Chapter 258: Chapter 88 Hotpot_3
In addition, when Du Xixi makes lamb hot pot, she always chooses the leg of lamb. After countless exercises, the leg meat is well-developed and firm, with a springy texture that leaves a lingering taste on the palate even if sliced thinly.
Du Xixi might prefer a mild broth, but observing over time, she knows Ke Xing and Ke Lian both enjoy bold flavors, especially the sour and spicy ones. Thus, Du Xixi made a double-flavored hot pot base.
A clear soup base made with chopped scallions, mushrooms, thin noodles, and ginger; a spicy soup base stewed with red pepper, star anise, scallions, cinnamon, and more.
One red and one white, placed together in the same pot, bubbling continuously under the heat, quickly spreading aromas indoors, making Ke Xing and Ke Lian’s mouths water uncontrollably.
"Hot pot should be eaten like this, with dipping!" Du Xixi knows Ke Xing and Ke Lian have never eaten hot pot before, so when they were quite eager, she picked up a few slices of lamb with communal chopsticks and dipped them in the boiling soup for a few seconds. When picked up, the lamb with snowflakes had turned milky white.
Du Xixi dipped them into her own mix of sauces tailored to her taste, stirred slightly with her chopsticks, then put them into her mouth, chewed a few times, and let out a satisfied "Mmm."
She hadn’t made her favorite sesame sauce and fermented bean curd yet, so the bowl of sauce in front of her was simply soy sauce with chopped scallions, at most with added chili powder for flavor.
But deliciousness is ultimately deliciousness, and it doesn’t diminish due to lack of dip. Du Xixi felt the unique flavor of lamb mixed with the saltiness of soy sauce, the pungency of scallions, and the spiciness of chili powder, erupting continuously, giving her a long-lost illusion of returning to Blue Star.
Du Xixi was momentarily distracted; back on Blue Star, during New Year, the whole family gathered for hot pot. Everyone was one family, eating happily together without any unhappiness, all full of harmonious interaction.
It’s not that Du Xixi feels her current life isn’t good; it’s just that comparing with the large family on Blue Star, Du Xixi now has only Ke Xing, Ke Lian, and their two young sons, which makes it somewhat quiet.
Du Xixi didn’t show the emotions she felt inside, so Ke Xing and Ke Lian didn’t notice anything unusual with Du Xixi, only thinking that her brief daze was triggered by delicious food.
Their sauces were mixed based on their own taste, just as they gauged the doneness by feel when dipping the meat, naturally less skillful than Du Xixi who has extensive hot pot experience. But once the tasty meat slices entered their mouths, both were captivated by the hot pot’s charm.
Yiyi and Er Er already had their milk earlier. The two little ones curiously watched the big pot, and their elders eating continuously, "Ah" ing non-stop.
Ke Xing now knows how to tease his grandsons without making them upset. He dangled a meat slice in front of Yiyi and Er Er, and when the two babies reached out for the slice, he swiftly popped it into his own mouth.
Yiyi and Er Er: "Ah!"
"So fragrant!" Ke Xing knew the two little ones didn’t quite understand the meaning of "so fragrant," so teasing them was stress-free.
Du Xixi and Ke Lian exchanged smiles, and at that moment, the melancholy Du Xixi felt dissipated.
Perhaps, on Blue Star, she was indeed surrounded by more noise and festivity, but now she’s Du Xixi of the Blue Star Empire, with an equally happy and content family. She doesn’t need to feel sad for the past that can’t be returned.
Blue Star... Du Xixi used communal chopsticks to dip a few slices of beef, which Ke Lian liked, and seeing him smile softly at her warmed her heart.
On Blue Star, there’s a Du Xixi who ensures her days are well-lived, and she only needs to live well in the Blue Star Empire.
The early spring hot pot was truly warming, and when the three of them finished eating and put down their chopsticks, they had polished off all the beef slices, lamb slices, frozen tofu, lettuce slices, and beef tripe on the table.
"Actually, after the hot pot, you can use the base to soak rice and boil noodles, which is quite delicious too." Du Xixi thought for a moment, then reminisced with a smile, "There’s another kind of hot pot that uses porridge as the base. After dipping beef, lamb, and fish, the flavors of the ingredients are retained in the base, adding the aroma of rice to the dishes, and afterwards, you can savor the complex taste of the porridge!"
"We must try it next time!" Ke Lian felt increasingly tempted under Du Xixi’s guidance. Though craving his wife’s cooking isn’t a big deal, so Ke Lian jokingly said to Du Xixi with a little coyness.
Ke Xing, who felt there’s nothing wrong with craving his daughter-in-law’s cooking, nodded and looked at Du Xixi with great anticipation.
Du Xixi also wanted to eat it, so she nodded: "Let’s eat it tomorrow!"