Seeing the puzzled looks on the mermaids' faces, Li Ying stopped keeping them in suspense and patiently explained, "Do you still remember that the sea water turned a terrifying blood - red a few days ago?"
The mermaids were confused about why she would say such things and exchanged glances with each other.
"It's not an omen of disaster. It's just a red tide."
Red tide?
"Every summer and autumn, red algae in the sea run riot. These plankton are rich in shellfish toxins. After fish, shrimp and other aquatic products feed on them, they will be poisoned and die. Mussels are particularly hard - hit areas for shellfish toxin infection. If people eat aquatic products after a red tide, they may experience numbness in the mouth, tongue and limbs, nausea and vomiting at the mildest, and coma and suffocation at the most severe. It's extremely dangerous."
Those pirates were poisoned by shellfish toxins after eating mussels and sea urchins, and couldn't move.
"If I'm not wrong, these fish and shrimp you took out were picked up from the beach after the red tide. Although fish and shrimp are less affected by shellfish toxins, there's still a risk of poisoning if you eat them. We mustn't keep them."
Li Ying had hit the nail on the head, and the mermaids looked a bit embarrassed.
Every family was suffering because of the pearl - diving work, and their lives were hard. They often didn't know where their next meal would come from.
Although the red tide looked really strange, seeing so many freshly - dead fish and shrimp with bright eyes and still - red gills, they couldn't bear to waste them. So they secretly picked them up, dried them and stored them, not willing to eat them.
Now seeing the dying pirates, no one dared to take the risk with their own lives. They nodded with lingering fear.
"After a red tide, you have to wait at least a month before you can fish for aquatic products again. During this time, please be very careful and never eat any shellfish."
Li Ying was still worried and repeated her warning. The mermaids promised obediently, but they all faced a problem at the same time.
The island was extremely poor. Without the income from fishing for seafood, how could they make a living?
Moreover, the mermaids had been pearl - divers for generations. They had spent almost their whole lives drifting on the sea. Now, after the initial ecstasy of coming ashore, they were suffering from a hard - to - adapt dizziness.
The fire was so bright that it was hard to open their eyes, and the beach under their feet seemed to be shaking. Every step was a struggle for them.
Li Ying knew that this was because the mermaids were used to the high pressure underwater and suffered from "decompression sickness". It would take a long time to recover.
"Don't worry. I've already come up with a solution. Since you're good at diving and collecting pearls, you can continue to make a living this way."
The environment of this sea area was very suitable for her artificial pearl - farming farm.
In the pearl - farming business, except for the time when a large number of workers were needed to implant pearl nuclei, it was quite idle at other times.
The mermaids were excellent divers. After her training, they would be more than qualified to be free - diving coaches for tourists in their spare time.
As long as tourists came here for a vacation, they could not only enjoy the beautiful scenery under the sea and taste delicious food like sea urchins and sea cucumbers, but also open oysters to get pearls by themselves. All the pearls they got could be processed into jewelry for free.
Just these two things would surely attract many idle and bored rich kids from the capital.
Hearing her talk about farming freshwater pearls and that at least twenty or thirty pearl nuclei could be planted in one oyster shell, Zhu'er widened her eyes and said eagerly, "Is that true? There's just a pond on our island. I wonder if we can clean it up and use it directly for pearl - farming?"
Li Ying was eager to set up the pearl - oyster farm as soon as possible. Hearing this, her eyes lit up.
Fish and oysters could coexist. Pearl oysters could filter and purify the water, while fish could provide trace elements to make the pearls more dazzling. It was a win - win strategy.
She hurriedly urged Zhu'er to take her to have a look.
Soon, they came to the pond. By the dim candlelight, they could faintly see several grass carp swimming back and forth among the waterweeds.
"This kind of fish has a strong fishy smell and many thorns. It's not worth much. Only the locals here would cook it for food."
If they really wanted to use this pond to farm pearl oysters, they would have to get rid of these worthless grass carp.
Some of the mermaids were impatient and were about to act, but Li Ying stopped them.
"Grass carp are good companions for pearl oysters! Moreover, tourists who come for diving have to go through a series of training before they can go into the water. They will probably stay on the island for a long time. We must come up with some delicious special dishes."
Li Ying smiled slightly. She had already thought of several recipes in her mind and directed some of the mermaids to prepare them in the kitchen.
Cut the grass carp into three pieces along the backbone, remove the fishy tendons, then cut it into double - flying slices diagonally. Cut off the annoying small fish bones, then mix it evenly with cornstarch, egg white, pepper, soy sauce and yellow rice wine for marinating.
Sauté scallions, ginger, garlic slices and chili segments until fragrant. Then add a large spoonful of homemade bean paste and secret hot - pot base. After frying out the red oil, add the fish bones and fry until golden and crispy.
After stir - frying to flavor, pour in yellow rice wine and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then season with oyster sauce and soy sauce.
Take a handful of bean sprouts and blanch them slightly in the soup. Blanch the tender tofu a little too. Put them on a plate as a base.
Then put the fish slices into the pot, stir them gently. When the slices start to curl slightly, pour them all into a basin. Sprinkle with garlic minced and white sesame seeds, and add a pinch of bright - red chili powder.
Heat oil in another pot. Sauté Chinese prickly ash and dried chili segments until fragrant, then quickly pour the hot oil over the fish slices. This fisherman's boiled fish has slices that melt in the mouth, spicy, fragrant and tender, which whets people's appetite.
The bean sprouts at the bottom are crispy, and the tofu is soft and fragrant. You can also light a charcoal stove and add various vegetarian dishes like konjac and vermicelli to eat it like spicy hot pot.
Cut another grass carp in half, make cross - cuts on it, and marinate it with cumin, cooking wine, pepper, salt and sugar.
After it's well - marinated, evenly coat the fish with a layer of flour. When the oil is hot, put the fish in and fry it over medium heat until the fish skin is crispy.
Fry the potatoes until their outer skin is golden and the inside is soft. Put them aside with the sliced lotus roots.
Sauté minced garlic, scallions and ginger until fragrant. Then, according to personal taste, sauté farmhouse salty sauce, fermented black beans and bean paste to make a thick sauce. Pour it over the fish, and spread potatoes, mushrooms and lotus root slices around it. Sprinkle with coriander and crushed peanuts, and bake it over low heat until the fish is fully cooked.
Every bite of the skin of this soy - flavored roasted fish makes a crisp sound between the lips and teeth, making the fish meat even more tender. Compared with the boiled fish, it has a stronger burnt fragrance.
Thinking that these young masters who came from afar might bring their favorite female companions, sweet - and - sour smoked fish must also be on the menu.
Mix sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, yellow rice wine and salt evenly. Add water, star anise and cinnamon to the pot. Bring to a boil, then pour in the bowl of sauce. Boil it again, add Chinese prickly ash, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Cut the fish into large pieces. Fry them over low heat until crispy, then fry them again until every small fish bone becomes extremely crispy and presents an attractive golden - red color.
Then, put the fish pieces into the sweet - and - sour sauce while they're still hot. When the sauce has soaked into every piece of fish, the sweet - and - sour smoked fish is ready.
The mermaids had never thought that this grass carp with a strong fishy smell and many thorns could be made into such delicate and attractive food. Smelling the strong sweet, sour, fresh and spicy aroma in the air, they all swallowed their saliva involuntarily.