Chapter 161: Three Fish Dishes

Liu Heming was very tired from the day’s work, and the next morning he woke up later than usual. He had just started tidying up outside when he saw Lewis’s car approaching.

“Dexter, I’m so sleepy. I’ll leave Rock here with you for now,” Lewis said, sticking his head out of the car window. Rock, who was in the passenger seat, waved at Liu Heming.

“Young people sure have a lot of energy. Why don’t you stay and have breakfast here?” Liu Heming waved back and said to Lewis.

“Alright. It’s not like I can go back to sleep anyway,” Lewis said helplessly.

He had been completely worn out by Rock. The young man woke up at the crack of dawn and insisted that Lewis bring him over. Lewis had been very tired recently and had hoped to sleep in.

“Mr. Dexter, I hope I’m not bothering you? I’m leaving today, so I was in a bit of a hurry,” Rock said as he got out of the car.

“It’s fine. I don’t have much to do anyway. But I won’t have time to keep you company right now—I still have some work to finish,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

He didn’t mind. The young man seemed to come from a wealthy family and was just having fun, curious about everything around him. It was like in China, where city kids often found the countryside fascinating.

However, his guess wasn’t completely right. Rock wasn’t just curious—he also helped with the chores. When he saw Alex brushing Charming Girl, he stepped in to help. His moves were skillful, clearly showing he had experience.

Alex was thrilled to have an older friend around. She chatted nonstop with Rock and introduced him to all her little animal companions.

“Have you done this kind of work before?” Liu Heming asked with a smile after they finished.

“We have two horses at home too, but they’re kept at a stable. Charming Girl has a great build—she must be a fine racehorse,” Rock replied, nodding.

“Her temperament is excellent. It’s a shame she probably won’t return to the racetrack. We can focus on raising her foal properly in the future,” Lewis said regretfully.

“We’ll see. I hope she can race again someday. Her leg injury seems to be healing well, but with her being pregnant, I don’t want her running just yet,” Liu Heming nodded.

Getting Charming Girl back on the racetrack was something he had to accomplish. It was a task from the System, and if he didn’t complete it properly, the rewards would be lost. Besides, he truly wanted to see Charming Girl run freely again. As for whether she would keep competing later, that could be decided in the future.

After talking for a while, Liu Heming finally understood why the young man had come. He wanted to try the pancakes and also see the sweet potato field.

Rock wasn’t idle—he was a student at the University of Southern California. That university was quite famous in the United States and had produced many great directors.

But after arriving at the ranch, Rock changed his plans. The sweet potatoes weren’t important anymore. The large owl, the obedient bear, and the four square-looking Pallas’s cats became the stars of his camera.

“Do you like fish?” Liu Heming asked Rock as lunchtime approached.

“It’s okay. I don’t eat it very often,” Rock replied after thinking for a moment.

“Okay, today you’ll get to taste something special,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

He had noticed that Rock liked spicy food yesterday, so he decided to prepare Boiled Fish in Chili Oil for lunch. He also liked Rock’s personality—the young man was cheerful and sunny.

“Wow, the lake water here is so clear! Why are there so many fish down there?” Rock exclaimed excitedly when they reached the lake.

“We’re not sure either. Maybe it’s connected to an underground water source. The fish don’t stay here all the time—sometimes they disappear, probably looking for food,” Liu Heming said, then cast his fishing line into the water.

Within two minutes, Liu Heming pulled out a large grass carp. Rock was stunned. This wasn’t fishing—it was like picking fish out of a tank.

However, he was a bit worried. He knew this fish would be their meal, but he wasn’t a fan of this type of fish. Still, he had already agreed, so he figured he’d just have to bear with it at lunch.

The ranch had quite a few big eaters. One grass carp, though large, wasn’t enough. Liu Heming caught two more—one big and one small. He chose grass carp mainly because he wanted to make Chopped Chili Fish Head for his daughter.

He prepared all three grass carp: scaling and cleaning them. The two larger ones were for Boiled Fish in Chili Oil—he sliced the fish meat and marinated it, while seasoning the fish heads for steaming.

For the smaller grass carp, Liu Heming decided to show off his skills by making Squirrel Mandarin Fish.

It was his first time attempting this dish. He had learned how to make it online. He felt the key to this dish lay in knife skills, controlling the heat, and the sauce.

He chopped off the fish head, split the fish open, and removed the bones. Then he made straight and diagonal cuts on both sides of the fish. Rock recorded everything faithfully with his camera, finding it fascinating.

After preparing the fish, Liu Heming coated it in a mixture of cooking wine and salt to enhance the flavor. Then he rolled it in dry starch and shook off the excess.

When the oil in the pan was hot enough, he held the fish tail with his left hand, scooped oil with a ladle, and poured it over the fish from top to bottom.

Once that was done, he separated the two sides of the fish and placed them in the oil to shape them like a little squirrel.

While frying the fish, he quickly stir-fried the base for Boiled Fish in Chili Oil in another pan, adding water just as the fish was ready.

After arranging the fried fish on a plate, Liu Heming started making the sauce.

He heated a little oil in a pan, stir-fried some spring onions until fragrant, then removed them. Next, he poured the premixed sauce into the pan. After stir-frying over high heat until the sauce thickened, he lifted the pan and poured it over the fried fish.

He didn’t stop there. The water in the other pot was boiling, so he prepared the Boiled Fish in Chili Oil and steamed the fish head. Both cooked quickly, and soon the three dishes—Boiled Fish in Chili Oil, Chopped Chili Fish Head, and Squirrel Mandarin Fish—were lined up on the table.