Why Did These Rich Kids Eat Like Refugees?

Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu exchanged a glance. The fishing rods in their hands suddenly lost all appeal.

In perfect unison, they tossed their brand-new fishing gear onto the fishing platform, stood up, and strode toward the kitchen.

That aroma was practically an open challenge to the taste buds and dignity they had cultivated over years of indulging in fine food.

The three women abandoned their ladylike reserve, nearly jogging after them in stilettos, their heels tapping out a rapid click-clack against the concrete.

The closer the five of them got to the kitchen, the richer and more overwhelming that savory aroma became.

It was like an invisible hand gripping their stomachs while popping a premium lemon candy into their mouths.

Their mouths tingled and watered uncontrollably, and they kept swallowing without even realizing it.

When they rushed into the kitchen and saw what was on the table, they all froze.

There was only one dish on the table.

Braised crucian carp.

That aroma, so rich it almost seemed tangible, came from a home-style dish available at any little restaurant in China!

They looked at one another, their faces filled with disbelief at how absurd it was.

Chen Lin was washing some greens he had just picked from the garden by the sink. Seeing the five file in like refugees, he dried his hands, amusement lifting his brows.

"I've only finished one dish. Why don't you go fish a little longer? Give us another half hour, and lunch will be ready."

Tang Xiaolong spoke first. His eyes were fixed on the braised crucian carp, its deep reddish-brown glaze and thick sauce, and his voice had a dryness he didn't even notice.

"Hey, young man, how can your braised crucian carp... smell this good?"

Tang Xiaohu had always been hotheaded. Unable to wait another moment, he practically shouted.

"Bro! What are we waiting for? Let's eat while we wait!"

The moment he finished, all three women nodded in unison, their beautiful eyes brimming with undisguised craving and impatience.

Their appetites had been thoroughly awakened.

Forget fishing. Even if the king of heaven himself showed up, he would have to wait until they finished this meal.

Tang Xiaolong nodded with difficulty and said to Chen Lin, "Then let's... try the fish first. We'll eat while we wait."

Chen Lin was laughing inside.

Come on, aren't you all rich kids driving a G-Class and an RS7?

What delicacies haven't you tried?

How can you not even wait half an hour?

He led the five of them to the dining table in the courtyard and brought out the braised crucian carp.

The instant the plate touched the table, Tang Xiaohu thrust out his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of fish belly coated in rich sauce, and shoved it straight into his mouth without even looking.

The instant it hit his tongue.

He turned to stone.

His chewing stopped.

Seeing his younger brother's vacant expression, Tang Xiaolong grew puzzled and hurriedly picked up a piece himself.

The fish had barely touched his tongue.

Savory!

Unbelievably savory!

That flavor detonated across his taste buds like a depth charge!

Then came the fish's own delicate sweetness and rich, fatty aroma, blending perfectly with the precisely balanced sauce into an unstoppable torrent of flavor!

"Is this fucking crucian carp? Then what the hell have I been eating all these years?"

Tang Xiaolong felt as though his entire outlook on life had been shaken.

At that, the three women could no longer hold back and all reached for their chopsticks.

"It's so delicious!"

"Oh my god, how can fish be this tender? It's like silken tofu, only even smoother!"

"And there's no muddy taste at all! Did this fish grow up drinking mineral water?"

Coming back to his senses, Tang Xiaohu watched the fish disappearing from the plate and blurted out, "There aren't... some dodgy food additives in this, are there?"

His girlfriend immediately rolled her eyes at him. "Tang Xiaohu, has your brain short-circuited? What additives could possibly make something taste like this?"

Le Yao, the friend of Tang Xiaolong's girlfriend, also teased him with a smile. "Brother Hu, you're supposed to be one of the Gourmets. Can't you tell how good this fish is?"

"Even though it's braised, the seasoning is restrained. It's only there to bring out the fish's natural flavor. No additive could create a heavenly taste this utterly pure."

Tang Xiaohu scratched his head. He knew that had been a stupid question.

"It's just that I've never had crucian carp this good! I honestly can't believe... Holy shit! Were you all starving in your past lives? Save some for me!"

They made short work of it, their chopsticks moving so fast that all anyone could see was a flicker of silver.

When Chen Lin came in with the second dish, steamed Sharp-Snout Fish, he froze at the sight of the bare fish skeletons left on the braised crucian carp plate.

Seriously? Those two crucian carp weighed nearly three jin together, and you finished them in under five minutes?

You even licked up all the sauce?

The second dish was steamed Sharp-Snout Fish, served on an enormous long platter.

The Sharp-Snout Fish weighed a full three jin. Fine shreds of ginger covered its body, and a clear fermented black bean sauce had been drizzled over it. Its fresh, delicate aroma was entirely different from the braised fish's, yet just as overpowering, and even purer.

All five stopped moving when they saw Chen Lin enter.

Then five pairs of eyes locked unblinkingly onto the long platter in Chen Lin's hands.

Their eyes gleamed like those of wolves that hadn't eaten for three days.

Chen Lin felt his scalp prickle.

Why does it look like they're about to rush over and snatch it?

He hurriedly set the fish on the table, managed a stiff "Enjoy," and all but fled.

The platter had barely settled before all five pairs of chopsticks sprang into action again.

Next came fish slices poached in spicy broth, fish head and tofu soup, flash-fried water spinach, scrambled eggs with garlic chives...

Liu Shuqin had planted the water spinach and garlic chives just a few days before Chen Lin returned home. He had watered them only once with fishpond water diluted countless times over, yet they were now unbelievably crisp and tender.

The portions were extremely generous. For the normal appetites of two men and three women, they should have been more than enough.

But Chen Lin had still vastly underestimated their eating power.

Almost every time a new dish arrived, the previous plate had already been wiped clean until it looked brand-new.

In the end, at the five diners' emphatic insistence, Chen Lin asked his second aunt to make an extra Chopped Chili Fish Head and a plate of stir-fried spinach.

Five people, seven dishes.

Only after Tang Xiaohu poured the very last of the fish head soup over rice and polished it off did the frenzied lunch finally come to an end.

Chen Lin stared at the table full of empty plates, his eyes nearly popping out.

If I hadn't seen your luxury cars and what you're wearing, anyone watching you eat would think you were construction workers fresh off a shift.

Tang Xiaohu was the first to approach Chen Lin. He gave him a thumbs-up, his face filled with sincere admiration.

"Boss... no, bro! My own brother! How exactly do you raise these fish? The flavor and texture are even better than the premium bluefin tuna sashimi I had at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai last year!"

The three women gathered around too, their faces still flushed with satisfaction.

"I haven't been this stuffed in years! It was just so good!"

"Young man, your fish are incredible! I'd call them the best fish I've ever eaten!" Le Yao exclaimed sincerely, her alluring eyes shining as she looked at Chen Lin, making no attempt to hide her admiration.

"Calling him your little brother already?" Tang Xiaolong's girlfriend nudged her friend's arm with a mischievous grin. "Le Yao, why don't you just stay and become his lady boss?"

"Oh, get lost! One meal isn't enough to make me sell myself!" Le Yao retorted with a laugh, though her cheeks grew a little warm.

Tang Xiaolong wiped his mouth and walked over to Chen Lin, his expression turning utterly serious.

"Young man, are these fish for sale? A hundred yuan per jin. I'll take as many as you have!"

He was certain that the fish at this fishing resort were a unique, strategically valuable resource.

The Peach Blossom Island Restaurant in Yicheng was one of the Tang family's businesses.

If he could secure an exclusive supply of fish of this quality, Tang Xiaolong was completely confident he could make the Peach Blossom Island Restaurant the undisputed leader of Yicheng's dining scene, crushing every upscale restaurant.

Chen Lin shook his head.

"There aren't many fish in my pond. I'm not planning to sell them elsewhere for now."

Unwilling to give up, Tang Xiaolong raised his offer. "Young man, if you can supply the Peach Blossom Island Restaurant exclusively, price won't be an issue. How about two hundred yuan per jin?"

Two hundred per jin!

Chen Lin's heart gave an involuntary leap.

But he quickly regained his composure.

His supply of spirit spring water was limited, after all. Supplying a large restaurant on a large scale simply wasn't realistic.

Besides, his future focus would be the Myriad Worlds Garbage Transfer Station, not becoming a fishmonger.

Once this farmstay was running smoothly, the right approach was to leave it to his second uncle and second aunt and become a hands-off owner himself.

"Sorry, brother, but there really aren't many fish in this pond. I can't meet a restaurant's needs. If you want some, you're welcome to come fish anytime. But I'll have to pass on supplying you every day."

Chen Lin spoke calmly, but his stance was exceptionally firm.

Tang Xiaolong stared at him, as though trying to read something in his face.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled.

But there was a hint of a businessman's shrewd calculation and scrutiny in that smile.

Since he couldn't buy them.

He would try another approach.