"Why are you just standing there? Not used to the taste?" Brother Jing took a sip of his drink and asked Han Qiwu, who was staring blankly.
"Ah, no, no," Han Qiwu snapped back to reality and began to taste it.
This little fried fish is actually called fried dried fish. The dried fish is rich in flavor to begin with, but when refried, it becomes crispy yet retains its taste. It's fragrant without being fishy, with a lingering aroma of the sea. With eyes closed, one might even feel like swimming in the ocean.
The creamy white fish soup's flavor was beyond description, incredibly savory and endless in its aftertaste. Even the blanched bok choy kept Han Qiwu eating nonstop.
"This wine tastes great, but the more I drink, the less there is." Tang Qingying, leaning against the wooden post behind her, finished the last sip from her bowl with a look of regret.
Tang Qingying's face was flushed with a rosy tint after drinking, and her gaze was not as sharp as usual, making her appear more like a big sister.
"Mr. Tang, when are you going back to school?" Han Qiwu asked casually.
"I'll leave after dinner. Why, is something wrong?" Tang Qingying asked, propping herself up. Perhaps the sudden movement blurred Han Qiwu's vision.
A bit dizzy.
"No problem at all. I was thinking of going fishing this afternoon," Han Qiwu mustered the courage to say, but regretted it right away. His fishing methods were unlike others, best suited for solo fishing.
"I can't. I have to revise my thesis this afternoon. Maybe next time," Tang Qingying shook her head and took an envelope out of her bag. "By the way, I wrote some project suggestions for you. Take a look."
Han Qiwu breathed a sigh of relief and carefully read the letter.
After reading, Han Qiwu was genuinely impressed. Explaining knowledge without using one's own perspective but rather from the learner's point of view, the information on the letter was practically tailor-made for him, highly practical.
"Thank you, Mr. Tang," Han Qiwu said appreciatively.
"No need to thank me. Just wash the bowl and clean the pot," Brother Jing said with a smile, turning to go inside the house.
Han Qiwu: ".....No problem."
3:00 p.m., by the river.
"Up 0.6 seconds, down 1.2 seconds, pause 5 seconds, up 1.3 seconds.... Damn! It got away again!" Han Qiwu said helplessly while munching on spicy flavored seaweed.
After finishing the seaweed, his energy was back up, and his mood improved.
"This mandarin fish is really hard to catch!" Han Qiwu put down the fishing rod and got up to stretch his legs. He didn't want to fall into the river again.
Han Qiwu realized in the afternoon that human reaction times are limited. Sometimes, even if he guessed the path, it was hard to control the elusive float, which was too short.
Alas, short is just not good, whether it's the float or the person.
Thanks to the rainy day, Han Qiwu didn't feel hot while fishing in the afternoon, and, aside from not catching any mandarin fish, his catch was pretty decent.
[Carp] ×2
[Largemouth Bass] ×4.
The movement patterns of these two kinds of fish were relatively simple, and Han Qiwu even considered just going to the river to fish for experience points at lower levels.
Additionally, Han Qiwu also caught seaweed four times, which he used to regain strength, and he ate it all. Besides seaweed, he also fished out some trash.
[Worn-out Shoes]
[Soaked Newspaper]
[Warped Glasses]
With a mindset of waste utilization, Han Qiwu put them in a plastic bag, planning to place them in the yard when he got back; who knows when he might need them?
"I have 25 stamina points left. I'll fish for a bit longer, and if my stamina runs out, I'll head to Brother Jing's place to grill the fish and eat it." Han Qiwu contemplated. Compared to crops, fish are the least convenient as they can't be eaten directly. He could only see if there might be a solution in the future.
Wait, Han Qiwu thought of something.
Brother Jing is Mr. Tang's uncle, but he called Brother Jing 'brother.' If you think about it, the relationship became a bit confusing.
Hmm... forget it. Each counts their own!
Let's cast another rod!
Of course, it would be better to have another liver.
This game takes a toll on stamina.
Han Qiwu started to worry about his hair.
Cast to the farthest distance, hook in water.
"Ding!"
Han Qiwu saw the icon for the mandarin fish again and quickly focused, moving the fishing bar according to the pattern he summarized in the afternoon.
The half a minute felt extremely long, and Han Qiwu kept his eyes fixed on the screen, muttering to himself.
"Up 0.6 seconds, down 1.2 seconds, pause 5 seconds, up 1.3 seconds... Why is this fish moving so fast?... Hurry up and adjust."
Han Qiwu felt his head potentially steaming.
You could see him staring intensely at the float, maximizing his efforts.
"Got it!!"
[Congratulations, you have successfully completed a perfect catch!]
[Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish (Gold Star Quality) ⭐☆]
[Stamina +35]
[Life +20]
[Note: This is a rare Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish, available only once per week.]
"Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish?" Exhausted, Han Qiwu removed the fish from the hook, feeling very satisfied.
The Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish was very large, nearly fifty centimeters long and weighing about three to four pounds. Its luster and scales signified it was purely wild.
"Alright, dinner's settled!" Han Qiwu cheerfully carried the Peach Blossom Mandarin Fish back.
"'Peach blossom flows, mandarin fish is fat,' could it be that this fish grew up eating peach blossoms?" On the way back, Han Qiwu pondered. Although he had learned the [Fish Filleting Skill] last night and watched TV to learn [Squirrel Mandarin Fish] that morning, he still felt nervous about trying it himself.
How embarrassing would it be to screw up in front of Mr. Tang?
Upon reaching the fisherman's house, Tang Qingying happened to come out for some fresh air and saw the large mandarin fish in Han Qiwu's hand.
"Such a big mandarin fish? You're amazing! Uncle, come quick and see." Tang Qingying, like an excited young girl, put down her cup and ran over to take a look.
Brother Jing also put down his work and came over. "Wow, such a big mandarin fish? Must've grown for five or six years." He then patted Han Qiwu on the shoulder, "You did well, managing to catch this with a toy rod?"
"Hehe," Han Qiwu laughed foolishly, "Just lucky, just lucky."
"If you sell this fish to the fish restaurant in town, it would go for a couple thousand yuan. What do you plan to do with it?" Brother Jing asked while looking at the fish.
"What to do? Eat it, of course. It'll be dinner for the three of us." Han Qiwu would never sell it; he planned to eat it to replenish his stamina for more fishing at night. The encyclopedia said some fish could only be caught at night.
"Sounds good, but no matter what, I have to pay you. Xiao Ying has been craving mandarin fish for quite a while. Good you caught this," Brother Jing took out his phone. "Let's value this fish at six thousand; what's your account number?"
"Brother Jing, are you mocking me? Am I asking for money for treating my brother and teacher to a meal? You didn't charge me for lunch either!" Han Qiwu shook his head. During his university days, his tutoring income was more than enough for his living expenses, and he had savings. There was no need to take their money.
After saying this, Han Qiwu quickly changed the topic: "Brother Jing, this fish is big enough, we can each handle half. I'll take the back half and make Squirrel Mandarin Fish."
"Han Qiwu, you're still a student, and six thousand yuan is no small amount. You should take it. Besides, even if you have the money, you can't find such high-quality wild mandarin fish in the market. The sentiment is appreciated, but you have to take the money," Tang Qingying, who was squatting by the bucket, stood up with a smile, "Don't refuse anymore. Your teacher can afford to eat a fish. The money's been transferred, don't send it back!"
Due to needing to reimburse lab materials before, Tang Qingying had Han Qiwu's account information.
Brother Jing didn't mind either, putting away his phone with a laugh, "Let's settle it like that. But do you even know how to make Squirrel Mandarin Fish? That's a complex dish, and even I can't do it."
"Should be fine," Han Qiwu said, holding the mandarin fish as he headed to the kitchen.