In less than an hour, all thirty lunch boxes were sold out.
Li Ying and Granny Sun slowly wiped the remaining oil stains in the wooden buckets and large sea bowls with cloth towels dipped in plant ash.
It was sweltering hot. Food residues tended to spoil easily. Cleaning them up thoroughly now would not only put the diners at ease but also lighten their workload when they got home.
The coolies were well - fed. Impressed by their meticulousness, they took a fancy to the two and exhorted Li Ying reluctantly, "Miss, do come back tomorrow!"
Li Ying readily agreed with a big smile. After packing up the stall, she bought ten more coarse porcelain bowls and a small bucket of aged vinegar before heading home with Granny Sun.
On the way, Little Tuanzi woke up. With her big, bright eyes blinking, she babbled in the bamboo basket.
Granny Sun quickened her pace in a hurry. "Oh, A Ying, the baby must be hungry. Blame my slowness! Let's hurry up!"
Li Ying gently patted her daughter, feeling as if she had been through this before.
Wasn't the situation similar when they caught the big green crab?
Could there be another "big catch"?
Her eyes lit up. She looked around but only found a large patch of detached sea moss on the rocky beach.
Sea moss could only grow in clean waters with relatively high salinity. It was extremely difficult to pick because the rocks were slippery. So, it was indeed a rare seaweed.
However, it could only be served as a cold - dressed vegetarian dish and wasn't very filling. Neither the coolies nor the fishermen would be interested.
Li Ying stuffed the sea moss into the bamboo cart, confused.
Strange. Why did it seem that her lucky baby wasn't working?
As if sensing her mother's doubt, Little Tuanzi pouted. She flapped her little hands restlessly and turned her head away with a whine.
Li Ying had no choice but to carry her daughter and continue searching. When she reached a large rock, she noticed a cave in an unassuming corner.
A gray kitten curled up tightly into a ball, with several seabird eggs nestled in its tail.
Hearing the noise, the kitten opened its eyes. Its fur stood on end like a sea urchin's spines as it growled menacingly at her.
The tide was coming in. The cave would soon be flooded.
Li Ying thought the kitten had been trapped because it was too playful. She kindly picked it up from the cave but accidentally touched one of its legs. The kitten let out a yelp and scratched her without hesitation.
Only then did she notice that the poor thing had a broken leg.
How pitiful.
"Alright, little ferocious dandelion. How about coming home with me to recover? I've got plenty of dried fish for you."
Strangely enough, the kitten seemed to understand her. It obediently retracted its claws and lay down in a comfortable position.
Li Ying tucked the seabird eggs into her bosom and said with a smile, "Little sick cat, these eggs will be your advance payment for the treatment."
The little sick cat gave her a lazy look.
Was it just her imagination? Why did she feel despised?
After getting home and feeding her daughter, Li Ying got up to cook.
The eggs were still fresh. She fried them with coconut oil until they were fluffy and tender, then sprinkled some scallions on top. It was a simple home - cooked dish.
She added newly - made oyster sauce and minced garlic to the stir - fried greens. Although it was light, it was crisp, sweet, and went well with rice.
Granny Sun had bad teeth, so Li Ying steamed a bowl of egg custard for her. She added water to the seabird egg liquid, stirred it well, and carefully filtered out the foam. Then she covered it with a plate. Only in this way could the steamed egg custard be as smooth as a mirror.
Sure enough, when Granny Sun saw the steaming bowl of custard, her eyes widened in amazement.
"A Ying... You're really amazing! How could you make such a big bowl of custard from such small eggs!"
She carefully scooped up a spoonful. The custard wobbled on the spoon and slid down her throat before she could even chew.
Granny Sun couldn't help but finish most of the bowl. Then she said with a smile, "A Ying, when eating your egg custard, I should tie my tongue up, or I might swallow it because it's so delicious!"
Seeing the little sick cat lying in the corner, stealing glances at them, Li Ying couldn't help laughing. She put the remaining egg custard and some dried fish in front of it.
The little sick cat was not polite at all. It buried its head in the food and enjoyed itself.
"Since I'm going to adopt you, I should give you a name."
Come to think of it, Little Tuanzi had been born for several days, but she had just been calling her "baby" without a proper nickname. It was too hasty.
"They say daughters are their mothers' warm little cotton - padded jackets... Baby, from now on, your name will be Mianmian. And as for you, little sick cat... you'll be Maomao!"
Little Tuanzi looked at her mother blankly, seemingly not understanding that she had been given a name so casually.
The little sick cat, however, sized her up with its bright green eyes, as if saying "stupid human".
Li Ying burst out laughing.
This little sick cat was really easy to read.
She forcibly bathed Maomao and found that it not only had a broken leg but also was covered in wounds. Under the fluffy fur on its neck, there was a collar with the character "Yan" engraved on it.
Li Ying took off the collar and threw it aside. She put a splint on the cat's broken leg and then carried it to the yard to soak up the sun.
By this time, Granny Sun had already washed the sea moss several times and carefully removed the sand.
"Auntie, come back and take a rest. It's so hot. Don't get heatstroke!"
Li Ying quickly opened a coconut and called Granny Sun over.
But as soon as the words left her mouth, an idea popped into her head!
Got it!
Li Ying quickly filled a large pot in the kitchen with water, added the cleaned sea moss, and a small spoonful of vinegar. She kept boiling it until almost sunset, when all the sea moss in the pot had melted into a paste.
After filtering it through a fine gauze, what was left was a clear, light - yellow liquid. After it cooled down, it solidified into Q - elastic crystal jellies.
This seaweed jelly had little fishy smell. It was the most refreshing dish to beat the summer heat.
Li Ying made a sauce with oyster sauce, dogwood, salt, and vinegar, and mixed it with the diced sea moss jelly. This sour and spicy seaweed jelly salad was perfect for the coolies to relieve the discomfort of the hot summer.
The other bowl was made into a cold sweet soup, following the way of making sea moss paste. There was no need to add extra sugar. Just relying on the sweetness of coconut milk and sprinkling a layer of delicate coconut shreds like the first snow, it was already very refreshing.
It was a pity that the supplies were scarce. If she could add some fruits to make an exquisite fruit soup, the ladies from wealthy families would surely rush to buy this new dessert.
Granny Sun couldn't resist sharing it with Li Ying, despite her gout. She felt as if the slippery jelly was like a swimming fish, sliding into every part of her body, driving away the summer heat.
"A Ying, I'm not worried about you selling the jelly salad tomorrow. But... this coconut milk sea moss paste... You know, those living on the dock are all poor people. They may not be able to afford such a fancy sweet soup..."
Granny Sun was afraid that she would lose money and couldn't help reminding her.