I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 221: Chapter 217: Looking for Ingredients: Bighead Carp Fish Head

Afterward, Li You returned to the restaurant.

Half an hour later, Ling Xiaoru arrived. ”Boss, I’m here.”

Li You said, ”Let’s eat a little later. Is that okay?”

Ling Xiaoru nodded. ”Of course. We can eat once all the customers are gone.”

Li You smiled. ”Alright then.”

It was 7:30 p.m., and there were still customers eating.

However, this was a good time to take out the fish head and start marinating it.

To make Chopped Pepper Fish Head, the fish head first needed to be marinated for about twenty minutes with salt, cooking wine, ginger slices, and scallion segments.

He took the fish head out of the Storage Pavilion.

After washing it clean, he split it in half, careful not to cut all the way through so that the top remained connected.

He then scored the fleshier parts a few times. This would help it absorb the flavors more easily.

He added a suitable amount of salt, cooking wine, a few slices of ginger, and several segments of scallion, rubbing it all in evenly.

He then set it aside to marinate.

While waiting, he prepared five pounds of spicy crawfish.

’Just a Chopped Pepper Fish Head definitely won’t be enough. Another five pounds of spicy crawfish should be about right.’

Soon, the five pounds of spicy crawfish were ready.

Just then, the last group of customers finished their meal, paid the bill, and left.

’There probably won’t be any more customers. Time to officially start on the Chopped Pepper Fish Head. The fish head should be just about done marinating, too.’

He heated oil in a wok.

Once the oil was hot, he added minced garlic and ginger, stir-frying them over low heat until fragrant.

He added a good amount of chopped chili peppers.

Whether Chopped Pepper Fish Head is delicious or not all comes down to the quality of the chopped peppers. And Li You’s peppers were from a system reward, top-grade at that.

You could say the quality of the peppers was outstanding.

After adding the chopped peppers, he stir-fried them quickly a few times. Then he added some light soy sauce, a bit of sugar, a dash of white pepper, and a suitable amount of salt.

He continued to stir-fry.

Once the sauce was ready, he spread it evenly over the fish head.

Finally, he placed the fish head in the steamer.

Twenty minutes later, he took it out.

He sprinkled on some chopped green onions and drizzled a little hot oil over the top.

And just like that, the Chopped Pepper Fish Head was ready—vibrant red, richly aromatic, with tender meat that was succulent but not greasy, a soft texture, and a perfectly balanced fresh and spicy flavor.

The dish wasn’t complex, but it was an absolute feast for the senses.

Just then, Ling Xiaoru walked into the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when she saw the finished Chopped Pepper Fish Head, and she said excitedly, ”It looks so delicious!”

Li You smiled. ”Make sure you eat your fill. How about we go upstairs and eat while watching TV?”

Ling Xiaoru nodded. ”Sounds great!”

Li You then asked, ”Want something to drink?”

Ling Xiaoru replied, ”Yes! It’s my first time trying the boss’s Chopped Pepper Fish Head. A drink is a must.”

Li You smiled again. ”Alright then.”

...

「On the second floor.」

The spicy crawfish, Chopped Pepper Fish Head, two bowls of wine, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks were laid out on the coffee table.

They turned on the TV.

Li You and Ling Xiaoru sat next to each other on the sofa.

Finally, it was time to eat.

”Try the Chopped Pepper Fish Head first,” Li You said to Ling Xiaoru.

”Okay!”

After trying a piece of the fish, Ling Xiaoru said with delight, ”It’s so tender, and the flavor is perfectly fresh and spicy. It’s absolutely delicious.”

Li You smiled. ”That’s good to hear.”

He then tried a piece himself, and the flavor was indeed excellent. It was far more delicious than any Chopped Pepper Fish Head he had ever eaten before.

’If I officially add this dish to the menu, it’ll definitely be a huge hit.’

They continued to eat and drink.

After slowly finishing his bowl of wine, Li You asked Ling Xiaoru, ”Want another?”

Ling Xiaoru hesitated for a moment, then said, ”Just half a bowl more.”

Li You nodded with a smile. ”Okay.”

’Another half bowl shouldn’t make her as dizzy as she was yesterday.’

And indeed, that was the case.

After they slowly finished another half bowl, Ling Xiaoru was only a little tipsy.

After watching TV for a little while longer, she got up to take a shower.

She was in much better shape than the previous night.

Since Ling Xiaoru was staying over again tonight, she needed to take a shower.

Li You continued to watch TV. He was watching the first season of *Young Justice Bao*.

’Time to relive a classic.’

A short while later, Ling Xiaoru came out of the bathroom after her shower. ”Boss, I’m done,” she said. ”Do you want to shower now?”

Li You said, ”I’ll go after I finish this episode.”

Ling Xiaoru walked up behind Li You, drying her hair with a towel, and said, ”This is the first season, right? I feel like the first one is the most classic and the best.”

Li You said, ”It is the first season. The next two are okay, but they can’t compare to the first one. Zhou Jie’s acting is quite good. Huh? You like this show too?”

Ling Xiaoru said, ”I love it! I like watching detective shows, especially historical ones. *Young Justice Bao*, *Amazing Detective Di Renjie*, *Judge of Song Dynasty*... I like all of them. And I really love *Detective Conan* too.”

Li You’s eyes lit up. He liked all the shows Ling Xiaoru had mentioned. ”I didn’t expect you to like these shows too,” he said. ”It seems like not many girls are into them. Have you seen the newest *Detective Conan* movie, *The Bride of Halloween*?”

Ling Xiaoru said, ”I have. It was pretty good. I’d say it’s the best of the movies from the last few years.”

Li You nodded. ”I think so too. That movie was a successful comeback for the series.”

The two of them hit it off, chatting excitedly about the *Conan* movies.

Li You had never expected that Ling Xiaoru also liked *Detective Conan*.

Eventually, the episode of *Young Justice Bao* playing on the TV ended.

Li You got up and went to take a shower.

Ling Xiaoru, meanwhile, returned to her room.

After Li You finished his shower, he also returned to his room.

He leaned back on his bed.

’Now’s the time to enter the game dungeon and get the bighead carp head ingredient.’

He opened the Storage Pavilion and found the Dungeon Experience Card.

’Activate.’

”Dungeon Experience Card has been activated. Please enter the name of the desired ingredient, Host.”

After activating the Dungeon Experience Card, Li You could input the name of an ingredient he wanted to obtain. The system would then select the most suitable game dungeon for him based on that request.

Li You entered the three words: ”bighead carp head.”

”Ingredient name valid. Game dungeon generated. Commencing transport countdown: 10, 9, 8...”

As the countdown finished, Li You entered the game dungeon.

The first thing to meet his eyes was a familiar wooden cabin.

It was Bald Qiang’s cabin.

’So, I’m back in the world of *Boonie Bears* again.’

Li You was pleasantly surprised. He liked coming to the world of *Boonie Bears*.

The last time he left the world of *Boonie Bears*, he had told Bald Qiang and the animals that he would treat them all to spicy crawfish the next time he came to Bear Ridge.

This was the perfect chance to make good on his promise.

’But how am I supposed to get bighead carp heads here?’

’Do I go fishing in that lake again?’

’That would be a little slow, wouldn’t it?’

’Besides, I probably wouldn’t be able to catch very many, even if I fished until I was exhausted.’

’Or maybe there’s some other way to get them?’

’Ah, forget it. I won’t worry about that for now. I’ll treat Bald Qiang and the animals to spicy crawfish first, then I’ll figure it out.’

’I wonder if Bald Qiang is home?’

Li You walked up to the gate of the cabin’s yard and called out loudly, ”Brother Qiang, are you home?”

He waited for a moment, but there was no response.

Li You called out a few more times, but still there was no answer.

’Looks like he’s not home.’

’Did he go out to chop down trees? If he did, he’s probably being chased by Xiong Da and Xiong Er again, huh?’

Li You decided to wait right there for Bald Qiang to return.

...