Free Web NovelChapter 414: Chapter 414: Qingming Snails
The next morning, Ding Kaifang drove over to pick up Li Xu and Song Sisi.
"Doctor Li, Sisi, get in."
Ding Kaifang called out.
Li Xu and Song Sisi got into the car, carrying a beautifully wrapped box.
Ding Kaifang glanced at it and asked curiously, "Doctor Li, what sort of treasure did you bring? Elder Li has everything, so finding a thoughtful gift isn’t easy."
Li Xu smiled. "Just some semi-prepared ingredients for stone flower ointment."
Hearing this, Ding Kaifang’s eyes widened in surprise. "Stone flower ointment? How can you have that this time of year? That’s a summer treat for cooling off. Doctor Li, you’re so thoughtful. Elder Li will definitely be pleased!"
Li Xu explained, "I happened to find some a few days ago. It’s perfectly fresh."
Ding Kaifang praised him repeatedly.
Li Xu asked in return, "What did you guys bring?"
Upon hearing the question, Ding Aiguo laughed. "What else could we bring? Just some good tea. Elder Li loves his tea, so you can never go wrong with tea leaves."
They chatted idly along the way, and soon they arrived at Li Garden.
Elder Li was already in the courtyard, basking in the sun. When he saw Li Xu and Song Sisi get out of the car, his face immediately broke into a wide smile.
"Doctor Li, Sisi, Old Ding, Kaifang, you’re here! Come in, come in."
Elder Li greeted them enthusiastically, his gaze falling on the box in Li Xu’s hands.
"Elder Li, I brought you some semi-prepared ingredients for stone flower ointment. We can make some to eat in a bit."
Li Xu handed him the box.
Elder Li opened the box and saw it was filled with Stone Flower, white as snow and carrying a faint, fresh fragrance.
He delightedly picked up a piece and sniffed it, a look of nostalgia spreading across his face.
"This... How can there be such fine Stone Flower at this time of year?"
Elder Li asked in pleasant surprise. "And judging by its quality, it’s been prepared exceptionally well!"
Li Xu explained, "I gathered it from a special place. It’s completely fresh. I thought you might like it, so I had Sisi prepare it in advance."
Elder Li said with emotion, "When I was young, I went to Quanzhou, where the stone flower ointment is famous. You usually only find it in the summer, to cool off from the heat. It’s spring now, so finding such high-quality Stone Flower is truly remarkable. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Doctor Li."
Elder Li led Li Xu and Song Sisi into the house, had the housekeeper serve tea, and then went to the kitchen to get busy himself.
Although he claimed to be getting old, Elder Li was still full of vigor whenever cooking was mentioned.
After a short while, the first dish was finally brought to the table by the housekeeper.
"Haha! Qingming snails are better than old goose!"
Seeing the dish before him, Ding Aiguo clapped his hands excitedly and exclaimed, "Elder Li, it’s been too long since I’ve had this delicacy!"
Before them was a large bowl of river snail soup. The broth was clear, with flecks of green chives floating on top. It was simple yet elegant, exuding a fresh, rustic air.
Ding Kaifang also smiled. "I’ve long heard my father say that the river snail soup you make yourself is delicious, Elder Li. I finally get to try it!"
"Ah, I’m getting old!"
Elder Li waved his hand, a trace of resignation on his face. "When I was young, I could climb the mountains every day without getting tired. Now, even cooking is a strain. Otherwise, I would have cooked myself and had you try my skills, Doctor!" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Although Elder Li said this, everyone knew that while the housekeeper had prepared the dish under his direction, he had personally overseen its essence and seasoning.
Strictly speaking, he hadn’t cooked it with his own hands, but it still contained his masterful touch.
Elder Li pointed to the snails in the bowl and explained, "Don’t look down on these little snails. I had them specially gathered from a clear mountain spring. They’re very clean, with no muddy taste, and have a particularly fresh, sweet flavor.
River snails during the Qingming season are at their most nourishing and delicious.
At this time, the snails have just woken from hibernation, so their meat is firm yet tender. The taste is truly wonderful."
Li Xu picked up a snail, his face filled with nostalgia. "Speaking of this dish, it really brings back memories for me!"
As he spoke, he showed the snail in his hand to everyone. "On city streets, you often see vendors selling five-spice river snails. They usually push a small cart with a coal stove, and on top of the stove is a large stainless steel pot filled with hot, fragrant five-spice snails, mixed with red chili peppers and dark cassia bark. It’s better than any flashy advertisement."
He picked up a snail as he continued, demonstrating, "The best way to eat snails is to suck them. That way, you get the meat and the juice from the shell into your mouth at the same time, giving you a rich and savory flavor. Using a toothpick is convenient, but the taste is much worse."
Li Xu picked up a snail with its tail-end clipped off, took a demonstrative suck, and made a loud "SLURP."
"You have to clip the tail off the snail so air can pass through, otherwise you can’t suck it out. Sucking snails is a skill, just like cracking sunflower seeds. You can’t suck too hard, or you’ll pull the snail’s intestines right into your mouth! And that taste..."
Li Xu made a disgusted face, causing everyone to roar with laughter.
He continued, "You have to suck just right, so the head of the snail enters your mouth, you gently catch the back half with your teeth, and with a little flick of your tongue, the whole piece of meat slides out with the delicious broth. If you can’t suck it out, you can use the tip of a chopstick to push the meat in a little to loosen it, then one more suck will do the trick. I’ve seen people clean a whole plate of snails using only a pair of chopsticks, without their hands ever touching a shell. That’s another skill entirely."
"Some people online joke that eating snails is like kissing, and that people who eat a lot of snails must be good kissers. There are even wilder stories. They say a master of eating snails in broth can suck one and then spit the shell out with such force that it sticks into a wooden door with a THWAP, just like a silent, deadly hidden weapon from a martial arts novel!"
Li Xu’s vivid description made everyone burst out laughing.
"It reminds me of my college days. On hot summer nights, we’d pick a street-side food stall, three or five friends would pool our money for a few plates of stir-fried snails and some ice-cold beers. It was pure bliss. But then you’d get that one unlucky ’stink bomb.’ You’d be in the middle of talking or listening, take a big suck, and—BLECH! It felt like a punch to the throat. BLECH! BLECH! The stench went straight to your guts!"
Li Xu made an exaggerated face, as if the foul taste was still in his mouth, making everyone double over with laughter.
"Hahaha... Doctor Li, you’re hilarious!"
Elder Li burst into hearty laughter. He picked up a snail, popped it into his mouth, and with a look of pure enjoyment, said, "Ours are different. They drink from clear mountain springs and eat mountain soil. To put it crudely, even their crap is fragrant!"
Elder Li’s comment made everyone howl with laughter again, and even the usually reserved Song Sisi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Ding Aiguo wiped the smile from the corner of his mouth and said, "March snails with March chives—it’s like a good mood on a beautiful day. You can just imagine how fresh and delicious it is. The only thing is, the snail meat isn’t easy to clean. It often has bits of the operculum, the tail end of the intestine, and grass mixed in. It’s best to wash them in the water from rinsing rice. Rice water removes the fishy smell and sliminess, and it also tenderizes the meat."
