After the family had breakfast, Qin Qing started washing the locusts. She heated the oil, added the base seasoning and sautéed it until fragrant. Then she poured all the locusts into the wok, stirred them a couple of times, covered the wok, and opened it again after half a minute. The aroma of the spicy base seasoning combined with the charred locusts was irresistible. She then began to stir-fry them until they were fully cooked…
An unusual fragrance wafted from the entire house. When Aunt Wang returned from her stroll, she was the first to notice it. There was a group of people standing at her front door, and the fragrance was coming from her yard!
A woman smelled the aroma, her eyes lit up, and she stood at the door, itching with desire!
"Where did Aunt Wang get this cooking skill from? The taste is amazing!"
Standing behind them, Aunt Wang coughed lightly upon hearing this. The woman instinctively turned her head and saw the person in front of her. Before she could even be surprised, Aunt Wang spoke!
"Why aren't you home cooking at midday? What are you doing here? Get out!"
After saying that, she pushed through the crowd and opened the door. What came into view was Qin Qing dressed in coarse clothes, her hair piled up high, and she looked much more energetic. Indeed, Mu Qinshi was only thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old. Her features were not ugly, and her skin looked quite fair. She did not look like a woman who was almost forty at all!
Then look at the spatula in her hand, flipping it over and over again; that's where the aroma comes from!
Seeing this, everyone was surprised, and Aunt Wang quickly closed the iron gate again.
Qin Qing looked over upon hearing the sound, a smile appearing on her face!
"Auntie, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Come have lunch with our family! It'll be a way of thanking you for your help."
The words of scolding that were about to come out of Aunt Wang's mouth were swallowed back down. She calmly hummed in agreement, her eyes involuntarily glancing towards the pot.
The unfamiliar shape was clearly not any food she had ever eaten before; it looked somewhat familiar, yet it seemed she had never seen it before!
A moment later, she suddenly raised her head stiffly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"This...this is..."
Qin Qing nodded!
"These are locusts! They're packed with protein! They're good for your health and taste amazing!"
As she spoke, she reached out, picked one up, and popped it into her mouth, the crisp sound accompanied by her blissful expression…
Didn't you see Aunt Wang staring wide-eyed as if she'd seen a ghost? She'd lived most of her life, fifty years, and considered herself quite worldly, but this was the first time she'd ever seen such a fierce woman! Fried locusts? And she was eating them with such relish!
Qin Qing, however, thought it was incredibly delicious. The spicy flavor, enhanced by the butter base, and the deep-fried to a golden-brown crisp, made it incredibly flavorful and delicious—it was so good it was heavenly!
In her excitement, she picked up the second one and handed it to Aunt Wang, only then noticing the other woman's shocked expression, and smiled sheepishly.
"This is really delicious, please try some!"
After saying that, he handed it to her directly, continued stir-frying, and turned around to get a plate.
Aunt Wang stood there, looking at the frightening locust in her hand. After hesitating for a moment, she gently smelled it. The aroma was wonderful. Finally, she gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and put it in her mouth!
One bite, and the aroma of caramelized meat fills your mouth! The slightly spicy flavor is addictive, a unique taste lingers between your lips and teeth. She stares in disbelief at the locusts in the pot; they are dark in color, but surprisingly delicious, she can't stop eating them.
She dares to say! She's never tasted anything better in her life! No delicacy can compare to this flavor!
After Qin Qing finished plating, the family sat down together. Grandma Wang ate locusts one after another with great relish. Little Muyue curiously picked one up, her eyes lighting up, then she grabbed a second, then a third…
Seeing the two of them enjoying their food so much, Zhang He and Mu Yang turned pale. Little Mu Xing was more hesitant and curious, but in the end she couldn't resist taking a bite, and her expression was exactly the same as Little Mu Yue's!
In the end, Zhang He and Mu Yang watched as they finished eating the locusts, their faces showing a deep sense of satisfaction.
Qin Qing looked at Granny Wang and had an idea in mind.
"Aunt Wang, I'm planning to sell these locusts in town tomorrow. Could you tell me where to go?"
Aunt Wang nodded. Selling such delicious food in large quantities wouldn't be a problem, but getting people to actively try it would probably be difficult!
She voiced her thoughts, but Qin Qing had already devised a plan!
"I have a way to do this. You just need to give me a location!"
Seeing this, she didn't say anything more.
"Qingcheng is divided into three areas, and this is the only area that will be invaded by locusts. You can go to the market in the south to sell your locusts. There are many people there, including many high-ranking officials and nobles from Qingcheng."
Qin Qing nodded, then borrowed a cart and firewood from Aunt Wang. After everything was ready, he took out the remaining base material and waited for the space to refresh tomorrow so he could make half of the base material.
She figured there wouldn't be many customers on the first day of sales, so she needed to be prepared.
The next day, the family started catching insects early in the morning. Qin Qing took her homemade bottles and jars of seasonings and left with Mu Yang in the morning.
It took almost an hour to finally arrive at the bustling area. The streets were filled with shouts and people coming and going. It was the first time Xiao Muyang had seen such a scene, so he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Once Qin Qing found a suitable spot, he got to work!
At first, some people didn't pay attention to her because they didn't recognize her face, but when they saw the locusts in her net bag, they hurriedly moved away, instantly clearing a large space around her.
This strange phenomenon also attracted a crowd of onlookers…
The woman swung her large ladle, pouring the golden oil into the pan. Once the oil was hot, some bright red solids appeared, which quickly melted. A fragrant and spicy aroma wafted up, incredibly tempting.
The next second, the woman's actions horrified everyone! She poured the locusts directly into the pot and then started to stir them up!
"Oh my god! She actually...is she going to stir-fry locusts? How disgusting!"
"Ignorant! Utterly ignorant! You can eat this stuff?"
"Has this old woman gone mad? I would never eat such a thing, no matter how poor I am!"
"..."
The group of people got more and more excited as they talked, and their spittle almost killed Qin Qing!
At that moment, a strange fragrance wafted over, and the crowd instantly quieted down, attracting more and more people to come.
Qin Qing paid no attention to what others thought, constantly stirring the locusts in her hands. Beside her, a jar contained light and dark soy sauce; the color was quickly adjusted, and the aroma filled the air…
Not far away, a sedan chair happened to pass by! A gentle voice came from inside.
"stop!"
"What are your orders, young master?"
"City management officer, go and see what this is?"
The man with the mustache sniffed the air and quickly agreed, also feeling curious about the enticing aroma.
A moment later, the city management officer hurriedly returned, his face showing a mixture of confusion and disdain.
"Reporting to the young master, it was just a woman who was starving and was frying locusts."
The young man reached out and lifted the curtain, revealing a handsome face with a look of curiosity and surprise in his eyes.
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