Fishing and Hunting 82, Starting with Three Sisters Who Overprotect Their Brothers

126 Octopus Ball Business

Zhang Wenshan didn't keep anyone in suspense. He carefully opened the damp cloth covering the basin and carefully put it away.

He bought this at a high price.

No ticket required, just four or five cents per foot.

Wu Xia immediately leaned closer, and after seeing what was in the basin, she couldn't help but frown: "Minced meat."

"Hmm." Zhang Wenshan nodded, leaned closer to take a look, and confirmed that it wasn't broken.

Fortunately, Ge Ergui's family had a well, otherwise they really wouldn't have been able to deal with all those fish.

"Minced meat?" Hong Yuan couldn't help but take two steps forward upon hearing the sound. He stared at the white stuff in the basin for a long time before asking uncertainly, "Fish?"

"You have a good eye," Zhang Wenshan nodded and said, "It was made by Ga Yazi."

"What?"

Wu Xia and her husband exclaimed in surprise, then moved even closer, their heads almost touching, making it impossible to see any trace of Ga Yazi's appearance.

"It must be quite a hassle and take a lot of effort to do that, right?"

The gagazi is a small, miscellaneous fish with thin flesh and three hard, poisonous spines on its body, making it very troublesome to prepare.

Most people think it's not worth getting your hands swollen and sore from eating such a small, broken fish.

"So you're saying, can you sell a fruit without thorns?" Zhang Wenshan asked instead of answering.

Removing fish bones is a skill in itself.

Therefore, the barrier to entry for selling gagazi (a type of wild vegetable) is much higher than that for selling snails. As long as the members of the fishing and hunting group are smart enough, they would never tell anyone, and it would be difficult for outsiders to learn just by watching.

"So you're saying there's a way to get the thorn out easily?" Wu Xia's eyes lit up, and she immediately pressed, "Tell me how much it costs, I'll buy it, okay?"

"Our poor villagers only earn a meager living through hard work, please give us a way to survive?" Zhang Wenshan deliberately lowered his face and pretended to be in a difficult position.

"It won't sell well without the thorns," Wu Xia said, frowning. "If you remove the thorns, all that's left is a piece of white meat, and people will likely start to have doubts. Besides, it's difficult to inspect the meat after removing the thorns."

She gave several reasons: "I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, I just really have some concerns."

"That's why it's made into filling," Zhang Wenshan said with a smile, pointing to the bowl.

Praise and criticism are what buyers care about.

If you're truly not interested, you won't nitpick.

"Making dumplings?" Wu Xia turned to her husband. "Are you sure you can manage?"

"My master didn't teach me, so I thought I could give it a try." Hong Yuan's eyes lit up, and he scratched his chin as several ideas flashed through his mind.

However, it still needs to be verified.

"Making dumplings is one way, but making meatballs is more convenient." Zhang Wenshan licked his lips, the taste of mackerel dumplings wafting from his mouth.

I don't know when I'll be able to eat it again.

"Can fish meat be used to make meatballs?"

Wu Xia looked at Hong Yuan again.

The head chef of the state-run restaurant shook his head and said, "My master never said that, brother. It's probably not easy to make fish balls."

""

He carefully chose his words, not daring to say no directly.

In his experience, fish meat could not be made into balls.

"It'll take some effort," Zhang Wenshan said, glancing furtively at the stove and scratching his head. "I'll go see if my sister's done."

"???"

Hong Yuan looked puzzled.

We're at a crucial moment, why are we running away now?

"I'll help you start the fire."

Wu Xia was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"If you can cook, why don't you know how to use the stove?"

"How can our stove at home compare to this?" Zhang Wenshan silently took two steps back and made way.

The state-run restaurant's stoves were built directly on the ground, made of uniform red bricks, large and heavy, with two large pots nearly a meter in diameter. There was a small opening at the side door, where firewood or coal could be added.

The fire inside never went out; it was simply poked open when needed.

It really is a technical skill to operate.

"Nonsense, your sister and the others figured it out last time."

As Wu Xia spoke, she quickly set up the stove, and soon the water in the large pot began to heat up.

Zhang Wenshan dared not slack off and hurriedly started working.

Before long, the fish balls began to float and undulate in the water, round and white, just like freshly peeled quail eggs.

At the same time, a rich aroma of fish wafted out with the steam, making people's mouths water.

Wu Xia, who was tending the fire, couldn't help but stand up, her gaze falling on the pot: "These are fish balls?"

"No, no."

Hong Yuan, a chef from a state-run restaurant who had eaten delicacies before, had also gathered around the stove. He squinted and leaned forward slightly.

He muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, staring intently at the fish balls in the pot.

"Fish meat is inherently prone to falling apart, and catfish meat is even thinner and less sticky."

"How can you cook it like meatballs?"

Zhang Wenshan smiled without saying a word. Seeing that the fish balls were almost cooked, he reached out and scooped them out, placing them in a bowl.

"I'll try it."

Hongyuan snatched it away, hurriedly scooped one up with a spoon, blew on it haphazardly a couple of times, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Ouch, it's hot."

Seeing this, Wu Xia was both angry and heartbroken. She reached out to pat his arm but was afraid that her husband would choke. Her tone was full of reproach.

"What's the rush? Nobody's going to take it from you!"

"The water isn't boiling vigorously yet." Zhang Wenshan smiled and handed another bowl of fish balls to Wu Xia. "Just blow on them and you can eat them."

"real?"

Wu Xia tentatively put a fish ball into her mouth and immediately gasped.

The smooth and elastic texture, combined with the freshness of the fish, bursts in your mouth, making it taste completely different from any other meatball she's ever had.

The taste of fish balls was completely different from what I had imagined.

If you don't know, you can't even taste the flavor of the fruit.

"Little brother, this is amazing!" Wu Xia looked at the fish balls, licking her lips with lingering satisfaction. "This is so delicious, even I, who don't like fish, can eat it!"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but scoop up another fish ball, swallowing the rest of her words as well.

Beside him, Hong Yuan had already finished his fish balls, put down his spoon, and slowly wiped his mouth before asking, "Brother, how much are you planning to sell them for?"

Based on his years of experience as a chef, he instantly knew that these fish balls could really make money.

Several uses have already come to mind.

Even the most expensive catfish is still just a small, insignificant fish; it's not worth much. Just throw a few pieces into your vegetarian noodles.

"That depends on how you want to buy it, brother-in-law."

Zhang Wenshan leaned against the stove and spoke calmly.

"Do you want to buy the method for removing fish bones, or the fish meat with the bones removed? As for the method for mixing minced meat, consider it a gift from me. And the pickled willow root is for your tasting."

Making fish balls does require a certain level of technical skill.

You can show it to the chefs at state-run restaurants, and after they think about it and try it a few times, they'll most likely figure it out.

Instead of hiding it, it's better to do someone a favor.

As for willow root, it's too expensive to make it into a sweet and sour flavor yourself.

"Of course, I'll buy meat, along with snails—"

Wu Xia put down her bowl and couldn't wait to speak.

Hongyuan quickly pulled the man back, rubbing his hands together and saying, "Preparing the filling is a skill in itself. You've been too kind to just say it outright!"

"I just heard my master mention it casually, and figured it out myself. I heard it's a southern way of eating." Zhang Wenshan deliberately emphasized the words "southern".

Although it's unclear where the inspection team came from, there's a certain probability that someone who eats snakes would also eat fish balls.

Since it's a risk-free business, there's no harm in giving it a try.

"Really?" Hong Yuan raised an eyelid.

When the time comes, I'll serve the fish balls up, and if the boss asks, I'll just say I learned how to make them on purpose.

Wouldn't that be a perfect opportunity to show one's face?

"Fish balls are most famous in Fuzhou, then in Chaoshan, and people in Changzhou and Wuxi also eat them, calling them fish balls —"

"Yes, yes, yes," Hong Yuan said subconsciously. "Several people in the inspection team are from Changzhou, and I can't understand what they're saying."

Zhang Wenshan smiled upon hearing this.

This deal is a sure thing.