Chapter 1121

“Hmm. I suggest you not choose a big one if you’re making stew.” Marshall looked at the fish and pointed to one of them that had slightly sunken eyes. “Don’t choose the ones with bulging or cloudy-

looking eyes either because they’re no longer fresh. It’s best to avoid ones that are too dark in color too. Choose the ones that look paler and have their scales intact.”

Marshall paused and pointed to one of the flat carp almost the size of his palm. “Get that one. It’ll be good for soup.”

Stella informed the fishmonger about the fish, and he said,” This young man knows his stuff.” The seller then weighed the fish and cleaned out its guts. After some calculations, the carp cost 45 dollars. Stella stuffed the fish into her bag, looked up at Marshall, and asked, “Are you not getting one?”

Marshall smiled and shook his head. “I don’t eat fish,” he said.

Stella was a little surprised. “Seeing how you know so much about fish, I thought you liked them a lot.”

“I like to fish, but I don’t eat them,” Marshall explained.

“Why not? Do you not like the taste?” Stella asked casually.

Marshall was silent for a few seconds. Then, he lowered his gaze and smiled. “I remember fishing at the river with Vermont once we were young. I hadn’t finished my homework at that time, and my parents found out. They asked me to slaughter the fish I caught to teach me that I couldn’t just play around and not do my homework. I was not able to eat fish after that. It feels like a sin.”

Stella was at a loss for words. ‘Fuck. Why do I always remind him of his bad memories? I was also a playful child when I was younger, but the worst punishment I got from Mom was a few slaps on the hand and, occasionally, no dinner. How can any parent force their child to kill a fish because they don’t want him to neglect his homework?

What kind of parenting is that?’

“Don’t say that,” Stella tried to comfort him. “It’s normal for children to be playful. Name one child who doesn’t like playing. I often lied to my mom when I was younger, saying that I had practiced the piano.

But actually, I sneaked out of the house to play with my friends. I got tons of beatings too…”

Suddenly, Stella did not know how to continue. Her punishment was incomparable to Marshall’s. For a long time, she racked her brain to say, “But I don’t remember the beatings. Once the marks were gone, I would immediately forget the pain and continue playing. You don’t have to keep reminding yourself about your past. It’s good to let loose sometimes. The more you remember the bad times, the sadder your life will be. Life’s too short to keep pondering about things that make you unhappy, Marshall. It’s better to think about the good times.”

Marshall unconsciously smiled when he saw how hard Stella tried to improve the situation. “You’re right. I think I’ll get one to try.”

Stella hurriedly pulled him back and said, “No. Wait. Don’t just jump right in and get a whole fish! You have to do these things one step at a time. Do it when you’re comfortable. Don’t just listen to what other people say.”

Marshall’s heart softened when he heard that. “You’re so good at comforting people, Stella,” he said warmly.

Stella went quiet. “Why does it feel like you’re teasing me with that statement?” She asked since she was the one who always opened up his old wounds.

“I’m serious,” Marshall chuckled.

Stella saw that he was carrying a lot of things and asked,” Why did you buy so much stuff?”

“Thanksgiving is an important holiday for my family. We always have a reunion dinner together.

Everyone from the family would show up during this time of year, and things get hectic for my mom and Gloria. Since I’m on leave for two days, I decided to help with the shopping.”

Stella wanted to tell him it would be better to hire someone to do the shopping, but she remembered what Keegan had told her before she could say anything. ‘Back then, something unfortunate happened to Marshall’s brother when his family was busy welcoming their Aunt Irene back, and his mom was told to go out for groceries by Mr. Moore Sr. This uncommon custom has been in their family for a long time.

It’s better if I don’t comment about it as an outsider.’