I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 402: Chapter 356: What’s Swimming in the Pond Isn’t Fish, It’s Money

Li You chuckled, delighted to see his customers going wild.

However, he didn’t let them suffer for too long. ”We’ll see,” he said. ”I’ll probably introduce a dish featuring the Wuchang Fish as the main ingredient at some point. Everyone will get a chance to taste it then.”

Although he hadn’t given a specific date, the customers were still relatively satisfied.

They knew that since Li You had said so, he would definitely release it, and it wouldn’t be too long of a wait.

That being the case, they would just have to wait.

For now, it was time to eat.

The customers began to order.

Li You moved the water tank and the various wild vegetables into the kitchen.

Then, he placed the two Wuchang Fish into the Spatial Fish Pond.

’I’m not eating these two Wuchang Fish until tomorrow night, so it’s safer to keep them in the Spatial Fish Pond.’

With that settled, he began cooking for his customers.

...

At nine in the evening, the last group of customers finished their meals and left.

Li You walked out of the restaurant and over to the fish pond.

He wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one was around to put the ornamental fish from his last system reward into the pond.

And, of course, that big crab.

The pond was already full, and there were no issues with the water quality.

He opened the Spatial Fish Pond and released the large crab, the two Blood Red Dragon Fish, and all the goldfish and koi.

The fish adapted quickly after entering the water.

They swam about leisurely, looking exceptionally beautiful under the moonlight.

With these fish, the entire pond came to life.

As for the big crab, it vanished the moment it hit the water, probably hiding at the bottom of the rockery.

With the system protecting them, the fish were very safe. Li You didn’t have to worry about anyone trying to steal them.

After watching by the pond for a good while, Li You finally went back inside the restaurant.

He closed up shop and went upstairs to eat.

Tonight, he was having Houttuynia salad and Twice-cooked Pork with Garlic Sprouts.

Li You had already prepared everything.

’I’m eating alone tonight, so I won’t drink.’

He carried his dishes and a bowl of rice upstairs, sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV.

He dug in.

First, he tried the Houttuynia salad. It was delicious.

Its texture and flavor were very unique. For those who could appreciate it, it was an absolute delicacy.

It was also normal that many people couldn’t get used to it.

But regardless, Li You was enjoying his meal immensely.

...

「The next day.」

In the morning, after eating breakfast and finishing his kitchen prep, Li You left the restaurant and headed toward the gorge again.

He was going to look for the last wild vegetable.

The rewards for this side quest—a random ingredient and a lottery draw—were highly anticipated.

Before long, Li You quickly made a discovery.

Mint!

This plant was quite well-known and was also a famous medicinal herb.

It could be taken internally or applied externally.

Taken internally, it could treat symptoms like headaches, red eyes, fevers, sore throats, and swollen gums.

When applied externally, it could treat neuralgia, itchy skin, rashes, and eczema.

It could also be brewed like tea, which was refreshing and helped clear the mind.

On a hot summer day, a cup of cool mint tea was an excellent choice.

Besides being a medicinal herb, mint was, of course, also a wild vegetable.

Its tender stems and leaves were edible.

It could be cooked on its own, used to make porridge, or paired with ingredients like chicken or mung beans in various dishes.

Mint is a very common wild plant and bears some resemblance to Korean mint.

Many people can’t tell the difference between mint and Korean mint and often confuse them.

But in reality, if you look closely, the differences between them are quite obvious.

They differ in leaf shape, plant height, flowers, fruits, and aroma.

Mint leaves are smaller and wedge-shaped, with no notch at the base and a relatively smooth surface. The plant typically grows to a height of 30 to 60 centimeters. Its pale purple flowers are small and grow mainly where the leaves meet the main stem.

Korean mint, on the other hand, has larger, heart-shaped leaves with a shallow notch at the base and a somewhat wrinkled surface. The plant can reach a height of around 150 centimeters. Its bluish-purple flowers are spike-shaped and grow primarily at the top of the main stem.

Additionally, their scents are different.

Korean mint has an herbal fragrance, while mint has a crisp aroma that leaves one feeling refreshed.

Judging by all their characteristics, the plants before him were undoubtedly mint.

And just like that, the fifth wild vegetable had appeared.

Li You knew he just had to look around nearby to find the fifth one.

Time to harvest.

After he pulled out the first plant, the system’s voice sounded.

”Congratulations, Host, for successfully harvesting five types of wild vegetables. Side Quest ’Wild Vegetables Are Food, Too’ complete.”

”Reward obtained: 5,000 Grass Carp (Quality: Superior. Weight: approximately 1.5 jin each), one lottery draw.”

The rewards were here.

The random ingredient reward was also revealed.

Grass carp. Not bad. It was one of the four great domestic carps of China and also one of the most common and familiar fish.

Its meat was quite good. And a superior-quality grass carp was undoubtedly a delicacy rarely found in the outside world.

’But... at only about one and a half jin each, aren’t they a bit small?’

After all, grass carp were large fish that could grow to over 70 jin.

Even for regular consumption, they should be at least three or four jin. One and a half jin was indeed a little small.

If you caught a grass carp this size from your own fish pond, you wouldn’t even keep it.

’Did the system give me so many 1.5-jin grass carp so I could raise them in the Spatial Fish Pond and let them grow bigger?’

’Or perhaps... wait a minute...’

Li You suddenly thought of a dish for which the ideal main ingredient just so happened to be a grass carp of about one and a half jin.