Shen Rui'an had no particular aversion to any of these, but he was still cautious and only added chopped scallions. After hesitating, he added another spoonful of diced white radish. He had heard that this was a signature side dish for Snail Rice Noodles and was especially good for cutting through the richness.
Shen Rui'an picked up a piece of diced radish and brought it close to smell it. Once he was sure there was no strange odor, he took a bite. The unusual sweet-and-sour flavor stimulated his taste buds and immediately whetted his appetite.
He picked up another piece of tofu skin that had soaked soft in the broth, opened his mouth, and ate it in one bite. The instant it entered his mouth, an addictive flavor exploded across his palate. Combined with the texture of the tofu skin, it was impossible to stop eating. He could not resist picking up another piece, but this one had not been soaked in the broth and was crispy instead, with a rich bean fragrance.
Delicious! Each had its own flavor!
Shen Rui'an picked up a chopstickful of Snail Rice Noodles, lifting the noodles high and blowing on them. Then he carefully fed them into his mouth in small bites, cautiously slurping the noodles. He was afraid that if he used too much force, he would choke.
The salty, fragrant, mildly spicy noodles entered his mouth. The rice noodles were pleasantly chewy and coated in broth, making them incredibly addictive.
Shen Rui'an picked up another chopstickful. He thought the noodles soaked in the broth were too hot, so he lifted them high to let them cool before slowly eating them. When he reached the end, he bit off the portion that had been soaking in the broth. It was just enough for one bite. That way, it would not burn his mouth or make him choke on the soup, while he could still taste the flavor of the Snail Rice Noodles broth.
Shen Rui'an thought he was simply too clever!
Thinking that, he ate even more happily. Before he knew it, he had finished two-thirds of the bowl. By then, he was feeling somewhat full, so he finally began eating the braised egg that had been soaking in the soup all along.
The braised egg, thoroughly infused with the braising liquid, was rich and fragrant. He liked braised eggs. They were not as bland as boiled eggs, nor were they as likely to stick in his throat.
He took a bite, then used the remaining half of the braised egg to scoop up a little broth. Eating it this way ensured that the flavors of the braised egg and Snail Rice Noodles blended perfectly, while also making the yolk less likely to stick in his throat. In his mouth, the yolk became pleasantly grainy and melted at once, leaving his mouth full of savory fragrance.
He picked up a braised quail egg that Su Tingbai had placed on the side dish plate and ate it in one bite. Perhaps because quail eggs were smaller and absorbed flavor more easily, it was even more satisfying than the braised chicken egg.
After finishing it, he took a sip of iced soy milk to soothe his throat, his eyes shining as he looked at the braised chicken feet and duck feet.
These two things appeared especially often in those food livestreams. He was dying of curiosity!
Without another word, he picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
Su Tingbai rested his face on one hand as he watched him. He looked like an inexperienced little kitten, cautiously extending one paw pad to touch the cat food offered by a human.
Shen Rui'an ate with complete absorption, his face full of enjoyment at the delicious food. Yet his table manners were impeccable, without the slightest trace of messiness. Just watching him made one's appetite stir.
There were many people in the food livestream field, and all kinds of eating styles. Everyone had their own style. As a food blogger, Su Tingbai also watched food livestreams from time to time. Little Zhu from his team also made food look appetizing when he ate. That was why the final shot of each food video would give him a close-up, conveying to viewers how deliciously he was eating. It made it easier to whet their appetites, and it was also one of the distinctive features of Su Tingbai's account. Only with something memorable could people remember it.
Watching Shen Rui'an, Su Tingbai felt that if he were filmed for others to see, he would definitely make people crave food too. He gave off the feeling of watching a kitten eat—elegant and adorable. Not only did he not diminish anyone's appetite, he even seemed delectable himself. If Shen Rui'an became a food streamer, he would probably be able to make a name for himself.
But with Shen Xiaoyao's family background, even if he never worked for the rest of his life, he would have more than enough money to support himself for several lifetimes.
Su Tingbai grew hungry just watching Shen Rui'an eat and unconsciously became engrossed.
"Woof woof!"
Baisui noisily finished the minced-meat porridge in his food bowl, then happily ran over and circled around his owner's feet.
Shen Rui'an ate slowly and carefully, and before he knew it, he had finished more than half the Snail Rice Noodles. He had eaten almost all the toppings, leaving only a few peanuts and pickled bamboo shoots.
Bamboo shoots were considered inflammatory food. Shen Rui'an was frail, so he did not eat much of them. Though they were very refreshing, he felt that he had shown considerable restraint.
He had also eaten more than half of the noodles. As for the other toppings, he had left a little of most of them. Although Su Tingbai had considered that Shen Rui'an might not eat much due to his poor appetite and had prepared only small portions—just one or two pieces each—Shen Rui'an had still finished them.
Only the pork trotter remained untouched, because he was too full.
Reluctantly shifting his gaze away from the pork trotter, Shen Rui'an asked, "Can I save it for lunch?"
He pointed at the untouched pork trotter. There was only one, but it was huge.
He had eaten the braised egg, quail egg, chicken feet, and duck feet. He had also finished all the toppings in the Snail Rice Noodles—the tofu skin, water spinach, and wood ear mushrooms. There was still some soup and other things left uneaten, but he was already stuffed.
Shen Rui'an only hated that he had just one stomach. Still, he had eaten far more than usual today, so it was inevitable that he felt overly full.
It was a little uncomfortable.
He frowned slightly.
Su Tingbai put away the pork trotter. When he turned around, he saw Shen Rui'an rubbing his stomach. "Feeling uncomfortable?"
Su Tingbai calculated Shen Rui'an's food intake and only felt that it was far too little. This bowl of Snail Rice Noodles was not a large portion, less than two taels. Even with the other toppings, Shen Rui'an had not finished it all. It was obvious how little he usually ate.
He had not eaten much barbecue yesterday either. No wonder he was so thin.
Still, he clearly craved food. He was the classic case of pig cravings and a bird stomach.
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