Chapter 226 - Where is the Dragon Palace? (2/2)
The fisherman makes a fire with some wood in the stove and puts a wok with water on it. He picks some fish, shrimps, and crabs and starts to kill and clean them. He throws the heads and claws of the crayfish into the boiling water.
He doesn’t put any ginger, shallots, or cooking wine to cover up the fishy flavor. Therefore, Rong doesn’t expect the fish to be tasty. After the fisherman adds some salt to the soup, Rong smells the delicious flavor.
The fisherman takes out two cracked bowls and fills them for the two.
“Go ahead.” He speaks to Lin and Rong.
Lin Luoran takes a sip of the soup. The soup is pretty bland because there are no seasonings except for salt. Nevertheless, it is delicious.
“Rong, the soup is good, isn’t it?”
Lin likes the soup. Rong mumbles with fish in his mouth.
The old fisherman is glad that the young man and woman like the soup.
“Thank you for making us the fish soup…”
“Not at all. It will be 300 yuan.”
The fisherman reaches out and asks for money. He doesn’t care about Lin and Rong’s friendliness.
“You…” Rong can’t believe in what is actually happening. 300 yuan for two bowls of fish soup? The fisherman is extorting them!
“So what? I never said that the soup is on the house. This was genuine wild fish and you watched me cook. It is worthy of 300 yuan!” The fisherman rolls his eyes. Rong is speechless.
Rong is never good at arguing. He just wants to leave.
Lin Luoran takes 300 yuan out from her purse and gives it to the old fisherman who is getting angry.
The fisherman smiles and takes the money. He says, “Little girl, you’re smart!”
Lin casts a glance at Rong to calm him down. Then she sits on the footstool and starts to chat with the fisherman.
The fisherman is willing to talk to Lin because of the money. Lin starts with the small talk,
“You must have been fis.h.i.+ng on Dongting Lake for a long time, right?”
“Right… I’ve been living here since I was nine years old. It has been over sixty years.”
It is really a long time.
Lin and the fisherman keep chatting. As time pa.s.ses, the fisherman starts to get impatient.
“Hey, are you guy going to stay the night on my boat?”
Rong really doesn’t want to sleep on the dirty and shabby boat.
The rain is getting heavier and the wind is becoming stronger. The boat shakes. The weather is really quite bad.
Lin Luoran isn’t bothered by the weather. She says carelessly,
“I believe you’re familiar with the lake. Do you mind my asking…if there is a Dragon Palace under the lake, and where would it be?”
This is her real intention of chatting with the cranky old fisherman.
Rong feels dizzy. He thinks that maybe Lin has got a cold so that she is acting so strangely…