The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 037: The shadow at midnight
On their returning trip to the village, Xia Yue Chu is in deep thoughts over the matter of catching up on nourishment for Xue Zhuang. Currently in this season, since she does not know about hunting, the easiest method to acquire nourishing goods seems to be going to the river to catch some fishes.
Right now, the frozen river has just melted. The willow fish and mud loach in the river have been starved over winter, they do not have any food in their stomachs now, which makes this the easiest time to catch them.
In her past life, in her village, using wicker and weaving fish traps to catch fishes, is considered a basic skill that every child must have.
The adults are usually busy with their work and sowing the ground, so they do not have any spare time to go fishing in the river or the stream. The children can only pester the adults to weave these fish traps basket and set it in the river by themselves to catch the fish. When they bring home their catch, not only do they get praises from their parents, they also get to enjoy a delicious feast.
Xia Yue Chu remembers those times, choosing a spot to place the fish traps is not by a random chance. The wider section with steady and gentle water flow along the river bed are the prominent spots which have been constantly dominated by those big kid bullies in the village, she can only set her few fish trap baskets in some nooks and corners, the spots where others don't want.
It is a good thing that in her situation, once she has eaten her fill it is as good as her entire family not starving, a simple catch is enough to settle one meal for her.
Braised sauced loaches, crispy fried fish… just the thought of it makes her fidgety in her seat and salivating in her mouth uncontrollably, her stomach begins to grumble.
Xia Yue Chu notices that there is a firewood chopper on the cart, when they are passing by the river she calls out. "Liu uncle, can we stop here for a moment, I want to cut some wicker."
Now that it is the beginning of spring, the willow tree has just begun to bud, many people would cut some and bring home to fashion them into rattan carrying baskets or rattan dustpans.
Liu uncle agrees. "Just right, I will also cut some back, let the old woman weave a few carrying baskets to use."
Because it takes some time to cut the willow vines, when the trio reach home, the others in the family have already finished their dinner.
Madam Sheng is worried about disturbing Xue Ping's rest and comfort, so she tells them half-heartedly. "Coming back so late there's no more food provided, there are still some breads and vegetables in this kitchen, you just heat it up and eat those!"
Xia Yue Chu goes into the kitchen for a look, there are two undistinguishably black mixed grains bread in the wok, and one of it has a bite taken by someone whom she does not know.
The said vegetable is actually the base remains of a plate, where the liquid from the vegetable dish is comparably more than the leftover vegetables and they are stir fried without any considerations of their presentation, making one lose their appetite just by looking at it.
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She cannot be bothered to get angry at Madam Sheng, going back to her own wing and building a fire to heat up some steamed buns. She takes a shovel and a basket going to the front and back and around their house, soon enough, she has dug up half a basket full of shepherd's purse. Then she goes to the underground cellar taking two potatoes.
Coming back to the kitchen, trimming and washing the shepherd's purse, pealing the potato and shredding it. Sprinkling in some spring onion to smoulder the wok, ladling in a few scoops of soup stock which she has saved up previously, then adding the potato and shepherd's purse in. Not long after, a fragrance emits from the wok.
The shepherd's purse potato soup is something Xia Yue Chu eats often as a child. Every year in the early spring, after the snow outside has melted around April, the shepherd's purse will flourish everywhere in the fields, growing clusters by clusters displaying their lush greenery, which is exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
Every household will dig some or buy some, they will be eating a meal of shepherd's purse for the taste of freshness eventually. This also signifies the raising of the curtain to spring every year.
After Qin Zheng helps Xue Zhuang settles down in the room, and organises everything that they have bought, he has been attracted by the pleasing aroma. Not holding back the itch of his hand, he opens the lid of the wok to look inside.
"Sister-in-law, you are really awesome, a little wild greens and potato can be made into a soup that smells so good."
"It smells good because some stock has been added into it. If it is just plain water, how will it smell so nice." Xia Yue Chu is cutting white cabbage at the moment, so she uses the back of the chopper to hit on the back of Qin Zheng's hand lightly, signalling him to close up the lid properly.
"Clean up the table and set out the bowls and utensils, over here at my side will be ready soon."
Soon after, a huge bowl of shepherd's purse potato soup, a dish of stir fried vinegar cabbage, and a bamboo basket tray of double flour big steamed buns are placed onto the table. Making Xue Zhuang and Qin Zheng perspire from their foreheads as they eat, as well as making their stomachs extra comfortable.
After eating dinner, Qin Zheng begins cooking the medicinal sweets in the kitchen. Xia Yue Chu takes out the wicker that she cut on their way back and starts to weave the fish traps. She is planning to set the fish traps into the river while it is still dark later, so that come morning, who can say for sure, they may have their catch.
Xue Zhuang is bored staying by himself, so he watches Xia Yue Chu weaving the fish trap.
Both of her hands are agile and moves as if dancing to a coordination, the strands of wicker are all obediently under her hands, moving in the way she is fashioning them to become. And soon enough, a weaved fish trap is completed.
"Bring it to me for a look."
This fish trap has an inverted opening structure, the entrance is wider and as it moves down it becomes narrower gradually, leaving only an opening in the sized of the bottom of a bowl for the fish to exit. Then, the wicker is twisted outwards and tying up tightly at the ends, forming a conical shaped stomach.
After a fish follows the water flow into the fish trap, because of the small exit opening and it being against the water current, it will be hard to swim out of the trap.
Xue Zhuang holds up the fish trap and flips it over several times in inspection, he then takes some wicker and starts trying to weave.
His hands are big and the strength he uses is also strong, he weaves out a finished product very quickly. Just that it is not as good looking as what Xia Yue Chu has made, it is a little crooked.
"Your hands are truly skilled!" But Xia Yue Chu is not stringy in compliments, laughing as she looks at the fish trap in his hands. "Learning after seeing it once, that is smart enough."
Xue Zhuang feels that the tone she uses is like praising a kid, but he still feels his pride swelling in his heart from the praises. Taking more wicker and continuing to weave more fish traps.
The two of them are efficient working together, soon, they have completed weaving six of these fish traps.
Xia Yue Chu finds a few pieces of cloth trimmings, using a little lard mixing with cornmeal cakes crumbs, wrapping and tying it then throwing it into the fish trap baskets as baits. She then prepares to set off to the river so that she can place these traps.
Xue Zhuang looks outside and sees the pitch dark night, he worries about her going out alone, so he shouts for Qin Zheng, instructing him to bring along an oil lamp and accompany her.
Xia Yue Chu finds a few spots where the water current is gentler and prepares to go into the water and puts down the fish traps.
How could Qin Zheng agree to let her go into the river, so he rushes foremost jumping into the river himself. Immediately, the chill from the freezing cold river water can be felt in his bones, both his feet and legs are in extreme pain, as if someone is piercing the gaps between his joints with an awl.
His taps onto the energy that he uses on the verge of life and death, which he has developed through his military training, and endures it without sounding it out.
Qin Zheng hastily uses rocks and ropes to secure the fish traps in place and weighs down the fish traps with a few more stones inside, so that it can remain in a sinking position.
Xia Yue Chu carries the oil lamp from the riverbank to shine the light for him and rushing him. "It is cold inside the water, come up quickly after putting it in place."
Qin Zheng comes up from the water, at this moment, his legs cannot feel the pain anymore because they have been frozen numb.
He jumps on the spot a few times as if his life depends on it, then laughs it off. "Sister-in-law, it is nothing serious, this bit is nothing significant, when we are within the military fighting in a war, if the commander's commands to swim across, we have to heed and follow!"
"It is good coming back now, there is no need to suffer anymore of these kinds of punishments. Go home quickly, I have boiled some hot water in the wok, go back and change out your shoes and socks and soak your feet in the hot water. You are currently at the age of your growing spurt, if you spoil your body from the frost, it will not be a laughing matter."
The two of them walks towards home speedily, from a far distance away Qin Zheng notices a shadowy figure flashes beside the fence. Immediately, he lifts his legs to chase after it, but both of his legs are frozen to an incompetence. After running a few steps, he can no longer find that black shadow.
Xia Yue Chu is not aware of anything strange, carrying the oil lamp and catching up to ask. "What's wrong?"
"I think I saw a black shadow over here just now, it has run off."
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Xia Yue Chu lifts the light to look around the surroundings but does not find anything suspicious. "Perhaps it is some household's cat, let's go back home!"
At this moment, Qin Zheng is also uncertain what exactly has he seen just now, looking around and sees that there are no footprints on the ground, he ends up not putting the matter into his heart.
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Translator Notes:
Translated by Yellow. Oct 2022.