Chapter Thirty-Six: Fish Stew in the Great Pot

The mountain beast dove sharply into the water, and when her head emerged, she was already not far from Leopard and the other village children.

“Let’s have a contest—see who can catch the biggest fish!” she called out, boldly challenging the group of half-grown boys.

“Bring it on!” Little Leopard wasn’t provoked; he plunged into the water at once, quickly followed by the others, all eager to imitate.

Zhang Xiu’e, somewhat uneasy, walked over to Uncle Liu the Cripple and frowned. “Uncle, you don’t think anything will go wrong, do you?”

Liu the Cripple squinted, dragging on his big brass pipe, and shook his head. “Nothing’ll happen. That girl swims better than all those boys put together. The water’s not deep—at most up to their necks.”

Zhang Xiu’e knew Liu the Cripple was an old hand at this lake. If he said it was safe, then it should be. Still, what had just happened made her realize they couldn’t rely solely on watchfulness; at the very least, they ought to have more rescue equipment ready at the Lian Gou Hollow, just in case.

And this matter—this was of utmost importance. There could be no carelessness. After all, lives were at stake; any accident would be a major affair.

She took out her little notebook and made a careful note of it.

“Uncle Liu, about how deep is the deepest part of the Lian Gou Hollow?” she asked after a moment’s thought.

She knew the central area was deep, but not exactly how deep. It seemed even Tang Long didn’t know.

“Must be over a dozen meters,” Liu the Cripple replied, puffing on his pipe.

“That deep?” Zhang Xiu’e frowned, feeling a chill; if someone fell in, there’d be no way to fish them out.

“Don’t worry, Secretary Zhang,” Liu reassured her, “the deepest parts are in the very center. Most places are just two or three meters, and near the shore, even shallower. All the places we’ve set aside for swimming are in the shallows.”

He paused, then went on, “But if you’re still uneasy, later we can stretch some fine nets underwater, fix them in place so no one can swim out to the deep parts.”

“Good idea!” Zhang Xiu’e nodded, her expression serious. “I’ll have someone buy the nets right away. We’ll fence off a shallow area, make a safe spot for people to enjoy the water.”

Some people, the more you forbid them from going in, the more determined they are to do just that.

“And also, let’s put up some warning signs along the shore, marking the water depths and warning visitors not to swim on their own!” she added, the thought just occurring to her.

The swimming area in Lian Gou Hollow was free, with very low rental fees for equipment. In Yutou Village, apart from the pricier Ghost King Cave, everything else—from recreation to meals—was inexpensive.

If you ate in the village, you could have the same meal as the villagers: two yuan, all you could eat.

Zhang Xiu’e firmly believed Tang Long’s words: as long as people were willing to come play at Yutou Village, they’d never have to worry about making a living.

What Tang Long wanted for the villagers wasn’t just a quick profit. Anyone who came from outside was to be treated as a friend of Yutou Village.

Friends mustn’t be cheated or swindled or treated with suspicion. If they ruined the village’s reputation, then no matter how beautiful these green hills and clear waters, they’d be doomed forever.

“Sister Mountain Beast, how did you catch such a big fish?” Leopard and the other children, dripping wet and full of admiration, crowded around her as she held up a fish weighing over ten pounds.

She seemed to be having just as much fun as the children, grinning like a kid herself.

Zhang Xiu’e watched from the side, noticing that this girl called Mountain Beast seemed to prefer the company of children.

“Go, call Liu Yishou from the village—Uncle Liu. Have him make us a fish stew. And let the other tourist groups know that we’re hosting a free fish feast at noon. Anyone who wants to try is welcome!” Zhang Xiu’e announced with a smile.

Of course, she wouldn’t force anyone. Leopard and the others had caught plenty—enough for a big pot.

All wild fish from Lian Gou Hollow.

Mountain Beast went to her tent to change clothes.

Liu Yishou arrived from the village carrying a large pot. He built a stove of stones by the water’s edge, gathered wood from the mountain, lit the fire, and soon the big pot was bubbling with fish, the aroma spreading far and wide.

Zhang Xiu’e had asked Liu Yishou to bring out the pure, natural flavor of the wild fish from Lian Gou Hollow in his stew.

Whether he understood what she meant, she wasn’t sure.

“Don’t worry, Secretary Zhang, I know what you mean. Fish soup, simple and true. Just you wait!” Liu Yishou replied with a genial smile, adding only wild herbs to the pot—no oil, no soy sauce.

There was only one seasoning: salt.

“This fish is sure to be delicious!” Mountain Beast sat about five or six meters from the cauldron, surrounded by a crowd of children, all gazing expectantly at the steaming pot.

Whether she was born with a “queen of children” aura or it was something else, it didn’t take long for the village kids to start gathering around her. She seemed to genuinely enjoy their company.

“Of course! Liu Yishou’s father was a royal chef—his food is the best in all the surrounding villages!”

“A royal chef?” Mountain Beast sat on a rock, hugging one knee, gazing at the pot with a smile in her eyes.

She wouldn’t claim to have tasted all the world’s cuisine, but she’d had her share of exotic delicacies. Even the food from five-star hotels and Michelin restaurants didn’t give her as much anticipation as this “big pot fish.”

“Is your village chief a good person?” Mountain Beast asked softly.

The children didn’t understand why she was asking, but they answered honestly, telling her all they knew.

From their chatter, she learned the Yutou Village chief had been a soldier, had only recently returned, and had gone to the provincial capital to get medical treatment for a boy named Ermao. The village used to be sparsely populated; after the old chief died, only when the new chief returned did people start to come back.

In her mind, Mountain Beast gradually pieced together an image of Tang Long, the village chief.

“Do you like him?” she asked.

“We like Secretary Zhang best—she never scolds us. The chief gets angry sometimes and yells. Last time, we roasted snakes in the back mountain and stayed out till midnight. He scolded us and even smacked us a few times.”

Mountain Beast laughed and muttered, “Sounds like you deserved it.”

Liu Yishou’s big pot of fish simmered by the lakeshore for about two hours, drawing quite a few tourists.

“Fish soup for everyone, and all the steamed buns you can eat!” Zhang Xiu’e called out, carrying a big basin as she walked toward Mountain Beast and the children. “Time to eat!”

“Hooray, fish!” the children whooped, jumping off the rocks and swarming around her. Mountain Beast stood up with a gentle smile, joining them.

“Wash your hands—everyone, go wash your hands! No food for anyone who doesn’t!” Zhang Xiu’e scolded sternly.

The children scrambled to wash up. In the past, none of them had the habit of washing hands before meals.