Chapter 133 When it first comes in, the first thing you notice is the rich layer of oil on the outside. And Qiao Yan…

When it first arrived, the first impression was definitely the rich layer of oil on the outside. Just as Qiao Yanyu thought, this layer of oil didn't feel greasy at all; on the contrary, it was very delicious. I don't know how He Zhao made it; it's such a powerful combination of chili and oil, yet the layer of oil felt surprisingly clear and refreshing.

This layer of clear oil disappeared in an instant, and soon Qiao Yanyu bit into the chili oil on the outside of the spicy strip, along with a piece of gluten strip.

The texture of gluten strips is crisp yet slightly chewy. However, after a few more bites, they become softer and more tender, resulting in a rich and varied flavor. Furthermore, they pair perfectly with the chili oil flavor that spreads throughout the mouth.

The taste of chili peppers goes without saying; it's an intense, stimulating sensation that hits you right in the head. From the moment it enters your mouth, it sweeps through your entire body, making Qiao Yanyu's whole body feel hot. Even someone like her who loves spicy food couldn't help but hiss.

But it's not just about the spiciness.

The aroma, numbing sensation, and even a hint of sweetness hidden beneath the chili peppers also emerge, creating a rich taste experience that makes it impossible to say anything "bad".

The seasoning was indeed potent, giving Qiao Yanyu a slight tingling sensation on her tongue. But the intense flavor made it impossible to put down, so she devoured the spicy strip, which was almost as long as her palm, in no time.

After finishing one, she still felt it wasn't enough, so she picked up another one and that. By the time Qiao Yanyu turned around, she had already eaten at least five.

Seeing Qiao Yanyu eating so happily, He Zhao was also pleased. She reached out and rubbed her slightly itchy nose, asking with a smile, "Sister Qiao, why does it itch?"

Qiao Yanyu was a little stunned. She wasn't a very eloquent person, and she hesitated for a moment when faced with He Zhao's question, but she still quickly expressed her truest feelings: "Delicious."

Yes, it was delicious. The unassuming Qiao Yanyu used the simplest adjective; she simply thought it was delicious. Nothing else seemed adequate to describe it. Qiao Yanyu was truly satisfied with this spicy snack.

He Zhao smiled and said, "There's still a lot left. I made a lot, and the home sealing machine I ordered earlier has arrived. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator. When we want to eat them, we can just take them out and heat them up."

However, He Zhao's handmade spicy strips can't be kept for too long. After all, there's no high-tech or rudimentary process involved, and no preservatives. So they can only be kept for three or four days at most. They can be refrigerated for a little longer, but at most a week.

Qiao Yanyu was a little reluctant to part with the spicy snacks after hearing He Zhao's words. Mainly, these spicy snacks looked plentiful, but they wouldn't keep long, and they could be gone in just a few crunchy bites. He Zhao also felt she had made a bit too much, and she planned to call Wang Yu and Li Xia to ask them to take some.

It's clear that he made too much, and it can't be stored for long. Otherwise, someone as stingy as He Zhao would never give it to others, since it was a snack he made for Qiao Yanyu.

To He Zhao's surprise, Qiao Yanyu was even more stingy in this matter than she was. When He Zhao said she was going to call and give some to Wang Yu and Li Xia, Qiao Yanyu subconsciously asked, "Do you really have to give it to them?" He Zhao was stunned for a moment before realizing what Qiao Yanyu was talking about.

She suppressed a smile, knowing that Qiao Yanyu was only doing this because of her and didn't want to give it to anyone else. If it had been bought from outside, Qiao Yanyu wouldn't have been so possessive of her food, given her personality.

"Sister Qiao, I really made too much this time. You can't possibly finish it all in a few days," she explained with a smile, leaning over to kiss Qiao Yanyu's cheek. Qiao Yanyu looked a little disheveled, especially around the corner of her lips, where there was still some chili oil.

He Zhao didn't actually mind. If it were cake frosting, she might even kiss Qiao Yanyu's lips to tease her "Sister Qiao." Unfortunately, it was chili peppers, and He Zhao really couldn't touch it.

He Zhao was also secretly whispering sweet nothings to Qiao Yanyu: "I'll make it for you again later. I'll make it for you if you want to eat it, Qiao-jie. Look, it's not hard to make."

"All right."

Qiao Yanyu finally relented.

He Zhao made the call, and the two people who had eaten He Zhao's cooking at Zhang Shuyao's house last time didn't hesitate at all. They thanked him directly and said they would come soon.

They arrived incredibly quickly; less than half an hour after hanging up the phone, the two of them appeared together downstairs at Qiao Yanyu's house. Once inside, they didn't hesitate for a second, getting straight to the point: "We're here! Boss, where are your spicy strips?"

He Zhao rolled his eyes: "You guys can just be so jealous."

While they were there, He Zhao vacuum-packed several bags of spicy strips and then put them into two separate bags. When the two women arrived, she handed them the bags.

The honest and simple-minded Li Xia was about to leave, but Wang Yu's eyes lit up and she shamelessly asked, "Boss, have you made dinner yet? I haven't eaten yet. Can I have a bite? Just one bite is fine."

Li Xia was about to leave, but upon hearing this, she froze, as if her feet were nailed to the spot. He Zhao, having no other option, said directly, "We haven't prepared any food, so you're not allowed to take Sister Qiao's rations."

Wang Yu nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice: "No problem, no problem, I'll order a few more takeout orders, the wounded will definitely not go hungry."

Wang Yu dragged Li Xia along and went straight into the house.

On the dinner table today, besides the three home-style stir-fries and the takeout Wang Yu ordered, there was also a serving of spicy strips. Wang Yu saw it, so even though she was a glutton, she didn't just open the bag and start eating. Instead, she sat obediently at the table, ready to eat the spicy strips.

Qiao Yanyu can be quite possessive of her food sometimes. She first asked He Zhao to give her a little bit to confirm her share before reluctantly pushing the rest of the spicy strips away. Wang Yu, on the other hand, wasn't picky at all and deeply realized that it was fortunate she had made such a small contribution to their relationship; otherwise, given He Zhao's personality, he would never have tolerated her sitting down and freeloading.

Wang Yu was right; there was indeed a reason for that.

Wang Yu's appetite for spicy snacks was far more exaggerated than Qiao Yanyu's. She stuffed one after another into her mouth without stopping. She and Li Xia shared a plate of spicy snacks, and Li Xia's eyes widened immediately when she saw her actions. Judging from Wang Yu's eating speed, she probably ate ten or so, while Qiao Yanyu had only just eaten her third or fourth.

Li Xia wasn't usually a wolf down her food, but with Wang Yu next to her, she knew she'd starve if she didn't eat quickly. So, Li Xia sped up her eating of the spicy strips. Both of them could handle spicy food, and while the strips were spicy, they were undeniably delicious, so they soon entered a competition.

A plate of spicy strips was devoured in less than five minutes.

Wang Yu licked her lips and smacked her chopsticks, still looking unsatisfied. Her eyes were fixed on Qiao Yanyu, her expression utterly pitiful. He Zhao, seeing this, inexplicably thought of the child ghost. Indeed, Wang Yu's appearance was virtually identical to that of the child ghost pestering other guests, wanting them to treat it to a meal.

Fortunately, Qiao Yanyu was indeed heartless and refused to give Wang Yu a single penny.

Seeing this, Wang Yu also stopped secretly keeping a close watch on people.

There's a difference between adults and children. Adults will only make such a move tentatively. If the other party refuses and they know there's no chance, they'll quickly give up and revert to their adult behavior. Children, on the other hand, will fight tooth and nail for something they set their sights on, even resorting to tantrums and pranks to get others to agree to their requests.

After reverting to her mature adult form, Wang Yu began praising the spicy strips and He Zhao, using far more flowery language than Qiao Yanyu: "Boss, the spicy strips you make are so delicious! I've never eaten such delicious spicy strips before. They're so addictive, you just can't stop eating them. And after you finish them, your mouth doesn't feel greasy, and your stomach doesn't feel burning. They're amazing! If I could eat spicy strips like these every day, I'd be willing to live in a mansion and drive a sports car!"

The way she said that... it's like she's taking something for free.

Wang Yu chuckled, and then the meal proceeded as normal. At this point, Wang Yu, ever the chatterbox, still had something to say. After these past few days, she had figured out the location of the child ghost. She paused, gesturing with her chopsticks in the air.

“You mentioned before that the Mud Ghost was the little girl ghost you saw at the traffic lights near the pedestrian street in the downtown area. I went to the site and Li Xia and I searched around there, looking for a lot of ghosts. We finally confirmed that the little girl ghost was indeed wandering around that area. It didn't just wander there by chance; it was a ghost from that area.”

She shoveled a couple of mouthfuls of rice into her mouth: "But the little girl ghost's appearance must have changed. We investigated and found no children involved in any accidents in that area. But figuring out exactly who died and became the ghost is indeed quite difficult. The street corner in the downtown area is a place where accidents frequently occur."

Li Xia added: "Several people died tragically in traffic accidents at the street corner, and many died in nearby hotels due to crimes of passion. Counting those who died in arguments and fights in the neighborhood, the number is countless, and there are also people who died in accidents."

“Not far from that street corner, there’s a whole street of KTVs and bars, so there are all sorts of cases. There’s even a dedicated investigator for that area, and she usually registers all the ghosts that appear there. But that little ghost slipped through our fingers, probably because it was too weak, and the investigator couldn’t sense its presence. During our investigation, we also discovered that some ghosts around us would subconsciously protect that child ghost and even hide it, which is why it took us a long time to confirm its haunting area.”

After hearing these words, He Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "There's actually such a thing? Even a weak and ignorant ghost would unconsciously protect it?"

“Yes,” Qiao Yanyu nodded, “After all, ghosts are transformed from humans.”

Even if one remembers nothing and forgets everything, protecting one's offspring is something that the human race subconsciously does. Therefore, it's not surprising that the child ghost is being protected.

Now, however, we can truly rule out the possibility that it was a child who died and became a ghost.