Chapter 161 Watching the Heavenly King Skip and Jump

Amy could not help getting out of bed, taking out her phone, and asking Zhuang Chen to repeat what he had just said so she could carefully record it. After all, it made for impressive conversation fodder to act sophisticated in front of beauties.

Although much of it was hearsay, it certainly did not hinder one from putting on airs and showing off, right?

Zhuang Chen cleared his throat and continued, "When the plum rains descend upon Jiangnan in the fifth and sixth months of the lunar calendar, whitebait comes into season, with Lake Tai yielding the finest. The season is divided into three ten-day periods spanning fifteen days in total, known as the Season-Boundary Whitebait."

"The most exquisite culinary method practiced by affluent households uses only the belly meat for cooking. Steamed until tender, it melts upon entering the mouth. Black carp back, silver carp head, whitebait belly, and blunt-snouted bream tail."

"First, it must be thoroughly steamed; sufficient time is required for the fish fat to liquefy and seep into the flesh. Second, it must be heavily salted before steaming and left to sit for two or three hours, otherwise the saltiness will fall short, and the savory flavor will inevitably be greatly compromised."

"Early summer belongs to the bream. Available in abundance and affordable for every household, it bears the complimentary title of 'June bream as fresh as chicken.' It can be steamed, braised in soy sauce, cooked with diced pickled peppers, or simmered with a little salted vegetable. Savory and fresh, it is exceptionally delicious."

"Eel at White Dew, crab at Frost's Descent; if you want to eat them, go to the Songhe Tower. Lake Tai eel is braised until its skin turns a reddish-brown, plump and sticky, with pristine white flesh. Together with yellow-braised soft-shelled turtle and yellow-braised chestnut chicken, they are known as the Three Yellow Braises."

"Cut the eel into two-inch sections, add lard, line the bottom with ginger slices, place in a pot with a little water, bring to a boil and skim off the foam, add Shaoxing wine, let it be enveloped by the lard, add plenty of oil, soy sauce, and rock sugar, simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens, and serve at the table. Take a bite, and it truly oozes richness..."

"In August, mandarin fish lungs must be eaten. Back in the day, the century-old Shijia Restaurant in Mudu owed its widespread fame entirely to a single dish: Mandarin Fish Lung Soup. It is meticulously prepared using mandarin fish liver, flesh, and skin. The fish run coincides with the blossoming of osmanthus flowers; once the blossoms fall, the fish vanish without a trace. Autumn is the time to enjoy the blessing of mandarin fish liver."

"The key lies in the selection of ingredients and heat control. The fish is best chosen from around Mudu, while the chicken broth must be simmered using free-range farm chickens. The fish liver is golden and the vegetable hearts emerald green, presenting an exquisite appearance; the liver is rich and tender, melting in the mouth, and the soup is exceptionally savory."

"In September, crucian carp stuffed with meat is a must. Buying a crucian carp to simmer in soup is the most common delicacy among ordinary folk. Fry both sides until golden, boil with water until the broth turns a milky white, then add shredded radish or shrimp balls. The taste is light yet savory, warming both the stomach and the heart."

"If you want something more complex, there is crucian carp stuffed with meat. Not only must the fish belly be packed tight, but even its gills must be stuffed. After being pan-fried, braised in soy sauce, and dry-cooked, that meat becomes fully saturated with the rich, savory broth of the fish..."

Zhuang Chen accepted the glass of water handed to him by Amy. Good grief, talking about all this had actually made him a little hungry.

"In October, flash-fried grass carp requires a heavy hand with the sugar. The marinade must be kept thoroughly chilled, preferably iced. The fish chunks are deep-fried until crisp and immediately plunged into the ice-cold marinade. A light, delightful crackling sound like firecrackers rings out, and the fish rapidly absorbs the flavors due to thermal contraction. It triumphs through sweetness, which lifts the savory profile and eliminates any muddy taste. It is truly sweet without being cloying, sweet without being vulgar."

"In November, silver carp heads are eaten. Bighead carp and silver carp invite diners to play a game while eating. The 'fish immortal' is a bone located near the gill, shaped like a shuttle-bobbin with a pointed tip and a triangular side profile, yet capable of standing upright."

"Once excavated, it must not be sucked upon with the mouth; instead, it is picked up with chopsticks and touched to various dishes of food to absorb their flavors. Then, closing one's eyes and making a wish, the chopsticks holding the fish immortal are spun a few times in the air and gently tossed onto the table to see if it lands upright."

"If it genuinely stands upright, it is like winning the grand lottery, and one's face immediately beams with a radiant glow. The silently made wish will come true, prompting a burst of cheers from everyone at the table."

Amy's beautiful eyes shimmered with continuous fascination. She never imagined that eating fish could be subjected to such refinement, and she kept pressing him, "And what about the end?"

"In December, the tail of the black carp is eaten. Every household must have a black carp for the New Year, symbolizing 'surplus every year' (niannian youyu). In the Suzhou dialect, it is called qiyu, a homophone for ju, meaning reunion."

"Large chunks of fermented-grain black carp, specifically chosen from the belly flap section, are pan-fried in hot oil, followed by scallions, ginger, sugar, wine, and soy sauce. The fish skin is golden and looks substantial. With a single bite, the exterior is crisp while the interior remains tender, redolent with the rich aroma of wine lees—a texture that is gold on the outside and refined on the inside..."

They chatted all the way until midnight before Amy reluctantly let Zhuang Chen go, coquettishly declaring that if she ever had the opportunity to go to the mainland to shoot a program, he must accompany her.

The next day, after seeing off the host, he felt quite good about her. She was intelligent and emotionally astute, making her very easy to get along with. Song Qiao called to ask if he had free time that evening, mentioning she had two VIP tickets for Andy Lau's concert—his first performance at the Hong Kong Coliseum after an eight-year hiatus.

For the Heavenly King Lau, only admiration could describe him. Through all these years of tireless dedication and uncomplaining hard work, he could truly be called the recipient of the ultimate labor medal.

Upon arriving at the Coliseum at 7:30 PM, it was already a sea of people. They took the VIP passage and entered the venue early to wait.

"Anyone able to sing at the Coliseum is a megastar of heavenly king or queen status," Song Qiao remarked, taking in Zhuang Chen's beaming state and teasing, "As expected of a food host, it seems your service was well received?"

"My flight is tomorrow noon, and I still have several places to run. Ah, making money is hard these days!" Zhuang Chen glared at her. You still have the nerve to complain?

Song Qiao giggled, pointing to the stage close at hand with satisfaction, "You can tell whether a singer is popular by how expensive scalper tickets are. Right now, a ticket outside is already being scalped for eight to nine thousand. Heavenly King Lau still commands supreme respect."

"Compared to mainland concert venues that hold tens of thousands of people, this place only seats eight to nine thousand when full. Even if you sit in the furthest nosebleed seats, the distance to the star will not exceed a hundred meters."

"Especially in the VIP section, the shape of the pores on the idol's face, the droplets of sweat, and even the wires of his in-ear monitors can be seen crystal clear!"

"Look around you, whether it's a three-sided or four-sided stage, the stage design is first-class, providing a 360-degree dead-angle-free view so every audience member can fully immerse themselves and see clearly."

"Many singers give rather conventional performances at mainland concerts, speaking very little, singing through their setlist and leaving, sometimes without even an encore. But at the Coliseum, you must deliver high standards and genuine emotional investment. There are many impromptu performances and even moments of tears shed on stage."

"That magical experience of blending as one with the fans is intoxicating and hard to quit. Back then, Leslie Cheung broke his promise and made a comeback after announcing his retirement—why? Because he simply couldn't let go of the feeling of performing at the Coliseum, a top-tier experience accessible only to an extremely select few!"

Watching the audience seats fill up more and more, she looked forward with anticipation, "There are guest performers on stage, and the audience is equally star-studded; many celebrity friends come to show their support as well. Especially given Heavenly King Lau's stellar interpersonal network, at least half of the entertainment industry is here today..."

Zhuang Chen was also filled with anticipation. It was his first time attending a live concert, and a heavenly king-level one at that. Just how hot was the Hong Kong Coliseum?

Even Asian Heavenly King Jay Chou had to wait a full year without a chance to perform simply because he submitted his application a few days late!

Eason Chan's last performance there was five years ago; when he started applying last summer, he unluckily ran into Sammi Cheng and had to push it back to Christmas.

Coco Lee had always wanted to stage a show at the Coliseum; Liza Wang had complained as early as 2016 that she had been applying for a decade to hold a solo concert and never secured dates, always having to piggyback on someone else's venue.

Even 65-year-old Andy Hui—wait, Andy Hui applied every year, but let's stick to Kenny Bee, who applied annually from age 55 and waited a full ten years until finally getting his chance last year.

It remained so mysterious that even industry insiders had no idea which committee voted to approve the dates, nor who the committee members were.

Rumor had it that Heavenly King Lau originally wanted to perform at the end of the year, but failing to secure a slot, he was forced to move it to the summer—utterly baffling.

Song Qiao took out her prepared lightstick and said excitedly, "I'm a massive fan of Andy, and this is the opening stop of his world tour. Although we waited eight years, in our eyes, every bit of waiting was worth it. Whenever I see a nearly 60-year-old Andy shining brightly on stage, my eyes always well up with emotional tears..."

Zhuang Chen nodded. Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li had become the shared memories of several generations. Diligent, hardworking, living with integrity, and working down-to-earth, they served as paragons of life.

At nine o'clock, the lights illuminated, and Andy stepped onto the stage wearing a white long gown and a minimalist Zhongshan suit. The pristine color made him look like a prince on a white horse, prompting the entire crowd of fans to scream in frenzied adulation, causing even Xia Long and Xia Hu to involuntarily spring to their feet.

Appearing on the elevated platform, he began to sing "Oblivious to the World" (*Wang Qing Shui*). The classic melody struck a chord, triggering a ten-thousand-strong singalong. There was no need for any warm-up; this was the sheer magnetism of a heavenly king.

He directly doffed his outer garment to reveal a white tank top, singing "Chinese" (*Hua Xia Ren*) with robust vigor. Standing just a dozen meters away from Zhuang Chen, one had to admit that although he was already 57 years old, his physique surpassed that of young men. It was said that to maintain his muscular fitness, he had practiced vegetarianism year-round and exercised extremely strict control over his body fat percentage.

Song Qiao scanned the surroundings and suddenly exclaimed in delight, "Look at the very last row! Those are Andy's parents and older sister—wow, Carol Chu actually came too!"

Zhuang Chen hastily turned back and, sure enough, vaguely discerned several figures in the corner of the VIP section. The Heavenly King's wife wore glasses, looking intellectual and poised, holding a daughter who appeared to be around eight or nine years old.

Right at that moment, Andy on stage began singing "Stupid Child" (*Ben Xiao Hai*), his gaze locked fixedly onto that direction. Finally, he spoke with deep emotion: he had not held a concert in eight years, and now his daughter was eight years old; he needed to savor this properly.

"Look, Felix Wong, Michael Miu, Liza Wang, Law Kar-ying, and even PolyGram's Crown Prince..."

Many friends from the circle had come to show support, seated just below Carol Chu, which also demonstrated that Andy placed his family and friends on the exact same footing.

Zhuang Chen could not help but sigh. Having been in the showbiz industry for so many years, Andy might not match Tony Leung in acting prowess, could not rival Aaron Kwok in dancing, and hadn't surpassed Jacky Cheung in singing—so why had he been able to remain at the absolute top for so many decades?

It all boiled down to his dedication, arduous effort, and the quality of always respecting others, fully proving that it did not matter if one's innate talent was ordinary; as long as one was willing to strive, brilliance would eventually burst forth!