The water was boiled, and Song Zhao poured the beef tallow hot pot base and tomato hot pot base into the water. Soon, an overpowering aroma filled the air.

There was no need to wash the vegetables. Gu Yanzhi had placed a lot of orders for vegetables and plates at the hot pot restaurant, and now he was taking them out of his space one by one and placing them on the dining table.

A narrow table is placed next to the main dining table, on which various hot pot dipping sauces are placed, serving as a condiment station.

Song Zhao stood next to the condiment station, mixing the dipping sauce: minced garlic, chopped green onions, cilantro, crushed peanuts, a little chili oil, sugar, vinegar, and finally drizzling on the soul-stirring sesame sauce. A bowl of Gu Yanzhi's favorite hot pot dipping sauce was ready.

Gu Yanlin prefers the traditional dipping sauce commonly eaten by southerners: a large spoonful of minced garlic, a little oyster sauce, and half a bowl of sesame oil.

"You can eat now." Song Zhao placed the prepared dipping sauce in front of the two of them, and then made a bowl for himself. He didn't have any particular preferences; he ate sesame paste or oil-based dipping sauce. Today, he made himself a sesame paste dipping sauce just like Gu Yanzhi's.

"Delicious, delicious! Zhao Zhao, your ingredients are amazing!" Gu Yanzhi picked up his chopsticks, dipped a slice of fatty beef in the pot for two seconds, then dipped it in the sauce before putting it in his mouth. The meat was tender and juicy, not greasy at all, and melted in his mouth. Paired with Song Zhao's special sauce, it was sweet and sour with a rich sesame aroma, making it even more delicious.

Even after eating it so many times, it still amazed Gu Yanzhi.

“Yes, yes, brother-in-law, let’s open a hot pot restaurant in the future. With your skills, it’s sure to be a huge hit,” Gu Yanlin followed up, praising him continuously.

Although Song Zhao himself wasn't particular about hot pot dipping sauces, the ones he made were exceptionally delicious. From childhood to adulthood, whenever the group went out for hot pot, Song Zhao was always the one who prepared the dipping sauces.

Even if Song Zhao gives you the recipe directly, the one you make still doesn't taste as good as the one he makes.

Song Zhao also took a bite and found it delicious and spicy. Even though he didn't like such strong flavors, he couldn't resist this hot pot.

"Cheers!" Gu Yanzhi took out chilled beer from his spatial storage, poured a glass for everyone, raised his glass, and said happily.

"Cheers!" Gu Yanlin and Song Zhao raised their glasses and clinked them together with Gu Yanzhi, then drank them down in one gulp.

Snowy weather, hot pot, and beer—these three things go so well together, making one feel incredibly happy even in this apocalyptic world where the future is uncertain.

They kept adding sliced ​​beef, bean curd sheets, fish slices, tripe, goose intestines, duck blood, vegetables, and noodles to the hot pot. Every bite made Gu Yanzhi squint her eyes in happiness, filled with a sense of satisfaction.

Unlike the spicy hot pot that irritates the mouth, the tomato hot pot is sweet and sour, and the rich tomato flavor is very appetizing. The three of us even scooped up some soup from the tomato hot pot and added chopped green onions, cilantro, chopped celery, and beef cubes, making it incredibly delicious.

"Burp~, I'm so full." Gu Yanzhi burped, put down his chopsticks, felt stuffed, slumped in his chair, and touched his round belly.

"Yeah, I'm so full," Gu Yanlin muttered, but his chopsticks kept feeding him bites of meat.

Finally, he slumped in the chair, touching his stomach, not wanting to move at all.

The only one with any self-control, Song Zhao, felt he had eaten enough, so he put down his chopsticks, kicked the still-lying Gu Yanlin, and said, "Get up, clean up the trash, wash the dishes, choose one."

Seeing her busy husband and younger brother, Gu Yanzhi chuckled sheepishly and moved to give them some space to tidy up. She then lounged on the sofa, watching the movie she hadn't finished watching during the day.

After Gu Yanzhi finished watching the rest of the movie during the day, the two of them finished cleaning up and turned on the exhaust fan to let the smell out of the house.

However, the bath was a waste of time, as my whole body smelled of hot pot. It was great while eating, but left me feeling uncomfortable afterward.

The three of them went back to their rooms to tidy themselves up. Gu Yanzhi was about to close the bathroom door when Song Zhao squeezed in through the doorway with his pajamas.

It was an hour later when the two of them came out.

Gu Yanzhi was drowsy as Song Zhao held her in his arms, her whole body aching. This feeling was even more tiring than going out to find supplies all day.

Seeing Song Zhao acting as if nothing had happened, Gu Yanzhi angrily bit his shoulder. He was the one who did all the work, but she was the one who got the blame. It was infuriating.

"Let me give you a massage," Song Zhao gently laid Gu Yanzhi flat on the bed, knowing that she had gone a bit too far, and said in a slightly ingratiating tone.

Gu Yanzhi was only wearing a cotton nightgown, lying flat on the bed. The clothes clung to her skin, outlining her good figure.

Song Zhao started pressing gently from the calves all the way up to the shoulders. "How's my pressure? Should I press harder?"

Gu Yanzhi hummed comfortably. Song Zhao's excellent massage skills were honed over the years on her, and she was the ultimate beneficiary. Gu Yanzhi was very satisfied.

Suddenly, Gu Yanzhi felt something flowing out from below, and her lower abdomen began to twitch.

Why does my period have to come at this time of year?

"Zhao Zhao, I, I've started my period," Gu Yanzhi said shyly, blushing as she opened her eyes and met Song Zhao's gentle gaze.

Song Zhao helped Gu Yanzhi sit up from the bed and was about to carry her to the bathroom when Gu Yanzhi refused, feeling embarrassed.

I'll take you to the bathroom.

"No need, I can manage myself. Could you find me a sanitary napkin?"

Gu Yanzhi pushed away Song Zhao's hand that was helping her up and got off the ground by herself. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt a soreness in her legs and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Song Zhao was quick-witted and caught her.

This time, Song Zhao didn't give Gu Yanzhi a chance to refuse. He picked her up and placed her steadily on the toilet. Then he went to the bedroom closet and found Gu Yanzhi's usual brand of sanitary napkins and pajamas, and handed them to Gu Yanzhi through the door.

"Zhizhi, call me when you're better, and I'll carry you back," Song Zhao instructed as she handed over the things.

Gu Yanzhi indeed saw a patch of red that had soaked through her nightgown. Embarrassed, she closed her eyes, knowing the sheets were probably beyond saving.

Song Zhao was very thoughtful. Among the clothes she brought in, there were not only pajamas but also a change of underwear. To prevent Gu Yanzhi from catching a cold during her special period, she chose long sleeves and long pants for the pajamas.

After tidying himself up, Gu Yanzhi, supporting himself against the wall, slowly and laboriously made his way to the bathroom door.

Song Zhao was waiting for Gu Yanzhi at the door. When he saw the bathroom door open, he picked Gu Yanzhi up and put her on the bed.

The bed sheets had been changed by Song Za, which greatly alleviated Gu Yanzhi's embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" Song Zhao asked with concern, looking at Gu Yanzhi's pale face.

Song Zhao remembered that Gu Yanzhi's menstrual cycle had always been very stable, with at least a week's delay before it arrived. She didn't expect it to come so early this time.