Chapter 12: Super Delicious Grass Carp
The next morning, Ye Xing woke up early, just as the sky was beginning to lighten.
After washing up, he headed straight for the kitchen.
’I hope this grass carp that ate the Demon Beast Meat tastes delicious!’ Ye Xing immediately reached into the water tank to grab a fish.
SPLASH! SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!
Water instantly flew everywhere inside the large tank. The grass carp darted around so quickly that it took Ye Xing a great deal of effort to catch one.
The grass carp that had eaten the Demon Beast Meat had incredibly tenacious Life Force. Even after being chopped in half, its tail continued to twitch on the cutting board.
Ye Xing’s hands were covered in bright red fish blood. He gutted the carp, scaled it, and chopped it into sections. Looking at the snow-white flesh, he could feel his mouth starting to water.
He turned on the gas stove, washed and heated the wok, added oil, and began to make his boiled fish.
He added two red chili peppers, some ginger, and some scallions.
Ye Xing knew a thing or two about boiling fish.
Fresh fish was best when boiled simply.
The gas flame burned brightly. After a moment, the sound of boiling came from the wok; the fish was almost cooked.
He lifted the lid, and steam billowed out, carrying a rich, fishy aroma that assaulted his senses. Ye Xing’s mouth was practically watering.
The fish broth in the wok had turned a milky white and was giving off waves of fragrant aroma.
’It smells amazing! Almost as good as the plain Demon Beast Meat!’ Ye Xing immediately took the wok off the heat, plated the fish, and carried it to the dining table. He quickly began to eat, picking up a tender piece of white flesh and placing it in his mouth. A look of pure bliss spread across his face.
Fragrant, rich, and delicious!
’This is fantastic! It’s almost as tasty as the plain Demon Beast Meat! I only fed the carp a tiny bit of meat paste, but it still tastes this good.’ Ye Xing was overjoyed.
Suddenly—
"Meow!"
A cat’s cry suddenly rang out.
Ye Xing looked down to see an adorable little kitten at his feet. Its black-and-white fur was as smooth as silk, and it was meowing up at him, trying to look cute.
’Huh, isn’t this the stray from yesterday?!’ Ye Xing was a little stunned. He recognized the kitten, but its transformation was huge. Yesterday, it had been a stray with messy, matted fur; today, it was as cute as a pedigreed cat from a wealthy family. Yesterday, it had been quite timid, but today, it was already trying to act cute for him.
"Haha, none of the meat is for you. Here, you can have the head," Ye Xing said with a laugh, picking up the fish head with his chopsticks and tossing it to the kitten.
"Meeeow~" The kitten cried excitedly and pounced on the fish head.
At the table, Ye Xing began to wolf down the rest of the fish. By the time he’d eaten the entire plate, leaving only the broth, he still wasn’t satisfied.
In the end, Ye Xing drank all of the broth too.
’So satisfying. In terms of flavor, it’s not the least bit inferior to the braised Demon Beast Meat, and it’s even more savory! After all, it came from a fresh, live fish.’
Ye Xing clutched his stomach, the fragrant taste still lingering in his mouth as he savored the memory of the fish.
A moment after the fish settled in his stomach, Ye Xing carefully tried to sense any changes in his lower abdomen but found nothing unusual. The effect was probably diluted a thousandfold, completely unlike the warm current that had risen within him after eating the braised Demon Beast Meat.
’Just as I thought. The grass carp only ate a tiny amount of Demon Beast Meat, so any strength increase from eating it is negligible.’ This was exactly the effect he wanted. It retained the delicious flavor of the meat and might even be beneficial to one’s health, but others wouldn’t notice anything unusual. At the same time, it was delicious, which would make it easy to sell.
"RING RING RING! You are my little..."
His phone’s ringtone suddenly went off. He glanced at the screen and saw it was an unknown number. Puzzled, Ye Xing tapped the answer button.
"Hello! Is this Mr. Ye Xing?" a man’s unfamiliar voice asked over the phone.
Ye Xing’s expression shifted. "And you are?"
"My surname is Zhou. Here’s the situation: I have a six-and-a-half-year-old son who, starting this March, lost his appetite. At first, we thought he was just being a fussy kid and didn’t pay it much mind. But then he started throwing up whenever he ate. I rushed him to a doctor and found out he has pediatric anorexia. Since then, my son has been staying at Kangming Hospital in Luoxian County. Sigh... After all this time in treatment, his condition hasn’t improved much. He’s basically relying on an IV drip for nutrients every day and hasn’t had a single proper meal. Last night, my friend Huang Jinbao told me your cooking is exceptionally delicious. I was wondering if you could help my son with some food therapy." The voice on the phone was pleading.
When a child is in trouble, their parents are always worried sick.
’So it was Huang Jinbao who sent him,’ Ye Xing thought. He then asked, "Mr. Zhou, right? Your son’s anorexia, is it due to psychological reasons or a physical problem?"
"It’s pediatric anorexia, a type of digestive dysfunction. So I guess it’s a physical problem." Although Mr. Zhou didn’t understand why Ye Xing was asking, he still answered truthfully.
"Okay, how about this: I’ll cook a portion of boiled fish for him. You can come to Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop here in Bilin Village later to pick it up and see if it helps." Since the man had sought him out and was so polite, Ye Xing couldn’t bring himself to refuse. If the anorexia had been a psychological issue, Ye Xing would have been helpless, but since it was a physical problem, perhaps he could solve it. After all, his boiled fish was made from a carp raised on Demon Beast Meat. Not only was it healthy, but it was also incredibly delicious.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Ye!" Mr. Zhou was overjoyed. He said excitedly, "I’m in Luoxian County right now. I’ll drive over to Bilin Village immediately. I can be there within half an hour."
"Alright, I’ll see you in a bit then!"
After hanging up, Ye Xing immediately grabbed another grass carp from the large water tank and prepared to make another plate of boiled fish.
With his previous experience, Ye Xing was much faster this time. In less than twenty minutes, another plate of boiled fish was ready. He packed it into a takeout container, locked his front door, and headed for his second aunt’s place, Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop.
The reason he was meeting the customer at his aunt’s snack shop was that he didn’t want too many people to know the location of his old family home. Although the passage in the ancient well inside the house was already concealed, and it would be difficult for anyone to discover it even if they went there, it was always better to be safe than sorry. A little caution never hurt.
It was still early morning, and the air held a slight chill. The sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking occasionally broke the silence.
On the narrow dirt road, a tractor or two would occasionally rumble past, spewing black smoke.
Inside Auntie Pang’s Snack Shop, tables were arranged in neat rows. On top of them were chopsticks, soup spoons, and bottles of soy sauce, black vinegar, and other condiments.
Since it was morning, business was average. The customers eating breakfast were mostly locals, and there weren’t many of them.
However, at Table Six, a man in his thirties wearing a suit seemed to be waiting for something with great impatience.
Ye Xing walked into the shop carrying the boiled fish and immediately noticed the man at Table Six. The man’s gaze also shifted over and landed on Ye Xing.