Full and Thinking Ahead

Full and Thinking Ahead

Seeing that the oil had melted, Lu Qing began placing the small fish into it one by one, slowly frying them.

Actually, it would have been better to add a little salt to the oil before frying; that way, the fish would not stick to the bottom so easily.

But Lu Qing had looked earlier. The salt that uncle had brought over was rather coarse-grained, unsuitable for frying fish directly.

Carefully controlling the heat, Lu Qing slowly fried the fish.

The spreading aroma drew Xiao Yan over after she had finished her flatbread. She sat there, staring fixedly at the fish on the stone slab.

Seeing her like this, Lu Qing's heart ached.

He rubbed the little one's hair.

"Xiao Yan, wait a little longer. It'll be ready soon."

"Mm!" Xiao Yan nodded obediently. "Brother, the fish smells so good."

"If it smells good, eat more later. Brother caught so many fish today—enough to fill Xiao Yan's belly."

Once the rice in the earthenware pot was cooked, Lu Qing had basically finished frying all the fish as well.

He picked all the fish up and placed them in a bowl.

Then he boiled some salt water and poured it over them.

And just like that, a simple dish of Salted Fried Fish was ready.

Lu Qing served two bowls of rice and placed them on the table.

"Xiao Yan, time to eat."

"I'm right here, Brother."

The little one had long been waiting at the table.

Lu Qing added a small stool to the chair, then lifted Xiao Yan onto it so she could reach her bowl.

Then he placed several small fish with few bones on top of her rice.

"Eat up, little glutton. Remember to spit out any bones. Don't get pricked by a fishbone."

"I know, Brother."

The little one had been craving it beyond endurance. She immediately picked up a small fried fish and put it into her mouth, chewing rapidly like a hamster.

Good thing Lu Qing had given her small fish with few bones. Otherwise, she would definitely have gotten pricked.

After swallowing one small fish, the little one's eyes immediately widened.

"Brother, this fish is so delicious! It's even better than Mother's used to be!"

Hearing that, Lu Qing felt no joy. Instead, a wave of bitterness rose in his heart.

This fish had only a little oil and salt water in it. He had not even dared to use much oil while frying it, in order to save it.

No matter how good such fried fish was, how good could it really be?

Only when people were hungry would they find everything fragrant and delicious.

One could imagine how much hunger Xiao Yan had suffered during this time.

That was why she found even such a crude dish of Salted Fried Fish to be a supreme delicacy.

But Lu Qing did not show it. He merely smiled. "As long as it tastes good. Then Xiao Yan should eat more."

"Mm-hm!"

The little one took a huge mouthful of rice, her cheeks puffed out so much that she could not speak, only nod.

Lu Qing smiled and picked up a fish to eat as well.

After swallowing one fish, he raised his brows.

The fish was not as bad as he had imagined.

Perhaps it was because the environment in this ancient world had never been polluted, allowing the river fish to grow exceptionally well.

Thus, though these small fried fish lacked seasoning, their flesh was fresh and flavorful, possessing a unique charm.

The brother and sister had both gone hungry for a long time, so there was no way they could eat slowly.

Very quickly, they finished all the rice in the earthenware pot and the bowl of small fried fish.

Of course, most of it went into Lu Qing's stomach.

No matter how hungry Xiao Yan was, she was still only a six- or seven-year-old child, and her appetite was limited.

Besides, Lu Qing had deliberately kept her from eating too much at once, lest she upset her stomach.

"Brother, Xiao Yan is full!"

The little one put down her bowl, rubbed her belly, and looked utterly content.

It had been so long since Xiao Yan had eaten her fill!

"Now that you're full, rest for a while. Don't run around. Brother will wash the dishes first."

Lu Qing gave her a reminder before beginning to clear away the bowls and chopsticks.

"Xiao Yan wants to help Brother too."

The little one jumped off the stool.

"No need. Just sit here and rest." Lu Qing refused.

So Xiao Yan could only sit obediently on the stool and watch Lu Qing bustle about.

Children were prone to sleepiness. By the time Lu Qing had cleaned everything up and came back out, the little one's head was already bobbing as she dozed off.

Lu Qing smiled, gently picked her up, and carried her toward the room.

"Brother, Xiao Yan wants to go fishing with you next time too. The fish is yummy."

The moment he laid Xiao Yan on the bed, the little one mumbled drowsily.

"Alright. Next time Brother goes fishing, I'll bring you along too."

With tenderness in his eyes, Lu Qing tucked the patched quilt over the little one and spoke softly.

Perhaps having heard her brother's promise, Xiao Yan said nothing more and fell deeply asleep.

After making sure the little one was asleep, Lu Qing quietly left the room and sat in a simple reclining chair in the hall, immediately feeling a wave of comfort.

He had been quite busy today as well. His body had only just recovered and was still very weak.

Yet he had had to endure hunger while doing so much work—fishing and cooking.

It would be a lie to say he was not tired.

Only now, reclining in the chair, did he feel much more comfortable.

He could even feel sleepiness welling up.

But he could not sleep yet.

There were still some matters he needed to think over.

After more than half a day of activity, contact with the villagers, and the memories in his mind, Lu Qing had basically inferred what sort of environment he was now in.

First, without a doubt, he was in a world similar to ancient China.

And it was an era with rather low productive capacity.

One could tell as much from the fact that even an iron pot was considered a rare treasure.

But that was all.

Lu Qing still could not confirm any further information.

For example, he knew nothing about this world's social structure, distribution of powers, or who held authority.

He only knew that this world seemed to have no political institutions like imperial courts or government offices.

At least, no such concepts existed in the original owner's memories.

Of course, that was not absolute.

After all, the original owner had merely been an ordinary country youth, still muddleheaded and never having left the village even at his age.

He had never even considered how vast the outside world was, so how could he have possessed such concepts?

Still, although he was unsure whether there were imperial courts or government offices, one thing was certain: towns and cities did exist.

Whenever the villagers needed certain daily necessities, they went to the market in a nearby town to buy them.

Things like salt and iron could generally only be purchased in town.

And in these towns and cities, the person with the greatest authority seemed to be called the City Lord.

Unfortunately, although the original owner was already fifteen, he had never been to a city, leaving Lu Qing unable to know what the towns and cities were really like.

"It seems I should make a trip to town when I get the chance," Lu Qing murmured softly.

Only by understanding this world well enough could he decide what path would be best to take in the future.

Of course, thinking about that now was still a little far-off.

The most urgent matter was finding a way to support himself and Xiao Yan.

After all, today he had incurred quite a few debts of gratitude from the villagers, and all of them would need to be repaid.

And his greatest reliance at present was undoubtedly the supernatural ability in his body.

What could his ability do?

Lu Qing thought quietly.

Suddenly, a person's name surfaced in his mind.