At dusk, as darkness fell, Chu Qinghe, who had already won back all the money he had lost the night before, decisively ended his card game that afternoon and prepared to burn incense, bathe, and change clothes before playing again that evening.
The three women, who successfully won back the money they lost last night, were still somewhat unsatisfied, but they were all quite satisfied.
Looking at the quiet and obedient Xiao Zhao beside them, Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue generously took out a ten-tael silver ingot, wrapped it in red cloth, and handed it to Xiao Zhao.
Seeing the two women holding the wallets and red envelopes they had won from him, Chu Qinghe curled his lips in disapproval.
While Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue lit the lanterns, Chu Qinghe led the two maids into the kitchen.
Perhaps because of their intimate interactions that afternoon, Xiao Zhao was less reserved in front of Chu Qinghe than she had been at the beginning.
Fifteen minutes later, looking at the hot pot that was now divided into two parts on the stove, and the fresh ingredients that were piled up around it, Dongfang Bubai looked doubtful.
"What kind of dish is this?"
Chu Qinghe said, "Hot pot."
As he spoke, Chu Qinghe handed the prepared dipping sauce dishes to the women.
After teaching the girls how to cook these ingredients and how long to blanch them in the pot, Chu Qinghe picked up a piece of tripe and put it into the pot.
And just as the water was heated through, the two bowls were lifted into the air.
Seeing the bowls that Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue were both extending towards him, Chu Qinghe grinned.
After a few moments of contemplation, Chu Qinghe unleashed his inner force, which sliced the tripe into two pieces, and then placed them into the bowls of the two women.
At this point, the two women who had simultaneously received food from Chu Qinghe withdrew their hands.
"Fortunately, there are only two of them, so they can manage."
Having successfully resolved the current feeding issue, Chu Qinghe secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Having too many women isn't always a good thing.
Here, as they put the tripe in their mouths, experiencing the crisp texture and the complex flavors of the broth and dipping sauce, both Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue's eyes lit up.
Then they all picked up their chopsticks and started scalding themselves.
If this is the case for Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue, then it goes without saying that it's the case for Qu Feiyan and Xiao Zhao.
Upon tasting the first bite, the two women essentially entered a state of silent eating, focusing solely on their food.
Seeing that the two women were doing it themselves, Chu Qinghe finally felt relieved.
As the tripe entered his mouth, experiencing its familiar texture and flavor, Chu Qinghe exclaimed inwardly, "Wow!"
For some reason, I feel that the time I've spent tinkering with ingredients and researching seasonings hasn't been wasted.
And so, amidst the snow-covered landscape, five people sat around the stone table, their chopsticks moving back and forth between their bowls and the pot.
In less than half an hour, all the food placed around the table had been completely devoured.
Even though Chu Qinghe ate the least, he felt incredibly at ease with his slightly bulging belly.
"Indeed, nothing is more comforting in winter than eating hot pot."
Afterwards, Chu Qinghe decided to have another meal tomorrow.
After resting for a while, Qu Feiyan and Xiao Zhao packed up their things, and at Chu Qinghe's signal, they all headed outside.
The sky was completely dark by this time, but the city of Yushui was no longer as dark as it used to be at night. Instead, it was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and pedestrians were coming and going in an endless stream.
The sounds of firecrackers mingled with the laughter of children echoed through every street in the city, creating a truly lively atmosphere.
Walking down the street, Qu Feiyan seemed to have just been released from prison, dragging Xiao Zhao along as they ran around happily.
Look around here, buy some things there.
They had just finished eating, but after the two women wandered around for a while, both of their hands were stuffed with candied hawthorns and other snacks.
As a result, Chu Qinghe, Yaoyue, and Dongfang Bubai also had several more skewers of food in their hands.
Although the annual lantern festival in Yushui City is a celebration, it is also often one of the ways for men and women in the city to meet and fall in love.
Many of the couples who get married in the city each year met during the Lantern Festival.
People like Chu Qinghe, Dongfang Bubai, and Yaoyue, walking along the street, bathed in the lamplight, formed a beautiful sight, attracting the attention of passersby.
The women on the street all had their eyes on Chu Qinghe, who was exceptionally handsome and had a gentle demeanor.
The men, of course, stared longingly at the outstanding Dongfang Bubai and Yaoyue, who possessed exceptional temperament and appearance.
If they met alone, whether it was Chu Qinghe or Yaoyue and the others, they would probably be approached by a bunch of people.
But Chu Qinghe and the others happened to travel together.
The man wanted to step forward, but looking at Yaoyue and Chu Qinghe beside Dongfang Bubai, he felt ashamed of himself.
The woman wanted to flirt with Chu Qinghe, but seeing the beauty of Yaoyue and Dongfang Bubai, she hesitated.
We descended without being disturbed.
As a lantern festival, guessing lantern riddles and exchanging poems for lanterns are timeless themes.
Even now, as the group walked, flower stall owners and shopkeepers kept calling out their wares to each other.
Attracted by the attention, Qu Feiyan turned to look at Chu Qinghe and asked, "Young Master, do you know poetry?"
When asked by Qu Feiyan, Chu Qinghe thought for a moment and then replied honestly, "I can recite it."
However, Qu Feiyan clearly did not realize that being able to recite poetry and being able to write poetry are two completely different things.
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