I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 210

Chapter 210: The Love of the Sea is Too Shallow, the World is Changing

 

Together with Lan Jiajia, I worked in the kitchen until around six o’clock, and only then did we finish dealing with the large pile of ingredients we had bought.

 

The Orleans roasted chicken is the simplest among them. Nowadays, you can find Orleans roasted chicken coating in many places. Just wash the chicken, evenly apply the coating, and add some of your preferences. For example, this time, I specifically added some cumin on top—anyway, I had bought those coatings on a whim back when I lived in the apartment, one yuan per pack, and I haven’t used them much, but the taste is indeed very good.

 

As for the fish head soup and Lan Jiajia’s steamed chicken… we just organized the seasonings and put them all in, letting the machine heat them up. For the hairy crab, we simply steamed it directly. Then, Lan Jiajia and I each took care of two different dipping sauces.

 

Cooking most seafood and marine products is not difficult; it’s either steaming or blanching. Once it’s cooked, it’s done. The challenging part is the condiments.

 

The dipping sauce I made here is a version of minced garlic mixed with soy sauce, peanut oil, and sesame oil, all fried together until fragrant. Then, I divided it into versions with and without chili. Considering that the little one in the living room and the dragon from another world might not like garlic, I also made a version without garlic.

 

It’s just frying soy sauce, peanut oil, and sesame oil together in the pan, letting the fragrance of peanut oil and sesame oil burst out and mix into the soy sauce. Achieving both aroma and a savory taste, that’s enough. This way, when the hairy crab is opened, you can dip it directly and eat.

 

I used to have some bias against garlic and minced garlic a long time ago. However, since I tried some oysters and large shells with minced garlic, I don’t find this thing difficult to eat anymore. Moreover, it is said that garlic has a strong antibacterial effect and is helpful for the stomach.

 

On Lan Jiajia’s side, she added some cilantro and peanuts to the dipping sauce, frying them together with soy sauce. We made several different dipping sauces like this.

 

“Is that all?”

 

Amidst the fragrant aroma filling the room, I walked out of the kitchen and tried to pull the large table in the corner of the hall outside.

 

Ah… it wouldn’t budge.

 

“So, Nuo’er, you need to eat more to gain strength.”

 

Lan Jiajia, who followed me, couldn’t help but laugh at my attempt. She quickly walked over, untied her apron, and helped me lift the dining table, moving it to the center of the living room.

 

The dining table on the first floor of Ai Luodi’s rental house is usually placed in the corner near the window. Because only the four of us girls live in this house, Ai Luodi’s schedule is different from the rest of us. Therefore, it’s rare for all four of us to sit together and have a meal. The side of the table against the wall doesn’t have chairs, there are only three or four folding chairs on the side facing the corridor.

 

However, this doesn’t mean that the table can’t accommodate the dining needs of four or five people because it is itself a “folding” dining table.

 

Originally a round table, it can be pulled apart from the middle front and back, and the bottom panel can be placed to create an oval-shaped large dining table. When brought into the living room, all the folding chairs can be taken out, and everyone can gather around. Not to mention four or five people, it’s enough for ten people.

 

“I’ll help too!”

 

While Lan Jiajia and I were lifting the table, the slender Zhou Xiaofei on the sofa ran to the corner where the table was originally placed and carried out the folding stools from there.

 

“Be careful.”

 

Lan Jiajia restored her usual “maternal radiance,” looking at Zhou Xiaofei with a gentle gaze. “If it’s too difficult, don’t force yourself. Nuo’er and I will handle it later.”

 

“It’s okay. I often help my grandmother at home… with chores.”

 

Although it was a bit strenuous, Zhou Xiaofei gritted her teeth and carried the folding chair to the center of the dining room. Then, she turned around to pick up another folding chair.

 

This child is so sensible…

 

I looked at Zhou Xiaofei, who had a look of “I’m happy to help” and silently praised the little one in my heart.

 

It’s really commendable that she, being from a humble background, is not only kind and polite but also considerate in other people’s homes. It’s evident that her grandmother must have raised her well during her childhood.

 

Some proud little princess who’s always cocooned in her rich household should really learn a thing or two.

 

Images of my recent first meeting with Li Denghua flashed in my mind. Setting aside that guy’s proud princess appearance, Li Denghua often behaved like a naughty child, speaking very straightforwardly. Many times, I felt like shouting “well” on her forehead, wishing I could just knock some sense into her.

 

Now that Li Denghua and Zhou Xiaofei have become friends, let’s hope that the child’s stubborn temperament will change in the future.

 

“Nuo’er, pull over there.”

 

Moving the table to the center of the living room and shifting the surrounding sofas and small chairs, Lan Jiajia bent down, unfastened the buckle under the table, and then grabbed one corner.

 

“Mm.”

 

I grabbed another corner, and with a bit of force, the round dining table instantly split open a gap of almost half a meter. Lan Jiajia let go, bent down, and fiddled under the table for a moment. She pushed a panel up to align with the crack in the middle of the round table.

 

“All set.”

 

With the table sorted out, Lan Jiajia walked to the other corner and, together with Zhou Xiaofei, lifted the table. “It should be enough for a few of us to have a meal.”

 

“Definitely enough.”

 

I rushed to the kitchen, carrying the still-steaming steamed chicken. I placed the entire steamer in the middle of the dining table.

 

In a little while, this steamed chicken would be the highlight of tonight’s dinner, along with fish head tofu soup and Orleans roasted chicken on the side…

 

Back in the kitchen, I rummaged through the cabinet above the fridge, took out two disposable gloves, took a deep breath, and brought the already baked Orleans roasted chicken to the front, starting to tear the chicken.

 

Hand-tearing chicken— a “profession” that requires a certain understanding of the chicken itself to bring out the flavor.

 

When I used to live in the apartment, there was a hand-tearing chicken shop nearby. The price difference between buying their chicken and ingredients to do it yourself and letting them do the entire service was around 5 yuan. At that time, I thought saving 5 yuan by tearing the chicken myself was a great deal. However, when I got home and started handling the chicken, I realized – this job really isn’t suitable for beginners.

 

Having never slaughtered a chicken before, I truly didn’t know the chicken’s structure, where its bones were most fragile, or where the meat was soft or tough. It took the entire evening to figure it out, and in the end, I just used a knife to cut the meat and ate it.

 

Since then, I started my career in researching hand-tearing chicken, continuing until I could tear chicken with a taste and texture similar to that outside the shop… only to find out that the shop had closed down, replaced by a store selling “fortune-telling and feng shui” ritual items.

 

Today, although I have almost forgotten the process of tearing chicken, and my body has become that of a weak little girl, the Orleans roasted chicken in front of me has been roasted until the bones are tender. Even if a little girl tears it, it’s effortless.

 

“Have they not come back yet?”

 

While I was busy tearing chicken, Lan Jiajia, who had finished setting up the dining table in the living room, walked over and picked up the fish head tofu soup. “By the way, what does Xiao Mo like? I’ll think about giving her a birthday gift later.”

 

“For Xiao Mo…”

 

I thought for a moment. “She likes flowers.”

 

“Got it. I’ll make some handmade flowers for her later.”

 

Lan Jiajia smiled. “Is there cake to eat tonight?”

 

“Cake?”

 

Lan Jiajia’s words caught me off guard.

 

Right! Cake!

 

For birthdays, you should have cake!

 

“Judging by Nuo’er’s expression, there probably isn’t any, right?”

 

Carrying the fish head soup outside and placing it, Lan Jiajia, holding a plate of vegetables, joked, “If there’s no cake, then Nuo’er can present herself as a birthday cake for Xiao Mo.”

 

“No, there is! I’ll go buy it right now!”

 

Swiftly tearing apart the Orleans roasted chicken on the serving plate, I took off the gloves and said to Lan Jiajia, “I’ll leave this to you, Jiajia!”

 

Cake… that’s right, I actually forgot about that.

 

On birthdays, you should have cake – it’s a custom for city folks.

 

Having grown up in an orphanage, my understanding of “birthday” is a bit different from that of city people. In our place, if a friend has a birthday, the meals for the day would be slightly better than usual. The orphanage would also organize some small activities for the birthday child, such as shooting basketball in the small courtyard with prizes for successful shots or playing games like hide and seek and one-legged hop together. This way, all the children in the orphanage would know it’s that child’s birthday.

 

I still remember playing hide and seek on my birthday. I hid at the very top of a tree, and the friend in charge of catching people searched for half an hour without finding me. He called the director, who took another ten minutes to locate me and immediately said, “Truly the birthday star today, being the first in hide and seek.”

 

That’s the entirety of my understanding of “birthday” as a child from an orphanage.

 

I know that a birthday is a very important celebration for a person, and on that day, the birthday star receives blessings from friends around them. But I didn’t know that on birthdays, you’re supposed to have a birthday cake – because the orphanage was too poor.

 

To make matters worse, my birthday falls on December 24th, Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas. People on this day are more focused on remembering Christmas – eating apples, having Christmas trees everywhere, receiving Christmas gifts – rather than saying, “Today is Yin Shiren’s birthday.”

 

Organizing birthday activities continued until we entered junior high school. After entering junior high, people in the orphanage rarely paid attention to our birthdays. Either they would simply buy us small gifts or write a letter and send it to the school with a few bills inside, with the words “Happy Birthday” written on it.

 

“You’re a big kid now, you have to walk the path ahead by yourself. Celebrate your birthday on your own.”

 

That’s been my understanding all along.

 

It wasn’t until I entered university that I saw some dormmates buying a super large cake on their birthday, inviting several boys from nearby dorms to join them in eating the cake. It was then that I realized… you’re supposed to have cake on your birthday.

 

Ordinary kids from regular families have their parents buy a big, sweet cake for them on their birthday. They invite all their friends over, sing a birthday song together, eat cake, and play games. That’s the “reward” city kids can get on their birthdays.

 

However, I’m not too envious because after all, how I live my life is my own choice. Regular kids might have birthday cakes, but on my birthday, there’s a Christmas tree, apples, and many good friends playing together. We’re all the same.

 

But… I can do without a birthday cake, Xiao Mo can’t. I don’t know how Xiao Mo spent these past few years, but at least this time, I’ll follow the customs here for her birthday – birthday gifts, birthday cake, birthday wishes, none can be left out!

 

Ugh, almost forgot about the cake – habits can be troublesome…

 

Undoing my apron, I changed into shoes at the entrance and, with my phone in hand, walked out the door and took the elevator downstairs.

 

The current time is 6:50 PM. Xiao Mo and the others said they would be back before 8 PM, so there’s still time.

 

Nanqi District is a relatively remote area. Although the facilities near Ai Luodi’s house in the Starry Garden community are limited, they have everything they need. I remember there should be a cake shop…

 

I quickly ran out of the community after going downstairs and reached the alley behind the community.

 

There are quite a few bakeries around Nanqi District, some selling green bean cakes, pumpkin cakes, and chick-shaped cookies. Others specialize in cakes, sandwiches, and whole wheat toast.

 

I had seen a very large cake shop on both sides of this road when I rode bicycles with Xiao Mo to Jiang Wei’s house before. I think it’s called “Star Bakery” or something…

 

Yes, that’s the one.

 

In less than ten minutes, I arrived at a small shop near the community with a sign that says “Star Bakery.”

 

This shop looks a bit small in size, but it’s indeed a cake shop. Without entering the store, you can see many small cakes in the window display, and there’s a sign hanging that says “Custom Birthday Cakes.”

 

Hehe, don’t be fooled by my appearance as a little girl now, my running speed is no slower than that of an uncle. This is all the result of the exercise in the past month, and it’s coming in handy at a critical moment!

 

“Hello.”

 

As I pushed open the small glass door of this “Star Bakery,” a young lady in work attire with glasses greeted me, “May I help you with something?”

 

“Do you make a custom cake here?”

 

I got straight to the point, “It’s a bit urgent, so it’s best if it can be done within half an hour. Do you have that option?”

 

The young lady thought for a moment, “Is it a birthday cake? How big do you want it?”

 

“About this big?”

 

I gestured with my hands, but then an image of a formidable weapon on the chest of a certain black dragon came to mind. I unconsciously widened the distance between my hands, “No, it’s about this big.”

 

“Pfft…”

 

Perhaps my silly and playful appearance amused her, the young lady burst into laughter, “You’re so cute!”

 

“I’m serious!”

 

I puffed up my cheeks, maintaining the distance between my hands, “It’s this size of cake. Can you make it within half an hour?”

 

“Any specific requirements? Like needing a certain design, or decorations?”

 

“I have some requirements.”

 

“For a whole cake, it’s not feasible because the cake materials from start to baking take half an hour. After that, wrapping it with cream for design takes time. If it’s simple, it’s okay, but if you have requirements for the appearance, the entire process would take at least an hour and a half, unless it’s assembled… or you use a ready-made one.”

 

The young lady suppressed a smile, “It’s just assembling pre-baked cakes together, then coating them with cream. This way, you can make one of this size within half an hour.”

 

“Do you have freshly baked cakes?”

 

“Yes, ones that haven’t been coated with cream. I was just about to cut them into small cakes to sell.”

 

“When were they baked?”

 

“Less than an hour ago, and they’re still a bit warm.”

 

The young lady gestured to the baking room behind her, “You can come in and take a look.”

 

“Ah… no need, let’s use the ready-made ones then.”

 

After a brief observation of this warmly decorated little shop, I suggested, “Make it like an ordinary birthday cake, with some roses or lilies around, no need for fruit. Design it with a bit of a forest vibe. I also want to write something in the middle. Is that okay?”

 

“No problem. However, today we only have vanilla ice cream flavor for the cream. Is that fine?”

 

“That’s fine.”

 

“Alright, please wait for about ten minutes.”

 

After saying that, the young lady walked into the baking room at the back. Shortly after, she poked her head out, “If there are customers in the store, please let me know.”

 

I nodded, “Sure.”

 

While in the shop, I glanced at the tiger-striped cake and some mango cheesecake displayed in the showcase. I also checked the approximate prices for custom cakes in Shenzhen City on my phone. About ten minutes later, the young lady poked her head out from the baking room, “The decoration is ready. If you have any specific words you want to write, come in.”

 

“Thank you.” I followed her inside.

 

“Use this.” The young lady handed me something resembling a toothpaste tube and pointed to a large cake on the table, “Don’t squeeze too hard, it might all come out at once.”

 

“Okay.” I took the “toothpaste tube” and, on the beautiful large cake adorned with two roses and three lilies made of cream, I wrote the words “Happy Birthday Xiao Mo!” in the middle. Then, I playfully squeezed out the remaining bit of cream to add the note “—Nuo’er.”

 

“Your handwriting is really cute.”

 

Taking the now-empty “toothpaste tube,” the young lady used a few nearby tools to spray red cream, outlining the words I wrote and adding several artistic strokes.

 

“That’s it.”

 

Putting the tools aside, the young lady asked curiously, “Is it for your girlfriend?”

 

“Huh?” I inquired, “How could you… just tell like that…”

 

“When you were writing those words, your face was all sweet and happy, you know?”

 

The young lady, speaking with the tone of an experienced person, said, “I used to make cakes with my parents when I was very young. When people come to our shop to order cream cakes, I can tell who they’re for and what the relationship is just by looking at their expressions when they receive the cake.”

 

Feeling a bit awkward, I asked, “How much is this cake?”

 

“Generally, custom cakes in our shop start at 158 yuan. Because you’re in a hurry, we can offer you a discount,” the young lady replied, revealing a mysterious smile. “Considering that I can tell you really like this young lady, let’s make it 88 yuan!”

 

88 yuan? That’s already half the price!

 

“Okay,” I agreed. Hearing this price, I decided not to bargain further and took out my phone, asking, “Where should I scan?”

 

“There’s a payment code outside.” The young lady carefully wrapped the cake for me while gesturing towards the door. “Next to the display cabinet.”

 

After paying with my phone outside, when I turned back, I saw that the young lady had already wrapped the cake. “Oh, and there’s this.”

 

She opened a cabinet, taking out a box of cream puffs. “This is a complimentary gift.”

 

I initially thought the cream puffs were a small gift that comes with buying a cake. However, after I accepted the box, the young lady added, “Tomorrow is Children’s Day. Happy holiday!”

 

“……”

 

……

 

Carefully holding the cake, which was much larger than my own body, I returned to the residential area. Taking the elevator to the second floor, by the time I arrived back at the apartment, it was already 7:40 PM.

 

Unlike when I left, the dining table was now surrounded by people. Fei Luo, wearing the set of hot pants and a T-shirt that filled out her chest and exposed the lower half of her navel, transformed into a mom-like figure eagerly waiting for her daughter to come home. Lan Jiajia, wearing a home dress, and Xiao Mo, with her elven charm and flowing hair, were also present. On the other side, there was Zhou Xiaofei in a school uniform, sitting obediently in a chair.

 

Seeing me return, the girls around the dining table all turned their heads simultaneously.

 

“You’re back!”

 

Lan Jiajia, knowing what I went out to do, was the first to react and stood up. “You bought such a big one. Let me help you with that, Nuo’er.”

 

“That, um…”

 

Perhaps because Xiao Mo had deactivated the legendary “language adaptability barrier,” Fei Luo’s speech was a bit intermittent, and her accent was also not very standard. “What is this thing?”

 

“Birthday cake,” I explained while taking off my shoes. “Today is Xiao Mo’s birthday, right?”

 

“Oh?”

 

Xiao Mo also seemed quite surprised. “In addition to the birthday gift, there’s also a birthday cake?”

 

“Of course, Xiao Mo’s annual birthday…”

 

Because almost the entire afternoon was spent busy, buying groceries, carrying things, cooking, and then running up and down to move the cake, at this moment, I really had no strength left.

 

“An annual birthday… others have it, so we should too.”

 

“Usually, birthday cakes are only for kids. After entering junior and senior high school, families don’t celebrate birthdays with cakes anymore. We just have a meal together or go out to play,” Lan Jiajia explained.

 

“This is the first time I’ve seen Nuo’er celebrate a friend’s birthday so seriously. Maybe that’s love.”

 

“Huh?” I looked a bit dumbfounded. “After junior and senior high school, there are no more cakes?”

 

What about my college roommates during those university days?

 

“Yeah, at least the people around me don’t make a big deal out of birthdays after entering middle school. Unless it’s for really close friends or lovers in the honeymoon period,” Lan Jiajia said with an understanding look, taking the cake from me.

 

“Alright, I’ll put this in the kitchen first. Go wash your hands and get ready to eat, Nuo’er. You’ve been busy all afternoon.”

 

“Ah… okay.”

 

In Xiao Mo’s happy gaze, I ran to the kitchen, turned on the tap, and poured some hand soap onto my hands. Oh no, didn’t expect my college roommates to be an exception. Is it normal not to have birthday cakes after entering middle school? Then, my act of giving Xiao Mo a big cake…

 

After washing my hands, when I returned to the dining room, I found that these “women” had already reserved a seat for me, between Xiao Mo and Fei Luo.

 

“I can’t drink, and Xiaofei and Nuo’er are underage, so they can’t drink either. Xiao Mo, Fei Luo, do you want to drink?”

 

Lan Jiajia, who had put the cake in the kitchen, returned to the table, picked up a bottle of wine, and said, “It has a low alcohol content.”

 

“Wine, alcohol,” Xiao Mo turned to Fei Luo, explained a few words in an explanatory tone, and then said something I couldn’t understand, paused, “Celebration drink, do you want some?”

 

“Yes!” Fei Luo raised his hand. “Alcohol, I can… I can drink!”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Lan Jiajia was a bit surprised but still poured a glass of wine for Fei Luo. “Xiao Mo, do you want some too?”

 

Xiao Mo raised her glass. “Yes.”

 

“Then what drink does Xiaofei want?” After pouring wine for Fei Luo and Xiao Mo, Lan Jiajia took juice and cola from the floor.

 

“Just water for me, please.”

 

Zhou Xiaofei looked eagerly at the fish head soup on the table. “Can I have some?”

 

“Of course, it’s just a pre-dinner celebration. Choosing doesn’t mean you can’t eat afterward.” Lan Jiajia smiled as she poured soup for Zhou Xiaofei and then handed the spoon to me.

 

After some thought, I took the cup filled with wine that Xiao Mo had prepared, poured half of it into my own cup.

 

“What are you doing?” Xiao Mo asked curiously.

 

“Nuo’er, there’s a whole bottle of that on the other side…”

 

“Alcohol is not good for the body, and how do I know what you might do to me if I get drunk later.”

 

I returned the half-filled cup. “Just like this, half for each of us.”

 

Lan Jiajia said to Xiao Mo, “Nuo’er said she’s going to marry Xiao Mo in the future and won’t allow anything to harm her body because of alcohol.”

 

“Nuo’er is worried about you.”

 

“What nonsense!” I instinctively retorted.

 

“I’m just worried about myself…”

 

“Nuo’er is just being tsundere, similar to Xiao Ai. She often uses this tone with me.” Lan Jiajia continued, “Translated, Xiao Mo, you belong to me, so take care of your health.”

 

I felt my hair standing on end, “I didn’t say that!”

 

“You might not say it aloud, but that’s probably what you’re thinking.”

 

“Hehe, alright, let’s not tease each other anymore. Let’s eat first.”

 

Pouring some juice into her cup, Lan Jiajia stood up. “Come on, everyone, cheers!”

 

Although my face felt a bit warm, considering it was Xiao Mo’s birthday today, I stood up with the other girls, raising my wine glass.

 

“Cheers!”

“Wishing Yin Xiamo a happy birthday!”

“……”

 

“Alright, alright, it’s getting late. Let’s eat.”

 

“Zhou Xiaofei, you don’t need to be so formal. Just take whatever you want to eat, and there’s more in the kitchen.”

 

After the customary ritual, Lan Jiajia walked towards the kitchen. “I’ll get some sauce for the crab.”

 

“Nuo’er.”

 

Watching Lan Jiajia leave, Xiao Mo pulled the small chair a bit closer to me and leaned towards my ear.

 

“Just now, Fei Luo and I investigated the matter of the old man from the Nanqi Tower. Fei Luo is a dragon and has the ability to determine a person’s kinship by sensing their aura.”

 

“Fei Luo just told me that the girl named Zhou Xiaofei has the scent of that old man from the Nanqi Tower, indicating that she might be his granddaughter.”

 

“……”

 

……