"Anlan, come and try the venison I just sliced. It's the freshest ingredient today," Lu Fan said with a smile, his face beaming with happiness.
"Here it comes!"
An Lan walked over quickly, a hopeful smile on her face as well. "This sika deer meat is rare. I heard it's especially tender and very nutritious."
The two put the paper-thin slices of venison into the pot, and the meat was cooked in no time.
They dipped their food in their own homemade sauce, and the tender, juicy flavor instantly exploded on their tongues.
"Mmm, this is so delicious!" An Lan exclaimed between bites. "This must be the best hot pot I've ever had."
"Of course, this is a special wild-cooked hot pot, one of a kind."
Lu Fan said proudly, "Moreover, this venison is very nutritious and will keep us warm. The only pity is that there are not enough vegetables."
The plates next to them were filled with seafood, fruit, pork, mutton, chicken, rabbit, and other meats—a truly abundant variety.
An Lan rolled her eyes at him and said reproachfully, "It's already very good that we can eat this much, why are you being picky?"
The two ate hot pot while looking at the snow scene outside the window, so leisurely that it seemed as if they were not experiencing extremely cold weather, but enjoying a pleasant vacation.
Big Black lay by the stove, contentedly enjoying the warmth of the flames, its eyes occasionally glancing at the hot pot, drool constantly dripping from its mouth.
"Oh my god, you're so dirty! Here, have a piece, stop drooling."
Lu Fan smiled and tossed a bone to Dahei, who immediately picked it up and ran to the side to gnaw on it with relish.
Viewers in the live stream were filled with envious comments upon seeing this.
"Wow, Lu Fan and An Lan are really enjoying themselves! While others are freezing, they're eating hot pot. The difference is just too big!"
"That's the difference between a master and an ordinary person. They are well-prepared and live comfortably, while others can only suffer."
"I also want to eat hot pot in this freezing weather, it would be so wonderful!"
"It's definitely not good for their health to eat only meat and no vegetables. I'm not envious, I'm just expressing my opinion."
"Hey upstairs, wipe your drool before you speak."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the deserted island, Ling Yue was also setting up a campfire, and on the grill in front of him, a piece of fragrant beef was sizzling with oil.
Ling Yue held a large leaf in his hand and kept fanning it to make the flames burn brighter.
His face was flushed red by the firelight, and his eyes revealed a resolute determination.
"The beef is almost done roasting. Let's eat some to replenish our energy," Ling Yue muttered to himself. He then picked up his knife and fork, cut off a piece of beef, and put it in his mouth.
"Hmm, not bad, but there's not enough seasoning, so the flavor is a bit lacking," Ling Yue said, frowning as he chewed on the beef.
Although Ling Yue didn't have the abundant ingredients and comfortable environment that Lu Fan and An Lan had, he found his own warmth in this extremely cold weather through his wisdom and courage.
He knew that in this wilderness, as long as he didn't give up, he could always find a way to survive.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, covering the whole world in white, as if it had turned into a fairytale world of ice and snow.
On this cold night, some contestants shivered in the wind, while others tried to find warmth and comfort.
Lu Fan, An Lan, and Ling Yue, in their own ways, demonstrated their tenacious survival skills and optimistic attitude towards life.
As time went on, the nighttime temperature dropped lower and lower, reaching an alarming level.
Many athletes were in trouble; their bodies were gradually weakening under the torment of the cold, and their spirits were beginning to decline.
But Lu Fan and An Lan were not affected at all. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they prepared to go to sleep.
Inside the shed, the animals lay comfortably in haystacks, as if they were staying in a five-star hotel, completely unaffected by the freezing weather outside.
Big Horn leisurely chewed on hay, occasionally swishing its tail, as if to say, "What does this cold have to do with me? I'm perfectly comfortable here!"
Lightning lay down beside him, eyes half-closed, enjoying the warm little nest.
Lu Fan and An Lan lay down on the heated kang bed that had been prepared in advance. As soon as they touched the warm surface, they couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh.
An Lan was covered with the thick bearskin, while Lu Fan was covered with a straw mat he had woven himself.
"This kang (heated brick bed) is so comfortable, it feels like my bones are melting," Lu Fan said, as he rolled over lazily like a lazy pig.
An Lan also snuggled into the warm quilt, only her rosy face showing, and couldn't help but exclaim, "I'd heard before that heated kang beds were amazing, but I never imagined they were this comfortable. It feels like being held by a pair of warm, big hands."
Daheizi lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), pressed tightly against it, his belly rising and falling with his breath, a satisfied smile on his lips.
He kept smacking his lips, probably dreaming about the big bone he had just been gnawing on.
"You know, that silly dog Daheizi can even laugh out loud in his dreams. Is he dreaming about eating meat again?" Lu Fan said with a smile, pointing at Daheizi.
"It only thinks about food. Today, it almost drowned our hot pot with all that saliva." An Lan was amused and her eyes narrowed into slits as she laughed.
The two chatted casually, and drowsiness gradually crept in.
The live stream was still bustling with activity, with viewers' comments scrolling like snowflakes.
"Waaah, I also want to get on Lu Fan's kang (heated brick bed). It's freezing cold here, I'm almost frozen into an ice sculpture."
"This kang looks so warm! My heating isn't even this effective."
"Big Blackie knows how to enjoy life. I envy it for being able to sleep right up against the kang (heated brick bed)."
Just as everyone was filled with envy for the warm kang (heated brick bed), the wind and snow outside intensified.
The gale, carrying blizzard, pounded against the walls with a loud "bang," as if roaring angrily in protest against the warmth inside.
"It's not cold anymore, but this noise is really loud," Lu Fan said, turning over and pulling the straw mat around.
"Yes, but this is already very good." An Lan's tone carried a hint of satisfaction.
Gradually, the howling wind subsided, leaving only the heavy snow falling.
"Anlan, are you cold?"
"I'm not cold, and you don't need to sleep with me."
Lu Fan was clearly taken aback.
"But I'm a little cold, can you come and sleep with me?"
"……roll"
In a daze, the two gradually drifted off to sleep.
In his dream, Lu Fan dreamed that he caught a lot of prey in the snow and piled it up like a small mountain.
An Lan dreamed that she was in a warm sea of flowers, surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables, and both of them slept with smiles on their faces.
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