Crabs, octopuses, mantis shrimp, sea shrimp, sea snails, and a vast assortment of seashells were piled into a small truck. The different types of seafood were sorted into separate blue plastic crates. Each crate was equipped with two or three air stones for oxygenation. The truck’s aeration equipment ran frantically, emitting a slightly piercing SQUEAK.
The seafood was incredibly lively. The sea shrimp, in particular, would occasionally leap out of their blue crates as if looking for a chance to escape. The octopuses struggled in their baskets, extending their sucker-lined tentacles as though plotting an escape route. Meanwhile, the seashells continuously opened and closed, occasionally squirting tiny streams of water from their mouths. Some of the smaller crabs endlessly waved their claws, trying to climb from the cheap section into the premium one.
While Li Xiao was observing the seafood, Wenchu People had already sidled up to him. She lowered her voice to remind him, "Although the large seafood has more meat, it doesn’t absorb the marinade as well as the medium-sized ones. Try to pick the moderately sized ones."
Obviously, this piece of advice was a little trick Wenchu People had picked up over the years. However, she didn’t dare say it too loudly, for fear of affecting her aunt’s business.
Since this was wisdom gained from years of experience, Li Xiao naturally followed her advice. Wenchu People and Wen Yaqian each grabbed a plastic basket and a pair of metal tongs, beginning to pick out the seafood they wanted to eat. Following their lead, Li Xiao also took a small plastic basket and a pair of long-nosed metal tongs. Since he planned to try everything anyway, he wasn’t picky; he selected a little bit of every type of seafood, aiming purely for the novel experience.
The seafood was indeed exceptionally fresh, just as Wenchu People had claimed. Every single piece was alive and kicking. If he hadn’t been quick with his hands and sharp with his eyes, just picking them out with tongs would have taken quite a while.
Li Xiao handed his basket of seafood to the local female vendor. Only then did he notice that his little assistant was standing perfectly still, with no intention of making any selections. He hurriedly urged her, "Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and pick out some things you like."
Hearing Li Xiao’s words, Zhou Shishi waved her hands in panic. Swallowing hard, she squeezed out a polite yet awkward smile. "Mr. Li... I... this is a bit beyond my limit."
Seeing her reaction, Wenchu People, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in to encourage her.
"Zhou, you’re wrong to think that way. Young people should try everything; how can you be so hesitant?
"How can you come to Chaoshan and not try the ’Chaoshan Poison’? Your whole trip would be a waste!"
Zhou Shishi awkwardly waved her hands again. "I’d better pass... I... I’ll just eat some rice noodle rolls later."
Seeing that his little assistant was genuinely resistant to raw marinated seafood, Li Xiao didn’t force the issue. He nodded. "Alright then. When you go to the rice noodle roll shop later, make sure to add extra toppings. If you’re still not full, you can order another portion. Otherwise, I’m worried you’ll go hungry."
Relieved that she didn’t have to eat the raw marinade, Zhou Shishi let out a breath. Feeling touched by Li Xiao’s considerate care, her small face flushed again, and she nodded repeatedly. "Of course. I definitely won’t hold back with you, Mr. Li!"
After Li Xiao and his companions finished ordering at the seafood stall, the female vendor quickly got to work. Her movements were practiced and swift, almost reaching a state of flawless fluidity. She first rinsed the seafood with some prepared clean water, then quickly scrubbed away the surface grime with a steel brush. Her sheer speed left even Li Xiao astonished. She scrubbed and washed them three times in a row until the seafood was spotless.
Next, she picked up a kitchen knife and began expertly prepping the various ingredients. The crab shells were carefully pried open and the gills removed. A toothbrush was used to clean the grime from their joints, and the claws were lightly cracked to allow the marinade to seep in better later. The octopuses had their innards and beaks removed, and their tentacles were chopped into segments. The mantis shrimp were decapitated and tailed, stripped of all their tiny legs and sharp spikes. As for the sea snails and shells, they were tossed into a highly concentrated saltwater bath so they would spit out the mucus and sand inside them.
Every one of the vendor’s actions was incredibly professional and seamless, making it a joy to watch. Once all the seafood was prepped, she patiently rinsed everything a few more times until every last trace of slime and dirt was completely washed away.
Next, the prepped seafood was passed to a second person, a young man in his early twenties. According to Wenchu People’s introduction, this dark-skinned, skinny youth was the vendor’s second son. He was currently in college but would always come help out after class and on holidays. While his movements weren’t quite as fluid and masterful as his mother’s, he was still quite skilled.
The young man placed the freshly washed seafood into a drum-like device and began to rhythmically turn the crank. The drum started spinning at a moderate speed, effectively draining the excess water from the surface while perfectly preserving the rich fat inside the seafood. Watching this seamless and professional process from the sidelines, Li Xiao couldn’t help but nod in silent approval.
Once the water was spun dry, the young man transferred the processed seafood into several glass vats. The moment the lids were popped open, Li Xiao raised an eyebrow; even from a distance, he could smell the pungent aroma of strong alcohol.
Standing beside him, Wenchu People immediately explained, "All the cleaned seafood has to be soaked in 150-proof liquor to disinfect and sterilize it."
Hearing the proof of the liquor, Li Xiao’s eyelid twitched. While he occasionally enjoyed a casual drink, he had never dared to try anything that strong. If those glass vats were completely filled with 150-proof liquor, the seafood tossed inside would instantly absorb a massive amount of alcohol. By the time they ate it, it would be no different from downing shots of the hard stuff.
Seeing his twitching eyelid, Wenchu People laughed and gently patted his shoulder.
"Relax, it only soaks in the liquor for a little bit. They’ll spin the excess alcohol out later.
"The liquor flavor will definitely be on the heavy side, but you can eat it with peace of mind without worrying about getting drunk.
"Yaqian and I don’t usually drink much, but even we can handle my aunt’s raw marinade. So just eat up and don’t worry."
Li Xiao discreetly glanced to the side. There were indeed quite a few female customers at the stall, which instantly put his mind at ease. After all, if women could eat this raw marinated seafood without issue, it shouldn’t be a problem for a grown man like him.
The seafood was soaked for a full three minutes before being scooped out. Immediately after undergoing another round of spin-drying, it was handed over to the final person in the assembly line. This was another young man, though visibly a few years older than the one who had drained the seafood. He was one of the female vendor’s relatives.
After confirming that Li Xiao had no dietary restrictions, the young man picked up a spoon and began tossing various ingredients and seasonings into a stainless steel basin. Raw minced garlic, fried golden garlic, minced ginger, onions, cilantro, shredded chili peppers, chili paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, chicken bouillon, MSG, salt, sugar...
With over a dozen ingredient trays, an ordinary person would have struggled just to tell them apart, but the young man already had precise measurements etched into his mind. Showcasing the absolute pinnacle of practice making perfect, the long-handled silver spoon danced in his hand, moving so fast it became a blur. In mere breaths, over a dozen seasonings were expertly flicked into the stainless steel basin.