Volume 1, Chapter 42: Grilled Fish

By the fishponds.

Guo Dong had not rested for the entire night. Because Meng Xiaohan had only headed back in the middle of the night, he had stayed here until dawn. By the time the night was over, he was absolutely exhausted. He had been continuously forming hand seals, causing a spiritual rain to fall over a wide area. Given the number of ponds and his anxiety regarding the price negotiations scheduled for the next day, he had been extra generous with the downpour. Finally, midway through, he collapsed from fatigue. To ease his exhaustion, he consumed his last remaining drop of spiritual liquid.

A sense of relief washed over him; every pore on his body opened, and he felt inexplicably refreshed. In the past, missing a night of sleep for even a few days would have been impossible to endure. But now, not only was he devoid of any sleepiness, but his energy level was also off the charts.

When dawn broke, he witnessed a magnificent sight. In all six ponds, both large and small fish were leaping from the water, creating a rhythmic splashing. The once-murky water had turned clear, and the aquatic plants in the ponds were growing rapidly.

What should have been a joyful occasion only brought him another headache. If the villagers saw this, it would be another case of "seeing a ghost in broad daylight." Fortunately, everyone was at the village committee office for a meeting, and no one had noticed this area. This gave him a window to concoct a plausible excuse.

Sitting by the pond, he spent a long time searching on his phone until he finally found a lead, allowing him to settle on a believable story. Just as he let out a sigh of relief, Xie Minmin called to say she and Liu Yang had arrived at the village entrance.

"Sister Min, I'm over by the fishponds. Yes, just come straight over; I'm here clearing out some water weeds. They've been growing too aggressively these past two days; I have to clear them out."

Xie Minmin and Liu Yang drove their car directly to the ponds. Guo Dong was pacing back and forth along the bank. He had cleared a few large piles of weeds to make it look like he had been busy, though not everything actually needed clearing. On the side, by one of the ponds, sat a large bucket, a fishing rod, and some gear—all left there by Li Tianhu to pass the time.

"Guo Dong, what are you doing? Didn't you say you only had two fishponds?"

Guo Dong turned at the sound of the voice, set down his tools, and walked over to greet them. "The others are Xiaohan's; I have to help her manage them, don't I?" He joked, rinsed his hands in the pond, and wiped them on his clothes.

"Are these fish ready to eat?"

Guo Dong chuckled, pointing to the other four ponds. "Those four are ready. These two were just stocked with fry, so it's still early for them."

At this, Liu Yang’s eyes narrowed. Why had he come today? To find high-quality ingredients. He had noticed that anything associated with Guo Dong was rarely anything less than extraordinary. He walked toward the edge of the pond. "How many have you caught?"

Guo Dong smiled. "Just for fun, not many."

Liu Yang didn't think so. Looking at the grass carp in the bucket, an idea struck him. "Breakfast is taken care of; I didn't even eat before I left. How about we have some grilled fish this morning?"

Grilled fish for breakfast? Only Liu Yang would think of that. Guo Dong wasn't foolish, and neither was Xie Minmin. Both could see that Liu Yang was eyeing the fishponds.

"Since Uncle Liu is interested, grilled fish it is!"

Anyone who raises fish would naturally have the equipment to grill them. Li Tianhu had thought of that on the very first day, so the small shack by the ponds was fully stocked. Guo Dong brought out all the tools, set them up by the bank, and began the grilling.

While the three of them grilled fish, the villagers were gathered at the committee office. The meeting was long, and the villagers were listening intently; because it concerned their livelihoods, they were more attentive than ever.

"Guo Dong, where is everyone in your village? Don't tell me they aren't up yet?"

As he started the fire, Guo Dong explained, "They're all at the village committee office. There's a meeting today; everyone has to attend."

"Then why aren't you there?" Xie Minmin asked suddenly.

"Me? I'm here hosting you guys!"

Killing the fish, cleaning them, and skewering them—Guo Dong’s movements were incredibly proficient, as if he did this all the time.

"I never would have guessed; your grilling technique is no worse than the chefs at my hotel!" Liu Yang remarked with a sigh.

"This is what we call 'children of the poor taking charge early.' I've been learning to cook since I was a kid; my culinary skills aren't any worse than the pros in your hotel!"

Xie Minmin had also noticed Guo Dong’s transformation—from his initial shyness and lack of confidence to his current composure.

"Aren't you going to add any seasonings to this fish?"

Not just Xie Minmin, even Liu Yang was curious.

"If Uncle Liu wants to taste the true flavor of this fish, what would happen if I added too many seasonings and you couldn't taste it?"

It sounded like a joke, but it left Liu Yang feeling rather embarrassed.

"But how can you eat fish without seasoning?"

"Salt is enough; other seasonings aren't needed. Let me grill one for you with just salt first. In business, you have to act like a professional. Let's set a price first; if you want more later, do you really think you'll have to worry about running out of fish?"

Guo Dong’s honest nature once again boosted Liu Yang’s favor. Looking at the golden-brown grass carp, even though Liu Yang knew there were no seasonings, his mouth began to water. He was full of anticipation. If possible, he wanted to take a few back today to handle the banquet for his customers. These were no ordinary guests—they were wealthy patrons. If even one table was satisfied, he wouldn't have to worry about business in the future.

The aroma of the grilled fish soon wafted around the pond. Before Guo Dong could even hand it over, Liu Yang took it, tore off a piece, and put it in his mouth.

"How is it?" Xie Minmin was nervous. Although she wouldn't be taking a cut from this, she wanted to see just how miraculous Guo Dong really was.

After finishing the bite, Liu Yang closed his eyes. The more he did that, the more nervous Xie Minmin became. Guo Dong, however, didn't look worried at all. After a night of exhausting labor and the sacrifice of a drop of spiritual liquid, even if the fish hadn't been raised from fry, they wouldn't be anything less than exceptional.

"It’s incredible!" Liu Yang suddenly opened his eyes, excited. "This fish... I can't even describe it. It's the most delicious grass carp I've ever eaten! Guo Dong, you didn't do something to these fish beforehand, did you?"

Hearing this, Xie Minmin couldn't wait any longer; she grabbed the fish, tore off a tiny piece, and tasted it. Could a fish with no seasoning really be that good? However, once she tasted it, she finally understood why Liu Yang was so surprised.

Liu Yang was now at a loss for how to price this fish. Because of his exclamation just now, Guo Dong’s grass carp had gained the absolute upper hand.