Chapter 95: The Breath of Earthly Life

Chapter 95: Chapter 95: The Breath of Earthly Life

Chu Moyuan looked at Qiao Suluo’s silhouette and felt it was so cheerful and full of vitality.

Even though the tribe had been flooded, she remained sunny and cheerful. Her smile was incredibly infectious. Especially her cooking—the food was so delicious it felt as though it could soothe and heal the soul. Eating the food she prepared brought a wonderful, warm feeling to his heart—it carried the comforting warmth of everyday life.

He particularly loved numbing and spicy food, and this texture was simply exquisite. One bite made him crave more. Although Bai Qianluo hadn’t enjoyed spicy food at first, he gradually got used to it by eating with Qiao Suluo and ended up loving it as well. Besides, the small crayfish she made were only mildly numbing and spicy, not overwhelmingly so, making the flavor perfectly acceptable to him.

Qiao Suluo delivered the spicy small crayfish to her parents’ cave.

She only saw her mother, Erlin, and Hao Hao; she didn’t see her father or her eldest and third brothers.

Qiao Feishuang explained, "Erlin’s leg isn’t doing too well, so we didn’t let him go up the mountain. Your father and your eldest and third brothers went to pick pigeon leaves."

"Aunt."

Hao Hao looked delighted when he saw Qiao Suluo. He quickly brought over a stool for her to sit on.

Qiao Suluo gave Hao Hao a quick hug, then placed the basin of small crayfish on the table. "Mother, try the small crayfish I made."

Qiao Feishuang smiled. "I could smell the aroma from inside the cave just now."

When she looked into the basin and saw the food inside, a look of astonishment crossed her face. "Is this thing really edible?"

Qiao Suluo demonstrated for Qiao Feishuang and Erlin, showing them how to peel the shells to eat the meat. She peeled two and handed them to Qiao Feishuang and Qiao Erlin. She then peeled another, dipped it in a cup of water to wash away some of the spiciness, and handed it to Hao Hao.

As Hao Hao ate, an excited, happy expression lit up his face. "Aunt, this is so delicious!"

"It’s a bit numbing and spicy, so it might be too much for you, but you can eat it dipped in water. Next time, I’ll make garlic small crayfish, and you’ll be able to eat those," Qiao Suluo said.

Once Qiao Feishuang and Qiao Erlin tasted the meat, they finally realized just how incredibly delicious the small crayfish were.

Qiao Feishuang stood up in her excitement. "During the spring and summer seasons, there’s an abundance of these strange bugs. In the past, when Beastmen went to the river to catch fish, they’d even be scared to see them.

"I never imagined they could actually be food, let alone something this delicious.

"Su Luo, would you be willing to share the recipe for these strange bugs with everyone?

"Having another food source will give everyone a higher chance of survival. We won’t have to go hungry in the short term."

Although Qiao Feishuang was shocked by the delicious food, her first thought was the survival of the tribe members. Once the weather completely cleared up in a few days and they were certain there wouldn’t be any more torrential rain or floods, everyone would return to the village to rebuild their houses and reclaim the fields for farming. Relying solely on hunting for a living was far too dangerous and often meant living from feast to famine. Only by growing and storing crops could they truly feel secure.

Qiao Suluo agreed without hesitation. "No problem. People don’t need to call them strange bugs anymore; they can just call them small crayfish. They can be boiled or stir-fried. As long as they’re cooked through, it’s fine. They can be seasoned with salt and chili peppers. Mother, you can have someone spread the word to everyone."

Her mother was the tribe leader, so her words and arrangements would be much more convincing. This would save Qiao Suluo the trouble of explaining it to everyone herself. As for her secret recipe for the spicy small crayfish, she had no intention of sharing it.

Qiao Feishuang left Qiao Erlin at home to take care of Hao Hao. Too eager to finish eating, she hurried out to gather the villagers, explaining how to cook and eat the small crayfish. She even gave them a live demonstration on how to peel and eat them.

Only then did the crowd understand how small crayfish were meant to be eaten.

"So you can peel the shell and eat the meat inside! The peeling method is completely different from what I would have thought."

"It really is! We never would have thought of this before. Even if we had, we would’ve been too afraid it was poisonous to just eat it casually. But now that the leader and Su Luo have eaten it without any issues, let’s hurry and catch some of these strange bugs—no, small crayfish—to cook!"

"Right, right! Let’s hurry. We can have meat for lunch!"

The excited villagers all grabbed their buckets and headed down to the river to catch small crayfish.

When Qiao Suluo returned, she saw Chu Moyuan and Bai Qianluo sitting there. The basin of small crayfish in front of them was completely untouched.

She asked, "Why aren’t you eating?"

Bai Qianluo said gently, "We were waiting for you, wife."

Despite how tempting the aroma was, they had resisted it to wait for her.

"You guys can go ahead and eat.

"I’m going to make another pot," Qiao Suluo said.

She felt this wouldn’t be nearly enough. When eating small crayfish, the spicy, numbing flavor always made a person want another right after finishing one. So it was best to make more, allowing everyone to eat to their heart’s content. Not to mention, her father and her eldest and third brothers hadn’t returned yet. With so many people, their appetites would undoubtedly be large.

Therefore, Qiao Suluo cooked another massive pot. She sent half over to her parents and brothers and kept the other half for themselves. Only then did she sit down with Chu Moyuan and Bai Qianluo to start eating.

She went straight in with her hands, peeling and eating.

In the past, Chu Moyuan and Bai Qianluo had been individuals of noble status. Every movement they made while eating was highly elegant and exceptionally particular. Their families even strictly adhered to the rule of maintaining silence during meals and at bedtime.

However, around Qiao Suluo, they discovered she was casual and free-spirited, and she loved to chat while eating. They hadn’t been used to it at first, but now they felt that talking over a meal was completely normal. They enjoyed listening to her chatter away; it gave them a comforting, grounded sense of everyday warmth, rather than the chill of rigid rules.

Seeing them sit still, Qiao Suluo asked, "Do you not like it?"

"No, it’s not that."

The two of them finally began peeling. However, Bai Qianluo and Chu Moyuan didn’t focus on eating at first. They peeled the small crayfish and placed the meat directly into Qiao Suluo’s bowl.

Bai Qianluo’s cold gaze swept over Chu Moyuan. To think he was actually willing to take the initiative to peel small crayfish for their wife—this was quite a rapid change.

Bai Qianluo said softly, "Wife, there’s no need for you to work so hard. I enjoy peeling them, and I like watching you eat."

Chu Moyuan chimed in, "I peel quickly. I can use my Wind Ability to do it."

In just a short moment, Qiao Suluo’s bowl was piled high with small crayfish meat.

With both of their gazes fixed on her, Qiao Suluo felt a little uncomfortable. She braced herself and said, "I actually prefer peeling them myself. They taste better that way.

"You’ll understand if you peel and eat them yourselves."

It was the truth. She felt that part of eating small crayfish was enjoying the process.

Bai Qianluo’s eyes dimmed slightly. "All right. If you need me to do anything, wife, just tell me at any time."

"Mm-hmm, hurry and eat. I made so much, and it’s only delicious if we eat it together."

She loved the feeling of sharing good food with everyone; it gave her a sense of accomplishment.

Bai Qianluo and Chu Moyuan finally started eating for themselves. The more they ate, the more they loved it, and they realized their wife made a valid point. Peeling the shells themselves truly allowed them to better savor the numbing, spicy aroma.

Chu Moyuan marveled inwardly that it was a good thing he had agreed to return with her. Otherwise, he never would have been able to taste such fresh, unique delicacies.

As Qiao Suluo ate her small crayfish, she was thinking about how to set up her stall in the county town.

According to her mother, before the torrential rain and floods, her father and brothers had already helped her set up the stall shed and build the cooking stove in the county town. She could go and start her business whenever she wanted.

However, right now, she was anxious to complete her tasks so she could find Que Hongjin as soon as possible. Without finding him or knowing his exact situation, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her heart.