He sheepishly looked at the dirty shrimp in his hand, snatched the brush: “I’ll clean them better.”
The old man proudly snorted: “Good thing you didn’t mix them, or you’d have dirtied all my shrimp.”
The two bickered while Grandma washed Mulberries on the balcony and called the daughter-in-law and grandson to come home. The two women finally met and were very affectionate, sticking close no matter where they went. Even outings required mom’s company.
After washing, Grandma split the Mulberries in half, putting some in the fridge for after dinner. This half was for the daughter-in-law and grandson. Just as she finished, they arrived.
Before Grandma could say anything, the daughter-in-law was already coaxing the child: “Wait until later to eat, be good. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Little Fatty hugged a big box of ice cream tightly: “No, no! I want to eat now!”
Grandma raised an eyelid: “Want to eat? Eat then. But if you eat these Mulberries, you won’t get to eat during dinner. Just watch us eat. The Mushrooms and Small Dragon Shrimp are ours.”
Little Fatty’s fussing stopped. His eyes lit up. He ran to Grandma and took a few bites of Mulberries, mumbling: “Is there Small Dragon Shrimp?!”
Daughter-in-law:
Surprised her son was actually using mealtime as leverage?!
Then clear-headed.
Oh, Small Dragon Shrimp. That figures.
Seizing the moment, she put the ice cream back in the fridge, glanced at the two busy with the shrimp cleaning, and before she could ask why they washed them separately, Grandma called her to eat Mulberries. The unchilled fruit wasn’t her favorite, so she planned to just try a few bites.
But once she started eating, she stopped her motion to leave and naturally sat next to Grandma, reaching for the Mulberries on the coffee table: “Mom, these Mulberries taste really good!”
Grandma smiled: “Right? Your dad bought them. The boss here sells good stuff. He bought quite a bit today because he knows you all like it.”
The daughter-in-law was deeply moved: “Thank you, Mom and Dad.”
For such a stingy man to buy so much meant a lot, and the quality was guaranteed.
How could she not be touched?
As the Mulberries ran low, she pulled her hand back, distracted by her phone. No problem, Small Dragon Shrimp was coming. Grandma was skilled in the kitchen and would make them delicious. The kitchen prep was done, and Grandma took over the remaining work.
Da Pang returned to the sofa and started a game.
Grandma fired up both stoves, while the old man helped.
One wok was for the Small Dragon Shrimp, the other for Wild Crucian Carp Mushroom Soup.
Soon, the rich aroma wafted into the living room.
The daughter-in-law couldn’t focus on her phone, and Da Pang kept losing concentration in his game, wondering,
What’s going on? Why does it smell so good?
Why does the Small Dragon Shrimp smell even better than at the barbecue place a few days ago?
And amid the spicy heat, there was a fresh, delicate fragrance mixed in?
Before even tasting, both had swallowed several times unconsciously.
Little Fatty sat early in the living room, eyes fixed on Grandma working her magic.
Grandma didn’t need to turn her head to feel several pairs of eyes on her. If they weren’t family, it would be downright creepy.
Finally, under a silent bombardment of “I’m so hungry, I want to eat now, Grandma, please hurry, your good grandson is starving,” a bowl of Wild Crucian Carp Mushroom Soup was served first, followed two minutes later by a big bowl of spicy Small Dragon Shrimp.
But there was more. Two servings of Small Dragon Shrimp were cooked separately, plus some greens, and the chef and helper were still busy. Da Pang held back restless Little Fatty for another ten minutes until all dishes were on the table and everyone sat down.
“Everyone’s here, let’s eat!” Da Pang grabbed his chopsticks first: “I’ve been waiting forever. First time I’m this impatient. Mom, your cooking just keeps getting better!”
The daughter-in-law nodded, also picking up her chopsticks.
Little Fatty nodded excitedly, heading straight for his long-awaited dish.
Spicy Small Dragon Shrimp!
Even Little Fatty, a little elementary schooler, could eat spicy food.
Each grabbed a shrimp.
They were big, with hard shells. The chopsticks felt heavy in hand. Adults managed well, but Little Fatty dropped one on the table. He used his hands, one grabbing the back, the other the tail, twisting in opposite directions until a large chunk of tender white shrimp meat stained with a bit of red chili oil came free.
The tail was cut open, peeled back, exposing the whole tail meat, which he popped into his mouth.
A big mouthful of meat, bursting with spicy, fragrant flavor, yet the taste quickly shifted his attention.
Tender and bouncy wasn’t just a phrase here.
Da Pang’s first bite made him murmur: “Hmm?”
Chewing carefully, he was even more satisfied.
So tender!
He could even taste a fresh sweetness.
Combined with the salty, numbing spicy sauce—perfect! Absolutely perfect!
There really wasn’t a better match.
As he ate, his mom served a bowl of Wild Crucian Carp Mushroom Soup: “Drink some of this, it’s good too.”
Da Pang recalled the mild but incredibly fresh aroma he’d noticed in the spicy shrimp’s sauce. Despite the bold flavors, the delicate scent hadn’t been masked. He put down his shrimp, lifted the bowl, and took a sip.
He couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Wow!” *2
His wife, who was also served soup, voiced the same.
Both were shocked by the extreme freshness their taste buds encountered.
It was strange but synchronized—when they ate something delicious, they ate with focus. When they drank something tasty, they instinctively exclaimed.
Little Fatty laughed at their reaction, his oily little face beaming: “Isn’t it delicious?! These Mushrooms are so good! They’re good in anything, but fried Mushrooms are the best! Grandma, make fried Mushrooms for Mom tomorrow?”
Grandma sipped her soup leisurely. She’d eaten one shrimp and stopped, unwilling to compete with her son and daughter-in-law for food. Now hearing her grandson’s words, she smiled wryly: “That’s what you want, right?”
Little Fatty smiled guiltily: “Grandma~~~”
Grandma snorted: “Finish your homework first.”
Little Fatty:
The daughter-in-law clicked her tongue and drank several more sips.
She finished the whole bowl of soup but still wanted more shrimp. Torn, she served herself another bowl, planning to alternate shrimp and soup before eating rice.
Seeing her so happy, Grandma smiled: “Dad bought a lot today. Tonight we’ll make Mushroom Meat Sauce and send some to your parents, along with fresh Mushrooms.”
“Okay?”
The daughter-in-law shyly said, “Mom, you keep some for yourselves. I didn’t know today; I’ll buy some myself tomorrow.” Mushrooms were expensive, and she knew good Mushrooms didn’t come cheap.
Usually, the two elderly didn’t ask their son for money, living off their pensions.
The old man explained: “The boss only comes every other day now. Probably won’t come tomorrow. You two leave early the day after tomorrow, so you won’t be able to buy any then. It’s fine—I bought all this because fresh Mushrooms don’t keep well, and our building isn’t good for drying.”
The daughter-in-law immediately softened: “Thanks, Mom and Dad.”
After this, the family happily ate.
But two jin of shrimp wasn’t much. Especially since these were large, there were just over ten pieces. Once eaten, it was gone.
Unsatisfied, the group reached for another plate of shrimp.
But this time, the shrimp didn’t seem right.
The meat wasn’t as firm or bouncy. Tasting carefully, the meat lacked sweetness and had a slight earthy fishy smell.
Da Pang looked at the now-empty plate, then at the remaining shrimp no one wanted to eat. Tears almost welled up. He had only eaten three!
Such delicious shrimp, and he only ate three!
“Honey~” Da Pang hesitated, “How about we take a day off and buy more shrimp? I really haven’t had enough!”
Wife:
…
Though she hadn’t eaten enough either!
Same seasoning, but why did the earlier shrimp taste better?!
“Steps exactly the same, hotpot base the same, why does this batch taste so much better?”
Zhang Yan’s boyfriend had cooked dinner. Taking his first bite of Small Dragon Shrimp, he couldn’t help but wonder.
Zhang Yan was too busy devouring the shrimp to answer.
Honestly, the shells were so hard she almost chipped a tooth.
But the result was worth it.
The meat was delicious!
So tender, and under the spicy flavor, she could still taste a freshness almost like fish but not quite the same.
The heavy spices didn’t just mask the fishy taste but combined with the shrimp’s own flavor, elevating it all.
Her boyfriend nudged her under the table, chewing shrimp and muffling: “Hey, I’m talking to you.”
Zhang Yan: “Um… probably the quality.”
“Good quality and cheap?” He was skeptical.
Because earlier that day, Zhang Yan had told him she bought the shrimp ten yuan cheaper than the usual price!
At first, he thought they were dead shrimp and wanted to warn her not to be greedy on cheap food—today was their indulgence day, and messing up their mouths wasn’t worth it. But then he saw the lively shrimp waving their big claws in the bag.
A vague familiarity made him think of that tough but tasty fish before.
Yet ten yuan cheaper than normal? No way.
The boss’s stuff was good quality and shouldn’t be discounted that much.
So he was puzzled.
Zhang Yan: “Ahem!”
She coughed twice, swallowed, and then, amused by his serious skepticism, said:
“It’s because the normal price is 51 yuan per jin!”
Boyfriend: “?”
Eyes wide: “What?! Fifty-one?!”
Though these big shrimp were pricier than normal Small Dragon Shrimp, it wasn’t usually that high. Thirty-five per jin was already expensive.
“Did you buy them from that Jiang boss? Why the discount? Did you save her life?”
“Haha, no!” Zhang Yan didn’t tease. “The boss doesn’t like this kind of Small Dragon Shrimp because the shell is too hard, so she discounted ten yuan. Now it’s 40 yuan per jin! The other kind, greener and smaller, is 50 yuan per jin.”
Her boyfriend instantly said: “That’s really cheap!”
Considering how good the shrimp tasted and how clean they were—he didn’t even know where to start washing them—plus the price, it was a steal!
Zhang Yan bragged slowly: “Actually, I was really torn about what to buy—Small Dragon Shrimp, fish, Mushrooms, Mulberries. But 200 yuan obviously wasn’t enough, so…”
Her boyfriend understood but seeing so much delicious food, overspending was normal. He comforted her, “Then we just save a bit the next few days to make up for it.”
Zhang Yan shook her head firmly: “So at the time, I didn’t even dare buy. I let others go first.”
Boyfriend:
He was exasperated by her deliberate sentence breaks but also a bit touched.
All over a few dozen yuan, and she made others wait.
Seeing her chew shrimp so loudly, he didn’t dare tease her and listened as she said all at once: “This is a girl discovering her potential to eat. Her salary isn’t high, but she doesn’t rely on saving—she finds ways to make money. She went on a certain platform and fabricated stories, adding a new income stream. She spends big—this, this, this, all must be bought! We have to learn from her and work hard! At least set a small goal—be able to afford the food sold by the boss!”
“So from now on, I’ll work with you on the video channel, and I’ll think about other skills. I don’t have many talents, but I learned to draw in school. I’ll try to pick it up again. If I can get commissions, I’ll make some money. And…”
She ate and spoke as if everything had been planned before they got home.
Her boyfriend hadn’t expected her sudden burst of ambition.
Previously, Zhang Yan was quite a slacker—6,000 yuan salary, easy job, just getting by since life was cheap in their hometown. Even if his video channel didn’t make money, she didn’t worry and thought it was enough.
But now… she was fired up?!
He was inspired too and banged the table: “Alright! Let’s work hard so we can afford the boss’s food!”
This time, they were truly fired up!