Chapter 141: Known in the Jianghu as Lu the Eighth
Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Known in the Jianghu as Lu the Eighth
Lu Wu squatted behind her stall, watching Dahuang noisily lick the bowl clean.
Just as she’d figured. Whether human or dog, no one was immune to falling in love with something they’d initially hated.
A moment ago, when she was halfway through her meal, Dahuang had started circling her hesitantly. He didn’t bark, just stared at her.
Lu Wu knew Dahuang all too well and generously gave him half of her snail noodles.
Dahuang took the first bite as if holding his nose; the smell was quite a challenge for a dog.
But once he tasted how delicious the snail noodles were, there was no stopping him.
In the end, Dahuang had licked even the last dregs of Lu Wu’s broth clean.
Huohuo landed on her head. Clearly, she was getting hungry too.
"I’ll cook some for you two."
"The two little guys have quite the appetite," Lu Wu said with a smile as she ruffled Huohuo’s head.
Then, when she stood up from behind the stall, she saw a group of... Sea Clan members standing across from her.
Thanks to Uncle Li’s previous explanations, Lu Wu was able to match the visitors with the characteristics of the Sea Clan.
’To be honest, there are some real beauties among the Sea Clan.’
The male Sea Clan member standing at the very front possessed a unique, lucid beauty that bordered on foolishness.
She didn’t have time to admire his good looks. Lu Wu glanced behind her—no one. She looked ahead again—the Sea Clan squad stood in stern formation.
’Is a war about to start?’
’The Sea Clan is here, so where are the Human Clan Cultivators?’
’They’re not going to make me the vanguard, are they?’
Lu Wu’s heart pounded with anxiety.
The leader of the Sea Clan group was Long Zhang. He observed the human before him. She looked frail, just as the ancient texts described.
’Could such humans really be the ones who suppressed our Sea Clan, forcing us to hide at the bottom of the sea, afraid to emerge?’
’No, that’s not right.’
Before he left, his father, the king, had told him not to underestimate humans.
’Humans loved that trick of pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger.’
Though he couldn’t understand why humans liked to be tigers and pigs, or even work like cows and horses, but just wouldn’t be human.
Their gazes met across the stall. Lu Wu glanced at the kitchen knife on the counter.
’She was pondering what posture she should adopt to die a little more gracefully if a fight broke out.’
Finally, Lu Wu made her decision.
"Sir, would you care for a snail noodle and burger combo?"
Lu Wu remembered her role.
She was just a small stall owner. When customers showed up, her first priority was, of course, to attract business.
Lu Wu’s voice broke the silent standoff between them.
"What was that stinky thing from before?"
Long Zhang asked.
Although the snail noodles were gone, the lingering smell still wafted through the air. Behind him, some of the Sea Clan members were holding their noses uncomfortably, their faces full of disgust.
"That’s snail noodles."
"Don’t be fooled by the smell. They’re delicious! If you don’t believe me, ask Dahuang."
By the side of the stall, Dahuang the supervisor was in position.
Hearing his master call his name, he nodded his head emphatically.
"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"
Delicious! So good.
This affirmation from a dog left Long Zhang half-believing, half-doubting.
’But he couldn’t possibly show weakness in the face of a human plot just because of a little stink.’
"Fine. I’ll have a bowl of snail noodles."
Long Zhang began to order, feigning a casual air.
"Sir, would you like to add a delicious Crab Roe Burger to your order?"
Lu Wu began to upsell another specialty.
’She had to sell the snail noodles, of course, but if she had the chance, she needed to complete her mission first.’
"And what is a Crab Roe Burger?"
Long Zhang turned to a female member of the Sea Clan entourage whose original form was a crab.
’Could she be implying that he should hand over his subordinate to be made into this "Crab Roe Burger"?’
’Humans really are this cruel!’
Compared to the Human Clan, the Sea Clan’s knowledge of human cuisine was far too limited.
"You’re my first customer, so how about this: I’ll give you a Crab Roe Burger on the house. You can give it a try."
’You have to give a little to get a little.’
To pry open the wallets of this group of Sea Clan members, Lu Wu decided to bite the bullet and offer a freebie.
She didn’t wait for Long Zhang to refuse, immediately starting to cook the rice noodles while also beginning to prepare the Crab Roe Burger.
The patty for the Crab Roe Burger was a mix of beef and crab meat prepared by Lu Wu. The ground beef, having been pounded and worked, was firm yet tender and juicy.
Lu Wu formed it into a patty and placed it on the griddle to fry.
The red beef began to change color under the high heat. The meat filling had been meticulously seasoned by Lu Wu, and the spices within began to release their fragrance.
Waves of meaty aroma caused the expressions of the Sea Clan members, who had never eaten beef from the land, to shift.
"It smells so good."
The crab-person Sea Clan member clutched her stomach and muttered under her breath.
’If it meant she could eat that meat patty, she wouldn’t even mind giving up a little of her own crab roe.’
’As a female crab, she had plenty in stock.’
However, it turned out the Sea Clan had been overthinking things. Lu Wu had already prepared the crab roe long in advance.
One thing Yuanhai was not short on was seafood.
The roe from the crabs that were bigger than a person’s face was abundant and rich.
The crab roe had been stir-fried, and the rendered crab oil coated each grain. When the lid was opened, the roe inside was perfectly distinct, glistening with a tempting sheen.
The fragrance was intoxicating.
The Sea Clan normally ate seafood, but mostly raw.
They had also tried cooking seafood like humans did, but they always found the taste strange.
’Looking at it now, it was clear their own cooking skills were just lacking.’
By now, the meat patty was golden-brown and seared on both sides, the filling holding together perfectly without falling apart.
Lu Wu placed a slice of cheese on top of the patty. As the temperature rose, the cheese began to melt, the flowing, pale-yellow liquid wrapping around the patty like little tentacles.
The hamburger bun was sliced in two and lightly toasted until both sides became crisp again, returning to the texture of a freshly baked bun.
Lu Wu spread a layer of mayonnaise and crab roe sauce on the bun, adding more layers to the flavor.
’How could you have a burger without lettuce and tomato?’
The thinly sliced tomatoes were plump with juice, carrying their own natural, fresh fragrance.
Add to that slices of onion and crisp pickles, and the rich combination of colors was enough to stir anyone’s appetite.
When Lu Wu placed the patty, now one with the melted cheese, on top, the interplay of the savory and fresh aromas was enough to stir the soul.
Just by looking at it, Long Zhang began to imagine the texture of the burger in his mouth.
The only sound was that of Lu Wu’s busy preparations. Long Zhang felt he should communicate more with the human to learn the ’Thirty-Six Stratagems’ of mankind.
He glanced at the sign and thought he had found a good topic to start a conversation.
"So your name is ’the Eighth’?"
’The Eighth’s Secret-Recipe Small Burgers... what a catchy name.’
"My surname is Lu."
Lu Wu explained seriously.
"Alright, Lu the Eighth."
Long Zhang’s reply was perfectly natural.
"..."
Lu Wu was silent for a moment.
’Fine, she had to admit it. Among her generation, she was indeed ranked eighth.’
The conversation died.
While Long Zhang was wracking his brain, trying to find another opening for conversation, Lu Wu made her next move.
The rice noodles were ready.
The translucent rice noodles were lifted out and placed into a large bowl. The broth slowly soaked in, allowing the noodles to absorb its essence.
Snail meat and other toppings were spread over the noodles.
The moment the most pungent ingredient—the pickled bamboo shoots—appeared, its aroma made Long Zhang want to beat a retreat.
’Actually, it wasn’t that he was incapable of showing weakness.’
’As the old human saying goes, "He who understands the times is a great man." He thought it made a lot of sense.’