Chapter 18: Fish Fillets in Tomato Sauce

Watching the villagers’ fervent faces, Xia Wulei felt a spark of interest. The main storyline was unfolding.

After the village chief finished speaking, he led the villagers to the neighbor’s house, but no matter how much they knocked, the door remained shut.

The chief seemed to have anticipated this, and loudly called out at the door.

“Old Li, we’re all from the same village. You haven’t come to the village feast for years. The Mountain God has forgiven you. Don’t forget this year, alright?”

Xia Wulei leaned against the door, watching the village chief and the others in action.

The villagers were clearly divided into two groups: one led by the chief, fervently worshiping the Mountain God; the other, disheartened and disbelieving, having lost children in the past.

The passionate faction was much larger, leaving only a few families unwilling to participate. Soon, the chief and the group moved away.

“What’s going on?” Aunt Wang asked as she finished cleaning the fish, noticing some people peering out by the door.

“The village chief said there will be a feast tomorrow, and we’re supposed to attend,” Chu Wei, the only one sitting calmly at the table, replied. She didn’t want to push through the crowd by the door.

Aunt Wang’s face changed quickly. “You can’t go, absolutely not! If you go, the Mountain God will come after you!”

Xia Wulei smiled faintly. “If we don’t go, it will still come after us. Aunt Wang, are the fish cleaned? It’s time for lunch.”

Aunt Wang was anxious, but these outsiders paid no heed and were already discussing what to eat for lunch.

“Xia Jie brought back two big, fat fish today…”

“Really? I haven’t had fish in so long…”

Zhu Chen and Yu Huaiyu whispered together, full of anticipation for lunch.

Xia Wulei went to the kitchen to prepare the fish. Aunt Wang hurried in and said, “This village feast is to worship the Mountain God and lasts two days. They send people to offer wine to the Mountain God, and once you offer wine, you become a sacrifice.”

Xia Wulei, scaling the fish, responded casually, “So that’s how they offer sacrifices. It’s easy for the unaware to fall for it.”

“Don’t fall for it!” Aunt Wang warned.

Xia Wulei nodded but thought to herself, How should I make this grass carp tasty? Ah, I’ve got it.

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She cut the grass carp into pieces, prepared scallion and ginger water with salt, and marinated the fish thoroughly. After some time, she sprinkled flour and mixed it evenly.

Xia Wulei was about to pour oil into the pan, but awkwardly realized Aunt Wang’s small supply had already been used up these past days.

In the countryside, oil and sugar were precious and rare. Aunt Wang’s household was nearly empty, only keeping a small jar for occasional use.

Since Xia Wulei’s arrival, she had used oil without restraint, especially when frying, consuming large amounts.

Embarrassed to ask Aunt Wang for more, she sent Chu Wei to borrow some oil from neighbors, hoping to gather a few hundred milliliters.

Chu Wei thought silently, Is this what my system is for?

But she had no objections; after days together, she knew she couldn’t live without Xia Wulei’s cooking.

Soon, the oil was ready and heated to a slight shimmer. Xia Wulei dropped the fish pieces in, golden bubbles sizzling.

The flour-coated fish turned golden quickly. She lifted them out to drain oil and took two tomatoes.

After peeling the tomatoes by blanching in boiling water, she diced them into small cubes. She stir-fried them to release the juice, then added sugar, salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and other seasonings, reducing it to a sauce. Finally, she poured the sauce over the fish to coat them thoroughly.

Sprinkling scallions and sesame seeds on top, the tomato sauce fish was complete.

The golden crust covered in faintly red tomato sauce was crispy outside, tender inside, tangy and sweet—an irresistible appetite-booster.

Even Huwang, full, couldn’t help licking his lips, gazing longingly at the sauced fish.

Xia Wulei patted Huwang’s head. “You just eat the meat. If you like tomato sauce, I’ll make you two jars to have whenever you want. Just ask Aunt Wang.”

Huwang nodded vigorously, a smile brightening his face.

But Aunt Wang still looked worried. “With the village chief and his group, they definitely won’t let you off easy.”

Xia Wulei smiled slyly, her plan already taking shape. “We’ll see who lets whom off.”

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That afternoon, the village began decorating with lanterns. Every household hung red lanterns, but Xia Wulei found them ordinary, without any energy.

The villagers walked the streets, smiling and cheerful, a stark contrast to their usual coldness, even greeting the players warmly.

Zhu Chen said, “Why do I feel uneasy? Their looks seem hostile.”

Xia Wulei sneered. “Outsiders like us are like pigs ready for slaughter in their eyes. Finally getting to eat at a feast, how could they not be happy?”

Zhu Chen was speechless.

Xia Wulei led Zhu Chen to the village chief’s house and knocked.

---

The chief looked surprised to see Xia Wulei. “What do you need?”

“Chief, is there any lake or pond nearby? My brother wants to catch fish.”

The chief frowned. “The nearest pond is quite far. The feast is coming, and everyone’s busy. You’d better stay put at Aunt Wang’s.”

Xia Wulei gave Zhu Chen a meaningful look, and he understood immediately.

“No! I want to go! Or I’ll go home now! I want to swim, no matter what!”

Zhu Chen fully embraced his role as the mischievous child. At sixteen, he was at the age to play and make a fuss—perfect for this part.

Xia Wulei looked helplessly at the chief. “Chief, you see…”

The chief was speechless but knew he had to keep these outsiders from leaving now.

“Alright, I’ll send someone to guide you.”

As he spoke, Xia Wulei casually mentioned, “The eldest brother opposite Aunt Wang’s place seems to be home. Isn’t he free today?”

Opposite Aunt Wang? The Li family?

“You mean Li Fugui? That lazy boy again?” The chief exclaimed, clearly displeased.

“Then have him lead us. Tell him I said so. If he doesn’t, he might as well skip the feast!”

The chief waved his hand, settling the matter.

Xia Wulei smiled with satisfaction, exchanged a glance with Zhu Chen, and left contentedly.

“Xia Jie, is that really enough? Don’t you want me to come with you to the lake? There’s even a water ghost there.”

Zhu Chen was worried. Xia Wulei planned to lure Li Fugui alone, not letting Zhu Chen follow.

“Don’t worry. If you come, it’ll only complicate things. I’ve already dealt with the water ghost.”

Zhu Chen was astonished. Wow, Xia Jie can even handle a water ghost now?

Sending Zhu Chen back to Aunt Wang’s, Xia Wulei knocked alone on the Li family’s door. “Is Brother Fugui home?”

Li Fugui was a bit startled seeing Xia Wulei, instinctively checking if she carried a hoe. “...Looking for me?”

Xia Wulei smiled sweetly. “Brother Fugui, are you free? My brother wants to eat fish, and the village chief said you’d take me to the nearby pond.”