Just a few days ago, Xie Yan felt that the house was too cold, so he and Gu Bin went to the city to get a stove.
Unlike Xie Yan's frequent use of the stove, Gu Bin's stove was mostly kept off.
Gu Bin used to often bring his group of friends to his house to play around.
As the weather gradually got colder, cleaning became a problem.
To avoid this problem, Gu Bin changed his location. Now, during the day he is either at Xie Yan's place or on the kang (heated brick bed) at other people's homes in the village.
He only goes back to his own room to sleep at night.
Water was boiling in the stove inside the house.
Yu Yuehui set up a pot in the kitchen and started frying the hot pot base as Xie Yan had instructed.
They prepared a lot of seasonings this time, intending to cook more and eat it slowly.
Xie Yan and Gu Bin were cutting meat on the other side.
Gu Bin was chopping chicken with a cleaver. Xie Yan was preparing to make chicken soup, and he was originally going to chop the chicken, but Gu Bin took it from him. So, he could only chop the beef instead.
The finest beef was sliced thinly with clear marbling. Xie Yan cut each slice very neatly, and thinking about how delicious it would become, he focused even more on cutting, and soon a whole bowl was filled.
The kelp, soaked in the morning, filled a whole basin. It had a faint fishy smell and you could tell just by looking at it how crunchy it would be.
Xie Yan poured out the original water and poured it into the hot water to wash it again. The water was just right to be warm and touched. She placed it on the cutting board and it quickly turned into long strips, which were then neatly arranged on a plate.
Frozen pork belly has a very smooth feel when you cut it; with one cut, the meat curls up into a small roll.
Other ingredients, such as potatoes, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and soaked shrimp, were already neatly arranged on the plate.
There was also a large bowl of potato noodles next to it.
A whole table was filled with all sorts of ingredients.
It looks so appetizing, not to mention the aroma that lingers in the air.
The balut (a type of edible animal) that was tending the fire nearby was drooling profusely.
I was secretly watching the bubbling ingredients in the pot, and my mouth was practically watering.
As soon as the hot pot ingredients were cooked, the group quickly moved to the stove, added the base ingredients to the broth, and the aroma gradually filled the air, making the others feel completely mesmerized and even more eager for the hot pot to come.
The easily distracted bald egg muttered quietly, "Auntie, I want some soup!"
The others burst out laughing at the same time.
This left Mao Dan completely bewildered. He didn't understand what was so funny about his comment, and asked innocently with wide eyes, "What are you laughing at?"
"You can't drink this soup yet. You have to wait until it boils." Yu Yue patted his head. "If you still want to drink it after it boils, I'll find you another bowl and serve you some."
The premise is that the balut still wants to drink!
"Why can't we drink from this bowl?" Mao Dan asked, pointing to the bowl of sauce in front of him.
Xie Yan smiled and said, "This is the bowl for the hot pot later. If you drink the broth inside, what will you use to eat the hot pot later?"
Actually, he was also incredibly tempted!
I can't help but keep peeking to see when it will open!
I'm getting so impatient waiting!
I even checked the fire to see if it was too small.
Finally, the water boiled, and Xie Yan eagerly put the beef into it, saying to the others, "Beef cooks quickly!"
"We'll be able to eat soon!"
"And I placed eight coins, two coins each."
"You can't take what the other person has!"
Absolutely fair and just.
The others nodded, picked up their chopsticks, and stared intently at the boiling hot pot, waiting for the beef to cook.
Xie Yan, unable to wait any longer, picked up another piece of tofu and put it in, saying, "This can be eaten after cooking it for a little while."
Since it's already cooked, you can just heat it up a little and eat it.
After saying that, he picked up a piece of tofu, put it in the bowl, dipped it in the sauce, and took a bite. The spicy and numbing flavor swept over his mouth first. With a gentle sip, the soft tofu burst in his mouth with the hot and spicy broth.
Xie Yan quickly picked up another piece and put it in her bowl, saying to the others who hadn't touched their chopsticks yet, "That's enough, eat up!"
After saying that, he ignored everyone else and began to enjoy his meal.
After eating a few pieces of tofu, the beef was cooked.
Seeing the beef floating up, Xie Yan picked up a piece with his chopsticks first, "Let me taste it for you first to see if it's cooked."
After dipping the beef in the sauce and blowing on it, the perfectly sized cut of beef was just the right size for a bite. It was tender and juicy, with a rich meaty aroma that blended perfectly with the spicy broth. The hot beef made Xie Yan's tongue tingle, but he couldn't bear to stop eating it.
Yu Yuehui then picked up a piece for herself. Just as she was about to eat it, she saw Mao Dan standing up anxiously beside her, so she picked up a piece for him as well.
He said with a smile, "Blow on it and let it cool down before eating. Don't be like your uncle."
Xie Yan looked up from her busy schedule and took a moment to reply, "Yes." Then she lowered her head and continued eating.
No one can stop his love for hot pot.
What's more, it's a delicacy I haven't tasted in over a decade.
He's been craving this so much he can't stop.
What followed was a long silence. Everyone's attention was drawn to the delicious food, and no one spoke. Faced with such a tempting meal, no one wanted to miss a bite because of talking.
Outside, snow was falling heavily and water was freezing, but inside the house it was warm and cozy.
By the end of the meal, all the meat and vegetables had been completely devoured, and even the chicken used to make the broth was scooped up and eaten.
Xie Yan lay back in his chair, letting out a satisfied sigh.
In the dead of winter, hot pot is the perfect treat!
Especially on a day like this with heavy snowfall, it's simply the perfect time to enjoy hot pot!
Looking at the pot broth sitting to the side, Gu Bin exclaimed excitedly, "We can have another meal!"
This hot pot is absolutely delicious!
Xie Yan: "..."
He looked at the bright red bottom of the pot, and the aroma was still there. He could definitely have another meal!
Hesitantly, he asked, "Then let's have another meal tomorrow?"
This statement received unanimous approval and passed unanimously.
Little Mao Dan really couldn't handle such spiciness, so there was a cup of cold water next to him that had been prepared in advance. He ate while slurping.
Even though it was a bit spicy, it was so delicious that I didn't want to rinse it with water before eating.
Her lips were all bright red, and with her hair pulled back and her chubby cheeks, she looked incredibly cute.
Looking at it this way, she really does resemble Yu Yuehui in some ways.
No wonder he's so attached to Yuehui.
As for eating hot pot, why not invite the two elderly people?
I'm really scared!
Yu Shan and Qian Hong are typical older generation people who are reluctant to eat or drink anything. If I saw them eating like this, I would be furious!
It's a mix of vegetables and meat, needless to say. Using so much oil to stir-fry the hot pot base must break Qian Hong's heart. It's practically like cutting off a piece of their own flesh.
Not only will we not be able to eat hot pot then, but we'll also inevitably get a scolding!
Therefore, Xie Yan and Yu Yuehui tacitly agreed not to invite them!
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