RPS – Chapter 73 Pickled Fish

No matter how well you try to keep warm, the cold winter always feels unbearably long. There’s the freezing rain and snow, and the biting winds that make the season even harder to endure. Li Feng didn’t like winter—it was simply too cold. He didn’t even want to go outside, preferring instead to lounge lazily all day in a warm room. But staying in a room heated by constant fire for too long would eventually dry you out. That’s why Li Feng always hoped winter would pass quickly. Still, before it was over, he managed to do something—something he had been thinking about for a long time.

He made a stone mill. Up until now, the coarse grain flour they had been eating was all pounded using a stone mortar. It was not only slow, but the flour couldn’t be ground very fine either. It always felt a bit scratchy on the throat, and he had to grind it for a long time before he felt safe feeding it to the baby. So, Li Feng figured that since everyone was free right now, he might as well build a stone mill. With that, it would be much easier to make flour, porridge, or even soy milk. It would save him from spending so much time every day just grinding flour.

When Li Feng shared his idea with the others, they immediately voiced their support. Even though they couldn’t quite picture what a stone mill would look like, anything that could make grinding flour easier was welcome. They had spent plenty of time using the stone mortar, after all—it really was slow, repetitive work, pounding and grinding over and over again. If there really was a stone mill that could grind a lot of flour all at once, that would be perfect. It would make eating noodles so much more convenient. They wouldn’t have to wait for Li Feng to pester them into grinding flour anymore. After all, they were always the ones saying they wanted to eat it—if they wanted to eat, they had to work for it!

There were plenty of natural stones around here, so the first thing they did was pick suitable ones. Not just any rock could be used for a mill—it had to be bluestone or granite, something hard and durable. Most ordinary mountain stones were already weathered. As soon as you chiseled them, they’d crumble into powder or shed tiny fragments. Li Feng led the group around the area until they found a few decent-sized stones. Some of the rounder ones they just rolled back home. Even though the shapes weren’t perfectly symmetrical and the stones often veered off course, they managed to get them home. Finding the stones was the first step and counted as a success. Now came the hardest part—actually making the mill.

Back when Li Feng was a child, almost every household had a stone mill. He didn’t have a home, but even the orphanage had one. They would grind flour themselves using the mill, so Li Feng was very familiar with how they worked. The only problem was, he had never made one himself. By the time he was old enough to remember things, stone mills were already common everywhere, and he had never seen anyone actually make one. So now, he could only copy from memory. He would start by shaping the general structure first. Anyway, there was no rush—they had a whole long winter ahead of them, plenty of time to experiment.

Li and Bu were each in charge of carving one of the two short, thick cylindrical grinding stones that formed the upper and lower parts of the mill. Li Feng had already drawn diagrams for them. Cylinders were pretty simple—anyone who had studied geometry could draw one. When he sketched it out, everyone was genuinely impressed. He explained everything in detail while they watched in admiration. This part was relatively straightforward—just two flat grinding stones of the same size. They could measure with sticks to make sure the size matched. What remained was chiseling and polishing.

Since they didn’t have iron tools, everything had to be done with stone, which made the grinding process exhausting. Fortunately, Li and Bu were both strong men. They hadn’t been moving around much this winter, so it was a good opportunity to exercise—otherwise their muscles would turn to fat. As for Li Feng and Nuo, they took care of the baby and handled daily chores—cooking, cleaning, and keeping everything running. Sometimes they’d take the baby outside for a walk, or teach him to talk, watching as he wriggled and ‘danced’ on their laps. Mo and Lu spent most of their time running around the courtyard or playing with the other kids in the tribe. At first, Mo used to act like a little grown-up—cold and serious, much like Li. But over time, as he grew more comfortable with them, he had become much livelier. Though in front of the rest of the tribe, he still put on that serious front.

“Uncle Li Feng, can we go catch fish?” Mo suddenly came running over, tilting his little face up and grinning.

“What made you think of catching fish all of a sudden? It’s freezing! How are you going to catch any? Do you want to eat fish?” Li Feng asked, swaying gently as he held the baby, watching the two children with red cheeks from running.

Mo looked down, blushing, toeing a pebble with his foot. “Baby hasn’t had fish in a long time. Baby likes fish. Fish is good!”

Li Feng chuckled. They had caught fish before, and at that time, he’d made a rich fish soup for the baby. He remembered telling them that fish was good for kids—it helped with brain development and made them smarter. He hadn’t expected Mo to remember, but apparently he had. They hadn’t eaten any fish since winter began, and now that Mo mentioned it, Li Feng found himself craving it too. Grilled fish, fish soup, braised, steamed—all sorts of fish dishes started playing in his mind, making his mouth water.

“Alright, let’s get ready and see if we can catch some. But you have to be very careful!” Li Feng warned them seriously. Even though he was going along, if the kids ever wandered out of his sight and something happened, he’d regret it forever. He had to keep a close eye on them.

As soon as Mo heard that Li Feng had agreed, he jumped up happily and ran into the house to gather baskets and other supplies. They were going to catch fish! Once the baby ate some, he’d definitely become smarter—and cuter too. Right now, the baby was already so adorable, soft and fair and chubby—Mo really wanted to take a bite out of him!

Li Feng laughed as he watched Lu chase after Mo into the house. Then he slowly carried the baby back into the room. Li and the others were still chiseling the millstones—they were nearly done, just needed to finish polishing and carve the grooves, which required delicate work and couldn’t be rushed. They had been working on it for a long time already. The weather was nice today, so going out together could count as a winter outing. Everyone could use a break. With that in mind, Li Feng decided to drag the others along too.

Soon enough, Mo and Lu each came out carrying a large basket on their backs. The baskets were almost as tall as they were, making the sight of the two little ones even more amusing. Everyone burst into laughter and hurried to take the baskets from them. How could they let two kids carry such heavy things? There were plenty of adults around for that.

Li Feng also brought the simple fishing net he had made earlier—woven from plant fibers. It wasn’t large, about two or three square meters, but it would do. He also brought a fishing rod. Since they didn’t have metal hooks, they had tied slightly curved plant thorns to the ends. It made fishing harder, but not impossible—he had caught some decent-sized fish with them before. The key was to reel them in quickly, or the fish would swallow the bait and escape before you could hook them properly.

A family of seven moved like a large troop heading straight for the riverbank. They marched grandly through the tribe, creating such a spectacle that they attracted a string of little followers behind them. Many idle children from the tribe tailed them, wanting to join in the fish-catching—though mostly, they just wanted to play. Although Li Feng wasn’t too keen on having so many kids tag along, worried about safety and whether he could look after everyone, his concerns turned out to be unnecessary. Behind the kids came another string of people—their idle parents, who joined the fun as well.

What was originally planned as a quiet family winter outing turned into a tribe-wide winter expedition in the cold wind along the riverbank. Everyone was bundled up in animal hide coats with fur-lined collars, wool boots on their feet, and wolfskin kneepads on their legs. All wrapped up like round little bears, they marched to the riverbank en masse.

Li Feng and the others chose a tributary of the main river. The waters here were calmer and had more fish. By now, the surface was covered with a thick layer of ice. Li Feng found a large stone and had Li smash it against the ice to test its thickness. Despite Li’s strength, the ice only cracked a little and didn’t break through—clearly, it was thick. Li Feng began wondering if it was strong enough for skating. When he was young, during winter, the river would freeze thickly, and children would often take a shortcut after school, sliding across the ice—it was fun, if a little dangerous. But back then, no one thought too much about the risks.

The winters here were even colder than those of his childhood, with snow as thick as a mountain seal. Even now, the mountain snow hadn’t melted, leaving everything blanketed in white.

Though Li Feng was tempted to skate, the presence of so many children and adults made it too risky. Even thick ice could collapse under so many people, and the water here was still deep—not entirely frozen solid. He decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Maybe next time, they could try a shallow bay that was fully frozen.

Holding the baby tightly wrapped in warm clothes, Li Feng stood at the riverbank and directed Li to carve a hole in the ice—but to be very careful and avoid falling in. The hole didn’t need to be large—just 30–40 centimeters in diameter. It was meant to lure fish, which had been holding their breath under the ice, to the surface to breathe. Then they could place a net over the hole to catch them.

Li, Bu, and other tribespeople went to nearby spots on the river and broke open several holes. Each hole was watched over by someone. Although they didn’t have proper fishing nets, everyone brought baskets, buckets, or woven traps. Even those who brought nothing could improvise fishing rods using a sturdy branch, some animal tendon or plant fiber, and a hook fashioned from a thorn or similar item.

However, aside from Li Feng and a few adults who were actually trying to fish, most people were just there for fun.

Li Feng didn’t interfere with what others wanted to do. He simply reminded them to be careful. After all, each adult was responsible for their own children and knew how to be cautious.

Li Feng plopped down at the riverbank with a fishing rod in hand. He baited the hook with dried meat and cast it into the hole that Li had made. Li sat beside him, one arm cradling the baby, the other wrapping around Li Feng to shield him from the wind and keep him warm.

Li Feng turned his head and smiled at the affectionate Li. Li was truly gentle now.

Li leaned down and gave Li Feng a soft kiss on the lips before pulling back and smiling at him. Li Feng touched his lips and just smiled, saying nothing. He turned back to his fishing, leaning even closer into Li’s arms. Despite the open and chilly riverside, Li Feng didn’t feel cold at all.

Mo and Lu circled near the frozen surface, watching the fishing net worriedly, afraid the fish wouldn’t come. The longer they stared, the fewer fish appeared. In the end, it was Li Feng who told them to wait quietly nearby, and only then did they settle down. With them pacing and crowding the area, it was no wonder no fish approached.

Actually, with so many people around, it was quite possible the fish had been scared away. Still, they had a decent haul today. By noon, between netting and fishing, they’d caught six or seven fish, each weighing three or four jin (1.5–2 kg).

Others also managed to catch a few fish here and there. Since no one had ever fished this river before, there was an abundant supply. The Li Feng family returned home with their catch, while Mo and Lu skipped and jumped with joy the whole way back.

Watching the two kids bounce around made Li Feng smile too. The baby, understanding nothing, giggled along with everyone else. Along the way, laughter from the family echoed joyfully.

Looking at the fish Bu carried in a basket, Li Feng decided to make suan cai yu (pickled cabbage fish) and grilled fish. The leftovers could be turned into salted or dried fish for future meals. They would definitely catch more in the future.

In winter, eating grilled fish and suan cai yu with a bit of fish soup was such a treat. Li Feng had pickled plenty of cabbage and now was the perfect time to use it. The key to good suan cai yu was slicing the fish evenly. Once home, everyone eagerly awaited Li Feng’s culinary performance. He had whetted their appetites all the way back with his vivid descriptions, leaving them practically drooling.

Li Nuo helped clean the fish, removing the innards, while Li Feng focused on slicing the meat. It wasn’t easy—knives here weren’t very sharp, and raw fish meat was both firm and slippery. Li Feng had to go slowly. Once sliced, he chopped the fish heads and bones into chunks. The suan cai had already been washed and sliced earlier.

Li Feng coated the fish slices in egg white and salt. Ideally, he’d use MSG and cooking wine to mask the fishy smell, but since those weren’t available, he did the best he could.

Time to cook. Without vegetable oil, he had to use animal fat. He hoped the flavor would turn out well and not taste weird, since it was still a meat dish.

Once the oil was hot, he sautéed ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and other aromatics to bring out the fragrance, then added the pickled cabbage to stir-fry for flavor. This homemade suan cai was all-natural, without chemical additives like potassium nitrate. Its mild sourness smelled quite appetizing.

Smoke filled the kitchen as the pickled cabbage sizzled. Li Feng coughed violently. Nuo had wanted to stay and learn, but was soon smoked out. Luckily, the kitchen had a chimney and windows, so the smoke dispersed fairly quickly. Li came over and wiped the tears from Li Feng’s eyes, asking, “Need help with anything?”

“Since you’re here, help keep the fire going,” Li Feng said. There was no gas or electricity here, and it was a bit much to handle both cooking and stoking the fire alone—especially after Nuo had fled.

Li nodded and sat on a smooth stone by the fire to tend it. Li Feng resumed cooking. The water was already boiling, so he added the fish heads and bones. “Li, you can make the fire stronger.” A bigger fire would extract more flavor from the bones.

He skimmed off the foam. Without cooking wine, he relied on the spices for de-fishing. Thankfully, the freshwater fish here weren’t too fishy. Li Feng tasted the broth, added some salt and ground pepper—homemade by crushing peppercorns in a mortar. Much easier for cooking.

The soup had been boiling for a while, rich in flavor. He tossed in the snowy white fish slices.

There was no chili, and Li Feng couldn’t find any substitutes—not even wild mountain peppers. He relied on old ginger to add some heat, pouring it into the soup as the fish cooked. Hopefully, it would create a bit of a spicy kick.

As the fish was served, Bu’s grilled fish was also ready. Unlike modern grilled fish often served in broth, this was a perfect match—the suan cai yu was already a soup-based dish.

The suan cai yu was a success. The tangy, spicy broth held tender, snow-white fish slices, with mushrooms added to enhance the flavor. Without cooking wine, Li Feng used mushrooms to offset any fishiness. The umami of the mushrooms blended perfectly with the fish. The meat was so tender it practically melted in the mouth. The mushrooms and cilantro were also delicious.

Incredibly, the group polished off all three large fish, along with all the pickled cabbage and mushrooms in the pot. Each person drank a bowl of soup, dipping their multigrain pancakes in it till the pot was clean.

Only one grilled fish remained uneaten—saved for dinner.

The family sat around the table, sweating from the meal, sighing in satisfaction. The morning of braving the cold wind had paid off. They decided that Li Feng should cook the rest of the fish tonight rather than drying them into jerky. Fresh, warm, and delicious—once they started eating, they couldn’t stop. That delicious sour flavor was irresistible!