Seeing that he had made enough Preserved Eggs, Ange said, "All right, let's start making Salted Duck Eggs!"
"Munch~"
"Sobb~"
Munchlax and Sobble each put the last prepared Preserved Egg into a porcelain jar and sealed it. Then they clapped the curing mud off their hands.
"Come on, Sobble, wash your hands."
Ange extended his hands toward Sobble, and Munchlax copied him.
"Sobb~"
Sobble answered. A jet of water flowed from its finger. Ange and Munchlax quickly rubbed their hands.
The process of curing Salted Duck Eggs was actually similar to curing Preserved Eggs, only the ingredients were different.
Ange explained to the two Pokémon, "The first step in curing Salted Duck Eggs is preparing the curing liquid."
Ange took a large pot and set it up on a stand. He added water, table salt, cinnamon bark, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and other spices to the large pot.
"Remember, the ratio of water to salt is very important. This affects the texture and oil yield of the Salted Duck Eggs," Ange explained in detail to the two Pokémon.
Since they had never seen a Salted Duck Egg, they did not understand what oil yield meant, but they kept Ange's words firmly in mind.
Ange then placed the charcoal he bought from the System Store under the large pot and lit it to boil the water in the pot.
Next, he let the freshly boiled water cool down. He then added white wine. Wine with an alcohol content of 50 degrees or more was best.
This completed the curing liquid.
"Come on, Munchlax, Sobble, let's put the duck eggs into the jars." Ange put the curing liquid aside and called out to his two apprentices.
"Munch~"
"Sobb~"
The two Pokémon responded, carefully placing the duck eggs into the jars one by one.
When all this was done, Ange said, "All right, only the last step is left! Let's pour the curing liquid into each jar."
Ange spoke and handed two large ladles to Munchlax and Sobble. The three of them continued to work.
Ange instructed them while working, "Curing liquid must submerge the duck eggs and completely cover them; otherwise, they won't be cured properly."
"Munch~"
"Sobb~"
Munchlax and Sobble nodded solemnly.
After the jars were all filled, Ange and his apprentices used lids to seal them completely.
Ange used jars of different materials for the Preserved Eggs and the Salted Duck Eggs. The Preserved Eggs were in white porcelain jars, and the Salted Duck Eggs were in black porcelain jars. This made it easy to distinguish them and prevented confusion if they were placed together.
"All right, we can eat Salted Duck Eggs in a month!" Ange looked at the jars lined up outside the door, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Although waiting a month was a bit long, Munchlax and Sobble still cheered happily.
The next step was to move the jars into the Secret Fortress warehouse for storage. However, looking at the two or three hundred jars in front of him, Ange became troubled.
With so many jars, how long would it take for him and Munchlax to move them all?
"Meow meow~~" Just then, Meowstic arrived outside with Espurr.
"Espurr is awake? Is it okay now?" Ange looked at Espurr next to Meowstic in surprise.
"Meow~"
Espurr took a step forward and bowed deeply to Ange, sincerely expressing its thanks. Meowstic had told it that Ange was the one who took it to the Pokémon Center and bought it food.
Meowstic also told it that going to the Pokémon Center cost money.
Meowstic was no longer the novice that first entered the human world. It was now very clear about the importance of money in the human world.
Ange's pay to Meowstic included more than just Pokémon Food; it also included some pocket money. So, Meowstic often brought small gifts back from the Azoth Royal Capital to cheer everyone up.
"It's good that you're okay," Ange said with a smile.
Meowstic then gestured, pointing back and forth at the jars all over the ground.
Ange said, "I plan to move them to the warehouse, but..."
Meowstic patted its chest and said, "Meow meow~" I'll help.
Ange: "You want to help?"
"Meow meow~" Meowstic nodded.
It used its psychokinesis. Immediately, more than a dozen jars flew up and floated around it.
Ange said in surprise, "You're a great help, but be careful. Everything inside is fragile."
"Meow meow~" Meowstic nodded, reassuring Ange. It then walked toward the Secret Fortress with the dozen or so jars.
"Meow~"
Espurr also used its psychokinesis. Immediately, five or six jars floated up.
"Espurr, you want to help too?" Ange asked in surprise.
"Meow~"
Espurr nodded.
"But you're still sick," Ange said worriedly.
Espurr waved its hand. It was not sick. It only fainted from hunger.
Seeing Espurr's determination, Ange could only say, "Then be careful. Rest when you're tired. Don't overexert yourself."
Espurr nodded. It then followed Meowstic with the jars, taking small steps.
Looking at the backs of Meowstic and Espurr, Ange said to Munchlax, "Let's start too. We can't rely entirely on Meowstic and Espurr."
As for Sobble, its small body could not move the jars, so it could only cheer everyone on verbally.
"Munch~~"
Munchlax answered. It and Ange carried one jar in each hand.
With the help of Meowstic and Espurr, the hundreds of jars were quickly moved.
Looking at the white porcelain jars and black porcelain jars neatly arranged in the warehouse, Ange wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned widely.
"Perfect."
"Sobb~"
"Munch~"
Sobble was also very happy. It had learned two new food recipes, so it jumped up and high-fived Munchlax. Munchlax cooperated with it.
"All right, let's go out," Ange said to the Pokémon.
"Munch~"
"Sobb~"
"Meow meow~"
"Meow~"
The four Pokémon nodded and lined up to follow Ange outside.
Back on the ground, Ange looked at the sky. It was still early, so he said to the four Pokémon, "Let's go see how the others are doing with planting the fruit trees!"
"Munch~"
"Sobb~"
Munchlax and Sobble took the lead, chatting and laughing as they walked ahead.
Sobble would occasionally aim its finger forward, either at a small patch of grass or a small flower, and shoot.
After each shot, it would ask Munchlax, "Am I amazing? Am I handsome?"
Munchlax was very complimentary, constantly praising Sobble. Not only did it shower Sobble with excessive flattery, but it also occasionally gasped or applauded. Sobble was so flattered that it felt like it was floating on a cloud.
Soon, Ange and the others reached their destination. They first checked on the Pinap Berry planting. The banks of the pond were now covered with Pinap Berry seedlings. Some of the ones planted earlier had even started to sprout and grow.
The working Pokémon saw Ange and greeted him.
"Ange!"
Diancie was also there. It quickly ran over when it saw Ange. "The Preserved Eggs and Salted Duck Eggs are all done?" it asked in confusion.
"That's right," Ange nodded.
"That fast?" Diancie looked surprised. "Didn't you say you wanted to make a lot?"
"That's because Munchlax, Sobble, and I are quick workers!" Ange said, looking proudly at Munchlax and Sobble. "Right?"
Munchlax said seriously, "Munch~" That's right, we are quick workers!
Sobble proudly struck a sharpshooter pose, "Sobb, Sobb~" Of course! I'm handsome!
Diancie was amused by the trio. It shook its head helplessly. "You three, you've really got a lot of nerve..."
Espurr followed silently behind Ange. It curiously looked at every working Pokémon. It was the first time it had seen so many Pokémon working together. Everyone's faces were filled with joyful smiles. This scene made it feel strangely awe-inspired.
"Meow meow~" What's wrong?
Seeing Espurr dazed, Meowstic gently asked.
"Meow, Meow~" This place is really good!
Espurr sighed from the bottom of its heart.
Meowstic stroked its head and asked, "Meow meow, Meow~" Then, do you want to live here with me?
Espurr looked up in surprise, "Meow, Meow~" Can I?
Meowstic nodded. "Of course."
Espurr's face lit up with joy. It nodded vigorously. "Meow!"
Ange took the Pokémon on a tour of his territory. When he returned, he was holding a fish that a Poliwhirl had caught from the water.
The fish was skewered through the mouth and gills with grass. It was still struggling in Ange's hand. Ange looked at the sparkling pond in front of him and suddenly fell into thought.
The Nebel Plateau had such abundant freshwater resources. Why hadn't he thought of farming fish before!
Nebel Lake was home to a large number of Poliwag, Poliwhirl, and some Politoed, as well as Azurill, Marill, and a few other Water-type Pokémon. Why didn't he ask them to help with aquaculture?
There were fish in Nebel Lake. The Water-type Pokémon would occasionally catch some to snack on. They had given some to Ange before, but there were not many fish in the lake.
Spring was the season when Nebel Lake had the most abundant fish resources. During that time, fish would swim upstream from the lower reaches of the Nebel River to spawn in Nebel Lake and the upper reaches of the Nebel River.
However, once the season passed, these fish would swim back to the lower reaches. Thus, the number and variety of fish that resided in Nebel Lake year-round were not large. With the Water-type Pokémon constantly preying on them, even fewer remained.
But Nebel Lake's water quality was top-notch. Wouldn't it be perfect for aquaculture? This could also provide more jobs for the Pokémon.
Thinking this, Ange asked Diancie, "Diancie, what do you think about farming some fish, shrimp, and crabs in Nebel Lake?"
Diancie was stunned. Then, it smiled and said, "That sounds great!"
Building up the Nebel Plateau with Ange little by little was a very happy thing for Diancie.
"All right, let's go back and prepare," Ange said happily. "Munchlax, Sobble, let's go home!"
"Munch~"
"Sobb~"
Munchlax and Sobble, who were playing happily by the pond, quickly responded.
Just like that, Ange jogged all the way back home with Diancie, Munchlax, and Sobble.
Evening soon arrived. The Pokémon who had been planting trees returned as the sun set. Ange, Munchlax, and Sobble had already prepared delicious food for them.
After moving the basins of food out and distributing them, Ange walked to Politoed and said, "Politoed, I have something I want to discuss with you. May I?"
"Poli poli~"
Politoed nodded and followed Ange into the house.
After inviting Politoed to sit down, Ange told it about his aquaculture plan.
Politoed was excited after listening. Did this mean that the Water-type Pokémon would be able to work for Ange long-term from now on?
"Poli poli~~"
Politoed asked for clarification of its thought.
Ange nodded. "That's right. Aquaculture is a long-term job and requires the continuous help of the Water-type Pokémon."
Politoed immediately jumped with joy, completely losing the dignified and imposing air it normally had as the leader of the Water-type Pokémon.
However, Ange thought this was how a true leader should be. It was constantly thinking about the other Pokémon.
Ange and Politoed then discussed the details of the aquaculture plan.
Ange was actually an amateur. He could only buy an aquaculture tutorial from the store and study it with Politoed. As a Water-type Pokémon, Politoed had more talent for aquaculture than Ange. It even gave him many suggestions.
The other Pokémon went home after dinner, but Politoed stayed at Ange's house until eight or nine in the evening before returning.
After Politoed left, Ange opened the System Store and began selecting fish fry.
Since the store sold fruit tree seedlings, it naturally sold fish fry.
After searching, a list appeared in front of Ange. It was densely packed with various fish suitable for freshwater aquaculture, including Black Carp, Grass Carp, Silver Carp, Bighead Carp, and Common Carp. As an aquaculture novice, Ange was overwhelmed.
After much thought, Ange first chose the four types: Black Carp, Grass Carp, Silver Carp, and Bighead Carp. According to the System Store, these four were known as the "Four Major Chinese Domestic Fish." They were characterized by fast growth, strong disease resistance, and high yield, making them very suitable for an aquaculture novice like Ange.
However, Ange thought about it and decided to also raise a small number of Mandarin Fish, Cod, and Sturgeon. Compared to the Four Major Chinese Domestic Fish, these three fish were more expensive, with Sturgeon being the most expensive.
Just when Ange thought he had chosen enough fish for the time being, his attention was drawn to four other types of fish fry. These four were grouped together and labeled "Jiangnan Four Fish: Hilsa Herring, Noodlefish, Reeves's Shad, and Catfish."
Ange was surprised. This was the only type of fish fry that had a special label.
As a chef, how could Ange not have heard of the names of these four fish? In his previous life, these four fish were almost fished to extinction due to their exceptionally delicious taste, until the state issued a ban on fishing.
He did not expect the System Store to sell their fish fry. Furthermore, the System Store introduced that these four fish had been improved. They were not only more delicious and easier to farm, but they were also one of the ingredients required to unlock High-Level Recipes.
Currently, the only High-Level Recipe Ange had unlocked was the Milky Mantou, which required Grass Nanny Milk to make.
Naturally, the prices of these four types of fish fry were frighteningly high.