Volume One, Chapter 13: The Seafood Feast

Looking over the available ingredients, there was a large pile of oysters, several green crabs, some assorted snails that Zhou Wu had also caught, and two fish given by Niu Er.

Green crabs are best when stir-fried with various spices, but since they didn’t have many seasonings on hand, they had to be steamed plainly. The oysters, of course, were roasted with garlic. It was strange—Zhou Wu had found plenty of garlic and ginger in the wild, and even asked Li Baiwei about it when he returned. It turned out that no one in this world ate garlic or ginger.

He placed the crabs into a clay pot, added just a little water, and set it on the stove, leaving it unattended. Then he brought out some firewood from the kitchen and, after gathering some stones, quickly built a makeshift grill in the courtyard.

“Baiwei, I’ll open the oysters; you help me chop some garlic.”

Opening oysters required strength, so Zhou Wu let Li Baiwei handle the easier task.

“Alright.”

Before long, Niu Er arrived with his mother and sister, carrying some cornbread—perhaps worried they wouldn’t have enough to eat.

“Auntie, sister, please sit down. The food will be ready soon.”

Zhou Wu invited his guests to sit, keeping busy himself as he placed the oysters on the grill. Except for Zhou Wu, no one had ever seen oysters opened before. The plump, pale meat inside amazed everyone.

“So the meat inside looks this plump.”

Niu Er had a big appetite and wasn’t picky, but in nearly twenty years, he had never tried oysters. Now he felt like he’d missed out on a fortune.

As for the two fish, Zhou Wu grilled one and used the other for soup. Though seasonings were scarce, the grilled fish quickly gave off a rich aroma that made everyone’s mouth water.

“The fish soup is ready. Have some first.”

Each person received a bowl of milky white fish soup, drawing fresh admiration.

“Brother Wu, why is your fish soup so milky white?”

“Yeah, it looks so appetizing.”

“And it smells wonderful too.”

The women chatted excitedly, though in this era, fish soup was usually made by simply boiling the fish in water with salt, resulting in a flavor hard to describe.

“Brother Wu, how exactly do you make your fish soup? It’s so fragrant and looks great.”

Niu Er asked the question everyone was curious about.

“Actually, it’s simple. To get the soup both white and flavorful, you have to fry the fish in oil first.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes, that’s it. Just that simple.”

Everyone silently committed this secret to memory, eager to try it next time they made fish soup.

***

“The crabs and oysters are ready. Everyone, give them a try.”

Having been captivated by the fish soup moments ago, the mention of sea spiders and stone worms seemed to dampen the group’s enthusiasm.

“I’ll try.”

Li Baiwei kindly encouraged the group, not wanting Zhou Wu to lose face.

“Hehe, thanks, Baiwei. Here, have an oyster first.”

“Is it really good?”

“Really good.”

Fearing disbelief, Zhou Wu picked up an oyster and ate it in one bite.

“Delicious.”

Seeing Zhou Wu’s genuine expression, Li Baiwei followed suit, mimicking him and swallowing hers in one gulp.

“Well, if I die, it’s just one bite.”

To her surprise, the oyster wasn’t unpleasant at all. Instead, a new and delightful flavor blossomed on her tongue.

“This taste, this taste...”

“Fresh, right?”

“Yeah, exactly, it’s so fresh.”

Li Baiwei’s reaction stunned Niu Er and the others. Could this really be tasty?

Niu Er grabbed an oyster as well, copying Zhou Wu and Li Baiwei, and quickly finished it. Indeed, it was an undeniable “delicious” moment.

Next came Niu Er’s mother and sister. With their first bites, the oysters won them over completely.

“Ha ha, how is it? See, I told you it’s delicious.”

“Truly, I’ve wasted all these years. These stone worms are surprisingly tasty.”

Looking at the piles of oyster shells scattered around, Niu Er was still craving more.

“Come on, let’s try the crab now. I’ll show you how to eat it.”

Since the basket was full of oysters, Zhou Wu hadn’t caught many crabs, but everyone still had one to eat.

He eagerly lifted the green crab’s shell.

“Wow, it’s full of roe, hehe.”

Having just eaten oysters, no one doubted Zhou Wu’s words anymore. They all followed his lead, dismantling their crabs with eager hands.

***

“Heavens, so delicious, so satisfying.”

Li Baiwei leaned back in her chair, letting out a contented sigh.

Oysters, crab, grilled fish, and fish soup. Later, when Niu Er was still hungry, Zhou Wu grilled some venison he had set aside earlier. Tonight, the two families had surely eaten their fullest and most sumptuous meal in a long time.

“Brother Wu, it’s getting late. We should head back.”

Seeing the time, Niu Er stood to say goodbye.

“Brother Wu, catch more crabs next time. Crab’s the best.”

Niu Xiaoniu thought the crab was the best, but only got to eat one and still felt unsatisfied.

“Hehe, alright. If you like crab, I’ll catch plenty for you this afternoon.”

Zhou Wu knew that after tonight, oysters and crabs would soon find their way onto the villagers’ tables, easing the food shortage. With oysters lying all over the seaside, at least no one in the village would starve.

That night, Zhou Wu lay in bed, unable to sleep, probably from being too full.

“This poor life—full stomach but no sleep.”

Thinking of food, Zhou Wu suddenly remembered he hadn’t set traps in the mountains these days. The meat in the house was running low, and after several days of consumption, the rice and flour were nearly gone too.

“Should I set traps in the mountains tomorrow, or go to the county to shop?”

“If I set traps, that bastard Niu Bi might cheat me again. Better to go buy some daily necessities in town. Maybe even get a horse-drawn cart. Whether going up the mountain, down to the sea, or to town, it would be much more convenient. After all, Old Zhang is getting on in years, and I don’t want to trouble him too much.”

The more Zhou Wu thought about buying a cart, the more urgent it felt. He decided to go to the county the next day to buy one. He had earned a good amount from selling ginseng, so buying a simple cart for hauling goods was reasonable. No need for any fancy steeds like the jade-faced lion or Red Hare—besides, even if such horses existed, ordinary folks couldn’t afford them.

Early the next morning, Zhou Wu told Li Baiwei they were going to the county. She immediately pouted, wanting to come along. Zhou Wu thought about it—after all, she was nominally his wife, and she stayed home every day. He wasn’t some old-fashioned feudal man, so he agreed, though he instantly regretted it.

The only way to get to the county was Old Zhang’s mule cart. But since Old Zhang was ill, if it were just Zhou Wu, walking would delay things but wasn’t a problem. With Li Baiwei coming along, they might not even reach the county before nightfall.