Chapter 149: Fish Balls in Clear Broth

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Fish Balls in Clear Broth

Just as his supervisor had hoped, Xie Hua’s "A Day in the Life of a Journalist" vlog quickly went viral on social media!

The video’s views, likes, comments, shares, and other metrics skyrocketed by tens, even hundreds of times, compared to his previous work!

Netizens who saw it found the format novel and refreshing. Compared to more serious interview styles, it felt much more down-to-earth... In short, the praise was overwhelming!

People even found the reporter, Xie Hua, incredibly entertaining. They turned the image of him getting jostled by the crowd, his hair all messy, into a meme!

Clips of the diners also circulated widely, like the burly man who declared, "I can’t live without you, Boss Nan!" and the delicate, beautiful young lady who lamented, "I only wish I had four stomachs like a cow..."

Even without much of a push from the official Yanjing Daily account, hashtags like #ADayInTheLifeOfAJournalist and #FoodiesAreNotACrime spontaneously started trending, sparking widespread discussion.

Of course, what interested them most was the content of the vlog itself—

[What is this place? Is the food really that good? It’s making my mouth water!]

[Hey, isn’t this the restaurant that Director Zhong Yu from *A Bite of China* visited a couple of days ago? The great food critic Zhu Jin went too!]

[Wow, this feels like a crazy crossover episode. It makes me want to go check out the restaurant too!]

[The diners they interviewed seem so real and fun. I’m so curious, just how good can this place be!]

[Nan Zhi livestream fan checking in! Some haters were saying the diners were paid actors and the online comments were from a water army... They can’t possibly claim a serious outlet like Yanjing Daily was bought off too, can they?]

[Huh? Doesn’t this sound just like us back in the early days of the livestream? We’re fast-forwarding to the part where the netizens get proven wrong. This is fun!]

[AHHHH I’m in the video! I went to Nan Family’s Small Restaurant too! I seriously recommend it! It’s the best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at, bar none!]

[Bro, aren’t you the guy who said yesterday, "Even if it’s shit, I have to taste how salty it is"? That’s some impressive follow-through!]

...

Faced with this massive, mainstream wave of popularity, even most of the haters who had questioned and insulted Nan Zhi chose to go silent.

Even if one occasionally scrolled past a few hateful comments from trolls still making a fuss.

But their impotent rage was just laughable.

Now, no one dared to openly question the explosive popularity of Nan Family’s Small Restaurant or Nan Zhi’s culinary skills.

Like rats in the gutter, all they could do was curse her from the shadows, praying for her to crash and burn!

-

Nan Zhi: ’Hm?’

’Sorry, but crashing and burning isn’t on the menu.’

At this moment, she was making clear-broth fish balls, a new dish for the day.

As soon as it was introduced, it received love and praise from many fish-loving diners.

Nan Zhi scooped a live fish from a bucket, stunned it with a deft blow from the back of her knife, then killed and gutted it.

She wielded the large cleaver with effortless grace.

She tilted the blade and, starting from the tail, scraped forward layer by layer, taking only thin slivers of flesh each time to ensure not a single bone was mixed in.

Next, she used the back of her knife to mince the fish flesh back and forth until it became sticky. The force used had to be precise: too light, and the paste wouldn’t become uniform; too heavy, and wood splinters from the cutting board could mix into the meat.

When the texture was just right, she added water and salt.

Adding water was a delicate art in itself. The ratio of water to fish varied depending on the species and age of the fish, relying entirely on the chef’s feel. The amount of water added would directly affect the final texture of the fish balls.

She then beat the fish paste, making sure to incorporate as much air as possible. Once the paste developed elasticity and bubbles formed, she set it aside to let it expand.

Then she seasoned it with lard, minced ginger, minced scallion, and minced ham, squeezed the paste into balls, and placed them in a pot of cold water, which she then brought to temperature over high heat.

Throughout the cooking process, she had to constantly adjust the temperature with cold water to keep the surface of the water calm and below a boil, preventing the delicate fish balls from becoming tough on the outside while remaining raw inside.

With Nan Zhi’s mastery over the stove, she naturally didn’t need to watch the pot every single second.

She had three pots going at once, preparing five different dishes.

The clear-broth fish balls were just one of them.

Every time Nan Zhi returned to the fish ball pot, it was either to add cold water or skim the scum.

In short, not a single movement was wasted!

When she returned again, the fish balls had transformed from their initial translucent, fleshy color to a creamy white. Plump, round, and smooth, they tumbled adorably in the simmering water.

[I can’t believe I’m looking at a pot of fish balls and thinking they look elegant and refined! Am I going crazy?]

[You’re not crazy, you’re just hungry.]

[A genius like me already ordered some for delivery! But can someone tell me, are all fish balls this fishy?]

[The ones you got from delivery are average quality. The fish balls Nan Zhi makes are top-tier!]

[Every time I see Nan Zhi showing off her skills in the kitchen, I feel so satisfied!]

[Hey, am I the only one wondering, aren’t business hours over? Why is Nan Zhi still making fish balls?]

[It’s definitely a perk for the staff. Look at how many people from the production crew helped out today, even the director was here!]

[Argh, I want to be an employee at Nan Family’s Small Restaurant too, dammit! Why aren’t they hiring?! I’d quit my job right now and come wait tables!]

[Why do you think they’re not hiring? Because this season’s filming is about to end, of course!]

[Don’t tell horror stories in the livestream!]

...

Xie Yu walked into the kitchen carrying an empty plate. Seeing Nan Zhi standing at the stove, he looked slightly surprised:

"Haven’t all the customers left?"

"It’s been a long day. I’m making a meal to treat everyone. After all, I have to live up to the title of ’Boss Nan.’"

Nan Zhi turned and winked at him.

A slow smile spread across Xie Yu’s face.

"Then I’ll help you."

With that, he walked over to Nan Zhi’s side to assist her.

Nan Zhi didn’t stand on ceremony with him, expertly directing Xie Yu to handle the finishing touches.

Just as the meal was nearly ready, Fu Chao happened to walk in:

"Everything’s cleaned up outside. Director Xu and the others asked me to let you know... huh?"

His eyes lit up the moment he saw Nan Zhi at the stove!

Because business had been so good lately, Nan Zhi’s workload was heavy, and she hadn’t cooked for everyone in a long time.

A few days ago, they could still manage to snag a bowl of Yan Du Xian or something.

But now?

Hilarious. There wasn’t even enough for the customers, let alone any for them to eat!

Every day, they could only move through the rich, enticing aromas, watching helplessly as the diners ate with gusto, while they themselves couldn’t even get a single sip of soup!

If they knew how much netizens envied their jobs, they would probably cry out to the heavens about the injustice!

Given the choice again, they would rather be the customers!

That’s why Fu Chao was so thrilled to see Nan Zhi at the stove right now.

His body was exhausted from a full day of work, his shoulders were slumped, and he seemed completely drained of energy.

But after catching a whiff of the aroma, he showed an astonishing burst of energy. In half a second, WHOOSH, he shot over to Nan Zhi’s side, took a deep, dramatic sniff, and put on an expression of pure ecstasy.

"That’s it! That’s it! This is the smell!"

GULP.

It was the sound of someone swallowing their saliva.