Chapter 38

Xia Yunxuan tidied up her room, making it even cleaner and neater. Thinking about dinner, she decided that a hot pot would be perfect since it wasn’t too hot outside.

She lit the fire in the stove and took out a double-boiler pot. She started boiling the broth, of course, using the popular hot pot base. When it started bubbling, the aroma spread far and wide. She didn’t care if the double-boiler pot would arouse suspicion. If anyone asked, she would say she bought it from someone else.

The broth base was made with pork ribs. Xia Yunxuan had prepared a variety of ingredients, a little bit of everything: potatoes, radishes, winter melon, pumpkin, green vegetables, bean sprouts, dried bean curd, cilantro, and sweet potato starch noodles.

There were also various kinds of hot pot meatballs, fried bean curd, white bean curd, etc. If anyone asked, she would say she bought them from outside. She believed those two big men wouldn’t be so nosy, or else they wouldn’t have anything to eat next time.

Xia Yunxuan also prepared milk tea and drinks. She would let them choose their favorite flavors and pour their own drinks.

Xiao Yichen and Gu Beihuai could smell the delicious aroma from afar. They thought, “This little girl is also a great cook. I really didn’t misjudge her.” Gu Beihuai said, “Boss, don’t you think this smell is just too good? I want to eat it so much.”

Xiao Yichen said, “Behave yourself. Don’t act like you’ve never seen anything before and make the little girl laugh at you. You have to eat slowly later. What will you do if there isn’t enough food for you?”

“Hey, Boss, don’t worry. I have some common sense. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have let me follow you.”

“Xiao Yichen shouted from outside, ‘Little girl, we’re here. What are you cooking? It smells so good!'”

Xia Yunxuan stood at the door and said, “You’re here. Come in and sit down. I told you not to bring anything, but you still brought so much. What are you doing? I have everything here.”

Gu Beihuai said, “It’s our first time coming here, so we can’t come empty-handed. We don’t know what you like, so we just brought a little bit of everything. Comrade Xia, what are you cooking? I could smell the aroma from far away.”

“I call this hot pot. You can try it and see how it tastes. This side, with the red color, is spicy. The other side is mushroom broth, not spicy. You can put the ingredients you like into the broth and eat them. There are seasonings there. You can add them according to your taste.”

“There are drinks and milk tea there. You can pour them yourself according to your preference. Don’t be polite here. I don’t know what you like, so I prepared a little bit of everything.”

“For the main dishes, there are meat buns, steamed buns, and rice. They’re all here. You can choose whatever you like. If you’re too polite and don’t eat enough here, don’t blame me.”

Xiao Yichen said, “Little girl, you don’t have to cook so much. Why are you spending so much? It’s not a waste. It’s your first time here. You can’t be inhospitable to guests. Just eat. Help yourselves. I won’t serve you.”

The two big men were both big eaters and didn’t hesitate to grab their favorite ingredients and start eating. When they tasted it, they didn’t know how to describe it. It was just too delicious. How come they hadn’t tasted this before? They felt like they had missed out on billions of dollars.

Especially the pork ribs, they were tender and falling off the bone. After dipping them in the seasoning, they tasted even better. One bite, and it was so fragrant.

The other side dishes were also delicious after being cooked in the spicy broth.

Xiao Yichen used public chopsticks to put a lot of food into Xia Yunxuan’s bowl before he started eating.

This was the first time he had tasted food cooked by the little girl. It was even better than what the chefs in the state-owned restaurants in Beijing could make. It seemed he had truly found a treasure.

The three of them sat around the stove, eating hot pot. The aroma drifted far away, reaching the ears of Mrs. Wangzi, their neighbor. She was grumbling, “That damn girl is living a good life by herself. She’s eating so well. I saw two men go into her room. Ugh, she must have used her pretty face to seduce those intellectuals.

“Otherwise, how could she, a nobody, afford to eat meat? She’s so young, and she’s already going astray. That whole family is no good. Her sister is messing around with someone, and now her younger sister is starting too.”

Xia Yunxuan, of course, had no idea what Mrs. Wang was thinking. The three of them were enjoying their meal. Xiao Yichen said, “Little girl, you cook so well. How about we bring our rations over and eat with you?”

Xiao Yichen continued, “Don’t worry, we won’t be freeloaders. We’ll fetch water, chop wood, and prepare the ingredients ourselves.”

Xia Yunxuan said, “Okay, but you have to eat whatever I cook. You can’t be picky.”

“I hate people who don’t do anything themselves but have a lot of demands. Also, I hope you’ll pretend not to see anything special.”

Xiao Yichen said, “Don’t worry, little girl. We’re not like that.”

Xia Yunxuan said, “When my house is built in a few days, there will be more space and a big pot, so I can cook better. For now, you’ll have to make do with simple meals.”

Gu Beihuai said, “Comrade Xia, you call this simple? I think it’s better than a banquet. What will you cook if you’re not being ‘simple’? I’m really looking forward to it.”

Xiao Yichen said, “Stop talking so much. You can’t even shut your mouth while eating.” Xiao Yichen, of course, realized that the girl had secrets. Otherwise, he had never seen these things before. Where did the little girl get them? He knew she had just moved out of her family’s house, and she didn’t bring anything except the clothes she was wearing. The little girl didn’t seem to be hiding anything. Fortunately, his best friend didn’t pay attention to these things.

Also, that thing called milk tea, he had never seen it in Beijing. How could a rural girl like her make it?

Xia Yunxuan didn’t know that someone was about to uncover her secrets during a simple meal.

Gu Beihuai was so full that he couldn’t move anymore. He slumped down and said, “Comrade Xia, your cooking is just too good. If I keep eating like this, I’ll gain a few pounds. Let me rest for a while before I wash the dishes.”

He knew that after eating, he had to work. If he didn’t do anything, he wouldn’t feel comfortable mooching off others.

After all, others didn’t owe you anything. You can’t take their kindness for granted. His mother always told him that. He knew how to behave in order to maintain a long-term relationship with others.

Xia Yunxuan said, “There are only two bowls. You don’t have to wash them. I’ll do it myself. If there are more bowls, you can help.”

“Go back now. Come over tomorrow morning for breakfast. If you stay here for too long, people might gossip. I don’t care, but you two gentlemen from Beijing are different.”