Chapter 228 Eating Hot Pot Together
Night falls early; before dusk, only a murky, inky color remains between heaven and earth.
Grandpa Zhao and the workers said goodbye, saying that if it was a sunny day tomorrow, they should come earlier, and if it was a snowy day, they should come later.
Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi were moving tables in the general store, preparing to clear out the middle space to put a larger table there.
Because Sister Jiang said they're having hot pot tonight.
If it were just the three of them, there would be no need to go to such lengths.
Jiang Ling felt that eating hot pot with a large group of people would be more lively, so she invited Zhao Shiying and Fu Chengze over as well.
Fu Chengze was teaching children in the small courtyard next door when he heard Jiang Ling's invitation, so he stayed.
I'm helping move the table now.
Zhao Shiying just went to inform Xiao Ran that she would be there soon.
Outside, the wind was howling and cold, but inside the shop, it was warm and cozy.
Jiang Ling knew that there were people in the shop and the door couldn't be closed, so she installed a windproof curtain early on, keeping the cold and howling wind firmly outside.
A strong aroma filled the shop.
That's the spicy aroma of butter and dozens of spices tumbling and colliding in the boiling water, piercing straight into your nostrils and making your stomach rumble with hunger.
Fu Chengze had the small red clay stove on the table burning brightly.
Jiang Ling placed the hot pot broth on top.
The hot pot broth has already been boiled in the kitchen using natural gas; now we can cook the meat and vegetables in it and eat.
Fu Chengze clapped his hands and asked, "Miss Jiang, is there anything else I can help you with?"
Jiang Ling glanced around and saw Xiao Ran busy in the kitchen. The meat was already prepared, and all she had to do was wash some vegetables.
Xiaoyi has already gone to get the bowls and chopsticks.
"No need, Mr. Fu, please sit down. Dinner will be served shortly."
As they were talking, Zhao Shiying lifted the curtain and walked in, still carrying a chill, with some charcoal in the bamboo basket she was holding.
“Miss Jiang, I’ve arrived. I have nothing of value at home except for this charcoal I’ve saved up. I’ll bring it to help with the fire.”
Most villagers are not wealthy, and it's an unspoken rule that neighbors bring something when they get together for a meal.
Those with good means should bring some meat, those with average means should bring some vegetables, and those with even less should bring some charcoal.
Otherwise, it would be like eating for free.
I was too embarrassed to visit again.
Fu Chengze stared blankly at the charcoal in his hand for a moment, then he remembered the village's customs.
He has been studying all year round, and his family has taken care of all of this for him.
I felt a little ashamed for a moment.
"Oh dear, I forgot, I have half a piece of cured meat at home. I'll go get it now."
Seeing this, Jiang Ling quickly stopped her, saying, "There's really no need! Since I'm the host, everything will be provided. You two are Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi's teachers, and you've put in a lot of effort to teach them. Please sit down and let me be your host today."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi brought out all the meat and vegetables.
“Yes, gentlemen, please don’t be so polite,” Xiao Ran echoed with a smile.
In no time at all, meat and vegetables were brought out in a continuous stream, filling the table to the brim.
Thinly sliced lamb rolls, marbled pork belly, tender chicken slices, freshly made meatballs, crisp tripe, goose intestines, and also fresh cabbage, radish, frozen tofu, and glass noodles...
Looking around, most of the food was meat, which seemed particularly extravagant during this famine.
Fu Chengze and Zhao Shiying were immediately stunned.
"Don't just stand there, sit down! Let's start eating."
The five people sat down around the round table.
Zhao Shiying looked at the abundant ingredients on the table, which far exceeded those of an ordinary hot pot, and could not hide her astonishment.
He wasn't unfamiliar with hot pot, but in previous years at home, it was mostly vegetables with little meat, or even just coarse grain buns. He had never seen such a lavish feast, almost entirely meat-based.
Fu Chengze seemed a little reserved. He pushed up the glasses Jiang Ling had given him, looked at the boiling soup pot and the table full of fresh seafood, and didn't know where to start.
Jiang Ling greeted them with a smile, and took the lead by picking up a piece of bright red mutton roll with her chopsticks. She dipped it in the boiling red soup, and the meat slices instantly curled up and changed color, emitting an enticing aroma.
"This is how you cook mutton: you can take it out as soon as it changes color, and it will be at its freshest and most tender."
Xiao Ran followed suit and also picked up a slice of meat to cook in the broth.
Xiao Yi couldn't wait any longer. Following Jiang Ling's example, she clumsily picked up a piece of meat and put it into the pot, almost splashing the soup out.
Seeing this, Zhao Shiying no longer stood on ceremony, thanked him, and picked up her chopsticks.
He picked up a large piece of pork belly and put it into the red soup. Watching the meat slices unfurl and change color in the boiling soup, the rich aroma of meat mixed with the spicy and numbing flavors rushed into his nostrils, making him feel refreshed.
As Fu Chengze watched everyone pick up their chopsticks, he carefully placed a few pieces of cabbage and a piece of frozen tofu into the clear soup.
Just as he bent down to pick up the tofu from the clear soup, a large plume of steam rising from the pot suddenly hit his face.
Instantly, a thick layer of white fog covered the lenses of his glasses, blurring his vision and making it impossible to see anything!
“Uh…” Fu Chengze froze, remaining bent over and reaching for his chopsticks, looking somewhat comical.
"Mr. Fu, your glasses!" Xiao Ran was the first to notice.
Xiao Yi saw it too and giggled, "Mr. Fu has turned into a white-bearded old man!"
Jiang Ling and Zhao Shiying looked over when they heard the sound, and saw Fu Chengze standing in mid-air with a blank expression, his glasses covered in white. They couldn't help but smile.
Fu Chengze then realized what was happening, and somewhat embarrassed, he straightened up, quickly took off his glasses, carefully wiped the lenses with his sleeve, and stammered:
"My apologies, my apologies... This heat is really..."
Jiang Ling smiled and handed her a clean tissue:
"Mr. Fu, please use this to wipe them. This is how glasses are when exposed to heat; you'll get used to it."
Looking at the ingredients on the table, Zhao Shiying couldn't help but ask:
"Miss Jiang, how did you slice these meat rolls so thinly? When I cut meat at home, I can only cut it up to the thickness of the blade; any thinner and it won't slice evenly."
"This was cut using a special machine," Jiang Ling explained casually, then placed another slice of mutton roll on Zhao Shiying's plate.
"Eat quickly, this meat will become tough if it's cooked for too long."
Zhao Shiying looked at the table full of delicious food, and without asking any questions, picked up a piece of pork belly that had been cooked and dipped in sauce, and put it in her mouth.
The spicy and savory flavors explode on the taste buds instantly. It's fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry. The hot meat juices bring a warm current straight into the stomach, dispelling the chill that has accumulated in the bones over the past few days.
"Miss Jiang's hot pot is truly... a delicacy."
Zhao Shiying rarely praised him, and although her words were concise, the satisfaction in her tone was very genuine.
After wiping his eyes, Fu Chengze quickly integrated into the team.
His family was considered well-off in the village, and he had never eaten such a delicious hot pot before.
I never expected spicy food to taste so good, especially in the dead of winter. It warms me up from head to toe.
Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi ate with great relish, their little faces flushed from the heat, and fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.
While Xiao Yi was hissing and gasping for breath from the spiciness, she couldn't help but stick her chopsticks into the red soup.
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