Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 200 Let's raise a glass to the east wind and enjoy the moment together.
While Zeng Gong and Wang Tao were talking, the fisherwoman had already quickly served the first dish—a large bowl of fish soup.

The soup was thick and milky, steaming hot, with not a speck of oil, only a few strands of bright green scallions and ginger slices floating on top.

It looks very simple, but a rich aroma that is hard to describe in words, as if it is the essence of lake fish, hits your nose.

Wang Tao smiled and gestured, "Come on, have a taste. This is 'Three White Soup,' made with the head of a freshly caught grass carp, along with crucian carp and other small fish, simmered over low heat for several hours. It's the most nourishing and warming soup for the stomach."

After days of fear and anxiety, Lu Huiqing felt a warm current flow from her throat down to her abdomen as she drank the warm soup, which relaxed her tense nerves.

Zeng Gong also took a sip and couldn't help but praise, "What a wonderful soup! Clear yet not bland, fresh yet not fishy!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu also scooped up a spoonful.

The pure, unadulterated umami flavor melts on the tip of the tongue; to use a literary metaphor, it's like drinking a mouthful of fresh Dongting Lake.

Before the soup bowl was empty, the second dish arrived: a plate of bright red "dry-fried grass carp".

This is made with plump grass carp, first pan-fried and then braised. The sauce is very rich and contains fresh mushroom pieces and other ingredients. The fish meat, cut into a grid pattern, can be easily pulled off with chopsticks. The aroma of the sauce and the freshness of the fish are perfectly blended, making it extremely delicious with rice.

Wang Shao picked up a large piece and ate with great relish: "This fish is excellent, even better than the sea fish I ate in Fujian."

Lu Beigu remained silent, only glancing at where the bowl of rice was.

The third dish was steamed silver carp. The whole silver carp, which was over a foot long, lay in a coarse porcelain plate, with only ginger slices and scallion segments at the bottom, a little bit of secret oil drizzled on it, and a few slices of cured meat underneath the fish to enhance the aroma.

The fish was steamed to perfection; the flesh was snow-white like garlic cloves, and the bones came off easily with a gentle touch of chopsticks. Dipped in a little ginger and vinegar sauce, it melted in your mouth, incredibly tender and delicious.

However, this kind of dish is fine to eat only a few bites, but if you eat too much, it will inevitably feel chewy and waxy.

The next few dishes were also quite good.

The stir-fried shrimp uses freshly caught, lively green shrimp from the lake. They are not large but very plump. After being stir-fried over high heat, the shrimp shells are crispy and the shrimp meat is firm and chewy. Even chewing the shells is full of fragrance.

Pan-fried silverfish cakes are made by mixing small silverfish with egg liquid and a little flour, spreading them into golden-yellow pancakes that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The freshness of the silverfish is fully brought out by the hot oil. Silverfish, also known as Kuai Can fish in ancient times, are widely distributed in the estuaries of major water systems, and are especially abundant in inland lakes such as Poyang Lake, Chaohu Lake, Taihu Lake, and Dongting Lake.

However, the atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat quiet.

It wasn't that they were shy, but rather that Zeng Gong and Wang Tao, two old friends, were having a conversation, and they had no chance to join in.

Now that they can speak, but given that Lü Huiqing caused trouble in Jiangling Prefecture yesterday, no one is taking the lead for the time being.

Seeing that they were eating silently without saying a word, Lu Beigu, who was already half full, put down his second bowl of rice and spoke.

"Du Fu, a poet from the Tang Dynasty, loved silverfish. He wrote a poem called 'White Silverfish' which says, 'White silverfish live in groups, naturally two inches long. They are small aquatic creatures and are a common vegetable in the garden.' Now that I've tasted them, they are indeed quite delicious."

Wang Tao looked at the young man in front of him, who seemed to be the most cheerful among the crowd, and graciously let him not fall silent.

"The saying goes, 'When the loquats of Dongting Lake ripen, the silverfish are plump and fragrant.' In fact, the silverfish are at their fattest and most delicious when the loquats ripen in May. At that time, when you come to Dongting Lake, the lakeside is bustling with merchants, all because of the silverfish. Now, in September, there are no large silverfish left, only these small ones are left to make pancakes."

Lu Beigu added, "This tastes quite good too. It seems that we don't have this kind of fish in Sichuan."

"Old Zhang."

Upon hearing this, Wang Tao turned to the old fisherman and asked, "Do you still have any dried silverfish? If so, please bring a few packs for each of you."

"Yes! Yes!"

"Silverfish are good for diuresis, moisturizing the lungs, and relieving coughs, so it's good to eat more of them," Wang Tao said with a smile. "And you don't know, the silverfish from Dongting Lake are delicate and graceful, shaped like jade hairpins. Even after being dried, they don't lose their flavor. You can keep them on the road to eat or use them as a side dish. If you want to cook them, soak them in warm water until they expand, wash them, and then you can cook them. You can fry them, stir-fry them, or add them to soups to enhance the flavor." "Then thank you very much, Judge Wang!" Lu Beigu quickly said.

The group, who were enjoying their meal, quickly stopped eating and expressed their gratitude in return.

While they were talking, the other dishes were served quickly.

Crispy fried small fish, coated in a thin batter and fried until golden brown and crispy, sprinkled with salt, are bite-sized, even the bones are crispy and edible.

The most unique dish is actually boiled water chestnut rice, which is sweet, soft, and refreshing, and helps to cut through any greasiness.

Finally, there was a large pot of fish offal stew with tofu. Fish liver, fish intestines, fish maw, and tender tofu were stewed together. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the unique taste of the fish offal complemented the mellow taste of the tofu perfectly.

Lu Beigu is quite picky about food pairings. He felt that putting animal offal together made the flavors mix, so he didn't eat much of it. Of course, there are definitely many people who like to eat it.

Besides rice, the main dish is also fresh fish dumplings. The chewy noodles are soaked in delicious fish soup and topped with a few snow-white fish slices and emerald green vegetable leaves, which are warming and filling.

The fishermen's homemade rice wine has a subtle sweetness and rice aroma, a low alcohol content, and a smooth taste, making it a perfect match for the table full of fresh lake delicacies.

The group sat around the water, enjoying their meal.

A refreshing lake breeze brought the coolness of autumn and dispelled the fatigue of days of travel.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the lake surface a golden red, with sails dotting the horizon and seagulls and egrets soaring overhead.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the lively conversation, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Zeng Gong seemed to have not been this happy in a long time. He downed a cup of rice wine in one gulp and exclaimed, "Only today do I understand what it means to 'live off the water'! The taste of these lake delicacies is indeed unmatched by those from rivers!"

"If you ask me, now that we're far from the world of martial arts, let's worry less about it!"

Wang Tao personally poured wine for Zeng Gong, then raised his cup and asked everyone, "Ouyang Xiu wrote a poem that says, 'Let us raise our cups to the east wind and enjoy this moment together.' Do you know what the second half of the poem is?"

Ouyang Xiu's "Lang Tao Sha: Raising a Cup to the East Wind" was written when he and Mei Yaochen revisited the old place in the east of Luoyang. The poem is a famous piece in the world, lamenting the times and parting. Who does not know it?
They all knew what Wang Tao meant, so no one interrupted and they all looked at Zeng Gong.

Parting and reunion are so fleeting, this sorrow is endless. This year's flowers are more beautiful than last year's. But alas, next year's flowers will be even more beautiful, but with whom will I share them?

Zeng Gong, whose life was filled with extreme bitterness, raised his wine cup and recited this half-stanza, his face displaying a complex expression that seemed to be both crying and laughing.

—This hatred is boundless!
Life is always filled with more separations than reunions, leaving endless regrets. Who knows what next year will bring?

Wang Tao stood up and urged everyone to drink, saying, "Rather than regretting wasting time later, let's drink to our hearts' content today!"

"Come, fill this cup!"

Everyone stood up and drank together, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Zeng Gong's gaunt face flushed red as he gazed at the enchanting lake in the evening breeze. He felt that this was one of the few moments of joy he would experience in the rest of his life.

Zeng Bu, who had remained silent beside Zeng Gong, also relaxed and boldly poured himself a cup of wine, raising it to toast Wang Tao: "Thank you for your hospitality, Judge Wang. I am deeply grateful!"

"Just some simple tea and food."

Wang Tao jokingly said with a smile, "You are all young talents and pillars of the nation. When you pass the imperial examination and become high-ranking officials, please don't forget to help me, Wang Tao."

(End of this chapter)