"What a clever guy," Si Lu thought to herself, looking at Bai Di.
Of course, if they had a dipping sauce, this would be even better. This would be a perfect dish of boiled shrimp. Unfortunately, even though the marketplace had dipping sauces, she didn't have enough points to buy them—too bad!
"Lu Lu, what do you think of the shrimp I made?" Bai Di asked with a smile when he saw Si Lu coming over.
He had originally planned to make the spicy shrimp dish from the night before, but unfortunately, they had run out of chili peppers. So, he decided to try boiling the shrimp, much like they would with meat soup, since they had already cleaned and prepared the shrimp. It turned out to be a success. He had just tasted one, and while it wasn't spicy, it was still fresh and delicious.
The shrimp they caught that morning were plentiful, and they had only cooked a portion of them. Bai Di suggested that Si Lu store the rest in her space for future meals, knowing how much she liked shrimp. They were always thinking of ways to take care of her and ensure she was healthy and well-fed.
"It's perfect! Bai Di, you're so smart. It smells wonderful!" Si Lu said as she took in the savory aroma.
"Oh, by the way, we caught a lot of shrimp this morning. They're all laid out on that big rock over there to dry, and they've already been cleaned. You can store them in your space later, so it'll be easier to prepare when you want to eat them," Bai Di explained.
"Also... one more thing. Last night, the big lump you told me to throw into the fire got burned to a crisp," Bai Di said with a guilty expression.
Si Lu quickly remembered what he was talking about—the sweet potatoes and yams from last night.
Ah! She had completely forgotten about them. The spicy shrimp had been so good that the sweet potatoes slipped her mind. And since the shrimp's aroma had masked the smell of the sweet potatoes, she hadn't even noticed them burning. If Bai Di hadn't mentioned it, she probably wouldn't have remembered at all.
"It's alright, don't worry. I have more, so it's no big deal," Si Lu said, smiling to comfort him.
Forgetting things was completely normal. It wasn't a problem at all, and she didn't want Bai Di to feel bad over such a small thing.
"Next time, I'll be sure to remember," Bai Di said earnestly.
"There's really no need to stress over it. It's not a big deal. Now, let me go check out the shrimp you guys caught this morning," Si Lu said, her mouth already watering at the thought.
She also had another idea: she could ask Heiyao to dry some of the shrimp for her, making dried shrimp that could be eaten as a snack.
Si Lu felt pretty clever for coming up with this. Heiyao's fire abilities were perfect for the task!
She looked around, wondering where Cheng Mo and Song Zhan were.
"After catching the shrimp this morning, Cheng Mo and Song Zhan went out to hunt," Bai Di said, noticing that she seemed to be looking for them.
Just as he thought, she was wondering where the two of them had gone.
"Oh, I see. Heiyao, I need your help with something. Come on, let's go check out the shrimp first," Si Lu said, tugging Heiyao by the hand as they headed toward the large rock by the river where the shrimp were drying.
"Of course," Heiyao said, his lips curling into a smile as he felt her hand in his.
The next moment, he scooped her up into a princess carry. He couldn't bear to let her walk on her own.
Si Lu could only smile helplessly. As expected, they all couldn't stand to see her walk and insisted on carrying her everywhere.
Soon, they reached the riverbank and saw several large rocks covered with shrimp. Si Lu was stunned by the sight.
There were so many! And the shrimp were huge!
"They're incredible!" Si Lu exclaimed in awe.
"What, am I not incredible?" Heiyao asked, raising an eyebrow and pretending to be hurt.
"No, no, that's not what I meant! I just didn't expect there to be so many shrimp!" Si Lu quickly explained.
She would never think Heiyao wasn't amazing. All of them were—she was the only weak one among them.
"Don't forget, Cheng Mo has wind powers. One tornado, and all the shrimp and fish are swept up from the water. Then, with wind blades, they're cleaned and prepped in no time," Heiyao said with a smile, explaining the process.
He had to admit, wind abilities were pretty handy. It made collecting food for Si Lu much easier.
"That's true. For Cheng Mo, it's a simple task," Si Lu nodded.
And not only that, but they had fish hanging from the branches nearby—both big and small. There was so much!
Cheng Mo really was like a walking cheat code.
"Alright, didn't you say you needed my help with something?" Heiyao asked, curious about what Si Lu had in mind.
Though he didn't know what she was planning, he was more than willing to help. Whatever it was, he would gladly do it.
"Yeah, I was thinking—could you help me dry these shrimp? Just dry them to about seventy or eighty percent so they're like dried snacks. That way, we can eat them anytime, no need to cook or fry them," Si Lu said excitedly.
Of course, dried shrimp could also be used in soups or other dishes, but she thought it would be really convenient to have them as ready-to-eat snacks.
"No problem. You sit here and wait. I'll take care of it," Heiyao said, nodding. He understood her request.
He set Si Lu down on a clean, large rock. Worried the stone might be cold, he warmed it with his fire ability first.
Si Lu sat on the now cozy rock, watching Heiyao with a smile. He was so considerate.
Not only was he incredibly handsome, but he was also thoughtful and made her feel safe. How could anyone not like him?
In fact, she liked all of them—each of her mates had qualities that made her fall for them.
As she basked in the sunlight, Si Lu watched Heiyao go about his work. He moved from one large rock to another, using his tail to heat the stones and dry the shrimp. One by one, the rocks filled with shrimp were expertly dried.
There were seven or eight large rocks in total.
Si Lu rushed over to one of the rocks when it was done, feeling the shrimp to check the dryness. Perfect! They were just the right level of dryness.
She picked up one of the shrimp, peeled off the shell, and popped it into her mouth. It had a satisfying chewiness to it.
As a snack, these dried shrimp would be absolutely amazing!
"Don't run around—it's dangerous by the river," Heiyao called out, his voice full of concern.
This little female just couldn't sit still. He had told her to wait patiently, but she had come running over anyway.
Si Lu laughed, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Then, she began to store the dried shrimp in her space, grateful for Heiyao's help.