Chapter 4: The Stew We Stole Tastes So Good, Our First Time Harvesting from the Sea

The most important thing for the grandson was to study and pass the exams.

Old Madam Gu paused to weigh her options before nodding.

“I’ll give you the money.”

Gu Yi shouted, “Twenty taels! I want twenty taels.”

“Dream on!”

Old Madam Gu’s face turned dark, the twenty taels being enough for Jiaxin’s annual school fees. She had originally intended to give just one tael to dismiss them. “Five taels at most.”

She threw a five-tael silver ingot onto the ground.

“Not enough.”

Old Madam Gu refused to give any more, shouting, “This is all I’m offering, take it or leave it!”

Gu Yi shouted, “Dalang, go to the kitchen!”

Lin Shi, quick on her feet, ran to the kitchen.

Gu Yi followed closely, noticing Lin Shi tightly guarding the rice and grain. She snorted softly.

Looking around, Gu Yi said, “Dalang, grab some bowls and chopsticks to bring back.”

Her gaze was fixed on the cooking pot.

There was still plenty of chicken soup and chicken left in the pot. The family was starving, and this food was just what they needed.

Gu Yi reached for the pot and grabbed it.

Lin Shi stared in shock, her mouth agape, but too afraid to leave the grain sacks. She clutched them tighter.

Second brother and the little sister imitated her, taking a jug of oil, the salt jar, and several bowls, even snatching the kitchen knife.

The village chief: “…”

“You’re going too far!”

Old Madam Gu trembled with anger, while the people from the second and third branches glared at them with resentment.

“Calm down, Old Gu family! All these things are worth less than a tael. You can always buy more.”

After much back and forth, both sides signed the severing of ties document, and it was officially recognized.

“You damn bastard!”

“Wang Shi, you better take your little beggars and get as far away as possible!”

With angry glares from the second and third branches, as well as Old Madam Gu, the family calmly picked up the silver ingots and left.

On the way home, with the silver and food in hand, they felt a sense of relief and contentment.

Wang Yulan thought back to Gu Yi’s sudden change, feeling that her daughter had gained a new kind of control, something that made her feel strange. “Yi’er, how did you suddenly become so…?”

“Strong? Fierce? Do you think this is good, Mother?”

Wang Yulan nodded eagerly.

Gu Yi smiled. “To survive in this wasteland, changes are necessary. Mother, after someone has died once, they must leave behind past honors or humiliations and live differently. From now on, I’m just a fisherwoman, Gu Jiayi.”

Wang Yulan was thoughtful. “Then I’ll be a fisherwoman, Wang Yulan.”

If being strong and unyielding meant she could feed and protect her children, why not become a person like that?

“And I’m a fisherman, Gu Jia’an.”

“I’m a fisherman, Gu Jia-ning!”

“Mother, I’m also—Fishy—Yueyue!”

The whole family burst into laughter, their spirits lifted.

At home, Second Brother’s face was pale again, and he began feeling unwell. Wang Yulan sympathetically helped him onto the bed.

She picked up some firewood to start a fire and heat the chicken soup but couldn’t find the fire starter.

Gu Yi stepped forward and pulled out the fire starter. “Mother, let me do it, you go press Second Brother’s acupoints.”

Wang Yulan nodded.

The fire sparked to life, and the soup slowly simmered, filling the air with a rich aroma.

The family’s stomachs began to rumble, and they couldn’t help but salivate.

After the soup had boiled for a while, Wang Yulan brought over a bowl for each of them, filling them with generous portions of chicken.

Gu Yi took a sip of the warm soup, feeling both physically and mentally comforted, the warmth spreading through her entire body. She finally felt alive again.

“Delicious!”

Dalang didn’t speak but ate the soup and meat quickly, as he hadn’t eaten for almost two days and was starving.

Gu Yi quickly called out, “Don’t eat so fast, there’s more. Eat slowly, chew well.”

The whole pot of chicken soup was consumed without a single drop left.

The family, no longer concerned with appearances, rubbed their full bellies, a sense of happiness settling over them.

“I’m so full, I can’t move.”

Gu Yi glanced at the sky and turned to Wang Yulan. “Mother, let’s go to the beach. It’ll help with digestion, and we can find some fish for tomorrow.”

“I… I don’t know how. The sea is dangerous, and Dalang has hurt his foot.”

Dalang, unwilling, responded, “Mother, I’ll be careful. We can’t let a little danger stop us. We’ll need to learn how to live off the sea sooner or later.”

Gu Yi looked at Dalang with admiration. “Mother, I’ve read many books about the sea. I understand some things, and if we ask the local fishermen, we’ll learn quickly.”

Second Brother spoke up, “But we don’t have the tools.”

“They have the tools. I’ll go speak to the neighbors.”

Wang Yulan grabbed her, worried. “The people here are tough to deal with. They won’t lend us anything.”

Prejudices were a heavy burden.

Gu Yi smiled. “Mother, don’t you remember who saved me? People here are like those in the capital—some are good, some are bad. The aunt and uncle who saved me were really kind.”

Wang Yulan hesitated. “You’re right. They might not be worse than the Old Gu family. I’ll go ask!”

“Mother, let’s go together!”

They knocked on the neighbor’s door.

When it opened, Gu Yi felt that the woman looked familiar.

“It’s you, girl, and this is your mother,” the woman said, recognizing them.

Gu Yi instantly recognized her voice as the one who had shouted for help when the original host had tried to drown herself by the shore.

“Aunt, thank you so much for saving my life.”

“No need for thanks. I just happened to shout a few times, and my husband pulled you up. Oh, and someone else helped you too, a man named He Hu, living at the end of the village. Just live well, don’t worry. With the sea, you’ll never starve.”

Aunt Cao was cheerful and generous. She had remembered the mother and daughter since the day they first arrived in the village.

Wang Yulan, graceful in every gesture, exuded a dignified elegance, while her daughter, Gu Yi, stood out with her pale beauty.

Gu Yi nodded eagerly. “Aunt Cao, I’d like to borrow a bucket and a rake.”

Aunt Cao readily agreed. “You’re going to harvest from the sea? The tide’s just right. Take these, but remember to return them.”

Gu Yi thanked her and left with her mother and little sister to the beach.

Second Brother stayed behind, too sick to go, lying down to rest.

Once they arrived at the beach, Gu Yi felt alive again. The sea breeze, slightly salty, swept away her worries.

The endless sea, home to countless mysterious creatures, was a treasure trove of secrets.

The tide was out, the waves dancing, only to be pulled back by the sea, never able to overtake the shore.

The stranded fish, shrimp, and shellfish were left in the sand pits, waiting for the fishermen to collect.

It was a gift from the sea.

Gu Yi gazed at the sea, almost greedily.

Here by the sea, she could always feed her family.

Many villagers had also come to the shore, with buckets and baskets in hand. They wore simple wooden shoes and rolled up their trousers, familiar with the process, catching fish with ease.

Dalang (Eldest Brother), too, tried his hand, carefully searching among the stones and shallow water.

“Yi’er, how do we find them? What should we be looking for?”

Gu Yi quickly caught a crab the size of her hand. “Crabs, conchs, clams, shrimp, octopuses, small fish—all are good. They’re delicious and can be sold. Just pick up whatever you find.”

Wang Yulan nodded.

As they searched, Gu Yi spotted an oyster.

One of her favorite seafoods, it had been so long since she had tasted fresh, wild oysters. Inland seafood was too expensive, and with ocean pollution, even farmed oysters were costly.

But here, oysters were abundant!

Oysters grew on rocks and, unless closely examined, appeared to be part of the stone itself.

Gu Yi handed the oyster to her mother and Dalang. “Mother, this is an oyster. There are many on the rocks. Just peel them off when you see them.”

Wang Yulan nodded and eagerly began searching.

The little sister, still only four, saw the sand and ran joyfully, leaving all her worries behind. She collected beautiful shells and stones, oblivious to anything else.

Gu Yi smiled softly. This was her childhood, too.

The four of them busied themselves, collecting oysters, shrimp, crabs, small fish, and scallops, filling the bucket at a visible rate.

“Ah!”

Wang Yulan screamed and fell to the ground. “Something’s under my foot! Yi’er, help!”