Reborn in 1985, starting from the mountains of Northwest China

Xiaoyue's eyes widened, and her little hand moved in her father's palm, as if trying to catch the invisible fish.

Immediately afterwards, the float suddenly sank!

It's now!

Chen Feng grasped Xiaoyue's wrist and, using her strength, lifted it upwards—a small but swift and decisive movement.

The bamboo pole immediately bent into a beautiful arc.

"what!"

Xiaoyue gasped softly as she felt a pull from underwater that she had never experienced before.

Her small body involuntarily leaned forward.

"Stay calm, Xiaoyue, let's bring it up together."

Chen Feng's voice was steady and powerful. He adjusted the angle, allowing his daughter to experience the excitement of wrestling with the fish while maintaining firm control of the situation to prevent her from making a mistake or being startled.

Xiao Shan, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, wrung his hands anxiously, "Dad, sister, quick! Pull her up!"

With a splash, a small crucian carp with silvery scales was pulled out of the water and struggled, wagging its tail in the twilight.

"Look, Xiaoyue caught one!"

Chen Feng smiled and helped his daughter remove the fish. The cool, slippery touch made Xiaoyue giggle. She was both curious and a little scared, so she withdrew her fingers.

"My little sister is amazing!"

Xiaoshan exclaimed sincerely, even happier than if he had caught it himself.

He pushed his wooden bucket over, inside which lay the big crucian carp he had caught earlier.

"Look, we have two now! The soup is sure to be delicious tonight!"

"Come on, let's go home! We'll make soup with the big one and pan-fry the small one, so your mother can have a taste too!"

Chen Feng packed his things, picked up the wooden bucket with one hand, and picked up Xiaoyue with the other, letting her sit in his arms. Xiaoshan carried the bamboo pole that had earned him merit and walked happily beside him.

As dusk settled, wisps of smoke rose from the village chimneys.

When Chen Feng returned, Lin Xiu had already boiled water and was sitting in the courtyard sewing shoe soles while waiting for the three of them.

"mother!"

Upon seeing Lin Xiu, the two children quickly abandoned Chen Feng and ran over to her, chattering excitedly.

"Mom, I caught two fish today!"

"Mother! Mother! One of them was caught by Yue'er..."

Xiaoyue chimed in from the side.

Xiaoyue is almost three years old. She nestled in Lin Xiu's arms, her fluffy head rubbing against her mother's chin.

Chen Feng glanced at it, and his heart softened completely.

He turned and went into the kitchen, where he put the smaller crucian carp into a basin and placed the larger one on the cutting board.

He stood there for a moment, not in a hurry to use the knife, but just looked into the courtyard through the half-open door.

Xiao Shan took a small stool and sat down next to Lin Xiu, gesturing about how big the fish was and how amazing his sister was, his words popping out like fried beans.

Lin Xiu listened with a smile on her face, her hands never stopping their work.

Chen Feng withdrew his gaze and rolled up his sleeves.

Tap the fish's head with the back of the knife.

This skill was honed slowly on the construction site.

Back then, there was a ditch next to the construction site. It was a flowing stream, coming down from the mountain, and it was very clear.

Occasionally you can catch a few crucian carp, about the size of your palm, thin, but at least they're meat.

He and several coworkers pooled their money to buy a second-hand iron pot, which they placed on a coal stove in the corner of the work shed.

The first time I cooked fish, I didn't even have ginger or scallions, so I could only sprinkle some salt.

The soup was white and tasted bland, and the fish had a muddy taste, but the workers weren't picky and just wanted something edible.

He silently finished the soup, but his mind was filled with thoughts of Lin Xiu's excellent cooking.

Later, someone threw away a broken earthenware jar near the workers' shed. He picked it up and learned how to pickle sauerkraut from his neighbors back home.

Chinese cabbage, salt, a weight, and change the water every day.

His coworkers all joked that he was going to open a restaurant.

Chen Feng ignored these jokes.

When the first jar of pickled cabbage was opened, he squatted alone behind the work shed and scooped out a large piece to taste.

That sour taste is really strong!

Chen Feng took advantage of the free time to catch fish in the ditch, and then cut the pickled cabbage into sections. He tried it out by himself many times before it tasted right.

Later, he cooked it for his coworkers, who praised his cooking skills.

He didn't say a word at the time, feeling incredibly guilty.

Chen Feng himself didn't know if his family would even have enough meat to eat.

Later, he called home, and Xiaoshan answered, chattering about how his mother had cooked radish soup that day.

He wanted to say, "Wait for me to come back, and I'll make you sauerkraut fish."

The words that were on the tip of his tongue turned out as: Okay, radish soup is fine too.

He had never cooked sauerkraut fish for his family, and he felt ashamed because his family had suffered a lot with him in his previous life.

Today, standing in front of his own stove, Chen Feng finally feels that this missing piece is slowly being filled.

He scraped off the fish scales and left the internal organs to Taxue.

Chen Feng rinsed the fish clean, tilted the knife, and sliced ​​off the first piece of fish meat along the fish bones.

If it's too thin, it will fall apart easily; if it's too thick, it won't absorb the flavor.

He slices slowly, each cut steady.

The pickled cabbage, taken out of the earthenware jar, is a bright yellow color, and its aroma always gives a sense of peace and comfort.

Cut into sections, squeeze dry, and fry in hot oil.

He tossed in a handful of scallions, ginger, and garlic, and with a "sizzle," the tangy aroma rose, making him turn his head away.

Xiaoyue's laughter could be faintly heard coming from the courtyard.

Fry the fish bones in a pan until they turn slightly yellow, then pour in hot water. The broth immediately starts to swell with milky white waves.

Chen Feng stood by the stove, the firelight illuminating his coarse cloth clothes, making them flicker.

He suddenly remembered the past—not the muddled days of his previous life, but much earlier, so much earlier that he had almost forgotten them.

He was seventeen that year, and Lin Xiu was fifteen; the two families were not yet engaged.

He was catching fish by the stream, while she was washing clothes on the bank.

A crucian carp swung its tail and jumped to her feet. She was startled, then laughed and said, "You're so clever, even the fish are more sensible than you."

He scooped the fish out, skewered it with a willow branch, and handed it to her.

She didn't answer, she just glanced at him.

He remembered that one glance for most of his life.

The soup in the pot was bubbling away, with white foam rising to the surface, which he skimmed off with a spoon.

The fish slices slide in one by one, so thin they are translucent, and when heated, they curl into the shape of flower petals.

Finally, sprinkle some green garlic and pour hot oil over it—the whole house smells wonderful.

Chen Feng carried the basin outside.

In the courtyard, Lin Xiu had already put the needle and thread into the basket, and set up the small table with four rough pottery bowls neatly arranged.

Xiaoshan rubbed his hands impatiently, while Xiaoyue, still nestled in her mother's arms, peeked out from behind Linxiu's shoulder upon hearing footsteps.

"Here, have a taste."

Chen Feng placed the basin in the center of the table, where steam rose from it.

Xiaoshan was the first to take a bite, even though it was so hot he was panting for breath but refused to spit it out.

Xiaoyue scooped up some soup with a small spoon, took a sip, her eyes sparkling, and then took another sip.

Lin Xiu picked up a piece of fish and ate it slowly.

Chen Feng looked at her.

She didn't speak or look up.

After finishing that piece, I picked up another one.

Chen Feng lowered his head and took a sip of soup.

It's just the right amount of sour.

"Father, give me another bowl!"

Xiao Shan eats quickly, and soon he finished his bowl and handed the empty bowl to Chen Feng.

"Father, give me another bowl!"

Chen Feng took the bowl and added a full spoonful of rice to his bowl, piling the fish slices into a small mountain.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Xiaoshan buried his head in his rice, muttering indistinctly, "I'm not afraid of being robbed, I can run fast."