The person speaking was Sun Dongmei, who had only recently married into the Courtyard. Her husband, Li Tiezhu, also worked at the Red Star Rolling Mill.
Li Anquan wasn't very familiar with Sun Dongmei. As he was debating whether to trade for some eggplants to make a dish of stewed catfish with eggplant, Third Aunt and Mrs. Jia chimed in from the side.
"We’re all in the same courtyard, so why trade? His family can’t finish all that! This fish is public property, so we should just divide it up among everyone!"
As soon as Third Aunt finished speaking, Mrs. Jia quickly echoed her, "Exactly, exactly! This is all public property. Since you caught the fish, everyone should share in it!"
Li Anquan was so angered by their remarks that he laughed. Though he might not be physically imposing, he certainly wouldn't be bested in a war of words.
"By your logic, all the fish your Yan Fugui catches are public property too. How come I’ve never seen you share a single one with us? How do you even have the nerve to talk about sharing the fish?"
"You two really are quite the pair. You’re made for each other—always looking to take advantage of others without ever checking yourselves!"
"And you, Mrs. Jia, you’re so plump and well-fed, no wonder you have such a thick skin!"
"Though... how do you manage to be so utterly shameless?"
Li Anquan was firing on all cylinders, leaving Third Aunt and Mrs. Jia looking quite sour.
Third Aunt had clearly forgotten about that little detail and attempted to defend herself.
"My old man has never caught any fish. He almost always comes back empty-handed. If he ever did catch one, of course I’d share it with everyone!"
Before Li Anquan could respond, Sun Dongmei, standing nearby, couldn't take it anymore.
"My, you lot really are something! Anquan only has two children left at home, and you’re still bullying him? Teacher Yan has never caught fish? Just yesterday, after school, he brought back several crucian carp. Do you take us for blind?"
"Third Aunt, if we go by your logic, why didn't you share the fish from your house?"
"And you, Mrs. Jia, while you’re out here bullying other people’s children, just wait until your own grandson and granddaughter get bullied by others!"
Because Sun Dongmei had only recently arrived at the Courtyard, she didn't feel the need to walk on eggshells around anyone. Furthermore, she had a blunt, straightforward personality, and her words struck home, leaving the two women speechless.
Mrs. Jia stood stunned for a moment before resorting to her signature tactic: sitting on the ground and wailing.
"Oh, Heavens! I’m being bullied! They’re picking on a poor old woman whose husband is gone and whose son just passed away!"
"Dongxu! Come back quickly! And you, you old goat, come back too and take all these people who are bullying us away!"
Sun Dongmei, having just enjoyed a total victory, stood frozen in place. This old woman was truly shameless.
Although this era discouraged feudal superstitions, deep down, most people still held them in great regard. Sun Dongmei felt a wave of panic and took two steps back. Seeing this, Li Anquan stepped forward to shield her.
"Mrs. Jia, do you have any shame left? Do you think you’re the only one with a Old Jia and a little Jia?"
"If we’re really talking about calling on people, my side has more than yours!"
"Besides, this is feudal superstition. I’m going to report you to the Public Security Bureau shortly to teach you a lesson. It seems you didn't learn from the lesson I gave Qin Huairu and He Yuzhu yesterday, so you’re back to your bullying. Do you really take the Public Security Bureau and the Support-the-Military Office for mere decorations?"
Li Anquan’s expression was grim. As he spoke, Mrs. Jia, who had been wailing and throwing a tantrum on the ground, began to panic. She remembered the price the others had paid yesterday; what if she were forced to pay money too?
Her crying stopped abruptly. Without caring what anyone thought, she dusted off her backside and scrambled up.
"What did I say? I didn't say anything! Oh my, it’s getting late. I need to go back and cook for the kids!"
Watching Mrs. Jia scurry away in a panic, Third Aunt also beat a hasty retreat back to her own home.
The others who had been hovering by the water tap didn't come over either, simply returning to their previous conversations. Sun Dongmei was just about to leave when Li Anquan reached out to stop her."Aunt Sun, thank you for speaking up for me. I really can't finish this fish myself, so why don't you take some eggplants over? I'm planning to make catfish stewed with eggplant, and you can have the whole big catfish head!"
In these times, a bite of meat wasn't easy to come by, while eggplants cost only a few cents per jin. Although there wasn't much meat on a catfish head, it would still provide a taste of something hearty.
Sun Dongmei felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh my, wouldn't I be taking advantage of you? Is there anything else you need? Let me go home and find something for you. A fish head like that must weigh at least a jin or two!"
Li Anquan waved his hand dismissively. "Aunt Sun, there's hardly any meat on this head, so you're not taking advantage of me at all. It's settled—I'll chop the head off as soon as I get inside. Just bring over a few eggplants when you come by."
Sun Dongmei licked her lips. Seeing that Li Anquan had made up his mind, she excitedly ran to the cellar in the backyard to fetch the eggplants.
The cellar was warm in winter and cool in summer, making it an excellent place to store vegetables. It was a communal space used by everyone in the Courtyard. In the summer, the low temperature kept vegetables from rotting, and in the winter, the geothermal heat kept them from freezing.
When Li Anquan arrived at his front door, he saw Li Dujuan sitting on the threshold, resting her chin in her hands and staring up at the sky.
"Dujuan, your brother is home! Look at what I've got in my hands!"
Li Dujuan had been searching for stars in the sky. Her brother told her that their mother had turned into a star and was watching over her, so she had developed a hobby of looking at the sky.
But when little Dujuan saw the giant catfish in her brother's hands, she immediately sprang up from the threshold and rushed toward Li Anquan.
"Brother, this... this fish is so, so big! Where did you get it?"
The little girl didn't mind the fishy smell at all; she wasn't afraid in the slightest and reached out to touch the slime on the catfish's skin.
Li Anquan laughed as he entered the room and dropped the large fish into a basin. After washing his hands, he walked over to the basin, looked at his sister who was still staring intently at the giant catfish, and ruffled the little girl's hair."This is what I caught today. I'll make you stewed catfish with eggplant in a little while!"
The little girl had truly never tasted much meat; seeing the big catfish, she wanted to pounce on it and take a bite right then and there!
"Alright, alright, alright. Brother, then hurry up and cook it. Is there anything I can help with?"
Seven-year-old Li Dujuan was exceptionally obedient and sensible; she knew how to help out.
Li Anquan didn't want to dampen Xiao Dujuan’s enthusiasm, so he pointed to the earthen stove nearby.
"You heat up the pot first while I dress the fish. I’m going to trade the fish head for some eggplant—we don’t have any vegetables at home."
The little girl didn’t mind the details; as long as she could eat fish, it was fine. Everything else was left up to her brother.
She ran quickly to the stove, skillfully lit the wood inside, and began fanning the flames with a small fan.
After dressing the fish, Li Anquan chopped off the large head with a forceful blow, leaving plenty of meat on it. He believed in returning kindness for kindness.
Before long, Sun Dongmei brought over six or seven eggplants, weighing a little over a pound. The eggplants in this era were quite small, but they were delicious.
"Anquan, there’s too much meat on this fish head. You should take some off!"
Looking at the fish head Li Anquan had handed her, Sun Dongmei felt a bit uneasy.
Li Anquan smiled. "Aunt Sun, we’re trading fairly. If I catch any more fish, I’ll be coming to you to trade for vegetables again, so let’s not keep such strict count."
Looking at the fish head in her hand, Sun Dongmei felt a surge of gratitude. "Fine, from now on, whenever you need vegetables, just come to my place and ask!"
Watching Sun Dongmei leave, Li Anquan put the fish and eggplant into the pot and then went over to the bed to check the haul from his fishing trip today.