Chapter 199: Steamed Qilin Fish

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The sauce on the pancake was moderately salty and sweet. It was not greasy at all. The pancake was cooked in a double-sided frying pan. It was soft and filled with fragrance of oil. Coupled with the taste of the sauce, it was very harmonious and delicious. After taking a bite, her empty stomach was extremely satisfied.

As they walked along the street, many of the delicacies introduced by Lu Yuxi were food that she often ate in her hometown. She took a bite of the chewy and sweet persimmon pancake, and a lot of frosting seeped out. Just looking at it was very tempting.

“When I eat something I liked as a child, I could stay happy for a day. Now, if it wasn’t novel food, the sense of surprise I feel would be greatly reduced.”

“Actually, I’ve just realized that there are times in life that aren’t that memorable. At least when I think about them, I only feel that they’re indispensable in a photo, but they’re very empty moments. There’s nothing to remember and they just exist.”

She told him her thoughts with a melancholic expression.

Xu Le said, “Anyway, it’s all in the past. In the future, there will still be many vegetables, meat and delicacies waiting to fill your stomach and bones.”

“Look, that’s the stall that my previous landlord set up. A few months before the college entrance examination, I had to walk for about 20 minutes every day to eat a bowl of meatball spicy soup at his place before rushing to school. My mother almost died of anger when she found out and felt that I was wasting my time.”

Xu Le sat down with her and asked for two bowls of meatball spicy soup. The spicy soup was actually not that spicy and sticky. In the smooth soup, there was tofu slices, fried dough and meatballs.

The meatballs had a strong starch flavor, but they were fragrant. They slid from his throat to his stomach, carrying warmth and the after-spicy of pepper.

“If you want it to be spicy, there’s oil-drenched chili and vinegar here.”

Lu Yuxi pushed the seasoning on the table to him. The chili was huge and had a good texture with a strong fragrance.

The two of them walked around the street. Lu Yuxi chattered as she pointed at the food stalls and the buildings beside them.

“That was the elementary school I attended previously. The kindergarten was just behind the elementary school… When I was in fifth grade, I moved to Shanghai. At that time, our families weren’t considered neighbors and we live one storey apart. Your mother often complained that I was too noisy at home, but I liked to freeload at your house. Since I was good at speaking and full of compliments, your parents didn’t dislike me.”

“At that time, Xu Le wasn’t born yet. Auntie Shen said that she wanted a daughter, so she treated me well.”

However, after staying for only half a year, Lu Yuxi was forced to return to her hometown because her mother was sick. When she entered university, she eventually met Xu Le.

Fate was truly a wonderful thing.

When they tasted the last shop at the end of the street, Lu Yuxi pointed at the pork flatbread on the chopping board and said, “This shop has the most authentic taste. It’s extremely delicious. Their flatbread is rolled up layer by layer before being roasted. After they’re out of the pot, they’re all covered in crisps…”

The storeowner was chopping meat vigorously on the chopping board. The fat and thin braised meat that had just been scooped out of the pot was steaming and fragrant. It was very tempting.

However, Xu Le had no appetite at this moment. He waved his hand and said, “I was eating the whole way. I’m too full. I feel that the food has reached my chest. Let’s talk about it next time.”

The two of them chatted as they walked. Lu Yuxi also bought some local specialties for Tiantian and Teacher Li.

At night, Lu Yuxi tossed and turned on the hotel bed as she was not sleepy at all. She called Xu Le, who stayed next door, and wanted to ask him out for supper.

However, she heard Xu Le’s phone ring for more half a minute before it automatically hung up.

She got up in shock and asked for the access card to the room opposite her. She pushed the door open and entered. It was indeed empty. Xu Le was nowhere to be seen.

Lu Yuxi’s face stiffened and she muttered to herself, “Where is he? He’s not sleeping at night and didn’t even bring his phone. Where did he go?”

At this moment, 20 kilometers away.

Xu Le was in the cemetery, looking at the tombstone belonging to the family of three for a long time.

His former name was engraved on the tombstone in front of him.

They were both called Xu Le, except it was written differently.

“Dad, Mom…”

Xu Le called out softly. He didn’t know what to feel. It had been too long ago, and his sadness had been dragged over a long time and had gradually faded.

However, it was not that he did not care at all. The loss of his home and family had always been a thorn in the bottom of his heart. It was as if he was suffering from rheumatism. He did not know when his condition would suddenly act up when the wind whistled past and there was a sudden drop in temperature. He felt so uncomfortable that he could not speak. Xu Le sat cross-legged. It was dark around him, but he was not afraid. After he closed his eyes, he did not know when he had subconsciously entered the system. In front of him, there was a kitchenware stove. He did not have to clean up anything. It would become shiny as if it was new.

Xu Le casually chose a fish from among the ingredients and silently scraped the scales. It seemed that when he was in a bad mood, just the process of cooking and practising his culinary skills could calm him down.

After cutting off the fish head and tail, Xu Le made two cuts in the middle. Then, he held the knife horizontally and neatly removed the fish bones.

He had wanted to make steamed fish. It was simple to prepare and delicious, but he looked at the fish in his hand and fell into deep thought.

“The ingredients are so good. It’s a waste to make it casually.”

Therefore, he pulled out the ingredient catalogue of “Qilin Fish” from the system. As one of the classic Cantonese dish, it was refreshing and tasted unique and delicious.

Xu Le cut the fish knife into thick slices and placed them on the plate. He applied the salt, MSG, white pepper, yellow wine, starch, sesame oil, and chicken juice evenly. He put on gloves and gently rubbed them together before patting them to infuse the flavor.

This step could lock in the moisture and make the fish even more tender and smooth.

The dried shiitake mushrooms and Jinhua ham were cut into square slices. They were placed in the fish in order and steamed for seven minutes.

During this period, Xu Le peeled a carrot. He first cut it into triangular shapes, then cut a piece diagonally from the middle… Soon, the ordinary carrot turned into the shape of a flower under his agile fingers and looked lifelike.

When it was time, he poured out the water from steaming the fish at the bottom of the plate and placed small vegetables that had been blanched on both sides. They were green and fresh. He added oil to the pot. After the onions and ginger were fried, he splashed the oil on the fish to increase its fragrance and enhance its taste.

Finally, he added water, chicken juice, pepper, salt, white sugar and yellow wine to the pot. After boiling, he added a little water and starch to thicken the gravy and poured it evenly on the fish.

After finishing the dish, Xu Le stared at the plate in a daze.

At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly pulled him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw the plate of steamed Qilin Fish that he had just made in front of the tomb. He was clearly stunned.

When the flashlight shone over, Lu Yuxi hurriedly shouted and ran over. After seeing that he was fine, her eyes became misty.

“Hey, where did this child come from? What are you doing here so late at night?”