Zhou Shishi wasn’t stubborn either. After trying it twice and confirming she didn’t like it, she didn’t force herself. She decisively gave up and turned her attention to the other seafood.
Li Xiao didn’t stop moving his hands. He found the taste of this bitter snail truly bizarre. It was the kind of flavor that grew on you the more you ate it. At first, the bitterness was quite heavy—the kind of bitter that made one want to spit the meat right out. But as he continued to eat, the bitterness actually faded. He wasn’t sure if his tongue’s ability to process bitterness had decreased, or if that special sweet aftertaste had completely masked it. By the end, his entire mouth was filled with that rich, sweet aftertaste.
Looking at the empty plate, Li Xiao felt a bit of regret. It seemed he had bought too few of these bitter snails.
Seeing his expression, Xu, who was beside him, quickly asked, “If Mr. Li still wants to eat more, how about I go to the pier to buy some more to be prepared?
“It’s not too far from the pier here. I can be back very soon.”
Hearing Xu’s words, Li Xiao was a bit tempted, but he also knew the principle of stopping while the going was good. Some things were ruined by excess; leaving a beautiful memory in one’s heart was actually for the best.
Thinking of this, he waved his hand. “There are still so many dishes on the table. We can’t just eat snails.
“Anyway, South Australia Island is right here. It’s not like it will suddenly run away. Wouldn’t it be fine if I just come back whenever I want to eat them again?”
Xu was already a shrewd person. Hearing Li Xiao say this, he immediately nodded repeatedly. “Mr. Li is right. Eating too much at once really isn’t good.
“If Brother Li comes to South Australia Island again next time, you definitely have to look for me. I will definitely find someone to get the best bitter snails for Mr. Li.”
Li Xiao chuckled. “Of course. I’ll definitely look for you next time I come.”
After chatting for a bit, his attention quickly returned to the seafood on the table. He picked up a soup spoon and scooped himself a bowl of snow-white fish soup.
The small groupers they bought earlier weighed over half a kilogram in total, but their individual sizes weren’t actually that large. Each fish was only about fifty grams. This type of grouper didn’t have much meat to begin with. Whether steamed or braised in soy sauce, neither was a very good cooking method. However, using these tiny fish to boil fish soup was a rather excellent choice.
The steaming hot fish soup emitted a rich, fishy aroma, and he was immediately drawn in by that refreshing fragrance. Faint steam rose from the surface of the soup. The milky-white broth didn’t look like a bowl of soup; instead, it resembled heated milk. In this bowl of small grouper soup, the milky-white broth and emerald-green chopped scallions contrasted beautifully with each other, adding a bit of liveliness and color. A layer of golden oil floated on the surface of the fish soup.
Li Xiao gently blew on the steam rising from the soup and carefully took a small sip. The broth was light yet mellow, with a faint sweetness shining through the base—brought about by the natural umami of the small groupers. He could taste the flavor of the ocean and the essence of the grouper’s meat.
The groupers had been pan-fried until slightly browned and fragrant. This method had many benefits: it preserved the tenderness of the meat while retaining its moisture, making the texture of the fish delicate and smooth. Li Xiao gently bit off a piece of fish meat. The fresh sweetness of the fish slid down his throat, letting him experience the perfect harmony between the succulent meat and the savory broth.
The chopped scallions added to the soup weren’t just for color; they also provided a sense of freshness and aroma, giving the entire bowl of fish soup a richer, more layered flavor profile. Meanwhile, the faint hint of ginger in the soup base perfectly neutralized the fishiness of the meat, making the broth even more delicious and palatable. There was an incredibly light aroma of rice wine in the soup, which further reduced the already very faint fishy smell.
The tofu used was soft tofu. It was so tender and smooth that it didn’t even need to be chewed; with just a slurp, it slid right down his throat.
Fresh and sweet. It was truly fresh and sweet.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 53rd illustration!]
[The culinary illustration you unlocked is: Small Grouper Soup]
[Dish rating: 91 points (Excellent)]
[Because the dish is rated Excellent, rewards x4]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000 yuan]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000 yuan]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Small Grouper Soup Recipe]
[Congratulations, you have received a special reward: Your success rate when sea fishing is increased by 10%]
…
Small sea fish like these, caught alive and kicking, were full of vitality to begin with. From the time they were slaughtered to the time they became fish soup, less than twenty minutes had passed. Fresh sea fish like these didn’t need much cooking skill or seasoning to taste incredibly fresh and sweet.
Wen Yaqian licked her lips. As she scooped a second bowl for herself, she complained, “It’s so good. You have to use freshly caught sea fish like this to make fish soup.
“I tried making it in the dorm a few times, and it was disgusting every time.
“Even though I put in a lot of ginger, the fishy smell was still really strong.
“The fish soup you get at restaurants outside might not smell as fishy, but it’s full of MSG. It doesn’t taste like fish soup at all.”
Li Xiao shook his head. “Making a good bowl of fish soup is easy in some ways, but difficult in others.
“You probably can’t even find slightly fresh sea fish near your school, so making fish soup would be a bit hard.”
One could find fish vendors near Zhongshan University, but the fish were basically all half-dead. Li Xiao assumed that Wen Yaqian had used that kind of fish to make her fish soup.
Wen Yaqian looked confused. “How is that possible? There’s a shopping mall right next to our university.
“There’s a fish tank selling fish in the mall, and I always pick the live ones! How could they not be fresh?”
Li Xiao was somewhat startled, not expecting her school to have such good facilities nearby. However, he quickly came up with an explanation. “Being alive and being fresh are two different things.
“Fish in shopping malls have gone through multiple layers of transit. It might take two to three days just to get from the pier to the mall.
“Besides, you can’t estimate how long the fish has been sitting in that tank.
“For the sake of transport safety, many fishmongers will add a certain amount of fish medicine to the water before transport to prevent the fish from dying suddenly on the way.
“This fish medicine not only reduces the fish’s vitality but also makes the fish itself sluggish and dull.
“Furthermore, while the environment in the fish tank can keep the fish alive, it definitely can’t compare to the ocean.
“Surviving and living are two different concepts.
“The longer they are kept in captivity, the lower their freshness drops, making the fish taste worse.
“The fish we bought today were all just caught by the fishermen. Although they’re small, their freshness is extremely high.”
Hearing Li Xiao’s explanation, a look of realization dawned on Wen Yaqian’s face. “I knew it. The fish soup not turning out well had to be the fish’s fault.”
Hearing the two of them seriously discussing why Wen Yaqian’s fish soup tasted bad, Wenchu People, who was beside them, burst out laughing with a loud PFFT.
“You little girl, you actually have the nerve to say that?
“Even if someone gave you a few pounds of fresh fish, the fish soup you make would definitely still taste awful.
“Have you forgotten?
“Last time you went to my house…”