Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Eat and think about the future

Seeing the fat melt, Lu Qing began to pick up the small fish one by one and slowly fry them.

It’s actually better to add a little salt to the oil before frying to prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom.

But Lu Qing had just checked and found that the salt the uncle had brought was coarse-grained and not suitable for frying fish directly.

Carefully controlling the heat, Lu Qing slowly fried the fish.

The pervasive aroma attracted Xiaoyan, who had already finished her pancakes, to sit down and stare at the fish on the stone slab.

Seeing her like this, Lu Qing felt a pang of heartache.

He ruffled the little girl’s hair.

“Xiaoyan, wait a little longer, it’ll be ready soon.”

“Yes!” Xiaoyan nodded obediently. “Brother, the fish smells so good.”

“It smells good. Eat more later. I caught so many fish today, more than enough for Xiaoyan.”

When the rice in the clay pot was cooked, Lu Qing had almost finished frying the fish.

He picked up the fish and placed them in a bowl. He

then boiled some salt water and poured it over them.

Just like that, a simple dish of saltwater fried fish was ready.

Lu Qing filled two bowls of rice and placed them on the table.

“Xiaoyan, it’s time to eat.”

“I’m here, brother.”

The little girl had already been waiting at the table.

Lu Qing placed a small stool on the chair and carried Xiaoyan up there so she could reach her bowl.

He then placed a few small, boneless fish on top of her rice.

“Eat, little greedy cat. Remember to spit out any bones to avoid getting pricked.”

“Got it, brother.”

The little girl, already ravenous, immediately picked up a small fried fish, popped it into her mouth, and chewed it quickly like a hamster. Fortunately,

Lu Qing had given her a boneless fish; otherwise, she would have gotten pricked.

After swallowing the fish, the little girl’s eyes widened.

“Brother, this fish is delicious! Even better than what Mom used to make!”

Lu Qing felt no joy at all, but rather a pang of sadness.

The fish was cooked with just a little oil and salt water, and to save money, he hadn’t even dared to add any extra oil when frying.

No matter how delicious this fried fish was, how could it be any more delicious

? Only when you’re hungry do you find everything delicious.

It’s easy to imagine how much Xiaoyan had endured during this time. That’s

why she found even a simple saltwater fried fish a truly divine delicacy.

Lu Qing didn’t show it, simply smiling and saying, “As long as it tastes good, Xiaoyan, eat more.”

“Hmm!”

the little one took a large bite, her mouth bulging, unable to speak, she simply nodded.

Lu Qing smiled and also picked up a piece of fish to eat.

After swallowing a piece, he raised an eyebrow.

The fish wasn’t as bad as he’d imagined.

Perhaps it was because the ancient environment was unpolluted, allowing the river fish to thrive.

So, while the fried fish was lightly seasoned, the flesh was delicious and had a unique flavor.

The siblings had been hungry for a long time, so they were bound to eat quickly.

Soon, the rice in the earthenware pot and the small bowl of fried fish were both gone.

Of course, most of it went into Lu Qing’s stomach.

No matter how hungry Xiaoyan was, she was just a six or seven-year-old child with a limited appetite.

Lu Qing also deliberately controlled her appetite to prevent her from eating too much at once and getting an upset stomach.

“Brother, Xiaoyan is full!”

The little girl put down the bowl, touched her belly, and looked very satisfied.

Xiaoyan hadn’t eaten so much in a long time!

“If you’re full, take a rest and don’t run around. Brother will go wash the dishes first.”

Lu Qing gave a warning and started to clean up the dishes.

“Xiaoyan, help your brother too.”

The little one jumped off the stool.

“No, just sit here and rest.” Lu Qing refused.

So Xiaoyan could only sit on the stool obediently and watch Lu Qing busy.

The child was sleepy. When Lu Qing finished cleaning up everything and came out, he saw that the little one’s head was already dozing off.

Lu Qing smiled, picked up the little one gently, and walked towards the room.

“Brother, Xiaoyan will go fishing with you next time. The fish is delicious.”

The little one mumbled in a daze as he put Xiaoyan down on the bed.

“Okay, I’ll take you fishing next time.”

Lu Qing covered the little one with the patched quilt with pity and said softly.

As if she had heard her brother’s promise, Xiaoyan didn’t say anything and fell into a deep sleep. After

confirming that the little one was asleep, Lu Qing quietly walked out of the room and sat on a simple recliner in the living room, feeling a sense of comfort.

He’d been quite busy today. He’d only just recovered, still feeling quite weak.

Then, he’d had to endure so much work, fishing and cooking, while starving.

To say he wasn’t exhausted would be a lie.

Now, lying on a recliner, he felt much better. He

even felt a wave of sleepiness rising.

But he couldn’t sleep yet.

There were things he needed to think about.

After most of the day’s activities, his interactions with the villagers, and his memories, Lu Qing had a rough idea of the world he was in.

First, there was no doubt that he was in a world similar to ancient China,

and one with relatively low productivity.

This was evident from the fact that even an iron pot had become a rare find.

But that was all.

Lu Qing couldn’t pinpoint much more.

For example, he had no idea about this world’s social structure, the distribution of power, or who held power.

He only knew that this world didn’t seem to have any political institutions like the imperial court or government offices.

At least, not in the original owner’s memory.

Of course, this wasn’t absolute.

After all, the original owner was just an ordinary, ignorant country boy who had never left the village in his entire life.

He had never considered the vastness of the outside world, so how could he have any concept of it?

While he wasn’t sure if there were government offices, he

was certain that towns and cities existed.

Villagers often bought daily necessities at the market in nearby towns.

Items like salt and iron were generally only available in towns.

And in these towns, the most powerful figure seemed to be the city lord.

Unfortunately, despite being fifteen years old, the original owner had never been to a town, leaving Lu Qing with no idea what it was like there.

“Guess I should definitely visit a town if I get the chance,” Lu Qing muttered to himself.

Only with a thorough understanding of the world could he decide on the best path for his future.

Of course, thinking about that now was a bit far-fetched.

His most pressing priority was finding a way to support himself and Xiaoyan.

After all, he owed the villagers a great deal of favors, and they needed to be repaid.

His greatest reliance at the moment was undoubtedly his supernatural powers.

What could he do with his supernatural powers?

Lu Qing pondered quietly.

Suddenly, a name emerged in his mind.

(End of this chapter)