Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 620: Title 619: The Nuwa Who Let Go of Her Reserve
Peeling crayfish wasn’t an easy task, and it certainly couldn’t be done with chopsticks, one had to use their hands.
Nuwa had intended to maintain a sense of reserve, but using chopsticks, she could only transfer the crayfish from the large plate to her small plate, and then she couldn’t be of any more help.
Faced with such delicious crayfish, Nuwa couldn’t care less about her reserve at this moment, she put the chopsticks aside and started to eat with her hands.
Chen Nuo didn’t teach her how to eat the crayfish roe, after all, even in modern times, there are many people who don’t eat crayfish roe, because it requires putting the head into the mouth.
Eating with hands was already not very graceful, and now having to stuff the crayfish head close to the mouth was even less so, thus Chen Nuo did not remind Nuwa to eat the crayfish roe.
But as Nuwa ate, she taught herself, having tasted the exquisite flavor of the roe.
Initially, she had only been eating the flesh of the crayfish, since the crayfish heads contain the roe, inevitably some would get onto her hands as she broke them open.
As she brought the flesh to her mouth, she inadvertently ate a bit of the rich roe, and that intense flavor suddenly made Nuwa’s eyes light up.
The crayfish flesh was very tasty, but beyond the inherent freshness of the flesh and the flavor of the soup, there was no other taste, in a word, it was just fresh.
However, the flavor of the roe was even more extreme; whether it was due to Chen Nuo’s cooking method or the crayfish’s own qualities, the roe tasted as if it was concocted from hundreds of crayfish minced and stewed in water, simmering for forty-nine hours before becoming this substance.
The crayfish roe was not only fresh but also had its own distinctive fragrance, which was very rich and would spread throughout the mouth after just a taste.
Moreover, it didn’t spread immediately, but started from a small point and gradually invaded other areas of the mouth, until the flavor took over the entire palate.
Chen Nuo was right, after eating a few crayfish, one would start to feel a bit salty, and then a big gulp of beer, feeling the bubbles bursting in the mouth, and the chill rushing to the crown of the head, was indeed very satisfying.
By this time, Nuwa had given up on being reserved, and though the two of them didn’t talk much, they would make eye contact or clink glasses from time to time, creating a very comfortable atmosphere.
Chen Nuo, intent on hosting his guest, ate with even more reserve than Nuwa.
Munching on a crayfish slowly, then sipping on a beer, he wasn’t eating heartily, but he was quite content.
After Nuwa finished her crayfish, her long fingertips were still coated with soup. She shook her hands, hesitating between wiping them or washing them.
But standing up now would mean the mood that had just been built between her and Chen Nuo would be lost, and Nuwa was torn internally.
"There’s a faucet over there," Chen Nuo pointed out.
Following Chen Nuo’s gesture, Nuwa saw the faucet and stood up to wash the soup off her fingers.
She was about to ask if Chen Nuo wanted to wash up too when she turned around to see that he was already wiping his hands with a handkerchief, so the words she planned to say were left unspoken and, after washing, she returned to the table.
There were only two sips of beer left in her cup, and Nuwa picked up the glass to drink it down, then turned to Chen Nuo, "Shopkeeper Chen, you are truly incredible."
Her praise was genuine; not only was he skilled in cooking and had an eye for finding ingredients, but his talent extended to brewing and concocting beverages as well.
"Why would you say that?" Chen Nuo asked.
"That crayfish..." Nuwa said, "When I first saw the crayfish, I couldn’t imagine that they could be eaten at all, and I’m lucky it was Shopkeeper Chen I met; otherwise, if it were up to me to deal with them, I would surely have just gotten rid of the crayfish, completely unaware that they could be eaten."
For such matters, Chen Nuo felt there was no need to explain, after all, crayfish have always been a species fit for consumption.
But these immortals had not seen such things and didn’t find it strange, there are fried scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and such in the mortal world.
Even after seeing those, he felt very afraid inside; it’s just that other than the locals, people ate those things more out of curiosity than acceptance, unlike the wide popularity of crayfish.
"Perhaps this is the natural sensitivity to ingredients that comes with being a chef," Chen Nuo casually found a reason to brush it off.
However, what Chen Nuo said wasn’t wrong, specialization in a trade does lead to particular sensitivity within one’s field of expertise.
"I believe crayfish will definitely become the hottest dish at Chaos Residence," said Nuwa.
The cooking method of crayfish is very simple and not particularly difficult, making it the simplest among the dishes in Chaos Residence.
Moreover, with their shells, crayfish are both easy to store and transport, whether eaten in-house or taken away, it’s very convenient.
"Then I’ll take your kind words to heart."
Even though Chen Nuo knew that crayfish would become the hottest dish in the restaurant, he still thanked Nuwa, as it was polite to do so.
"Shopkeeper Chen, you already possess such ability," said Nuwa.
After finishing the beer in her cup, Nuwa got ready to stand up and say goodbye to Chen Nuo.
For some reason, every time she left Chaos Residence, she always felt a sense of hurry and discomfort, as if she were fleeing.
Nothing had actually happened, but for some reason, the self-control and pride she had always taken pride in would suddenly disappear in Chen Nuo’s presence.
"Shopkeeper Chen, I already imposed on you by coming over after you canceled tonight’s reservation, and now I’ve bothered you for so long, even freeloaded a meal. I shouldn’t impose any further," Nuwa said.
Nuwa carefully chose her words, attributing all the embarrassment she felt to the guilt of imposing on him.
"It’s fine, having Lady Nuwa for company means I wouldn’t be bored when I go to the mortal world to catch crayfish. Actually, I should be the one saying thanks. How could I consider it a bother when Lady Nuwa visits? I prepared these crayfish as a token of gratitude," said Chen Nuo politely.
Nuwa didn’t know what to say. If she kept declining, she knew Chen Nuo would surely respond politely and carry on the conversation needlessly, not to mention wasting time.
With a slight nod of her head, as if to apologize to Chen Nuo, she then slowly walked towards the door.
Chen Nuo stood up as Nuwa did and followed her outside to see her off.
Tian Peng and Sun Wukong were selling milk tea; one moment they looked down and the next up, suddenly seeing Nuwa coming out from inside.
"Goddess Nuwa, why the hurry?" asked Wukong.
His nature had always been like this; no one else dared to talk to Nuwa in such a manner. The only ones who could approach Nuwa with such an attitude, apart from the saints like her, were the master and disciple duo from Chaos Residence.
Having been taught by Chaos Residence, Wukong never had much of a concept of status, other than his own master.
Regardless of who it was or what their status, in his eyes, no one was more important than his master.
This was something only Wukong could ask with a tone like inquiring after a neighbor’s sister.
Yet Nuwa herself didn’t seem to mind; she glanced at Wukong and nodded her head.
