Chapter 2 (Spicy Crab)

As a cook, Yan Qiushu couldn’t stop imagining all the delicious dishes she could make with river seafood.

But it was getting late, so she decided to try her luck. She told the soldiers guarding her, and they followed her to find vegetable vendors on the street.

After walking a bit, she found what she wanted.

She bought crabs, fish, river shrimp, and even a few clams—though not many, but still something.

Yan Qiushu also went to other stores to buy cinnamon, bay leaves, and other spices. Then she returned to the post station, packed some silver, and borrowed the kitchen.

The post station’s kitchen was divided into a large one and a small one. The small kitchen was often needed for guests, so it had all the basic ingredients like oil, salt, ginger, and vinegar.

With the seasonings Yan Qiushu bought, she was ready to make spicy crab.

But first, she had to prepare everything.

She cleaned the crabs, removed the threads from the shrimp, and waited for the clams to spit out the sand. She also put aside the fish.

In this time period, there were no potatoes or sweet potatoes, so Yan Qiushu worried the dish might taste too salty and spicy without a staple food. 

Suddenly, she remembered braised flower rolls from Northeast China and smiled. 

After that, she started to prepare the ingredients.

Once the crabs and shrimp were ready, she washed her hands and started kneading the dough.

While waiting for the dough to rise, she began to cook. The first step was to heat the oil in a pan.

Yan Qiushu was thankful for her countryside upbringing, which had taught her how to use a clay stove. She started the fire and added oil to the large iron pot. The pot became smooth and shiny.

Once the oil was hot, she added the crab halves, dipped in flour, to the pan. The pot immediately started making a “sizzling…” sound.

The oil glistened, but Yan Qiushu was used to this. Her face, slightly childish, was calm as her hands moved with ease. After frying all the crabs until their shells turned red, she set them aside and changed the oil.

Next, she added ingredients like cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt to the hot oil. The smell burst out. Yan Qiushu’s face scrunched up from the strong smell, but she quickly added the crabs to the pan, reducing the pungency.

Still, a series of sneezes came from outside the kitchen door.

“A-choo, a-choo…” The sneezes were nonstop.

Yan Qiushu was surprised to see it was Yan Xiang.

Yan Xiang smiled awkwardly. “Miss Yan, I was just passing by. Why does it smell so strong? What are you cooking?”

Yan Qiushu smiled and said, “I’m making something delicious. Sir Yan, would you like to try it later?”

“That’s fine, thank you. Can I help you with anything?” Yan Xiang asked eagerly.

Yan Qiushu pointed at the stove. “Can you light the fire?”

“Yes! Tell me whether you need a high or low fire, and I’ll make sure it’s perfect!” Yan Xiang responded, sitting down.

Yan Qiushu directed him to adjust the fire.

Yan Xiang, not acting like a typical official, was open and friendly. He would sneak peeks at Yan Qiushu’s actions when she wasn’t looking. However, there was no curiosity in his eyes—only caution.

He hadn’t purposely walked by the small kitchen earlier. He had come out of curiosity, wondering if Yan Qiushu was someone of special identity. After all, he had thought she wanted to eat river food, but when he smelled the pungent odor, he came to check on it. However, his sneezes gave him away.

Yan Xiang watched her with surprise. What was this girl doing? Wasn’t river seafood usually steamed? That’s how crabs were loved in the palace! Instead, she was making something so pungent. Wasn’t that ruining the freshness?

Just then, Yan Xiang noticed the smell was starting to change.

From a simple spicy aroma to a strong, appetizing fragrance, then a hint of fishiness. But as soon as a spoonful of water was added and the lid was closed, the scent vanished, leaving Yan Xiang feeling a bit disappointed. 

“Why did it go away?”

The fragrance had been so pleasant!

At the same time, Yan Qiushu kept herself busy. She started making steamed buns with the fermented dough. She shaped two long strips of dough, adding chopped green onions and oil, twisting them with her delicate fingers into beautiful petal shapes.

She didn’t make many—just a stack of twelve.

Afterward, Yan Qiushu opened the lid, and Yan Xiang, still managing the fire, was immediately hit by a stronger aroma than before, with a spicy scent. He inhaled deeply and then swallowed.

Why did it seem so delicious?

He watched eagerly, and Yan Qiushu, noticing his reaction, was a little happy. She kept working and reassured him, “Master Yan, wait a bit longer. It’ll be ready soon.”

She understood his impatience. Her mouth watered just thinking about it. But the crabs had to be handled properly to avoid problems when eaten. She couldn’t be careless.

Yan Xiang smiled awkwardly. “No hurry, no hurry…”

He secretly rubbed his face, embarrassed by his craving for food!

After Yan Qiushu stir-fried the shrimp, making sure they were nearly cooked, she added water starch and continued stir-frying. When it was almost done over high heat, she placed the steamed buns on top and closed the lid again.

This time, they only needed to wait for a short while.

When the lid was opened, the rich aroma seemed to explode straight to the top of their heads!

Yan Xiang stood up without thinking, attracted by the delicious smell. When he looked into the pot, his eyes opened wide in surprise.

The large black iron pot was filled with a reddish-brown color. The crabs, cut in half, lay on top like half a gold ingot. Some crabs had broken roe, which looked so thick and tempting.

Plump beige steamed buns sat on top, their spicy aroma blending with the sweet fragrance of the dough. Even though he wasn’t hungry, he felt like he could eat the whole pot!

It looked so appetizing!

Yan Qiushu carefully packed two small portions and handed one to Yan Xiang.

“For me?” Yan Xiang didn’t expect to actually get some. He held the bowl, unsure.

Could this be safe?

The general had been conducting strict investigations on spies recently and had been suspicious of anyone. Miss Yan looked quite suspicious. Could such delicious food really be eaten?

At that moment, Yan Qiushu, who was already feeling the heat of the dish, said, “Hiss! It’s so hot!”

She kept breathing to cool her mouth but didn’t want to exhale. Her big eyes filled with tears from the heat.

She’d been craving it for so long that she couldn’t wait any longer. She grabbed one of the crab’s long legs and eagerly ate the crab roe, which had been tightly locked in the starch after frying.

It was delicious, but she hadn’t realized how hot it was. The crab roe tasted like boiling tofu in her mouth.

However, it was so good that Yan Qiushu endured the pain. After the heat faded, she relaxed and finally tasted the sweet flavor of the crab roe.

So delicious!!!

Yan Qiushu loved seafood, especially river fish, but some things are only in season. She hadn’t had freshwater crabs for more than half a year before coming here. She had been thinking about them but hadn’t expected them to be so good when she finally had them again.

The crabs were not only plump but the meat was so delicious that even the spicy flavor couldn’t overpower it! 

Yan Qiushu ate with delight. Her fair hands were stained with brown soup as she skillfully peeled the crab shells, as if she’d done it a thousand times. Yan Xiang watched longingly, his mouth watering.

Once he saw her eating, he decided to join in.

He quickly started eating, tears in his eyes from the spiciness, but the taste was so addictive he couldn’t stop. He was eating with joy, though his crab-shell skills weren’t great, mixing crab meat with shells, which took away some of the deliciousness. Still, just this little taste made him feel relaxed and happy. He envied Yan Qiushu, who could eat so much!

“Hiss–” Yan Xiang accidentally bit into a Sichuan pepper and winced. After taking a moment to recover, he kept eating. After another bite of crab paste, he felt better and fully enjoyed the meal.

Yan Qiushu, the first to eat, had already stopped after two crabs.

She wasn’t full, but her small stomach couldn’t hold more.

She washed her hands with soap, scooped up the remaining crabs and soup from the pot, placed the hot steamed buns on top, and walked out with them. “My lord, enjoy your meal. I have something else to do, so I’ll leave first.”

“…Okay, walk slowly, walk slowly…” Yan Xiang muttered, still in a daze, continuing to eat while wiping the sweat from his forehead due to the spiciness.

So delicious! 

He had been wrong. He thought the strong flavor would mask the crab’s taste, but it actually made it even better!!!