Song of Adolescence

Chapter 203 Daughter Red

The group of them walked to a small alley in the middle of the small fishing town. By then, the sun was setting and all the households nearby had lit their candles. The aroma of cooked food drifted into the small alley, giving them a feeling of warmth.

"Ah, I feel homesick." Lei Wujie sniffed.

Xiao Se and Tang Lian both gathered their sleeves and did not say anything.

"We’re here." Zhenzhu pushed open a small and somewhat dilapidated door, and inside was completely dark when they walked in. Zhenzhu ran into the back of the house and emerged again holding a candle which she used to light the lanterns hanging in the small yard.

Lei Wujie looked at the small but tidy courtyard, and asked in surprise, "Do you live alone?"

Zhenzhu nodded. "Father has gone to work at the Sea Municipal Government and my mother passed away when I was very young. But my cousin lives next door, so sometimes I will eat at his place. "

"This yard is rather small, but it’s considered quite clean." Xiao Se sat down on a stone bench.

"The weather is turning cold now. It’s better if we sit inside," Zhenzhu said.

"No, let\'s build a stove in the yard, and we can also boil the fish soup here." Tang Lian shook the wooden bucket he was holding. That blue-spotted grouper was still wiggling uncomfortably inside.

"Okay." Zhenzhu immediately turned around and went into the kitchen. Tang Lian put down the bucket and followed after her.

Xiao Se whispered to Lei Wujie, "I\'m afraid this girl is interested in you."

Lei Wujie dismissed him with a "bah!" and added, "She’s only seen me a few times. How can she be interested already?"

Xiao Se said faintly, "Then do you know Ruoyi very well?"

Lei Wujie was taken aback and did not answer.

Xiao Se yawned. "That’s how feelings work. A meeting by chance is such a moment, unexpected and catches you off guard. Sometimes, all it takes is one look, one moment. You can’t describe it."

"Xiao Se, do you already have a Princess Consort or something?" Lei Wujie asked suddenly.

Xiao Se choked on his breath. "N-no!"

"Then do you like Ruoyi?" Lei Wujie asked again.

"Why should I tell you?" Xiao Se glared at him.

"So you do like her," Lei Wujie said.

"I don\'t like her," Xiao Se snapped.

"Then do you like Qianluo-shijie?" Lei Wujie smiled wickedly.

Xiao Se drew out his Wuji staff, knocked it on the ground a few times, and said coldly, "You only have one life."

"Who are you trying to scare?" Lei Wujie stepped forward and pushed Xiao Se to the ground. "Think I don\'t know how you are now?"

Xiao Se was pushed to the ground and fell defencelessly on his back. He was also caught off guard and lay there stunned for a while. After a long time, he came around and got up viciously with his staff, preparing to beat up Lei Wujie.

"Stop squabbling and come help." Tang Lian walked out holding a pile of firewood, and Lei Wujie rushed forward to avoid the angry Xiao Se. The two of them started a fire where they were, while Xiao Se sat on his own to one side, seething in anger as he glared at them silently.

After the fire started, Tang Lian inserted two wooden sticks on both sides of the fire, and set another one in the middle. Then he lifted an iron pot and slung it on the middle stick, took out some fine powder from his clothes and rubbed it into the belly of the blue-spotted grouper which had been cleaned. After that, he used his hand to rub lightly across the fish belly and stitched it up again.

"Shixiong, what poison did you put in it?" Lei Wujie asked, showing his aversion. The Tang Clan used poison ruthlessly, second only to the long-established Wen Clan. This was something they’d all seen for themselves.

"Just some spices." Tang Lian put the blue-spotted grouper into the iron pot, and poured in a large pot of clean water. “First, we’ll let the pot of water boil. Then, we’ll remove some of the firewood and let it simmer slowly. Lastly, we’ll add a pinch of salt and it’ll be ready to drink. The final soup is milky white, delicious and mellow. The fish is also melted into the soup, and the meat will be very tender."

"Shixiong, you’re quite the chef too?" Lei Wujie exclaimed.

"I’m always sent out on some task or mission by shizun. Inevitably, I’ll spend many nights in the open so I’ve slowly developed these skills." Tang Lian stood up. "Now, we wait."

At this time, Zhenzhu also brought out a few dishes from the kitchen and placed them on the stone table. They were dried fish, sea snails, and finally, a large plate of crabs. Xiao Se\'s face twitched and Tang Lian also smiled awkwardly. Zhenzhu sheepishly brushed aside the fringe on her forehead that had been mussed up by the wind. "My family is not very rich either. Sorry about that."

"Don’t be sorry. We were all born inland and we rarely have the opportunity to eat such fresh sea crabs." Xiao Se smiled softly, took the lead and picked up a crab from the table. "Everyone, let\'s eat first. That fish is probably going to take a while."

Lei Wujie and Tang Lian also sat down, and Lei Wujie sighed, "I wish there was wine."

Xiao Se glanced at Tang Lian. "Da-shixiong, aren\'t you the progeny of the Wine Immortal? You also received the “Wine Scripture.” Didn’t you learn how to brew wine?”

Tang Lian frowned. "I’ve indeed read the “Wine Scriptures” but all the wines in that book are a little odd…"

"I have wine in my house!" Zhenzhu walked up to an old pagoda tree at the side of the yard. "There is wine under this tree. I saw my father bury it here with my own eyes."

"Oh?" Tang Lian walked over, probed in the soil, and nodded. "There’s really wine here." Then he patted his hand lightly on the ground and the buried jug of wine suddenly flew out of the soil. Tang Lian reached out and grabbed the jug, laughed, and jumped back to the stone table.

"That was amazing!" Zhenzhu exclaimed.

Tang Lian opened the wine jar, took a deep sniff and exclaimed, "It smells good."

The fragrance of the wine filled the yard and Lei Wujie grabbed his bowl, intending to get some of it. However, Xiao Se reached out and stopped him. "We can\'t drink this."

"Why can\'t we drink it?" Lei Wujie asked.

"Indeed, we can’t drink it." Tang Lian closed the wine jar again.

"This wine is Nü’er Hong," Xiao Se said slowly. "There’s a tradition in Beili. When a daughter reaches the age of twelve, they will bury a jar of Nü’er Hong in the yard. Only when the daughter is getting married, then they’ll take it out to drink. This is her wedding wine. If you want to drink it now, are you intending to marry her?"

"It\'s okay." Zhenzhu walked over quickly, snatched the wine jar, and poured it out for them. "I’m not going to get married. If I get married, my father will be all alone. Just as well we drink up this wine today. That’ll make him give up on those ideas."

Tang Lian thought for a while and said, "How about this. I will go to the market tomorrow to buy another pot of Nü’er Hong, and we\'ll bury it back secretly."

"Good idea!" Lei Wujie couldn\'t resist any more and picked up the cup to take a big mouthful.

"Alright then." Xiao Se also took a sip.

"Knock knock knock." At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Zhenzhu rushed to her feet. "Must be my cousin here to deliver some food."

Tang Lian and Xiao Se exchanged a look and immediately reached out to stop her. They shook their heads gently. "That’s not your cousin."

"Knock knock knock." There were three more knocks on the door.

Zhenzhu raised her head and saw many birds in the yard startled into flight.

"A martial expert." Lei Wujie put down his wine cup and sighed.