"Auntie, what's this called? It's really delicious!"
"Yes! It's delicious! It's so sweet!"
......
Little mouths crowded around Ruan Meng, and as expected, the sweet and sour pork won their hearts.
Ruan Meng explained, "This is called 'Guobaorou' (sweet and sour pork). It's pork coated in flour and then topped with sugar." (Image of Guobaorou from the internet. "Sugar?")
"pork?"
"No wonder it tastes so good!"
......
Feng Jia and Feng Xi were among them.
Feng Xi, slowly chewing on a piece of sweet and sour pork outside, asked Ruan Meng:
"Auntie, is it true that if we study hard, you'll cook delicious food for us?"
"When has your aunt ever lied to you?"
"I'd like to eat sweet and sour pork again, is that okay?"
"OK!"
"And the fish noodles from last time..."
"Can."
"And braised pork!"
"no problem!"
......
The other children in the village were alarmed when they heard this. How come none of them had ever eaten it before?!
They all asked Feng Xi for advice. The children had already tasted Ruan Meng's cooking, and after Feng Xi described how many more delicious dishes there were, they couldn't wait to leave.
They crowded around Ruan Meng and unanimously demanded:
"Auntie, we want to learn, let's start now!"
"Yes! I want to learn too! I love learning!"
"I love sweet and sour pork too! Oh, wait, I love learning too, I go to school too!"
......
The village chief, Ruan Qian, and the other adults looked at each other and smiled.
It's not just the children who are satisfied.
Ruan Meng's spicy chicken is crispy and fragrant, spicy but not pungent.
Although some craftsmen couldn't eat spicy food, they didn't find it unbearable and each ate at least two bowls of rice.
Feng Yun and Feng Xi also praised it highly.
The children were reluctant to leave, but after receiving a reply from Ruan Meng that they could go back to school in two days, and each of them was given a bag of salt and pepper konjac jerky made by Du Xiaocan, they left satisfied.
Ruan Meng hadn't gone beachcombing for several days and was itching to go. That evening, she called A Yuan and Xiao Kai, and together with her second and third brothers, they went to the beach.
Caiju was going to help Sun Mu'en wash up, but Sun Mu'en kept delaying. Hearing the commotion outside, she immediately told the guards to prepare a carriage and hang up an oil lamp.
The beach was much more lively at night than before.
Fengjia Village gradually became more populated.
"What are we going to catch tonight?"
A Yuan asked boldly.
The second and third brothers turned their heads away; they couldn't bear to hear what they were saying.
Xiao Kai chuckled to himself.
Ruan Meng casually replied, "Whatever you want to eat is up to you!"
Grilled squid?
The third brother swallowed hard, completely forgetting his earlier disgust at A Yuan's "boasting".
Ah Yuan then announced the dish, "Braised crab in oil?"
As the weather gets cooler, the crab meat is much plumper than before. When we returned to the manor earlier, the young master and I ate freshly caught orchid crabs, but the cooking methods were too bland and not as good as Ruan Meng's. He and Sun Chengen couldn't even finish half of one.
"good!"
Ruan Meng readily agreed.
The second and third brothers, saving themselves some effort, followed behind A-Yuan.
He waits until he discovers the seafood has "walked right into his trap" before following along to collect it.
A-Yuan bent down and searched along the receding tide on the beach.
As the wave receded, A-Yuan picked up a squid and put it into the wooden bucket.
Continuing on, I picked up four or five more.
Suddenly, A-Yuan stopped in his tracks and stared motionlessly at a point in the water.
Something was flashing a faint light.
A-Yuan was curious, so the third brother came out from behind and started scooping with a bamboo basket...
A set of dark objects in a bamboo basket!
The third brother carried the bamboo basket to the group, and as expected, the second brother called out!
"Ugh! What is this thing?! How can it be so ugly!"
Lao San, Xiao Kai, and A Yuan couldn't help but frown; it smelled even worse than the stonefish they had seen last time.
The four men didn't recognize him. They brought him to Ruan Meng, and Ruan Meng suddenly smiled when she saw him.
No wonder the second brother called him that, he was indeed incredibly ugly!
Its head is large and flat, its mouth is flat and wide, its teeth are sharp, its eyes are on the back of its head, and its skin is uneven, dark, and unbearable to look at.
Seeing that Ruan Meng was someone they knew, the second oldest asked for her introduction:
"Little sister, what is this thing? Is it a fish?"
Ruan Meng took the bamboo basket and poured the fish onto the beach so that the others could see them clearly.
She explained, "This is called a monkfish. It is indeed ugly, but it tastes very good." Monkfish 1, image from the internet. Monkfish 2, image from the internet. Xiao Kai reminded, "The girl said that many fish that look ugly have a unique taste."
Ruan Meng agreed. A Yuan pointed to a spot on the anglerfish's head that resembled an upright fishing rod and asked Ruan Meng curiously:
"Girl, what is this? Is it using it to light its own way?"
Only then did the second brother and the others notice that the thing standing upright on the back of the anglerfish's head was flashing, which surprised them even more.
Worried about missing out on the exciting part, Sun Mu'en ordered the guards to bring the carriage closer so he could get a better look.
Ruan Meng explained with a smile, "This is its fishing rod!"
"The tip is its 'bait,' which can attract small fish and help it catch them."
Several people were amazed.
The third child asked, "Little sister, do you think it tastes good?"
Ruan Mengxiao said, "Its meat is soft and springy, with few bones. Eating it is somewhat like eating braised pork skin or fish jelly—even smoother and melts in your mouth..."
The third brother swallowed.
The second child asked again, "Little sister, isn't this fish a bit silly?"
"The fishing rod we brought might attract small fish, but aren't we also attracted by the light? Won't we be doomed?"
Ruan Meng smiled and shook her head, "It's not stupid!"
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