Chapter 774 After having enough hot pot and skiing, the group was resting on the slope when Zhao Rui, with his sharp eyes, suddenly pointed to a corner of the ski area and exclaimed, "Look, there are dog sleds over there!"
Following his pointing finger, we saw several simple wooden sleds and five or six chubby local dogs, panting and spinning excitedly in circles, looking eager to run around.
“This looks fun! Let’s go ride that!” Liu Xiaohua was the first to stand up, her eyes sparkling.
Shen Mo also showed an eager expression.
As I approached, the old man who owned the dog greeted me with a smile: "It's 50 cents for a ride, and I guarantee it's more stable than skiing."
Zhou Zhe looked at the few dogs, which were quite strong, and asked with some doubt, "Grandpa, with just these few dogs... can they pull us?"
The old man chuckled and patted the head of the lead yellow dog: "Don't let its photogenic appearance fool you, this dog is surprisingly strong and runs like a whirlwind!"
Five people rode in two sleds.
Lu Qingyang, Shen Mo, and Zhou Zhe were in one car, while Zhao Rui and Liu Xiaohua were in another.
Once seated, the old man gave a long shout and released the reins.
The dogs immediately seemed to have been given a boost; their four short legs kicked up the snow, and they charged forward with all their might.
The sled jolted, and the sudden acceleration almost made Zhou Zhe fall backward. He hurriedly grabbed the handrail beside him.
"Giddy up! Giddy up! Run faster!" Zhao Rui shouted excitedly from his sled, mimicking the driver, which made the dogs pulling the sled run even faster.
The puppies ran on the snow, kicking up fine snowflakes. The wind blew in their faces, and although it was biting, it gave them a refreshing coolness.
The sled traced winding tracks on the snow, the slight bumps bringing a primal pleasure.
Shen Mo leaned against Lu Qingyang, watching the furry dog's butt sway rhythmically, and couldn't help but laugh.
Lu Qingyang put his arm around her shoulder to shield her from the wind.
Zhou Zhe was a little nervous at first, but he gradually relaxed. Looking at the receding snow scenery on both sides, he felt that the 50 cents was well spent.
Zhao Rui's side was even more lively. He would command the dogs to "go right" one minute and "go right" the next, but the dogs didn't listen to him at all and ran happily along the familiar route on their own. Liu Xiaohua was amused by him and kept laughing.
Two sleds, one in front of the other, circled the limited space. The dogs ran panting and out of breath, but still kept going.
The lap was completed quickly, and the sled slowly came to a stop.
Several dogs immediately collapsed onto the snow, panting heavily with their tongues lolling out, looking utterly adorable.
Zhao Rui, still feeling exhilarated, jumped off the sled and ruffled the heads of the dogs: "Good buddies, you ran really fast!"
Zhou Zhe also laughed and said, "I didn't expect these few stray dogs to be so strong."
It was only supposed to be one yuan, but Lu Qingyang gave him five yuan instead.
The old man held the brand-new five-yuan banknote in his hand, his fingers somewhat rough, and repeatedly rubbed it to confirm its authenticity.
He looked up and said, "Comrade... this is too much. One round only costs 50 cents. If you want more, I'll let you ride a few more rounds until you're satisfied!"
Lu Qingyang waved his hand, his gaze falling on the few stray dogs beside him who were still panting and their bellies heaving.
“Okay, sir. It’s cold, let these guys rest too. Today… don’t let them run around anymore.”
The old man followed his gaze to his dogs, who depended on each other for survival. Their fur was covered in snowflakes; they had been running around all morning and were indeed exhausted.
He instantly understood Lu Qingyang's feelings, his throat felt like it was blocked by something, and his eyes felt hot.
She nodded, her voice slightly choked with emotion: "Oh, oh! Good, good... Thank you, comrade, thank you... They, they can rest today..."
He carefully folded the five yuan, stuffed it into the innermost pocket of his cotton-padded coat, and pressed it down with his finger.
Then he walked over to the dogs, patted each of their heads, and muttered, "Did you hear that, guys? We've met a kind person. We'll finish early today and give you a treat when we get back!"
Lu Qingyang and his companions smiled and turned to leave.
Zhao Rui clicked his tongue and nudged Lu Qingyang: "Qingyang, you're really something, five yuan."
Zhou Zhe also whispered, "That'll keep that old man busy for several days."
Lu Qingyang didn't turn around, but just looked at the sky after the snow in the distance and said lightly, "It's too cold, everything is easy."
As the sun set, the five young people had a great time.
On the way back, Zhao Rui rubbed his sore arms and buttocks, but muttered in admiration, "Xiao Hua, next time... next time you have to teach me properly."
Liu Xiaohua glanced at him with a smile: "That depends on your comprehension."
Zhou Zhe then leaned closer to Lu Qingyang and whispered with admiration, "Qingyang, when looking for a partner, you should definitely look for someone from Northeast China. They're really useful in a pinch!"
...
Back at Xinweiju, the inside and outside of the house are practically two different worlds.
The charcoal fire burned brightly, and a warm, inviting aroma of food wafted over, instantly dispelling the chill brought in from outside.
Lu Qingyang didn't rest and went straight into the kitchen.
Before long, he brought out a heavy copper pot, with charcoal burning brightly underneath. Inside, a milky white broth was bubbling and steaming, releasing enticing heat.
Behind him followed Master Chen and his assistant, carrying plates of various sizes.
Thinly sliced mutton, red and white, was arranged on a large table, along with freshly washed cabbage, spinach, vermicelli, frozen tofu, several plates of fried meat skewers, and soaked wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms.
"Wow, hot pot." Zhao Rui's eyes widened, and he rubbed his hands together as he moved closer, taking a deep breath of the rich aroma of the bone broth.
Zhou Zhe swallowed hard, but still maintained a reserved tone, saying, "This...this is too lavish."
As Lu Qingyang served everyone bowls and chopsticks, he smiled and said, "It's cold, so let's eat something hot to warm up. The soup base is bone broth that was prepared this morning, and everything else is ready-made at the restaurant. Please make do with what you have."
"Is this what you call passable?" Liu Xiaohua sat down next to Shen Mo, looking at the table full of dishes and laughing.
Shen Mo helped move the plate of mutton closer to the pot and said gently, "Don't just stand there, hurry up and pick up your chopsticks, the meat slices will be cooked as soon as they're cooked."
Now nobody's going to be polite anymore.
Zhao Rui quickly picked up a piece of mutton with his chopsticks, dipped it in the boiling soup a couple of times, and the meat slices instantly changed color. He dipped it in sesame sauce and put it in his mouth. It was so hot that he gasped for breath, but he still mumbled clearly, "Delicious."
Zhou Zhe followed his example and carefully put the frozen tofu and cabbage into the pot.
Liu Xiaohua and Chen Mo prefer refreshing vegetable and vermicelli dishes.
The copper pot bubbled and steamed, blurring the young faces.
After a few bites of meat and hot soup, my cold limbs and bones seemed to relax, and I even broke out in a light sweat.
Everyone started chatting, from the fun they had just had skiing and sledding to their experiences at school, and the laughter never stopped.
Lu Qingyang watched them eat with great gusto, a smile constantly playing on his lips, before finally reminding them, "The dumplings can be taken off the stove now."
"The glass noodles are too dry; they'll fall apart if you cook them any longer."
After the last leaf of vegetables was picked out, everyone was satisfied with their meal and leaned back in their chairs, feeling warm all over.
Lu Qingyang then tapped the table slowly, drawing the attention of the group who were still immersed in the feeling of fullness: "You've eaten a lot, haven't you? Take a break. There are two more tables of reserved customers ahead of us. Zhao Rui, go and help them. Zhou Zhe, you're in charge of serving the dishes. Be quick on your feet."
Zhao Rui and Zhou Zhe, who had just been looking quite pleased with themselves, instantly collapsed in despair, letting out a wail:
"You're such a sugar-coated bullet, aren't you, Qingyang!"
"They've just been fed and they're already pulling the millstone..."
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