Chapter 232
Lin Han first brought out the dipping sauces that Nan Sheng had prepared. There were sesame oil dips and a mishmash of mixed sauces for everyone to choose from.
He pointed to the sesame oil dips and said, "The hotpot is a bit spicy. If you can't handle the heat, dipping the food in this will help."
Shitou and Xiao Yi didn't take any. It was their first time eating hotpot, and they wanted to taste the original flavor. Ming Li and Luo Tong both chose the sesame oil dips, and the two children also had the sesame oil dips.
While Lin Han turned back to the kitchen, Nan Sheng had already finished cooking the hotpot. Today's hotpot was especially lavish. Besides vegetables and thinly sliced beef and mutton, it also contained the braised beef tendons, pig trotters, and other braised meats prepared the day before.
Nan Sheng wiped the sweat from her forehead and then sat down beside Lin Han, with Luo Tong on her other side. "Let's eat while it's hot. It won't taste good if we leave it for too long."
As soon as Nan Sheng took her seat, everyone picked up their chopsticks and started grabbing vegetables and meat. In winter, every household in the village only had radishes and napa cabbage, and occasionally sprouted some bean sprouts. Nan Sheng had additionally added tofu, potatoes, and glass noodles. The rest of the pot was filled with meat and shrimp.
Xiao Yi's eyes lit up after his first bite. He thought this hotpot was really something else.
He had previously eaten pickled cabbage and pork belly hotpot, as well as fish hotpot. They tasted pretty good too, but none of them packed as much flavor as this spicy hotpot. Even the radishes, soaked full of broth, were exceptionally delicious, no less tasty than the meat.
"Sister Nan, did you come up with this yourself?"
"How could I? It's just that we're too poor around here to have eaten it before. Big city restaurants have everything."
Xiao Yi thought that made sense. He had only taken a few bites and was already sweating from the spice. Eating like this in the dead of winter was truly comforting. Shitou couldn't handle spicy food as well as Xiao Yi. He had already quietly swapped his sauce for a sesame oil dip, earning a silent sneer from Ming Li.
Shitou just pretended not to notice. He loved eating the vegetables from the hotpot, but the more he ate, the spicier it got, until his mouth was outlined in a red ring.
After the meal, the two children quietly got up to clear the table, not disturbing the adults' conversation while taking the chance to digest their food. Once they finished their chores, they went out to play on their own.
Xiao Yi said, "If only ordinary folks like us were allowed to do business. Putting everything else aside, this hotpot alone would definitely be a huge hit in our northern winters."
Xiao Yi couldn't stop thinking about the hotpot after just one meal. He was a black-market trader by trade, so whenever he came across something new, his first thought was always how to sell it to make money.
Lin Han went and fetched a few bottles of soda, placing them on the table with the caps already popped off so anyone who was thirsty could just grab one and drink. He picked up one bottle specifically and handed it to his wife.
Nan Sheng's throat was indeed a bit dry. She drank half the bottle before speaking. "The country is in a period of reconstruction. Don't worry, there will be plenty of room for you to develop in the future. When the time comes, you can open whatever shop you want."
Nan Sheng had the most accurate grasp of the current political situation among everyone present. Plus, she worked in the government, so everyone believed what she said. Xiao Yi and Shitou were especially thrilled.
"That sounds wonderful. We've really had enough of being chased and intercepted everywhere. I just don't understand why the leaders won't allow private trading."
"After the war, resources in all sectors are limited, so it's normal to have strict controls. It will loosen up in the future."
Luo Tong blinked and glanced at Ming Li, thinking that Sister Nan's perspective was indeed extraordinary. They were discussing such serious topics even during a private meal. Most importantly, she couldn't really understand much of it.
Ming Li took the opportunity to share some good news with Xiao Yi. "I reckon that after the New Year, someone is going to be in big trouble."
Xiao Yi understood immediately. "Where did you hear that? How come I haven't heard anything? He usually acts very carefully; he won't be easy to deal with!"
Ming Li glanced at Nan Sheng. "I thought so too. Who would have guessed that he'd suddenly turn stupid the moment he met my sister? Just wait and see, he's got it coming."
Xiao Yi also glanced at Nan Sheng and then lowered his head with a smile. Sometimes he really didn't understand how every problem seemed so easy to solve once it reached Sister Nan.
Shitou also silently revealed a look of admiration. "Sister Nan, you really saved my life and Brother Yi's. Over the past six months, we were almost driven crazy by him."
Nan Sheng ignored their playful banter and seriously discussed future plans with them.
"I've recently established a new fertilizer plant over in Rongcheng. A conservative estimate is that grain yields will at least double after using it. It will spread across the whole country in no more than two years. You guys should plan ahead; the grain business can no longer be your main source of income in the future."
Shitou's first reaction wasn't about them losing money, but rather he quickly asked, "Really? What kind of fertilizer works that well?"
Nan Sheng didn't dwell on whether it was true or false. She told Shitou, "Next year, the county will also introduce compound fertilizers. You'll see the results then!"
Currently, the soil lacked fertility, and crop yields were generally not very high, which was why food had to be purchased with ration coupons. Once the basic survival issues were resolved, the country would have the confidence to vigorously pursue development.
Xiao Yi and the others definitely didn't come for nothing today. Not only did they enjoy a great meal, but they also received good news. As for what to trade on the black market next, they already had a pretty good idea.
Nan Sheng even wrote down the recipe for the hotpot base for Xiao Yi, telling him to make it himself whenever he craved it.
Xiao Yi and Shitou left just past noon, and only then did Nan Sheng have the time to talk to her brother. She had no idea that Shitou was currently whispering about her to Xiao Yi, saying that she spoke with such authority now, sounding like a high-ranking official every time she opened her mouth, and that he could only understand half of what she said.
Xiao Yi was also making educated guesses to understand her, but he certainly couldn't admit that out loud—it would be too embarrassing!
"Uncle Yu bought so many things, didn't you try to talk him out of it?"
Luo Tong explained with a smile, "Dad is in a really good mood right now. If Ming Li hadn't brought the stuff, he would have thrown a fit. Sister, if you're worried about not being able to finish it all, you can share it with friends and relatives."
Ming Li felt like a punching bag, getting scolded from both sides. But thinking about it, he also found it funny. He figured that Yu Feng had sent over all the rations he had been issued to Nan Sheng.
Fortunately, he had bought quite a few New Year's gifts and sent them to the town. Otherwise, given the Yu family's current financial situation, they wouldn't have had a very good New Year.
After Ming Li and Luo Tong also left, Nan Sheng lay flat on the heated brick bed, resting her head on Lin Han's lap. "When we visit relatives after the New Year, we won't need to buy any gifts."
There was the old family home, Nan Sheng's parents' side, and her grandmother's house. In town, they couldn't leave out Yu Feng and Party Secretary Ma. As for Xiao Yi, Shitou, and the rest, it wasn't appropriate for Nan Sheng to visit them given her position.
Lin Han suddenly brought up Ming Li's upcoming wedding. "Has Ming Li bought everything he needs for the wedding? Why don't we cover the costs?"
"Why are you being so generous? He has his own money," Nan Sheng said, a bit puzzled.
"You've moved with the army to Rongcheng and rarely get to come home. We should shoulder as much as we can."
Lin Han didn't mind going all the way to Rongcheng himself. Over the years, he had done right by the Lin family and helped them out a lot.
However, he always felt a sense of guilt toward his father-in-law's family. With his wife's capabilities, she could have lived very well even if she stayed in her hometown. Since she was willing to leave her roots behind to follow him to the military base, he absolutely could not forget where he came from.
"Regiment Commander Lin, if you have money, just give a bigger cash gift. As for paying for the wedding, forget it. If he gets used to it, he'll become lazy and just rely on his sister and brother-in-law for help."
Lin Han: ...
He decided he'd better listen to his wife. Although his intentions were good, his wife's opinion mattered most!