Shinchan: The Cooking God in here!

"So there's more than one flavor? That's great! If we can cater to different tastes, the snack stand business will definitely do better." Mitsy Nohara felt relieved upon hearing this.

From the very start, when Asuka planned to make spicy crayfish, Mitsy had been a little worried that it might not suit the taste preferences of most Japanese people. But knowing there were two other flavors, she was reassured.

"Why don't we just make all three flavors of crayfish tonight?" suggested Mitsy.

"Do you want to make every flavor?" Asuka paused while cleaning the crayfish.

Mitsy had her own idea. "Yes! Today, Shinchan is inviting his friends over, and with Mr. Yoshinaga and us adults, we can see which flavors people of different ages prefer."

Asuka nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense, Sister Mitsy. Let's prepare one portion of each flavor."

By the time the clock passed four in the afternoon, the stroller, usually punctual, was running late.

When it finally arrived in front of Shinchan's house, Teacher Yoshinaga stepped down with five children: Kazama, Nene, Boo, Masao, and Shinchan.

Mitsy, already waiting at the door after hearing the noise outside, smiled as she greeted Teacher Yoshinaga. She opened the door and gestured for everyone to come inside.

"Mrs. Nohara, I'm sorry to bother you today!" Yoshinaga Midori bowed slightly and handed over a prepared gift.

"Oh, Mr. Yoshinaga, there's no need for that! You're our guest." Mitsy feigned refusal but accepted it with a smile.

Inside the bag was a neatly packed can of premium beer.

Mitsy led everyone in and placed the beer in the fridge to chill. She then brought out a pitcher of ice-cold honey grapefruit tea for the guests. "Children, the crayfish isn't ready yet. Would you like some tea first?"

Kazama, Nene, and the others obediently sat at the table and answered in unison, "Okay~"

"Shinchan, help Mommy bring out the tea set from the kitchen."

Shinchan, unusually cooperative today, responded immediately and got up to retrieve the tea set.

Once he brought it out, Mitsy arranged the cups on the table and poured the tea, filling each cup one by one. When she reached Yoshinaga Midori's cup, she smiled.

"Mr. Yoshinaga, you really went out of your way to bring a gift. Shinchan's father will definitely appreciate it."

Hearing this, Yoshinaga quickly picked up his cup and responded politely, "Mrs. Nohara, that's not right. I should be the one feeling bad for disturbing you..."

"Come on, no need to be polite. Teacher Yoshinaga, have you tried honey grapefruit tea before? This was made by our Sister Asuka. It's delicious, refreshing, and perfect for quenching your thirst. I'm sure you'll love it."

Knowing that Asuka had personally made it, Yoshinaga was eager to try it. He had previously seen Shinchan drinking it at kindergarten, but drinks were different from meals—no matter how curious he was, as a teacher, he couldn't just ask for a sip.

Now, given the chance, Yoshinaga barely waited for Mitsy to finish pouring before taking a sip.

The icy, sweet, and slightly tangy honey grapefruit tea slid smoothly down his throat, and the refreshing taste made him sigh in delight.

It's even better than I expected!

Gulp, gulp!

What should have been a simple drink tasted almost magical after Asuka's preparation. Yoshinaga couldn't stop after the first sip.

"Ah! Delicious!"

He drank the tea in one go. When he looked up, he saw Mitsy watching him with amused, knowing eyes, and he suddenly realized he had gotten carried away.

His face turned slightly red, looking a little embarrassed.

"Teacher Yoshinaga, would you like another drink?" Mitsy asked, holding up the pitcher.

"Yes!" Yoshinaga answered without hesitation.

In the kitchen, the range hood wasn't absorbing all the fumes effectively, so Asuka opened the window.

Since Hiroshi Nohara wouldn't be back until around seven in the evening, the first batch she prepared was garlic-flavored crayfish. Unlike soy sauce, garlic had a strong aroma that stimulated the taste buds. Even in the hot summer, it could whet the appetite rather than suppress it.

Besides, after drinking the sweet and tangy grapefruit tea, something flavorful and stimulating was the perfect follow-up.

She had already prepped the crayfish and minced garlic. Just as she was about to heat the oil in the pan, she suddenly remembered Shiro, who was still outside in the yard.

Asuka sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was too much to do today. She hadn't played with Shiro or taken him out for a walk. Worse, she had even forgotten to prepare his dinner.

But now the oil in the pan was heating up, and the ingredients were ready. If she wanted to make dog food first, she'd have to remove some of the oil—too much of a hassle.

Thinking it over, Asuka called Mitsy, who was entertaining guests in the living room, and explained the problem.

Mitsy frowned, thinking it over. "You taught me how to make dog food, so I could do it myself. But the problem is, we don't have an extra stove or enough cooking utensils..."

Asuka nodded. "That's right. And Shiro looks like he's too hungry to even move."

"What should we do?" Mitsy pondered for a moment, then suddenly brightened. "Oh! We can use the kitchen at Auntie's house next door! They eat late, and since we're cooking early today, she probably hasn't started dinner yet."

"Auntie's kitchen?" Asuka turned off the coal stove for a moment and looked at Mitsy. "If we're going to use her kitchen, why don't we invite her over to try the crayfish too?"

"Invite Auntie over too?" Mitsy was momentarily stunned before breaking into a smile. "Yes! Why didn't I think of that? Auntie is older, and her opinion could help us understand what the elderly prefer. It's important to consider that group too! Alright, let's do it!"

Mitsy grabbed the unprocessed ingredients and headed to the neighbor's house.

As she passed through the living room, she specifically reminded Shinchan not to make trouble and to take good care of the guests.

Yoshinaga reassured her. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the children."

Feeling relieved, Mitsy took a pot of chilled honey grapefruit tea from the fridge and left.

...

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