Chapter Sixteen: A Fine Dish

At the entrance of Songqu Village, a clay stove had been set up at this very moment. In such sweltering weather, the dry firewood beneath the stove burned fiercely, and the large pot above, already heated to a rolling boil, would usually be enough to keep people at bay. Yet now, three or four rows deep, villagers crowded around, eager and unyielding. As the pork fat rendered into oil and the cracklings were scooped out, the pot blazed hotter still. Even though standing before it was unbearable in the heat, none of the villagers were willing to retreat.

Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Du Shiyi exchanged a glance with Tian Mo. Seeing Tian Mo toss a basket of washed locusts—wings and legs removed—into the pot, the crackling sound immediately filled the air. Du Shiyi stepped forward, took a wooden spatula, and began to stir the contents vigorously. In no time, an indescribable aroma wafted from the pot, and several children watching nearby began to look on with mouths watering.

After deep-frying, handfuls of salt, tangerine peel, scallions, and ginger were sprinkled in as seasonings. By now, even the slowest onlookers understood what Du Shiyi intended. Precisely because they understood, many women’s faces displayed deep shock, while the men’s expressions varied—some bold ones sniffed at the enticing aroma, clearly tempted.

Thus, when the first basin of locusts was scooped from the pot and Du Shiyi calmly picked one up with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, many timid girls and women gasped involuntarily.

“Indeed delicious, no less than mountain delicacies!” Chewing the well-seasoned locust, Du Shiyi saw that while many around still felt uneasy, others were eager to try. Smiling, he announced, “Whoever dares to taste these crispy locusts will be rewarded with twenty coins!”

The mention of a reward instantly moved those already tempted. In a flash, a burly fellow pushed through the crowd and called out, “Young sir, do you mean what you say?”

“A promise made is a promise kept!”

“Good!” Without hesitation, the big man took the earthenware plate from Du Shiyi. He didn’t bother with chopsticks but instead grabbed a handful of locusts with his bare hands and stuffed them into his mouth, eyes lighting up at once. “Truly delicious! Years ago, during a locust plague in another place, I had no choice but to eat dried locusts, but the taste was nothing compared to this!”

“If dried locusts are seasoned, they taste even better than these freshly made ones! Whether pickled, roasted, fried, or stir-fried, they all make excellent dishes!”

Du Shiyi smiled and had Tian Mo count out twenty coins as a reward for the big man. Seeing several others eager to try, he shook his head and said, “The first to show such courage is a hero—no more rewards after this!”

He spoke as he picked up his chopsticks and calmly tasted several more before handing the rest to Tian Mo. Watching the curious Kunlun slave, who, like the big man, couldn’t resist grabbing a handful to eat, Du Shiyi continued, “Now, with locusts darkening the skies, I know many of you worry that catching them is an offense to Heaven, let alone eating them! But if the locust plague continues into autumn, how will you fill your bellies this winter?”

Hearing the whispers around him, he spoke more forcefully, “In famine years, when grain runs out, even grass roots, tree bark, and clay are eaten to stave off hunger. Locusts may look frightening, but they are far more palatable than those! If caught and dried, they can be stored for winter as emergency food. And for those unwilling to eat them, these locusts have another excellent use!”

Having just eaten locusts in front of everyone, and with Tian Mo now nearly finishing a whole plate, Du Shiyi sensed the crowd’s growing belief. Yet many still recoiled at the insects’ ugly appearance, so when he mentioned another use, someone couldn’t help but ask, “Young Master Du, what use do you mean?”

“I just asked the village head—because of the locust plague, even fodder for pigs and sheep is scarce, and only chickens and ducks can barely be kept. Yet, the best feed is right before your eyes. Even if you dare not eat the locusts, you can feed them to pigs, chickens, and ducks! Within ten days, all will grow better than before, and their meat will be tastier!”

At this, the crowd grew even more animated. Though some still doubted, many others eagerly pressed him with questions. Du Shiyi had a constable bang a gong for silence before raising his voice, “If people can eat them, so can livestock—this has always been true through the ages. In short, whether you flee your homes in famine or stay and starve, or choose to take a chance and try, the decision is yours, elders and friends.”

Amid the commotion, Cui Jianxuan, who had watched Du Shiyi’s every move in fascination, finally came to his senses. He was about to speak to Du Shiyi when a voice from the crowd cried out, “Locusts are divine beings. To eat them is disrespectful, let alone feed them to pigs and chickens! If Heaven punishes us, who will bear the blame?”

Du Shiyi looked toward the speaker and saw it was an elderly white-haired man, clearly someone of standing in Songqu. He was about to reply when someone behind him cut in, “This idea came from Du Shiyi—he led the way in eating locusts. If Heaven punishes anyone, it should be him! Besides, he was once gravely ill and recovered without medicine, surely Heaven will continue to protect him, so you needn’t worry!”

Was this fellow helping him or mocking him?

Turning, Du Shiyi saw Cui Jianxuan and sensed he was stirring up trouble. He replied, not without annoyance, “Cui Shiyi is right—if there’s punishment, let it come to me! As for Cui Shiyi, he’s a famous scion of the Cui clan of Qinghe. If you don’t trust me, surely you can trust him!”

Though the Du family was well-known, in Henan, the prestige of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans ran deeper. With Du Shiyi’s words, many eyes now focused on Cui Jianxuan. Caught off guard, Cui was speechless, and when his two attendants urged him to leave, he ignored them. His silence was taken as tacit agreement, and as villagers began to ready themselves to catch locusts in the fields, the atmosphere of hopelessness that had greeted Du Shiyi vanished without a trace.

Seeing most villagers persuaded, the constables who had followed today were naturally impressed. Without Du Shiyi’s orders, some began to pack the remaining locusts from the pot, and a few bold ones tasted them when no one was looking, finding them fragrant and delicious. Used to such things at the county office, once someone led the way, the others followed suit. It was noon, and hunger sharpened their appetites; in no time, the crispy locusts from the pot were devoured, even Cui Jianxuan sampling a few with raised brows of surprise.

Du Shiyi pretended not to see their discreet snacking. Just then, Song Eighteen, the village head, who had earlier been full of doubts, hurried forward and said respectfully, “Young Master Du, if Songqu survives this year’s locust plague, it will all be thanks to your visit!”

“I can’t guarantee safety, nor that the locusts will be eradicated or the fields spared, but if dried locusts are stored for winter, at least no one will starve,” Du Shiyi replied with a smile. As the constables gathered around, chattering about their next steps, Du Shiyi, recalling their earlier skepticism, couldn’t help but smile faintly. Glancing at Cui Jianxuan, he walked over.

“Thanks to you, Brother Eleven, for helping dispel the villagers’ doubts. Now that Songqu is making efforts to save itself, we should move on to neighboring villages and urge them likewise. With the locust plague not yet out of control, there’s no time to waste. So, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Though he had just been dragged into things by Du Shiyi, seeing the other’s sincere salute, Cui Jianxuan replied gruffly, “Whether I agree or not depends on what you ask.”

“I’d like to ask you, Brother Eleven, to buy up all the ducks you can find in Dengfeng and the surrounding villages.”