HLM – Chapter 959 The Whole Fish Feast

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month was the “Little New Year,” and the festive atmosphere in the fishing village started to grow stronger.

Wang Bo was preparing to go to the market to buy things and stock up for the New Year. Father Bo told him he also needed to sweep the house, so he should go early and come back early.

Sweeping the house was a local custom. On Little New Year, or the day before or after, people would thoroughly clean their homes—moving the furniture out and scrubbing every corner until it was spotless.

This tradition wasn’t very common nowadays. In the past, fishing village houses were damp, made mostly of wood, and prone to problems. Sweeping the house helped spot issues before they became serious.

Now, with brick-and-tile houses, there was no moss or termites, and people generally maintained good hygiene. Many households didn’t bother with the hassle of moving furniture anymore.

That afternoon, while he was cleaning, his phone rang—it was Bartier.

Wang Bo had anticipated the call’s content. Sure enough, after asking about him and his family, Bartier said:

“I’m back in New Zealand. I’ve set up a financial account for you, and all the money has been deposited. As for the portion of money you had mortgaged with the gold mine, I’ve recovered it for you. You just need to sign when you get back.”

Wang Bo was ecstatic. His net worth had suddenly soared. Now he could truly say that the world was wide and full of opportunities.

Good things came in pairs. That evening, he also obtained a Lord’s Heart, a Level-2 one, specifically a Garden Heart. He planted it in the lavender fields, which were growing now—not yet in full bloom, still in the green stage.

After Little New Year ended, Wang Bo’s family began preparing catfish rice. This time, it was done with grandeur—they would use an entire yellowfin tuna as the main dish.

The second-longest yellowfin tuna was kept for this feast, while the longest one was given by Mother Bo to Zhong Dabao to take as a gift for Song Zijun.

Before dawn, Wang Bo’s parents got up to start preparations.

Wang Bo woke up groggily and asked, “Mom, Dad, why are you in such a hurry? The house is clean. All we need is to cook—why get up so early?”

Mother Bo replied, “Most of the villagers will probably come over. There’s too much to prepare. Your dad and I need to wash and cut the vegetables quickly.”

Wang Bo didn’t know exactly how many guests his father had invited.

After breakfast, when he saw the neighbors opening their doors and moving tables and chairs outside, he gasped—it looked like they were requisitioning the neighbors’ space.

There weren’t many households in the fishing village. In the past, when the village was larger, each family had big yards. Wang Bo’s family yard was probably five or six hundred square meters, like a small playground. This was common, as fishing families needed space to dry their catch.

Early in the morning, the usual crew who went out to sea with Wang Bo’s family came to help. They set up a large pot in the yard with hot water bubbling inside.

The little white fox thought there was food inside. Its big eyes darted around, and it hopped toward the pot to peek in. Wang Bo hurriedly picked it up and scolded, “What are you looking at? If you fall in, you won’t get out! Do you want me to throw you in?”

The fox ignored him. When lifted, its height was enough to peek into the pot. Finding nothing to eat, it landed and wagged its tail, running off.

Yellowfin tuna can be cooked in many ways, the most popular now being sashimi and fish slices.

The truly suitable fish for sashimi is bluefin tuna, but its catch is extremely low, less than 1% of total tuna catches.

So the “bluefin tuna” sashimi sold in the market is usually made from yellowfin tuna, the most abundant species.

Although villagers were familiar with handling fish, they weren’t very skilled at preparing Japanese-style dishes.

Song Zijun knew this. After learning the time of Wang Bo’s catfish rice feast from Zhong Dabao, he reserved a spot and brought a chef to help.

Wang Bo felt embarrassed. Song Zijun was the richest man in Linhai City. They had no business dealings, yet he treated Wang Bo with respect and had helped a lot.

This was part of Song Zijun’s success—he was generous and warm-hearted in everyday matters, building friends across industries.

The most valuable part of a tuna is the belly, which is rich in fat, tender, pink, tasty, visually appealing, and nourishing.

The chef skillfully sliced the belly meat thinly and gestured for them to try it with mustard and soy sauce.

Wang Bo tasted it but didn’t find it melt-in-the-mouth or as delicious as rumored; the mustard was the most striking flavor.

He glanced at Song Zijun, who chuckled awkwardly: “Hehe… yeah, not bad… really…”

“Indeed,” Wang Bo nodded in agreement.

At that moment, a few people chatting and eating sunflower seeds by the door suddenly stood up, exclaiming, “Oh! Taotao! A big star!”

Then Zhong Dabao and a female host in a tracksuit walked in. The host greeted everyone politely, her gentle demeanor endearing.

As for Zhong Dabao, he maintained his usual playful attitude.

Seeing Wang Bo and Song Zijun by the tuna, he excitedly said, “Hey, Wang Bo, Jun Ge! What are you eating? Oh, tuna!”

He hurried over, offering a slice to Su Taotao: “Don’t be shy, Taotao, make yourself at home. Here, try this tuna—it’s really good.”

Wang Bo handed her a piece, but she waved it off: “No, thanks.”

“When did you change?” Zhong Dabao teased.

“One piece is too small—not enough.” He cut another piece, dipped it in sauce, and ate it. “What? Change?”

Wang Bo replied, “Forget I said anything.”

After tasting two pieces politely, Su Taotao said it was good. Zhong Dabao scoffed: “Taotao, no need to lie. Raw fish isn’t tasty—that’s why it’s not as valuable as bluefin.”

Wang Bo exchanged a glance with Song Zijun. Whispering, he said, “They’re… that close?”

Song Zijun frowned: “Not sure. She’s a lifestyle channel host, right? I heard she’s decent, but how is she with Dabao?”

Wang Bo recounted the earlier interview and guessed: “Could it be that she’s… using Dabao as a backup?”

“What?”

“Like… got pregnant or tired of dating, so married a steady guy.”

Song Zijun disapproved: “Then the ‘steady guy’ got betrayed? Why treat him like that?”

“Just a guess. Dabao, come here. I need to ask you something.” Wang Bo waved him over.