When the banquet began, Wanyun and Hua Yang sat together.
Seeing the crabs, Hua Yang worried Wanyun might not know how to eat such a delicacy, rarely seen in Chang'an City. She asked, "Is this your first time eating crab?"
Wanyun shook her head. "No. During the famine, when there was no grain to eat, we could only go to the fields and rivers to catch crabs to survive. But you can't get full on just crabs, so we had to pick wild fruits as well."
Hua Yang was utterly astonished. "You could still eat crabs during a famine when there was no grain?"
Wanyun explained, "Not many of the country folk were willing to eat crabs. Cooking them requires a lot of firewood. Most people preferred to catch fish, which are easier to prepare and use less fuel."
"Besides, the crabs we caught weren't nearly as big as these. They were just little ones, which made them even more of a hassle to eat."
Hearing this, Hua Yang said, "I see."
