Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 63 Leaving the Table in Singing
In the spacious kitchen on the forecastle of the Valkyrie, Cheng Lang, with the help of the little cook Yafuso, was carefully preparing delicious food that would impress Wilton.

Even after learning that Wilton did not eat fish, he specially asked Yun Ji to come back to help and slaughtered a goat and a chicken.

With the help of the two black elves, as night fell, Cheng Lang also prepared enough delicious food and specific tableware.

At his call, the pirate brothers, Tinisha, her band members, and even Gerta and Shenba, who had been strolling around the brightly decorated Dragonfly Island all day, came back to help, carrying large plates filled with dishes off the Valkyrie and bringing them to a separate long table next to the Dragonfly Island hatchery.

"Is this the delicious food you prepared?"

Wilton, who had been waiting early, asked with a little disappointment. The plates on the table were mostly filled with thinly sliced ​​red meat.

There were also several plates of vegetables and fresh mushrooms that are not common on this island.

Although rare, these things are just raw ingredients and cannot be considered dishes at all.

"Don't worry"

Cheng Lang said this and glanced at Yafusuo, who immediately lifted the lid of a large pot on the charcoal stove.

The pot only contains boiling water and a variety of mushrooms.

After looking at Cheng Lang again, Yafuso took out a small bowl of sauce from the basket she was carrying.

The sauce doesn't use many ingredients, some chopped chili peppers and garlic that Gerta grew on the boat, some oyster sauce that Cheng Lang made from oysters, and a crushed black mushroom that he hadn't named yet but tasted exceptionally delicious, as well as the most common salt and lemon juice.

At this time, the prisoner who ate the first black mushroom was still alive and well in the pen. Cheng Lang also personally tested the poison and tasted the mushroom.

Simply put, except for the lack of saltiness, it is almost equivalent to a concentrated and flavor-enhanced version of light soy sauce.

"This is?"

Wilton looked at Cheng Lang in confusion.

"This is hot pot, a dish I created specifically for Dragonfly Island."

Cheng Lang pointed at the hot pot he had asked his pirate brothers to make for him out of copper and said shamelessly, "This is both a cooker and a tableware. The pot, which looks very similar to the island of Dragonfly Island, is called a hot pot, and this dish is also called a hot pot. When eating, you only need to use this special tableware--"

At this point, Cheng Lang picked up a pair of chopsticks that he had also asked the pirate brothers to help make, picked up a piece of mutton that he had asked Yun Ji to help cut into thin slices, and put it into the hot pot to dip it. When the meat slices changed color slightly, he took them out and dipped them in the bowl of sauce, and then placed them on the plate held by Wilton.

"Other ingredients can be cooked the same way, except some require longer cooking times and some require shorter cooking times."

Cheng Lang smiled and handed the chopsticks to the other party. "I believe that this does not require any additional reminders for a professional chef."

"certainly"

Wilton took the chopsticks, looked at them, then put them on the table, picked up the piece of mutton with his hands and put it into his mouth.

"This is a taste I have never tasted before," Wilton said in surprise.
“You can try this one too.”

Cheng Lang pointed to the poached chicken he had made himself and said, "It can also be eaten with the sauce in the bowl."

"What about these? What are these?" Wilton asked, picking up a piece of tofu.

"Let your tongue tell you the answer"

Cheng Lang pretended to be profound and blurted out a line he had been thinking about all the way, then changed the subject directly, "Mr. Wilton, I wish you a pleasant meal. My crew and I will also enjoy this banquet."

"Of course, have fun!" Wilton said, picked up the chopsticks, and began to try to pick up a piece of meat by himself.

"Captain, what kind of dish are you serving?" Yafuso asked curiously. They had never eaten hot pot on this journey.

“A dish that’s only suitable for eating on land”

Cheng Lang smiled and said that this dish could of course only be eaten on land. If it was eaten on a boat, with just a little wind and waves, the splashing soup would definitely make the brave man who tried this dish scream.

Of course, the reason why he brought out this dish at this time, in addition to impressing Wilton, actually had other purposes.

He wanted to find out if there were any other "fellow countrymen" in this world.

If there are, even if they come from an earlier era than Qin Jinyan and don't know what hot pot is, they at least know chopsticks. Coincidentally, hot pot can only be eaten with chopsticks.

As for why it is Dragonfly Island, it is naturally because this place is so special.

Although it was difficult to spread the word at the beginning, once it did, this hot pot would definitely be associated with Dragonfly Island - he even helped come up with an excuse.

If someone with ulterior motives finds this place by then, he will get the news quickly. This will give himself and the other party an opportunity as well.

Although this dish was full of Cheng Lang's little thoughts, he did impress Wilton and a middle-aged fisherman who was driving away the waves beside him.

After completing the task of serving dishes, Cheng Lang and the others withdrew their gaze from the table of "examiners" and began their food journey.

The interior of the island was extremely lively, with colorful ship lanterns hanging everywhere, various delicacies placed right at the doorstep, and warm greetings to their group that were overwhelming.

During this stroll, they discovered that this circular island, which provided shelter for the islanders from wind and rain, had become a completely self-sufficient town.

Here are most of the shops they can find in most ports. Although they are not very large and do not carry much goods, they are all decorated very warmly and are particularly welcoming to them.

After eating and drinking all the way, they walked around the hatchery, and then walked around the circular corridor on the second floor. The many sailors who were tired and full were enthusiastically surrounded by the islanders and came to the hatchery, where they sat on the lounge chairs specially prepared for them.

Similarly, the islanders were either standing in the corridor upstairs or gathered on the stone path beside the incubation pool, sitting on the ground in groups of three or four, passing around the various drinks handed to them by the people around them.

Soon, accompanied by the melodious sound of the piano and the dazzling ship lights lit up around, a band consisting of 21 harp-tailed fishmen emerged from the water of the hatchery, driving the colorful waves while wandering in the hatchery, plucking the colorful strings on their tails with their slender and sharp nails, playing a beautiful piece of music.

"The morning star sets over the quiet harbor, and the tattered sails rustle.

The fishing nets gleam in the moonlight, reflecting the longing for a good harvest."

To the sound of the piano, the beautiful and petite melody-tailed fish people began to sing in chorus, and the surrounding islanders also sang along.

"What's the name of this song?" Shenba asked a Qin-tailed fishman sitting not far away.

"Ode to Harvest"

The harptail fishman from the Tinisha Band happily replied, "We sing this song together when we have a catch, when a ship docks for trade, when we're happy, and when we celebrate!"

After saying this, the merman started singing along with the surrounding islanders.

Amidst a joyful chorus that echoed throughout the island, huge fish, reflecting the light, leaped out of the hatching pond.

Each of them has a body length of more than two meters, and has four fins that are more than ten meters long, almost completely transparent, and shaped like dragonfly wings.

These fish fins that cut through the water also reflected the colorful lights, and every time they leaped, they attracted cheers.

"That's the dragonfly fish!"

Before Tinisa finished her words, several islanders had already leaped from the island's roof into the hatching pond. When they emerged from the water, each was riding a dragonfish. These dragonfish riders placed their reins around the dragonfish's heads and, to the tune of the music, manipulated their instruments again and again, performing a variety of dazzling movements.

Some of them even controlled the dragonflies to glide briefly in the air, spraying a series of cool, cheerful splashes of water on the surrounding audience.

"So you also have your own sea cavalry?" Yun Ji asked a Qinwei fishman curiously.

"Of course we have our own Marines"

The merfolk explained, "But our combat capabilities are too weak. Even with the help of the dragonflies, we often can't resist those powerful sea monster cavalry.

Furthermore, these dragonfish only accept siren riders; hybrids or humans are not allowed to ride on them."

At this moment, Wilton also sat down next to Cheng Lang with a burp, "Young Captain, your food has completely conquered us."

"So you are willing to help us?" Cheng Lang asked with a smile.

"certainly"

Wilton said, "But I have a few small conditions."

"Those fresh ingredients?" Cheng Lang asked with a smile.

"Is it okay?" Wilton asked.

"no problem"

Cheng Lang readily agreed, "Yafuso will teach you how to grow those fresh vegetables."

"And those white, soft squares."

Wilton added, "What the hell is that? I've never tasted anything like that. Honestly, it has a fishy texture, but I'm pretty sure it's not any kind of fish."

“They’re made from beans.”

Cheng Lang said without reservation, "My sailor Yafuso will teach you how to make that kind of thing."

"You are such a generous captain!"

Wilton exclaimed, "I dare say that these ingredients, which I have never heard of, will one day completely change the eating habits of sailors at sea."

"So Mr. Wilton will keep it a secret for us?" Cheng Lang asked.

"You hold my secret too"

Wilton said, "So I will keep it a secret for you. In addition, I will go to your ship tomorrow to take a look, especially to taste the ship's blood and sweat. This is related to whether your ship can transplant dragonfly fins, and especially how many dragonfly fins can be transplanted."

"You mean that the number of dragonfly fins that can be transplanted on each ship is different?" Cheng Lang asked in surprise.

"certainly"

Wilton said as a matter of course, "Just like some people are born to be sailors and some are born to be carpenters, the key to how many dragonfish fins can be transplanted into a boat lies in the bloodline of the hearth and the load-bearing capacity of the keel."

"Is it related to the dragon bone?" Cheng Lang couldn't help but tense up. The Valkyrie's dragon bone may be hiding a big secret.

"Of course it is," said Wilton. "It will all be revealed through the taste of the ship's blood."

Hearing this, Cheng Lang breathed a sigh of relief and continued the topic, asking, "How long does it take to transplant dragonfly fins?"

"Very quickly, but it depends on how many pairs of dragonfly fins your ship can withstand," Wilton replied.

"Dragonflies that have lost their fins"

“They say their fish is delicious!”

"Not only the meat, but also the skin and bones have many uses," Wilton said.

At this point, Wilton looked at Yun Ji, who was sitting not far from Cheng Lang, and said, "The sea snake combat suit worn by your beautiful first mate is actually made of dragonfly skin."

"Is it made of them?" Cheng Lang asked in surprise, "I thought it was a sea snake."

"We need to control the dragonfish population so it's not too few, and not too many."

Wilton explained with a smile, "The Sea Serpent Combat Suit is a specialty of Dragonfish Island, but we don't want the pirates to know about it, as it would cause the Dragonfish to become completely extinct."

"But you told me so easily?" Cheng Lang asked with a strange look on his face.

"Can't you keep this secret?" Wilton asked as a matter of course.

fuck.
Cheng Lang cursed inwardly. Of course he would keep this secret. Any pirate would probably keep this secret - people are selfish.

"Okay," Cheng Lang nodded, feeling both amused and helpless. "I'll keep this secret."

"Now I am going to transplant dragonfly fins to your ship. I hope this will be of some help in the upcoming battle." Wilton changed the subject at the right time.

"Is there anything we need to do?" Cheng Lang asked.

"Stay away from Dragonfish Island and summon a sea mist."

Wilton whispered, "Even on Dragonfly Island, not many people know that I have this skill."

"No problem," Cheng Lang said as he stood up.

"Let's take him with us and let him help me, how about that?" Wilton said, pointing at Shenba who was singing along.

"Shenba, come with me." Cheng Lang patted the other's shoulder and said in a low voice.

"Tinisha, good girl, come with your band." Wilton said gently to the Qinwei fishman sitting next to Yunji, "This is enough."

"Then let's come together," Cheng Lang said and glanced at Yun Ji, who nodded slightly.

When the group left the "viewing seats" and came to the side of the Valkyrie, two dragonfly fish tied up like dumplings with ropes were already placed there.

Although Wilton had a chubby figure, his strength was far greater than Cheng Lang had expected. He easily picked up a dragonfly fish with just one hand, "Big guy, help me get the other fish."

"Look at me!"

As Shenba spoke, he reached out and grabbed the rope on the other dragonfly fish and lifted it up as well.

Soon after, the Valkyrie raised its tattered sails and quietly left the dock amid the singing and cheers of people around the island, then disappeared into a thick sea fog.

(End of this chapter)