Govern a country as you would cook a small fish

“Govern a country as you would cook a small fish” is a Chinese saying Creasy invokes to praise Salvu, turning an aphorism about governing into a warm, comic exchange about the old man’s fitness to be prime minister. Salvu’s reply brings the elevated comparison back to fishing—and to the ordinary pleasures a life in office might displace.

The Saying and Its Compliment

At the door, Creasy tells Salvu, “Govern a country as you would cook a small fish.” He immediately adds that Salvu ought to be prime minister. The proverb is not developed into a political program; in this scene, its purpose is personal and teasing. Creasy uses it to elevate Salvu in a moment of fellowship, making the comparison between the small fish and the business of governing part of an affectionate compliment.

Salvu answers, “True-but I'd have no time for fishing.” His joke accepts Creasy’s praise while declining its implied promotion: the practical cost of the office, rather than its power or status, is what matters in his reply. The exchange’s humor depends on that turn from a grand political role to an everyday pastime.

The Late-Night Context

The saying comes at the close of a meal, after peppery cheese and a jug of wine that Salvu refills while Creasy is at the table. They leave well after midnight. The convivial setting gives the proverb the quality of a parting joke between companions, rather than a formal maxim offered for debate.

The drinking carries into the next morning. Creasy is hung over, and Nadia Schembri tells him there will be no exercises that day as she brings coffee to his bed. This aftermath places the exchange within a night of indulgence: Salvu’s joke about fishing is the final light note before the physical consequences of the wine appear.