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Before Jin Shiya could get too upset, an elderly woman arrived, pushing a small cart filled with delicacies. First, she served three bowls of appetizer soup: a dish of water caltrop and silverfish soup.
To enhance the appetite, it was made using a method somewhat similar to that of hot and sour soup. The fresh fragrance of the water caltrop helped cool down the heat, and paired with a slight tanginess and spiciness, it truly stimulated the appetite.
Next came four small plates of snacks. Among them was the osmanthus-flavored sweet lotus root, along with white-cut lamb, blueberry yam, and a dish of drunken shrimp.
(TN: Here are the foods in order of mention)
As she arranged the dishes, she mentioned the origin of the ingredients. None were specially outsourced outside. All the ingredients are meticulously cultivated; they were all directly bought from nearby villages.
The elderly woman was quite talkative but very considerate. When she picked up a plate or arranged the dishes, she remained silent. Only after placing the plate down and stepping back slightly would she begin to speak.
She was older now and had honed her ability to read the room. If a guest wasn’t interested in hearing what she had to say, she won't speak a word. But seeing that Jin Shiya enjoyed her conversation, she became quite talkative.
Jin Shiya gradually relaxed as she listened, even forgetting that she was merely a guest, here to be accompanied and be entertained. She even took the opportunity to ask the elderly woman:
"Grandma, you’re quite elderly. Why are you still working here?"
The elderly woman smiled and replied, "I’m actually from a nearby village. After I retired, I had nothing to do. Sitting at home all day made my legs stiff. The owner of this restaurant is really kind. All the waitstaff here are retired elderly people from nearby villages. In our old age, it's nice when guests like you come to chat with us. Doing a little work to help out also makes me feel content."
Her words made Jin Shiya feel a bit more fond of the restaurant owner. After finishing the small dishes, the main course was about to be served.
"Miss, you certainly came in the right time. Right now, it’s the season when the freshwater crabs are just coming in. We’ve got a lot of big crabs in. They have large bodies and plenty of crab roe."
"These crabs are from the first catch of the season in Yangcheng Lake. You might think our crabs aren’t the biggest, but they’re full of quality. In Suzhou, we have a saying: eat female crabs in September and male crabs in October. Right now, it's the lunar September, so it's the season for eating female crabs."
(TN: Female crabs are best in September because they are full of roe (eggs), which makes them rich and tasty. Male crabs are best in October because their meat is tender and sweet.)
As she spoke, she took a cart that had been pushed over, opened a large steaming basket, and revealed six golden crabs.
"Would you like me to help you with the crabs, or will you handle it yourselves?"
Only then did Jin Shiya remember Sherman and the man. It was no wonder she had overlooked them—although he had claimed he couldn’t use chopsticks, he seemed more adept at it than anyone else.
But when it came to cracking the crabs, she was sure she couldn’t manage, and it seemed neither could the two foreigners.
"No need, we’ll do it ourselves," said the man. His Chinese surprised the elderly woman, and she quickly cleared the leftover dishes from their table, replaced the plates with fresh ones, and exchanged their tea cups for osmanthus wine.
Jin Shiya took a sip. In addition to the osmanthus fragrance, there was also a hint of orange flavor. It was clearly a mixed fruit wine, not just made from osmanthus.
Jin Shiya’s earlier guess was only half right. The man wasn’t skilled at using the crab tools, but Sherman was—he handled them effortlessly. Sherman quickly cracked the crab shells and meat for the man and placed them in a small dish in front of him.
Jin Shiya stared at the crab on her plate, unsure of how to eat it.
The elderly woman let out a quiet laugh, standing beside Jin Shiya. She helped her crack the crabs, then pushed the cart away to fetch more dishes.
