Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 475: Chapter 249: Grilled Fish on a Snowy Night

Juhua had only one sleeve left to sew on the cotton-padded jacket she was working on, and she planned to finish it tonight. After hearing what Yang said, she tucked the jacket under her arm and was about to get up when Yang quickly stopped her. "There’s only a little bit left on this jacket. Let me finish it," she said. "You won’t be able to relax and have fun if you bring it with you. Why don’t you just leave it here and go enjoy roasting the fish? Let us have a taste when it’s done."

Juhua knew Yang was just saying that to put her at ease, so she didn’t stand on ceremony. She handed the jacket to Yang and went to the kitchen herself.

An oil lamp was already lit in the kitchen. In its dim yellow glow, three figures sat on small stools, gathered around a brazier where charcoal was burning. The light reflected off their vibrant faces, which were brimming with smiles and eager anticipation.

Seeing Juhua come in, Zhang Huai quickly stood up and asked, "Juhua, tell us, how should we season the fish? I can do it. You shouldn’t get your hands dirty. It’s cold out, and it’d be easy for your hands to get chilled."

Juhua smiled and told him, "You don’t need to put anything else on it. The fish has already been marinated with a little salt, so it’s not too salty. If you want it spicy, just spread some chili paste on it. If not, you can just skewer it with a bamboo stick and grill it as is."

Qingmu laughed. "It’s hard to grill them on skewers. I have an idea. We can just lay the fire tongs across the brazier, with the two legs spread apart, and place the fish on top to grill. We can use chopsticks to flip them."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Huai quickly said, "That’s a great idea. I’ll go get my family’s fire tongs, too. An extra one will keep the fish from falling off." With that, he hurried out.

After some bustling about, two pairs of fire tongs were set up over the brazier, their four legs parallel. Five or six small fish were laid side-by-side across them, sizzling from the charcoal fire below. Qingmu and Zhang Huai constantly flipped them with chopsticks, afraid of burning them. The chopsticks were too short, and the heat from the charcoal fire roasted their hands red.

Zhang Yang kept sniffing the air and said, "It smells so good! So good! I want the one with chili paste. Brother, flip it, quick! Look, it’s about to burn, it’s already golden brown. Sister Juhua, can we eat it now?"

Juhua sat to one side, her whole body toasty warm from the fire, watching the three of them bustle about with a smile. The scene was so heartwarming that eating the fish had become secondary. Hearing Zhang Yang’s question, she answered with a laugh, "You can eat it now. Brother, Brother Huai Zi, take them off the heat. These fish aren’t big, so they cook quickly. Any longer and they’ll get tough."

Hearing this, Zhang Huai and Qingmu grabbed the coarse porcelain bowls from the small square table and picked up the fish. Then they used another pair of chopsticks to place fresh fish onto the tongs to grill.

Without waiting for an invitation, Zhang Yang grabbed the tail of a small fish with his hand and, tilting his head back, began to gnaw on it. He was instantly scalded, grimacing in pain. He held the first bite in his mouth, rolling it around with his tongue, not daring to chew or swallow. It was a good while before he could finally start chewing.

Qingmu couldn’t help but laugh at the sight and told Juhua to hurry up and eat, too.

Zhang Huai quickly held out the bowl to her and asked with a gentle smile, "Will you use your hands or chopsticks? Your hands are probably better; it’s more convenient. You can just wash them later anyway. You pick one, and I’ll take the rest to my mom and auntie."

Juhua looked at his face, flickering between light and shadow in the wavering lamplight. Only his eyes shone brightly, like stars in the night sky. She gave him a small smile, first folding up her handkerchief, before picking out a fish without chili paste. Just like Zhang Yang, she pinched the tail with two fingers, supported the head with her other hand, and took a bite from the middle.

’It really is delicious. The skin is crispy and the meat is tender and fragrant.’

Seeing that she had taken one, Huai Zi gave a soft chuckle and carried the bowl out to the main hall.

Once outside, he saw the courtyard was a dim white under the night sky, diluting the pitch-black of the night. Where the door opened, the light illuminated a faint path. The falling snow drifted into the light, dense and hurried.

In the main hall, Yang and He were talking in low voices. Seeing Huai Zi push the door open and enter, they stopped and asked with a smile, "Are they ready?" Noticing the large bowl in his hand, she added with a laugh, "Don’t put too much chili paste on. Eating spicy food this late at night can upset your stomach."

Huai Zi nodded and said, "This was the first batch. We weren’t sure how much to use. We put less on the next ones."

He took the bowl, and smelling the aroma, she laughed. "Eating all this again... you won’t sleep well tonight!"

Yang said, "Don’t worry, it’s not that much. Huai Zi, you go on and have fun. We’ll bring the bowl and chopsticks over when we’re done."

Huai Zi agreed, then added, "No need for you to bring it, Auntie. I’ll come get it later." He then turned and went out again, pulling the door closed behind him.

As they ate their fish, Yang and He began to quietly discuss the matter of Huai Zi and Juhua’s marriage.