Chapter 149 Hairy Crab

Behind what used to be rice paddies, a large depression had appeared.

In the depression was a pond with an area of ​​about half an acre!

Lin Fan quickly stepped forward.

The water in this pond was shockingly clear, without a trace of turbidity. Under the gentle sunlight of the farm, the surface of the water shimmered, like a huge, flawless sapphire embedded in the soil.

On the water's surface, there were even a few round, emerald-green lotus leaves floating, with one or two drops of water occasionally rolling around on the leaves, exuding a sense of ethereal Zen.

Lin Fan walked to the edge of the pond and squatted down.

He could feel that the water in the pond was emitting an extremely fresh and cool vapor. Taking a deep breath, he felt a refreshing coolness even in his lungs.

This is the same spiritual spring water that originates from the same source as the bluestone well used for irrigation!

Just as Lin Fan was observing, the system's attribute panel automatically appeared above the water.

[Scene Name: Spirit Spring Fishpond (Beginner)]

[Attribute Description: A living pond formed by the convergence of underground spiritual springs. The water is pure and flawless, containing abundant aquatic spiritual energy. Aquatic creatures growing here have a 10-fold shorter growth cycle and automatically expel impurities from their bodies, resulting in extremely delicious, firm, and pure flesh.]

"A live fishpond..."

Lin Fan muttered to himself, his heart skipping a beat.

This really solved his immediate problem!

One of his restaurant's signature dishes, and currently the second most expensive after boiled cabbage in clear broth, is the "Golden Crab Roe Soup Dumplings." The soul of the dish lies in the incredibly delicious "Secret Recipe Crab Roe Aspic."

However, the raw material for that aspic—top-grade Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs—has always been sustained by the "newbie gift pack" initially distributed by the system.

Even though he strictly limited the quantity to fifty baskets per day, the crab roe in his inventory had long been depleted after this period of consumption.

He's been worried these past few days because once the crab roe in the beginner's gift pack runs out, it's impossible to find top-quality wild, free-range hairy crabs with golden, plump roe at the seafood market to replace it.

Without the core ingredient, this signature dish has to be taken off the menu.

Now, the appearance of this pond has completely solved this problem!

Without pausing, the system's voice announced the corresponding rewards:

[Ding! The beginner-level fishpond clearing kit has been distributed.]

As the beeping sound indicated the presence of several sealed, temperature-controlled water tanks that appeared out of thin air on the grassy area by the pond.

Lin Fan walked over and opened the water tank lid.

It was filled with densely packed, vibrant aquatic seedlings.

There were baby hairy crabs the size of a fingernail, waving tiny pincers; baby green-shelled river shrimp that were completely transparent and jumping around in the water; and some baby mandarin fish and perch that swam extremely fast.

Seeing this, Lin Fan did not hesitate at all. He picked up the water tank and poured the seedlings into the clear spiritual spring pond in batches and evenly.

"Splash..."

The seedlings entered the water and immediately scattered, disappearing into the depths of the wide pond.

Looking at the ripples spreading across the water, Lin Fan stood up and clapped his hands.

Ten times the growth rate.

In addition, it is nourished day and night by the spiritual spring water.

It is estimated that these crab seedlings will soon grow into top-quality hairy crabs with abundant roe and fat.

Those river shrimp and mandarin fish will become top-quality aquatic products that are simply unavailable on the market.

With this pond, his menu can undergo another terrifying expansion.

Shrimp, steamed fish, crab roe noodles... all kinds of seafood dishes, with the blessing of this Lingquan fishpond, will definitely crush the taste buds of the rich and powerful in Jiangcheng once again.

A satisfied smile curved Lin Fan's lips.

"Leave the farm."

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past three days, "Lin's Shop" has been doing booming business as always.

Even after the previous "exposure of scandals", Lin's Shop's reputation was not only not damaged, but it also became a hit.

Now, not only the powerful and wealthy in Jiangcheng, but even the rich from several surrounding cities, will have their drivers drive for hours to queue up at Phoenix Golden Street early in the morning, just to have a taste of Master Lin's personally cooked food.

Su Xiaoxiao has also fully adapted to the job of assistant store manager. Dressed in a smart business suit, she stands at the door with a dashing demeanor, keeping the order in the lobby in perfect order. No one dares to make a loud noise or cut in line in the store anymore.

On the morning of the fourth day.

At 4:30 a.m., Lin Fan entered the farm space on time.

He headed straight for the newly unlocked [Spirit Spring Fish Pond].

As soon as you get close, a refreshing, crisp mist hits you.

Only three days had passed in the outside world, but thanks to the farm's ten times faster flow rate and the dual nourishment of the spiritual spring water, the fishpond had undergone tremendous changes!

"Splash!"

Just as Lin Fan reached the edge of the pond, a burst of water suddenly erupted on the surface.

A top-quality wild bass, as long as an adult's forearm and with shimmering silver scales, leaped out of the water, drawing a graceful arc in the air before crashing back into the water.

"Wow, it's growing way too fast!"

Lin Fan clicked his tongue in amazement. He picked up the long-handled landing net that the system had provided by the pond, dipped it into the water, and gently scooped it up.

The net sank.

Upon closer inspection, besides a few lively, translucent green-shelled river shrimp with a glass-like texture, the most eye-catching creatures in the net were two large hairy crabs waving their claws!

These two hairy crabs are ridiculously large, each weighing a good eight or nine ounces!

Blue back, white belly, golden claws, yellow fur.

The most amazing thing is that through the thin shell on the abdomen of the hairy crab, you can clearly see the rich, orange-red, top-quality crab roe that looks like it's about to burst out!

"The amount of crab roe in this crab is simply incredible."

Lin Fan is a connoisseur of food, so he naturally knows that most of the so-called "Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs" on the market are actually just "washed crabs" (crabs that have been washed), with thin crab roe and even a muddy smell.

But the one in his hand grew up in the spiritual spring water and ate spiritual aquatic plants. It not only had no fishy smell, but also had a faint fragrance of aquatic plants.

"With this batch of goods, the aspic for soup dumplings is finally back in business. And..."

Lin Fan looked at the vibrant, top-quality seafood in the net and a smile appeared on his lips.

"I reckon we'll be adding another big name to the menu."

Just as the idea of ​​serving these hairy crabs on the dinner table popped into Lin Fan's mind...

A crisp, mechanical voice suddenly exploded in the depths of his mind!

【Ding! 】

[The host has detected its first harvest of a spiritual spring aquatic product—a top-grade spiritual hairy crab!]

[Congratulations, host! You have triggered and obtained a brand new recipe—"Steamed Hairy Crab with Spirit Spring Water"!]

Immediately afterwards, a semi-transparent blue light screen automatically unfolded in front of Lin Fan's eyes, and dense information about dishes and cooking techniques flooded into his memory like a sudden enlightenment.