The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Bluefin Tuna ”Grand Feast

Some people are blessed with boundless luck, fortune smiling upon them as wealth rolls in.

Others are hopelessly unlucky, able to choke on a sip of water or even die from choking on their food.

Everyone’s luck is different, and so is their destiny.

Han Xiaorui went to deposit her money. ”Boss Zhang, these two bluefin tuna—which of your restaurants are you planning to sell them in?”

”Xiao Han, you want to try some, don’t you?” Boss Zhang was a businessman; the moment Han Xiaorui spoke, he knew she wanted to eat some tuna.

It wasn’t just Han Xiaorui—he wanted to eat some himself.

Han Xiaorui nodded and smiled. ”The fish are so big. I originally wanted to keep one, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish it and it would go to waste.”

Boss Zhang jumped in fright. ’Good heavens,’ he thought, ’I can’t let her keep one of them.’

He had big plans for both of these fish!

Zhang Fa Cai’s smile became even more polite. ”Xiao Han, to be honest with you, the restaurants in the county town can’t sell tuna at a high enough price.”

”One of them, I’m sending to my restaurant in the city to be a signature dish. The other, I’m preparing to sell off. The Japanese are especially fond of this stuff, so it can fetch a high price.”

”If you’d like to try some, Xiao Han, you can come to my restaurant in the city. I’ll personally host you. If it’s not convenient for you to go to the city, just wait. This afternoon, I’ll have a chef prepare a few pounds of tuna for you and have it delivered to your home. I’ll get all the seasonings and everything ready for you. How does that sound?”

Han Xiaorui had been busy all morning and wanted to rest in the afternoon. She had no desire to travel all the way to the city just for a seafood meal.

Boss Zhang’s suggestion was exactly what Han Xiaorui was hoping for.

”Boss Zhang, you really are a businessman through and through—so smooth and considerate.” Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Please send some over. I’d love to try it at home.”

”Of course. Just wait at home, Xiao Han, and I’ll have someone send it right over.” Boss Zhang smiled and continued to treat Han Xiaorui with great hospitality.

After depositing the money, Han Xiaorui bought some chicken, fish, meat, eggs, and some seasonal vegetables at the county market and carried them to the boat.

Liang Xiaoyu had already cleaned the fishing boat from top to bottom.

”Thanks for all your hard work, Sister-in-law Xiao Yu,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ”Boss Zhang is sending over some bluefin tuna meat this afternoon. Let’s invite Sister Cai over tonight, and we’ll have a bluefin tuna feast!”

Liang Xiaoyu didn’t stand on ceremony. ”Okay, my mother-in-law will be thrilled. See? Whenever you have something good to eat, you always think of me and her. She’ll want to make something nice to thank you, so you shouldn’t offer her any money.”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment and realized she had a point. ”Alright. It’s a kind gesture from Sister Cai. If I insist on paying, it would just make things awkward and distant.”

This is how relationships between people are.

Perhaps they start out of mutual benefit, but slowly, feelings develop.

But if the benefits are distributed unevenly later on, or if other things change, the relationship can be affected too.

Han Xiaorui did her best to maintain a balance, hoping their friendship would remain unchanged.

Back at home, Han Xiaoqing had already eaten with the child.

Granny Cai had made large pork chops that morning, and they hadn’t been eaten yet!

The red-braised pork chops, cooked in a rich, dark sauce, had a deep, fragrant aroma and were perfect with rice.

She reheated some rice in a pot and had that for lunch.

Every time she ate something Granny Cai made, Han Xiaorui couldn’t help but marvel.

Even with the same ingredients, what she made always seemed to be a little bit worse than Granny Cai’s cooking.

Around 5 p.m., Xiao Zhao personally delivered about six and a half pounds of tuna meat to Han Xiaorui.

It was packed in a styrofoam box with ice to keep it fresh, along with lemons and a variety of seasonings on the side.

When Granny Cai heard from her daughter-in-law that Han Xiaorui was treating her to bluefin tuna that day, she hurried to get out her old tools.

This set of tools for making sashimi hadn’t been used in a long time.

Granny Cai meticulously sharpened a knife on a whetstone, her gaze fixed on the blade with great eagerness as she muttered to herself.

The moment Uncle Cai got home and saw his wife sharpening a knife, he was so scared he dropped what he was holding, turned around, and fled the yard.

Back in the day, his wife had chased him with that very knife on more than one occasion.

It was the price for the sins of his youth, and there was nothing to be done about it. Uncle Cai knew what was good for him and made sure not to linger in Granny Cai’s presence.

He hoped that if she didn’t see him, she wouldn’t get annoyed, and his life might be spared a little longer.

Little did he know, he wasn’t even on Granny Cai’s mind!

Granny Cai was simply sharpening her knife while thinking about all the ways to prepare the bluefin tuna.

With her tools prepared, Granny Cai followed her daughter-in-law and grandson to Han Xiaorui’s house, beaming with delight.

Her eyes lit up like a hunter spotting its prey when she saw the dark red tuna meat. She quickly washed her hands and felt the block of fish; it was incredibly firm.

”Xiao Rui, Xiao Jing, today I’ll let you two see my knife skills!”

The knife skills she practiced in her youth could finally be put to use.

With a flash of her knife, Granny Cai’s movements were swift and fluid, without a moment’s hesitation.

The cuts were clean and perfectly even.

Han Xiaorui’s home was full of beautiful plates. The original Han Xiaorui used to buy any nice-looking tableware she saw whenever she was in a bad mood.

Now they were coming in handy. Han Xiaorui brought over the plates, which had been washed and dried.

Beautifully colored, rectangular pieces of tuna sashimi were arranged neatly on the plates.

Granny Cai’s plating was also beautiful. She garnished the sides with flowers carved from carrots and daikon radish, along with shredded pieces.

Three whole platters of sashimi filled the air with their fresh aroma.

The second dish: Pan-Seared Tuna. The tuna is seared in a pan until golden brown on both sides, ready to be served with scallions or other seasonings.

The third dish: Tuna Tofu Patties. The tuna is mixed with tofu, onion, cabbage, and other ingredients to make patties that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The fourth dish: Tuna Sushi. The tuna is thinly sliced, placed on top of rice, and rolled with nori or other seaweed to make sushi.

Han Xiaorui watched, mesmerized, as Granny Cai worked like a magician. With swift cuts of her knife, the large block of tuna was transformed into a variety of delicious dishes in under half an hour.

”Sister Cai, how do you know how to make Japanese sushi?” Han Xiaorui asked. It seemed like something the Japanese ate more often.

Granny Cai chuckled. ”Nowadays, they show it on TV and call it Japanese sushi. But really, we’ve had this way of eating for a long time here. Isn’t it just a rice ball? You just add some stuff inside and wrap it in a layer of dried seaweed.”

”But the ones they make are prettier than the ones we make at home. So I had a carpenter make some tools for me. And I have to say, when you cut it into slices like this, it looks very neat and proper.”

A sweet soup of peach gum and red dates was also simmering in a pot.

This was tonight’s dinner.

Laid out on the table, it was a true feast for the eyes.

”Sister Cai, let’s eat first. We can clean up the kitchen later—it’ll help with digestion,” Han Xiaorui said with a laugh. It wasn’t just the child who was getting impatient; she, an adult, couldn’t stop swallowing her own saliva.

Cai Wenjun even ran into the kitchen and tugged on Granny Cai’s arm. ”Grandma, time to eat.”

Seeing her grandson act like this, Granny Cai was so happy she grinned from ear to ear.

’Good food to eat, and healthy family and friends by your side—these are what make for good days.’

’As for those annoying people, just treat them like a fart—let it out and forget about it.’

Granny Cai had a broad-minded perspective and enjoyed the delicious meal with everyone.

Han Xiaorui tried a bit of everything. She had to admit, the Japanese really knew how to eat. No wonder bluefin tuna was so expensive!