Chapter 203 The Fish That's About to Die
The three exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future. As the sun rose higher, the food street grew increasingly lively, and Su Yingxue's stall remained bustling with people.
The aroma of braised pork ribs with potatoes and potato and pork belly rolls wafted far and wide, making them the most eye-catching items on the entire snack street.
What was originally a troublesome "pig disaster" not only did not disrupt the two's entrepreneurial plans, but unexpectedly led to a perfect collaboration, resulting in a new product that became a hit throughout the agricultural university.
The afternoon sun warmed the snack street. After a peak period, Su Yingxue was wiping the grill with a rag, while Mu Xiaoxiao sorted through the creative submissions collected that morning.
Li Wei squatted in the corner of the stall, talking to his classmates at the breeding base on his phone about the feeding details for the "potato pigs" the next day, muttering to himself, "Feed them more mashed potatoes that were just harvested, don't let the pigs go hungry."
The aroma from the stall hadn't even dissipated when a series of hurried footsteps approached, followed by a boy wearing a navy blue windbreaker and carrying a transparent plastic bucket squeezing into front of the stall.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he looked a little anxious. His eyes swept over the three of them before finally settling on Li Wei, who was talking about pigs.
"This...this must be Li Wei, a senior student majoring in aquaculture, right?"
The boy spoke breathlessly, his voice tinged with urgency. He gently shook the plastic bucket in his hand, which was more than half full of water. Several small fish, no bigger than a palm, slumped inside, their tails swaying listlessly, unlike their usual lively selves.
Li Wei paused for a moment, put down his phone, and stood up: "This is Li Wei. Classmate, is there something you need?"
The boy nodded hurriedly, moved the plastic bucket closer to the stall, and said in an even more urgent tone: "Senior brother, I heard that the pig you raised before caused trouble by eating Senior Sister Mu Xiaoxiao's experimental potatoes, but it was turned into a popular delicacy and turned the danger into safety!"
I'm Chen Yu, also a fisheries major at our school. My fish have recently developed a serious illness, and I'm at my wit's end. I'm begging you for help!
Su Yingxue paused in her wiping of the grill, curiously leaning over to look at the fish in the bucket: "What's wrong with the fish? They don't look very energetic."
Mu Xiaoxiao put down her manuscript, leaned closer to observe for a moment, and said softly, "The fish fins look a bit wilted, and the color is lighter than normal. Is it a problem with the water quality or the feed?"
Chen Yu sighed and explained with a worried look, "I've checked, the water quality is fine, and the feed is the special feed recommended by aquaculture professionals. But since last week, the fish have become lethargic and don't eat much. Some of their tails have even started to rot."
I consulted a professional feeder, who said it might be due to an unbalanced diet and suggested I try adjusting the feed formula. However, I tried several different formulas, but none of them worked.
He said, his eyes full of frustration: "These fish are the species I'm preparing to enter in next month's college student aquaculture competition. I've been raising them for almost half a year. If something goes wrong, the competition will be over for good."
I overheard my classmates talking about you guys in the cafeteria today. They said you're really good at finding solutions, even turning a troublesome pig into a treasure. So, I came here on a whim, hoping to get some advice, regardless of whether it works out or not.
Li Wei frowned, squatted down and carefully examined the fish in the bucket, scratching his head: "I don't know much about aquaculture. My main focus is on livestock and poultry farming. However, the issue of unbalanced feed nutrition is somewhat similar to when I raised 'potato pigs' before. My pigs also changed their feed, and after eating Senior Sister Xiaoxiao's potatoes, their meat quality improved."
Su Yingxue's eyes darted around, and her mind started racing again. She stared at the fish in the plastic bucket, then glanced at the few experimental potatoes left in the basket next to her.
A familiar sly smile gradually appeared on his lips: "Chen Yu, don't worry, maybe this matter really can be related to our potatoes!"
Mu Xiaoxiao was taken aback: "Potatoes? Can fish eat potatoes?"
"Why not!" Su Yingxue clapped her hands, her tone certain. "Our magical potatoes have a high water content and are rich in starch and various vitamins. Even pigs can level up after eating them, and fish might be able to too!"
Think about it, fish feed isn't nutritionally balanced, so we'll supplement it with potatoes. We'll make the potatoes into a smooth mashed form and mix it into the fish feed. It provides extra nutrition, has a soft texture, and the fish will definitely love it!
She paused, then leaned closer to look at the plastic bucket, and continued, "And I remember watching a food program before, where some high-end aquaculture farms would specially feed the fish some natural ingredients to improve the quality of their meat."
Our potatoes are top-quality food. Feeding them to fish might not only cure their loss of appetite but also make their flesh more tender. Your contestant fish could be upgraded to a 'Potato Angelfish,' and maybe even win the grand prize!
Chen Yu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and his previous dejected expression instantly disappeared. He stared at the potatoes in the basket, then looked at Su Yingxue, and asked in disbelief.
"Is...is this really going to work? I've never tried feeding fish with potatoes before. What if it backfires?"
"Don't worry, let's try it on a small scale first!"
Mu Xiaoxiao then realized what was happening and said seriously, "My experimental potatoes are all precisely cultivated, and their nutritional components are very stable, so they will not harm the fish."
I can extract some potato essence for you and mix it into a small amount of fish feed. Go back and feed it to a few fish to try it out. Observe the effect for a few days. If it works well, then you can use it on a larger scale.”
Li Wei patted his chest and assured him, "That's right, Junior Brother Chen Yu, the potatoes from the two senior sisters are absolutely reliable! My pig is the best example. You can try it with confidence. If there are any problems along the way, we'll adjust them together. We'll definitely be able to save your fish!"
Seeing the three people's sincere and confident expressions, Chen Yu felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He excitedly grasped Su Yingxue's hand: "Thank you so much! Senior sisters and brothers, if it really works out, I will definitely thank you properly!"
"No need for thanks!" Su Yingxue smiled and withdrew her hand, pointing to the stall. "If your 'Potato Angelfish' really succeeds in raising, send us a couple to try. Let us also develop new ways to cook 'Potato Angelfish'. We can help each other out, and maybe we can create another hit product!"
Mu Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded, "I'll process the potatoes and extract the essence for you right now. Just wait for me for about ten minutes."
As she spoke, she turned around, picked out two of the best-looking potatoes from the basket, and got to work with her tools.
Chen Yu stood aside, watching Mu Xiaoxiao carefully process the potatoes, and then looked at the smiles on Su Yingxue and Li Wei's faces, feeling grateful.
The fish, who had thought he had no chance of winning, unexpectedly found a turning point due to an accidental "pig disaster." He even began to look forward to what would happen to his fish after eating the magic potato.
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