Tao Zhi looked as pale as death. However, the big merchant, with great interest, sized up Li Ying and asked slowly, "Are you the versatile Miss Li that Du Zhong mentioned? I must thank you for saving my life."
Li Ying greeted him with a smiling bow. "You, sir, are blessed with good fortune. You've traveled far and wide and seen much. Even without me, you would surely have overcome any danger! You've had a long journey. I've prepared some food and wine to welcome you and your wife."
Her words were so smooth and gentle that they were really pleasant to hear.
The big merchant nodded appreciatively at Li Ying and then followed her casually. On the contrary, the charming and coquettish woman gave Li Ying a meaningful look and then, with her slender fingers like scallions, put her arm around the man's possessively as if to show her dominance.
Seeing that the big merchant he had finally managed to intercept was taken away by Li Ying again, Tao Zhi was indignant. He glared angrily at her back and spat.
"Get that useless Yang Er out of here for me!"
In his extreme anger, he simply vented all his resentment on Yang Er.
Yang Er had finally managed to get a couple of full meals. How could he be willing to be kicked out of Tianxiang Tower just like that? His beady eyes rolled, and a malicious look flashed in them. He then came up to Tao Zhi obsequiously and offered an idea.
"Boss, Li Ying said our blue - ringed octopuses were poisonous. Let's fight fire with fire and let that girl taste the feeling of being poisoned!"
Tao Zhi was skeptical, but seeing Yang Er so confident, he gritted his teeth and finally relented. "I'll give you one last chance! If you fail this time, I don't need to say more, do I?"
Yang Er bowed and scraped, then retreated meekly and rushed straight to the tidal flat!
He had never heard of the so - called blue - ringed octopus, but the pufferfish eggs at the estuary were extremely poisonous! As long as he caught two, it would be enough to teach Li Ying a lesson!
He sneaked into the night market. While every household was preparing ingredients, he quietly stuffed several puffed - up little pufferfish into Li Ying's fish basket.
"Sister, something's wrong!"
Just as Li Ying had seated the big merchant and his entourage, she turned around the screen and saw A Man rushing over in a hurry. A Man lowered her voice to inform her.
"As you told me, sister, I've prepared fresh fish, shrimps and shellfish, waiting for the big merchant to come. But somehow, all the fish and shrimps are dead. Sister, what should we do?"
Li Ying followed her to the kitchen. Sure enough, the fish and shrimps in the big tank all had obvious bite marks on their bodies. There were also several lively pufferfish beside them, with their round, bright eyes staring and their gills flapping.
"A Man, take these dead fish and shrimps away and don't eat them. The plan has changed. We'll serve a pufferfish feast today!"
A Man was from a foreign land and didn't know how poisonous pufferfish could be, but Granny Sun had been a fisherwoman all her life. When she heard that Li Ying was going to make a pufferfish feast, she clicked her tongue anxiously.
"A Ying, the poison of pufferfish is no joke! The year before last, someone in a neighboring village was so hungry that they cooked pufferfish eggs. When they were found the next day, all five members of the family were dead! Such a dangerous thing can't be served to distinguished guests. If something goes wrong, we'll be in big trouble!"
Li Ying smiled slightly and gently patted Granny Sun's hand.
It was obvious that these highly poisonous pufferfish were another obstacle set by Tianxiang Tower.
However, as a food blogger in her previous life, Li Ying had dealt with pufferfish quite a lot. She was worried that the congee - base hot pot only showed the original flavor of the seafood and it was not easy to show off her skills. Now that Tianxiang Tower had sent these rare pufferfish, it was just a god - sent opportunity!
While soothing Granny Sun gently, Li Ying neatly cut off the pufferfish fins, removed the inedible eyes and lips, and peeled off the whole pufferfish skin intact.
She removed the gills and air sacs, and washed the pufferfish blood thoroughly under running water. The fish meat was as tender as a piece of white jade. She sliced it into paper - thin sashimi and placed it on a celadon plate. The arabesque patterns on the plate were clearly visible through the slices.
Li Ying was worried that the big merchant might not be used to eating raw fish, so she specially fetched a pot of peach blossom wine. The light - pink wine was slowly poured onto the plate and ignited with a fire starter. After the dry and strong smell of the wine burned out, only a mellow and intoxicating fragrance remained.
The edges of the pufferfish slices were slightly charred by the roasting, gathering on the plate like a magnificent white - jade peony. The peach blossom wine gave the sashimi a faint floral fragrance, fresh and elegant, making people reluctant to take a bite.
After the pufferfish skin was blanched in boiling water, it was repeatedly rinsed to remove the mucus and then cut into uniform filaments. It was crunchy and refreshing. Just add some vinegar for a cold dish, and it was the most appetizing side dish.
The other half of the fish was deboned, then cooked with tender tofu and various mountain delicacies, along with a handful of fresh green vegetables. The pufferfish liver and milt were the most poisonous parts, but if properly processed, they were also the most delicious. They were plump and smooth, and made into a clear - soup hot pot, it was the ultimate enjoyment.
The fish bones were washed clean of all the blood vessels, coated with starch, and deep - fried until golden and crispy. One bite would fill your mouth with fragrance.
The fish fins were roasted over a low fire until they were extremely fragrant, then soaked in a warm pot of yellow wine. The fishy smell and the smoky smell mixed with the aroma of the wine, forming a complex and mellow fragrance. Taking a small sip, a warm feeling would spread from the throat to the internal organs, making people feel extremely comfortable.
Li Ying looked at the big merchant with a smile. "I'm showing off my humble skills."
The charming woman had a sarcastic look on her face at first, but unexpectedly, Li Ying, a rural woman, could cook such exquisite and delicious dishes. The words of ridicule got stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them anymore.
The big merchant took a bite of the roasted sashimi and was about to reach for the pufferfish hot pot when there was a commotion outside the door.
"Your honor! Pufferfish is highly poisonous. You can't eat it!"
Ignoring the obstruction of his servants, Tao Zhi rushed towards the screen, shouting anxiously.
Li Ying smiled calmly.
"The big merchant indeed has a good eye and recognizes that the pufferfish milt is the rarest thing. Fortune favors the brave. You've been in the business world for half your life, so you must understand this truth best. You're used to high - stakes gambling, so you surely won't be scared by a mere pufferfish."
There was a hint of provocation in her words. The big merchant's eyes lingered on her face for a moment, then finally he relaxed his brows and smiled amiably.
"Miss Li is really good at talking. You gave up the safe congee - base hot pot and instead prepared this pufferfish feast. It also means taking risks for fortune, doesn't it? Since a woman has such courage, fine. Today I'll gamble with you!"
After saying that, he didn't hesitate to pick up a piece of fish liver and chewed it carefully. After a long time, he finally praised, "Wonderful!"
Tao Zhi stood aside, watching this happy scene of the host and guests. He felt his heart sink to the bottom.
It's over. All is lost.
His Tianxiang Tower was in danger.