Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 619 - 618 Little Dragon Shrimp Finished, Nuwa Doesn’t Know How to Eat It
Indeed, Chen Nuo had always been gentle, modest, and polite, rarely offering a few perfunctory words before turning his back.
Had he spoken just a bit more earlier, he would not have caused Nuwa to overthink, but his behavior made it difficult not to wonder.
Nuwa had intended to further explain her actions just now, but Chen Nuo had already turned away, and even if she wanted to explain herself well, she could not anymore.
The crayfish in the pot were still simmering, and his hands were idle, but he didn’t turn back around, instead gazing at the bubbling crayfish in the pot.
After standing for a while, Nuwa sat down again.
The warmth on the chair had dissipated by now. Although it wasn’t as cool as when she first sat down, it was no longer warm.
Nuwa looked at the back of Chen Nuo, feeling somewhat relieved that they were in the kitchen, with Chen Nuo too busy with his own tasks to pay attention to her.
Even if she sat here without making a noise, she need not worry about making any sound that might catch Chen Nuo’s attention. However, Nuwa knew very well that even after the dish was ready, the atmosphere between the two of them couldn’t return to how it was before.
After a silent stretch, the crayfish were ready.
This dish was originally made for Nuwa, and considering her appetite, he had prepared just one pot of spicy crayfish.
Nuwa was a regular customer in their store. She preferred stronger flavors and liked spicy food, so when Chen Nuo made it, he made just the spicy crayfish.
Garlic crayfish wasn’t bad either, but it left an aftertaste, and one would have their mouth full of the garlic flavor afterward, which wasn’t quite suitable for an Ancient Goddess like Nuwa. Spicy crayfish was a better fit.
Nuwa had not yet collected her feelings when Chen Nuo brought the crayfish over.
Nuwa quickly stood up from the chair, thinking to quickly give Chen Nuo room, then return to her original seat.
"No need, just sit here," Chen Nuo said as he saw her rise, stopping her.
Nuwa paused, then sullenly sat down again—indeed, she was already sitting there, so what was the point of standing up now?
"The crayfish is ready, have a taste," Chen Nuo said.
Upon Chen Nuo’s words, Nuwa glanced at the plate; the crayfish indeed looked much better than how they crawled around in the village, but that was about it.
She had never eaten crayfish before, and just looking at the neatly arranged crayfish in the plate didn’t make them seem very tempting.
The odor was quite fragrant, though, and she wondered if it was the dish or the actual crayfish that smelled so good.
Yet a pleasant smell wasn’t indicative of anything; whether it was truly tasty or not would be determined only after tasting it.
Nuwa looked at the plate, somewhat at a loss on how to eat it. She could tell just by looking that the shell was hard, and such a hard shell surely needed to be peeled to eat, but she did not know where to start.
"Why aren’t you eating?" Chen Nuo, oblivious as a straight man, didn’t realize Nuwa’s dilemma. He thought Nuwa was still embarrassed about the stool incident and now felt awkward about eating.
"Ah, I..." Nuwa began to explain, but before she could finish, Chen Nuo placed a large cup in front of her.
"This is a beer I just brewed. It pairs perfectly with crayfish, especially the spicy ones. Try it," Chen Nuo said.
Nuwa watched Chen Nuo pouring the liquid into the cup; it was an aroma she had never encountered before, and there were many bubbles inside. Could it be like the Flat Peach soda, also a fizzy drink?
Speaking of Flat Peach soda, Nuwa remembered that drinking that seemed to cause one to burp.
Drinking this kind of stuff alone is fine, but in front of others, it’s very easy to make a fool of yourself, especially in front of someone you fancy.
The incident just now was already quite embarrassing, and Nuwa thought if she had to drink soda and burp in front of him, she might want to flee this world.
"What beer is this?" Nuwa asked.
"Oh, this is a type of alcoholic drink, it tastes really good and it’s very refreshing. I guess you’ll definitely like it," Chen Nuo explained.
In front of Chen Nuo, Nuwa was too embarrassed to ask such a silly question as whether it would make her burp, so she just nodded, picked up the glass, and took a sip.
Indeed, the moment it hit her mouth, the exploding tiny bubbles, along with the scent of alcohol and the cool sensation, felt great. One sip and she felt refreshed all over.
Seeing Nuwa’s expression, Chen Nuo knew she liked the beer.
Of course, as long as one could drink, Chen Nuo was confident they would like beer.
Nuwa took a sip of beer, then another, not touching the crayfish in front of her at all.
Chen Nuo remembered that Tian Peng and Sun Wukong also didn’t know how to eat crayfish, and he instantly understood why Nuwa wasn’t eating them.
But, to be fair, she was scared enough when she saw the crayfish alive.
Now, even though they were cooked, she might still struggle to eat them, especially since she had never tried them before.
Chen Nuo didn’t expose the fact that Nuwa didn’t know how to eat crayfish; instead, he acted as if he was going to eat it himself, picked up a crayfish from the plate, skillfully peeled off the shell, took out the meat, and then placed it on the plate in front of Nuwa.
When Chen Nuo was handling the crayfish, Nuwa observed him closely. She wanted to see how to eat crayfish but didn’t expect that after Chen Nuo peeled it, he would place it inside the bowl in front of her.
"Shopkeeper Chen, this..."
Chen Nuo explained with a smile, "We have a rule here called ’ladies first.’ Since I’m the cook and have prepared the food for you, it’s only right that Lady Nuwa have the first taste."
"Thank you." Nuwa didn’t refuse and blushed as she put down her cup, then picked up the chopsticks to eat the crayfish.
The crayfish burst in her mouth with the hot and spicy flavor of the broth, tinged with a numbing sensation, while chewing brought out the springy texture of the crayfish; the freshness of the sea bugs danced on the tips of her teeth as she chewed.
The crayfish didn’t look appetizing at all, actually a bit disgusting, yet it was so delicious.
"How is it? Does it taste alright?" Chen Nuo asked.
After swallowing the food in her mouth, Nuwa then replied to Chen Nuo’s question, "It’s delicious. I really didn’t expect crayfish to taste so good. Shopkeeper Chen, I now understand why you went to such lengths to get crayfish on the mountain behind."
Hearing Nuwa’s words, Chen Nuo chuckled, "It seems that under the guise of wanting to help Tian Peng, I’ve let Lady Nuwa see through me. Maybe I should have acted more nonchalant, perhaps I shouldn’t have even brought you along when you arrived."
Nuwa also chuckled, knowing Chen Nuo was joking, and teased, "Don’t say that, Shopkeeper Chen. If you hadn’t brought me here today, I wouldn’t have had a chance to taste such delicious crayfish."
"That’s true," Chen Nuo said, "If Lady Nuwa hadn’t tasted such delicious crayfish today, it would have been the crayfish’s loss."
"It seems the crayfish really are pitiable," Nuwa jokingly said.
Chen Nuo laughed at Nuwa’s words, cheerfully clinked glasses with her, and the awkward atmosphere from the chair incident completely dissipated.
Now that Chen Nuo had demonstrated how to eat the crayfish, Nuwa also began to peel crayfish, following Chen Nuo’s method.
