Chapter 17 The More I Go Abroad, the More Patriotic I Become
According to traditional Chinese medicine, all foods are categorized as neutral, cold, cool, warm, and hot, also known as the "five properties." Seafood, with the exception of a few warming foods like fish, shrimp, and abalone, is mostly cold. Eating cold foods like seafood in the summer is generally considered a good option.
But isn’t the seafood platter here too cold?
The entire plate is covered with a thick layer of crushed ice, and on top are various seafood, mainly shellfish. Some of these seafood are cooked and some are raw, but no matter whether they are raw or cooked, they feel like they have just been taken out of the refrigerator!
The seafood is surrounded by a circle of sliced lemons, which are not only for appearance but also for seasoning the seafood.
The white crushed ice base and the various seafood on top looked very nice, but Xiao Peng was really a little afraid to eat it - he was afraid of diarrhea!
Fabian was very excited. "Just squeeze lemon juice on the seafood and eat it directly! You can also dip it in clam sauce. Believe me, the clam sauce here is really the best in Marseille! This clam sauce costs 8 euros and it's limited!"
Xiao Peng looked at the clam sauce in front of him, which was placed in a plastic container half the size of a cigarette box. Eight euros for such a small amount, and was it in limited supply? He definitely had to try it!
He spread the clam sauce on rye bread and took a bite. His first reaction was fishy, and his second reaction was salty. However, after getting used to the taste, he actually felt that it tasted quite good!
He didn't dare to eat the seafood cold platter, but there was no problem with bread with clam sauce. Drinking cream of mushroom soup with rye bread with clam sauce felt really good!
Xinnei noticed that Xiao Peng didn't eat the cold dish. She thought it was because his seat was inconvenient, so she took the initiative to help Xiao Peng get a mussel and handed it to him: "Xiao, try it. This mussel is very fresh! Just like Fabian said, it tastes even better with a little lemon juice!"
Xiao Peng quickly declined Xinnei's offer: "My stomach is not good and I can't tolerate cold seafood, so you guys just eat it!"
How could these mussels not be fresh? They should be fresh!
Xiao Peng has eaten oysters, drunken shrimp, pickled crabs, and sashimi, but he has never eaten raw mussels! They are so bloody that it's scary to look at them!
After seeing Xiao Peng's refusal, photographer Armand asked curiously, "Is there anything you Chinese people wouldn't dare eat? You even dare to eat dogs!"
"Armand!" Sinner raised his voice to signal him to stop, then smiled wryly at Xiao Peng and said, "Now you understand why he said he would have been promoted long ago if he could speak, right? Don't be offended that he can't speak!"
Xiao Peng narrowed his eyes and looked at Armand. This guy just said something like "All the money was made by the Chinese" and now he says this again. Young man, are you planning to cause trouble?
Armand, however, didn't take it seriously and continued eating, saying, "I'm not wrong! Xine, don't you know? The Chinese even eat dogs! So what else are they afraid to eat?"
Xine wanted to say something, but Xiao Peng waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's interesting to say. After I arrived in France, I felt that every French person would ask me if I ate dog meat. Armand, I can tell you the truth, I have eaten dog meat!"
Armand's eyes lit up after hearing this: "I'm right, aren't I? Xiao, dogs are friends of mankind. How can you eat dog meat?"
"But..." Xiao Peng dragged out his words and continued, "I've never eaten dog meat in China. I ate it in France. Do you know the town of La Ciotat? Thirty kilometers north of Marseille, right between Marseille and Toulon, there's a dog meat restaurant there, run by locals and frequented by locals. Next to it is another restaurant that specializes in horse meat dishes. Well, this is a very common thing in France!" At this point, Xiao Peng sighed and raised his voice: "Horses! They're friends of mankind! Why do you French people still eat horse meat?"
Armand didn't believe Xiao Peng's words: "I don't believe it. How could the French eat dog meat?"
Sinée, standing by, couldn't stand it any longer. She said to Armand, "Armand, dog meat used to be very popular all over the world, all over Europe. France was especially popular during World War II, when there were many dog meat shops. During famine, people would look for cheaper meat to supplement their nutrition. Although there are no dog meat shops now, the custom of eating dog meat still remains in some places in our country. Even today, you can still eat dog meat in Paris."
Xiao Peng pointed to the north and said, "No need to go to Paris, we have it at La Ciotat. It tastes pretty good. Armand, if you're curious, I can take you there to try it tomorrow."
Armand frowned and shook his head, "I don't believe this is true! You're talking nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Peng suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Armand, do you think you are God? You say there will be light and there will be light, and you say something does not exist and it does not exist? You can just say that La Ciotat's dog meat restaurant has a history of more than 80 years and then dissolve it with just one sentence? If you don't believe it, it means you are ignorant! Let me tell you another thing. Among the 1.4 billion people in China, only a very small number have eaten dog meat. The country that truly loves dog meat is Korea! Countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam also eat dog meat. Why do you bring up the issue of dog meat eating when you see Chinese people? What kind of thing is this? Seeking superiority and self-satisfaction by attacking others?"
"Armand, what Xiao said is true. Pascal lives in La Ciotat." Fabian said, "The dog meat restaurant in La Ciotat is just as Xiao said. It has a history of over 80 years and is still doing well. It's very famous in the local area."
After hearing Fabian's words, Armand had to believe it. So he lowered his head and said nothing.
Xiao Peng smiled coldly: "Armand, you owe me an apology!"
Armand looked up at Xiao Peng.
Xiao Peng said, "I'm easy to talk to, but it depends on the situation. What you just said insulted my people and my country. I need an apology, or we can go out and resolve this like men."
After spending so much time in a foreign country, Xiao Peng's personality has changed a lot. However, this also depends on the situation. There are some things he will never compromise on!
Before leaving the country, he had heard a saying: "The more you travel abroad, the more patriotic you become." He had been dismissive at the time, wondering how he could become more patriotic after seeing the dazzling world outside. But reality had dealt Xiao Peng a hard blow, and that was exactly what was happening to him now.
In Marseille, there are only two words to deal with such matters: Don't be afraid! In any case, it is easy to stand on the moral high ground in such disputes.
But Armand said, "Xiao, this is just a joke. Why are you taking it so seriously?"
Xiao Peng said, "Do you think we are familiar with each other? I didn't even know you before today. Who is kidding you? You must apologize to me and my country! Otherwise, I will never let you go today!"
--
The author has something to say:
Please subscribe to the new book. I will update three times a day now, and will start updating regularly after next month.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com