Chapter 317: Chapter 198: Xiaoxu, Your Father-in-law Wants to Become Sworn Brothers with Your Dad! The Recipe for Boiling Fish! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]
"These small river fish are fried really crispy."
「In the living room.」
Shen Guofu picked up a small fried river fish with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. The fish’s outer skin was coated with a thin layer of batter, now fried to a golden brown. It looked very crispy and even felt like it might crumble in his hand. With one bite, it was so crispy it crackled. Following that, the unique, delicious flavor of the river fish spread throughout his mouth. The fish flesh had hints of saltiness, enhancing its freshness even more. The whole fish was fried thoroughly; even the bones were crispy. Yet, the fish flesh was just perfect—succulent and flavorful. He could even taste the rich juices in the meat, with no sense of it being over-fried.
"These small river fish might seem simple, but it’s not easy to make them delicious. I didn’t expect Lin Xu to know how to do this too; this kid’s culinary skill is really amazing! Come on, Brother Lin, let’s have one!"
The table was now set with the previously prepared fried peanuts, the sweet and sour pickled radish strips Chen Meijuan had marinated in the morning, a dish of pig’s ears in red oil, a small dish of soybean paste, and a few washed cucumbers. Lin Hongqi, holding a cucumber, dipped it into the soybean paste and, while crunching away, raised his glass to clink with Shen Guofu’s. Lin Xu’s trophy was sitting beside him. When he was happy, even glancing at the trophy seemed to enhance the taste of the wine.
After a few bites of cucumber, he used his chopsticks to pick up a small fish and put it into his mouth. The crispy texture and fresh flavor surprised Lin Hongqi. He had always thought his wife, Chen Meijuan, was a good cook. When he used to work at the trade bureau, his colleagues often went to their house for meals. These crispy fried small river fish had always been a staple at home, firstly because they were cheap, and secondly because they went well with drinks, making them a permanent household dish. He had eaten crispy fried small river fish made by many people, and he had always thought none were as good as Chen Meijuan’s. But today, tasting his son’s cooking, he actually felt that proverbial saying come to life: ’the student has surpassed the master.’ His son’s skill has surpassed his mother’s!
On the couch next to them, Chen Meijuan, who was chatting with Han Shuzhen, was surprised when she tasted the small river fish Shen Baobao passed to her. "Oh my, our son’s skills have surpassed mine! Shuzhen, you must try this; the fish is fried just right."
Han Shuzhen tried it too and found it delicious. "Old Shen, this is much better than the fried Knife Fish we ate last time in Shanghai at that restaurant that cost several thousand per person! From now on, if we want to eat anything, let’s just have Lin Xu cook. We won’t waste money eating out anymore."
"Hmm, from now on, we’ll eat nothing but Lin Xu’s cooking," Shen Guofu agreed.
Then, he tasted the sweet and sour pickled radish strips made by Chen Meijuan and immediately said in surprise, "The radish strips Meijuan made are quite tasty too! The flavors of the pickled chili and the sweet and sour sauce complement each other so well. I see now, Lin Xu’s cooking talent is purely inherited."
Chen Meijuan said with a smile, "This is just something I whipped up. If you’d like some, I’ll pickle a small jar for you both soon."
「In the kitchen.」
Lin Xu finished making the small river fish stewed with tofu. He also made a dish of stir-fried beef, pork belly stewed with green beans, and dry-fried lotus root strips.
Hmm, eating Ginger Lotus Root every day had gotten a bit monotonous. So, he used the Dry-frying Technique to make a batch of dry-fried lotus root strips. This dish was quite simple: slice the lotus root along its holes into pencil-thick strips, briefly fry them, and then stir-fry them with dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns before seasoning. The taste was crisp and tingling with spiciness—perfect with drinks and rice.
When he brought the food out, the family started dinner. Only Shen Guofu and Lin Hongqi were still chatting and drinking.
"Hmm, this small river fish makes a really flavorful soup!"
The small river fish were quite fresh. After being pan-fried slightly and then simmered in boiling water, the soup turned as white as milk. Adding blanched tofu made the flavor indescribable. Han Shuzhen slowly savored a small bowl, finding it even more delicious than the Crucian Carp Tofu Soup she had tasted last time.
"Last time, it was made with Plaster Tofu, which is tender and soft but lacks fragrance. Today’s soup uses brined tofu, which is a bit firmer but very flavorful, and the resulting tofu is delicious," Lin Xu explained, then picked up a slice of pork belly for Shen Baobao.
He liked the green beans stewed with pork belly, especially those plump, thick varieties; stewed with meat, they were delicious—even tastier than the meat itself.
After a bowl of rice, he served himself a bowl of the tofu soup and took a sip. The taste was truly rich and exquisite. After drinking it, he felt as if he were by a small river, the breeze wafting from the water, fishing leisurely under the shade of a tree.
Ahh... I feel like going fishing. After I get back, I’ll have to dig out my fishing rod and treat myself to a good time by the reservoir. Once the new store opens, there’ll be no more leisure time like this.
「After the meal.」
While both sets of parents were still eating and chatting, Lin Xu took Shen Baobao to his room. As soon as they entered, Shen Baobao bounced onto Lin Xu’s bed and rolled around.
"Ah! Your bed is so comfortable!" she exclaimed, kicking off her slippers and rolling around again.
Lin Xu chuckled softly. He walked over, kissed her lightly, and said, "I haven’t uploaded my video today. I’ll keep you company as soon as I’m done."
"Okay, okay!"
Seeing Lin Xu open his computer, Shen Baobao sat on the bed in a W-sit, watching her Xu Bao skillfully edit the video. The video’s content was very simple.