Chapter 187 – Fish Soup to Save Life
Because topics like blessings, good fortune, and lucky stars are quite sensitive nowadays, everyone just whispered about them in secret, hinting at them rather than directly mentioning them.
But many people still found out.
At least most people from nearby production brigades knew about it. When they first heard about it, some didn’t believe, but when they heard others talking about the miraculous scene of Xu Jinning fishing, they started to believe a bit.
After all, so many people saw it with their own eyes.
It couldn’t all be fake.
So, if Xu Jinning was a blessed person and the fish she caught were blessed fish that could improve one’s health and future fortunes, then naturally, they also wanted to buy these blessed fish.
Unfortunately, those who heard about it later couldn’t buy the fish Xu Jinning caught because they arrived too late.
The fish she caught, after Xu Xiangdong and his brother pulled them out of the river, were snatched up in no time.
However, not being able to buy the fish Xu Jinning personally caught was not a big deal because there was still one left.
Yes, the six pound big black fish that was kept by the captain.
They knew that the Qinghe Production Brigade had a tradition: on the second day after the fish market ended, the captain would make fish soup using the fish king and distribute it to every household in the brigade.
They were thinking if there was any way to get a bowl of fish soup from the captain of the Qinghe Production Brigade, either by getting it or buying it.
The fish king caught by Xu Jinning and the fish soup made from it would definitely have obvious blessings.
As for these rumors, Xu Jinning didn’t know about them at first, but later, she found out.
She couldn’t help but feel a bit amused and helpless.
“Has everyone exaggerated this too much? The fish I caught are just ordinary fish, how can they have any special effects?” If they really had such effects, what would that make her? Could she really be a lucky star?
The fish she caught and the fish soup made from them, could they really have miraculous effects like elixirs?
Xu Jinning felt it was impossible, absolutely impossible.
“Who can say for sure? Maybe it really works. After all, some people have said that after eating the fish you caught, their health really improved, and their illnesses got better.” Xu Jinning didn’t believe it, but her family members were half believing and half doubting, or rather, about eighty to ninety percent believed.
Because in their hearts, Xu Jinning was a lucky star.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to change their destiny through Xu Jinning’s inner thoughts.
And the scenes of Xu Jinning fishing were still vivid in their minds, each one of them truly miraculous.
So, they felt that even if those fish weren’t as miraculous and effective as some people claimed, they must still have some effects.
“I think many people believe it. The fish king in the captain’s place is definitely being coveted by others.”
Xu Jinning: …
No, that can’t be.
In fact, the Xu family members were not wrong.
On the second day after the fish market ended, when the captain started making fish soup to distribute to every household in the Qinghe Production Brigade, someone from another production brigade came to his house.
“Captain Xu, my grandson is dying. Could you kindly give me a bowl of fish soup? I’m not asking for free, I have these things and this big unity card for you.”
The old lady handed a bag of items and a big unity card to the captain’s wife.
The captain’s wife was instantly shocked.
The items in this bag are biscuits, cigarettes, candies, and such.
And that big unity card is worth 10 yuan.
All this for a bowl of fish soup?
The captain’s wife looked at her husband, feeling somewhat confused.
To be honest, the captain was also taken aback by this sudden gift, but Xu Changyi, who was straightforward by nature, didn’t like these kinds of gifts.
“Aunt Sun, what are you doing? Take these things back quickly. I can’t accept them.”
“If I accept these things, what does that make me?!”
The captain hurriedly took the items from his wife and gave them back to Aunt Sun.
But Aunt Sun refused to take them back.
“Changyi, you know, your late mother and I were good friends, almost like sisters. When we were young, you even called me ‘auntie.’ After your mother passed away, we grew apart.”
“Changyi, based on our past relationship and the relationship between you and your mother, please accept these things and give me a bowl of fish soup.”
“Tiandan is the only hope for your brother. He really can’t afford to get sick.”
“But now, he’s coughing so badly.”
“Please, out of kindness, give me a bowl of fish soup to save him.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to give it to you, Aunt Sun. Although this fish soup made from the fish king has blessings attached to it due to our customs, it’s just a blessing. It can’t cure illnesses.”
“If Tiandan is sick, he needs to go to the hospital.”
Xu Changyi was afraid that Aunt Sun was pinning all her hopes on this fish soup, but expecting a bowl of fish soup to cure an illness, how could that be possible!
So he had to make this clear.
“Changyi, how could I not know? We’ve been to the doctors, but they said they couldn’t cure him,” Aunt Sun said, bursting into tears.
Her son had health problems and it was difficult for him to have children. It took them many years before finally having Tiandan, their only child.
Tiandan was only six years old now.
But last winter, he accidentally fell into the water. They managed to rescue him, but since then, he had been coughing persistently.
At first, they didn’t pay much attention to it. But one day, Tiandan couldn’t get up due to coughing, and he even coughed up blood.
It terrified them.
They took him to the village doctor, but the doctor said they couldn’t handle it and urged them to take him to the hospital.
So they rushed him to the hospital, where the doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia, a severe case that they couldn’t treat given their capabilities. They were told to either take him to a big city hospital or take him home and provide him with good food and care.
The first option was out of reach for them considering their current financial situation.
But the second option was like saying farewell to Tiandan.
Aunt Sun fainted on the spot.
Just a few days ago, they brought Tiandan back home. Now Tiandan couldn’t even get up. Yesterday, he slept the entire day, and no matter how they tried, they couldn’t wake him up until last night when he barely woke up for a while, but…
Tiandan’s condition didn’t look good.
The village doctor said it could be in these next few days.
It’s heartbreaking to see Tiandan in such a state.
He’s only six years old, just six.
And today, Aunt Sun suddenly heard about Xu Jinning’s fishing incident and also learned that Xu Changyi was going to distribute blessed fish soup to the members of the Qinghe Production Brigade.
She wanted a bowl of fish soup to save her poor grandson’s life.
“Changyi, I know what you’re worried about. Just give me a bowl of fish soup. Even if Tiandan doesn’t improve in the end, even if… I absolutely won’t blame you.”
With Aunt Sun’s words reaching this point, what else could Xu Changyi say?
He could only agree.
I wonder if the fish are truly “blessed fish” or if it’s just a mentality thing, kind of like a placebo effect. Either way, I’m going to assume the child will be healed because of Xu Jinning’s “blessed fish,” lol.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀