Old Zhao didn't have dinner last night and was brooding over it the whole night. At five o'clock in the morning, when Song Tan's family had just gotten up, he was already waiting at the door!
He originally wanted to complain about Song Tan for giving him a beating yesterday, but when he opened his mouth, for some reason, what came out was -
"What do you want to eat in the morning?"
What to eat
We have to go fishing early in the morning, which is hard work, so we need to eat something to fill our stomachs. My seventh cousin specially cooked a pot of rice last night and kept it for the morning. Now, he knocked on the big spoon:
"Garlic sprouts and egg fried rice, would you like some?"
The green garlic sprouts are simply cut into sections, stir-fried with golden eggs and leftover rice, and the fat cubes from the braised meat are also cut into cubes and stir-fried until crispy, and then paired with a bowl of snow-white noodle soup with a slightly sour aftertaste…
"Oh my! Eating this so early in the morning is not healthy!"
Old Zhao happily served himself a big bowl of rice. His way of eating was even less healthy. He mixed a bowl of rice with a big spoonful of flour and stirred it into a thick consistency. He would quickly scrape the hot surface into a ball and then eat it in one bite.
The salty, fragrant and crispy diced pork, the spicy taste of freshly cut garlic sprouts, the fragrant aroma of golden eggs, and the joy brought by the incomparable starch of fried rice...
tasty!
!
While he was clinking his bowl and shoveling rice, he was also educating his nephew: "Eat slowly. It's hard to digest such a heavy meal so early in the morning. Hey, it's also good to eat some porridge and some side dishes on a regular basis to maintain your health..."
My seventh cousin just can't stand people like this, and he can't stop talking about it even if he eats!
But...
At this moment, the old and wise seventh cousin asked Song Tan:
"Tan Tan, please sell less fish today and leave more for us."
Song Tan was stunned: "Why don't we keep a few dozen of the big fish?"
Old Zhao choked instantly!
I was choking! I almost rolled my eyes!
He covered his chest, and his eldest nephew pounded on his back with his fist. After he finally caught his breath, he heard his seventh cousin write casually:
"Well, leave some more. There's still half a year until the Chinese New Year. We won't be out of fish at home."
"By the way, I think Boss Zhao is doing well in business. Then don't sell the ones that are not of good quality, otherwise it will be difficult for him to resell them... For things like white fish strips and small river shrimps, just keep them for our own consumption."
Old Zhao held his heart, his dream and his rice bowl were almost broken at this moment!
He quickly jumped out: "Song Tan, I'm not picky about the species! River shrimp, loach, small white fish, I can buy anything!"
However, Song Tan shook his head and said, "That won't work. The wholesale market sells small river shrimp for 30 yuan per catty. Yesterday, we sold them because there were few of them. If you sell them for 38 yuan per catty today, I will lose a lot. I'd better not sell them."
The local river shrimps are not big, and the largest ones are no bigger than a little finger. They are blue-gray in color, with translucent shells, and are very fresh and full of vitality, just like the "Shrimp" in Qi Baishi's painting.
When Song Tan was a child, the children would find a few of them in the fields near the pond and would just pinch their heads and put them into their mouths!
Fresh, tender, sweet, not fishy at all!
But that is no longer possible now. Firstly, crayfish are becoming increasingly prevalent and the water quality is gradually deteriorating, leaving little room for these small river shrimps to survive.
Secondly, we are concerned about parasites nowadays! If it comes from raw water, then of course we should not eat it if we can.
After all, this kind of thing is just a precaution.
Furthermore, this kind of shrimp is too delicate. Once caught, it is impossible to keep it in water. You usually have to rely on luck to find it in the vegetable market.
Old Zhao was anxious: "The price is not set! If you think it's not suitable, we can discuss it. Why don't you sell it?"
Not to mention, he also wants the river shrimps!
When I got home, I fried some leeks and river shrimps. It was so delicious! It went really well with rice! He could have two more bowls!
Song Tan actually considered it.
But let’s not talk about how many small river shrimps can be caught. At this price, it’s not worth it if it’s less than 60 yuan! But how many can you get at 60 yuan per pound? It can’t even be raised in water again…
Forget it, I won’t sell it. Just like my seventh cousin said, I’ll keep some for my family!
After all, this thing is not durable. A whole bowl of it can be eaten in one meal at home, so it’s better not to sell it.
After thinking about it, Song Tan made a decision: "Let's wait and see, maybe we won't sell the white fish strips!"
The small fish, about ten centimeters in length, are fried, dried and then stewed. They are so soft and crispy that you don't have to worry about them being pricked by bones. She can eat a whole plate of them in one meal, and they are very filling.
Before he even finished his breakfast, two items of goods were missing. Holding a big bowl of fragrant fried rice, Lao Zhao felt greedy and anxious. He only regretted that he had not burned incense this month!
Otherwise how could it be like this!
However, my eldest nephew was concentrating on eating and soon finished his third bowl. He was so satisfied!
The satisfied honest man also helped to persuade Lao Zhao:
"Boss Song is very good to us. Otherwise, you see, after an hour or two of traveling, most of the shrimps would be dead when we get back..."
"Besides, it's very troublesome to clean up the white fish strips. We will probably have to pay extra money to the market helpers later. It's not worth it!"
"It's just a real big fish. It's so nice to catch and kill it right at the store!"
Lao Zhao: …
With half a mouthful of food in his mouth, he looked at his nephew who had stabbed him in the back. At this moment, he only hated: How could such a good boy have such a big mouth
…
Early in the morning, Zhou Maozhu and several people who helped yesterday were waiting by the pond.
Seeing Song Sancheng and the lack of the dense crowds of city customers, several people couldn't wait to ask: "Sancheng, did you really sell fish for 40 yuan per catty yesterday? Is fish so hard to buy now?"
It’s really crazy to grab it!
They had been thinking about it all night, but they couldn't figure out why the fish -
Meanwhile, Song Sancheng, who was not going to hide anything, recalled what Song Tan had said, and now he was also nonchalant about it:
"Really? You were here yesterday, right? The price was just like that."
He actually cast his net too many times yesterday, and his waist was still a little stiff this morning. He couldn't help but rub it while taking the opportunity to think about how to answer...
The more he thought about it, the more serious he became, and the more normal it seemed that he weighed 40 kilograms.
really!
His answer was so casual and natural, but Zhou Maozhu and others looked incredulous:
"Is renting a fish pond so profitable now? It's fine if you sell the fish on the spot, but why are you rushing to buy them? At first I thought you were hiring someone to buy them."
"Not at all!"
Song Sancheng waved his hand: "You haven't seen how much our family has invested in this fish pond. Let alone other things, do you know who that ordinary-looking old man who followed me up the mountain yesterday was?"
"I'll tell you what I mean. I've never seen such an amazing person in my life—Professor Song from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a very famous person!"
"You guys search it up, there are some articles about him on Tik Tok, and he also has a Baidu Encyclopedia! These are all people that Tan Tan invited for his pond, vegetable garden, and tea plantation at home!"