Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 126

How Could She Do This?

Compared to Hip-Hop Mei, Su Ruixi and Yabi Mei were in no better state. They had eaten plenty of delicacies in their lives, but it was precisely because they had eaten so many that they understood the true value of this bowl of Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe.

The broth was crystal clear, without a single speck of oil or floating powder. This was exceptionally rare for a Lion’s Head soup, especially since they had ladled it out from a large tureen rather than eating from individual stewing pots.

With Su Ruixi’s movement, the “mane” of the Lion’s Head should have loosened, with some strands breaking off and floating to the surface. And yet, at this very moment, the meatball remained whole, sitting in a perfectly clear broth.

Only the chopped scallions had shifted with her movement, drifting from atop the crab roe into the soup. But these two or three specks of green only added to the scene, floating gently like cheerful little fish.

Having admired its “color,” it was time to eat.

Hip-Hop Mei had already dug directly into the Lion’s Head—it was today’s main event, after all. But Su Ruixi and Yabi Mei were different. They first used their spoons to scoop up some of the clear broth. The liquid shimmered in the spoon, like a clear pool disturbed by a thrown pebble.

As the spoon neared, a delicate fragrance wafted to their noses. There was the savory scent of umami[ efn_note]鲜味 | xiānwèi | Often translated as “umami,” it refers to the fifth basic taste, a savory and brothy flavor common in meats, mushrooms, and fermented products.[/efn_note], the aroma of cabbage, and an indescribable layer of clean fragrance. There was no fishiness from the crab or gaminess from the pork; it simply made you think: this is definitely going to be delicious.

Su Ruixi blew on it gently before bringing it to her lips. It had been sitting on a warming plate for over an hour, so the soup wasn’t scalding. It was pleasantly warm, the perfect temperature for drinking. In that same instant, the flavor of the soup washed over her. It was similar to chicken broth—light and elegant—yet different, even more delicate. A faint saltiness gently stimulated her taste buds, followed by a hint of crab.

Su Ruixi wasn’t a fan of strongly-flavored foods, and crab was certainly one of them. But the crab flavor here was very subtle. The moment it went down, it conjured an image of a moonlit lotus pond, where a crab rested leisurely amongst the leaves, utterly content. The taste of pork was barely there, but it was present. It wasn’t the usual gamy flavor, but rather like pork smoked over fruitwood, carrying a clean fragrance and a natural sweetness.

None of these flavors were overwhelming. They were faint, perfectly fused, and made one’s mouth water.

After two sips, it felt as if a gentle breeze had caressed her entire digestive tract. The soothing sensation was like soaking in a hot bath, warming her from the inside out.

With the soup sampled, it was time for the Lion’s Head itself. Su Ruixi subconsciously decided to save the crab roe for last. She trusted Sun Miao, certain that even if it was made from crab, it wouldn’t be fishy. Still, years of habit made her reach for the pork first. It was a conditioned reflex.

Su Ruixi switched to chopsticks, as a porcelain spoon wasn’t ideal for applying force. With a light touch, she easily broke off a piece. This struck Su Ruixi as odd. A good Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe was prized for holding its shape while having a satisfyingly chewy texture. Logically, it should be firmer towards the center and looser on the outside. To be able to break off a piece so effortlessly…

If it had been anyone else, Su Ruixi would already be questioning their culinary skills. What was so good about a loosely packed Lion’s Head? But because Sun Miao had made it, her confidence in the dish remained firm. Su Ruixi lifted the piece with her chopsticks, bringing it closer to examine it carefully.

The piece she had broken off was truly tiny, about the size of her pinky fingernail. Two or three little cubes of meat clung together, fused so perfectly that you couldn’t make out their individual shapes without close inspection. In between them was a white, paste-like substance, which Su Ruixi assumed was flour.

She now understood why it had been so easy to separate. The meat cubes had form. After stewing at high heat, they had leaped and danced in the soup, causing their structure to loosen significantly. Yet they remained intimately connected, sticking together even as their shapes changed. But under the intervention of her chopsticks, they were quickly parted.

Thus, when Su Ruixi picked up a piece, the meat cubes hugged each other tightly, looking like a miniature Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe.

The thought amused Su Ruixi, and she smiled to herself. She stopped observing and popped it into her mouth.

No joke, in that instant, Su Ruixi experienced the kind of feeling you see in anime. She remembered a cartoon from her childhood where, after eating the protagonist’s food, a golden light would flash across the character’s vision, accompanied by a ding! sound effect. In that moment, everyone watching the screen knew just how delicious the dish was. [LP: This anime might be Chūka Ichiban!]

So that’s why anime uses that kind of expression, Su Ruixi thought. When you eat something truly amazing, you really do have a flash of inspiration.

The meat cubes were stuck together tightly, but they weren’t tough. On the contrary, the bite was surprisingly crisp, while also having the tender, yielding quality of meat. She could tell immediately that there was more fatty pork than lean, but it was the perfect kind of fat—rich but not greasy. As she bit down, the fresh umami flavor from the crab meat emerged.

The taste of crab briefly masked the pork, but after another chew or two, the flavor of the pork reasserted its dominance. Yet this Lion’s Head had absolutely no pork gaminess or crab fishiness. It was perfectly balanced, its flavor alone enough to make Su Ruixi feel utterly captivated.

Now, Su Ruixi was filled with anticipation for the small dollop of crab roe on top.

Just as she was about to move her chopsticks, she noticed Hip-Hop Mei had already picked up her ladle, ready to serve herself a second one. Su Ruixi watched, her eyes wide. She wanted to stop her, but she didn’t want to waste time. She wanted that bite of crab roe in her bowl even more.

Fortunately, Yabi Mei stopped her.

“Xu Zian, eat some of the other dishes first. We have plenty of time to eat, and there are only so many Lion’s Heads. If you finish your share now, we won’t give you any of ours.”

As it turned out, Hip-Hop Mei was easily persuaded and easily fooled. After Yabi Mei’s warning, she just said, “Oh,” and switched her target. If it were Su Ruixi, she would never have fallen for it. She was the one who had served the meatballs to everyone; how could she not know how many there were?

Ten. That meant among the four of them, two were destined to only get two meatballs. In this situation, eating fast was actually an advantage.

But the fastest eater had been diverted, so now Su Ruixi and Yabi Mei could both breathe a sigh of relief.

Based on the current situation, both Su Ruixi and Yabi Mei had a chance to claim three Lion’s Heads. But Su Ruixi was thinking bigger: I still have Sun Miao! I can’t just fight for myself; I have to get the third one for Sun Miao, too. In that moment, Su Ruixi somewhat regretted inviting the Hip-hop and Yabi duo over for dinner.

If they hadn’t come, Sun Miao would have made ten, and we could have had five each!

But the most urgent matter right now was to eat her own!

Su Ruixi continued her assault on the small dollop of crab roe. After being stewed at high heat, the crab roe should have been very loose, but Su Ruixi was able to pick up the entire clump with one deft move of her chopsticks. She put it in her mouth and discovered it had a completely different feel from the meatball. The crab roe’s texture was much denser, almost creamy, more like a single entity. It also had a slightly sandy mouthfeel.

There wasn’t a trace of fishiness. Instead, the savory, saline flavor of the crab roe exploded in her mouth. While the pork flavor had previously overshadowed the crab, in this moment, the crab roe imperiously drove away all traces of pork. That single bite sent a wave of satisfaction through her entire body.

The crab was showing its domineering side, as if it were brandishing its pincers and rampaging through her mind.

At the same time, it brought a feeling of summer. In a daze, she saw lotus leaves floating on water, felt a cool breeze blow by, sweeping away all the worries in her heart.

Delicious. Su Ruixi never imagined crab could be prepared this well. She inevitably made her think of related dishes, like crab roe with rice or crab roe with noodles. She had tried them before, but just one bite of the overwhelmingly fishy flavor had made her spit it out and swear them off forever.

She just couldn’t handle overly strong flavors. She knew there were people in the world who loved that fishy taste, even treasuring ingredients with a strong odor, like—for instance, Houttuynia¹ is one of them. Plenty of people loved crab roe rice and noodles; Su Ruixi was definitely not one of them.

But now, after eating the crab roe made by Sun Miao, Su Ruixi was starting to look forward to them. Crab roe rice and noodles that were rich with crab flavor but carried no fishiness.

Just thinking about it made her want to slurp to keep the drool from escaping her lips.

As she savored the crab roe, she couldn’t help but lament how stingy Sun Miao was, only putting a tiny bit on top as a garnish. She continued eating the Lion’s Head, and that clean fragrance grew more and more pronounced. She didn’t know what it was, but she instinctively liked it.

Gradually, the Lion’s Head in Su Ruixi’s bowl disappeared. Just then, Hip-Hop Mei launched another offensive on the tureen. This time, it was Su Ruixi’s turn to run interference. She spoke up directly, “The cabbage in the Lion’s Head soup is amazing too. It’s soaked up all the broth and flavor. I’m getting some. Don’t you want to try it?”

The gluttonous Hip-Hop Mei didn’t hesitate. “Sure, I’ll have some.”

Su Ruixi regained control of the serving ladle. She first gave everyone a portion of cabbage, which she truly wanted to eat. The cabbage did not disappoint. It was tender and succulent, glistening with broth. The first bite was an explosion of the Lion’s Head soup’s flavor, mixed with the unique sweetness of the cabbage itself.

With that one bite, Su Ruixi felt completely and utterly satisfied.

She finished every last piece of cabbage and drank every last drop of soup. As she put down her bowl, she decided that this Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe had just reduced that professional chef’s version to dust.

Su Ruixi started wondering again: What other amazing things does Sun Miao have up her sleeve? Why didn’t she ever make me Lion’s Head Meatballs with Crab Roe when we didn’t go to Yuanfu Lou? Maybe I should find a chance to take Sun Miao to other restaurants to eat?

For instance, they could try Boiled Water Cabbage, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, or crab roe soup dumplings. The mere thought was enough to make her drool.

But right now, the most important thing was to get a second Lion’s Head.

Her gaze and Yabi Mei’s met across the dining table. They both saw the other as their greatest threat. In that instant, Yabi Mei understood. Su Ruixi had no intention of leaving the third extra meatball for her. She was going to split the extras with her girlfriend.

How could she do something like this!

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