Chapter 9 Roasted Sweet Potato.

Chapter 9: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

"This is the best fish I've ever eaten in my life!"

[Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?]

[Did anyone else catch a glimpse of tears in Ruan Qing's eyes just now? How delicious must it be to bring someone to tears?]

[Doesn't look like acting. I need to rewatch that.]

Though her words sounded exaggerated, Ruan Qing spoke with genuine emotion.

Unlike other female celebrities who constantly pick at their food, she was a true gourmand. Her weight often drew scolding from her agent, and she rarely had dietary restrictions, having sampled all sorts of delicacies over the years.

Yet, if she were to rank every delicious dish she had ever tasted, Ruan Qing would unhesitatingly place today's bamboo-steamed fish in her top three.

Beside her, Shen Tong, a mouthful of fish still unswallowed, nodded vigorously in agreement.

The young lady, accustomed to the finest things in life, was experiencing her first outdoor meal with such simple utensils. But why was this fish so incredibly delicious? So delicious that she completely abandoned her image, squatting on the ground and eating non-stop.

"Yu Xin's cooking really has something special. This fish is perfectly done, not a hint of fishiness," Qin Shizhen added. He hadn't told anyone that he generally disliked fish, always finding an unpleasant lingering taste. When Yu Xin finished cooking, he had hesitated, but after the first bite, he couldn't stop himself, taking one mouthful after another. Before he knew it, more than half the fish was gone.

Sheng Xingyao was even more engrossed, having not uttered a word since earlier, completely focused on devouring his share.

Yu Xin wasn't surprised by their reactions. It wasn't that people in the interstellar era had never tasted good food, but they had been starving all morning and had just endured intense physical activity. Under such circumstances, even mediocre food would taste excellent, let alone what Yu Xin had prepared.

Ruan Qing gestured for the spherical flying camera to approach, focusing the lens on the steamed fish in her hand. For a moment, the live stream was entirely filled with the glistening, snow-white fish meat.

With a gentle flick of her chopsticks, Ruan Qing separated a piece of fish. It quivered delicately at the tip of her chopsticks, adorned with a tiny fragment of vibrant green scallion.

Gulp. Viewers in front of their screens swallowed in unison.

How could this be? This fish, prepared using methods they found utterly baffling, actually looked… somewhat delicious?

Ruan Qing held the fish up to the camera. "See? I don't dare press too hard. This fish is so tender it falls apart with the slightest pressure."

That small piece of milky-white fish seemed to possess a magical allure, gripping everyone's attention. They couldn't tear their eyes away, reluctant to even blink.

Unaware of the audience's fervent gaze, Ruan Qing, under their wistful stares, popped the fish into her mouth. Her eyes instantly narrowed in satisfaction, savoring the exquisite sensation of the fish melting on her tongue.

"Mmm..." she sighed, unable to help herself. "You know, I don't know how this fish grew, but its texture is both firm and delicate, almost springy. And remarkably, it has almost no bones—the mouthfeel is simply divine."

"Plus, we didn't have many seasonings, so Yu Xin could only steam it simply. But steaming perfectly preserved the fish's natural sweetness without the seasonings overpowering it."

"Most importantly, this fish was steamed inside a bamboo tube. Let me tell you, Yu Xin's method is absolutely brilliant—it's the very soul of this dish. The fresh aroma of bamboo completely infused into the fish, and the flavor is just… beyond words."

Ruan Qing cast a regretful glance at the camera. "Too bad you can't taste it."

After a brief silence, the chat erupted in a frenzy:

[Stop it, stop it, aaaah!!]

[This is just showing off, isn't it?! So mean, aaaah!!]

[I really want to taste it, just one bite, please QAQ]

[Qingqing's description is so vivid, tears are involuntarily streaming down my face.]

[Darn it, watching a variety show made me hungry. Time to order takeout.]

[I want to eat! I want to eat!!!]

Thousands of comments flashed across the screen, mostly variations of "I want to eat" or "I'm so hungry." Most viewers were utterly bewildered—they had tuned in to see the useless fake young master embarrass himself, so why did it feel like they'd stumbled into a food show?

Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all, Yu Xin, sat calmly to the side, meticulously eating the fish from his lunchbox—a stark contrast to the other guests who were devouring theirs.

It was as if they were only just realizing how different this composed, gentle young man was from what they had imagined.

[Can someone tell me, where's the useless fake young master we were promised?]

[Why is this person completely different from the rumors? Aaaah!]

[How does he know how to cook? And it looks so delicious! This doesn't make sense!]

[Somehow I feel scammed by the production team, but I don't want to stop watching. What do I do?]

[Wasn't he supposed to be a lazy good-for-nothing who only knew how to spend family money? I want to be that kind of good-for-nothing too, 555 (crying sound).]

Most viewers had once mocked this "raccoon dog" who was supposedly trampled by the true heir online. But faced with this beautiful, dark-haired, fair-skinned young man who looked so serene on camera, they found themselves utterly unable to voice those harsh words again.

Damn it, what should I do? I think I'm turning from a hater to a fan!

While most viewers were plunged into deep self-doubt, they couldn't help but be irresistibly drawn to continue watching the show.

The portion of fish each guest received wasn't large. After finishing, it only barely quieted their protesting stomachs. Qin Shizhen reluctantly put down his chopsticks. "Little Yu, I never expected you to actually know how to cook—and so well! It's truly rare to find young people who can cook these days."

He felt a pang of shame. He had lived over forty years without ever truly cooking a meal himself, yet Yu Xin, only in his twenties, possessed such remarkable culinary skills.

"Teacher Qin, you flatter me," Yu Xin said. "I was only average this time."

He wasn't being modest. The conditions were limited, and he had only showcased about half of his true cooking skills. Given a proper kitchen and full seasonings, he could make it even more delicious.

Both the guests and the audience were stunned.

Yu Xin called this average!

If this was average, what would it be like if he fully displayed his skills? How incredibly delicious could it possibly be?

Even though Yu Xin said it plainly, they couldn't help but feel it was somewhat… *Versailles*.

Shen Tong was still scraping tiny bits of meat from the fish bones, reluctant to let go. "It was really too delicious. I didn't get enough. If only we'd caught more fish, boo-hoo."

Ruan Qing and Sheng Xingyao nodded in agreement. They felt the same. The steamed fish had whetted their appetites, and now they were far from full.

"None of you are full? It's alright, we have something else." As Yu Xin spoke, he fished out a few blackened lumps from the fire used to cook the fish.

Sheng Xingyao poked them curiously with a stick. "What are these? Are they edible?"

These odd, round objects were something Yu Xin had brought back from the forest when gathering seasonings. Covered in mud at the time, they looked like some plant's tubers, and no one had paid much attention. They had only seen Yu Xin bury these things in the fire.

Yu Xin smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out in a moment."

Steaming the fish had taken quite some time, and they had spent a while eating afterward. The fire had been burning continuously, long enough to roast these small items thoroughly.

He rolled one out, brushing off the dirt and ashes after it cooled, then gently broke it open.

A sweet, fragrant aroma wafted out. The inside was a tempting golden color, almost oozing with sweetness. Just looking at it, one could imagine how soft and glutinous it was.

Shen Tong cried out joyfully, "They're roasted sweet potatoes!"

Of course, she had eaten sweet potatoes before, but she had never seen an unprocessed raw sweet potato—this is what they look like raw.

"That's right, I found these in the woods," Yu Xin said, handing the two halves of the split sweet potato to Shen Tong and Ruan Qing.

Few girls could resist a steaming hot roasted sweet potato, especially Shen Tong, who had a sweet tooth. She couldn't wait to take a bite as soon as she received it.

The moment it entered her mouth, she suddenly looked up, exclaiming excitedly, "So delicious!"

The freshly roasted sweet potato was still a bit hot, with a crispy, charred skin, while the inside was incredibly smooth and soft, almost like mashed sweet potato. The best part was the layer near the skin, which had caramelized into a rich, intense sweetness.

The perfectly warm sweetness soothed her restless stomach. She was so moved she nearly cried—it had been so long since she had experienced such a primal satisfaction from food.

[This is too much!! How can there be roasted sweet potatoes besides the fish?!]

[This sweet potato looks so sweet and soft!]

[Yu Xin is amazing. Sweet potatoes grow underground, right? How did he even recognize them?]

[Aww man, aren't they supposed to be surviving in the wild? Why does it seem like they're eating better than me?]

[When I was little, my grandpa once baked a sweet potato for me—he lit a fire right in the yard. That flavor... even after more than ten years, I still remember it. I miss my grandpa so much.]

The two girls were eating non-stop, occasionally letting out sighs of admiration. Even Qin Shizhen and Sheng Xingyao, who weren't particularly fond of sweets, couldn't help but succumb to the charm of the roasted sweet potato.

After finishing a fairly large roasted sweet potato, Shen Tong was completely full, rubbing her stomach as she said, "I'm so full. It's been a long time since I've felt this satisfied!"

She had mentally prepared herself to go hungry, but instead, she ended up enjoying such a hearty meal—all thanks to the person she had initially looked down on the most: Yu Xin.

Thinking about her past attitude toward Yu Xin and the things she had said, Shen Tong felt utterly ashamed. If only she hadn't believed those rumors online, she thought. Who would have thought she'd be proven wrong so quickly?

They had been busy all day, and now, with their stomachs full, dusk was already settling over the horizon.

As the day's live broadcast came to an end, the guests settled in to rest. Little did they know, a topic was quietly emerging on StarNet, gradually gaining traction, climbing higher and higher until, by midnight, it made it to the trending list.

#This Is Not The Wilderness Survival I Expected!#

Author’s note:

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Sorry for the wait!

Psst... changed the cover, hehe.