Chapter 615 - 457: Why Are All the Heroes Sick?

Leaving the general store, Zhao Jun carried the pastries and made his way to Zhang Yuanmin’s house. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, Zhang Yuanmin ran out of the house to greet him.

"Brother, you brought it!" Zhang Yuanmin said as he jogged up to Zhao Jun. But when he got a clear look at the Butter Paper package in Zhao Jun’s hand, he froze.

Zhao Jun realized what was happening. ’He wasn’t running out to greet me, but to get the comic books.’

But earlier at home, he had been so preoccupied with what Li Ruhai had said about Wang the Second’s wife that he had completely forgotten about the comic books.

"Ah, brother," Zhao Jun said to Zhang Yuanmin with a grin. "I forgot the books. I’ll bring them over for you tomorrow morning."

"Well... alright, then." Zhang Yuanmin was a little disappointed, but he couldn’t ask Zhao Jun to go back for them, so he led him into the house.

As soon as they entered, they saw a large pot steaming, its fragrant aroma filling the room.

"Brother, you’re here!" Yang Yufeng said, greeting Zhao Jun warmly the moment she saw him.

"Hey, Sister-in-law," Zhao Jun said, sniffing the air with a smile. "You’re making fish paste for me again."

"Mhm, I know you love this stuff."

"Uncle Zhao," Little Lingdang piped up, greeting him as well.

"Lingdang." Zhao Jun handed her the Butter Paper package with a smile. "Uncle bought you a couple pounds of pastries. Have one to tide you over."

"Brother, you shouldn’t have," Zhang Yuanmin said, finally snapping out of it. He had been so fixated on the comic books that he’d forgotten Zhao Jun was carrying anything.

"That’s right," Yang Yufeng said as she took the package and handed it to Little Lingdang. "Brother, don’t bring anything next time you visit."

"Alright, got it." Zhao Jun simply agreed without arguing and followed Zhang Yuanmin into the inner room. They chatted while waiting for Li Baoyu and Jie Chen to return.

Their conversation soon turned to the fish that Zhang Yuanmin and Yang Yufeng had caught that morning.

Zhang Yuanmin wasn’t a tall man, nor was he a fast runner. But he was incredibly skillful with his hands, an expert at weaving nets or crafting just about anything.

And when it came to catching fish or digging for river clams, no one in the entire village could hold a candle to him.

That very morning, the couple had taken a lift net woven by Zhang Yuanmin to East Big Gully and caught a good number of fish. The best of the catch were the roe-filled River Pomegranates and the oxtail fish.

Zhang Yuanmin had Yang Yufeng give all the River Pomegranates to the Zhao and Li families. The remaining small fish, like wheat-ear and boat-nail fish, she made into fish paste.

The oxtail fish looked quite a bit like a yellow catfish, but was larger. Its tail resembled an oxtail, which is how it got its name.

In the Northeast, however, people have a habit of adding a suffix to the names of things. They do it with everything from chicken feet to pig trotters to pork knuckles. As a result, this fish is also known by a slightly altered, more colloquial name in that region.

The meat of this oxtail fish is incredibly fresh and tender, its flavor even more delicious than that of a yellow catfish.

Yang Yufeng heated bear fat in the wok, stir-frying scallions, garlic, and red chili peppers until their fragrance bloomed. Next, she added a fermented soybean paste, frying it until it was aromatic, before adding water and placing the fish in the pot. As it simmered slowly over the wood fire, a rich aroma filled the entire house.

Just as the fish was ready, Li Baoyu arrived. A few minutes later, Jie Chen pulled up in his car.

There was enough room for everyone around the single kang table, so Yang Yufeng and Little Lingdang didn’t set up a separate one. All six of them ate together.

Yang Yufeng and Little Lingdang were fast eaters. Little Lingdang finished first and went to the west room to study. She was a diligent child, always ranked first in her grade.

Yang Yufeng, meanwhile, stayed nearby and made small talk with Zhao Jun and the men.

Suddenly, Zhang Yuanmin put his cup down and said to Li Baoyu, "Baoyu, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

Zhang Yuanmin said, "You brought me a couple volumes of *Water Margin* before, right?"

"Yeah," Li Baoyu replied. "What about it?"

Zhang Yuanmin said, "I was reading it, and I saw there’s a character called Sick Guansuo, one called Bing Yuchi, and another one called... Sickness Worm? Why are all these heroes sick?"