup, Chen Fan clapped his hands and said, "Little Oriole, gather up the miscellaneous fish and give them to Ba Liang as cat food."

Liu Dan, standing nearby: And you said it wasn't for eight liang to eat!

The pot of fish soup was naturally covered and placed in the cupboard, ready to be eaten the next day.

At this moment, Huang Ying's eyes flickered slightly, and she greeted Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen, I'm going back for a bit."

After saying that, he ran outside.

Chen Fan walked to the door, looked at her retreating figure, and called out, "Where are you going?"

Huang Ying ran down the slope without looking back, saying, "I'll make this kind of fish jelly when I get home."

Chen Fan watched her figure disappear down the slope. Yang Ju and Liu Dan beside him were also itching to join in. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh to Huang Li, "Your sister is doomed."

Huang Li was carrying a bowl of mixed fish to feed the cat when she heard this and was taken aback. "Huh?"

Chen Fan curled his lip, "Making fish jelly this way will ruin two pounds of small miscellaneous fish. It's only good for feeding cats; you'd be afraid a dog would choke on it. We might not want these two pounds of small miscellaneous fish, but do you think your parents would?" Hearing this, Huang Li's hair stood on end. She shoved the bowl of fish into Liu Lu's hands and ran out, yelling, "Sister, sister, you can't fry it..."

Chen Fan shook his head, hoping she could catch up.

Then, looking at Yang Ju, who seemed still shaken, he asked, "We're fishing today, when are we digging for lotus roots?"

Yang Ju came to her senses, thought for a moment, and said, "It's definitely too late today, it'll probably be tomorrow."

She paused for a moment, then looked up and smiled, “If you want to eat fresh lotus roots, it’s very simple. I’ll go back and tell my dad, and he’ll arrange for a few people to dig some up tomorrow. We’re going to dig them up anyway, so it doesn’t matter if it’s a couple of days earlier or later.”

In addition to raising fish, lotus roots are also planted around the ponds in Lujiawan. However, in order not to affect the growth of the fish, the lotus roots are not planted in large quantities and are limited to the edge of the ponds.

Every year after the ponds are drained for fishing, the lotus root harvesting begins immediately afterwards.

Chen Fan also wanted to see lotus root digging, but he had to attend a banquet tomorrow and then take Anquan to the prefectural committee to catch a boat... so he decided to wait until later.

……

The next day at noon, the brigade headquarters courtyard was filled with distinguished guests. In addition to the students who were admitted to university, their parents and team leaders also came to accompany them. In addition, there were the district committee members in charge of education and educated youth from other places who were invited to attend the graduation banquet.

Originally, more than 30 educated youth from other places had a chance of being admitted, but this batch was basically from universities that were among the first to issue admission notices. They were either key universities or well-known undergraduate institutions, so only 13 people were invited to come. The others who had not yet received their admission notices were too embarrassed to attend.

Even if I was admitted in a later batch, I still felt inferior and ashamed.

No matter how much they tried to persuade him, there was nothing they could do, so they could only bring the people who had received their acceptance letters to the banquet.

Secretary Yang also took good care of them. Knowing that they were not familiar with the other people in Lujiawan, he specially cleared out the study room, set up two tables for them, and arranged for Anquan, who was considered half an acquaintance, to accompany them. His manners were impeccable.

However, while the hall outside was bustling and lively, the atmosphere at the dining table for the educated youth inside the room was not so enthusiastic.

A young man who looked to be in his thirties, a former educated youth, raised his glass and clinked it with Anquan's. Before he could say anything, he downed the glass in one gulp.

Anquan looked him up and down. "What's going on with you? You got into university and you're still not happy?"

Then she picked up a piece of food for him and said, "Eat some food to calm your nerves."

The man's features contorted in a grimace as he forced down the wine, exhaling a long breath. He didn't even glance at the food in his bowl, his face filled with sorrow, unsure of what to say.

Anquan frowned slightly, turned to look at the others with their various expressions, and seemed to have guessed something. He also picked up his wine and drank it all in one gulp, put down his chopsticks, sighed, and silently took out a cigarette and sent it around.

Within seconds, the place was filled with smoke, while the dishes that were just steaming hot had lost much of their heat.

After a few seconds of silence, An Quan raised his head and forced a smile, saying, "No matter what, it's a good thing to get into university."

He picked up his glass again, saying, "Come on, let's clink glasses."

Only then did everyone muster their energy, pick up their glasses and clink them together, and each took a sip of wine.

After putting down his wine glass, the educated youth raised his head and said with a wry smile, "I've been here for many years, spent three years in the countryside, and finally got the chance to be transferred to a position as a staff member in the commune. So I gave up the idea of ​​going back to the city."

Then came marriage, having children, and now I'm 29, almost 30 next year. I'm getting old! I never imagined I'd get into university and be able to go back to the city!

He raised his hand, took a drag of his cigarette, turned to look at everyone, his face a mixture of laughter and tears. "I will not let this opportunity slip by, but what will happen to my wife and children if I leave?"

Upon hearing this, everyone else wore wry smiles.

There weren't many educated youth from other places in Nanhu Commune. Over the years, some came and some left, leaving only about 30 people. Most of them had settled down here. This time, regardless of gender, everyone signed up to participate in the exam.

Whether they were holding their breath, wanting to give themselves an explanation, or fighting to the death, determined not to give up the chance to return to the city, in short, they all entered the examination hall.

But when the results came out, the scores were unexpectedly good, leaving these people confused.

Once you're married, have a wife or husband, and children, it's impossible for someone who isn't heartless to have any attachments in their heart.

So you're staying for the sake of your family?

impossible!
If there were no opportunities, that would be one thing, but now that there are opportunities, especially for college students with bright futures, no one would let one of them go.

Take those who supported factories in the Third Front, for example. Didn't they also leave their families behind and go to remote mountains and forests? Many of them were indeed motivated by a sense of collective honor and social responsibility, wanting to contribute to the country's development.

However, there will definitely be no shortage of people who sign up just to gain experience and prestige.

For the sake of career and future prospects, family can only take a backseat!

Why not just leave?
My conscience won't allow it!

So when they entered the courtyard one by one, they were all laughing and chatting, but once there were no outsiders around, they could no longer laugh.

One of the educated youths said to An Quan, "I used to envy you two. You were both educated youths, and Shanghai and Hangzhou are not far apart, so you can be considered half fellow townsmen. You can be said to be a perfect match in terms of social status and interests."

Now I'm even more envious; the couple took the college entrance exam together, got into top universities together, and can finally be together forever.

He shook his head, picked up the bottle to pour himself a drink, and said with a wry smile, "I can't do it. My wife only has a primary school education, and we have two children at home. It's impossible for me to take her to take the college entrance exam."

A person next to him hesitated for a moment, looked at him, and said, "Does your wife support you going to college?"

Before he could answer, the other person said, "Your father-in-law is the deputy captain of the Red Star Brigade. If he doesn't agree, I'm afraid your registration at the school won't go so smoothly."

The man shook his head slightly, looked around at everyone, and said softly, "My wife is quite supportive. She said that with her at home, I don't need to worry about anything. My father-in-law was initially unwilling, but after my wife talked to him, he agreed."

He suddenly chuckled as he spoke, "These past few days he's been bragging everywhere that his family has produced a college graduate."

Anquan looked at him and smiled, "That's great, what are you still worried about?"

The man shook his head with a wry smile, but said nothing more.

He was thinking about his parents in Shanghai. If he went to university, would his parents still accept him as their daughter-in-law?
At another table, Ding Qian rested her chin on her hand, her face full of helplessness. "Ya Nan, your family is so much better off. Both of you are educated youth sent to the countryside, and you're both from Shanghai. Among all the families here, only An Ge's family is in a similar situation to yours."

Lu Yanan picked up a piece of food for her and comforted her, "Don't worry too much. You said yourself that it's just that your in-laws don't agree, but your husband still supports you."

He then laughed and said, "Your school is the best here, it's Tongji University! It would be such a pity if you didn't go!"

The others nodded in agreement, but they didn't know where to begin in offering their consolation.

Their situations were similar; they got into good universities, but then faced the hurdle of family responsibilities.

Why is the road of life so difficult?
Unaware of the gloomy atmosphere in the room behind the wall, Chen Fan looked at Zhang Wenliang speechlessly. "It's just fish jelly. When your team goes fishing, you can just make a bowl yourself. Why bother stealing it?"

Zhang Wenliang didn't mind and happily put the last piece of fish jelly into his mouth. "Fresh, really fresh, delicious!"

This was the first time he had ever eaten fish jelly without any fish, and it was even milky white in color. At first glance, he didn't feel any appetite at all, but thinking that Chef Chen had brought it specially, he figured the taste couldn't be too bad, so he reluctantly tried a piece.

This taste is incredible.

After he finished the second piece, there was only one piece left in the bowl, so he quickly used his chopsticks to poke it away.

As for the rest, they naturally ended up in the mouths of Secretary Yang and his group, but he didn't dare to say much. He could only give Chen Fan a look, as if to say, "Why are you only talking about me and not about them?"

Chen Fan squinted, "I wouldn't dare either!"

The brigade leaders were all at this table, along with the district committee members. With outsiders present, it was natural to keep a low profile.

During the meal, people kept coming over to toast him, and even though he had a high alcohol tolerance, he couldn't withstand being forced to drink so much.

After a few rounds of drinks, he took a break and ran to the study room next door. As soon as he opened the door, a thick cloud of smoke billowed out.

Startled, he took two steps back. Good heavens, was there a fire?

(End of this chapter)