Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 324 Mantis Shrimp Can Also Be Grilled

Upon entering the restaurant, although the main entrance was closed, the heavy winter curtains inside had been removed.

A middle-aged woman sitting at the bar counter by the entrance, knitting, rolled her eyes and asked, "Want to eat? Upstairs or downstairs?"

Xiao Wei looked around and saw four round tables in the room, with stools haphazardly placed inside and out. In the middle of the room stood a coal stove for heating, which, although not removed, looked no longer burning, and the room was free of the smell of coal smoke.

Behind the bar is the kitchen, with blue wooden-framed glass windows through which you can see several people standing in the kitchen smoking, eating sunflower seeds, and chatting.

Xiao Wei turned to Chen Hui and asked, "Where should we sit? Upstairs or downstairs?"

Chen Hui looked at Chen Xiao, who said, "Let's sit upstairs. The higher you sit, the farther you can see, right, ma'am?" She asked the woman at the bar.

The eldest sister seemed to be in a good mood today, smiling as she said, "Okay, go upstairs. There's a thermos in the corner, pour yourself some hot water. Decide what you want to eat, the menu is on the wall. Call me when you've decided what you want." She smoothed out the yarn, picked up a piece with her little finger, and started knitting quickly without even looking at it.

Chen Xiao leaned over and peered at the bar counter, asking, "What are you knitting, ma'am? It's already spring and getting warmer."

The older woman looked up at Chen Xiao and said, "Knit a hat for the baby. The old one won't fit anymore. Babies change every year; what you knitted last year won't fit this year. The spring winds are so strong. Are you pregnant? How many months along are you?"

Chen Xiao was taken aback for a moment and asked, "How did you figure that out?"

The older sister smiled smugly and said, "Anyone who's been through this can tell. Your complexion and overall condition are different when you're pregnant. You're probably not far along, right? Be careful when you go out, don't bump into anything, and pay attention to what you eat. Oh, by the way, don't order crabs, you can't eat those. And eat less fish too. I'll get you some shrimp, that's good for you, and I'll also make you some shrimp dumplings."

While watching Chen Xiao speak, he moved his hands rapidly, clearly multitasking, no problem.

Chen Xiao said, "Is there anything I can't eat, or anything good to eat? I want to eat mantis shrimp."

The older woman changed the needle and said, "Mantis shrimp? It's alright, as long as you don't eat them raw. It's a pity, our chef pickles them really well, you won't get to eat them, haha. Boil five pounds of mantis shrimp, give four people a pound of shrimp dumplings, a plate of large prawns, and stir-fry some yellow clams, is that enough?"

Xiao Wei asked, "Can mantis shrimp only be boiled? Can't you steam them? Boiling them makes the meat shrink."

The older sister changed her needle again and said, "Then let's steam it. Add some scallions, garlic, and ginger. It'll be better than boiling, right? Anyway, I think mantis shrimp tastes better raw." She scratched her head a few times with the knitting needle and said, "Steam it, or how about steaming some and grilling them? Our chef here is really good at grilling mantis shrimp and clams, and we eat them with chili sauce."

Xiao Wei said, "Then let's steam it. Steam five catties and roast five catties. We can also have one catty of dumplings. Let's bring the prawns too. Forget about the yellow clams. Let's get a plate of squid, and two bream. Do you want some cod?" He turned to ask Xiao Hong.

The older sister changed the needle again, her speed was truly impressive. She said, "That's enough to eat. How big can the four of you have bellies? Sister, you're pregnant, so be careful not to overeat. It'll not only make you uncomfortable, but it could also cause problems. Eat less, and have several meals a day. You're his boyfriend, right?" The older sister looked at Chen Hui, who nodded. The older sister said, "You have to keep an eye on your wife. She's pregnant and can't control her cravings. Don't let her eat too much."

Xiao Hong was having trouble making a sound and was being dragged upstairs by Xiao Wei. Chen Xiao stared in disbelief as the older woman walked toward the kitchen. Chen Hui had a pained and embarrassed expression on his face, but a glare from Chen Xiao made him smile, and he helped Chen Xiao upstairs.

Going up the cement stairs to the second floor, I saw three round tables by the window and two more against the wall. The place was quite large; these days, very few private businesses dare to open such a big place, and they can't find the space.

At that time, state-run restaurants were not well-decorated, with white walls and cement floors, and slogans such as "Promote civility, establish new customs, and strive to be masters of socialism" were posted on the walls.

The four of them randomly found a table by the window and sat down. Xiao Hong was still smiling, and she burst into laughter as soon as she saw Chen Hui.

Xiao Wei went to get the thermos, and Chen Hui found a few glasses on the shelf and poured a cup of hot water for each of them.

Sipping hot water and gazing at the distant river outside the window, Xiaohong asked, "What do you think the people on the other side are doing right now?"

Xiao Wei said, "We're still just surviving, working and eating. I heard the people across the street are really poor now, they can't even afford to eat."

Xiao Hong asked, "Then what will we eat? Is the area across the street even poorer than ours? Don't they farm?"

Xiao Wei said, "No one lives in the border area. The other side is a bit like our production team system in the 1950s, where everyone ate from the same pot. Back then, we didn't have enough to eat either. If it weren't for the household responsibility system, things might be different now."

Footsteps sounded, and the woman came up with a plate, saying, "The water's been poured? Here, the prawns are ready, boiled in salt water, all fresh. Want some drinks?"

Xiao Wei said, "I don't drink alcohol, do you have champagne?" Champagne is quite popular in China right now, but it's actually drunk like a large bottle of soda. It's not cheap, costing more than ten yuan a bottle, and it's a little bigger than a beer bottle.

The older sister smoothed her hair and said, "Yes, I'll take it to you. That stuff is too fizzy, little sister, drink less of it, it'll make you feel bloated." She went downstairs, click.

The food was served quickly; within twenty minutes, all the dishes except the grilled ones were on the menu, including the shrimp dumplings. The four of them drank champagne, chatted, and ate. Xiaowei and Chen Hui peeled mantis shrimp for Xiaohong and Chen Xiao. These shrimp were hard to peel; they really hurt when they pricked you.

After eating for a while, the grilled food was ready. Grilled mantis shrimp and clams were served with a bowl of chili sauce. The chili sauce was made by crushing chili peppers and tomatoes, and it had a spicy flavor with a hint of sweet and sour freshness, which was very refreshing.

Then Xiaowei and Chen Hui discovered, to their dismay, that grilled mantis shrimp were even harder to peel; they would break in one go. However, the meat did have a unique flavor, and Xiaohong and Chen Xiao ate it with beaming smiles.

Back then, state-run restaurants would remove the black veins from mantis shrimp before cooking, but private restaurants wouldn't. And in later generations, that won't happen anywhere; they'd just put them directly into the pot. Moreover, the mantis shrimp of that era were large and meaty, far superior to the farmed ones of later generations.

It took a full hour and a half for Xiaohong and Chen Xiao to finally put down their chopsticks, completely satisfied. Only then were Xiaowei and Chen Hui free to start eating. The dumplings were getting a little cold, but it didn't matter; as long as their wives were happy.

The two of them finished off the rest of the food on the table, drank half a cup of hot water, and lit a cigarette. Only then did they realize that life was still good, and it would have been even better if their fingers hadn't hurt.

Chen Xiao looked out the window, waved, and said, "Let's go for a walk in the park and take a boat ride."

(End of this chapter)