Four dishes and one soup.
Steamed hairy crabs, sweet and sour crucian carp, braised bamboo shoots, and stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar.
And the very classic tomato and egg drop soup.
This was Ms. Ji's first time cooking, and even though she realized during the process that the dish was not particularly challenging.
At this moment, however, I felt somewhat uneasy.
It mainly depends on the person.
If it's for a roommate... especially for Chu Chu, even if it gets a bad review.
At most, Ji Qingqian could only make Chu Chu understand what it meant to "hurt you, but still laugh it off".
But now she's Ah Bei's doting aunt, and she doesn't want to get any bad reviews.
Beforehand, Lu Yibei gave Qingqian, the female knight, some advice:
"Let them eat first. If they like it, say you cooked it; if they don't, say I did it."
After much deliberation, Ji Qingqian decided to abandon this foolproof plan.
Two reasons.
Firstly, she has always been upright and honest in her dealings with others, and she doesn't resort to such underhanded tactics. Whether things go well or badly, she should bear the consequences herself!
Secondly…
Does Ah Bei think his grandparents are stupid? After eating their grandchild's food for so long, how could he not know how good her cooking is?
Grandma chose a bright red crab, cracked open its shell, scooped out some crab roe, dipped it in sauce, and tasted it. She then praised it, saying:
"Excellent, the chef's skills are superb."
Grandpa scoffed:
"If it's delicious, eat more. Why all the talk? Is this your first time eating your grandson's cooking?"
He was a little late to the table and didn't hear Lu Yibei say "Try the steamed crab" when the dishes were served.
Grandma glared at him: "It was Qianqian who burned it."
Grandpa was taken aback, then scooped up some crab roe with his chopsticks, prompting Grandma to lightly tap him with the end of her chopsticks:
"Go eat your own!"
He also took a bite, then murmured "hmm":
"It melts in your mouth, very good."
Grandma rolled her eyes: "Aren't you just like me?"
Grandpa continued dismissively, "How are they the same? This is an idiom, you know what an idiom is? You've never been to school..."
Having received praise from the two elderly people, Ji Qingqian was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Her serious expression gradually softened, and her eyes curved into a smile.
I am also quite satisfied with the calming device:
"Is this actually your first time cooking, Sister Qingqian?"
Ji Qingqian, on the contrary, felt a little embarrassed by the praise…
After all, the steps for making this dish are really simple, and things like the heat control were also something that Ah Bei reminded and controlled.
Grandpa might not understand this principle, but Grandma, who usually manages the household cooking, certainly does.
She still gave Ji Qingqian positive praise first...
Grandma is so kind.
Or rather, the people at this table are all very nice and always provide ample emotional value.
Even to the point of.
After eating most of the food, Grandpa was still blaming himself for praising his wife a step too late, and he was quite unhappy about it.
He thought it over and over again, and decided to think it over again.
"Qingqian, do you know how to say 'crab' in our Chaocheng dialect?" Grandpa finally spoke.
Ji Qingqian shook her head.
She's from Northeast China, so she's not good at speaking the dialects of southern China. Besides, the dialects here vary from place to place, and there's a lot of different local dialects.
"How so?" she asked.
Grandpa: "Ha."
Ji Qingqian: ?
This interjection made Ji Qingqian think that her grandfather hadn't heard her clearly, so she repeated it:
"I don't know, Grandpa, can you tell me?"
Grandpa repeated, "Ha!"
Ji Qingqian: ...
Grandma quickly explained:
"In our Chaozhou, crabs are called 'ha,' and hairy crabs are called 'maoha'... Honestly, can't you talk in a way that kids can understand!"
As Grandma scolded Grandpa, Ji Qingqian's usually calm lips curled into a slight smile.
"…Ha ha…"
She seemed to get the humor in her grandfather's words.
Grandpa ignored Grandma and continued to ask:
"Do you know how to say 'duck' here?"
Ji Qingqian suppressed a laugh and shook her head repeatedly.
"ah."
Ji Qingqian: "..."
She stared at her boyfriend beside her, her face ashen.
"That's right, the pronunciation of duck is 'ah'."
Grandpa said again:
"A man from out of town came to Chaocheng to work. He went to the market to practice his dialect and asked the vendor how to say 'crab'. The vendor kindly replied with 'ha'. The man asked again and the vendor replied with 'ha'. The man shook his head. He then went to another poultry vendor and asked how to say 'duck' in the dialect. The vendor replied with 'ah'. The man asked again and the vendor replied with 'ah'. The man was surprised and left the market. He never expected that a deaf and mute person from Chaocheng could do business... It's really not easy."
As Ji Qingqian turned around, she leaned on her boyfriend's shoulder, her shoulders beginning to tremble slightly.
Lu Yibei could only pat her vest with his other hand.
Then she looked at her grandfather.
Grandpa was proudly puffing out his chest in front of Grandma, while Grandma shook her head in annoyance.
It has to be said.
The female knight-errant does resemble her grandfather in some ways.
For example, in terms of enjoying these boring, lame jokes.
…
Ji Nvxia is different from most people.
Many people eat crab roe and crab fat, but she prefers crab legs and claws.
For many people, this part is like a chicken rib, tasteless to eat—not that it's tasteless, but rather that it's troublesome to eat.
But it's a pity to discard it.
As a result, she received everyone's care, and after the others finished eating the crab body, they gave her the crab legs that they hadn't been able to eat.
Eating crab is the same as eating crayfish.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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