Chapter 49: Hotpot Shopping and Culinary Debates

To prepare ingredients for their hotpot, Lu Chen and Ling Wei left the building and turned into a large fresh produce supermarket nearby.

It was peak shopping hour, and the supermarket buzzed with activity. Elderly women meticulously browsed the aisles, their carts overflowing, while the air was thick with the mingled scents of red meat and fresh seafood.

They retrieved a shopping cart at the entrance, then headed straight for the hotpot section.

Lu Chen pushed the cart, accompanying Ling Wei to the shelves brimming with various products.

Xia Shi had never personally visited the hotpot section before. Ling Wei, too, wore a curious expression, her gaze drifting over the numerous hotpot base packets lining the shelves.

“Beef tallow base, tomato base, mushroom clear broth… there truly are so many varieties. Should we just pick the regular tomato one?”

Ling Wei had simply chosen a moderate, unremarkable flavor, yet Lu Chen offered a knowing smile.

A year prior, when they had first shared a meal, it had been a tomato hotpot. He hadn’t expected her to remember.

“Tomato is excellent. I’m actually in the mood for some tomato to vent my frustration.”

Ling Wei obediently picked up the hotpot base packet and tossed it into the cart.

“Alright, next are the dipping sauces. We probably don’t need to buy anything special for that, do we? Just vinegar, like before, should be fine.”

“Always having just vinegar can get tedious. Let’s try something new this time.”

Lu Chen scanned the shelves, then took down a bottle of sesame paste and a jar of fermented bean curd. Ling Wei stared at him, then spoke:

“That’s quite an unusual combination.”

“Indeed. I saw someone online mention that mixing sesame paste and fermented bean curd is fantastic. It offers both a rich texture and a sweet-sour taste, pairing wonderfully with meat rolls, steamed buns, or noodles.”

As Lu Chen spoke, he placed the two bottles of sauce into the shopping cart. Ling Wei, however, took them out again and returned them to the shelf.

“Sesame paste is essentially pure fat. Traditional red and white fermented bean curd aren’t too bad, but the chili oil variety you picked is practically soaked in oil.

“It’s really best not to eat it.”

“It’s just a tiny bit for dipping sauce. It shouldn’t be a big deal, should it?”

“If it were just for one meal, it genuinely wouldn’t matter. But you can only buy a whole bottle of sauce, and you’ll definitely find an excuse to eat it all later.

“If you’re going to consume those calories, you might as well save them for cake.”

The young woman’s tone was grave and earnest. Lu Chen merely offered an noncommittal smile, finding her newfound nutritional knowledge remarkably biased.

“There’s no need to be so tense. I’m not yet at an age where I need to be overly careful with my body.

“Lately, I’ve often eaten instant noodles with chili bean paste for brunch or dinner, and I haven’t developed any problems.”

Ling Wei’s beautiful eyes widened slightly, then she let out a soft, helpless sigh.

“Instant noodles and chili bean paste, and you eat them as full meals every day… Honestly, by the time you want to start taking care of yourself, it’s often too late.”

As she spoke, she stood on her tiptoes, reaching for several jars and bottles from the shelf and placing them into the shopping cart.

“If you want a spicy kick, use this chili sauce, or perhaps this yellow mustard sauce.

“I enjoy eating too, so I’m not telling you to eat diet meals every day. I just hope you can try to control it a bit, without sacrificing too much flavor.”

“The chili sauce sounds good. But I’m not really used to mustard, so let’s skip that one.”

Ling Wei gazed at the assortment of jars and bottles, pondering for a moment before she spoke:

“That’s only because you don’t know how to cook dishes that use it… Starting tomorrow, I’ll cook dinner for you. I don’t have much else to do by myself anyway.”

“That would be too much trouble for you. How about this? You cook on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I’ll follow your recipes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.”

“What about Sunday?”

“Sunday is cake day, of course. We can be a bit more relaxed then.”

Xia Shi chuckled softly and nodded.

“I look forward to your cooking.”

Having finished their selections in the sauce aisle, the two pushed their cart towards the refrigerated section. Horizontal freezers, gently emitting a pale white mist, were lined up in neat rows, their interiors stacked with plastic trays of neatly rolled beef and lamb.

Xia Shi picked through the freezer, while Lu Chen slowly followed beside her, pushing the cart, waiting for her to toss ingredients inside.

“One box of lamb rolls, one box of beef rolls, one box of shrimp paste. Golden needle mushrooms and tofu skin, and then napa cabbage… Is that enough? Do we need anything else?”

Soon after, Xia Shi had finished selecting ingredients, with meat and vegetables covering the bottom of the shopping cart. Lu Chen quickly tallied them up and shook his head.

“That’s more than enough. There are only two of us, after all.”

“Mm. Then, I’ll go buy some drinks, and we can head to the checkout…”

Halfway through her sentence, Xia Shi’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a refrigerated display in a corner of the supermarket.

Unlike the other pure white freezers, this one was adorned with a sticker depicting a lush green prairie, and the words “Northwest Specialty Counter” were artfully inscribed on its side.

Ling Wei wasn’t particularly interested in the origin of the food, but what did catch her attention was a box of ingredients—a box of quite rare, seldom-seen lamb eyes.

Six grayish-black eyeballs were arranged neatly within the transparent packaging, staring out from their vacuum-sealed, chilled coffin into the dead silence, fixed upon every passerby.

Most ordinary shoppers who inadvertently glimpsed them furrowed their brows. Yet, in Ling Wei’s eyes, seeing these six little treasures was pure bliss, akin to a spectator witnessing a tiger descending a mountain or a robot encountering concentrated ice.

Ling Wei swallowed, reluctantly tearing her gaze away.

The appearance of these things was somewhat frightening, certainly not suitable to be enjoyed with the pure-hearted Lu Chen, who lacked appreciation for such delicacies. She decided she would buy them for herself later.

Ling Wei looked back at the young man, then spoke:

“Yogurt should be fine for a drink, right? Or would you prefer some fruit juice?”

“Either is fine. Whatever you prefer.”

“Alright. Please wait a moment then.”

Ling Wei jogged over to the refrigerated drink display, picked up two bottles of orange juice, and returned.

As soon as she rejoined the young man and the shopping cart, she noticed an extra item in the cart: the very box of lamb eyes she had been eyeing earlier.

She looked up at Lu Chen in surprise.

“What is this?”

“Yes. My apologies, I thought you liked them. Should I put them back?”

Ling Wei frowned slightly, feeling a bit nauseous.

She was certain her performance had been flawless, only allowing herself a two-second indulgence in the lamb eyes. Yet, Lu Chen had already noticed.

He might be slow when caught up in emotions, but once calm, he became incredibly perceptive.

‘How annoying. I should get a little revenge.’

She manipulated her muscles and blood flow, bringing a flush to her cheeks, and spoke with feigned concern:

“…No, it’s fine, I do like them. But can you really handle this?

“We’ll have to put them in the hotpot with the other ingredients, watch them float and tumble in the hot broth, and then, under their gaze, chew and swallow them down, you know?”

Lu Chen hadn’t thought much of it, but after Ling Wei’s detailed description, a wave of discomfort immediately washed over him.

“It’s… it’s alright. They’re just ingredients, after all. Just make sure to scoop them out quickly when they float to the surface.”

“Alright, thank you so much! I’ll make sure to scoop out the perfectly cooked ones and leave them just for you!”

“Just eat them yourself!”

The supermarket was bustling and lively, filled with a throng of people. The two looked at each other, chatting and teasing, as they made their way to the checkout counter.