"Are you starting to cook?"

When Lin Xu poured oil into the pot, Shen Jiayue curiously moved closer.

"Yes, I've started," Lin Xu replied. "This way, you can eat sooner."

Once Shen Baobao heard this, she immediately grinned and pulled out her phone, saying, "It's rare for you to cook crayfish, so I have to record this and show it to my parents when I get back."

Lin Xu was speechless.

Planning some late-night food temptation, are you? Then you'd better watch out, or you might get a beating.

Shen Jiayue activated the camera on her phone, leaned in, and began recording, narrating as if she were a food blogger, "When cooking crayfish, you first need to parboil them, adding Scallion and Ginger, Cooking Wine... Eh? This isn't water?"

She had recently been watching a lot of food videos. She was pretty well-versed with the basic preparations for meat. For instance, meat is typically parboiled before cooking. It's common to add Scallion and Ginger, and Cooking Wine during this process, so she automatically mentioned it while recording.

However, she realized mid-sentence that it wasn't water in the pot. Lin Xu also had no plans to add Scallion and Ginger or Cooking Wine.

"Crayfish have a strong smell," Lin Xu explained. "You need to first flash-fry them in hot oil to better remove the smell. This also makes it easier to peel the flesh when eating."

"Oh... I don't understand!" Shen Baobao looked completely clueless.

But she was recording this video purely to tease her parents with tempting food late at night. So the method didn't matter; as long as the crayfish looked enticing afterward, it was fine.

The family stove had a weak flame. It took a long time for the oil to heat up.

Lin Xu scooped up a large spoonful of crayfish with a strainer and scattered them into the pot. A loud SIZZLE erupted as the crayfish hit the hot oil. The oil in the pot quickly boiled, turning the originally green Large Shrimp an appealing red color.

This step was essential for making delicious crayfish. Frying not only removed the fishy smell but also enhanced the aroma and the oily texture. More importantly, after frying, the moisture in the shrimp flesh was locked in, making the crayfish even more tender and juicy.

As the hot oil in the pot boiled intensely, Shen Jiayue stood aside, filmed a video of the crayfish tumbling in the hot oil, and sent it to a group named "Closely Knit Family" on her phone.

After sending it, she rapidly typed a lengthy message about how much she was looking forward to eating crayfish. She even detailed the taste of the spicy crayfish, planning to intensely tantalize her parents.

However, when she tried to send the message, it failed: "You are not a member of this group and cannot send messages!"

Shen Jiayue was bewildered. What the...? Was I kicked out?

She checked the group members; indeed, only two were left.

Aaaah! I actually got kicked out! Is there no justice in this world?!

Just as she was about to confront her parents, Lin Xu, who was beside her, suddenly said, "Your dad just added me to a group called 'Closely Knit Family.' Why aren't you in it?"

Shen Jiayue was floored. They got the shrimp, and now they're going for the heart too? This local chapter is just too unscrupulous!

After saying this, Lin Xu set down his phone, picked up the strainer, and began removing the crayfish. This stuff shouldn't be fried for too long. Generally, once the color changes, it can be removed; frying too long makes the shrimp flesh tough.

He removed the crayfish from the pot and began frying the next batch.

After all the crayfish were fried, he scooped most of the oil out of the pot, stopping when about two large spoonfuls remained.

It was time to fry the aromatics.

Lin Xu said to Shen Jiayue, "It will get very smoky in the kitchen soon. You'd better go outside."

"Okay!"

Getting kicked out by her parents didn't matter. Shen Jiayue immediately contacted Chen Meijuan and joined the Lin Family's group chat.

The Lin Family's group was named "Joyful Family," similar to the Shen Family's. But the treatment Shen Baobao received after joining was worlds apart.

Chen Meijuan first sent a 200-yuan red envelope in the group, announcing, "My daughter-in-law joined the group! Here's a red envelope to celebrate."

Shen Jiayue grabbed 199 yuan. Overjoyed, she hugged Lin Xu, planted a kiss on his face, then cheerily left the kitchen to show off outside.

Soon, loud exclamations were heard from outside:

"Wow, no way? You grabbed 199 yuan out of a 200-yuan red envelope? Are you that lucky?"

"I should've asked you to buy me a few lottery tickets at the community entrance just now!"

"Which group is giving out such a big red envelope?"

"Your mother-in-law's group? Yueyue, if you keep up with this public display of affection, I'm calling the police!!!"

Closing the kitchen door, Lin Xu turned the range hood to its highest setting.

After the oil heated up, he added Scallion and Ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, Star Anise, and dried chili segments.

He stir-fried them until aromatic, then added a large spoonful of Doubanjiang.

Doubanjiang not only helps create Red Oil but also adds a rich, savory flavor to the crayfish, making them even more delicious.

The Doubanjiang needed to be stir-fried a bit longer until it was fragrant and the Red Oil was released; this would make the crayfish taste even better.

After stir-frying until aromatic, he added some water to the pot. Then, he added a handful of Sichuan peppercorns, another handful of Sichuan peppercorns, a handful of dried chili, a ladleful of Light Soy Sauce, and a touch of Dark Soy Sauce for color.

He brought the sauce to a boil and let it simmer for a bit, allowing the flavors of the seasonings to meld.

Then he added the fried crayfish to the pot and poured in a few bottles of beer.

Beer effectively removes any fishy smell and also helps thicken the sauce.

After pouring in the beer, he added a handful of Crystal Sugar, half an onion, and a small bowl of halved garlic cloves.

Then he covered the pot and began to simmer the crayfish.

While the crayfish were simmering, Lin Xu washed the green chili peppers he had bought, cut them into rings, and set them aside with perilla leaves, cilantro leaves, and chopped green onions.

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