American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness.

Chapter 421 Human Moments and Home

The spicy yet mellow liquor slid down my throat like a warm lightning bolt, instantly igniting my entire chest and dispelling the last trace of chill I had brought back from the icy plains.

"Good wine!" Wang Hu downed the cup in one gulp, exhaled a long breath of alcohol, and his face was full of satisfaction.

"Brother Tiger, how did you get here?" Lin Yu'an asked curiously, picking up a peanut.

Wang Hu sighed, a hint of reminiscence on his face: "Alas, the child has no mother, it's a long story. Years ago, I was a seafood trader, following the deep-sea fishing boats."

"Once the boat broke down here and it would take half a month to repair. I couldn't stand it! So I went down for a walk and ended up in a bar where a group of drunk white men were harassing Marina."

Marina listened with a happy smile on her face; clearly, she had heard this story countless times, but still loved it.

"You know how bad my temper is, right? I didn't say a word back then, I just went up and gave him a good beating with electric cannons!"

Although I got beaten up like a pig's head, I managed to save a wife.

"And then what?" Noah listened with great interest, as if she were listening to a fairy tale about a knight rescuing a princess.

"Later—" Wang Hu chuckled, revealing an expression that every man understands, "and then—she slept with me."

"Pfft—" Lin Yu'an almost spat out his drink.

Noah listened in stunned silence, her cheeks flushed. The story was completely different from the romantic fairy tale she had imagined.

Marina, listening nearby, wasn't shy at all; instead, she added, "That's how it is here. If you see something you like, you just drag it into the tent!"

Wang Hu slapped his thigh: "Listen to this! This woman only likes me because I'm handsome, 1.9 meters tall, and considered a dashing young man for miles around back home!"

"I woke up the next morning and thought, 'This is it, I'm done for. The girl's already gone this far, and I'm a man from Northeast China, I can't just abandon her after we've done this!'"

"Then we went to register our marriage. You know what, the Greenlandic marriage process is really something!"

It is not under Danish jurisdiction; it has its own system.

"Since I'm a foreigner, I have to go to the municipal office and submit a ton of documents. Passport, visa, single status certificate—and the most ridiculous thing is, this single status certificate has to be double-authenticated!"

"What is dual authentication?" Lin Yu'an asked.

"I have to get a notary office in China first, then take that certificate to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get it stamped, and finally send it to the Danish Embassy in China to get it stamped again! Isn't that troublesome?"

"That's not all," Wang Hu said, taking a sip of his drink. "After you submit the documents, they'll review them. If they pass, they'll issue you a marriage certificate."

"This thing is only valid for four months. You have to get married within those four months. Otherwise, you'll have to go through the whole process again."

"Then you have to book the wedding. You can choose to have it held at the city hall, with the mayor officiating, or you can choose a church. Marina and I, of course, chose a church—it looks more sophisticated!"

Marina added happily from the side, "It was snowing that day, it was so beautiful."

"The last step, and the funniest one," Wang Hu said mysteriously, "is that after the wedding, the priest will give you a marriage certificate."

"But this certificate is not recognized in China! You have to take it back to the municipal office and exchange it for an official marriage registration certificate."

"Then take this certificate and go through the double authentication process I just mentioned, and send it back to China. Only then can your household registration book in China change your status from unmarried to married."

"My God—this is really complicated." Noah listened in a daze, glancing thoughtfully at Lin Yu'an.

"That's right!" Wang Hu exclaimed. "I spent more than half a year going back and forth to get this wedding done."

But it was worth it, to have married such a wonderful wife. Later, I even took Marina back to Northeast China to live for two years.

A hint of homesickness flickered in Wang Hu's eyes: "Let her see what real iron pot stewed goose is like, and what it means to have to bring an ice pop indoors to thaw before eating it at minus thirty degrees Celsius."

"Then why did you come back again?" Lin Yu'an asked.

Wang Hu sighed, his smile fading slightly: "Well, back the year before last—we had face masks, didn't we?"

His voice lowered, "Back then, things were very strict back home. We figured we shouldn't go back and cause trouble for the country, so we'd just stay here obediently. And that stay lasted for more than two years. We didn't go home for Chinese New Year for two years."

Wang Hu raised his glass: "It would be a lie to say I don't miss home. Especially during holidays, seeing other people's homes bustling with activity, it makes me feel like a cat is scratching at my heart."

"But I've gotten used to it. I run a small guesthouse in town, specifically catering to tourists from China. I take them to see the aurora borealis, do dog sledding—life is simple, but fulfilling!"

Wang Hu suddenly raised his head, lifted his glass, and addressed Lin Yu'an and Nuoya: "So, brother, I'm truly happy to see you today! It's like seeing family! Come on! Enough said, it's all in the drink! Cheers!"

At this moment, Lin Yu'an finally understood the loneliness and homesickness hidden behind Wang Hu's overflowing enthusiasm.

He raised his glass and solemnly clinked it against Wang Hu's: "Brother Hu, a toast to you. And a toast to all Chinese people who are working hard to make a living in foreign lands."

"Dry!"

As they were talking, an incredibly rich and almost overwhelming aroma wafted out from the kitchen.

It has a complex aroma, with both the strong soy sauce aroma of soybean paste bursting in hot oil and the unique tangy flavor of pickled cabbage released in boiling soup.

The most crucial element is the rich and savory flavor of the deep-sea fish oil, which is extracted by high temperatures and perfectly blends with the broth.

This aroma directly pierced Lin Yu'an's taste memory, landing precisely on the Northeast Iron Pot Stew.

"Oh dear! The pot's boiling!" Wang Hu jumped off the kang (heated brick bed), a smug look on his face, like a chef about to showcase his culinary skills. "The main dish is ready! I'll go get it!"

"Be careful, stay calm!" Marina said from behind as she got off the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Oh dear, you spendthrift woman, worrying unnecessarily. Do you think my child can't even hold a basin? Don't get off the bed and make a fuss, I'll do it."

A moment later, Wang Hu came out carrying a large stainless steel basin with a diameter of about half a meter. Inside was the fattest and most delicious middle section of the halibut from that day.

"I cut off the middle section of that big guy; this piece must weigh twenty pounds!"

Wang Hu placed the basin in the middle of the table with a loud thud, causing the solid wood dining table to tremble three times, indicating its considerable weight.

In the pot, huge chunks of mackerel were stewed until the skin split open, revealing the snow-white, jade-like, distinct layers of garlic-like flesh inside.

The fish skin was thicker than half a finger, trembling precariously in the boiling broth, much like the skirt of a soft-shelled turtle, and looked like it was full of gelatinous substance that could stick to the lips.

Beneath the fish was a thick layer of stewed, golden-yellow sauerkraut from Northeast China.

There were also several pieces of frozen tofu covered with honeycomb-like holes, which had soaked up the broth like sponges and become plump.

On top, a handful of bright green scallions and cilantro were sprinkled—in Greenland, where vegetables are more expensive than meat, this small patch of green is a luxurious garnish.

"Come on! Let's eat!" Wang Hu called out enthusiastically. "This is a genuine deep-sea halibut, a big one that's lived for at least ten years!"

"This stuff costs several hundred crowns for a piece the size of your palm in a restaurant! Today, thanks to you, we can eat as much as we want!"

Lin Yu'an smiled and shook his head, picked up his wine glass, and looked at Wang Hu seriously: "Brother Hu, you've got that backwards."

Wang Hu was taken aback: "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"It's not that you're benefiting from my success, it's that I'm benefiting from yours," Lin Yu'an said sincerely. "Such a good fish, if it ended up in my hands, I'd probably just boil it in water and dip it in soy sauce."

"Noah and I are both kitchen idiots. It would be a real waste for us to have such good stuff in our hands."

He paused, looking at the pot of delicious-looking stewed fish on the table: "So, Tiger, don't be shy. I've saved the rest of the big piece for you."

"What?!" Wang Hu's chopsticks stopped, his eyes widening in disbelief. "That won't do! That's at least a hundred pounds! That stuff is worth a lot of money!"

"Money doesn't matter." Lin Yu'an waved his hand, looking indifferent. "To be honest, I came here this time just to experience the process of fighting a giant with a hand line."

"This fish is a pleasant surprise. Its best destiny is here, to become a dish in your pot."

He looked at Wang Hu and grinned, "Besides, if I leave the fish here, then Nuoya and I will have a place to eat whenever we want fish, right? You can't just kick us out, can you?"

After hearing this, Wang Hu was stunned for three seconds, then burst into a hearty laugh.

"Hahahaha! You're a good kid! You've got guts!" Wang Hu patted his chest. "No problem, brother! Just for that, this place is yours from now on! You can come whenever you want!"

After saying that, Wang Hu picked up a full glass of baijiu: "No need for further words, it's all in the liquor! I'll drink this first as a sign of respect!"

Lin Yu'an smiled, raised his glass, and clinked it heavily with Wang Hu's. This exchange made the atmosphere at the table even more warm and harmonious.

Noah watched from the side. Although she didn't quite understand some of what was being said, she could feel the unspoken generosity between the men.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and eat, the food's getting cold," Marina urged with a smile.

"Yes, yes, let's eat fish!" Lin Yu'an didn't stand on ceremony anymore. He picked up his chopsticks and put a large piece of the fattest fish belly meat with the skin on into Nuoya's bowl.

"Try it, the real taste of the Arctic, combined with the authentic soul of Northeast China."

Then, he picked up a piece for himself. The moment it entered his mouth, Lin Yu'an's eyes narrowed comfortably.

That's amazing. Absolutely amazing.

The moment the fish enters your mouth, without even needing much chewing, the snow-white, garlic-like flesh melts gently on your tongue, releasing a fresh and sweet flavor with a hint of the ocean.

This is unlike any other freshwater fish; it has no muddy taste whatsoever, only the unique sweetness and subtle oily aroma of seafood.

Because of its long lifespan, the fish meat, though coarse in texture, becomes tender and juicy after being slowly stewed by Wang Hu with just the right amount of heat.

Instead, it exhibits a firm, chewy texture similar to top-quality free-range chicken. With each chew, you can feel the plump meat bouncing between your teeth.

The most amazing part was the fish skin. After being stewed for a long time, the thick fish skin had completely melted away, turning into a sticky, gelatinous substance.

It melts in your mouth with a gentle lick of your tongue, leaving only a rich, collagen-rich texture that sticks your lips together.

"Wow—" Noah took a small bite, and an incredible light instantly shone in her black eyes as she chewed happily, like a little squirrel that had stolen a nut.

Lin Yu'an then reached his chopsticks towards the bottom of the bowl. He picked up a piece of golden pickled cabbage that had soaked up the fish soup and put it in his mouth.

"hiss""

That's it!

Wang Hu's homemade sauerkraut has just the right amount of acidity, without the pungent vinegar smell of industrially produced sauerkraut, only the mellow and sour aroma brought about by fermentation.

The crisp and refreshing pickled cabbage perfectly neutralized the rich oiliness of the halibut, sweeping away all the greasiness.

At the same time, it greedily absorbs the deliciousness of the fish soup. With one bite, the five flavors of sour, fresh, fragrant, salty and spicy explode in your mouth!

That tangy, refreshing sensation shot straight to the top of your head, making every pore on your body open up.

"Delicious!!" Noah finally swallowed the fish in her mouth and exclaimed sincerely, "Brother Wang, this is even better than the best restaurant I've had in Canada!"

"Absolutely!" Wang Hu puffed out his chest proudly upon hearing this, as if the praise made him even happier than breaking the world record. "Those Western chefs know nothing!"

He raised his glass and launched into his culinary pronouncements: "Such fine fish, so rich in oil, and they insist on frying or grilling it, drying out all the most precious oil! What do you call that? That's a complete waste!"

"Our ancestors figured it out long ago! This kind of deep-sea cold-water fish is very oily, so you have to use soybean paste and pickled cabbage to 'de-oil' it, to 'stew' it! Then you stew it to extract the oil, which then melts into the vegetables and soup, allowing the glass noodles and tofu to absorb it. That's called making the most of everything!"

"Brother Tiger, with your skills, you could open a Chinese restaurant right here in Ilulissat and it would be a huge success, let alone back in China," Lin Yu'an said, picking up a piece of frozen tofu.

The moment he bit into the tofu, the scalding hot broth, a blend of fish oil and pickled cabbage, burst open in his mouth, making him gasp for breath, yet he couldn't bear to spit it out.

"Hehe, that's right. I just don't have time, but I do have time to open one. Come on, have a bite!" Wang Hu's face lit up with joy.

The two toasted each other, and the atmosphere became extremely lively.

Mars, crouching under the table, was already tormented by the aroma, making whiny "woof woof" sounds.

Marina felt a pang of sympathy and got up to go to the kitchen. She picked out a large piece of fish tail meat with few bones, mashed it, poured some fish soup over it, mixed in a spoonful of seal oil, and put it in its special food bowl.

Mars immediately buried itself in the pot, shoving its entire head into the basin, its tail wagging like a runaway propeller, making happy "smacking" sounds, not even bothering to lift its head.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Wang Hu's face was flushed from drinking, his eyes were slightly glazed with alcohol, and he gradually became more talkative.

He put down his wine glass, let out a long sigh, and looked at Lin Yu'an with a complicated expression.

"Brother, to be honest, when I saw you release that 200-plus kilogram fish today, I was really—fuckedly touched."

Wang Hu lit a cigarette, and in the swirling smoke, his thoughts seemed to drift back to the past.

"Our generation was terrified of poverty when we were young. Back then, when we were out trying to make a living, we only had one thought in our minds: make money! We were capable of anything when we were young."

"Back then, I felt that you had to fight for what you could fight for and take what you could take. That was real skill, that was wolfishness."

""

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and flicked his cigarette ash: "But now that I'm this age, especially after living abroad for so long, looking back, I realize how carelessly I used to live."

"We Chinese, deep down, value the concept of 'the Way' (道). I used to think that earning more money in front of foreigners meant gaining face."

"But after seeing what you did today, I finally understand—what is true face?"

Wang Hu slammed his hand on the table, pointed at Lin Yu'an, and said sternly, "Perspective is all about face!"

"You not only won the game and broke the record, you also showed those foreigners the spirit of the Chinese people! That's what true character is," that's what real face is!"

"That German guy, Hans, when he signed your autograph today, his eyes changed completely, like he was looking at a god. He was truly impressed!"

Wang Hu became more and more excited as he spoke, and poured himself another glass of wine.

"So, brother, from now on, if you need anything here, just say the word! Whether you need a guide, a car repair, or just want some pickled cabbage, Tiger will be there for you anytime."

"Not for anything else, but for the dignity you've earned for the Chinese people today!"

Lin Yu'an was deeply moved by Wang Hu's heartfelt words. He could understand the era's imprint that Wang Hu's generation carried, and he could also feel the deep sense of national pride that Wang Hu felt at that moment.

Lin Yu'an also raised his glass: "Brother Tiger, I understand what you mean by 'the Way.' The reason we can now confidently pursue this 'Way' is ultimately because our country is strong, our lives are better, and we no longer need to fight tooth and nail for survival."

"So, this face is not something I earned alone; it's something all of us Chinese who are working hard overseas have earned together."

"This glass is a toast to fate, that brought us together at the ends of the earth; a toast to my sister-in-law, who made our home the warmest harbor; and a toast to ourselves, for no matter where we are, we have never forgotten our roots, nor lost our souls!"

"To fate!" Noah followed suit, raising her small wine glass, her face flushed, clearly a little tipsy from the vodka.

Wang Hu's eyes were a little red. He raised his glass high and said in a loud voice, "Well said! For the spirit we haven't lost!"

"Dry!!!"

The four glasses clinked together crisply in the air, splashing liquid everywhere.

But inside this eclectic little cabin, beside a steaming pot of sauerkraut stewed halibut, it felt as warm as spring.

This is the essence of life. No matter where you are in the world, as long as you have friends, wine, and stories, that's home.

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