A Trip Out, Three Baskets of Crabs Brought Home

Once they were seated, Xue Qinghe ordered a few dishes and asked the waiter to bring a plate of steamed crabs.

The restaurant was busy just then. The waiter acknowledged the order and hurried to the kitchen. Sitting beside Chen An, Ning Rongrong looked at the food on the other tables, then leaned over and quietly asked him what he planned to make with the jar of sauce he had just bought.

"I'll try braising some meat with it first. If the flavor works, I'll make some other things."

Hearing this, the little girl nodded. The sauce was already bought, after all. With Brother Chen An keeping it, she would get to taste it sooner or later.

Across the table, Chen Xin watched in amusement.

Before they had left today, this girl had talked about buying this and that. Yet after walking all that way, she had bought little herself and instead remembered every seasoning Xiao An had purchased.

Before long, the dishes began arriving.

There was a plate of braised fish, fresh bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork, and two seasonal vegetable dishes. None was complicated, but the portions were generous. Chen An tried the fish first. Its skin had been pan-fried, the sauce reduced until thick, and the scallion sections underneath cooked soft, still dripping glossy juices when he picked them up.

It tasted good.

He took another piece before turning to the steamed crabs brought over afterward.

The waiter set down the plate and arranged the ginger vinegar alongside it. The crabs were all about the same size, their shells steamed a glossy red. When the shells were lifted, the golden roe inside quivered, still giving off steam.

Chen An removed the gills and picked out some roe to taste first.

It was richly savory, with a deep, luscious aroma as he gently pressed it apart in his mouth. He broke off a piece of the body next and teased out strands of tender white meat. Even without dipping it in anything, he could taste its delicate sweetness.

These would be just right for Crab Roe Lion’s Head.

"How is it?"

Seeing that he had finished, Xue Qinghe asked with a smile.

"Very good. I'd like to buy some to take back for a new dish. It happens to need freshly picked crabmeat."

"Then pick out plenty later. The owner here has done business with that shop for years. Their fresh stock has always been good."

As he spoke, Xue Qinghe called the waiter over to ask how much stock remained today, lest other customers pick it all over before they finished their meal and went there.

Learning that there was still plenty, Chen An relaxed and lowered his head to continue eating.

Ning Rongrong copied him in taking apart a crab, but after working at it for ages, she had smeared plenty of roe on her fingers without extracting much meat. Seeing her about to poke her chopsticks straight into a crab leg, Chen An smiled and took it from her.

"Just break this open. Don't poke it with your chopsticks. They might slip and jab your hand."

He snapped the crab leg, peeled it open along the joint, and placed the exposed meat in her bowl, then handed her another leg.

The little girl tried twice and really did manage to peel it open, which immediately caught her interest.

For the rest of the meal, she needed no one to look after her. She sat there diligently taking crabs apart, even talking far less.

It was a thoroughly pleasant meal.

At the end, Chen An took a particular look at the sauce used for the braised fish. It resembled the jar he had bought, only its flavor was mellower. Presumably, something else had been added.

He asked the waiter a couple of questions, but the waiter knew little and only said the kitchen mixed it themselves, so Chen An did not press him further.

A trip out always turned up something interesting. He could try it once he got back.

The system had already given him quite a few recipes, but after cooking for so many years in his previous life, he still could not help wanting to puzzle out anything that suited his palate.

Xue Qinghe paid for the meal and led the three of them outside.

The shop supplying fresh goods was not far away, just two streets over. Several tubs stood on the ground facing the street, fish tails occasionally splashing water from them, while bamboo baskets of crabs sat farther inside.

When the shopkeeper heard they had come from the restaurant, he promptly lifted the basket lids and let them choose for themselves.

Chen An crouched and picked one up at random.

It felt solid and heavy. Turning it over, he saw a plump abdominal flap, while its exposed legs kept moving. He examined several more in succession, setting his choices aside, selecting both females full of roe and males thick with meat.

Seeing his young age, the shopkeeper had originally intended to offer a few pointers. After watching a while, however, he smiled instead.

"Does your family deal in fresh goods, young customer?"

"I usually help with the cooking. I'm buying these for my own use today."

Chen An answered, then confirmed the price before asking the shopkeeper to bring an empty basket.

Now that he had found them, he might as well buy more. Aside from Crab Roe Lion’s Head, the remainder would be good steamed. Rongrong had enjoyed them just now, and taking some back for Uncle Ning and Grandpa Bone to try would be perfect.

Chen Xin stood beside him, letting him make his own selections without interfering.

Xiao An had been staying in the sect all this time. Coming out to meet people and buy things was a good thing in itself. Besides, when it came to these ingredients, he truly knew less than the boy did.

As long as he did not get so carried away that he brought the entire shop home, Chen Xin would let him be.

Only after filling three whole baskets did Chen An stop.

The shopkeeper tied the crabs' claws again, weighed them, and named the price. Chen An took money from his belt to pay, then asked him to deliver the goods to where the carriage was parked before going to buy pork with a suitable balance of fat and lean.

Watching the three baskets of crabs from the side, Ning Rongrong finally could not resist leaning closer.

"Brother Chen An, can you make it tomorrow?"

She had heard him back at the restaurant: a new dish.

"Yes. I'll make it for lunch tomorrow."

Hearing this, the little girl was immediately satisfied. As they continued shopping, she stopped dwelling on the matter and pulled Chen An toward the stalls she had not finished browsing earlier.

Now it was Chen An's turn to keep her company.

Xue Qinghe and Chen Xin followed a few steps behind, walking leisurely and occasionally exchanging a few words. The two children were right before their eyes, buying little trinkets and eating snacks, so there was no need to supervise their every move.

By the time they boarded the carriage, it was already getting late.

Xue Qinghe still had things to attend to, so he did not return to the sect with them, only seeing them to the carriage. Before leaving, he spoke to Chen An again with a smile.

"Once you've made the new dish, I'll try it too the next time I visit Teacher."

"All right. When you come, Brother Xue, I'll make it for you."

Chen An readily agreed.

From their meal to finding ingredients, Xue Qinghe had indeed helped a great deal on today's outing. What was treating him to a meal in comparison?

With the three baskets of live crabs loaded onto the carriage and the pork and other purchases stored separately, the group returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

In the Kitchen, Uncle Zhou had already prepared dinner.

After Fang Ming and the others ate, they did not leave immediately. They helped clean the tables and chairs, then sat for a while longer. Only when they heard voices outside did they get up to look.

Seeing Chen An return, Han Cheng was the first to come forward, reaching out to lift a bamboo basket from the carriage.

It was quite heavy in his hands.

When he looked inside, it was actually full of live crabs.

"Xiao An, you bought this many?"

"They're for a new dish tomorrow. Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother. Please carry them inside and put them somewhere cool."

A new dish?

The others who had still been sitting immediately perked up. Zhao Hai rose fastest, reaching the carriage in two strides.

"I'll do it, I'll do it."

With a basket in each hand, he moved with remarkable briskness.

Fang Ming was a little slower. By the time he came out, all three baskets of crabs were gone, leaving him to help carry the other things. When Chen An entered, even the packet of seasonings he had intended to carry himself had been delivered to the stove.

Chen An could only feel helpless about that.

It would have been fine if he had not mentioned a new dish. Once he did, these fellows worked even harder than usual.

Uncle Zhou had already come over to inspect the crabs. He turned over a few, found them all still lively, and located a cool, well-ventilated spot to keep them. Then he took the pork to store separately.

Since he had returned late today, Chen An went to the front to serve himself some food. He had eaten plenty outside at noon, but after shopping for so long, he was hungry again.

Yet when he came back with his bowl, Zhao Hai was still standing at the kitchen doorway and offered with considerable enthusiasm.

"Xiao An, should I heat some water first?"

One glance at him was enough for Chen An to know what he was thinking.

“Crab Roe Lion’s Head is for lunch tomorrow. There’s no need to get busy tonight. This dish takes over two hours just to simmer in the pot. By the time it’s done, are you still planning to sleep?”

Zhao Hai opened his mouth, nearly saying that he could go without sleep. But seeing that Chen An had only taken a couple of bites of the food in his hands, he swallowed his words.

Chen An had spent the whole day out and only just returned. How could they ask him to cook through the night?

Besides, lunch tomorrow was not too long to wait.

"Then I'll come early tomorrow morning. I can fetch water or split firewood."

"Me too."

Han Cheng chimed in.

Chen An smiled and nodded, set his bowl on the table, and finally got to eat in peace.

Chen Xin took Rongrong back, telling him before leaving to rest early after eating. After a whole day out, there was no need to force himself to stay up cultivating. He could carry on as usual tomorrow morning.

Chen An agreed. After dinner, he checked the baskets of crabs once more and only returned to his room after making sure nothing was wrong.

After washing up, he lay down on the bed and soon fell asleep.

As for Fang Ming and the others, they were still talking about the new dish when they left the Kitchen.

Crab Roe Lion’s Head.

They had heard the name, but they truly could not figure out what crabs had to do with a lion's head.

One thing, however, was very clear.

They had to come early for lunch tomorrow.