Chapter 40 - An Unconventional Style

The crayfish that were harvested during summer had a harder shell, so garlic sauce was not the best flavor to add to its freshness. Knowing that her family was not fond of spicy food, Ye Qiao decided to cook the crayfish with the signature 13 spices. Since she was going to be the chef for the evening, her mother volunteered to prep the food.

She walked around her backyard in search of spices and to her delight, she found quite a number of them. Six years in J City had made her a good cook, especially her signature braised pork with soy sauce that tasted incredible. Her father was almost convinced that she must have been cooking for the Ye family all these years until he saw Xiao Dong wandering around with a gun in his waist pouch.

Casually, her father spent his evening smoking in the backyard and watched as Ye Qiao got busy in the kitchen. It gratified him to see how independent his daughter had become.

When dinner was served, the whole family was dumbfounded at the sight of the dish. Its fragrance instantly filled their nostrils.

They tasted the crayfish that she cooked with relish. As her father was currently taking anti-inflammatory medication, he had to avoid having seafood at all costs so he did not get to try it. "What's so good about it? It has nothing but shells," he expressed his disbelief.

"Father, it's a culinary delight. Qiao Qiao has perfectly combined both taste and aroma in one dish; it is so good that it's made me overcome my prejudice about crayfish!" As an avid foodie, Ye Qiao's eldest sister could not help but pay her an enormous compliment.

Her father still refused to believe it, though he did find the delicious-looking dish very tempting.

Ye Qiao felt elated at the compliment. If only they knew how valuable crayfish would someday become. In ten years, the rivers would be so heavily polluted that all crayfish would have to be bred in captive fisheries.

Other than her culinary skills, the speed at which she peeled the crayfish left them speechless with wonder. At the dinner table, she also talked about finding her family a means of livelihood.

"Sister, how's your progress making cold noodles?" She suggested her eldest sister a street-vending business model. It had great prospects in selling cold noodles, as there was no one else in the same business.

Her eldest sister had a miserable lot