Chapter 1047 This Tastes Amazing
Zheng Zhihu wore a truly pathetic expression, practically drooling over the marine chronometer.
The social awkwardness Li Daoxuan had just narrowly escaped, earlier when confronted with the seafood, now completely engulfed Zheng Zhihu.
Li Daoxuan chuckled inwardly. "See?" he thought. "This is what they mean by fortunes shifting."
"I almost suffered complete humiliation, but now it’s your turn!"
Li Daoxuan grinned at Zheng Zhihu. "Want it?"
Zheng Zhihu nodded vigorously, his thoughts racing. "Yes! I want it! How much would it take for you to part with such a treasure?"
Li Daoxuan shook his head. "It's not for sale at any price."
Zheng Zhihu sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumping. Of course. Such a divine instrument, who would casually part with it? For anyone navigating the open seas, knowing your exact position was invaluable, worth more than ten thousand taels of silver!
Just as he was pondering this, Li Daoxuan's voice cut through his thoughts. "Money is so crude," he declared. "Let’s trade it for abalone instead."
Li Daoxuan elaborated, "If abalone isn't quite enough, then large lobsters will do. And if large lobsters fall short, sea urchins are acceptable too. Oh, and tuna, plenty of tuna, and salmon roe..."
He trailed off, his mouth watering, then slammed the table. "Quartermaster!" he boomed. "Is our seafood not ready yet?"
"Coming, coming!" The quartermaster scrambled out, swiftly setting a platter of fresh swimming crabs before Li Daoxuan.
Li Daoxuan instantly forgot all else. He snapped off two crab legs and began munching, a satisfying *crunch, crunch, crunch* filling the air.
Zheng Zhihu could only stare. "Well..."
Seeing that the Heavenly Lord was preoccupied with "dealing with the offerings" and had no time for conversation, Wang Zheng smoothly took over. He smiled at Zheng Zhihu. "General Zheng, your valiant efforts defending our southern coasts against both local and Western pirates are truly monumental. Your heroic deeds will surely be etched into the annals of history. Why, I even saw a *movie* about the Great Battle of Liaoluo Bay once..."
"A movie?" Zheng Zhihu's eyes widened in astonishment. "What on earth is that?"
Realizing he’d blundered, Wang Zheng quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. "In any case, your Zheng family has bravely defended our lands and seas; you are all true heroes. It would be entirely appropriate for you to possess this divine chronometer."
Zheng Zhihu's face lit up. "Truly?"
Wang Zheng affirmed, "Indeed! I can simply replicate it. If I can create one, I can create a second, a third, even thousands upon thousands!"
It was then that Zheng Zhihu finally understood that this remarkable device was the creation of the man before him. He was instantly filled with profound respect.
Wang Zheng continued, "However, we have two conditions. First, this divine chronometer must never fall into foreign hands; it is for your Zheng family alone. Second, the Heavenly Lord... *ahem*... Mr. Li has specifically requested certain types of seafood, and you must find a way to procure them. We mortals, if we wish to receive abundant blessings from the divine, must not be stingy with our offerings. May the Heavenly Lord protect you, may blessings abound, may joy be boundless, and hallowed be the name!"
Zheng Zhihu felt a little lightheaded. *What was all that about offerings?* he wondered. But he quickly refocused. *If I can trade some seafood for a divine chronometer, I'll be making an absolute killing!* For someone from the coast, these were merely common local produce, practically worthless. Perhaps a single abalone might require a slight effort to procure, but the rest were utterly effortless.
Zheng Zhihu immediately bowed deeply to Wang Zheng. "My sincere thanks, Master Wang."
Wang Zheng waved a dismissive hand. "Why thank me? Don't! The celestials will blame me. You can thank the Heavenly Lord, thank the Buddha, thank God Himself, just don't thank me."
Zheng Zhihu thought, *This man is definitely a bit eccentric.* But he quickly dismissed the thought. *Never mind, time to eat.*
Zheng Zhihu picked up a swimming crab leg, cracked it open, dipped it in soy sauce, and was just bringing it to his mouth when Li Daoxuan sighed beside him. "The seafood is excellent," he mused. "This crab is incredibly fresh. It's just... the soy sauce feels a bit off."
As it happened, the soy sauce Zheng Zhihu had brought for dipping his crabs was merely common dark soy.
As a seasoned gourmet, Li Daoxuan detected the flaw in the soy sauce the instant it touched his palate.
Dipping a crab leg in common dark soy sauce made it excessively salty, the strong flavor completely overpowering the crab's delicate freshness. All one tasted was the soy.
"Good thing I always come prepared," he murmured.
Li Daoxuan rose from his seat. "Just a moment, everyone."
He ducked into the captain's cabin, reemerging moments later, dragging a small, stout chest.
The chest had arrived with the last cargo ship from Gao Family Village, simply marked "Heavenly Lord Designated Delivery." No one knew what treasures it contained, and no one dared to peek.
They had all assumed it held some magnificent divine artifact.
With deft movements, Li Daoxuan quickly unlatched the chest. From within, he pulled out a collection of bottles and jars, rummaging excitedly. "Aha, found it!" he exclaimed. "Specialty seafood soy sauce! Heh heh, and also our dedicated dipping sauce for smaller seafood, and even Sichuan-style spicy seafood sauce..."
These, it turned out, were all modern condiments Li Daoxuan had placed into the diorama box from his side. He'd sent them into Gao Family Village, where Gao Yiye had personally decanted them into smaller bottles, sealed them back into a chest, and then arranged for them to be transported thousands of miles from Shaanxi by a Gao Family Village cargo ship.
He was perfectly prepared for a seafood feast!
Such was the meticulous dedication of a true connoisseur.
The sailors from Gao Family Village collectively gasped in astonishment. *So the chest the Heavenly Lord had us transport thousands of miles contained a haphazard collection of seasonings?*
Li Daoxuan, laden with his assortment of bottles and jars, returned to the table. He dispensed the various condiments into several small bowls, then smiled. "Come, come, everyone, give these dipping sauces a try."
He dipped a crab leg into the specialty seafood soy sauce, lifted it, and popped it into his mouth. A look of pure contentment immediately spread across his face.
Zheng Zhihu quickly mirrored his actions, dipping a crab leg into the specialty seafood soy sauce. He brought it to his lips, and *huh?* It truly *was* different! This soy sauce lacked the overpowering saltiness of dark soy, instead allowing the delicate freshness of the crab to shine through, making each bite even more flavorful.
"Delicious!" Zheng Zhihu exclaimed, eagerly trying the other condiments. Each one prompted a shout of delight, until he sampled the Sichuan-style spicy sauce. Then, with a strangled cry, he recoiled as if struck by a thousand bolts of lightning.
Zheng Zhihu grimaced, his face contorted. "I'd rather eat a whole banquet of Fujianese than suffer this sauce again!"
Wang Zheng gasped. "Wait, do Cantonese really eat Fujianese, then?"
Zheng Zhihu quickly corrected him. "No, I *am* Fujianese! I was just making a joke, you shouldn't take me for a Cantonese. And for the record, Cantonese don't actually eat Fujianese."
Wang Zheng just stared, speechless.
Zheng Zhihu quickly moved on. "Where are these miraculous dipping sauces produced? Could I purchase some from you? If I were to resell them across Guangdong and most of Fujian, I have no doubt they'd be an absolute sensation."
As Zheng Zhihu spoke, Wang Zheng was reminded that the Zheng clan wasn't merely a naval power; they were formidable sea merchants as well. At the sight of a promising product, Zheng Zhihu's entrepreneurial spirit had evidently reawakened.
Wang Zheng smiled, shaking his head. "These aren't exactly easy to acquire."
He pointed heavenward. "It depends entirely on the mood of the one above. If he's inclined to bestow some upon us, then we can procure it. But if he's not feeling generous, then it's simply unavailable."
Wang Zheng's words, however, sparked an idea in Li Daoxuan's mind.
He instantly activated his Co-sensing ability, shifting his perspective outside the diorama box. He focused his view on Luoyang, then reached into his refrigerator, pulling out a 500ml bottle of specialty seafood soy sauce and another 500ml bottle of seafood dipping sauce. He carefully placed them into the box...
"Bai Yuan! Hire some workers immediately. Have them decant these two bottles of seasoning into smaller containers, then dispatch a ship to transport them to the Nanhui Mouth market."
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