The crayfish and river snails had been kept in water for three days, and had finally purged all their grit.
At Hua Manman's direction, the servants cleaned the ingredients, deveined the crayfish, and clipped the tails off the river snails. Then, it was time to stir-fry. Chili peppers, perilla, scallions, ginger, and garlic went into the wok one by one, along with other seasonings, and a fragrant aroma began to fill the air.
The familiar aroma gave Hua Manman the disorienting sensation of being back in the modern world for a fleeting moment.
The corners of her mouth lifted into an involuntary smile, her heart filled with joy.
'Even if I can't go back to the modern world, I can still enjoy modern food. More importantly, in this world, I have people I love, and people who love me.'
'I'm very happy in this world.'
Beneath the grape trellis, Li Ji and Feihua Zhenren were already seated.
A servant placed the cooked crayfish and river snails on the small dining table.
