Chapter 286: This is Squirrel Fish!
"Itadakimasu!"
Yusa bowed her head elegantly, like a Yamato Nadeshiko.
She brought the sea cucumber to her lips. It was wrapped in a crystal-clear, glistening sauce, shining with a faint oiliness, looking like black jade dyed in the glow of sunset.
A rich, mellow aroma seized the initiative, striking first!
It was the fragrant, charred sweetness released by scallions after being roasted at high heat, mixed with the deep, savory scent of the ocean's bounty—
Just smelling it left her intoxicated!
Yusa couldn't help but part her pink, cherry-like lips. The moment it entered her mouth—
The slightly salty, savory taste of the outer sauce invaded the tip of her tongue, followed immediately by the rich caramel aroma stewed from the scallion oil. It emerged slowly, raising the curtain on a feast for the taste buds!
Yusa chewed gently. As her snow-white teeth sank into the flesh of the sea cucumber, the sensation was wondrous—
The outer layer was silky and glutinous, offering a barely-there resistance to her chewing, while the inside was thick, soft, and bouncy, full of collagen.
It wasn't like the distinct fibers of meat, but rather a congealed richness closer to fatty marrow—
It was as if the tip of her tongue pushed open a layer of smooth satin, revealing a dense, creamy interior like a soft-boiled egg yolk. It required almost no effort to bite through, melting gently in her mouth.
"Wuuhm—! So delicious!"
Yusa lifted her delicate, snow-white chin. The corners of her mouth turned up, her eyes curved in delight, and her expression softened uncontrollably...
"It feels like... some magical power is being injected into my body..."
...
Sunlight poured down like molten gold onto the green field, with fragments of light dancing on every blade of grass.
Yusa was wearing a blue and white jersey. The U-shaped neckline couldn't hide her ample chest, adding a touch of allure compared to her usual look.
Her faintly visible, sexy waist was full of charm.
Her lower body was simply paired with hot pants that outlined her full curves, and her long, slender legs were wrapped in white over-the-knee silk stockings, combining strength with feminine beauty.
She suddenly launched into motion, shaking off the defense with the speed of a cheetah and cutting straight into the penalty area.
Just then, a teammate's cross drew a graceful arc, soaring over the defender's head and dropping rapidly—
In a flash of lightning, Yusa leaped into the air without hesitation. Her entire body opened up backward like a recurve bow. engaging her core, she swung her long, beautiful legs upward, tracing a heaven-defying arc in the air that was both powerful and elegant!
Time seemed to stretch infinitely at this moment.
She hung upside down beneath the clear sky, her ice-blue hair cascading down like a waterfall. In her inverted vision, there was only the soccer ball and the goal.
Her taut instep struck the center of the ball—
"Bang!"
A solid and crisp explosion of sound!
As if injected with a soul, the soccer ball suddenly changed direction, transforming into a reverse-flying golden meteor. It tore through the air, drilling straight into the absolute dead angle of the goal!
The goalkeeper dove in vain, helpless as he watched the ball graze past him and smash into the net—
In an instant, the snow-white net billowed out like a surging wave, pure and intense, bearing silent witness to this perfect fusion of power and beauty!
"Nice shot—!"
Cheers exploded from the spectator stands, washing over the entire green field like a tide.
"..."
Yusa snapped back to reality, her jade-like hand clutching the fabric on her lap as her long legs twitched.
Another strange experience had been added to the list—!
And...
She really wanted to kick something right now.
Kick what, though?
Yusa's gaze involuntarily drifted toward Ryohei Tanaka, who was sitting diagonally across from her, before she silently retracted her gaze.
Definitely can't kick this one!
She was wearing a kimono right now, so she couldn't spread her legs too wide anyway...
Forget it, forget it!
"Ryohei-kun, what is this called?"
Kyon-Kyon suddenly reached out, pointing with great interest at a uniquely shaped dish on the dining table.
"Hmm..." Ryohei Tanaka followed her finger and looked over, a smile rising on his lips. "That is Squirrel Fish."
"This is a famous dish from China. I can't believe you, a Chinese zombie girl, don't know it!"
"Uh... maybe because I died too early?"
Kyon-Kyon tilted her head cutely, thought for a moment, and said, "Or maybe, our village... couldn't afford to eat dishes like this?"
"Uh..."
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy!
Ryohei Tanaka hurriedly changed the subject: "If you like it, eat plenty. If you crave it in the future, I'll make it for you when I have time."
"Ooh—!"
Kyon-Kyon was happy again!
Ryohei Tanaka laughed and casually added, "By the way, children really love this fish. Even kids who don't usually like fish tend to like this."
As soon as his voice fell, the 'children' present—who were several thousand, or even over ten thousand years old—all looked curiously at the Squirrel Fish.
Persephone II picked up the serving chopsticks and was the first to take a piece of fish, placing it in the porcelain bowl in front of her.
The fish meat looked like a blooming autumn chrysanthemum, with layers of petals fluffy and unfurled, drizzled with a crystal-clear, bright red sauce, emitting a pale golden glow.
Steam curled up, carrying a sweet and sour aroma that rushed to the face, stimulating the appetite.
"I'll give it a try!"
Persephone II happily switched to her own chopsticks, picked up the fish expectantly, and sent it into her mouth.
The moment her teeth touched it, the fish in her mouth made a subtle, crisp sound.
The crispy outer shell shattered lightly on the tip of her tongue, the thin glaze bringing a just-right sweet and sour taste, fresh and pleasant like newly picked plums.
The fish meat inside, however, remained pearly white and delicate, melting in the mouth amidst the rising steam, soft as clouds.
The best part was the boundary between the crispiness and tenderness—
The savory aroma of the crispy shell blended perfectly with the sweetness of the fish. The sweet and sour juices penetrated the texture, cutting through the oiliness of the frying while highlighting the unique, fresh flavor of the fish itself.
"Super delicious—!"
A smile of surprise rippled across Persephone II's face.
"..."
As if traveling through time and space, Persephone II arrived in ancient China.
She accompanied the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty down to Jiangnan. During their southern tour to Suzhou, they visited a restaurant named 'Songhelou' in disguise.
"Shopkeeper, I want to eat this fish!"
The Qianlong Emperor used his folding fan to point at a carp on the altar table. It had an exceptionally large belly, shaped like a gold ingot, and was pale gold all over.
"This..."
The shopkeeper hesitated—this was, after all, an offering fish symbolizing good fortune; it couldn't be messed with.
However, seeing that Qianlong had an extraordinary aura, he didn't dare to neglect him. Gritting his teeth, he told the chef to change the shape of the carp to avoid the crime of slaughtering the 'Divine Fish.'
Thus, the pressure was on the chef!
The chef at Songhelou knew his stuff. He pondered for a moment, then with knife in hand, he deftly cross-hatched the fish, patted it with fine powder, and threw it into hot oil to deep fry.
In an instant, the fish's body stretched out, layers flipping up like blooming chrysanthemum petals or a fluffy pine tail.
After frying, he poured the freshly prepared hot sauce over it. With a "Chi—" sizzling sound, the sweet and sour aroma permeated the air.
When it was brought before the Qianlong Emperor, his eyes lit up—the shape of this fish was so unique, looking just like a lively little squirrel.
The interweaving sweet and sour scent in the air constantly provoked his appetite!
The Qianlong Emperor picked up his chopsticks to taste it. He found the fish crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The sweet and sour juices wrapped around the savory fish meat, creating distinct layers and a lingering aftertaste. He couldn't help but nod in praise:
"Wonderful, truly wonderful!"
When asked for the name, the shopkeeper had a stroke of genius, bowed, and smiled: "This is Squirrel Fish!"
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