Chapter 229 - 221: Chinese New Year’s Eve
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The hot pot dinner was exceedingly lively that evening, with everyone gathered around a traditional copper pot heated by charcoal in the middle. The surrounding area of the pot held a simmering broth, ready for cooking meat and vegetables on the spot.
The table was laden with lamb slices, meatballs, fishballs, pig’s blood, glass noodles, pineapple, rice cakes, dumplings, cilantro, potato slices, frozen tofu, radish slices, kelp, and other dishes—a truly lavish spread, all courtesy of Tian Sisi’s approach, reminiscent of her past life hot pot experiences. This intrigued the Tian Family, who marveled at how Ah Nan could even make ordinary potatoes and radishes into something to be enjoyed in the hot pot.
Tian Sisi couldn’t help but smirk inwardly. In her previous life, what couldn’t be eaten in a hot pot? Aside from fruits, which were generally off-limits for boiling, almost anything edible was fair game for a hot pot experiment in those restaurants, and the results were often quite tasty.
The rich and flavorful broth that formed the base of the hot pot had been prepared by Tian Sisi that afternoon. Once it came to a boil, everyone began throwing their favorite ingredients into the pot. The heat was on, and sweat poured from everyone as they collectively shed their cotton-padded jackets.
While enjoying their drinks along with the hot pot—thinly sliced lamb and spinach being particularly popular—the party was in full swing. Tian Sisi had anticipated the demand and washed plenty that afternoon, but, of course, all the different dishes found their fans. The Old Man, for instance, loved boiling frozen tofu, Granny Zhao was fond of boiling pig’s blood, but Tian Sisi herself preferred kelp and potatoes, both of which required more cooking time to be palatable.
Tian Xinhua sat next to Tian Sisi. The younger generation had a table to themselves, with Tian Shouhua sitting next to Tian Sisi and Tian Lili, Tian Sisi’s rival, next to Tian Xinhua. About a dozen young people made the atmosphere at their table quite boisterous.
They were drinking grape wine that Tian Sisi had made the previous autumn from wild grapes picked in the mountains. The taste was excellent, on par with the wines of her previous life’s wineries. Tian Sisi adored this grape wine, partaking a small glass daily—not only did it help her maintain her beauty, but it also kept her figure in check.
Tian Lili wasn’t keen on grape wine and instead sipped on Plum Blossom Dew, as did the two youngsters, Niu Niu and Zhenhua; they were too young for alcohol, so Tian Sisi offered the freshly made Dew for them to enjoy. Initially, Tian Sisi hadn’t planned to share the Dew with Tian Lili, but eventually, she decided not to bother quibbling with an immature kid and generously offered it, displaying the magnanimity of Tian Sisi.
Tian Xinhua kept himself busy serving Tian Sisi, deftly placing freshly boiled lamb slices, kelp, and potatoes into her bowl, with impeccable manners. Tian Shouhua watched, amused by how overtly Tian Xinhua’s attention was focused on Tian Sisi, given the crowd around them.