Seeing the oil melt into a smooth consistency, Lu Qing started placing the little fish onto the stone slab one by one, slowly frying them.
Actually, adding a pinch of salt to the oil before frying would have been better; it would prevent the fish from sticking to the surface.
But Lu Qing noticed earlier that the salt brought by that uncle was too coarse and unsuitable for frying fish directly.
Carefully controlling the heat, Lu Qing fried the fish meticulously.
The fragrant aroma wafted through the air, drawing Little Yan—who had already finished eating her flatbread—over to sit down and stare intently at the fish on the slab.
Lu Qing's heart ached immediately when he saw her like this.
He reached out and ruffled the little girl's hair.
"Little Yan, just wait a little longer. It'll be ready soon."
"Mm!" Little Yan nodded obediently. "Brother, the fish smells so good."
"If it smells good, then eat a lot later. Your brother caught plenty of fish today, more than enough to fill you up."
When the rice in the clay pot was done cooking, the fish were just about completely fried.
Lu Qing gathered all the fish and placed them in a large bowl.
He boiled some salted water and drizzled it over the fish.
And just like that, a simple dish of salted fried fish was ready.
Lu Qing served two bowls of rice on the table.
"Little Yan, time to eat."
"I'm already here, Brother."
The little one had been sitting at the dining table waiting for a while.
Lu Qing added a small stool to her chair, lifting Little Yan onto it so she could reach her rice bowl.
Then he picked out a few small, nearly boneless fish and placed them on her rice.
"Eat up, you little foodie! Remember to spit out any bones. Don't get them stuck."
"Got it, Brother!"
The little one, who was already drooling, immediately picked up a piece of fried fish, popped it into her mouth, and began chewing voraciously like a hamster.
Thankfully, Lu Qing had given her a nearly boneless fish; otherwise, she might've ended up choking on the bones.
After swallowing one fish, her eyes widened in delight.
"Brother, this fish is so good—better than the ones Mom used to make!"
*When Lu Qing heard her words, his heart twisted—not with joy, but with sadness.*
*This fish had only a touch of oil and salted water, and he hadn't dared to use extra oil to conserve resources while frying.*
*Such a plain dish, how delicious could it truly be?*
*It's only when someone is starving that everything tastes wonderful.*
*Little Yan must have endured so much hunger during this time to think something this simple was the ultimate delicacy.*
But Lu Qing didn't show any of this; he simply replied with a smile, "If it's good, eat more. Brother made it just for you."
"Mm, mm!"
The little one took a large bite of rice, her cheeks stuffed like a squirrel's, unable to speak properly and only nodding vigorously.
Lu Qing chuckled and picked up a piece of fish to eat.
Swallowing one bite, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
The fish wasn't as bad as he had expected.
Perhaps the unpolluted environment in this ancient era allowed river fish to thrive beautifully.
So, despite the lack of seasoning, the fish tasted fresh and unique in its own way.
The siblings, both starving, naturally didn't take their time eating.
Before long, the rice in the clay pot and the bowl of fried fish were completely devoured.
Of course, most of it ended up in Lu Qing's stomach.
No matter how hungry Little Yan was, she was only a six- or seven-year-old child, with a small appetite.
Lu Qing also made sure she didn't overeat to avoid upsetting her stomach.
"Brother, Little Yan's full now!"
The little one put down her bowl, patted her belly, and smiled in satisfaction.
It had been so long since Little Yan had eaten this much!
"Since you're full, rest here for a bit. Don't wander around. I'm going to wash the dishes now."
Lu Qing advised, then began tidying up the utensils.
"Little Yan wants to help Brother!"
The little one hopped off her stool.
"No need. Just rest here quietly." Lu Qing declined.
So Little Yan obediently sat back on her chair, watching Lu Qing busy himself.
Like most children, she quickly became drowsy. By the time Lu Qing finished cleaning up and came out, her head was bobbing sleepily.
Lu Qing smiled and gently picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom.
"Brother, Little Yan wants to go fishing with you next time. The fish were so yummy."
As he set her down on the bed, the little one murmured groggily.
"Alright, next time we go fishing, Brother will take you along."
Lu Qing lovingly tucked the patched blanket around her and whispered softly.
Little Yan seemed to hear his promise, but she didn't reply. Instead, she drifted into a deep sleep.
Once sure she was asleep, Lu Qing quietly left the room and sat on a simple lounge chair in the main hall, feeling an overwhelming sense of comfort.
He had indeed worked hard today. Though his body had just barely recovered and was still quite weak, he had pushed through hunger to complete all the chores, including fishing and cooking.
*It would've been a lie to say he wasn't exhausted.*
Sitting on the lounge chair now, Lu Qing felt significantly more relaxed.
*Even a wave of sleepiness began creeping over him.*
But he couldn't sleep yet.
There were still things that needed his attention.
After spending most of the day active, interacting with villagers, and piecing together memories in his mind, Lu Qing had a better understanding of the world he was in.
First of all, there was no doubt that he was now living in a world similar to ancient China.
And it was an era with a very low level of productivity.
This much was evident from the fact that even an iron pot was considered a rarity.
But beyond that, there wasn't much he could confirm.
For instance, he still didn't know how society operated, which factions held power, or who the rulers were.
All he had discerned was the absence of governmental institutions like courts or magistrates.
At least based on the original owner's memories, there didn't seem to be any such concepts.
Of course, this wasn't absolute.
At the end of the day, the original owner was just a naive village boy who had never stepped foot outside his rural home.
How could he have understood the world beyond his little village?
Still, while he couldn't confirm the existence of courts or government institutions, he could be certain of the towns.
Villagers typically traveled to nearby towns to buy necessary supplies.
Items like salt and iron were only sold in these towns.
And in these towns, the highest authority seemed to be called the City Lord.
Unfortunately, though the original owner was fifteen years old, he had never ventured to the town, leaving Lu Qing clueless about what life in town was like.
"Seems like I'll have to visit the town sometime if I get the chance," Lu Qing murmured to himself.
Understanding this world fully would help him determine the best path forward.
That said, such plans were still somewhat far off for now.
At the moment, what mattered most was finding a way to sustain both himself and Little Yan.
After all, he owed favors to the villagers after today. These debts would surely need repaying.
His greatest asset right now was undoubtedly his superpower.
What could his superpower do for him?
Lu Qing sat quietly, deep in thought.
Suddenly, a name flashed in his mind.