Li Huan knew that Madam Hua had definitely never been overseas, let alone knew where America was.
"The journey is indeed long, separated by the sea, and it would take three months by boat!"
"Three months!" Madam Hua exclaimed in surprise. "Wouldn't it take half a year to travel back and forth?"
Li Huan said, "That's right, a round trip will take at least three months! If there's a storm, it might take even longer!"
Madam Hua said, "The crayfish and bullfrogs you bought overseas will have been rotten by the time they arrive in Suzhou after three months of shipping."
Li Huan said, "Madam Hua, you may not know this, but the crayfish and bullfrogs I bought were all seedlings. They were raised on the boat and, after three months, arrived in the Central Plains. By then, the crayfish and bullfrogs had grown up and were ready to be slaughtered and cooked. They are delicious!"
Mrs. Hua understood: "I see, you're very clever!"
Li Huan said, "Cooking dishes requires care! Selecting ingredients requires meticulousness! Only with care can you make delicious boxed meals!"
Smelling the fragrant dishes, Madam Hua instructed Qiu Xiang, "Take fifty taels of silver and buy a boxed meal."
Qiu Xiang obeyed the order and quickly took out the silver and handed it to Li Huan.
"Take it away, or eat it here?" Li Huan asked.
Madam Hua said, "I still need to go to the temple to offer incense later, so let's finish eating here before we leave."
"Mrs. Hua, please have a seat!" Li Huan gestured to the dining table.
Mrs. Hua took her seat and curiously observed the disposable chopsticks and paper cups.
Li Huan chuckled to himself.
This Madam Hua was also a foodie. Even though she was preparing to go to the temple to burn incense, she couldn't control her mouth and wanted to taste meat dishes.
Soon, a boxed lunch was placed in front of Mrs. Hua.
She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a "spicy crayfish," and prepared to put it in her mouth.
Li Huan quickly said, "Wait! That's not how you eat crayfish!"
Madam Hua was taken aback: "Not like this? How should it be eaten?"
Li Huan pointed to the table next to them: "Look at them eating crayfish!"
At this moment, Tang Bohu, Zhu Zhishan, Wen Zhengming, and Xu Changgu were peeling the shells off the crayfish and dipping the tail meat in the broth. They were sweating profusely and enjoying their meal immensely.
Qiu Xiang also observed for a moment, and said to Madam Hua, "Madam, let me peel the shrimp for you."
Mrs. Hua nodded.
Qiu Xiang sat at the dining table, picked up a "spicy crayfish", skillfully peeled off the shell, dipped the crayfish tail meat in the soup, and then put it into Madam Hua's mouth.
As she savored the taste, Mrs. Hua's eyes lit up!
"Delicious! Delicious! It's fragrant, fresh, and spicy! It tastes completely different from river shrimp!"
Madam Hua praised her repeatedly and asked Qiu Xiang to continue peeling crayfish.
There are only ten "spicy crayfish" in one boxed meal.
Qiu Xiang's fingers were not only nimble but also very fast. She deftly peeled the shells off all ten crayfish and placed them in the broth to soak up the flavor.
After eating five crayfish, Mrs. Hua picked up a piece of "spicy bullfrog" and savored it carefully.
"Mmm, the meat is tender and springy, much tastier than frog meat... It's spicy and slightly numbing, with a unique flavor..."
Madam Hua ate until her forehead was sweating and her nose was red, and she made a few slurping noises because of the spiciness.
Over here, Zhu Zhishan gulped down his beer, letting out exaggeratedly loud burps, and patted his stomach, saying, "So refreshing, so refreshing! Beer and spicy crayfish are a perfect match!"
Wen Zhengming said, "Beer and spicy bullfrog are a perfect match!"
Madam Hua hurriedly asked Li Huan, "What kind of wine are they drinking?"
Li Huan replied, "Beer! Also produced overseas! Brewed with malt, with a unique flavor."
Madam Hua said, "Bring me a bottle of beer too!"
Li Huan said, "Each bottle of chilled beer costs fifty taels of silver."
Madam Hua was shocked, and Qiu Xiang and the others were also surprised.
Fifty taels of silver!
So expensive!
Li Huan explained, "Look, this beer bottle is made of glass; it's quite valuable!"
Madam Hua opened her eyes wide and observed: "It really is glass! Such a precious thing is actually used to hold beer, which means the beer must be very delicious!"
Li Huan smiled and said, "Want to buy a bottle?"
Qiu Xiang hurriedly said, "Could we try it first before buying? What if Madam doesn't like the taste of beer?"
Li Huan said, "No problem, let Mrs. Hua have a beer first!"
After saying that, Li Huan pulled a bottle of beer from the ice bucket, quickly opened it, and poured himself a glass.
Mrs. Hua then asked, "The shape of the cup is quite interesting too."
Li Huan said, "This is a cup made of paper."
Madam Hua was startled: "Made of paper? Won't it get damp and rot when it comes into contact with wine?"
Li Huan patiently explained, "There's a layer of wax inside the paper cup, which makes it waterproof."
Mrs. Hua understood and smiled, "These paper cups must be a product from overseas."
After admiring it, she picked up the paper cup and slowly took a sip.
Instantly, her eyebrows furrowed.
"It tastes bitter, it doesn't taste good, it doesn't taste good..."
Tang Bohu, standing nearby, said without turning his head, "That's not how you drink beer!"
Madam Hua asked, "How should we drink it?"
Tang Bohu said, "You can't savor it slowly; you have to drink it in big gulps to experience the refreshing feeling!"
Madam Hua said, "You mean you want me to drink it all in one gulp?"
Tang Bohu said, "Exactly!"
Mrs. Hua paused for a few seconds, then picked up the paper cup again, covered her face with her sleeve, and drank the beer in the cup.
"Madam has such a generous capacity!" Qiu Xiang, Chun Xiang, Xia Xiang, and Dong Xiang praised in unison.
Mrs. Hua put down the paper cup, her brows relaxed, and she couldn't help but burp.
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