Sister's Fish (Second Update)

Qin Yanan's long, black hair parted in front of her forehead, wrapped behind her ears, and was casually tied to a red jade hairpin at the nape of her neck. It was simple yet had a touch of elegance. With the swaying of her hair, she exuded the charm of a mature woman, a touch of softness, and was very alluring.

Compared to the day she left Junsha and held a banquet for Liu Chang'an, Qin Yanan's cheeks were fuller, making her seem less aloof and arrogant. Her body was also slightly plumper. Before, people wondered how such a slender waist could support her full and trembling upper body, but now people would probably be more amazed by her mature charm as she walked. Her waist was a little fuller, but she was even more captivating.

These small changes are probably what make her more similar in temperament and feeling to Ye Sijin in Liu Chang'an's memory. If she didn't speak, but just walked over gracefully with a gentle smile, Liu Chang'an would probably splash her with a few more handfuls of water to wake himself up.

"You're back." Qin Yanan nodded, still looking at Liu Chang'an with interest. "Why did you splash mud on your face?"

"Don't you know? Wild boars love to wallow in mud and water. It's natural, healthy, and environmentally friendly." Liu Chang'an stood up, turned around, and walked into the room.

"Sister, I'll come play with you later!" Zhou Dongdong called out, stood up, swung her little legs, and followed Liu Chang'an into the house.

Liu Chang'an wiped Zhou Dongdong's face, then washed his own face and hands before coming out.

Qin Yanan placed the food box on Zhou Dongdong's small stool. Zhou Dongdong circled the stool once, then sniffed, squatted down, and reached out to touch the food box. "Sister, what's in here!"

Qin Yanan noticed the change in address; today she was calling him "sister." Looking at Zhou Dongdong with a smile, she gently shook her head, "It's delicious; I'll give it to you later."

"Thank you, sister." Zhou Dongdong reached out and touched the food box.

Liu Chang'an pointed to the food box, "What dishes did you make today? Let me see."

"Pufferfish."

"A few peach blossoms bloom outside the bamboo grove, the ducks are the first to know the warmth of the spring river, the water chestnuts cover the ground and the reeds are short, it's the time when pufferfish are about to swim upstream. Times have changed! Now, if you want to eat pufferfish, you can eat it whenever you want." Liu Chang'an arranged the table and chairs. "Please."

Zhou Dongdong knelt on the chair, watching without moving.

Qin Yanan opened the food box and found a serving of pufferfish dumplings, a serving of pufferfish soup, a serving of pufferfish skin mixed with orange vinegar, and a serving of pufferfish sashimi—all home-style dishes.

"What did the pufferfish do to you?" Liu Chang'an felt that the pufferfish must have done something to anger Qin Yanan, and she was trying to find ways to eat it.

The tableware consisted of black lacquered wooden bowls and chopsticks, decorated with irregularly shaped peach blossoms. The ends of the chopsticks were delicately wrapped in gold foil, and the middle section was openwork, from which hung a tiny bell. When the chopsticks were lifted, the sound was crisp and clear, just loud enough for the person to hear.

"Guess how this delicious soup was made?" Qin Yanan naturally wanted to grill Liu Chang'an.

Liu Chang'an sniffed. His nose was naturally more sensitive than most people's, and his memory from his nose seemed even more acute than his brain. After thinking for a moment, Liu Chang'an said with certainty, "You're testing common sense. To make pufferfish plump and tender, it must be stewed with chicken trotters. Chicken without trotters won't be plump, and pufferfish without chicken won't be fresh. Naturally, it's cooked in chicken trotter broth."

Qin Yanan was very impressed, because chicken feet soup actually smells somewhat different from regular chicken soup, and it's not as common knowledge as he claimed. In fact, even in over 90% of restaurants that can cook pufferfish, home cooking methods don't use chicken feet soup.

The pufferfish skin salad with orange vinegar is an appetizer. The combination of orange vinegar and scallions creates a slightly sour aroma that whets the appetite. The pufferfish dumplings, though seemingly ordinary, are made with extremely high-quality ingredients. The dumplings and clear broth are served separately and only added together now. The pufferfish sashimi is presented in a peacock-like arrangement, with each extremely thin slice of pufferfish sashimi laid out on the plate. A corner of the plate is decorated with cut pieces of fish skin, lime slices, and fish liver, making the whole dish look as magnificent as a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

"I was worried you wouldn't like it, so I didn't use scallions. I used lettuce leaves to wrap the fish slices and dip them in lime sauce. It tastes pretty good." Qin Yanan glanced at Zhou Dongdong, who was gripping the edge of the table tightly with both hands. "Eat up."

Zhou Dongdong started eating.

Liu Chang'an and Qin Yanan also sat down. In this old neighborhood, the exquisite dishes and tableware did not seem out of place. After all, the most important thing is the taste. Once you start eating, even the most exquisite dishes cannot maintain their original appearance.

"You really trust my cooking skills. Many people don't dare to eat pufferfish, and even if others know how to prepare it, they still won't eat it." Qin Yanan picked up a slice of fish. Her skin was even more delicate than the fish slice, and the fish slice touched her lips, making the fish meat seem a bit rough.

"I ate it..." Liu Chang'an thought for a moment, not mentioning that he wouldn't die from eating wild pufferfish ovaries. "I've eaten it many times and nothing's happened. Besides, looking at the skin, it's chrysanthemum yellow, something I haven't had in a long time. If you're afraid to die and don't dare to eat it, you're not worthy of being a citizen of this country."

"Actually, if it's not wild, it's basically non-toxic if processed properly. At most, it might cause a slight stomach upset. Just make sure Zhou Dongdong doesn't eat anything cold after she finishes eating."

"I know, I'm here." Liu Chang'an glanced at Zhou Dongdong and suddenly realized that the pufferfish's angry expression looked a lot like the child next to him.

After eating for a while, perhaps because the food was so delicious, the atmosphere became both quiet and lively. Liu Chang'an and Qin Yanan were quiet, while Zhou Dongdong was lively.

Zhou Dongdong had never eaten such delicious fish before, even better than loach. She couldn't help but think of the many fish that the fairy sister had eaten that Zhou Dongdong had never tried before, wondering if they were all this delicious.

"Don't you have anything to ask me?" Qin Yanan picked up a piece of fish roe and looked at Liu Chang'an.

She ate with remarkable grace and slowness; a beautiful woman is always especially alluring when her lips and tongue move slightly.

"No," Liu Chang'an thought for a moment, "Summer airfare must be quite expensive, right?"

Qin Yanan's arm trembled, and she almost dropped the fish. She quickly opened her mouth to bite it, but she was choked by his question and wanted to cough. However, as an elegant, mature and beautiful lady, she couldn't very well spit the fish into Liu Chang'an's face. So she forced herself to endure the pain, her cheeks turning red.

"Actually, the main problem is that I don't know what your problem is, so how am I supposed to ask you? If you have something you want to tell me, just say it directly." Although Liu Chang'an was very patient, it would be better if they didn't beat around the bush and keep guessing.

Qin Yanan glanced at Zhou Dongdong.

Liu Chang'an understood her meaning and waved his hand, "Today she's a foolish robot. On the surface, she's still sitting next to us, but in reality, she's surrounded by a spacetime barrier; she's not in the same spacetime as us."

Qin Yanan was stunned.

"You don't need to worry about her. She won't hear you unless you call her name," Liu Chang'an coughed lightly to test the waters. "I have a silly kid sitting next to me."

Normally, if Liu Chang'an said Zhou Dongdong was a stupid child, she would immediately retort that she was clever and brave. But now, without a doubt, the clever and brave child has opened a barrier and become a stupid robot that does not accept any interference and faithfully executes only one instruction.

Qin Yanan's method for handling pufferfish is professional. After reading this article, please do not attempt to handle pufferfish yourself. The author will not be held responsible for any poisoning. Thank you for your cooperation.