Tsk tsk... keeping a cat is so much better!

Putting his thoughts aside, Lin Xu carried the net full of river shrimp over to Chen Meiliang and asked, "Second Uncle, where should I put these shrimp?"

"There's an aquarium in the dining area. Just turn on the oxygen pump and put them in. That way, they'll still be alive when we eat them tomorrow."

Despite the restaurant's previously lackluster business, it had all the necessary equipment.

Lin Xu carried the shrimp into the dining area, turned on the oxygen pump, and then poured them in. Soon, most of the shrimp had spread out and swum away. But some of the smaller ones were floating on the surface, barely clinging to life.

To prevent these little shrimp from drowning, Lin Xu used a small hand net nearby to scoop them all out into a basin, then carried it into the kitchen.

Chen Yuanyuan, who was just about to finish her shift, asked, "Lin Xu, what are you planning to do?"

"These shrimp are nearly dead. I'm thinking of making some Shrimp Pancakes to take home as a late-night snack."

Hmm, we ate dinner quite early today. Maybe Baobao will get hungry around midnight. It'd be better to make these shrimp into pancakes now. Then, if someone's hungry later tonight, they can just heat them up in the microwave to fill their stomachs.

Even though microwaved pancakes aren't that tasty, they're surely better than instant noodles, right?

Upon hearing he was making Shrimp Pancakes, Chen Yuanyuan decided not to leave and followed him into the kitchen instead.

"My mom keeps nagging me that I can't cook. Since you're making Shrimp Pancakes, I'll learn from you. That way, when Mom visits, I can make some for her to try."

Lin Xu: "..."

Cousin Yuanyuan, are you really trying to learn how to make Shrimp Pancakes?

I'm almost too embarrassed to point it out.

I never expected that not only do I have a greedy sister-in-law in Beijing, but also a greedy cousin back home.

Both are the type who would rather stay single than compromise their taste buds.

When Shen Baobao heard about making Shrimp Pancakes, she also reluctantly came over. Her once pristine white T-shirt was now splattered with mud. Unable to vent her frustration on the culprit, Baobao felt like an unappreciated stepmother and grew quite irritated. She decided to channel her anger into her appetite instead.

"Are Shrimp Pancakes hard to make?"

Shen Baobao planned to take notes to send to Aunt Liu, so she could make some at home for her Mom and Dad to try too.

Well, after all, I am my parents' sweet and considerate daughter.

"They're not hard to make; quite simple, actually."

Lin Xu added some water to the basin and rinsed the small river shrimp. These shrimp were very small, making it impossible to devein them. He just needed to wash them a couple more times to remove as much dirt from their surfaces as possible.

After washing, he drained the water. He placed the small river shrimp on the cutting board and chopped them roughly.

"Why are you chopping them?" Chen Yuanyuan asked, somewhat curious. She hadn't initially planned on learning, but since her cousin said it was simple, she decided to give it a try. It'd be a good way to appease her mom.

Lin Xu explained, "If we don't chop these small shrimp, their shells might burst when we cook the pancakes. This would make the pancakes look unappetizing, and bits might even splatter onto your face."

The small river shrimp didn't need to be chopped too finely. A rough chop was enough before moving on to the next step. He added some Scallion and Ginger water, salt, and an Egg to the basin, mixed it evenly, then added some low gluten flour and stirred it into a slightly thick batter.

Once everything was prepared, he placed a flat pan on the stove. When the pan was hot, he greased the bottom with a layer of oil and then used a spoon to ladle the batter onto the hot pan, placing half a spoonful every few centimeters. Once the bottom of the pan was covered with dollops of batter, he carefully spread each one with a spatula, forming them into small, shrimp-filled pancakes.

Soon, the batter in the pan gradually solidified, and the small river shrimp inside also turned an enticing red. Lin Xu brushed oil on the surface of the pancakes and then flipped them over to continue frying. When both sides were golden brown, he carefully transferred them onto a plate and then began frying the next batch.

"It smells so good."

"So savory and fragrant; they look really tasty."

Shen Baobao and Chen Yuanyuan couldn't bear to wait any longer. Each grabbed a piece, blew on it to cool it down, and popped it into their mouth.

"CRUNCH..."

The crispy texture immediately whetted their appetites. Even though their stomachs were full, they felt a renewed urge to eat, as if their stomachs were proclaiming, 'Help me up, I need to keep working!'

"Wow, delicious!" Shen Baobao praised aloud, picked up a few more, and happily went to the dining area to give some to Chen Meijuan. "Mom, you've got to try this; these Shrimp Pancakes are so good."

But when she saw Dundun in Chen Meijuan's arms, she immediately narrowed her eyes.

You little brat, just you wait until I get my hands on you!

Dundun blinked gently, putting on an adorable look for Baobao.

Shen Baobao: "..."

AARGH, why am I even angrier now!

Returning to the kitchen, Lin Xu's second batch was almost done. Chen Yuanyuan was packing Shrimp Pancakes into a takeout box from the restaurant, clearly planning to take some too.

Lin Xu said, "Yuanyuan, if you eat so much at night, you'll turn into a ball."

Chen Yuanyuan lightly swatted her cousin's arm. "Even if I turn into a ball, it'll be your fault for making such delicious food! Besides, aren't you two eating them tonight as well? Why aren't you worried about turning into balls?"

As soon as Chen Yuanyuan finished speaking, she suddenly remembered that her cousin and his wife, Shen Baobao, lived together. She instantly felt a wave of jealousy from their public display of affection, and even the Shrimp Pancakes in her takeout box suddenly seemed less appetizing...

AARGH! My annoying cousin is always showing off his relationship!

It's so infuriating!

She didn't wait for Lin Xu and Shen Baobao, and drove off home by herself in a small commuter vehicle.

Lin Xu was quite puzzled. "What suddenly got into Yuanyuan?"

"I don't know. My older sister Yan also used to get suddenly cranky like this; it's probably a common affliction for older, single women."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.