Zhou Ruilan came out of the house, rubbing her eyes, clearly looking like she had just woken up from a dream.
She yawned and said, "Sister Xiaoshu, you're here. Come in quickly, what are you doing standing at the door?"
As she spoke, she jogged over to help Qin Hanshu brush the snow off her body.
"What are you standing there for? Don't you know how to help?" Zhou Ruilan scolded Zhou Weiguang.
Zhou Weiguang was taken aback. Was he being asked to help pat the snow off as well? Was that appropriate? He reached out his hand, hesitatingly reaching for Qin Hanshu.
Zhou Ruilan shouted, "Brother, what are you doing?? I asked you to help me carry these things."
Zhou Weiguang then realized what was happening and hurriedly took the things from Qin Hanshu's hands, his dark red face showing embarrassment.
The tall guy stood there, looking like a clumsy bear.
Zhou Ruilan muttered, "Why do I feel so sluggish today..."
Qin Hanshu and Zhou Ruilan worked together to brush the snow off their bodies, and Qin Hanshu also explained the purpose of their visit.
"Hot pot lamb?" Zhou Ruilan said regretfully, "My parents went to the commune..."
Zhou Weiguang quickly interrupted, "Even though Mom and Dad aren't here, we still need to eat."
Zhou Ruilan thought about it and agreed. Besides, Sister Xiaoshu had already arrived, so they couldn't just ask her to turn back the way she came.
Zhou Ruilan said, "How do you make this hot pot lamb? I'll make it."
Qin Hanshu said, "I'll prepare it!"
Seeing that Zhou Ruilan was about to say something, Qin Hanshu quickly added, "If you don't consider me an outsider, then listen to me."
“…Okay!” Zhou Ruilan chuckled. “I’ll be your assistant.”
Preparing for hot pot isn't complicated, but it still takes some effort.
The mutton was sliced, and some cabbage and radish from the Zhou family were also cut.
In winter, supplies are scarce, so this is all the food we can prepare.
Next comes the sauce: sesame paste with chive blossom sauce, red chili bean curd, and freshly pressed chili oil, creating an irresistible aroma.
The Zhou family had a small aluminum pot with handles, which could be used for hot pot. However, finding a source of heat proved to be a real challenge for a while.
Qin Hanshu's original plan was that if she couldn't find a fire source, she wouldn't cook the food on the spot; she could just have it cooked in the kitchen and served.
However, Zhou Weiguang borrowed a charcoal brazier from someone, cleaned the outer shell, and placed it on the kang table at the perfect height.
It was snowing outside, and the view from the window was bone-chillingly cold.
Inside, however, it was warm and cozy.
Zhou Ruilan took off her shoes and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed). Qin Hanshu sat next to her on the edge of the kang, while Zhou Weiguang sat opposite her.
Zhou Weiguang poured himself a drink, and when Zhou Ruilan saw this, she suddenly felt like drinking as well.
Zhou Weiguang didn't stop her and actually found a cup to pour it for her.
Zhou Ruilan then asked Qin Hanshu, "Sister Shu, would you like some?"
Qin Hanshu quickly shook her head, "I'm not interested in this."
When I was a child, out of curiosity, I secretly dipped my chopsticks into an adult's cup of baijiu (Chinese liquor). The pungent and spicy taste left a deep impression on me, and I would never want to taste it a second time.
Zhou Ruilan took a sip, and her facial features immediately scrunched up.
Qin Hanshu asked with a smile, "Is it good?"
After a while, Zhou Ruilan finally caught her breath, but then she took another breath, and this time her expression relaxed considerably.
He smacked his lips and said, "It's alright, after a couple more sips it even tastes a bit fragrant."
Qin Hanshu: "......"
Zhou Weiguang said, "Everyone in my family drinks alcohol."
Glancing at Zhou Weiguang across from her, Qin Hanshu recalled an amusing story that Zhou Ruilan had told her.
It is said that when Zhou Weiguang was only seven or eight years old, he secretly drank some of the adults' wine at a banquet. He got drunk and went on a drunken rampage, running into the pigsty and riding a pig around wildly.
He was still shouting that he wanted to ride all the way to North Korea and shoot down the planes of the American devils.
They couldn't ride to the Chao Kingdom, but they did manage to overturn two tables at their banquet.
Finally, having no other choice, Zhou Chang'an took off his belt to sober him up.
When this happened, Zhou Ruilan was too young to remember anything, but she could recount it vividly, which shows that this incident was a dark chapter in Zhou Weiguang's history that the Zhou family would revisit every year.
Look at Zhou Weiguang now, sitting on the kang with his legs crossed upright, his eyebrows and eyes serious, looking like a tough and powerful man.
Then, conjure up an image in your mind of a mischievous kid riding a pig and shooting down airplanes...
Qin Hanshu couldn't help but purse her lips.
When she noticed Zhou Weiguang looking over, she quickly lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a wider smile.
Zhou Weiguang felt inexplicably flustered. He looked down at himself but didn't find anything wrong.
Qin Hanshu took the initiative to start a conversation, saying, "Third Brother Zhou, are you and my brother close? Is he doing well?"
Zhou Weiguang temporarily set aside his doubts and began to answer Qin Hanshu's question.
"He is doing well."
After a while, seeing that Zhou Weiguang didn't seem inclined to say anything more, Qin Hanshu asked again, "Is your training usually tough? Is your diet and nutrition adequate?"
Zhou Weiguang said, "It's not hard. Everyone can keep up."
"Uh..." Qin Hanshu looked Zhou Weiguang up and down and asked in surprise, "Third Brother Zhou, are you hot? You're sweating."
Zhou Weiguang wasn't just sweating, he was sweating profusely, with large beads of sweat rolling down his chin.
As Qin Hanshu spoke, she intended to ask Zhou Ruilan to find some tissues to wipe Zhou Weiguang's sweat, but she discovered that Zhou Ruilan had already begun to sway precariously.
Qin Hanshu then took out a handkerchief that she always carried with her and handed it over.
"Please wipe your sweat."
It was a white cotton handkerchief, without any pattern, only with a light blue border, folded into a neat little square.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
