Chapter 20: Seafood Rice (1/2)
Not long after she finished gloating, Ye Jiujiu began to regret it.
After being thoroughly frightened, the little mermaid no longer dared to stay by herself. When Ye Jiujiu wiped the tables and mopped the floor, the child followed closely behind, clutching the hem of her clothes and refusing to let go.
Every time Ye Jiujiu turned around, she nearly collided with her.
"Can you stop following me? What if I knock you over?"
The little mermaid shook her head while drinking her milk. "No."
Ye Jiujiu couldn't help but laugh. "Why?"
"Because I want to follow you," the little mermaid said hesitantly, her eyes darting toward the pitch-black night outside the window.
Ye Jiujiu exposed her gently. "Isn't it because you're scared?"
"Only a little." The little mermaid was clearly frightened, yet she tried to sound brave. Clutching Ye Jiujiu's clothes, she said in a soft, childish voice, "Are you scared? I'll protect you. I won't let them take you away."
"…Alright." Ye Jiujiu couldn't bring herself to tease her further. Smiling, she hummed in agreement. "Then stay close to me and protect me well, okay?"
"Okay."
The little mermaid clung even tighter, following Ye Jiujiu like a small tail she couldn't shake off no matter how hard she tried.
Ye Jiujiu glanced down at the child who was nearly glued to her and sighed helplessly with a smile. She really shouldn't have scared her.
After rearranging the tables and chairs, Ye Jiujiu led the little mermaid back into the kitchen. "Are you sleepy?"
She'd slept for a long time that afternoon, so the little mermaid wasn't very tired. Instead, she patted her soft belly. "Hungry."
"I'll make you something right away."
Ye Jiujiu checked the remaining seafood. Geoduck clams were expensive, so only two were left. There were also a couple of pieces of mackerel trimmings and a bowl of small conch she had deliberately saved.
Working quickly, she stir-fried the geoduck, boiled the small sea snails, and made a mackerel-and-kelp soup, finishing everything in just fifteen minutes.
Under the warm orange glow of the lights, the two sat down for dinner. Ye Jiujiu used a toothpick to pick out the snail meat bit by bit, placing it into her bowl before dipping it into roasted chili sauce and savoring it slowly.
The snails were tasty even on their own, but Ye Jiujiu loved spicy food. The fragrant, fiery sauce made the flavors even more stimulating.
Watching her eat with such enjoyment, the little mermaid secretly dipped her finger into the chili sauce while Ye Jiujiu wasn't looking. The moment it touched her tongue, she choked and began coughing.
Ye Jiujiu hurriedly poured some boiled water and helped her drink it. "That's very spicy. You can't eat it."
The little mermaid hugged the bowl and gulped down several mouthfuls, scrunching up her face afterward. "Ptooey, ptooey—this tastes bad."
Ye Jiujiu refilled her bowl. "It is delicious, just not for you."
The little mermaid glanced suspiciously at the chili sauce, memorizing the taste. "Spicy doesn't taste good."
"Good. Remember that and never touch it again." Ye Jiujiu placed another non-spicy ivory clam into her bowl. "Eat this instead."
The little mermaid scooped up the soy-sauce-colored clam and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up. "This one is sweet and yummy."
Ye Jiujiu had added a touch of white sugar to enhance the flavor—perfect for a child's palate. "Then eat more and gain a little weight."
…Actually, forget it. Once I gain weight, I'll never get back to my pre-pregnancy figure.
After finishing her meal, the little mermaid grew drowsy. Her head bobbed gently, nodding again and again until it nearly dipped straight into the bowl.Here's a polished continuation with smoother narration, clearer imagery, and consistent tone. I kept the gentle domestic warmth and the little mermaid's childlike stubbornness while refining phrasing and flow:
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Ye Jiujiu quickly reached out to feel her forehead, then gently lifted the little mermaid into her arms and carried her back to the bedroom, where the air conditioner was already running. She wiped the child's face and hands with a damp cloth, yet the little mermaid showed no signs of waking.
"That's actually pretty convenient," Ye Jiujiu muttered.
She tucked the blanket around her, then returned to the dining area to finish her own dinner in silence. Afterward, she washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.
When everything was done, she turned off the lights and went back to her room to sleep. Bright moonlight spilled into the kitchen, a cool night breeze drifted through the air, and the refrigerator hummed softly. It was another fruitful night.
The next morning, Ye Jiujiu filled three large basins with seafood.
Inside were bamboo shrimp as thick as the arms of two- or three-year-old children, each weighing around two pounds—plump, firm, and gleaming with freshness. There were also more than a dozen sea urchins, their black spines bristling menacingly, each as large as a palm and more than capable of pricking the unwary. On top of that were six enormous lobsters, each weighing at least three or four pounds, proudly brandishing their massive claws.
In addition to these prized catches, there were over ten decent-sized filefish, a huge jellyfish, and an assortment of smaller shrimp, clams, snails, and squid.
"Sea urchins and lobsters? Is it New Year already?" Ye Jiujiu grinned so widely she couldn't stop. She was extremely satisfied with today's haul.
"I like this."
The little mermaid grabbed a large, ferocious-looking lobster and tried to stuff it straight into her mouth, completely ignoring its huge claws.
Ye Jiujiu quickly pulled her back. "Aren't you afraid it'll pinch your mouth?"
The little mermaid挣脱了Ye Jiujiu's hand, turned her back, and stubbornly continued trying to cram the lobster in. "Don't steal it. I'm eating mine."
"…I'm not trying to take it from you." Ye Jiujiu said, half amused and half exasperated. "You can't eat it raw. Give it to me, and I'll make you baked lobster with cheese for lunch—sweet and delicious. It's even better than chocolate and lollipops."
"Oh?" The little mermaid's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" Ye Jiujiu placed the lobster back into the basin. There were six in total—she could easily save one for the little mermaid. "I don't know how you used to eat seafood, but here, we eat it cooked. Cooked seafood won't give you diarrhea. Understand?"
The little mermaid didn't hear the rest. All she remembered was that Ye Jiujiu said she wouldn't lie to her.
She looked at the lobster longingly, swallowed hard, and nodded.
"Then… I'll see you again at noon."The lobster trembled in fright.
"Go sit over there for a bit. I'll put these on ice first."
Ye Jiujiu placed the filefish, shrimp, and other barely-alive seafood back into the refrigerator with ice. Perhaps because it was connected to the ocean, the refrigerator had an excellent preservation effect—even fish that were on the verge of dying after leaving the water could still survive inside.
The only problem was that it was too small. Once seafood went in, there was no room for anything else, and the smells would inevitably mix. Ye Jiujiu began considering buying an extra refrigerator, along with a few water tanks dedicated specifically to lobsters and shellfish.
She took out her phone and started browsing online. She'd earned a decent amount recently and had some money saved up, so she didn't hesitate much before placing the order and scheduling delivery for the afternoon.
Seeing Ye Jiujiu glued to her phone, the little mermaid leaned closer and hugged her long, straight legs. "Is it delicious?"
"I didn't see anything delicious." Ye Jiujiu lowered her head to look at the little mermaid whose thoughts revolved entirely around food. "Are you hungry?"
The little mermaid's eyes lit up instantly. "Second bag?"
"Want to eat steamed buns like yesterday?" Ye Jiujiu glanced at the time. It was seven or eight in the morning—the busiest period for the bun shop. The owner definitely wouldn't have time to deliver. "Come on, let's go eat steamed buns and fried dough sticks."
The little mermaid grinned happily, revealing a row of clean, even baby teeth. "Then buy that candy too."
"Okay. I'll buy you milk again as well."
The milk Lele's mom had brought yesterday had already been completely drunk by Lele and the little mermaid. She'd need to buy a few more cases later.
"I'll carry it myself," the little mermaid said softly and sweetly.
"Alright."
Ye Jiujiu locked the door, took the little mermaid's hand, and walked down the narrow, green-lined alley behind the shop toward the outside of Pear Blossom Alley. Morning sunlight slanted into the quiet, chilly alley, stretching the shadows of the two figures across the ground.
The little mermaid grew excited and skipped along the way. After leaving the alley and turning two corners, they arrived at the steamed bun shop, where a crowd had already gathered.
They squeezed inside, found a corner seat, sat down, and ordered several soup dumplings, leaf-wrapped glutinous rice cakes, fried dough sticks, and soy milk.
As soon as the food arrived, the little mermaid eagerly picked up a leaf-wrapped rice cake and took a bite. It was soft, tender, sweet, and smooth. She was so happy she rose up on her tiptoes.
After finishing one, she picked up a soup dumpling and, imitating Ye Jiujiu, carefully pursed her lips to sip the soup inside. The skin was thin, the filling generous, and the broth rich and fragrant. Her mouth filled with meaty flavor as she blinked her bright blue eyes and mumbled, "This is so good."
"Eat more if you like it." Ye Jiujiu placed another dumpling onto her plate.
The little mermaid hummed twice in response and lowered her head, continuing to eat. She slurped up the soup dumplings like a tiny hamster, completely absorbed.
Ye Jiujiu smiled as she watched her eat—her cheeks puffed out, round and soft like little dumplings themselves, so cute it was almost overwhelming. How could there be such a beautiful and adorable mermaid?
The nearby customers also noticed the delicate-looking little mermaid, who resembled a mixed-race child, and glanced over from time to time. One of the more outgoing patrons spoke up with a smile.
"Is she a foreign child? How old is she? What's her name?"
"Her eyes are really beautiful—so big and bright."
"And she eats so well.""Exactly. I watched her take bite after bite without stopping. You don't have to worry about her at all," another mother said, looking at the little mermaid eating so enthusiastically. She turned to Ye Jiujiu with open envy. "How did you teach her?"
Ye Jiujiu glanced at the little mermaid, who had only just come into this world and found everything new and fascinating. "…She wasn't really taught. She's just naturally like this."
"That's wonderful," the mother sighed. "My child refuses to eat no matter how much I coax him. He's so picky it's driving me crazy."
Ye Jiujiu hesitated for a moment, then—without blushing or feeling the least bit guilty—said, "You could try the private kitchen restaurant at the very end of Pear Blossom Lane. I hear it's especially good for children."
"Really? Then I'll try it when I have time."
Pear Blossom Lane was only a few minutes' walk away, but there was nothing particularly eye-catching about it, so people rarely went there.
Ye Jiujiu didn't push the matter. She mentioned it once and let it go.
After the little mermaid finished eating, Ye Jiujiu took her to buy the chocolate and bottled milk she'd been craving. "Go pick them yourself."
Having visited the supermarket for the second time, the little mermaid was already a seasoned shopper. She headed straight for the snack aisle she'd explored the day before, grabbed a handful of lollipops, and announced, "I want this one."
"And this one too."
After sampling seven or eight kinds of snacks with Ye Jiujiu, she skillfully selected nuts, beef jerky, dried fruit, and more, tossing them all into the basket. "They're all tasty. I want them all."
Ye Jiujiu: "..."
Ugh. She really shouldn't have brought her to the snack aisle.
The little mermaid then eyed the spicy strips, bread, and other unfamiliar items nearby. Even though she hadn't tried them before, they looked edible. "You can eat these, right?"
Before Ye Jiujiu could respond, the little mermaid nodded decisively and tossed the spicy strips into the basket. "They're all together, so they must be edible!"
Ye Jiujiu sighed inwardly. Being too smart wasn't necessarily a good thing. She gently tugged the little one back by the collar. "Take less. If you eat too much, your stomach will hurt."
"I won't be in pain."
The little mermaid stood on tiptoe, reaching for yet another snack that looked edible.
"You'll get fat too," Ye Jiujiu warned, instantly imagining a chubby little mermaid stuck halfway in the refrigerator, unable to get in or out. The image was absurdly funny.
"Don't stop me," the little mermaid protested seriously. She was far too young to understand what getting fat meant—she only knew she wanted more. "You said I could pick them myself."