Ignoring the mother and daughter, she continued to wash the crabs in her hands with a rhythmic motion.
She worked quickly, and by the time she had finished washing the crabs, Ms. Liu hadn’t even finished washing the cucumbers. Seeing this, she took over the pot again, angering Ms. Liu so much that she looked like she was about to choke.
The lunch was still cooked by Ms. Wang and her together. Steamed crabs, cleaned shrimp, and the chives given by an elder when she had returned from Land Officer Yang’s house were used to make a plate of stir-fried chives with shrimp. They also cooked a vegetable soup and served it with corn pancakes.
At least it was much better than what they had eaten when they were living with the Yang family. Not only could they fill their stomachs, but they could also enjoy seafood, delighting both Yang Qingtong and Yang Xiayun who clapped their hands in joy.
"People say these little shrimps have no meat and are not tasty, plus they are troublesome to clean. But now they taste quite good." Ms. Wang smiled and added some shrimp to Yang Dachuan’s plate, "Try this, it’s quite fragrant."
"Mmm, delicious!" Yang Dachuan gave the most direct praise.
"Dad, let me tell you; I can make it even tastier next time," Xiaxia said.
"Xiaxia is so smart!" Yang Dachuan praised her again.
Yang Chuxia sweated. Recently, she had heard a lot from Yang Dachuan about how clever and intelligent Xiaxia was.
"In my opinion, people here can’t stand being poor or rich. When they have no money, they are picky. Why can’t these small shrimps and fish be eaten? They are just too picky. Fortunately, they are picky and I don’t have to pay for them. Tomorrow, I’ll pick up some more with my younger brother, dry them, and we can eat them in winter."
Not only can the dried shrimp be eaten anytime, but the same is true for the small fish. When they’re dried, pair them with green peppers or spicy green peppers for a delicious dish. As for the scallops, let them spit out the sand in the water, then dry them. They can also be used in porridge. In modern times, a bowl of scallop porridge can cost 20 dollars, which isn’t cheap for ordinary people.
No wonder people here are so poor, wasting such great resources.
Ms. Wang listened to her and nodded, "Isn’t that right? In the past, I picked up some scallops and was scolded by your grandmother and great-grandmother, saying it wasted oil and wasn’t as good as the dishes made in town."
Yang Chuxia was speechless. You can imagine the frustration of people living by the sea but not being able to eat seafood. Also, these people think that the dishes in the restaurant are delicious, but their own dishes are not. Isn’t the food in the restaurant cooked by people too?
The most important thing is, why do all dishes have to be cooked with oil and red-braised? Even seafood? Can’t you steam seafood without oil? Steamed seafood can be dipped in vinegar or sauce according to personal taste, and it can retain the food’s freshness to the greatest extent.
"Mom, these scallops don’t even need oil. They can be eaten just by steaming them," Xiaxia said.
"Steaming isn’t tasty. The fishy taste is too strong," Ms. Wang replied without thinking.
"That’s because you’re not dipping it into anything," Yang Chuxia said after thinking for a moment. "Although the scallops we picked up are not a lot, it’s enough for us to taste. I’ll show you a different way to cook them tonight, and I guarantee it will be different from what you think."
"Oh, more delicious food!" Yang Xiayun clapped her hands again when she heard this.