"Little Taotie, you’ve actually set up a little table here!" Teacher Li came over, sat down next to the little girl with a plop, put on disposable gloves, and reached out to grab the fried giant lobster meat.
Little Taotie’s eyes widened, seeing him help himself without asking, she felt a bit annoyed.
Zaizai, who was protective of her food, was about to get angry when Teacher Li said, "Do you still want to eat the fried bugs?"
Little Taotie’s nostrils flared, looking at him with confusion.
Teacher Li took out a lunch box from his backpack, opened it, and inside was a box full of fried bugs.
Little Taotie was surprised, "How do you have so many fried bugs?"
Teacher Li smiled with pride, "A man of the mountains always has his ways!"
Little Taotie admired, "You are really amazing."
"Here, take this." Teacher Li passed the box over.
Little Taotie, "All for me?"
"It’s a trade, although the bugs are not as precious as the giant lobsters."
"Okay!" Little Taotie waved her little hand, "Help yourself!"
Teacher Li was getting older, his appetite wasn’t very good, but seeing Little Taotie eat so deliciously, his appetite was also whetted, and he ate a few more bites.
Seeing that he hadn’t eaten much and stopped, Little Taotie asked in confusion, "Is it not tasty, why aren’t you eating anymore?"
"I’m full. I’m older now; I can’t eat too much. It can lead to indigestion."
"Eating too much, it’s like getting blocked up. The food reaches the throat, and a single burp can cause acid reflux."
"Does it feel very uncomfortable?"
"Very uncomfortable."
Little Taotie gave up on inviting him to eat more, and could only silently enjoy the delicacies by herself.
Teacher Li was increasingly amazed as he watched Little Taotie finish off a whole table of giant lobsters, then the empty shells were cleared away and a new table was brought in!
Then she finished that off as well, and a new table was brought in!
Table after table, in an endless cycle.
"You... aren’t full yet?"
"You... don’t feel stuffed?"
"You... don’t feel uncomfortable?"
Teacher Li was convinced, his gaze towards Little Taotie filled with admiration.
He thought: So she really can eat, it’s not just for show.
Ji Guang sighed, "She really can eat."
Teacher Li turned to look and saw Ji Guang watching Little Taotie with a face full of admiration.
Teacher Li asked, "When did you get here?"
Ji Guang, "When you were still eating."
Teacher Li remembered he had been eating the giant lobster, and by now, Little Taotie had eaten several tables’ worth.
"You’ve been standing here the whole time?"
"You haven’t made a sound. If you don’t make a sound, I don’t even know you’re behind me."
"I was so taken aback that I didn’t know how to react or how to speak up."
Teacher Li nodded sympathetically, "I was surprised too."
Both of their gazes turned towards Little Taotie, their eyes filled with admiration.
Later... they both became numb.
From initial admiration to eventual numbness, it only took ten tables.
The Chef had collapsed from exhaustion, and half a train carriage of giant lobsters hadn’t been cooked yet.
The Chef, "I can’t go on. My hands don’t have any strength left, they are sore."
Little Taotie, seeing that the giant lobsters were not coming out, ran to the kitchen to see, and found the Chef collapsed on the table with an air of despondency.
Little Taotie asked in a baby voice, "Sister, what’s wrong with you?"
The Chef, "I’m off-duty."
"Off-duty? What does that mean?"
"Zaizai, I’ve passed out."
"You’ve passed out now? Then how can you still talk to me?"
The Chef became even more despondent, "I’m already dead, if you need something, just burn paper for me."