Chapter 150: A Minor Display of Skill

Portrait photography contests are held practically every year, though under various names. The most authoritative and well-known ones are, naturally, organized by national-level publications.

Zhou Sheng loved computers, photography, and all things beautiful. He was not particularly fond of socializing, harboring an instinctive sense of detachment and aloofness toward those around him. Yet, the world captured through his lens revealed an entirely different dimension—much like a gentle pond enveloped in solid ice.

Chen Xin had not studied photography extensively. By the time she became proficient in those techniques, smartphones and cameras had evolved to a degree unimaginable to people of the present era. There was no need for complex photo editing; a single tap of the one-touch beautification function was quite sufficient for her needs.

The barbecue party lasted quite late. The elderly residents went back to rest around eight or nine o'clock, leaving behind the youngsters who did not have to attend classes. The latest among them carried on until midnight. Still, they maintained a sense of propriety; by around ten o'clock, the speakers were turned off, playing only brisk, light background music, and the sound was entirely inaudible just a short distance away from the shoreline.

Zhou Hao and Chen Xin brought Zhang Zhang back around ten o'clock, leaving the beach to the excited teenagers.

They did not need to worry overly much about the safety of these children. Born and raised by the sea, the youngsters understood the might of the ocean far better than anyone; barring a state of impaired consciousness, they would never venture into the sea for a night swim.

When Chen Xin woke up the next morning to prepare breakfast, she noticed that the two teenagers seemed to have gone out very early.

"They took Zhang Zhang out to catch seafood at low tide. I saw that you haven't been resting well lately, so I didn't wake you."

Zhou Hao returned carrying a small plastic bucket containing a few small crabs and several oysters.

"Let's put the oysters in a wooden bucket of seawater to purge for a bit later. We can use the small crabs to cook some congee this morning."

These small crabs looked remarkably clean. After being scrubbed and left to purge their impurities, they could be dropped right into boiling water. Ginger, scallions, and salt were added to the congee water. Once the rice had softened completely, the ginger and scallions were fished out and discarded, followed by the addition of butterflied shrimp. Once the shrimp shells turned pink, the dish was ready to be served.

The congee cooked with fresh small crabs and shrimp smelled so enticing that it made one's mouth water continuously. Chen Xin also used small clam meat to blend with eggs and flour, added chopped scallions, and fried a huge basin of egg pancakes. In addition, the leftover squid from the previous night was stir-fried with seasonings into another dish.

Hearing Zhou Hao mention that his grandfather did not particularly care for flour pancakes, Chen Xin took advantage of the time while the congee was simmering to knead some dough. Once everything else was ready, she set up a pot of water, and as it came to a boil, she hand-rolled and cut extremely fine noodles, dropping them in. Two boils of water were all it took to cook them through.

The noodle broth was made from the chicken soup simmered by the housekeeper the previous day, containing a couple of halved, blanched green vegetables, and several clams stir-fried in shrimp oil and olive oil. Topped with a beautifully fried soft-boiled egg and a final sprinkle of chopped scallions, the bowl was complete.

Pale yellow chicken soup, snow-white noodles, emerald-green vegetables, golden fried eggs, and a spoonful of rich crab roe.

When the steaming bowl of noodles was served at the table, Grandpa Zhou beamed endlessly. He loved noodles, but disliked flour pancakes, yet the local noodles available everywhere were machine-made and always carried a strange, off taste. The noodles cooked by this young woman had not a single trace of odd flavor, and the broth was rich while the meat was tender, instantly whetting one's appetite.

Zhou Hao walked out from behind the house carrying Zhang Zhang, followed closely by a group of half-grown boys.

Realizing that the breakfast might not stretch far enough to feed everyone, Chen Xin hurriedly told Zhou Hao to have the children sit and eat first, while she returned to the kitchen to busy herself for a while longer. She emerged carrying a large basin of black pepper beef pasta.

The pasta was of the rigatoni variety—short, hollow tubes that absorbed flavors even better when stir-fried after boiling.

The beef was also leftovers from the previous night kept in the refrigerator, which she simply tossed into the pan with a freshly prepared black pepper sauce.

Including Zhou Yu and Zhou Sheng, practically none of these children had ever tasted pasta prepared in this style. They decisively abandoned the seafood they ate every single day and eagerly dug their hands into the basin of pasta.

Chen Xin had already set aside a small, separate bowl specially for Grandpa Zhou.

"This flavor is quite strong, Grandpa Zhou. Try a bit first to see if you like it. If you think it's good, I'll stir-fry a portion for you tomorrow morning."

Watching the children eat with such gusto, Grandpa Zhou could not resist picking up his chopsticks. After chewing a few bites, he felt it was merely average—not nearly as flavorful and delicious as his own bowl of noodle soup.

"No, I want to eat this noodle dish again tomorrow." Becoming more childlike with age, Grandpa Zhou acted like a little kid, wanting to keep eating whatever caught his fancy.

"Auntie, I want this tomorrow too." Zhang Zhang, spooning up congee by himself, harbored an utterly baffling and passionate devotion to the seafood congee.

"Alright, alright, your wishes will all be fulfilled. What would you all like for lunch? I'll go buy some groceries."

Grandpa Zhou did not have demanding requirements when it came to food, and the teenagers announced that they were going out to play and would not be back for lunch, though they requested a seafood hotpot for dinner.

"Very well then. I'll just whip up something casual for lunch. Will you have any other friends coming over tonight? Let me know in advance so I can prepare enough food."

Chen Xin asked Zhou Hao to stay home and keep Grandpa Zhou company, while she and the housekeeper headed to the market to buy groceries.

The housekeeper had worked in the Zhou household for many years; she was a gentle and industrious middle-aged woman.

"The vegetables here aren't as varied as those in the inland regions, but the seafood is exceptional. Since it's rare for you and your nephew to visit, let's buy plenty of seafood today, and I'll cook you a proper local seafood feast."

Her culinary skills were quite commendable, or she could not have remained in the Zhou household for so long—especially given that Zhou Sheng's mother was notoriously picky about food.

"That sounds wonderful! Most of the seafood I've eaten wasn't prepared by locals, so the taste is bound to be completely different. Zhou Hao mentioned that Auntie is a wonderful cook, so I'm truly in for a treat."

There wasn't a huge variety of seafood available in the morning market; mostly, it consisted of miscellaneous small fish left over from the early fishing boats' return. However, in recent years, some vendors specialized in hoarding and selling stock, so if one wanted something less common, it was available—albeit at a slightly higher price.

For this marketing trip, Zhou Hao had specifically given the housekeeper extra cash so she could purchase a generous amount, so she enthusiastically guided Chen Xin through the market, picking up nearly twenty different kinds of fish and shellfish.

Chen Xin noticed that mantis prawns were priced even cheaper than cabbages—whereas back home, their price was comparable to whiteleg shrimp.

"These prawns aren't very flavorful; around here, people usually coat them in egg wash and flour before deep-frying them, but the taste is just average. If you want to try some, we can buy just a small portion to taste."

Chen Xin, however, had entirely different plans. In the middle of summer, nothing paired better with beer and the evening breeze than spicy crawfish, stir-fried mantis prawns, and savory, spicy river snails.

Although this place lacked spicy crawfish and river snails, mantis prawns and spicy crabs could certainly make a fine spread. In addition, she bought two sea urchins for the old grandfather and Zhang Zhang, intending to have them steamed with eggs.

With the seafood, side dishes, and seasonings all purchased, the housekeeper pulled her simple wheeled shopping cart while Chen Xin carried two bags of fruit, and the two of them strolled back at a leisurely pace.

Along the way, she spotted someone selling coconuts and paused to look with curious eyes.

"You have coconut trees around here?" Chen Xin had previously known they grew in places like Hainan, but was unsure about this region.

"Yes, the coconuts grown here are actually quite delicious. Would you like to try one?" The housekeeper assumed Chen Xin simply wanted to drink a coconut, having no idea that coconuts could also be used for cooking.