Chapter 397: Spicy Crayfish
Happy Water—its full name being Fat Happy Water, and its scientific name: Coca Cola.
This miraculous drink, born from an accident in the late 19th century, was originally marketed as a medicinal tonic for refreshing and calming the nerves.
After more than a hundred years of reformulation and improvement, whether it truly calms the nerves anymore is debatable—but as for refreshing the spirit, it's the real deal. Especially when served ice-cold, that heady rush of cola is something only those who drink it will understand.
Cola is cheap and easy to find in any convenience store or supermarket. Because of that—and its high sugar content—it became the go-to drink for the stay-at-home crowd, mockingly nicknamed Fat Happy Water.
Ping Xinyan, of course, had no way of knowing this history. But in this moment, she felt deeply that the name couldn't have been more fitting.
Right now, with one bite of fried chicken and one sip of Happy Water, she felt as if she had caught a glimpse of the leisurely joy of otaku life on Earth.
By the time she had finished the KFC Finger-Lickin' Original Chicken, gnawing the last bits of meat clean off the bone, Ping Xinyan reluctantly set it down. She glanced at her fingers, still slick with juices, and instinctively popped them into her mouth for a gentle suck. When she pulled them out, she blinked at them absentmindedly.
Eh?
Finger-Lickin' Original Chicken…
Finger-lickin'…
Staring at the sheen on her fingertips, Ping Xinyan suddenly realized where the name came from.
After draining the last sip of cola and letting out a satisfied burp, she finally turned her eyes toward the plate of Spicy Crayfish she had set aside earlier.
Sure enough, just as she'd expected, the crayfish was still steaming hot.
Pushing aside the empty plates from her skewers and fried chicken, Ping Xinyan quickly pulled the bowl of crayfish closer to her. Her throat tightened as she swallowed.
The last two dishes had been so delicious—what about this one?
She gently pinched one raised claw and lifted a whole crayfish out of the bowl, setting it onto a clean porcelain plate.
The crayfish's shell glistened a vivid red, speckled with white sesame seeds and crushed Sichuan peppercorns. Its fragrance grew stronger with every whiff—spicy, numbing, and mouthwateringly savory—making Ping Xinyan's appetite surge.
Crayfish, also called Procambarus clarkii, has a body divided into three sections. The cephalothorax, covered by a single hard shell, makes up about half its length, fronted by a pair of large claws. Beneath the shell were several slender walking legs.
Behind the cephalothorax was the so-called "lobster tail," though in truth it wasn't the tail at all.
The real tail was only the small terminal fan at the end, made of hard plates that could spread and close. The part people call the "tail meat," the main edible portion, was actually the crayfish's abdomen.
On the abdomen were smaller limbs called swimmerets, soft and delicate, used for moving in water.
When eating crayfish, the usual edible parts were the abdomen meat, the orange "roe" in the cephalothorax, and sometimes the claw meat. Parts to avoid included the gills—where dirt accumulates—and the head, which can harbor heavy metals.
The crayfish before her had already been carefully prepared. Its head had been cut off cleanly, removing the inedible gills and brain. The tail fan was also snapped away, leaving an opening for the flavorful broth to seep into the meat.
Even more conveniently, the back of the abdomen had been slit open neatly. This not only removed the digestive tract and made shelling easier, but also let the sauce soak more deeply into the meat—three benefits in one stroke.
Ping Xinyan had never seen crayfish before, but that didn't stop her from tasting it.
For this slightly fearsome-looking little creature, the menu had kindly provided step-by-step instructions on how to eat it.
She first grasped the claw, twisted it sharply, and set it aside, then turned her attention back to the crayfish's body.
Carefully prying open the carapace of the cephalothorax, the golden roe and pale meat inside were revealed before Ping Xinyan's eyes.
With one hand holding the walking legs and the other gripping the abdomen, she twisted gently. The two parts separated cleanly, leaving the roe and meat nestled between the gills exposed and easy to pull out.
That piece of meat, streaked with yellow on top and soft white below, gleamed invitingly as the rich, spicy aroma wafted up to her nose. Ping Xinyan swallowed hard, reminding herself silently not to give in too quickly.
'The soul of crayfish is eating the meat and roe together in one bite!'
The slit carved along the back shell of the abdomen was just deep enough to leave the meat whole. When Ping Xinyan gripped the split shell halves and pulled them apart, the plump, tender meat—soaked in bronze-hued broth—was revealed in all its glory.
A light tug, and the shell slipped away cleanly.
"Wow~"
She glanced once at the pale, glistening meat with its streak of golden roe, then stuffed it into her mouth and began to chew.
The moment she bit down, the spicy, numbing flavor burst forth. The springy tenderness of the meat and the rich, melt-in-your-mouth roe fused together, exploding across her tongue.
The crayfish's natural sweetness blended with the spicy, aromatic broth, flooding her senses with a rush of delight.
"Haaah~"
She let out a breath, her face glowing with satisfaction. Her gaze quickly fell on the two massive claws still resting on the plate.
Qi Han had chosen a special breed: deep-sea crayfish, cultivated to the ten-year level. Much like common Procambarus clarkii, they could shed and regrow their claws when threatened.
Ordinary crayfish often had mismatched claws because of this regeneration. But at Han Shi, only flawless specimens were chosen—those with two fully intact claws. Any crayfish with damaged claws was left to breed naturally.
The result of such careful selection was that every crayfish served had a pair of claws nearly the size of its cephalothorax.
Just looking at them, one could imagine the abundance of juicy meat inside. Ping Xinyan swallowed again, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
The roe and tail meat had already been so delicious—what would the claw meat taste like?
Each claw was composed of two parts: one fixed and one movable.
Following the menu's instructions, Ping Xinyan grasped the movable claw and wiggled it twice. Then she pressed her fingers on the fixed claw and gave it a firm snap.
With a crisp crack, the shell broke. As she gently pulled, a long strip of meat slid free from the hollow cavity.
Now unobstructed, the entire claw's pink, glistening flesh came free in one smooth motion as she drew it out by the base of the movable pincer.
"Mm~"
Ping Xinyan's eyes widened at the sight of the plump, tender claw meat, as enticing as the tail had been. She carefully separated the meat from the shell, drawing out another slender strip, then popped both into her mouth.
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