The invasion of the abyss begins with the Laughing at the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 43 The Joy of Harvest

The sun was at its zenith, the fiery red sun hung high in the sky, on the cold sea, everyone was busy, and more and more people gathered on the shore.

After nearly half an hour, hundreds of ice holes of various sizes were dug out, forming a regular rectangle, like a string of pearls, extremely dazzling.

"The net is down!"

Under Shen Yuanliang's command, a sturdy fishing net that had been soaked in pig blood and dried in the snow for a period of time was pulled over by a horse-drawn carriage. From a distance, it looked like a wall.

Everyone worked together to lower the guide rope and wooden pole connected to the fishing net to the main cave entrance, and then Shitou and the others manipulated the fishing net through the guide rope and wooden pole in the small hole.

Once they discovered that grass roots and tree stumps were not conducive to the transportation of the fishing nets, under the arrangement of Shen Yuanliang, everyone tied bundles of dried straw to the bottom of the fishing nets. This is the so-called "wearing straw sandals."

After two whole hours, all the fishing nets were slowly spread out underwater, and the guide ropes and wooden poles passed through small holes to form a large net and finally reached the exit.

"Closing the net!"

The well-fed horse was whipped and panting like a millstone, pulling the fishing net as heavy as a mountain underwater through a wheel as tall as a person.

The rope soaked in tung oil creaked under the pulley and was pulled tight and straight.

After a while, the front half of the fishing net was pulled out, and the Spanish mackerel, sea bass, pigmouth fish, small yellow croaker, etc. were all alive and well, densely packed, dazzling the sight.

As all the fishing nets were dragged out, more and more fish appeared behind them, and they became bigger and bigger. There were even quite a few three-foot-long bass and mackerel.

"So many fish, big and fat, is this winter fishing?"

"If we come here every day, won't we be rich? We won't be able to finish all the meat."

Shi Tou wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of joy, his eyes almost narrowed into slits, this was the joy of a good harvest.

A month ago, in order for Shen Yuanliang to have a taste of delicious fish soup, Shitou went through untold hardships, even "lying on the ice to catch carp", and finally caught a fat sea bass in the crevice of Shitou.

Nowadays, people chisel holes in the solid ice and use fishing nets to catch all the fish underneath. The catch is so much that it can be piled up into a small hill.

Fortunately, it is the middle of winter now, otherwise such a large catch would be a happy trouble!

After an hour of busy work, three hundred people finally transported all the catches back to Shenjiawu Fort, carrying them on their shoulders and in their hands. Everyone was very excited.

After Shen Yuanliang left, the people of Jingbian Fort who were watching the fun all cast their eyes on the ice holes of varying sizes, and an idea popped up in their minds.

Soon, the whole Jingbian Fort was filled with noise. Adults, children and whole families went out to fish or spear fish, trying every possible means.

Under the cover of night, wisps of smoke rose up and the fishy smell spread throughout Jingbian Fort. Although the fish soup was very fishy due to insufficient seasoning, everyone still drank it with great pleasure.

School grounds.

Twenty or thirty bonfires were burning with a crackling sound, and a large pot was placed on top of them. In the boiling water, processed mackerel and sea bass exuded an enticing fragrance.

"Mother, pickled cabbage and spicy peppers will make a delicious pot of pickled fish."

"You'll have to taste this dish later to see if it suits your taste."

Shen Yuanliang tied an apron and poured all the processed peppers into the gurgling fish soup. The red peppers looked very appetizing.

Half an incense stick later, a spicy aroma mixed with the fragrance of fish and sauerkraut went straight into Shen Qianqian's nose. The drowsy Shen Qianqian woke up immediately, her eyes fixed on the sauerkraut fish in the pot.

"Can the peppers be eaten?" Looking at the bright and juicy peppers in the pot, Shen Chen was a little hesitant, not knowing whether she should pick up her chopsticks.
When she was still in the boudoir, Shen Chen had seen this kind of pepper in her own garden. It was a unique ornamental plant that came from the Southeast Asian region.

"It's edible. Bell pepper is a rare seasoning, just like ginger and Sichuan peppercorns. It's not poisonous."

Shen Yuanliang picked up a pepper with chopsticks and tasted it. It still tasted the same as in his previous life. An extremely spicy feeling attacked his mouth. It was quite refreshing.

After awakening his innate wisdom, Shen Yuanliang's daily food seemed bland and tasteless. He always felt uncomfortable eating it. Now that he thought about it, it was because he was lacking chili peppers.

"Pot, let me have a taste."

Pulling Shen Yuanliang's sleeve, Shen Qianqian swallowed, her big eyes revealing a desire, and she couldn't wait to speak.

Sour fish is indeed a timeless classic dish. Its color and aroma make people very hungry at first sight, and their stomachs start to stir.

“Be careful of the spicy food!”

Shen Yuanliang carefully picked up a piece of boneless fish and handed it to his sister, then picked up a lot of pickled fish for his mother Shen Chenshi and Wan'er.

"It's delicious! Another bowl please."

"Don't rush. There's plenty of pickled fish. Everyone can have a share."

"What a delicacy! It would be nice if I could have a bowl of wine while eating pickled fish."

After taking a bite, everyone couldn't stop eating. No one could resist the spiciness brought by the chili peppers. The more they ate, the more they liked it. The whole pot of pickled fish was eaten up without leaving a single drop, and even the soup was drunk up.

In the Ming Dynasty world, fish is a very cheap food ingredient, but also a very precious food ingredient.

In the eyes of the lower-class people, especially in coastal areas, many people are reluctant to eat fish. The reason is the lack of seasoning. Without seasoning to remove the fishy smell, the fish is difficult to swallow, unless there is really no money to open the pot.

Now, in Shen Yuanliang's hands, an ordinary fish combined with sauerkraut, a must-have in every household, and chili peppers becomes a very delicious sauerkraut fish.

"Wan'er, the planting of peppers next year will be left to you."

"Whether we can often eat pickled fish or dishes made with bell peppers in the future depends on next year's planting."

Putting down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, Shen Yuanliang touched his bulging belly and said with lingering feeling.

After finding the chili pepper in the Wang family’s warehouse, Shen Yuanliang was very happy. From now on, he would rely on it to eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks.

Today is the first winter fishing. In order to celebrate the rare harvest, Shen Yuanliang used up all the peppers except the reserved seeds.

"Well, I'll take care of it."

Li Wan'er, with a flushed face, smoothed her wet hair and nodded hurriedly.

The Shen family is currently in a state of disrepair, especially with regard to money, which is extremely short. The more they spend, the less they have.

Relying entirely on the silver seized from the Wang family was simply a drop in the bucket and a sourceless stream. Li Wan'er urgently needed to find a new source of wealth.

Li Wan'er saw at a glance the hidden economic value of chili pepper, a condiment that has not yet become popular. As Shen Yuanliang's "housekeeper", she is interested in anything that can make money.

(End of this chapter)