Gu Linchao was taken aback. "What are you looking at?"
Wen Nongnong smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing." Then she rolled up her sleeves and teased the fish in the bucket, "Your Highness, I'm hungry and want to eat grilled fish."
Gu Linchao paused, then turned to Wang Houde and instructed, "Take these fish and kill them."
"Yes." Wang Houde picked up the bucket and walked towards the riverbank a little to the side.
After catching a fish, Wen Nongnong lost patience and stopped waiting for it to bite. She handed the fishing rod to Gu Linchao and got up to watch Wang Houde clean the fish.
To Wen Nongnong's surprise, Wang Houde, who had a fair complexion, was surprisingly skilled at killing fish.
With a swift stroke of the knife, a once lively fish was killed.
"Eunuch Wang, I really didn't expect you to be so quick and efficient."
Wang Houde was scaling fish with a dagger when he heard this, and he seemed quite proud.
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but when Master was fighting in the south and north, I was always by his side. Sometimes when the army was short of food and pay, I would catch some fish to improve Master's meals and help him get better. Over time, I developed the skill of killing fish."
Wen Nongnong was somewhat surprised to hear these things, and after her astonishment, she couldn't help but fall silent.
She could almost imagine the predicament they were in.
People only know that Gu Linchao holds great power, but they don't know how he survived countless near-death experiences on the battlefield.
When Wang Houde started talking about his past experiences in the army, he went on and on with Wen Nongnong.
Wen Nong Nong listened quietly without interrupting him.
Before long, Gu Linchao brought over the fish he had caught later.
After cleaning the fish, the group built a fire in the open space in front of the bamboo house.
Wen Nongnong thought that since she had decided to eat grilled fish on a whim, without any seasonings, the fish might not taste very good, and she was prepared to eat the fish plain.
Little did they expect that Wang Houde had prepared everything before he arrived.
I brought bowls, plates, chopsticks, and pots, as well as plenty of salt and seasonings.
They rubbed the cleaned fish with salt and seasonings, intending to marinate it for a while before grilling it over a fire.
Si cut down a bamboo stalk, then cut it into sections, split it in half, and carried it to the river to wash it.
Wen Nongnong asked curiously, "What is Si Yi doing?"
Even when sitting on a rock by the fire, Gu Linchao maintained an elegant and dignified demeanor.
When she asked, he turned to her and asked, "Have you ever eaten grilled fish with bamboo strips?"
“I’ve only ever eaten rice cooked in bamboo tubes,” Wen Nongnong shook her head.
Gu Linchao's lips curled slightly. "You can try it in a bit."
"Bamboo strips for grilling fish?" Wen Nongnong asked in surprise. "So Si Yi cut those bamboos for grilling fish?"
Wang Houde smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the bamboo-sliced grilled fish that Si Yi made is delicious. I'm sure you'll like it."
"Hearing you say that, I can't wait to try it." Wen Nongnong licked her lips.
Gu Linchao paused for a moment and looked away.
Wang Houde lit another fire, then placed the cleaned iron pot on it. After the pot was heated, he poured in oil, added ginger slices to sauté until fragrant, then threw in two fish to fry. When it was almost done, he poured in water to cook together.
"Eunuch Wang, would you like to make fish soup?" Wen Nongnong squatted by the fire, watching him busy himself.
Wang Houde said with a smile, "The wild fish in this river are much fatter than those raised by humans. The soup made from them is very delicious. Your Majesty should try some in a bit."
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