Giant Grouper

Lu Ao focused on eating his lunch beside them.

He ate very elegantly. Food never fell everywhere or got on his chin or the corners of his mouth. He chewed with his mouth closed, making no sound at all, yet ate remarkably quickly.

His eating could only be described as a sweep. Before long, nearly half the dishes the waiter had just served were gone, and most of the rest had probably been deliberately left for them.

Lin Manzhang felt that when Lu Ao said he could eat, he might really not have been boasting.

Lin Gongshang noticed it too and secretly clicked his tongue. "No wonder you're so strong."

Lu Ao smiled and continued eating.

After lunch, once they had settled the purchase of the Giant Grouper, Lin Manzhang and the others went back.

It was already past five when they returned to the village. Lu Ao gave Lin Manzhang and Lin Gongshang each a hundred-yuan red envelope for travel expenses.

The two tried to refuse. Lin Manzhang said, "We're all from the same village. Why be so formal?"

"It's necessary. You spent most of the day helping me." Lu Ao paused. "Take it as sharing some good fortune and wishing for a good start."

With him putting it that way, both men gladly accepted.

Lin Gongshang asked, "Lu Ao, when are you going fishing next? How about we go together?"

"Tomorrow, probably." Lu Ao said, "I like going fishing early. I don't know whether our schedules will line up."

Lin Gongshang felt somewhat dejected.

After only two brief encounters, he had already figured out that this guy was quite unconventional. He was genuinely skilled and incredibly strong, and he could manage perfectly well without companions.

Lin Manzhang nodded. "Be careful on your own. Oh, right, there are Giant Red Grouper in the waters where you fish. We might come fish there too."

Lu Ao did not mind. "Mm, no problem. Do as you like."

The sea was so vast, and they fished at different times, so they might not even run into each other.

Even if they did, it would not matter if he simply avoided them a little.

Giant Grouper

After spending half the afternoon running around, Lu Ao was hungry again.

The first thing he did after returning home was not shower or sleep, but sort out the fish and sea snails in preparation for cooking.

The sea snails he had caught had spat out almost all their sand.

He first boiled the sea snails in a large soup pot with water, ginger slices, and cooking wine. Then he scooped them out, picked out the meat with a toothpick, sliced it, and stir-fried it with green and red chilies.

He scaled, gilled, and gutted the plump White Wax Fish, chopped off the head, and split it into two halves. One half was piled with chopped chilies, the other with pickled chilies, then seasoned and steamed.

As for the body of the White Wax Fish, he simply chopped it into chunks and pan-fried them.

The sizzling of fish frying, the hum of the range hood, and the clatter of the spatula filled the kitchen with lively noise, while the aroma gradually drifted through the whole courtyard.

More than half an hour later, all the dishes were ready.

Lu Ao's table held four dishes: fish head with two kinds of chili, stir-fried snail meat, braised beef, and pan-fried fish chunks.

Beside them was a rice cooker filled with a whole pot of rice.

He took a can of beer from the refrigerator and opened it with a pop. After taking a sip of the icy beer and narrowing his eyes to savor it, he finally picked up his chopsticks and began eating.

Whether because the ingredients were exceptionally fresh or because his cooking was particularly good, he did not know.

Every dish on the table was delicious.

On the chopped-chili side, the fish head was tender, fragrant, and spicy. On the pickled-chili side, it was tangy, tender, and fresh.

For the stir-fried snail meat, the green and red long chilies used as accompaniments had been fried in hot oil until slightly wrinkled. They were fresh, spicy, and perfect with rice, while the snail meat was coated in a thick sauce. The moment it touched the tongue, it was fresh, crisp, and piping hot, making one want to keep reaching for more.

The pan-fried fish was crisp outside and tender within. It had barely any seasoning, letting the natural flavor of the White Wax Fish shine through. Each bite was a solid chunk with few bones and a distinctive fragrance.

The braised beef had soaked in its sauce for more than six hours. Now, when he picked it out and sliced it into thick pieces, the meat was intensely fragrant and full of juices, mildly salty and mildly spicy—the perfect accompaniment to rice.

Sitting at the table, Lu Ao slowly ate half the pot of rice and half the dishes with the air of someone savoring fine food.

After eating, he rubbed his stomach through his shirt, and the expression on his face visibly softened.

He stored the remaining food in the refrigerator, then took some clothes and went to shower.

It was still early when he finished bathing, not yet eight at night.

Lu Ao took out his phone, read the news for a while, scrolled through Moments, then tapped open his contacts and found Pan Jianbao: Brother Pan, do you have agricultural tricycles over there?

He figured he would often need to sell fish in the future, so it would be better to have this basic equipment himself.

Pan Jianbao called him soon after receiving the message. "Hello, Lu Ao, you want to buy an agricultural tricycle?"

"Yes. It'll be more convenient for transporting things."

"Do you have any specific requirements?"

"As long as it can carry a lot and has enough horsepower."

"That won't be a problem." Pan Jianbao said from the other end, "I just asked a friend who sells tricycles. A brand-new one with twenty-eight horsepower, a cargo bed about 2.8 meters long, 1.9 meters wide, and 1.4 meters high. I bargained for you—if you buy it, he can give it to you for 9,800. He can also add a canopy for free."

Lu Ao asked, "What brand?"

"Guanzhong. You can come take a look, or check it on Taobao. The brand has a decent reputation."

"Mm. I'll come take a look tomorrow afternoon."

The next day, after Lu Ao finished fishing and selling his catch, he took the bus to the county town to find Pan Jianbao.

Pan Jianbao did not waste any time and took him to his friend's dealership to look at vehicles.

His friend's dealership was quite large, with agricultural vehicles of all brands and models inside.

His friend personally received them. "Over here. I'll show you the tricycle we talked about yesterday."

As he spoke, he led Pan Jianbao and Lu Ao to a dark blue agricultural tricycle and knocked on its body with a thud. "This brand is the most popular around here. The body is all reinforced. Give it a knock—you can hear how solid it sounds."

Lu Ao lightly tapped it, and it did indeed feel sturdy.

The dealership owner watched his expression. Seeing no obvious reaction, he assumed Lu Ao did not like it and hurriedly said, "If you don't like this brand, we have other brands too."

"It's alright." Lu Ao looked at him. "Add the canopy and a seat as you said yesterday. What's the lowest price?"