Chapter 7
Seeing the oil ready, Lu Qing began placing the small fish onto the pan one by one, slowly frying them.
In fact, adding a little salt to the oil before frying would be better, as it prevents the fish from sticking to the pan.
But Lu Qing noticed earlier that the salt brought by the uncle was too coarse and unsuitable for frying fish directly.
Carefully controlling the heat, Lu Qing fried the fish slowly.
The enticing aroma attracted Xiao Yan, who had already finished her pancakes, making her sit down and stare intently at the fish on the stone slab.
Seeing her like this, Lu Qing felt a pang of heartache.
He ruffled the little girl's hair.
"Xiao Yan, wait a little longer. It will be ready soon."
"Okay!" Xiao Yan nodded obediently, "Brother, the fish smells so good."
"If it smells good, eat more later. I caught enough fish today for you to eat your fill."When the rice in the pot was ready, Lu Qing had almost finished frying the fish.
He picked up the fish and placed them in a bowl.
He boiled some saltwater and drizzled it over the fish.
Thus, a simple dish of saltwater fried fish was ready.
Lu Qing served two bowls of rice and placed them on the table.
"Xiao Yan, time to eat."
"I'm here, brother."
The little girl had already been waiting at the dining table.
Lu Qing added a small stool to the chair and lifted Xiao Yan onto it so she could reach her bowl.
Then he placed a few small fish without many bones on her rice.
"Eat, little glutton. Remember to spit out the bones and don't get choked."
"I know, brother."
The little girl, who had been drooling for a while, immediately picked up a small fried fish and put it in her mouth, chewing quickly like a hamster.
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Fortunately, Lu Qing had given her fish with few bones; otherwise, she would have choked.
After eating one small fish, the little girl's eyes widened.
"Brother, this fish is so delicious, better than what Mom used to make!"
Hearing this, Lu Qing didn't feel happy but rather a bit sad.
This fish had only a bit of oil and saltwater. To save oil, he didn't even dare to use much while frying.
No matter how good such a simple fried fish tasted, it couldn't be that delicious.
When one is hungry, everything tastes good.
It's hard to imagine how much Xiao Yan had endured during this period to find such a simple dish so delicious.
But Lu Qing didn't show it. He just smiled and said, "If it's good, eat more, Xiao Yan."
"Okay!"
The little girl took a big bite, her cheeks puffed up, unable to speak, only nodding.
Lu Qing smiled and ate a piece of fish himself.
After eating a fish, he raised an eyebrow.
The fish wasn't as bad as he had imagined.
Perhaps it was because the ancient environment wasn't polluted, making the river fish very good.
So, despite the lack of seasoning, the fish was fresh and tasty, with its unique flavor.
The siblings were both very hungry, so they ate quickly.
Soon, the rice in the pot and the bowl of small fried fish were all gone.
Of course, most of it ended up in Lu Qing's stomach.
No matter how hungry Xiao Yan was, she was just a six or seven-year-old child with a limited appetite.
Moreover, Lu Qing deliberately controlled her intake to prevent her from overeating and getting sick.
"Brother, Xiao Yan is full!"
The little girl put down her bowl and patted her stomach, looking satisfied.
Xiao Yan hadn't felt this full in a long time!
"Now that you're full, rest for a bit and don't run around. I'll wash the dishes."
Lu Qing instructed, then began to clean up.
"Xiao Yan will help brother."
The little girl jumped off the stool.
"No need, just sit and rest." Lu Qing declined.
So, Xiao Yan had to sit obediently on the stool, watching Lu Qing busying himself.
Children are sleepy. By the time Lu Qing had finished cleaning and came out, the little girl's head was already nodding off.
Lu Qing smiled and gently picked her up, carrying her to the room.
"Brother, Xiao Yan wants to go fishing with you next time. The fish is delicious."
Just as he put her on the bed, the little girl mumbled in her sleep.
"Okay, next time I'll take you fishing."
Lu Qing lovingly covered her with the patched quilt and said softly.
Seemingly reassured by her brother's promise, Xiao Yan said no more and fell into a deep sleep.
After ensuring she was asleep, Lu Qing quietly left the room and sat on a simple lounge chair in the hall, feeling a sense of comfort.
He had been busy all day. His body, though just recovering, was still weak.
He had worked hard despite his hunger, fishing and cooking.
To say he wasn't tired would be a lie.
Now, lying in the lounge chair, he felt much more comfortable.
He even felt a wave of drowsiness.
But he couldn't sleep yet.
There were still some things he needed to think about.
After today's activities, interactions with the villagers, and the memories in his mind, Lu Qing had basically deduced the nature of his current environment.
Firstly, it was undoubtedly a world similar to ancient China.
Moreover, it was an era with relatively low productivity.
This was evident from the fact that even an iron pot was a rare item.
But that was the extent of his knowledge.
He couldn't determine more information.
For instance, the social structure, the distribution of powers, and who held the authority in this world were still unclear to him.
He only knew that there seemed to be no court or government offices.
At least, there was no such concept in the original owner's memory.
Of course, this wasn't absolute.
After all, the original owner was just a simple village boy who had never left the village.
He had no idea about the outside world, so how could he have those concepts?
However, even though he wasn't sure about the existence of a court or government offices, he was certain that there were towns.
Villagers bought certain daily necessities from the nearby town market.
Items like salt and iron were usually only available in towns.
And the most powerful people in these towns seemed to be called city lords.
Unfortunately, the original owner, despite being fifteen, had never been to the city, so Lu Qing couldn't know what the towns were like.
"It seems I need to go to the town when I have the chance," Lu Qing murmured to himself.
Only by understanding this world enough could he decide the best path for the future.
Of course, thinking about this now was a bit premature.
The most urgent task was to find a way to support himself and Xiao Yan.
After all, he owed the villagers a lot today, and these debts needed to be repaid.
And his greatest reliance at the moment was undoubtedly his special ability.
What could his ability do?
Lu Qing quietly pondered.
Suddenly, a name appeared in his mind.