Time Travel: A Fisherwoman Goes to the Sea to Raise a Baby

Chapter 211 Goiter

I can't eat well, and I can't sleep well.

The only freedom he had was that no one could stop him from drinking.

The two people were talking in whispers, and Qingshan also noticed other people's gazes on him.

I turned my head and took a look.

I almost didn't recognize that Lao Lu was the former Lao Liu.

The beggar's former appearance has long disappeared without a trace.

Now his face is rosy and there seems to be a smile hidden in his wrinkles.

Her silver hair was carefully combed and tied neatly into a bun at the back of her head.

With the cloth clothes which were not luxurious but clean and tidy, he had the air of an immortal.

I don't know what he heard, but he suddenly stood up and walked towards the backyard.

His steps were steady and powerful, without any trace of his former staggering, weak and careless appearance.

Qingshan couldn't help but look sideways, marveling at this complete transformation.

"What are you calling me for?"

Lao Lu was walking to the backyard reluctantly when he suddenly smelled a fragrance.

Looking closely, I saw several skewers of meat on a plate on the table.

Lao Lu walked quickly forward, picked up a skewer of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

Then he opened his mouth wide, gently bit off a piece, and his teeth cut into the tender snake meat.

With a "crunch", the skin is crispy and fragrant, the inside is tender and juicy, and the unique flavor of the seasoning spreads on the tip of the tongue.

Lao Lu nodded slightly while chewing and mumbling incoherently.

"Don't tell me it was already done? Why are there only these few left?"

His cheeks puffed up and he ate with relish.

At this time, there were still marks on Sanchuan's face left by eating the skewers, and Er'er reminded him of this.

I wiped it off feeling guilty.

I never thought sea snake meat was that delicious before, but the one my elder sister made today was really delicious.

Once you start eating, you can’t stop.

Fortunately, my elder sister reminded me, otherwise I would have finished eating long ago.

"Isn't this chicken stewed in a casserole?"

Er'er washed his nose and explained.

Lao Lu took a look at the sea snake skewers on the plate and chuckled.

Lao Lu slowly stood up from the stone table in the yard.

With his hands behind his back, he walked towards the small clay stove with anxious steps.

The sunlight shone on him in patches through the branches and leaves, as if coating him with a layer of warm light.

Coming to the clay stove, the old man bent down slightly.

His calloused hands reached out, as if not afraid of the heat, grabbed the handle of the casserole lid and lifted it up.

In an instant, hot air mixed with fresh fragrance hits your face.

The old man's eyes lit up instantly, but his joy didn't last long.

The next moment the smoke cleared and he stuck his head out to take a closer look.

The casserole was full, the chicken soup was golden and rich, the chicken pieces were piled high, and they were stewed until they were boneless and soft.

But there was a hint of doubt in his eyes, and he frowned and muttered in a hoarse voice.

"What's going on? Where's my sea snake? Didn't they say it was in the casserole?"

As he spoke, he picked up the chopsticks beside him and stirred the pot a few times.

After counting carefully, there were only a few pieces of sea snake meat, and the rest were basically chicken.

The old man curled his lips and stood up straight.

"You only know how to steal food. It's a big, fat, chewy snake, and this is all you have left. How dare you do that?"

Lao Lu glanced at Er'er and thought the little girl was quite shameless.

There was no trace of guilt in the look he gave Lao Lu.

"Alright, alright, it's good to have something to eat."

Er'er shook her head helplessly, leaving only her and Lao Lu still arguing.

While the two were talking, Brother Ming, who was a carpenter in the tribe, came over.

"I've never seen the thing you're talking about. Could you draw it for me?"

Amin put all the tools he brought on the ground, and scratched his head embarrassedly when he heard what Xu Yiyi said.

He was a carpenter, but he also learned a few things from the masons.

After returning to the island, the houses were all built with stones, and his skills would not be used for a long time.

Now it all feels a bit unfamiliar.

After hearing this, Xu Yiyi began to think about it carefully.

"Sister, I'll get you some paper and pen."

Sanchuan said this and ran back to the house to get paper and pen.

Er'er poured out half of the chicken soup stewed with sea snakes and went to the lobby to pull Sihai back for dinner.

The four aunts and Xu Anyang had a meal before opening the door to welcome guests, so they were not hungry at the moment.

"Big sister, Uncle Qingshan is here."

Sihai walked back to the backyard holding Er'er's little hand and spoke loudly.

"Uncle Qingshan is here? Why doesn't he just come to the backyard?"

Xu Yiyi said curiously and put down the pen in her hand.

"Brother A-Ming, you and San-Chuan should eat something first. We can talk about the oven later."

As Xu Yiyi spoke, he walked to the front and saw Qingshan drinking a bowl of fish soup happily.

"Uncle Qingshan, why don't you come to the backyard when you come? Why are you drinking this? I made you something delicious."

As Xu Yiyi spoke, he pulled Qingshan up.

When Xu Anyang saw someone leave the table, he quickly took a rag and cleaned the table.

"Look how nice this attitude is. It's different for me. It's good that he didn't scold me."

Lao Lu then held a skewer of sea snakes and looked at it with some jealousy.

"Nonsense, if you help her buy the restaurant, she'll be incredibly nice to you."

Old Wu snorted and moved the plate in front of Lao Lu to himself.

Lao Lu glared at him. If he had the money, he would have spent it on drinking long ago.

……

"I haven't been here for a while. Is your business so good?"

Qingshan smiled and teased, taking the money that Xu Yiyi handed over and looking at it in his hand.

One hundred taels of silver were sent back so readily.

"Si Hai should have told you, right? I caught a manta ray before the typhoon, and with all the other stuff I did, I made up a hundred taels. I'll pay you back part of it first."

Qingshan looked at Xu Yiyi helplessly.

"I lent you money to buy this restaurant."

Qingshan spoke, his voice slightly hoarse and revealing a hint of fatigue.

"As your father's good friend, I hope that you and your siblings can live a stable life without having to endure the hardships of traveling."

He frowned slightly, took a step forward, and wanted to hand the money back.

"To pay back this debt, I've been working day and night, and I'm even more exhausted than before. How could this be my original intention?"

Xu Yiyi shook his head.

"I always feel uneasy when I owe people money. I can't sleep well at night without thinking about it."

How could Xu Yiyi sleep peacefully with an IOU worth several hundred taels of silver pressed under her pillow?

"Don't worry, I won't tire myself out trying to pay you back. The rest of this hundred taels, besides the profit from the restaurant, is all earned from selling fish."

As Xu Yiyi spoke, she pushed Qingshan's hand holding the banknote back.

"I go out to sea every day to catch fish. I sell half of the good ones in restaurants and the rest. That's how I save up this money."

Xu Yiyi explained.

Seeing that she insisted, Qingshan no longer refused.

"Don't be in a hurry to pay back this money."

As he spoke, he took a step forward, lowered his head slightly and looked at Sihai who was playing with Wuyuan in the yard, his eyes full of concern and sincerity.

"I know you're having a hard time right now. My sisters and brothers are all counting on you. The restaurant business is just getting started, and everything requires money. Just focus on running it and make your life comfortable. Nothing else matters."

Xu Yinli saved Qingshan's life, so he should treat Xu Yinli's children as his own.

This is just a small amount of money, even if Xu Yiyi doesn't return it.

He won't chase after it.

It’s a pity that I can’t say this. If I say it, Xu Yiyi will probably be even more anxious to pay back the money.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

Xu Yiyi said this as she walked down from the eaves, looked up at the green mountains and smiled.

"And when did you start selling fish soup?"

Qingshan suddenly remembered and picked up the fish soup that was brought from the lobby to the backyard.

"The restaurant uses more fish, so there's more fish offal. It's hard to sell it to others, but it's a pity to throw it away. So I thought about setting up a small stall at the door every day to sell this fish offal soup, so I can make a little money."

You know what, this fish soup sells quite well.

Even though the stall is not open every day, many people come to make reservations.

Most of the time there are not enough to sell.

"I don't want anything else, just give me a big bowl of fish soup and some rice noodles."

Qingshan sat down and sighed.

Even though he makes a lot of money every day and has eaten a lot of delicacies from land and sea.

But my favorite is a simple fish soup.

When you first taste the fish soup, scoop it up with a spoon and put it into your mouth.

First, a rich and mellow aroma explodes on the taste buds, and the soft and glutinous fish maw and the granular texture of fish roe appear alternately.

The fish soup is as white as milk, which is the result of boiling the essence of the fish body, and it is smooth in the mouth.

Upon careful tasting, the slightly spicy aroma blends perfectly with the sweetness of the fish offal itself. The stimulation from the ginger and garlic just neutralizes the slight fishy smell, leaving only the tempting deliciousness.

Seeing that he was enjoying the meal, Xu Yiyi quickly went to the lobby to bring back another bowl and cooked some rice noodles for him.

Wash the few garlic sprouts that you cut off on the chopping board.

With a few "clicks" of the knife, the garlic sprouts were instantly turned into even small strips.

Next, put the chopped garlic sprouts into a white porcelain bowl and add some chopped ginger and chili peppers.

Sprinkle a little white sugar to enhance the flavor, and then drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil, and the aroma will instantly fill the air.

This goes perfectly with rice noodles.

……

"Uncle Qingshan, is this delicious?

Sihai looked at it curiously, his eyes suddenly widened with curiosity.

Asked in a baby voice.

"Uncle Qingshan, why are you eating so deliciously?"

Qingshan poked his little nose with a smile and handed him the chopsticks.

"Come on, have a taste."

Sihai couldn't wait to take it, picked up a handful of garlic sprouts and stuffed them into his mouth.

As soon as he chewed it, his little face turned red and the tip of his tongue felt like it was burned by fire.

He spat it all out in one go, breathing heavily from his little mouth, his face wrinkled and twisted into a ball.

"Pfft... spicy, so spicy... it doesn't taste good at all..."

Sihai snorted and touched his tongue with his hand.

Xu Yiyi quickly pulled his hand away and handed him a glass of water.

"Weren't you able to eat spicy food before?"

Sanchuan was a little confused and put his chopsticks into the bowl of cold-mixed garlic sprouts.

He was cautious and only took a small piece.

He stuffed the long, thin piece into his mouth and ate it bit by bit.

I don't like it, but it's not too spicy.

Unlike Sihai, who is so impatient that he grabs a big lump at a time.

"It's spicy like a needle, and it has a strong smell."

Sihai said this with disgust, constantly pouring water into his mouth.

It made everyone laugh.

As noon passed, the afternoon sun gradually lost some of its sharpness.

Becoming lazy and tired, spreading warmth in front of Wufu Restaurant.

The last few diners who were drinking staggered and supported each other.

Still mumbling drunken words, he slowly moved towards the door.

As they stepped over the threshold, the restaurant door creaked and was blown open slightly by the wind, like a long sigh.

Xu Yiyi walked down from the second floor, holding a towel to wipe the sweat in her hand.

She stared at the ray of light coming through the crack in the door, lost in thought.

After a busy morning, I finally took a break. My shoulders sank slightly and I felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off my body.

She walked to an empty table and slowly sat down.

"Auntie, just wipe the floor that the guest made dirty while drinking. Don't wipe the rest yet. Wipe it before closing tonight."

Xu Yiyi shouted to the second floor.

After a while, I heard the sound of several aunts walking down.

"What is Yiyi doing now? Why don't you go back to sleep for a while?"

Aunt Arong brought a bowl of Sushan and placed it next to Xu Yiyi.

"Er Er bought this thing, and she happened to see me and asked me to bring it back to you."

Aunt Arong said this and came over to take a look.

"what is this?"

There was a strange thing on the paper, and confusion in the eyes.

"I want to make an oven. I have a great idea in mind, but it's so hard to draw!"

The brush strokes are crooked and the lines are either crooked or thick.

Xu Yiyi scratched his head and took a look, but he was not satisfied no matter how he looked at it.

Something suddenly occurred to me.

Go back to the backyard with a pen and paper.

"Don't you want to eat the Sushan? It will melt soon..."

Aunt Arong shouted loudly, but Xu Yiyi waved her hand without looking back.

"I don't want to eat it. You eat it."

Xu Yiyi rushed back to the kitchen and picked and chose at the stove mouth, picking out a piece of charcoal.

After bending it a little, I found it is more convenient to use than a brush.

"Tell me what you want to do?"

Amin squatted in a corner of the yard and watched, taking down the stacked bricks.

Xu Yiyi sighed, thinking that the oven could be ready in the afternoon.

I can make roast duck in the evening.

She asked Sihai to buy all the ducks.

This oven is easier said than done.

The oven requires sealing, and the material must be resistant to high temperatures to prevent excessive heat loss and be able to withstand the high temperature inside the oven without being damaged.

In addition, the vents must be designed reasonably, and the size and location of the vents are critical.

The bottom vents provide sufficient oxygen to the fuel, allowing it to burn fully and distributing heat evenly throughout the furnace.

The height and diameter of the chimney will also affect the air convection in the oven, ensuring that the smoke can be discharged smoothly while taking away excess moisture to prevent the oven from being too humid.

Shape and size are also important.

For grilling large barbecues, the internal space of the oven must be large enough and the shape can be rectangular to facilitate the placement of the grill and food.

But if you are baking small snacks, a round oven may be more suitable.

But maybe I want both.

In terms of size, the usage scenario should also be considered.

If you just want to make something delicious for your family, it doesn’t need to be too big.

But Xu Yiyi thought that if he could make it, it must be able to serve the entire restaurant, so it had to be designed to be large enough to meet the needs of roasting a large amount of food.