CHAPTER 233: CHAPTER 225: VENUSIAN CUISINE AND ROASTED HADDOCK!

Han Qiwu pulled up the Jiangxue fish, and both Aunt Hong Mei and Tang Qingying leaned in to take a closer look.

"Such a big Jiangxue fish! I haven’t seen one like this in ages," Tang Qingying said with surprise. "But this type of fish usually appears in the north. How did it end up on this mountain?"

Aunt Hong Mei explained, "Decades ago, there was a merchant from another region who said the climate here was suitable and wanted to farm Jiangxue fish. Later, he was unlucky and encountered a landslide that scattered the fish pond, and these Jiangxue fish are the ones that escaped from there."

"So they’re not wild, which means we can eat them without worry," Han Qiwu added. He then baited the hook again, casting several more times and pulling up a few more fish.

Setting aside three Jiangxue fish for lunch, Han Qiwu stored the remaining ones in his compartment, planning to take them back for Little Shui to try.

Wait, there’s a Little Prince at home too.

The bamboo shoots can go to him.

After all, he’s a vegetarian.

"Xiao Han, you’re really skilled at fishing. I came here once with a friend before, and she didn’t catch a single fish. We ended up nibbling on dry rations that day," Aunt Hong Mei said with a hearty laugh.

Tang Qingying nodded as well. "By the way, wasn’t there a fishing competition in our town? This year, you should join it."

"There is, but it’s organized by Old Huang. You should ask him about it later, Xiao Han," Aunt Hong Mei replied with a smile. "I hear the prizes are pretty decent."

"Alright, I’ll ask him when I get back," Han Qiwu answered with a nod. After saying that, he looked up at the sky. "It’s getting late, so let’s eat here. There’s water nearby, which makes extinguishing the fire easier later."

"Sure, sure! Do you need me to do anything?" Tang Qingying asked enthusiastically.

"You can gather some dry branches and dead leaves. I’ll handle the pot and ingredients," Han Qiwu said quickly. "Auntie, you can take a rest; I’ll whip this up in no time."

"That won’t do, I’ll help Qingying collect leaves," Aunt Hong Mei said, waving her hand and leading Tang Qingying to pick up branches.

Han Qiwu pulled out a few bamboo baskets from his pocket, thoroughly cleaning the bamboo shoots, snails, fire duck eggs, and Jiangxue fish.

Soon, Aunt Hong Mei and Tang Qingying returned with a heap of dead branches and leaves, and started a fire.

Han Qiwu placed the pot filled with clean water on the fire and sequentially added the snails, cubed bamboo shoots, then stirred in the duck eggs after cracking them, and sprinkled in the seasoning.

After finishing the soup preparation, he halved the three Jiangxue fish, seasoned them, and carefully set them on a wire rack over the fire.

"This soup smells amazing," Tang Qingying said, swallowing involuntarily.

"It’ll smell even better soon," Han Qiwu chuckled, turning around to pluck some fresh water-aromatic herb, which he washed and tore into pieces before sprinkling it into the soup.

Instantly, the soup’s aroma seemed to rise to another level, bursting forth.

Water-aromatic herb, also known as water mint, has a uniquely long-lasting fragrance. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family in the plant kingdom. Familiar herbs like rosemary, thyme, and basil also hail from this family.

Similarly, he added some wild mountain peppers and wild green onions to the grilled Jiangxue fish to enhance its spice and fragrance.

"Is it ready?"

"Not yet, hold on."

"Alright then, but hurry up!" Tang Qingying stared unblinkingly at the grilled fish while sipping on water.

In just five minutes, this same exchange occurred more than ten times.

The scene brought a big smile to Aunt Hong Mei’s face.

Xiao Han, it seems you’ve captured Qingying’s stomach.

The flavors of home may not always be considered the finest, but they are undoubtedly the most anticipated and cherished by family.

A meal, a drink—it’s enough to settle one’s heart.

After a few minutes, Han Qiwu saw that the two dishes on the fire rack were emitting a faint glow.

[Bamboo Shoot Snail Duck Egg Custard (Gold Star Quality⭐)]

[Stamina+150]

[HP+0]

[Buff: Forage Level +4 for 3 hours]

[Remark: An unexpected combination! Excellent!]

[Green Onion and Pepper Grilled Jiangxue Fish (Silver Star Quality)]

[Stamina+50]

[HP+50]

[Special Effect - Playful Water: Swimming skills greatly improved for 1 hour]

[Remark: The smoky fragrance from the branches elevated its quality]

Done!

Han Qiwu laughed heartily!

The bamboo shoots count as wild vegetables, snails are a common freshwater seafood, and paired with the fire duck eggs...

A dish that boosts forage level has emerged!

And a Gold Star one at that!

It seems these combinations work pretty well.

Similarly, the grilled Jiangxue fish’s quality is also high.

Its remarks even revealed a detail Han Qiwu hadn’t paid attention to before.

"Looks like I should use dead branches whenever I do barbecues in the future," Han Qiwu noted to himself. He recalled eating barbecue cooked with red willow branches before—what an intoxicating aroma!

"Dinner time!" Han Qiwu carefully removed the pot and three grilled Jiangxue fish, distributing them to Aunt Hong Mei, Tang Qingying, and himself.

"Wow!!!" Tang Qingying’s eyes gleamed as she accepted the grilled Jiangxue fish. "Thank you! Let me try it right away!"

"Go ahead, kid, you’ve been waiting long enough," Aunt Hong Mei said with a laugh.

"Don’t worry, it’s fully cooked," Han Qiwu smiled as he picked up his portion and started blowing on it slowly.

Tang Qingying quickly blew on hers twice and took a bite of fish belly, chewing enthusiastically.

The grilled fish had a springy texture, with thin, delicate strands of meat infused with the fragrance of green onion and the spiciness of wild mountain peppers. The flavors were so rich that she couldn’t help but take bite after bite.

She couldn’t stop.

By the time Tang Qingying came to her senses, all that was left of the fish was the tail and bones.

Seeing Tang Qingying’s dazed expression, Han Qiwu almost burst out laughing. He quickly handed her a bowl of soup and said, "Full yet? Finish the soup to patch up the gaps."

"Hiccup."

"It’s just too delicious!!"

Revived and excited, Tang Qingying took the bowl of soup, her face glowing. "I realize eating grilled fish here feels so special! The grilled fish is exceptionally tasty!"

"That’s because you’re hungry," Han Qiwu said with a chuckle. "After climbing a mountain for so long, how could it not taste good?"

Aunt Hong Mei laughed. "Exercise makes everything taste better. Plus, the fresh air here has no impurities. Eating accompanied by these smells is the best experience!"

"Don’t throw away the fish bones. I’ll roast them for you to eat," Han Qiwu said as he took the fish bones from Tang Qingying’s hands and placed them back on the grill.

"Impressive!" Tang Qingying gave him a thumbs up before lowering her head to enjoy the soup.

Then, her eyes lit up again.

The soup was so flavorful it felt like her tongue might fall off.

The bamboo shoots, infused with the egg’s richness and the snails’ fresh taste, released juices with every bite. Their layered, aromatic flavors were exceptionally pronounced. Most importantly, the bamboo shoots retained their crisp texture, elevating the soup’s quality to another level.

"This is way too delicious!!!"