I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 207

Chapter 207: Orleans-style Roasted Chicken, Fish Head Tofu Soup, and Hairy Crab

 

Regarding the dragon clan, what do they generally like to eat?

On the way back, this question has been bothering me all along.

 

I even attempted to interpret this question using a scientific approach—biologically speaking, dragons are theoretically closest to lizards. If the dragons in the other world are similar to those in this world, then their diet should be similar to that of lizards.

 

But here’s the problem: there are so many types of lizards, so which type does a dragon belong to?

 

From my impression, most lizards prey on small animals, such as snails, earthworms, and mice. However, I also recall that there are many vegetarian lizards, like the green iguana, which exclusively eats vegetables and fruits.

 

Apart from the green iguana and typical omnivorous lizards, there are also some lizards that are purely carnivorous. For example, certain giant lizards occupy the top of the food chain, theoretically making them more similar to dragons.

 

So, should I buy more meat when I go grocery shopping later?

Scenes of my interaction with Fei Luo just now flash through my mind.

Based on my current experience with that giant dragon, Fei Luo actually has quite a personality.

Moreover, her character is somewhat different from what I had imagined.

 

In my impression, it feels like the giant dragons in the other world should mostly have a more majestic image, especially considering that Fei Luo is a dragon king with the attribute of a “black dragon.” In most cases, a “black dragon” should lean towards darkness and evil, or have a condescending attitude, saying something like, “Tiny insects, how dare you intrude into my lair?” and then immediately resorting to violence.

 

However, Fei Luo did not give me that impression. Even though she wears dragon horns on her head and vertical-slit eyes in her “half-human” form, emitting a dragon-like aura that makes people instinctively want to bow down, when she speaks to me, she does not come across as arrogant. It’s more like the attitude one has towards a friend.

 

Don’t just talk about me, even when we were at the café, Fei Luo didn’t show any arrogant attitude towards Ouyang Xue and Su Yunjin. In the absence of knowing her true identity, Ouyang Xue and the others probably just saw her as a “girl with a superb figure, a beautiful face, and a hint of teenage awkwardness.” Perhaps this is because Fei Luo often lives with humans?

 

After all, she mentioned that for several hundred, even thousands of years, she fought side by side with Yin Xiamo. During peacetime, she even worked as a bartender for ten years. After all, the bartender can’t be a dragon, right? Imagine a giant dragon sipping cocktails – it would need an enormous tank of alcohol.

 

Secondly, after learning about the somewhat ambiguous relationship between Fei Luo and the hero, I also wondered if this giant dragon has a “romantic brain” similar to those female protagonists in Galgames. You know, blushing and calling out “Asashi” when meeting the protagonist at some place, then running away. After a few thousand years, they meet again, and the heroine still remembers the protagonist, insisting she won’t marry anyone but him.

 

Fei Luo doesn’t seem to have a similar “Hero Asashi” concept. So far, she gives me the impression of someone who doesn’t quite understand human society, humble, polite, straightforward, similar to Yin Xiamo’s personality. Of course, Fei Luo’s personality is more “genuine.” On our first meeting, while Yin Xiamo, upon revealing that I am the hero, would just cover her mouth and laugh lightly at the idea of a hero turning into a little girl, Fei Luo keeps it simple, laughing the whole time, saying, “Hahaha, I’m going to die from laughter, hahaha.”

 

Xiao Mo likes to eat fish and enjoys seafood and high-protein foods. Since Fei Luo has lived with her for so long, cooking according to Xiao Mo’s preferences should be no problem, right?

 

“Ding dong—”

Thinking about all these random things along the way, I soon returned to the Starry Garden community and took the elevator up.

 

The clothes I’m currently wearing are a pink dress that matches the black dress of Xiao Mo. I also have a pair of round-toe, chunky-heeled shoes with bows on my feet. This type of dress is fine in places with a younger crowd, like a café, but it might be a little inappropriate for buying groceries.

 

Especially in the Nanqi area, where the market vendors are mostly elderly men and women, and their views tend to be more conservative. If I were to go to the market dressed in a flashy outfit, aside from the inconvenience, I’d probably become the subject of various discussions as soon as I enter the market.

 

Hmm… speaking of Black Dragon, how about making black grass jelly for tonight’s dessert? Exiting the elevator, I took out my keys, opened the door, changed out of the pink heels at the entrance, put on slippers, and returned to my room.

 

Whew… flat shoes are really more suitable for me. In the room, I opened the wardrobe, rummaged through it, and took out a set of shorts and a T-shirt.

 

I still have some black grass jelly brought over from the Wandering Apartment. If I remember correctly, I bought it several months ago in a supermarket on the commercial street. They had a promotion for white and black grass jelly, and I could buy a large pack for ten yuan. After buying it back to the apartment, I only made it once or twice, and there’s still a lot left.

 

But before that, I’ve made a lot of grass jelly and ice jelly, so I’m confident in making this type of dessert.

 

Essentially, black grass jelly is the same as the black jelly in the “Burnt Jelly” drink. The raw material is the same, a substance called Xian Cao or grass jelly grass. However, the production process is different. Personally, I feel that the taste of the “herb” in black grass jelly is more pronounced. If paired with honey or brown sugar, it gives a taste similar to drinking “cool tea,” and the “herbal” taste is not as strong as Xian Cao.

 

Anyway, as the Black Dragon Princess, making a black-colored dessert for Fei Luo should be quite appropriate.

 

In the room, after changing into different clothes, I headed to the kitchen. I found the bag of black grass jelly that still had plenty left, filled the nearby electric kettle with water, heated it, then turned on the induction cooker and poured water into the pot, heating both simultaneously.

 

Making black grass jelly is not complicated. In simple terms, you pour the powder into water, heat it, stir continuously for a while until all the powder dissolves, turn off the heat, and wait for it to cool. As long as you stir it evenly, the mixture will solidify nicely after cooling. Then, you can use a small knife to cut the whole jelly-like grass jelly into pieces, add honey, put it in the refrigerator, and you have a delicious dessert.

 

The unique herbal taste of grass jelly combined with the sweetness of honey makes it refreshing and cooling, perfect for the hot summer, and you won’t get tired of it no matter how much you eat. The crucial part of this is getting the right ratio of grass jelly to water, any mistake in this could ruin the entire batch.

 

“Are you back?” Just as I was in the kitchen heating water and stirring the grass jelly according to a certain ratio, Ai Luodi, who had just woken up, came down from the second floor yawning. She was wearing the little T-shirt of the girl from “Eromanga Sensei,” with more than half of her snow-white shoulder casually exposed.

 

“What time is it?”

 

“It should be around three,” I said, confirming with my phone. “Three thirty.”

 

“Today is your turn to cook…” Ai Luodi glanced at the dark substance in my hands. “Is this burnt jelly?”

 

“It could also be considered burnt jelly.”

 

I turned my head, “By the way, Ai Luodi, can one more person stay here?”

 

“One more person?” Ai Luodi looked a bit dazed. “Do you have another friend coming over?”

 

“Yeah, didn’t you mention the café needing more staff? A friend of mine is looking for a job, and she doesn’t have a place here. Xiao Mo also knows her.”

 

“Xiao Mo knows her too? That’s rare.” Ai Luodi opened the fridge on the kitchen side and took out a can of soda.

 

“Is she a girl?”

 

“Definitely.” I felt a bit awkward. “A 26-year-old female.”

 

“Sure, why not. Anyway, the rent is the same every month, you guys can figure it out yourselves.”

 

Ai Luodi opened the soda with a “pop” sound, took a big sip of cola, and her spirits visibly lifted. “Living in the storage room?”

 

“No, she’ll stay in Xiao Mo’s room, and Xiao Mo will sleep with me.”

 

“Oh.” Ai Luodi’s expression turned into one of someone who heard a little secret.

 

“Sleeping together… Have your relationship reached that stage?”

 

“Uh…”

 

“It’s quite good, similar to Jiajia.”

 

Then, without any hint of embarrassment, Ai Luodi dropped a bombshell, “At night, she also likes to sneak into my bed and sleep, saying my bed is more comfortable, and she even wears my pajamas.”

 

Their relationship…

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Ai Luodi turned away, “I told you, I’m not into girls. It’s just that I get along well with that scoundrel.”

 

I quickly nodded, “I know, I know.”

 

“Since she’s your friend and Xiao Mo’s, I won’t ask more. You guys can arrange the three rooms on the first floor yourselves. Same rules as before, keep the noise down during the day, and just focus on cleanliness.”

 

Feeling that the grass jelly mixture in my hands had been stirred about right, I poured the contents of the basin into the pot, continuing to flip the liquid in the pot with a spatula. “Don’t worry, she gets along well with Xiao Mo.”

 

“Yeah, I trust both of you.”

 

After taking another sip of the remaining cola, Ai Luodi left the kitchen. “Ah, it’s a new day, time to get ready for work.”

 

“……”

 

Watching Ai Luodi go upstairs, I set the induction cooker to the heating time and covered the pot with its lid. In this way, by the time I returned from grocery shopping, the grass jelly would have cooled just right. I’d only need to cut it into pieces, add honey, and put it in the fridge.

 

Considering that this time I was going out to buy groceries and not just taking a stroll, I went to my room’s wardrobe and found my “family heirloom” – an oversized plastic bag for food. I took the opportunity to clean up the kitchen garbage and headed out.

 

Cooking for a dragon and a magical being… let me think.

 

For Xiao Mo, a big fish along with some seafood is definitely a must. How about a larger fish head tofu soup? It’s relatively simple to make, just fish head, tofu, some green onions, and ginger slices. As for the seafood… how about bringing back a few large crabs?

 

Honestly, I don’t have much experience handling seafood like crabs and lobsters, and the main reason is – I’m not wealthy. Even though Shenzhen City is a coastal metropolis with three freshwater rivers, the prices for large crabs here are not something my former self from the uncle’s era could afford.

 

But that doesn’t mean I can’t handle them. I worked as a barbecue apprentice for a while before, and there were quite a few nights when friends would come to the shop, order a few large crabs, two cases of beer, and then we’d chat, drink, and eat crabs until dawn.

 

Now, I’ve come a long way, although I don’t have much savings on hand, I do have some spare change to buy a few large crabs. It’s Fei luo’s first time in the human world on Earth, and I can’t treat her poorly.

 

So, for tonight, Ai Luodi will be working, and there are a total of four people in the house. Lan Jiajia isn’t a big fan of seafood, so let’s say she can eat two large crabs. I could probably manage one, and Fei Luo is a dragon, and Xiao Mo loves seafood, so they can each have three. In this case, I need to buy six large crabs. Following the “cat litter box theorem,” to prevent the situation of not having enough to eat, I should buy one extra, making a total of seven large crabs.

 

As for vegetables, I’ll get some oilseed rape that pairs well with seafood, and maybe some fresher bok choy (Chinese cabbage). A serving of fish head soup might not be enough, so how about making… bone broth?

 

Fei Luo is a dragon, so making a bit more meat is definitely the right choice.

 

After calculating Xiao Mo’s portion, I planned to check out the meat section at the market to see if there’s any good beef or pork. Quietly tallying up the dishes to be prepared for tonight, I walked along the alley in the residential area and reached the vegetable garden at the back, entering the market at the end of the garden.

 

“Hey, what are you buying today?”

 

The elderly folks here were still as warm and welcoming as before. They greeted me as if I were an old acquaintance.

 

“Not many young girls like you are willing to come out and buy vegetables to cook these days. Come over here, things are cheap, vegetables grown at home, just pay and take them!”

 

“Eggs and free-range chickens, would the little sister like some?”

 

Eggs? I wondered if dragons might have any taboos about them.

 

“How about taking a look at chicken meat? Just slaughtered, very fresh!”

 

Following their suggestion, I noticed a few stalls at the entrance of the chicken farm.

 

Oh, right!

 

The oven I brought over from the Wujia Apartment kitchen has been idle for a long time. Since there’s a special meat-eater coming over today, I can make some roast chicken!

 

I walked towards the stall selling chicken meat and picked out two large chickens.

 

For these two, one will be prepared as Orleans-style roasted chicken, and the other, following the steamed chicken recipe I learned from the café this month, will be made as a medicinal steamed chicken.

 

Although the café’s steamed chicken recipe is kept secret, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen this month, so I remember the general ingredients. Even if the taste turns out different from the café’s, it shouldn’t be too far off.

 

After buying two chickens, I also purchased ingredients such as largehead hairtail (fish), large crabs, pork bones, and more, according to the thoughts I had when I came. Carrying large and small bags, I arrived at the back of the market and found a fast-food shop. I asked the owner for a whole roast duck.

 

Shouldn’t this be enough? I have a small appetite and can almost ignore the quantity on the dining table. Lan Jiajia, being a girl, doesn’t eat much, and Xiao Mo should be able to finish the fish head soup and large crabs. The remaining Orleans roasted chicken, medicinal steamed chicken, and this roast duck should be sufficient for Fei Luo, right? Mainly considering that it’s her first time coming to the house, I don’t want to prepare too extravagantly. It would be embarrassing if she couldn’t eat enough.

 

Even if Fei Luo’s appetite decreases after transforming into a human form, it’s not a problem to store the excess in the refrigerator. It can serve as breakfast for the four of us tomorrow.

 

“So heavy…”

 

On the way back, carrying so many things, I once again felt the frustration of my “little girl” lack of physical strength. I originally thought that a few vegetables, a couple of chickens, a fish, and some crabs would be easy for me to carry. Now it seems… a bit challenging.

 

If it were the former uncle, it would be a breeze…

 

“Nuo’er, big sister?”

 

Coincidentally, having bought a large pile of ingredients from the market, walking in the central path of the vegetable garden, it happened to be the time for the nearby Starlight Elementary School to dismiss. Wearing elementary school uniforms, Li Denghua and Zhou Xiaofei, from a distance, called out to me amidst the noisy surroundings.

 

“Aren’t you working today?”

 

“I’m off today.”

 

I turned around, watching the two elementary school students bounding towards me.

 

“Is your home nearby?”

 

“That side is under construction, so we’re taking a detour.”

 

Li Denghua curiously scrutinized the large and small bags in my hands, “Wow, do you have guests at home today?”

 

“Yes indeed!”

 

I smiled, “Aren’t you going to evening self-study tonight?”

 

“There’s no evening self-study tonight and tomorrow because our classroom is being renovated. The head teacher said we don’t need to attend.”

 

Li Denghua still had that air of a young lady in her memory, only now it was not as arrogant as before, and there was a bit more gentleness, “When can you come to tutor me?”

 

“Why, haven’t your problems been solved yet?”

 

I chuckled, “Are you sure you need my tutoring?”

 

Li Denghua’s problems were quite simple, in essence, she just wanted “friends” or “companionship.” Children are very pure, and if this innocence is not guided well, it can easily turn into something very pure “evil.” Li Denghua is a case in point. Her parents are busy with work, and when she was young and had a good relationship with her father, she hoped her father could play with her all the time. Later, when her father also got busy with work, she hoped to gain her parents’ attention by saying things like “my English is not good,” “my Chinese is not good,” or “studying higher-grade science according to my father’s requirements.”

 

This child has good genes from her parents – one works in aerospace, the other in advanced physics. Li Denghua has been smart since she was a child, with no situation of being unable to learn or not knowing how to study.

 

Now, Li Denghua’s parents are still busy and lax in discipline, but she no longer needs her parents’ companionship because, under my “guidance,” she has found her first good friend, Zhou Xiaofei.

 

It is evident that Li Denghua cherishes this friendship a lot, often buying her little snacks and going out to play together.

 

“Has she been paying attention in class recently?”

 

In the vegetable garden, I turned to the girl beside me, “Are you completing your Chinese and English assignments on time?”

 

Zhou Xiaofei’s family is not well-off, and her academic performance is average. Now that they have become good friends, Zhou Xiaofei can only ask Li Denghua when she encounters problems. Even if Li Denghua doesn’t want to study, she will actively force herself to learn. It is impossible for her to intentionally write Chinese and English exam papers incorrectly, hoping to attract attention from her family, as she did before.

 

During my university years, I took elective courses related to child psychology. In fact, almost all problems encountered by children, whether related to character or academics, can be categorized as “lack of belief.”

 

Some children are very intelligent, have good learning abilities, but have poor grades and are lazy to study because their families are troubled. For instance, if the parents quarrel or have a bad temperament, frequently scold the child from a young age, the child develops a mentality of “What’s the use of studying well? Even if I score full marks in the exam, come first in the class, will my perfect score paper make any difference at home? My mom, who plays mahjong every day, won’t even glance at this perfect exam paper, let alone praise me. I might as well just live this way.”

 

As for those children who regularly skip classes, fight with others, sneak into internet cafes, and hang out with delinquents, their family situations are generally not good either. They know that if they play games well, teammates online will praise their shooting skills and call them masters. The buddies who play together will also respect them, calling them big brothers.

 

This easily leads to a form of “belief” that motivates them to put in effort. Effort leads to positive feedback, visible rewards, rather than the scenario of studying hard, scoring high, then going home and letting the high-score exam paper rot under their dad and mom’s desk, who only return home every few years. There’s no hope or warmth to be found.

 

What’s most distressing is that these parents, who generally neglect their children, are lazy to praise them even if they make progress. They might even ridicule them with a few sarcastic remarks like, “What’s there to be proud of in a full score? Look at the neighbor’s kid, who has scored full marks three times in a row.

 

They don’t bother telling their parents. Look at your conduct.” After the sarcasm, they go off happily to play mahjong, only to discover a few years later that their child is addicted to online games, prompting them to make daily calls reporting to city leaders, “It’s all because of games ruining my child. As a parent, I appeal to shut down all games!”

 

Li Denghua’s family is wealthy, but her situation is similar to that of left-behind children. What she needs is not tutoring or academically advanced teachers, but friends. And family.

 

Of course, if I were more unscrupulous, I could go earn this money. The temptation of making over a thousand yuan per hour is indeed very attractive, but I believe it has no meaning for Li Denghua.

 

“Well, Li Denghua is smarter than me, learns faster than me, and whenever I don’t understand something after class, I ask her.”

 

Compared to Li Denghua’s princess-like temperament, Zhou Xiaofei is quite straightforward, “In the last exam, she ranked first in math, physics, and chemistry, and second in Chinese and English.”

 

Ah, I knew it.

Just one month has passed, and indeed having friends and a “belief” makes a difference in children.

 

“Nuo’er, since you don’t have enough strength, don’t mention so many things.”

 

Seemingly not wanting to continue the conversation on this topic, Li Denghua took the bag from my hands voluntarily, “I’ll help you.”

 

Zhou Xiaofei also reached out to take the two chickens in my hands: “I’ll help you too.”

 

“Uh… thank you.”

 

Although it seems a bit embarrassing to let two elementary school students help, considering that I still have to cook when I get home, it’s nice to save some energy at this time. So, I accepted the help of the two little ones, “When I get home, I’ll treat you to some snacks.”

 

“Hmph, I don’t want it. I’m in a hurry to get home. You treat Xiaofei instead.”

 

Li Denghua took the initiative to walk ahead, “Why isn’t your partner walking with you today?”

 

How does even you know that Xiao Mo is… my partner…

 

I quickly caught up, “She went out for something.”

 

“Busy with work?”

 

“Sort of.”

 

“Oh, I think I’ve figured it out.”

 

“What figured out?”

 

“You must be the ‘Submissive’ in the relationship, or the bottom, similar to the wife in a marriage. Usually, you stay at home doing housework and cooking for your husband. And that partner of yours is your husband, mainly busy with things outside, earning money to support you. Am I right?”

 

“Where did you learn all this, so mature for your age.”

 

“I’m not that young anymore. I’m about to enter middle school.”

 

“Is middle school that big?”

 

“At least bigger than Nuo’er, I’m almost a B cup.”

 

“I don’t know why, but I wish I could to punch you.”

 

“……”

 

Carrying bags big and small, we arrived at the entrance of the Starry Garden residential area. Walking along the path to the front of the residential building, I noticed that Zhou Xiaofei’s gaze was fixed on the roast duck in my hands throughout.

 

“How about coming to our place for a bit?”

 

Seeing the little one looking quite eager, I extended an invitation, “Or come over for dinner? Our home is lively tonight.”

 

“Huh?” Zhou Xiaofei had a timid expression, seeming both longing and hesitant, “I…”

 

“Xiaofei, isn’t your mom not at home tonight? Why not join her for dinner?”

 

At the elevator, Li Denghua returned the things she was carrying to me, saying, “Anyway, we’re already so familiar with each other, right?”

 

I asked curiously, “Is it just her mom at home?”

 

“Mom and grandma, usually Xiaofei lives with her grandma,” Li Denghua reached into Zhou Xiaofei’s skirt pocket and pulled out an old black-and-white screen phone, “Give grandma a call, just say you’ll be home a bit later, having dinner at a friend’s place.”

 

“Ah…” Zhou Xiaofei clearly hesitated, the little one glanced at the roast duck in my bag, then at Li Denghua, “Or… let’s forget about it…”

 

“Forget what? Nuo’er is my friend and your friend too. Having dinner together is no big deal.”

 

In comparison, Li Denghua, who clearly has a somewhat introverted personality, surprisingly appears quite generous at times like this.

 

She winked at me and said, “I’m entrusting my wife to you tonight.”

 

“Who taught you to use the term ‘wife’…”

 

“Sister Xinmeng wrote yuri novels.”

 

“……”

 

In the end, under Li Denghua’s persistent guidance, Zhou Xiaofei couldn’t resist and called her grandma, briefly explaining the situation in the local dialect.

 

“I’ll be going back in a while. Can I bring some dishes for my grandma?”

 

While Zhou Xiaofei was on the phone with her grandma, Li Denghua leaned towards my ear and whispered, “Their family is very poor. I’ve been there a few times before, they live in a rundown house by the seaside, with leaks everywhere.”

 

So that’s the case.

 

I nodded, “Alright, I understand.”

 

Despite your lack of politeness in speech, little girl, your thoughts are quite delicate, and you’re good to your friends.

 

“I told grandma.”

 

Shortly after, Zhou Xiaofei, who had been making the call, walked over, “Grandma agreed.”

 

“Great, then let’s go upstairs.”

 

I looked at Li Denghua, “Do you want to join us for dinner?”

 

“No, thanks. My mom has already prepared dinner.”

 

Li Denghua waved her hand and turned around, saying, “I’m leaving, bye.”

 

“Bye.”

 

After bidding farewell to this little princess, I took Zhou Xiaofei’s hand, whose skin was noticeably darker than mine, and pressed the button for the top floor in the elevator.

 

“What do you usually like to eat?”

 

“Uh…”

 

Zhou Xiaofei lowered her head, “Anything… anything is fine.”

 

“Then, when we get up, I’ll cut a watermelon. It will take a little time before the meal is ready.”

 

I patted the shoulder of this child who was slightly taller than me.

 

“Don’t be too shy, aren’t we friends? Just consider this place as your own home.”

 

“……”

 

……