CFSMS -Chapter 250 What Do You Mean, Fried Little Grasshoppers?

What kind of person was Old Li?

Having lived this long, he had weathered more storms than most people could imagine.

Back in his youth, during the hardest period of his life, he had been hunted by enemies. Unable to fight back, he fled deep into the wilderness. At that time, he had eaten all sorts of things to survive. Bugs? Certainly. Even… well, never mind. That was one thing he still hadn’t resorted to.

He still vaguely remembered the nauseating sensation of insects bursting inside his mouth.

For perhaps the first time in a long while, Old Li hesitated.

“Girl, this old man trusts your judgment. I’ll listen to you.”

What he really wanted to say was that he didn’t want to choose any of them. But he couldn’t bring himself to reject the girl’s goodwill.

Grinding his teeth, Old Li forced an expression of anticipation onto his face.

At worst, he’d risk his life for the chef.

Lu Wu, who had caught every change in his expression, didn’t hesitate. Once she confirmed the oil was hot enough, her eyes darted around before she picked up the least appealing-looking grasshoppers and dumped them into the wok.

Sizzle!

The moment the drained insects hit the golden oil, it erupted into a furious boil.

Crackling sounds rang out nonstop.

The insects rolled about in the oil as a transparent sheen quickly coated their bodies. Their edges curled slightly before shrinking inward.

Their original green shells rapidly turned red. Once the original color disappeared, the bright red grasshoppers looked much easier on the eyes.

They bobbed up and down in the oil, their plump abdomens becoming even fuller.

The rich fragrance of rapeseed oil already filled the air, but as the scorching oil mercilessly worked over the grasshoppers, a wild roasted aroma began to emerge.

Explosive.

Irresistible.

Old Li’s nose twitched.

His wandering gaze instantly froze.

Beside him, Da Huang’s dog nose twitched even faster.

To Da Huang, this scent was the equivalent of a devastating ultimate attack delivered point-blank.

A critical hit.

They watched as the grasshoppers gradually transformed into an even more appetizing golden color.

Though they still retained their original intimidating appearance, in the eyes of Old Li and the three little ones, they had already become a mouthwatering delicacy.

Drip. Drip.

So engrossed was Da Huang that he forgot to maintain his dignity. Drool dripped from between his teeth, stretching into silvery strands as it fell.

After hastily cleaning himself up, Da Huang stepped forward with determination.

This time, he would be the first to test the poison.

I, Gou Aotian, future Dog Emperor, shall not yield this honor to anyone!

Whoosh!

Wings flapped.

Huo Huo moved after Da Huang but overtook him instantly, seizing the advantage. Mimi followed closely behind.

The distance from the kitchen doorway to Lu Wu was only a few steps, yet the three little creatures somehow turned it into a racetrack.

All of them wanted first place.

Unfortunately, they forgot that their greatest enemy wasn’t one another.

It was Old Li, who sat calmly watching the three compete.

“Girl, is it done yet?”

Now that he was closer, Old Li could hear the crisp sounds made when the grasshoppers knocked against one another as Lu Wu scooped them out.

So crunchy.

So delightful.

Old Li was starving.

If it had been anyone else, he would have already snatched some away.

But before Lu Wu, he truly didn’t dare act recklessly.

After all, the girl had shaken her head.

The grasshoppers still needed a second fry.

Even if the process wasn’t technically difficult, everyone watched it with rapt attention.

Da Huang planted both paws on the edge of the stove, his round dog eyes never leaving the wok.

Huo Huo perched atop Lu Wu’s head, its claws pressing lightly against her scalp. She could practically feel its impatience.

“Meow…”

Mimi let out a soft cry, attempting to launch a soul attack using the irresistible cuteness of a kitten.

And, in truth, it worked.

“Almost done, almost done.”

After the second fry, Lu Wu removed them and let the excess oil drain away.

Now the grasshoppers gleamed with oil, their surfaces looking as though they had been brushed with honey. Some tails had split open during frying, revealing pale yellow meat inside.

Golden.

Tempting.

Steam rose into the air.

Lu Wu poured her pre-mixed salt-and-pepper seasoning and chili powder into a bowl.

This step would determine the final flavor.

After tossing everything evenly, she sprinkled a handful of perilla leaves over the top to balance the taste.

The moment she set down the chopsticks, she clearly heard several loud gulps behind her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Old Li secretly wiping suspicious traces from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

“Give it a try.”

Smiling, Lu Wu placed the plate before Old Li and the three little ones.

Originally, Old Li had spent considerable effort preparing himself mentally.

But when the dish was finally placed in front of him, he realized all that preparation had been completely unnecessary.

At this moment, he couldn’t spare a thought for anything else.

Eat it.

Eat it.

His entire being screamed those two words.

And Old Li had always been someone who followed his heart.

With a flick of his hand, a pair of chopsticks flew from the basket into his grasp. He immediately picked up a grasshopper and tossed it into his mouth.

The instant his teeth bit down—

Crunch!

The shell shattered crisply.

The grasshoppers of the Qingyuan World were quite large and meaty.

Lu Wu had intentionally left the thigh shells intact. As Old Li bit through one, he pulled the firm leg meat into his mouth.

After the first bite, his eyes narrowed slightly.

A unique ingredient paired with a unique texture.

Novel.

Delicious.

The spices and abundant oil had thoroughly penetrated every part of the fried grasshopper. The heat stimulated his senses without overwhelming the ingredient itself.

Compared to the fibrous texture of the leg meat, the hollow softness of the abdomen offered a completely different experience.

At times, rich golden roe seemed to burst from within, soft and creamy.

Old Li ate quickly.

Fragments of shell stuck to the roof of his mouth. When he scraped them away with his tongue, he swept away every trace of lingering roasted aroma along with them.

He chewed nonstop.

His chopsticks rose and fell repeatedly, moving so fast they left afterimages.

The flavor resembled fried shrimp, carrying a delicate sweetness.

Absolutely delicious.

Beside him, the three little ones employed every trick they had to fight over the remaining grasshoppers.

The crunchy shells became a source of joy in themselves.

The food was so good that their claws scraped the floor unconsciously, leaving marks of varying depths.

Seeing their reactions, Lu Wu knew this dish had once again been a tremendous success.

As long as people could overcome the psychological barrier, she guaranteed this would be a completely unique culinary experience.

Clang!

Old Li’s chopsticks struck the empty plate.

Without realizing it, he had finished the very last grasshopper.

Yet he still wasn’t satisfied.

Licking the lingering flavors from his lips, Old Li turned his gaze toward Lu Wu.

The silent message was obvious.

Hurry up and make more.

“Then, next one.”

With the grasshoppers paving the way, Old Li no longer felt nearly as resistant toward the remaining insects.

That day, one man and three little creatures feasted without restraint.

Even after their bellies became round and swollen, none of them wanted to leave the kitchen.

Only when Lu Wu finally declared she was done cooking did they reluctantly restrain themselves.

And just like that, it was time to set up her stall.

Having prepared everything early, Lu Wu arrived at the entrance of the Shenyi Hall.

As always, the clinic was packed with patients.

Pulling out her stall right in front of a crowd of sick people, Lu Wu was destined to attract attention.