A Former Police Officer Who Died And Get A Second Life!-Chapter 84: Fish Feast Preparations

Even as they left for work, they kept glancing back at him.

After moving that much and then going to work without sleep would surely be exhausting, but he told himself that was their own fault and pulled the blanket over himself.

Thinking that he would properly kneel and apologize to Fei tomorrow, he wrapped his arms around Cari who had snuggled closer to him and gently stroked the sleeping child’s back.

Such hopeless papas.

...

"...Amazing."

A few days later, his waist had fully healed.

Then he suddenly remembered that he had left the fish sitting in the bag.

"Ah, the fish might have rotted!"

Qiong Xing who is panicked quickly took them out, only to find the fish looking as though they had just been caught.

"That bag of yours is seriously impressive, you know~"

"...Qiong Xing really is Qiong Xing."

"Hm?"

Only then did Qiong Xing truly register the incredible nature of the magic bag, but even so, all he thought was, Wow, that’s amazing.

He had no idea what other uses it might have.

"I’ll make broth with the kelp, and as for the fish... shall we just try grilling them for now?"

Since he couldn’t tell which fish was which anymore, Qiong Xing decided that grilling them would solve everything.

His rough approach showed itself again.

As long as he could eat fish, that was enough.

"A green fish... is that really okay?"

"It’s delicious, you know?"

"That one’s the tastiest!"

"Today’s fish day!"

Apparently they didn’t eat fish very often, but everyone seemed to like it.

When Qiong Xing suggested grilling them, they were genuinely excited.

He could fillet fish himself, but the beastmen refused, saying it was dangerous.

It was an overprotective excuse from his companions.

So he gave up.

Instead, Qiong Xing stayed beside Cari and watching the others prepare the fish while he made juice.

"Mama, do you like fish?"

"I do."

"Then Cari will catch fish too!"

Cari’s determination to work hard for Qiong Xing because he liked fish was so adorable it hurt.

"Thank you. Then next time, let’s all go catch fish together."

"I’ll do my best!"

While Qiong Xing was thinking about how cute Cari was, neither of them noticed that the people around them were watching their exchange with warm smiles.

"Is it true that we’re having fish today?!"

"......."

Bang! The kitchen door flew open and someone burst in shouting.

"Good morning, Ato."

"Qiong Xing! Good morning, sir!"

Ato looked around restlessly, clearly searching for the fish.

When Qiong Xing greeted him, Ato seemed to notice him for the first time and hurriedly returned the greeting.

"Fish! Is it really fish today?"

Ato approached with an almost frightening intensity, but Qiong Xing remained as relaxed as ever.

"Yes. The ones we caught the other day seem to have kept well, so today’s meal will be fish."

"Yesss! Fish! I want a big one for myself!"

It seemed Ato truly loved fish.

"In that case, how about we make tonight a full fish feast just for you, Ato?"

"Seriously?! Yes! I’ll work extra hard today!"

Shouting once again, he dashed out of the kitchen.

"...Amazing."

Everyone else was taken aback by Ato’s energy.

Everyone except Qiong Xing.

"He seemed really happy~"

Originally, Qiong Xing had planned to grill the fish for lunch, but for Ato’s sake, he decided to use plenty of fish for dinner instead.

With that much anticipation, he had no choice but to do his best.

While listening to explanations about the different kinds of fish, he helped as much as he could with the preparations.

"For the milder-tasting ones, let’s cut them into bite-sized pieces, season them with salt and pepper, and deep-fry them. They might also taste good coated in sesame seeds. The stronger-flavored fish should be delicious as they are, so let’s slice them thinly with vegetables for a salad. We can also flake some grilled fish and mix it into freshly cooked rice. If we cook the rice with kelp, it will bring out a rich umami flavor. We don’t have much for soup, but we can use the clams Cari and I gathered along with some fish to make a small batch. And for anyone who still finds that lacking, we can grill some meat as well... What’s wrong?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

He tilted his head when he noticed everyone staring at him in silence.

"That sounds delicious!"

"It sounds amazing!"

Thanks to Leander and the others’ hard work, there was plenty of fish.

The dishes were simple, but Qiong Xing had wanted to make the most of what they had so everyone could enjoy a variety.

It seemed his idea had pleased them more than he expected.

"Lunch will be the usual, but tonight will be special. If we prepare everything now, it should be easier later. I’ll help as much as I can, so let’s all do our best together."

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

They really were an enthusiastic bunch.

Cari said he wanted to help too, so Qiong Xing decided to let him assist with making the salad.

After quickly finishing lunch, everyone began the dinner preparations together.

"......."

Seeing them working silently with serious expressions, Qiong Xing found himself unable to casually start a conversation.

He stole glances at them while continuing his own tasks.

Normally, they would be chatting cheerfully as they cooked, but today everyone was far too quiet.

Qiong Xing began to feel uneasy.

Maybe he had forced something troublesome onto them?

The thought made him sink into quiet guilt as he worked with his head lowered.

Then suddenly, something touched the top of his head.

"...Joa?"

"What’s wrong?"

It seemed Joa had grown worried when Qiong Xing shut himself in the kitchen right after lunch and had come to check on him.

He had been surprised by the unusual sight of everyone working in complete silence and then noticed Qiong Xing off to the side, looking downcast as he worked.

That must have been why he gently patted his head.

"Um... I was preparing for dinner..."

"Already?"