Chapter 15: So Delicious…

Ten minutes passed, then another twenty…

Mǐ Qiū was about to fall asleep from waiting, still with nothing to show for it. She had no choice but to rest her chin in her hands and think about what could possibly be wrong with her fishing technique.

Just then, Hè Chí got a bite.

Mǐ Qiū immediately ran to his side in excitement. “Really! You can actually get a fish to bite!”

Hè Chí, in a meditative state, calmly said, “Everything will fall into place eventually. It just requires patience.”

Mǐ Qiū staredmotionlessly at his fishing rod and then noticed a slight tremor in his line.

She held her breath, quietly waiting for the fish to arrive.

It was indeed Hè Chí who caught the first fish.

The fish was clamped firmly onto the bait, its tail thrashing as it struggled.

Mǐ Qiū was curious but didn’t dare to get close enough to grab it, watching cautiously from a distance.

Hè Chí, on the other hand, skillfully and naturally put the fish into a bucket. It wasn’t that small, but it wasn’t very big either.

Mǐ Qiū noticed that the fish’s body was actually blue, and its scales seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. It was a species she had never seen before.

Only after Hè Chí explained did she learn that it was an interstellar fish species called a Tongue Plate Fish. This type of fish could only grow up to a meter long at most. He also mentioned that at night, the Tongue Plate Fish would emit a deep blue, shimmering light from the bottom of the sea.

Mǐ Qiū hadn’t noticed that Zhù Shāngchén, sitting beside her, had also caught a lively, thrashing fish.

She glanced over and saw that this fish was about to leap right out of the bucket.

With quick reflexes, she slammed the lid on tight.

She secured it firmly, preventing it from escaping again. Peeking through a crack, Mǐ Qiū observed that its body was longer and larger than the one Hè Chí had caught.

Its coloring was completely different. This one had a gradient of black and red, and its scales were covered in small red circles. Mǐ Qiū later learned this fish was called a Qí Fish.

A sudden thirst for knowledge washed over Mǐ Qiū. Before Zhù Shāngchén could speak, Hè Chí said, “The Qí Fish is a rare species around here. It should be from deeper waters. You can tell from its markings that it’s unusual. I’ve never tasted it, but you really need a certain level of skill to catch one. To describe this fish in two words: fierce.”

Shěn Qīnghuái, who had been the most talkative earlier, had gone silent and wasn’t participating in their happy post-catch discussion.

Instead, he sat quietly to the side.

Mǐ Qiū figured it would be difficult for him to catch a fish now. Several hours had already passed, and the sky was getting dark. Even if it wasn’t dark yet, they would have to head back for dinner soon, so he didn’t have much time left.

The ranking order was pretty much set in her mind. Just then, Hè Chí turned his head and chuckled. “Can you even pull the fish up?”

Hearing Hè Chí’s words, Mǐ Qiū saw that he had already gone over to help Shěn Qīnghuái pull on his fishing rod with all his might. Mǐ Qiū wanted to help too.

Zhù Shāngchén extended a hand to help them, not forgetting to tease, “Are you sure it’s a fish? You didn’t catch some kind of monster?”

There shouldn’t be any monsters on this island, right? An alien? Mǐ Qiū wondered.

Uhh… probably not. Where would an alien come from in the sea?

She was still secretly pondering this when the fish was finally pulled up. It was longer than her arm and very thick—absolutely enormous.

When Shěn Qīnghuái tried to put it in the bucket, it barely fit.

It had silver-gray scales, extremely sharp teeth, and a tail that was a rainbow of seven colors. Mǐ Qiū stared, utterly dumbfounded.

Shěn Qīnghuái reeled in his fishing rod and said, “If I had more time, I could catch at least ten more of these.”

So his 100% probability claim was actually true!

…

The final fate of the three fish was to be gutted and turned into a delicious delicacy. After all three were prepared, two were frozen in the fridge, leaving one to be cooked tonight.

Cleaning fish was a task Zhù Shāngchén was familiar with, so it naturally fell to him.

Tonight, they would be eating the fish Shěn Qīnghuái had caught.

While Zhù Shāngchén was cleaning the fish, Mǐ Qiū didn’t dare to enter, waiting outside the kitchen instead.

When she re-entered, Zhù Shāngchén said to her, “Guide Mǐ Qiū, didn’t you prepare a menu before?”

Since Zhù Shāngchén had asked, Mǐ Qiū would certainly grant his request.

She let him look over all the dishes on the menu. The options included Spicy Chopped Fish Head, Crispy Fried Fish, Braised Fish in Soy Sauce, Fish in Szechuan Chili Broth, Sweet and Sour Fish, and Steamed Fish…

Mǐ Qiū told him he could choose any of them.

“Don’t worry about the ingredients. Xiao Měi will prepare them for you.”

Zhù Shāngchén glanced through the menu and already had an idea of what he wanted to make.

“I can try making four of these. What do you think, Guide Mǐ Qiū?”

Mǐ Qiū replied, “That’s possible, but each step will be very complicated. I think for dinner, it would be better to just make one simple dish. For example, if the fish is too big, you can cook a portion of it first—the head, or the middle section, or the tail. Otherwise, it would be a waste if we can’t finish it.”

Zhù Shāngchén said, “Don’t worry, fish is easy to digest. Besides, I have a big appetite. I can eat it all. It won’t be wasted.”

Alright, if he wanted to do it, he must have his reasons.

It wouldn’t be right for Mǐ Qiū to keep trying to stop him.

She just wondered how long it would take him.

Seeing the serious expression on Zhù Shāngchén’s face as he prepared the fish, Mǐ Qiū didn’t want to disturb him.

He was really going to make four different styles. If she had known, she would have just randomly picked one fish dish from the menu and told him to make that.

Mǐ Qiū wanted to help, but Zhù Shāngchén saw her lingering and said, “Guide Mǐ Qiū, you can just wait outside.”

“Let me help you?”

“No need.”

So, Mǐ Qiū left the kitchen.

She hadn’t expected fishing to be so exhausting. Mǐ Qiū could feel her stomach rumbling with hunger. After getting the necessary ingredients ready for him, she returned to her room.

Mǐ Qiū lay down in her room for a while until there was a knock on the door. She realized that only a little over half an hour had passed. She opened the door to find Hè Chí.

Hè Chí said, “Guide Mǐ, dinner is ready.”

Mǐ Qiū walked out of her room and to the dining table, her mouth agape in astonishment.

In such a short time, Zhù Shāngchén had really used half a fish to make four different dishes.

Crispy Fried Fish, Fish in Szechuan Chili Broth, Steamed Fish, and Sweet and Sour Fish.

Just by looking at the color and smelling the aroma of each dish, Mǐ Qiū could already tell how delicious it would be!

How could he make such amazing fish just by looking at a recipe?

The scent of garlic and the fragrance of the sauce wafted towards her.

The aroma nearly knocked her over.

As soon as Mǐ Qiū sat down, Zhù Shāngchén asked her to taste the fish.

Hè Chí and Shěn Qīnghuái watched her from across the table, while Zhù Shāngchén stood beside her, waiting to see her reaction after she tasted it. Being watched by them made Mǐ Qiū too shy to eat.

“Let’s all eat together. Don’t mind me.”

Besides, her table manners weren’t the best. She didn’t want to embarrass herself.

Once the three of them were seated, Mǐ Qiū, who could no longer contain her desire to eat the fish, began to take large mouthfuls. The expression on her face was one of pure enjoyment!

Mǐ Qiū believed that delicious food should be eaten in big bites, and she didn’t really care about table manners anymore.

She heard Shěn Qīnghuái say to her, “Guide Mǐ Qiū is so cute!”

The sudden comment almost made Mǐ Qiū choke on a fishbone.

Noticing this, Zhù Shāngchén used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of fish from a platter onto her plate.

“You seem to like the sweet and sour fish more. Have some more.”

Mǐ Qiū’s mouth was stuffed with fish, leaving her unable to speak.

After a moment, she managed to thank him.

“I can get it myself.”

Naturally, Shěn Qīnghuái wasn’t going to be outdone. He picked up a piece of fried fish. The fish was fried to a golden-brown, crispy on the outside, and incredibly tender and smooth on the inside.

“I think Guide Mǐ Qiū prefers the fried fish but is just worried it’s too greasy to eat more. One more piece won’t hurt. You should indulge a little at night.”

What else could Mǐ Qiū say? She buried her head and continued her “hard work” of eating.

Hè Chí said, “Although I have the title of a first-class chef, Zhù Shāngchén, I have to admit you’ve impressed me this time. You’re full of hidden talents, catching the fiercest and most difficult fish.”

“And I really didn’t expect your cooking skills to be this exceptional! What do you think, Guide Mǐ Qiū? Among the three of us, whose cooking is better?”

Mǐ Qiū couldn’t afford to offend anyone. Of course, she had to say something good about each of them.

To be honest, all of their cooking was so delicious. If only she could cook that well herself…

Since she couldn’t say it out loud, she decided to write it down on a whiteboard.

She even gave the three of them a score.

Five stars was a perfect score.

Zhù Shāngchén received four and a half stars. The reason Mǐ Qiū wrote was: Zhù Shāngchén’s cooking is rich, and every dish is made with focus, seriousness, and passion.

Hè Chí also received four and a half stars.

In terms of refinement and the texture of the grains, Hè Chí’s cooking is indeed more delicate.

Shěn Qīnghuái naturally received the same score. She wrote that the flavor of his porridge was very unique, and it was a rather innovative method.

In short, Mǐ Qiū highlighted their respective strengths and gave them high praise and scores.

Mǐ Qiū didn’t know when she had become so adept at handling social situations.

Shěn Qīnghuái took a sip of water and casually asked her, “So, it seems our status and weight in Guide Mǐ Qiū’s heart are the same. Can I understand it that way?”

Mǐ Qiū nodded and blinked a couple of times. “Yes, that’s more or less what I mean.”

Shěn Qīnghuái continued, “That’s consistent when it comes to cooking. But what about in other aspects?”

Mǐ Qiū felt like Shěn Qīnghuái was trying to trap her. She picked up another piece of fish with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. Why? Why, after eating so many bites, was it still so delicious?!

As for that last question…

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