Blue Carp Town

Fangsu, who was mounted up top Bai Xue, descended down the stairs to begin her travelling. Xu Yang handed Fangsu a bamboo woven basket filled with the bountiful harvest of the fruits that ripened in the springtime. Unwrapping a satchel filled with the bitter medicine downing it straight into her mouth. The bitterness lingered in her mouth as there were still a few pockets of the powdered mediocrity in her gums and cheek since she didn't chase the medicine down with water. Despite the bitterness of the medicine, there was no change in her expression. As they continued down the path, the saddle still remained untouched as it was hidden by the forest overgrowth.

As Fangsu placed her pinkies into the corners of her mouth, blowing. A sharp piercing whistle echoed through the plains and Fangsu waited for Tian to return, however, the sounds of multiple horses came running from the distance to Fangsu. Surprisingly, Tian had returned back with a relatively small herd of wild horses roughly about four including Tian. Tian came prancing towards Fangsu allowing her to place the saddle on his back. The small herd didn't seem hostile to Fangsu who cautiously approached them with her extended hand.

Reaching into the bag filled with fragrant fruits, Fangsu pulled out an apple feeding it to the smallest one who carefully ate right out of her small hand, avoiding her fingers. The rest of the herd came up to Fangsu wanting to eat the sweetly scented fruits in her basket. Strawberries, Mulberries, Cherries, Longan, Loquat and Dragon Fruit were the few names of the fruits in her basket but Fangsu was unsure whether some of the fruits would be harmful to the horses. Digging through the basket there were some vegetables which included carrots which Fangsu knew was the safest thing to feed horses.

The horses enjoyed the fresh carrot that Fangsu had given to them developing a favourable impression of Fangsu. Feeding all the carrots to the horse, Fangsu sent the basket of fruits into the spatial ring to avoid carrying too many things. Dismissing Bai Xue away and pulling out a map Fangsu wanted to travel to a tourist hotspot. Xu Yang gave out pointers to the most visited areas which were famous for certain specialities.

The closest one was Blue Carp Town which was a small fishing village which was well known for their fresh seafood and their famous carps which were an unusual blue colour. Fangsu nodded as she decided to travel to the fishing hamlet to eat some freshly fished seafood, however, as she motioned Tian to the direction of the fishing village. The small herd followed them and Fangsu couldn't shoo the herd away as they persisted in following Tian. These horses seem like they were quite familiar with humans since they were quite calm with her. But, if the herd continued to follow her into the fishing village, people would misunderstand that she was selling these horses so Fangsu decided to go under the guise of a small merchant. Using the small herd to carry the merchandise would be beneficial for Fangsu to earn so income on the road.

Surprisingly, the herd was calm as Fangsu set up blankets on their backs and secured her merchandise which was mainly the skincare and fresh produce. Fangsu had to produce the merchandise on the spot. Thankfully, she had brought her distiller with her otherwise she would be a tight spot. However, the only problem that still stood was that she needed to register as a merchant otherwise she would be illegally selling her own merchandise and she would need a permit from her business to be able to sell her own merchandise. The permit stamp was back at the capital and she couldn't go straight back because it was much too far to travel.

Fangsu turned back to the mountain rushing up the stairs to Xu Yang small hut who was preparing for the impending birth of a new generation of Qilins, "Fangsu? I thought you would have left for Blue Carp Town already," Placing down her equipment to wipe the sweat that was glistened on Fangsu's face with a cotton handkerchief.

Fangsu began gasping for air as she reached Xu Yang's hut, "Do you have a messenger bird or anything to send messages?" She leaned against a tree to support her exhausted body, "I need to send a message to Grandpa," The soft cotton handkerchief was gently dabbed onto her hot flushed cheeks.

Xu Yang was shocked as Fangsu asked for a messenger bird, "Is there something wrong?" The urgency of Fangsu's voice drew some concern from Xu Yang.

Fangsu giggled at Xu Yang as she shook her head, "I need a permit from grandpa so I can register myself as a merchant," Seating herself on the ground knowing that her body required to her to rest much more, "Tian happen to pick up a small herd of wild horses for himself and they won't leave," Explaining the situation that was causing Fangsu some trouble but it was honestly unexpected but it was hilarious to have to go under the guise of a merchant to travel with a small herd of horses.

Xu Yang was amused by Fangsu, "I have a hawk which can reach the capital by nightfall," Cu Yang went through a partition in the forest which had another set of stairs leading to the top of the mountain, "But you will probably get a response by tomorrow," Pulling out a whistle that was attached on a string on her neck and blowing into the hole. A piercing sound echoed throughout the mountain ranges and a hawk that was much bigger than Fangsu's arm span appeared landing on a tree branch. Fangsu was amazed to see such a big hawk and it was probably the biggest one she has seen. Xu Yang went into a shed handing over a piece of paper, inkstone and a brush for Fangsu to use. After writing a message with a quick explanation of the situation and the need for a permit to allow her to sell her own product on the road.

The next day, the hawk returned with a bundled package which was a jar of magnolia flowers causing a smile to blossom on Fangsu's face. A beautiful gradient from purple, pink and white which was accompanied by a slight sweet candy-like scent, "Okay! I'm ready to leave now!" Fangsu was about to leave Xu Yang hut but she stopped in her path, "Bye Bye!" Running down the stairs before disappearing completely into the forest below.

Running to Tian with all the documents in her hand, quickly mounting him with the herd following closely behind in a line. They eventually arrived at the entrance of the village where there was a sign that had the name of the village engraved with a painting of a blue carp next to it.

As Fangsu entered the small fishing village where all the locals warmly welcomed the stranger by extending their hospitality by offering to help lead Fangsu to a nearby stable, "It's not often someone comes to our remote fishing village," The old manager of the horse stable was quite surprised to see such a young individual having a small herd of horse that is well trained, "How much are you willing to sell for one of these beautiful horses?" Adding to the fact that their appearance and build made the manager assume they were well-bred stallions and mares that were suitable for long-distance travelling.

Fangsu unstrapped the saddle on Tian, "None of these horses are for sale," Giving out a smile which caused the manager to chuckle in response.

The manager patted the horses as the stable boys attended to the horses, "No worries, but I do have to say you have a fine herd of horses with you," He marvelled at the spectacular muscles that peeked through from under the skin, "But keep an eye on your horses just in cases," The old man left the stables, leaving Fangsu to wave her hand over her merchandise dismissing them into her spatial ring.

Many of the stable boys who saw the action of the stranger using a spatial ring, they all instinctively understood that the stranger was someone not to provoke. There was also a sheathed dagger that was attached at the back of the person which indicated that the person had some martial art background. The aura that surrounded the person was quite unsettling calm like a ghost and they would try to avoid provoking the individual.

Despite the stable boys' thoughts, Fangsu continued to browse through the small fishing village. At an empty nearby restaurant, there was the famous Blue Carp that was swimming in a tank with other tanks filled with other fishes that sat outside. Fangsu found herself a seat and a waitress placed down a menu and served her tea, "Welcome to the Fresh Seafood Market!" Greeting the stranger with a cheery smile that evokes a warm and friendly vibe, "I recommend the Seafood Feast where you can try all sorts of different fishes that are available here," The waitress pointed at the front of the menu where the assorted palate was located.

Fangsu handed back the menu, "I will have that!" Excitedly awaiting for the Seafood Feast to arrive at her table. The waitress rushed off to the kitchen where an old man who was sitting near the tank. His skilled hands grabbing for the requested fishes, and entering the kitchen for the chef to prepare them.

After waiting a while, the waitress returned with two trays filled with dishes that were either sliced raw or cooked in a specific way. Place the numerous dishes on the table Enjoy your meal!" The waitress happily smiled at the stranger. Fangsu grinned at the waitress who was unprepared for the handsome boy next door neighbour's smile.

Fangsu excitedly prepared her chopsticks to feast on the abundant dishes with each piece of food that entered her mouth. The flavours of the sea exploded in her mouth as she savoured each bite. It was simply indescribably delicious as she continued to chew the food. The last final dish that she was waiting for was the thinly sliced raw Blue Carp. As she picked up a slice of the raw Blue Carp, the segments of the flesh were hanging off the fat just from its own weight. As soon as Fangsu ate a piece to try only to found out that it was an outworldly experience. The texture and taste were completely different from what Fangsu had ever experienced, the flesh was so tender and soft. It simply melted on her tongue and she didn't need to chew. It didn't even need sauce.

Her facial expressions showed that on her face she conveyed the enjoyment of eating the food that was presented to her as she continuously feasted. Causing the chef to internally cry as no one had even visibly enjoyed his cooking like the newcomer since everyone in this fishing village was used to eating fish. As soon as she finished the meal with gusto, Fangsu walked up to the register to pay for her meal. Placing a silver coin which surprised both the chef and waitress, "Customer! This is too much for just a meal!" The waitress pushed back the silver ingot.

Fangsu happily smiled at the waitress as she pushed back the coin, "I enjoyed the meal and I haven't had this type of quality of seafood in a long time," She looked at the tanks filled with the fishes thinking about that Wen Cheng's business didn't have a huge array of seafood dishes. The range and quality of seafood in the Capital were quite embarrassing compared to the small Blue Carp Village because of the location of the Capital. Fangsu continued to visit the restaurant a few more times to try out the dishes in the menu, however, she began notice that on most days that she went to the restaurant it barely any customers. Some days the only customer was her. Seeing that such a spectacle restaurant with a remarkable chef and staff was on the verge of dwindling from existence would be a waste.

Fangsu had gotten closer with the waitress since she had always asked what the recommended menu for the day. Seemingly the waitress always seemed to know what she wanted to eat that day. "Can I talk to the Chef in Charge?" Fangsu asked the waitress who nodded and the chef came forward, "Jinhai! The customer wants to see you!" The waitress called out. The chef presented himself to Fangsu and he was extremely young. The chef was also extremely tall to Fangsu and by her standards, he was a giant compared to the people she knew.

Surprisingly, the chef was quite young to be so skilled at seafood since seafood cuisine was incredibly difficult to master. His appearance seemed like the polite, honest and hardworking type. Fangsu smiled at the chef, "Your name is Jinhai correct?" She seated herself at an empty table but she recognised that the restaurant wasn't going too well since she was the only customer, "As in Golden Sea?" Trying to break the ice between the two.

The chef nodded as he smiled, "I was born on a boat and during that time the sun was rising and the sea had turned golden," He began explaining the origin and reasoning for his name.

Fangsu chuckled at the pleasant story behind the chef's name, "No wonder! It's a nice name!" Her eyes wandered around the restaurant seeing the menu plastered on the wall, "So? How is the business running for you?" Fangsu directly asked, seeing that the food being served at this restaurant was delicious yet there were barely any customers.

The chef nervously scratched his head, "Honestly, not that great," His shoulders began slumping at the poor flow of customers, "The landlord said that if the business can no longer get money then the business will be forced to shut down for good," The risk of his family business shutting down was a definite possibility. Fangsu turned to look at the other employees which were the waitress and the old man who was also devastated by that fact.

Fangsu smiled at the opportunity to seize up the talented chef, "Is the old man over there your father?" Again asking the chef pointing at the old man.

The chef nodded as he turned to look at the direction the newcomer pointed at which his father, "Yes, my father is a fisherman and he is the one who caught all the fish that are in the tanks and the waitress is my younger sister," He continued to slump his shoulder as the thought of the business shutting down which would leave his family homeless was still in his mind.

Fangsu placed a hand on the chef's shoulder, "I would like to offer a proposal to you and your family if you are willing to listen," The words that left her mouth slightly peeled up the chef who had a small hope of saving the business.

The old man, however, was suspicious of the newcomer who was offering a proposal. But, the thought of the newcomer having the power to possibly save their livelihood gave him a slight hope for the future of his children, "What are you proposing?" The old man stood next to his monstrously tall son.

Fangsu excitedly bounced in her seat, "I recently left the capital for personal health reasons," Those words caused the family to see the newcomer in a new light, "I am a business partner to Heavenly Aroma," The newcomer was not only affiliated but had a business partner of Heaven Aroma which is a national well-known restaurant with godly chefs and dishes that are worthy only to the tongue of gods. Fangsu, however, was unaware of how highly influential Heavenly Aroma was around the nation only knowing that it was famous within the Capital.

The entire family of three all gulped at the newcomer, seeing him as a deity that had descended from the heavens, "Please, continue elaborating with the proposal," The old man quickly blinked himself out of his stupor enough to steady himself.

Fangsu laughed at the family of three seeing that the mention of Heavenly Aroma had such an immense effect on them, "In the Capital, there is a lack of seafood cuisine and I believe your family can fill that gap," Those words were like gold to any chef's ears especially Jinhai, "I would like to offer a position where all of you can work at Heavenly Aroma," The family were entirely moved by the newcomer's generous offer and they wouldn't dream of moving to the Capital because to afford a comfortable quality life would be extremely expensive.

The waitress who was called Ming Zhu which was fitting for her pearl-like skin, "But, I'm only a waitress and I don't have the skills to cook like my brother," The girl thought that she was unqualified to work in such a prestigious restaurant such as Heavenly Aroma, "I only can tell fish apart and recommend a menu based on the season." Which disheartened the young girl about the possibility of working at Heavenly Aroma.

Fangsu felt that the girl was unconfident in the already present skill set that was unique to her. Holding her hands gently, "But only you have the ability to differentiate between fishes and recommend suitable fish to the customer which would take years to become a professional like you," Ming Zhu immediately squeezed the newcomer's hands in return as she felt that her skill set was needed, "Even if you feel like you can't work at Heavenly Aroma, you can work at my business at Blossoming Fragrance" Fangsu reassured the young girl's chances of finding work.

Fangsu immediately wrote a letter of recommendation for the entire family, "When you reach the capital just go to Blossoming Fragrance and hand them this recommendation letter," Handing all three of them recommendation letters which had covered all the details of their skill sets and their recommended positions, "Also, when you get to the establishment say 'Give this to Fangsu's Grandpa' and the employee will know what to do from there," Fangsu handed another letter to the old man which had her signature on it.

The old man politely accepted the letters, "Who is Fangsu?" He asked as he was quite unsure of the identity of the person's name.

Fangsu smiled at the old man, "Since, you will be one of my people soon my name is Chen Fangsu," She politely bowed to the old man who was about to stop her, "I'm actually a woman, turning 17 this year and hopefully you can keep this conversation confidential," Revealing her true identity caused the family of three to be completely shocked.