Chisa was the first to finish tidying up her room.
She hadn’t been here long, and when she’d left the apartment, she hadn’t had much to bring with her.
Aside from the essential modern-day trio, she’d only packed a few changes of clothes and some crudely made little Bōzai plushies.
She stepped out of her room, went downstairs to the living room, and spotted a certain Xiao at a single glance — standing before the open fridge, deep in thought.
“Senpai, did you run into a problem?” Chisa walked over to Xiao Ling and asked.
“Ran into a bit of a problem, yeah.” Xiao Ling’s brows were slightly furrowed.
“A very serious problem.”
Hearing Xiao Ling say it was a very serious problem, and seeing that he did indeed look quite serious, Chisa inwardly registered that this problem was indeed grave.
She readied herself to help him shoulder the burden at any moment.
“I’m thinking…
what should we have for dinner tonight.”
One sentence.
The breath Chisa had been holding at her throat instantly deflated.
“Senpai, jokes like that are truly unnecessary.” She scolded him, but inwardly she did breathe a sigh of relief.
As long as it wasn’t some major issue.
“I thought you’d like it.”
‘Like your big dumb head!’ Chisa couldn’t help but sweat-drop at her Senpai’s…
unconventional sense of humor.
“Mm…
there’s actually quite a bit of food in the fridge, but I can’t be bothered to personally stir-fry a whole big table of dishes.”
After all, they’d been running around outside for most of the day.
By the time they got home, the sun was already setting over the western hills.
In the past, he would’ve just made do with takeout or instant noodles.
But you’d brought five beautiful girls home and planned to treat them to takeout and instant noodles?
That was a bit too perfunctory.
Xiao Ling suddenly felt Granny Lin’s divine weapon beckoning to him.
At that moment, Xiao Ling suddenly spotted the beef brisket he’d shoved into a corner of the fridge a few days ago.
A plan immediately formed in his mind.
“How about we do hot pot tonight?” Xiao Ling suggested.
“I don’t mind, but it seems Denia and Sigrika aren’t really the type who can handle spicy food.”
During the midday gathering, as Chisa enjoyed the meal, she’d also been observing everyone else’s eating habits at the same time.
Though they hadn’t shown it too obviously, this pair of besties clearly had no fondness for dishes with a spicy kick.
“Of course I’m not doing a spicy base.
What I’m making is beef hot pot.”
Beef hot pot, a representative of modern Chaoshan culinary culture, puts emphasis on the ingredients, knife work, and heat control.
Most importantly, it wasn’t spicy.
Denia and Sigrika would be able to enjoy it happily too.
Xiao Ling checked the time — almost six in the evening.
If he started simmering the broth base now, it should be just in time.
“Same as this afternoon.
I’ll assist Senpai.” Chisa once again volunteered to help, even having already rolled up the sleeves of her uniform.
“Though I’d honestly be a bit embarrassed to keep making you help, I’ll still have to trouble you, Chisa.
There are quite a few ingredients to prep, and they need plating too.
I wouldn’t be able to manage alone.” Xiao Ling smiled a bit sheepishly.
“It’s fine.
I can take this opportunity to learn how to make beef hot pot.” Chisa indicated she didn’t mind.
Not only could she help Senpai, but she could also learn something from it herself.
Why not?
And besides, since they were all living under the same roof, sharing the load was only necessary — even for everyday little things like preparing dinner.
…
“Done!” Linae looked at her bedroom, now filled with doodles and photos.
A small sense of accomplishment welled up inside her.
She had completely rearranged this initially somewhat monotonous bedroom exactly according to how her dorm room at Startorch Academy had been set up.
Now, this bedroom was filled everywhere with a Linae-style touch.
“Oh, right.
And this photo!” Linae placed the group photo with Granny Lin and the others in the most conspicuous spot in the room.
To her, this was the first and most precious memory since arriving in this world.
She had to treasure it properly.
After doing all this, Linae pulled open her bedroom door and stepped out.
Immediately, her soul was hooked away by a meaty aroma mixed with the savory fragrance of clear broth.
She bounded down the stairs in two or three quick steps, and with a turn of her head, saw Xiao Ling and Chisa in the spacious kitchen, preparing dinner for everyone.
Had to say, the two of them standing together really did give off a “husband sings, wife follows” kind of vibe.
“Yo, Linae’s so fast.” Xiao Ling spotted Linae, who had somehow already wandered into the kitchen to poke around, and immediately grabbed her to serve as a free taste tester.
“Here, try this broth.
How is it?”
Seeing Xiao Ling hand over a bowl of freshly made beef broth, Linae took it and couldn’t wait to scoop up a spoonful and stuff it into her mouth.
“Sss, hot hot hot…” Linae very successfully burned her tongue on the freshly made beef broth.
“But it’s really, really good!
So what are you guys making?”
“Beef hot pot.” Xiao Ling answered.
“The folks in the alley gave us quite a lot of ingredients.
If we tried to stir-fry it all, we wouldn’t be able to get through it in a short time.
Doing a hot pot is perfect.”
“Hot pot, huh?
I’ve heard of it but never tried it.
Anything else need doing?
I’ll lend a hand too!” Linae’s anticipation for new things was sky-high, and she was plenty proactive too.
She asked Xiao Ling if there was anything else she could help with.
Seeing Linae so enthusiastic, Xiao Ling tasked her with delivering the prepared ingredients to the dining table, one dish at a time.
Next down were Sigrika and Denia, the bestie pair.
The moment Denia caught the scent of meat wafting through the air, she came bounding over like a little rabbit.
“Making something yummy again?” Denia clasped her hands behind her back, leaned forward, and fixed her gaze unblinkingly on Xiao Ling as he worked the ladle.
“Wanna find out?” Xiao Ling glanced at the little glutton beside him, fished a cooked piece of beef brisket from the broth with his chopsticks.
“Open up!”
Denia looked at the beef brisket presented before her, blew on it gently twice with her little mouth, then opened up and swallowed it down.
Her cheeks puffed up slightly like a hamster’s.
Even as she chewed, she gave Xiao Ling a big thumbs-up.
“Sigrika, want a piece?” Xiao Ling was on a roll and planned to feed the orange baby while he was at it.
“Ah, no need, Senior!
I can do it myself!” This girl Sigrika was still quite demure.
Being fed was just way too embarrassing!
After sampling Xiao Ling’s cooking, the pair went off together to help Linae set the table and arrange the tableware.
Denia had originally planned to slack off, but her good bestie stubbornly dragged her along.
Aemeath, on the other hand, was the last to come down.
She seemed to have taken a short nap, and now still carried a bit of drowsy haziness.
“Time to eat?” Seeing everyone bustling about, Aemeath spoke up in a soft, languid voice.
“Yep.
You woke up at just the right time.” Xiao Ling poured the simmered broth into the pot, placing it on the induction cooker that had long since been obediently stationed at the center of the dining table.
Aemeath immediately sidled over, using her hand to waft the savory fragrance drifting from the pot.
“Mm~ smells so good.
Feels like it’s gonna be delicious.”
At any rate, after tonight’s main event returned to its loyal dining table, everyone gathered around and sat down, ready to eat.
With a “click,” Xiao Ling popped open a can of guilty-pleasure fizzy goodness.
The girls followed suit, and the sound of pull-tabs cracking open rang out one after another.
“Alright, everyone.
To a brighter tomorrow!” Xiao Ling raised his happy fat-house water high.
“To tomorrow!”
The sound of cans clinking rang out.
…
“By the way, how exactly do you eat this?” Denia looked at the slice of beef on her chopsticks — thin as a cicada’s wing — and began muttering to herself.
“Come, Nia, look.
Like this.” Xiao Ling demonstrated in person.
He picked up a slice of beef and swished it around in the hot pot.
“This kind of beef slice — just swish it in the hot pot for about ten or so seconds.
Any longer and the meat gets tough.” He explained as he swished.
Denia followed suit.
She placed the beef slice in her hand into the pot, swished it for ten or so seconds, then took it out and popped it into her mouth to taste.
Mm, indeed.
The texture was quite good.
Then she swished another slice of beef.
This time she deliberately waited a full half-minute before fishing it out and eating it.
Just as Xiao Ling had said, the meat had indeed turned tough.
“It really can’t be swished too long.” After her experiment, Denia gave the same conclusion as Xiao Ling.
Aemeath, seated beside Xiao Ling, picked up a plate of raw beef balls and inquired, “What about these?”
“If you want to eat them, just drop them right in.
Once they float up on their own, cook them a few more minutes and that’s it.” Xiao Ling replied.
“Remember to test with your chopsticks.
Cooked beef balls will be firmer and springier.”
Having gotten her answer, Aemeath obediently poured all the raw beef balls into the hot pot.
Seeing Denia and Aemeath ask questions first, the other three girls also raised their own questions.
Under Xiao Ling’s clarifications, they gradually began to understand this world’s dietary habits.
“Never thought even something as common-looking as greens could have so many ways to prepare them…” Linae murmured softly, looking at a piece of greens before her.
“In my family, we usually just pan-fry or boil beef.
This is my first time having it in a hot pot like this, used as a soup base for scalding and cooking other ingredients.” Chisa looked at the tofu cube soaking up the broth in her bowl, rather moved.
“This kind of cooking method is also the first I’ve heard of it.
Senior, could you teach me how to make it later?
If I can go home someday, I’d like to try making it for my parents.” Sigrika requested that Xiao Ling teach her how to make beef hot pot.
Xiao Ling felt that recreating this dish in Lahai-Roi would probably be difficult.
It would likely be labeled as wasteful extravagance.
But since she was willing to learn, teaching her wouldn’t hurt.
This little interlude about dietary habits drifted away along with the ever-rising steam from the pot.
The girls began swishing their hot pot while chatting about all sorts of amusing things they’d encountered in both Solaris and this world.
Xiao Ling sometimes joined their conversations, and sometimes just quietly watched them chatting away so animatedly.
He’d originally been a little worried that Denia might not be able to blend in with them.
But each time Aemeath and the others brought up a topic, they’d subtly, almost imperceptibly loop Nia in — yet perfectly sidestep the past matters she least wanted to mention.
They made it so she couldn’t even just quietly focus on eating even if she wanted to.
‘This is nice,’ he thought to himself.
Just as he was about to keep eating, a breeze from who-knew-where kissed his cheek, as if carrying someone’s longing from afar.
‘Ha.
I’m all grown up now.
Still can’t set your mind at ease about me?’ Xiao Ling suddenly laughed, a bit self-deprecatingly.
He raised what remained of the beef broth in his bowl and, using broth in place of wine, downed it in one go.
It carried a certain boldness, like offering wine to the spring breeze.
‘Don’t worry, Dad.
Your son’s surrounded by beauties right now.
Life’s pretty damn good.
It’s just…
maybe I still think of you from time to time.’
Yeah.
Just from time to time.
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