C5 Grandpa Makes Fish Soup

"Zhu, are you okay? Oh no, are you still not feeling well? This isn't good!"

"It's all your fault! You didn't look after Zhu properly!"

Sung Xiangqian hurriedly helped Sung Zhu to the shore and made sure she was seated comfortably, his face etched with concern.

Sung Xiangdong stopped fishing and came over to check on Sung Zhu.

"I'm fine, look, I caught a big fish!"

Sung Zhu mustered a smile and proudly held up her "big fish."

In reality, the fish was only about half the size of an adult's palm, weighing at most half a pound.

But for those who had been starving and unable to fish in the river, it was an enticing catch!

"Zhu is the strongest of us all, even stronger than us. Listen, Zhu, we should take you back home. We can come back another time." Sung Xiangdong, more aware of the situation than Sung Xiangqian, noticed Zhu's pale complexion and feared her illness might worsen if she hadn't fully recovered.

"Exactly, Zhu caught a big fish; let's have grandpa cook it for you!"

Sung Xiangqian wasn't envious of Zhu's catch; the brothers were simply concerned for her well-being.

"Alright, grandpa will make fish soup, and you're all invited to eat!" Sung Zhu felt very weak, probably due to the earlier shock.

Not daring to stay out any longer, she decided to head home to rest.

The brothers gathered their belongings and escorted Sung Zhu back.

At home, Sung Guodong was tidying up when he saw the trio returning. He squinted his eyes, noting that these three youngsters hadn't lingered too long and had come back quite promptly.

"Grandpa!"

"Grandpa! Zhu is incredible; she caught a big fish!"

Sung Zhu called out to grandpa, and the two boys immediately began to sing her praises.

They were mainly concerned because Sung Zhu's pant legs were wet, and they feared Sung Guodong might be upset.

"Oh, Zhu is that amazing?" Sung Guodong hadn't expected them to catch any fish, but he was pleasantly surprised to see the fish in Sung Zhu's hand.

His granddaughter was quite impressive!

"Grandpa, we're going to head back now!"

The boys, worried that Sung Guodong might scold them for letting Zhu's pants get wet, made a hasty exit.

"Remember to come and eat the fish!" Sung Zhu called out from behind them.

"Zhu, did you go into the river?"

Sung Guodong was a bit displeased when he noticed Sung Zhu's wet pants. Oh dear, the child had just recovered from an illness; how could she be playing in the water?

With that thought, his joy at Sung Zhu catching the fish faded.

"Grandpa, how could I catch fish if I didn't go into the water? Look how skilled I am! Grandpa, let's make fish soup today, your fish soup is the best!"

Sung Zhu was aware of why Sung Guodong was upset, so she playfully clung to his arm to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Seeing his adorable granddaughter, Sung Guodong's irritation melted away. He affectionately patted Sung Zhu's head and smiled, "Alright, I'll make fish soup for Zhu. But you need to go change your clothes now; we can't have you catching cold after just getting better."

Sung Zhu gave Sung Guodong a joyful kiss on the cheek and hurried inside to find some clothes to change into.

Having a loving grandpa was truly wonderful!

Sung Guodong looked at the fish in his hands and shook his head with a wry smile. It was just one fish – not too small, but hardly enough for a meal.

'Well, it's still Sung Zhu's "trophy," so let's make a pot of crucian carp and wild vegetable soup!'

"Grandpa, you're so talented."

After changing, Sung Zhu went to find Sung Guodong and saw that he had skillfully prepared the fish, ready to fry it before making it into soup.

Frying fish was considered quite a luxury these days! With oil being scarce, hardly any family would use it for frying. But Sung Guodong, wanting to delight his granddaughter, decided to fry the fish before making it into soup!

Sung Zhu was deeply moved, so much so that she found herself at a loss for words.

Sung Guodong simply gave Sung Zhu a warm smile and continued to stroke her head as he went on with cooking the fish.