After carrying the two fermented fish back up the mountain, Shu Wanxiu postponed all other tasks and immediately began processing the fish.

Last time, Xun Yi had lent her his firewood chopping knife for cutting wood. Before returning it, she had used it to chop down a bamboo stalk and carved several thin bamboo slices. Originally intended for slicing loofah and wax gourd since these gourds were too large to cook whole the bamboo slices now proved excellent for scaling fish, though somewhat awkward for gutting. The two fish ended up ruining three of her bamboo slices.

Under Shu Shouyi’s watchful eyes, she meticulously removed the gills, scales, internal organs, and the black membrane from the fish bellies, then evenly coated both fish with salt.

“We’ll smoke the fish meat to save for winter. Tonight, let’s just eat these fish organs, alright?”

The raw fish odor was particularly strong, especially after the recent scaling and gutting, leaving the air thick with the smell. Shu Shouyi’s appetite remained entirely unaffected he agreed without hesitation.

Why wasn’t her little glutton tempted? Puzzled, Shu Wanxiu looked up and noticed him half-covering his nose. Oh so he disliked the fishy smell.

Seeing through his thoughts, she chuckled inwardly while continuing to process the fish organs. She cleaned the fish intestines by removing their contents and turning them inside out for thorough washing. The fish liver and swim bladder were simpler, requiring only the removal of bloodstains and any accidentally adhered black membrane.

The organs from two large fish filled a small bowl. Unfortunately, with no oil at home, Shu Wanxiu had no choice but to boil them. Worried the fishiness would make them unpalatable, she boiled the organs twice discarding the water after the first boil, then adding salt for seasoning and perilla leaves for fragrance during the second boil.

Back home, they never cooked fish without Hundred Spice Cloud, always adding either slices or crushed bits to eliminate the odor. Though it was too late to plant any this year, next year she must find a way to acquire Hundred Spice Cloud seeds for their vegetable patch.

And the perilla too! While she could still find some in the mountains now, it would soon be unavailable. She should take advantage of free time to gather more leaves and dry them, lest they have no deodorizing spices when cooking smoked fish in winter…

After the evening meal, Shu Wanxiu worked by feel to spread the hard-gathered reed catkins from a bag onto a large bamboo tray in the main hall. They could air-dry in the shade, or if the weather improved in coming days, be sun-dried briefly.

Night passed in the blink of an eye.

As planned, Shu Wanxiu roused Shu Shouyi early for their trip to Five Li Village. She deliberately took the lead in changing out of the clothes worn throughout their famine escape those were too torn and patched, making them look nearly beggarly and wholly unsuitable for visiting relatives. Though the two donated village garments were ill-fitting and heavily patched, at least they didn’t reveal skin.

Since acquiring a wooden bucket for fetching water up the mountain, she had entrusted Shu Shouyi with his own washing. Today, however, she personally attended to him, scrubbing him meticulously from head to toe.

Reaching Five Li Village didn’t require passing through the main village entrance. Shu Wanxiu knew a small path the very one Village Head Pang had used when bringing them back from the county.

The path wound along the foot of the mountain. As the hour approached for her meeting with Aunt Chen, Shu Wanxiu descended the slope carrying a smoked rabbit leg she had prepared earlier.

Before leaving, she cast a regretful glance at the vegetable patch in front of her cottage.

What a pity none of the vegetables were ready for harvesting yet. Otherwise, she could have brought some to her Paternal Uncle’s family.

Chen Sanhe and Chen Lian hadn’t returned to their maternal home since the autumn harvest. Not long after Shu Wanxiu arrived at the designated spot, they appeared carrying baskets.

A quick glance revealed chestnuts from the mountains, roasted peanuts, and fresh first-harvest crown daisy greens inside their baskets. Though nothing particularly luxurious, even an outsider could sense their heartfelt longing for their family through these ordinary items.

Five Li Village earned its name by being precisely five li away from several neighboring villages. The four women chatted as they walked, reaching the village in a little over two quarters of an hour.

Having heard from Tingyi that her family was scattered across four different households, Shu Wanxiu followed Aunt Chen to her maternal home upon entering the village. After confirming the addresses, Aunt Chen accompanied her to Paternal Uncle’s temporary residence.

Luck was on their side. Though Shu Yanrong had just left to check the bamboo ground cages he set yesterday in the shallows and gather reed catkins, they crossed paths with him on his way out of the village.

“Paternal Uncle!”

“Granduncle!”

Shu Wanxiu and Shu Shouyi called out to him simultaneously.

He visibly startled, recognized them, and finally responded, “Ah!”

…

Shu Yanrong lived with his wife Xu Zhen and daughter Shu Tingyi in one household, while the rest of the family was dispersed elsewhere. The entire clan only gathered together during morning and evening meals.

With his niece and grandnephew visiting, Shu Yanrong naturally abandoned his plan to check the fish traps. He turned back to escort them along with Chen Sanhe to his temporary dwelling for hospitality.

Though Shu Yanrong appeared somewhat stern, he proved genuinely approachable.

During the brief walk, he thanked Chen Sanhe repeatedly in his capacity as Shu Wanxiu and Shu Shouyi’s elder.

In truth, even if Chen Sanhe weren’t the Village Head Pang’s wife, he would willingly greet ordinary villagers when encountering them.

Yet most people in Five Li Village avoided them like plague, rarely responding to their greetings.

Upon reaching the temporary residence of Shu Yanrong’s family, Chen Sanhe stayed only long enough to drink a cup of tea before warmly engaging the host family in conversation.

Most villagers in Five Li Village shared the surname Chen, tracing their lineage to a common ancestor.

Being prudent, though she trusted Shu Wanxiu’s character, Chen Sanhe felt compelled to first gauge the villagers’ true opinions about Shu Yanrong’s family and the Liu refugee family before vouching for previously unknown households.

Some said: “The Shu family? Never interacted with them.”

Others remarked: “No idea, no idea. We’re wary of these refugees I avoid both families.”

Yet others commented: “The Shu family seems decent, hasn’t caused trouble. But that Liu family? Don’t even mention them…”

…

Shu Wanxiu watched Chen Sanhe depart, her heart aching to keep her and plead further on her uncle’s behalf. Yet she stood frozen, unable to formulate the right words.

Chen Sanhe left without expressing any stance, leaving Shu Wanxiu uncertain of her impression of Paternal Uncle’s family.

Her mind preoccupied with worries, even during this rare family gathering, Shu Wanxiu appeared somewhat listless while conversing with her paternal aunt and Tingyi.

Shu Shouyi, however, was genuinely happy. These elders had cared for him before, and he retained vague memories of their kindness. Though separated for some time, their reunion felt neither strange nor distant, but rather deeply familiar.

When her aunt inquired about the rabbit meat they brought, Shu Wanxiu gave a general explanation, leaving Shu Shouyi to fill in the details.

Their conversation drifted intermittently until noon arrived. The aunt scooped rice from the container, preparing to cook a meal for them.

Only then did Shu Wanxiu snap out of her daze.

Everyone was surviving on relief grain no household had surplus rice in their storage.

Seizing the moment when Tingyi went to ask the host for permission to use the stove, while her uncle gathered firewood and her aunt went inside to retrieve the fish stored from yesterday, Shu Wanxiu silently picked up Shu Shouyi and left.

There was no need to wait for Aunt Chen, as she had mentioned early that morning that she and her daughter-in-law would stay at her maternal home for the evening meal before returning.

“This child… first giving us wild duck eggs, then bringing rabbit meat, yet she wouldn’t even stay for a meal…” Xu Zhen murmured to herself while holding a fish, gazing at the empty room.

Her voice was so soft it was impossible to discern whether she was touched by the girl’s thoughtfulness or reproaching her for leaving without a proper farewell.

…

Leading Shu Shouyi home along the mountain path, Shu Wanxiu noticed the already gloomy weather turning increasingly overcast.

She stared at the sky with concern.

If a heavy downpour came, how would Aunt Chen and the others return home at dusk?

A moment later, she remembered they had gone to her maternal home. Even if the rain made returning impossible, they could always stay overnight there.

With this realization, she felt relieved to have brought Shu Shouyi home early. After all, her uncle’s family was already living under someone else’s roof how could they possibly accommodate two more guests?

Rainy days called for rainy day activities.

Such as smoking the fish she had salted yesterday.

Perfecting smoked fish and meat required considerable expertise.

First, one must control the fire precisely.

Too strong a flame would char the food instantly; too weak, and the smoking process would drag on, allowing warmth to breed spoilage and foul odors inside.

Second, the right materials were crucial.

Different woods imparted distinct flavors using fragrant woods like pine, cypress, or maple would infuse the fish with their unique aromas.

Shu Wanxiu hadn’t spotted any cypress trees nearby. Though there were several maple trees, they all stood too tall for her to reach their branches.

Pine remained her only feasible option.

She sorted the dried pine branches she’d collected recently into a separate pile, then hurried to the mountainside to gather fresh pine twigs before the rain began.

Dry branches ignited easily, while damp ones produced abundant smoke.

Using only dry branches wouldn’t generate enough smoke for proper fragrance, whereas exclusively wet branches would create overly thick smoke their excess pine resin tainting the fish and ruining its texture.

Only by blending dry and moist pine wood could one achieve the ideal smoking conditions.

Though Shu Wanxiu had seldom cooked before and never formally studied culinary arts, she seemed to know these things instinctively likely because her mother was an exceptional cook. Through constant exposure, she had absorbed the knowledge effortlessly, “learning without conscious study.”

Author’s Note:

———————-

“Learning without conscious study” originates from Han Yu’s “Epitaph for Duke Fang of Qinghe County” from the Tang Dynasty.