Er Ya added some scallions, vinegar, and soy sauce to the bowl, then poured boiling red broth over it, releasing an extremely fragrant aroma.

Take a piece of tofu, blanch it in the pot until cooked, scoop it out while it's still piping hot, dip it in the sauce, watch the steam rise, and smell the spicy and fragrant aroma.

When you put it in your mouth, you immediately feel its spiciness, which stimulates your oral cavity. The spiciness is accompanied by fragrance, freshness, and numbing sensation.

Although it was a bit hot, it tasted absolutely delicious.

Finally, I couldn't resist anymore. Ignoring the heat, I picked up another piece of meat from the pot and took a big bite. Wow! So satisfying! My mouth was filled with hot, boiling flavor, and I felt so happy. It was really delicious.

Er Ya couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so delicious! Mom, you and Grandma should try some!"

The three of them sat together, eating with increasing gusto, sweating profusely as they ate. The spicy and fragrant flavors made them want to eat more and more, and they loved it more and more.

After enjoying a bite of hot pot and a sip of chilled juice, Er Ya forgot all about the unpleasantness from earlier. This was such a wonderful day, she wouldn't trade it for any amount of money!

Jiang's mother prepared so many side dishes and pork, and they ate most of it in one go. In the end, they really couldn't eat anymore, and their stomachs were only so big, so they reluctantly put down their chopsticks.

After eating and drinking her fill, Er Ya leisurely picked her teeth and exclaimed, "If hot pot like this could be every day, that would be wonderful!"

Chen Xiuhua rubbed her stomach, feeling quite full after not eating like this in a long time. Hearing Er Ya's words, she added:

“You eat this every day? Eating it once a year is enough to make you happy. Goodness, seeing how much stuff your mother puts in, I feel so bad that I want to scoop it out right away. This meal is enough to keep your family from eating for three days.”

Er Ya chuckled and said, "Grandma, you're so funny. Besides, isn't the point of making money to spend it? Of course, you should eat whatever you want and drink whatever you want. Otherwise, who would be motivated to make money?"

Chen Xiuhua still hesitated and said, "We can't eat like this every day. This is enough to cause internal heat."

"Of course you can't eat hot pot every day. I'm just describing it. You can eat other things in different ways."

As Jiang's mother was clearing away the dishes, she noticed there were still some things left in the pot: "Keep this for your father; he hasn't eaten this before."

Seeing that Jiang's mother was still leaving something for Lin Jianguo to eat, it was clear that the two had a deep relationship. She secretly made up her mind that she would never let the old house take Lin Jianguo away. Such a good father should never be given to such a group of people.

"Great! Don't throw away the soup base. We can use it to cook some vegetables and have another meal when we get hungry later."

Er Ya didn't care about them. She had been frugal all her life and couldn't stand anything being wasted. If you told them to throw it away now because it was bad for their health, even if she was very favored, she would still get a few complaints.

"Brother Lin Xiao didn't get to eat any of this delicious hot pot."

Jiang's mother also asked in confusion, "Yes, this child is with you every day, why can't I see him today?"

“He told me this morning that he wanted to go to the market to buy some things and visit Grandpa Lin. He said that when he secretly went to see him last time, Grandpa Lin had lost a lot of weight. It must be because his stepmother wasn’t feeding him. So he wanted to buy some steamed cakes and cookies for Grandpa Lin to eat when he was hungry.”

Jiang's mother nodded and said, "That's right, we should buy some things to visit him. That old man isn't like Lin Shitou, who has no conscience. He's been very good to Lin Xiao. Does he have any money left? If not, I'll give him some."

"Relax, Brother Lin Xiao is not the same as before. Ever since I taught him to recognize medicinal herbs, have you ever seen him idle? He has already saved up a huge sum of money."

Just then, several cannon shots rang out in the village. In their area, cannons are only fired when someone has passed away.

Jiang's mother asked in confusion, "Did someone in the family pass away? I've never heard of any elderly person in the family being in poor health."

An ominous premonition arose in Er Ya's heart. Could it be...?

At this moment, Lin Jianguo rushed over in a panic, panting, and asked, "Where's Lin Xiao? Tell him to come with me quickly, his grandfather has passed away."

What? Er Ya's heart skipped a beat. It really was Grandpa Lin. She said anxiously, "Brother Lin Xiao isn't home. He went to the market. He should be back by now."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jianguo took out his bicycle, rode it out, and said, "There's only one road to the market. I'll go pick him up. Er Ya, you stay home and take good care of your mother."

Lin Xiao was carrying a basket on his back and walking towards the village. Today he went to sell the medicinal herbs he had saved up for several days and made twenty yuan. He excitedly ran over and bought some biscuits and candies for his grandfather.

He didn't dare buy anything else with a strong smell. Last time he bought his grandfather a sponge cake, his stepmother smelled it and took it all away, even making his grandfather go hungry for two meals, saying he was eating alone. He only heard this from his grandfather afterward. He originally wanted to go and argue with her, but his grandfather stopped him.

I was humming a tune when I suddenly saw someone ahead riding a bicycle. From a distance, he looked a bit like my godfather. When I got closer, I realized that he really was my godfather!

Just as I was about to greet him, I heard Lin Jianguo say, "Lin Xiao, get in the car quickly, your grandfather is dying."

What? Lin Xiao was so shocked that he dropped what he was holding. It was perfectly fine when he checked on it yesterday, so how could it be like this today...?

He hurriedly picked up the cookies that had fallen on the ground, then quickly got on his bicycle and rushed home.

When Lin Xiao arrived home, Grandpa Lin had already tidied up and was lying quietly on the bed with his eyes closed. Lin Xiao was so flustered that he lost one of his shoes. He staggered to his knees and knelt down in front of Grandpa Lin, tears streaming down his face. "Grandpa, didn't you say you would wait for me to pick you up? I'm here. It's me, Xiao Xiao. Why didn't you wait for me?"

Lin Xiao hurriedly pulled out the biscuits he had kept all the way from his pocket and gently put them to his grandfather's mouth, sobbing as he said, "Grandpa, get up and look! Xiao Xiao bought you delicious biscuits and candy. I have money now, I'll buy you delicious food every day, you won't go hungry anymore, get up and eat!"

But Grandpa Lin, lying in bed, wouldn't answer him.

Recalling how kind and gentle Grandpa Lin used to be, how he would always remember to save some of the good food for himself, Lin Xiao cried his heart out. The person who loved him most in the world was gone, and he would truly become a child no one would care for.

Seeing the child crying so hard, the people next to him also wiped away their tears. At least after Brother Lin left, there were still people who genuinely cried for him.

To be continued!