Chapter 69 - 64: Soup Dumplings

Chapter 69: Chapter 64: Soup Dumplings

Jia Mei and the others changed into their ski suits and went out with a cheer. Even though it was still ten-odd degrees below zero outside, nothing could dampen their eager hearts.

Soon, Ning He heard waves of laughter and surprised shouts. Even the birds hiding in the branches were scared away a few times.

Fortunately, there were no highly dangerous creatures here. Plus, Macken and his team had scouted the area in advance, so safety was not a major concern.

Macken and Mr. Rochester’s ice fishing seemed to be going very smoothly. Just as Ning He had finished mincing the meat and putting the bone broth on to cook, the two of them returned with a bucket.

As they got closer, the system’s voice popped up in Ning He’s mind again.

"Mutated species detected, scanning... Scan complete. Mutated freshwater cyprinid species. Collection progress 100%. Rewarding host 600 experience points."

’As expected!’

Ning He’s eyes burned with intensity as she stared at the bucket in Macken’s hand. It really was a mutated fish species.

Macken lifted a fat fish over sixty centimeters long from the bucket. It was still thrashing about, struggling with all its might.

"Can you handle this?"

Ning He tilted her chin up. "A piece of cake. Just put it on the ground."

Macken did as he was told. Ning He handed the knife to Watson beside her. "Use this to give its head a good whack and stun it."

Watson paused for a moment, then wiped his hands, took the knife, and flashed a grin, revealing his brilliantly white teeth.

"Watch me."

THWACK!

It was a heavy blow.

’With a blow that forceful,’ Ning He thought, ’the fish’s brain is probably smashed flat.’

’One moment he’s an adorable puppy, the next he’s turning violent.’

Ning He shook her head. She had Watson toss the fish into a basin, then scooted over to it, chair and all, and began to prepare it.

As she worked, Ning He quickly scrolled through the system’s description of this fish.

"Freshwater fish, commonly found in lakes and rivers. At maturity, it can reach a weight of ten kilograms and a length of one meter. Feeds on aquatic plants and microorganisms. When out of water, it automatically sheds its scales and uses its mouth and skin to assist in breathing air. Can be farmed, cultivation difficulty: Lv.1."

"Flesh is crisp-tender, with few bones and a moderate fishy smell. High-quality protein content approximately 17%. Contains selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and an abundance of unsaturated fatty acids, which help with anti-aging and promoting blood circulation. 90% of toxins in the body are concentrated in the gallbladder; the remaining 10% is edible after processing. Processing method: General. Recommended cooking methods: Sashimi, braised in soy sauce, stewed in soup, grilled."

After reading the description, dozens of ways to prepare the fish flashed through Ning He’s mind.

A fish with crisp-tender flesh, few bones, and a moderate fishy taste—one that met these three criteria would definitely be a huge hit.

Ning He grinned.

’It’s time for me to show what I can do.’

The bone broth for the malatang was already simmering and bubbling. It would be another hour or two before the flavors fully developed, so she covered the pot and set it aside for the time being.

In line with her principle of never wasting a single ingredient, Ning He didn’t even throw away the fish scales. She scrubbed them clean with salt, divided them into two portions, and put one portion into a pot with scallions and ginger to simmer over low heat.

While the scales were simmering, she kneaded two balls of dough and prepared some tofu puffs and fried eggs. Just then, the fish scale broth was done. She strained it, poured the liquid into a bowl, and had Watson place it outside to flash-freeze.

At the same time, Ning He picked out a few washed vegetables and, with hands moving like the wind, julienned them all.

"Ning He, it’s frozen! It’s frozen!"

She had just finished slicing when Watson rushed in excitedly, carrying the bowl that held the fish scale liquid.

The liquid fish scale soup in the bowl had already solidified into a jelly, even faster than Ning He had anticipated.

"Alright, give it here. Go boil a pot of water for me."

After dicing the fish scale jelly and mixing it into the meat filling, Ning He took a portion of the rested dough, quickly rolled it into a long log, and cut it into small pieces. She then flattened each piece into a thin wrapper and began to form the soup dumplings.

Watson watched from the side as her fingers flew, unable to even clearly see her movements. A flat, small wrapper would envelop a large dollop of meat filling, sealed perfectly, with the pleats at the top as neat as the pleated skirt Annie loved to wear.

His eyes filled with amazement, and he became almost mesmerized watching her.

Ning He assembled six steamer baskets full of dumplings in one go, and Watson helped stack them over the pot.

"Turn off the heat in twelve minutes, then wait another two minutes before opening the lid."

After giving the instruction, Ning He took out the cleaned fish. She filleted the body into two halves and chopped the fish bones into pieces.

She scored one fillet with a slanted cross-hatch pattern, coated it with salt, egg yolk, and flour, and set it aside.

She sliced the other fillet into butterfly-cut pieces and arranged them on a platter with the various shredded vegetables she had prepared earlier.

By the time she had done all this, the soup dumplings Watson was minding were ready.

"Go ask Macken and the others if they’re hungry. See if they want a snack to tide them over."

Watson, who was already drooling from the steam and aroma wafting from the steamer, heard her words and immediately bolted out as if he had motors on his feet.

"Boss! Ning He said the snacks are ready and told us to come and eat!"

"Snacks?" Macken was a little surprised.

He had brought dried rations and snacks in the vehicle to stave off hunger and hadn’t asked Ning He to make anything extra.

Jia Mei had been skiing for over an hour and was feeling a bit tired, resting off to the side.

Hearing Watson and Macken’s conversation, she immediately stood up. "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!"

After speaking, she shouted to the others still skiing on the slope. When they heard her, they all quickly skied down and took the conveyor belt back.

Just as Ning He was getting out plates and preparing the vinegar dipping sauce, Watson returned with everyone in tow.

Doctor Lister, who was at the front, took off his goggles. His gaze landed on the steaming baskets, and the corners of his mouth curved up.

"I have a feeling this is going to be an absolutely amazing dish."

"Yeah, I can’t wait either! Skiing in this weather burns calories so fast. My stomach has been growling for a while now!" Jia Mei said with a smile.

The group settled down in the large tent, full of anticipation. Ning He placed everything on a small food cart and had Watson push it in. Just as she was about to follow on her crutches, a large hand reached out from the side to eagerly support her.

"Let me help you!"

Johnny flashed a row of big white teeth, but his eyes were glued to the steaming baskets up ahead. His intentions were obvious.

Ning He couldn’t be bothered to call him out. She had made plenty extra anyway, so there was enough for everyone.

It was toasty warm inside the large tent. Ning He directed Annie and Watson to serve everyone a portion of soup dumplings and a small dish of vinegar, then patted Johnny.

"You’re going to demonstrate how to eat these for everyone. I’ll talk, you do the actions."

’He’s a big guy, so he’s conspicuous. Everyone will be able to see him clearly.’

Johnny gulped and nodded heavily, taking the plate of soup dumplings from Watson.

Everyone seated was carefully examining the strangely shaped snack.

Lying on the plate, it looked like a slightly bulging pouch. The thin dough skin seemed translucent enough to see the meat filling inside, but the skin held in the aroma of the meat, which you could only catch a whiff of if you leaned in close.

"This snack is called a soup dumpling. As the name suggests, it’s full of soup, so there’s a particular way to eat it. You can start by taking a small bite out of the top."

As Ning He spoke, she gave Johnny a look. He immediately took a solemn, careful bite of the soup dumpling.

The freshly steamed soup dumpling was a bit hot. Johnny’s thick eyebrows knitted together fiercely. The next second, a rich, meaty aroma burst from the opening and rushed straight into his nostrils. His pupils instantly dilated.

Then, he heard Ning He’s voice again: "Next, you can use a straw to drink the soup first."

Johnny quickly took the straw Watson handed him, stuck it into the dumpling, and eagerly took a sip.

’So savory!’

It wasn’t that Johnny had never eaten meat; on the contrary, meat wasn’t a rarity for him. But he never knew that a simple meat broth could be so delicious. There wasn’t a trace of any off-flavor, only a rich, savory-sweet fragrance!

’There’s just too little of it!’

"You can eat the rest directly, or you can pour a little vinegar sauce inside to cut through the richness."

Hearing this, Johnny immediately paused his chopsticks, took the small dish of vinegar from Watson, and carefully poured it into the small hole he had bitten open.

Before Ning He could even get out the words "don’t pour too much," he had already stuffed the whole thing into his mouth. His entire face—eyebrows and nose—scrunched up.

Vinegar was an expensive condiment, and Johnny didn’t eat it often. The sudden acidity went straight to his head, almost making him choke and cough. He quickly covered his mouth, holding back the urge. After the sourness subsided, the meaty aroma finally, slowly, emerged.

The meat filling, seasoned with soy sauce and five-spice powder, reached the pinnacle of flavor with the help of the savory fish jelly.

The satisfaction from the pork, the rich layers of flavor from the seasoning, and the textural contrast from the soft yet resilient wrapper—this one bite made Johnny feel as if he were savoring a luxurious banquet.

The rapidly changing expressions on his face were a spectacle all on their own.

Ning He held back a laugh. She was just about to say they could all start eating when she turned and saw that everyone had already started with their chopsticks.

And their speed was in no way inferior to Johnny’s—in fact, they were even faster!