Reborn in 1990, a life of fishing and gathering seafood.

Chapter 119: Drying Squid [Please Subscribe]

the next day.

Around six o'clock.

Fang Hao and Song Yaxin got up.

There are dozens of kilograms of squid that need to be processed and dried into squid jerky.

I need to get up early and finish this!

Then they would go out to sea to collect fish traps and the like.

Since buying the fishing boat, Fang Hao's life has become fulfilling and busy; he's either out at sea or on his way to one.

This is actually the life of fishermen.

Every time we go out to sea, we work from morning till night.

Even if the weather is bad and they can't go out to sea, they still have to take care of other farm work at home. Almost every household still grows land, such as sugarcane or cassava.

Many people may think that going to the beach is just about beachcombing, but in reality, you also have to farm and grow crops, and occasionally go into the mountains to hunt and gather some mountain products.

The standard of living is not high these days.

They basically don't make much money.

Ordinary rural families also have to work very hard to maintain their basic living expenses.

Otherwise, the value of having 10,000 yuan in savings wouldn't be so high; many people spend most of their lives saving less than 10,000 yuan in savings.

"Wife!"

"I'll teach you how to do it—"

Inside the courtyard.

Fang Hao taught Song Yaxin directly on the spot.

He held a squid about the size of two fingers in his hand, first cutting its cylindrical body into a slice with a knife, and then removing the internal organs and black ink pellets.

The squid heads, however, should be kept.

Don't remove it from your body.

Otherwise, the dried squid won't be neat and attractive.

If you want the dried squid to look nice, you have to be careful and patient.

"After finishing, you need to wash it with water and then steam it, right?"

Song Yaxin asked.

Actually, it was her first time making dried squid.

I'm not entirely sure how it's made.

She listened to whatever Fang Hao said.

Fang Hao is still quite impressive in her eyes. She thinks he knows how to do everything and is much more capable than she originally expected.

Catching blue crabs, digging for sandworms, and catching mackerel.

They generally reaped a great harvest!

He made a lot of money in a short period of time.

Life is full of hope.

"No need to steam it!"

"It needs to be thoroughly cleaned!"

"It's best not to wash them directly with well water, otherwise the dried squid will be too bland. Wash them directly with clean seawater, so that the salinity of the dried squid will be just right."

"certainly!"

"It depends on how each person does it."

"Some people just dry their clothes without washing them, but we'll wash them twice later. We're making them for home consumption, so we'll keep them clean."

Fang Hao nodded and explained in detail.

Sun-dried squid is somewhat different from sun-dried sandworms, the latter need to be steamed or scalded before being dried.

The dried sandworms they had prepared were already placed in the rice container to prevent them from becoming damp and to preserve their aroma.

Putting sandworms in the rice container?

That's considered a local specialty.

After all, there are no refrigerators to keep food fresh or freeze these days, so people can only use some simple methods, which also reflects the wisdom of the people at the bottom of society.

"oh oh."

Song Yaxin nodded repeatedly.

I've learned something new again.

She felt that after marrying into the seaside community, she came into contact with and learned many things she didn't know before.

"Actually, everything in the sea can be dried in the sun!"

"For example, dried sandworms, dried squid, dried shrimp, dried fish—there are so many things that can be dried."

Fang Hao continued with a smile.

Many things caught in the sea can be dried and processed into dried goods, which are commonly known as seafood. These are truly valuable products.

As the saying goes, delicacies from land and sea are the best!

People who live by the sea generally know how to make it; it's also an essential household item.

It can be any household in the village.

Those must all be sun-dried and contain a lot of dried goods.

More valuable items, like dried sandworms, are sold directly for money.

Some things that aren't very valuable.

I'll keep it for myself.

"Uh-huh.

""

"You did that so fast."

Song Yaxin nodded slightly.

His gaze swept over Fang Hao's hand.

They discovered that the other party processed the squid very quickly, finishing one almost in the blink of an eye.

With a light slash of the knife in his hand.

The round squid tube was cut open, and the dirty stuff inside was removed with a slight swipe of the knife.

The whole process went smoothly.

It actually looks rather pleasing to the eye.

Song Yaxin realized that her speed was worlds apart from Fang Hao's.

I couldn't help but feel a little admiration.

"Hahaha~"

"It's nothing—once you get used to it, you can do it quickly; it's not that difficult!"

Fang Hao shook his head and said with a smile.

Seeing Song Yaxin's admiring expression, I couldn't help but think of a joke: A girl thought her boyfriend was amazing because he could change a light bulb.

Fang Hao is from the seaside.

Many things are learned through constant exposure.

Actually, anyone in the village could know this.

Because Song Yaxin's family home is not near the sea, she has never seen many things there.

"Uh-huh.

""

Song Yaxin nodded.

Then I became even more serious and focused.

It's obvious they want to increase the speed.

Otherwise, it would take forever to process dozens of kilograms of squid.

After all, it's for drying squid.

That also requires good weather.

Good quality dried squid can only be produced in windy and sunny weather.

There are no refrigerators in the village these days.

There's no way to keep squid fresh for a long time by freezing it.

Many people process squid as quickly as possible after catching them, and then dry them in the sun during the day.

Otherwise, if you try to dry the squid by the afternoon, the sun will be gone, and you won't be able to make good dried squid!

Some skills and experience still need to be considered.

"The squid this year is quite good!"

"So many and so big—my hand cramped up from catching them last night, I can use some for breakfast later—"

Fang Hao then added.

They are freshest when they are caught last night, when their bodies are still changing color. If you blanch them, they will have a chewy and tender texture.

The taste and flavor are incomparable to those of dead or stale goods.

But...

I got home too late last night.

Fang Hao was too lazy to cook anything.

"I haven't eaten it yet."

Song Yaxin shook her head.

She's never eaten squid in all her life.

For the past twenty years, I haven't lived near the sea, so I've rarely had the opportunity to come into contact with seafood.

As for spending money to buy it to eat?

It sells for at least two or three yuan per kilogram in town.

With that money, you might as well just buy pork.

It was only during the time she married into the Fang family that she began to eat blue crabs, octopuses, sandworms, mud worms, and various kinds of fish and shrimp.

The only thing I've never eaten is squid.

This thing doesn't look like an octopus.

People who don't live by the sea can easily confuse squid, cuttlefish, and octopus.

Anyway, they all have eight tentacles.

"Hahaha~"

"From now on, we can eat it whenever we want—living by the sea, we lack everything except seafood!"

Fang Hao said with a smile.

The advantage of coastal villages is that you can go beachcombing and catch fish; if you're a little diligent, you can get seafood to eat.

All year round.

Three meals a day.

Seafood is almost always present on the dining table.