I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 210 Stirring Up a River of Fish

"Who dares to smash me?"

The cook clutched his stomach, groggily opened his eyes, and picked up the thing that had hit him.

His eyes widened instantly.

The object was round and smooth, with a lustrous sheen, and it shone brightly in the moonlight.

It turned out to be a pearl.

The cook had only ever seen merchants on the ship who had extremely successful businesses, and one of them always carried a bag of pearls with him. The merchant had said that although the bag of pearls was small, it could fetch thousands of strings of cash if sold in Chang'an.

Good heavens, this is so precious.

The cook suddenly snapped out of his daze.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping in the process, not even bothering to notice the wrinkles on his face from sleeping, and clutched the precious pearl tightly in his hand.

The cook bowed and asked the guests carefully and respectfully.

"Does the guest have any instructions for me?"

Ao Bai spoke in a calm tone.

"I have a fish here. Could you cook it up and make it nice?"

The cook readily agreed.

"Of course!"

He was in charge of feeding the dozen or so crew members on the large ship. Some diners were picky eaters and didn't like the dry flatbread, so they would give him some money to make some for them; this was a common occurrence.

Although these individuals were exceptionally generous.

The cook carefully tucked the pearls into a lining of his clothes, afraid of losing them.

He had just turned around when a few drops of water splashed onto his face.

A huge fish was thrashing about on the ground, its tail incredibly strong, weighing at least fifty or sixty pounds. Seeing its size, everyone around looked over.

Wow, what a big fish!

They looked as fresh as if they had just been pulled from the river.

The cook's eyes widened.

"Young master, this fish is huge! Wow, it's really strong. Did you just catch it from the river?"

Ao Bai glanced at the cat beside him and said something on purpose.

"It was caught by fishing."

"My lord is truly remarkable!"

The cook was convinced. He asked who had dietary restrictions, then picked up the big fish with all his might, slippery and slung it over his shoulder, and carried it all the way back to the stove, pondering what to do with it.

This fish is strange; he's never seen one like it before, and he doesn't know if it tastes good.

Jiang She found a place to sit on the deck.

Looking out over the river, a gentle evening breeze is blowing.

When Ao Bai said that it was "caught on the fish," he just smiled and didn't expose him.

Before they knew it, several people had gathered around, including merchants and scholars who stayed up late reciting poetry. They had all seen the enormous fish.

A cacophony of voices rang out.

"Where did you catch that, brother?"

"This fish must weigh forty or fifty pounds, right? Are there really fish this big in the river?"

Some people said, "It looks a bit like a river carp."

"Can river carp grow this big?"

The group spoke without any restraint or lowering of their voices.

Although the word for carp sounds like the word for "Li" (李), and the emperor ordered that carp not be caught or eaten, people far from the emperor's reach didn't care. They just listened to the government's orders and didn't care as long as they weren't caught by the authorities. They could still eat carp if they wanted.

Carp is best suited for sashimi, and it also tastes delicious when made into fish soup with spring vegetables. Steaming or dry-frying also offer unique flavors.

Thinking about the big fish they had just seen, the group was all a little itchy.

Does anyone have fishing gear?

"I brought it!"

"There are still people selling fishing rods at the stalls outside, I wonder if they've closed up shop so late."

Not a moment.

Several scholars and merchants shared some fishing rods and sat on the deck waiting for a bite.

Yuan Danqiu, along with Taibai and the Mountain God, although knowing it was the Water God who had brought the big fish, couldn't help but go over and borrow a few fishing rods. With a sense of pride, he fished with them.

Yuan Danqiu waved to Jiang She.

"Sir, I have an extra fishing rod here, would you like it?"

Jiang She wasn't very interested and waved his hand dismissively.

"Go fish yourself!"

Yuan Danqiu took two fishing rods, simply secured them with a frame borrowed from someone, and waited to catch a fish. They couldn't catch the fish that lived in the clouds of Yunmeng Mountain, but they should at least catch a few fish from this river.

Jiang She watched the group fish with great interest. Half an hour passed, and everyone else had caught a few small fish, but Yuan Danqiu hadn't caught a single one.

Midway through the cooking process, the cook came out from the boat's stove.

They diligently brought them a small table with a pot of wine on it.

The journey on the ship was arduous, and most people relied on cloudy sake to fill their stomachs and savor the taste of alcohol. Sake was much more expensive and was originally intended for the scholars on board; this was a jug specially brought by the cook.

Ao Bai didn't drink, he asked.

"What have you been doing for the past three years, sir?"

Jiang She withdrew his gaze.

His tone was relaxed.

"These three years have been both far and near. On the first day of the Lunar New Year that year, I had a drink with some people, said some things, and witnessed the deaths of two kings and nobles. I was deeply moved and meditated for a while, wandering with heaven and earth."

"I should thank them for waiting for me for three years."

Zhang Guolao laughed from the side.

"It's only three years, what's the rush?"

Ao Bai: "To roam with heaven and earth? Was it like that, where your spirit wandered just now?"

Jiang She couldn't explain it either.

At the time, I only felt joy, listening to the sound of every rain, hearing the growth and decay of plants in the mountains and forests, and the birth and death of all kinds of animals... It didn't seem like I was in a trance.

He mumbled.

"That's it."

Ao Bai wanted to ask more, but the cook, carrying a large pot, called over the boatmen to help him carry the pot over. Wiping his sweat, the cook smiled and said...

"The fish is ready, please enjoy!"

As he spoke, he lifted the lid—

The whole boat was filled with fragrance.

A unique aroma mingled with the scent of wine on the table, wafting into everyone's nostrils. The cook had put in all his effort to cook the large fish until it was incredibly fragrant.

A wave of heat suddenly hit my face.

The fish was stewed to perfection, the flavor completely infused into the broth, with not a trace of fishiness. The broth was milky white, with a few sprigs of dogwood and scallions floating on top. Even after being removed from the heat, the broth was still bubbling.

The cook shook his hand and chuckled.

"This is truly the best fish I've ever seen. Did you catch it on this boat, my lord?"

Ao Bai nodded.

The cook glanced at the boat and saw many people fishing there. He chuckled and said, "No wonder they're all fishing there. It seems they're all itching to catch this big fish."

"In my opinion, a fish this big, sir, is hard to catch!"

The fish soup smelled delicious and looked incredibly appetizing.

The sake on the table doesn't quite match the fish soup.

Jiang She thought for a moment.

He pulled the blue liquid from his sleeve and shook it slightly. He drank it in fits and starts, and of the original six bottles, there was now almost one left.

He was generous and poured a small cup for everyone.

Zhang Guolao's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile.

"I am so lucky to be able to drink your wine today."

Ao Bai was also overjoyed.

Brewing wine with the pure and vital energy of heaven and earth is such an extravagant act that even dragons have only tasted it once. Not only does it taste delicious, but drinking it is also quite beneficial to their cultivation.

Ao Bai held the wine cup, took a small sip, and drank half of it.

Judging from the way he drank the whole pot of Dragon Drinker earlier, he was already drinking it with great relish.

"The wine here is still the best, sir!"

Jiang She smiled.

He also drank the wine, which was smooth and tasted quite good.

Life began to stir on the ship, and many people felt much more comfortable as they enjoyed the river breeze. In the cargo hold below, the farmers and women who were sleeping on the communal beds also relaxed, finding the journey less stifling and unbearable.

The night breeze stirs the river, and the bright moon hangs in the sky.

Jiang She looked at the group of people fishing on the deck.

We were just about to invite them to dinner.

Yuan Danqiu stood up abruptly, gripping the fishing rod tightly, his face flushed with excitement.

"Fishing!"

The Taoist priest was still busy giving instructions.

"Taibai, move over there a bit, this is a big fish, help me hold the fishing rod a little..."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)