t even bother to look at the well. She hurriedly scooped up her granddaughter and rushed back home.Early the next morning, as dawn was breaking, Li Laosan exclaimed in surprise in the courtyard."Oh, o...All the upstairs rooms were private boxes, naturally reserved for female guests. Jia Erfu, Xing Fu, and Liu Fu each invited their own friends, filling two tables altogether.

Gu Qingqing and Xu Xi, along with other young girls, also sat at two tables. Jia Yin was too busy to attend to everyone, so Baozhu and Gu Qingqing helped by entertaining the guests separately.

Gu Qingqing had given up, but Baozhu was a frequent hot pot eater. She was most familiar with the flavors and dishes.

The lobby downstairs was entrusted to Li Laoer and Liu Ziheng. Both were skilled in socializing and adept at handling affairs, making entertaining colleagues and friends a simple matter.

The person in charge chosen by the hot pot restaurant was Yao Qiong, just like Zhao Hui, he was also a member of Li Zhensheng's team and had been working as an assistant at Xianke Lai.

Now, being promoted to the position of chief manager is his long-awaited dream come true!

He honed his sharp eyesight at the orchid shop, recognizing almost every customer who came through the door.

Upon greeting guests, calling out their names or titles before they even sit down adds a touch of satisfaction to their experience.

Hot pot is actually simpler than stir-frying.

Because it was newly opened, Jia Yin had the chef only simmer two kinds of broth, spicy red soup and big bone clear soup.

A brass pot heated over charcoal fire was placed in the center of the table, half glowing red and half milky white, bubbling merrily, its aroma filling the air.

A row of white porcelain plates was placed around it.

Thin slices of beef and mutton, cleaned yellow throat and tripe, golden-brown crispy pork belly, green shrimp dumplings, fish balls, beef balls, chicken carrot meatballs, fresh mushrooms, thin vermicelli noodles, and so on.

The most eye-catching thing is the fresh and vibrant vegetables.

At this time of year, it's undoubtedly the star of the show!

Besides these, there is also a small cart next to the table.

The cart is divided into two layers. The lower layer is for tableware like bowls and chopsticks, and the upper layer holds ten large blue and white porcelain bowls.

The bowl is filled with sesame paste, fermented black bean sauce, chives sauce, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, dried shrimp, minced garlic, beef sauce and mushroom sauce.

The colors are vibrant and there are so many kinds, it's dazzling to look at.

A fellow colleague, who was also close to Li Lao'er, laughed and said, "Sir, we often eat out together, but this is the first time we've had such a lavish meal!"

"Master, don't just watch us joke around. Quickly teach us how to make this sauce, my stomach has been rumbling for ages!"

Some bystanders also joined in the fun, saying, "That's right, Master, you invited us here only to watch and not to eat. It's really unkind!"

Everyone laughed along, in agreement.

"This is the first time I've seen mutton and beef slices this thin. Wouldn't they be cooked instantly if just dipped in boiling water"

"Yes, these greens are too fresh. But wouldn't it be too bland to just cook them"

"I actually think this meatball is pretty good. It probably has a lot of flavor already."

Li Lao'er smiled and bowed deeply to the crowd, saying: "Everyone here knows that our family hails from the north, where it is bitterly cold.

"

During the winter months, every household loves to enjoy some warm and comforting soups. Over time, they came up with this way of cooking by boiling ingredients in hot water.

But when we get here, I wonder if everyone will be comfortable with the food. I'm really not sure. That's why I organized this little gathering today.

“I'll have the guys prepare some dipping sauce for everyone. Let's eat and drink to our hearts' content. You won't know if it's good until you try it, right”

Then he called to the servants, "Prepare some condiments and pour some wine for our esteemed guests."

The young men immediately stepped forward, took out shallow bowls, and quietly asked the guests about any dietary restrictions they had. Only after confirming did they mix the sauces and present them to the guests.

Since everyone is familiar with the spicy flavors of Xiankela's dishes, they directly put the mutton into the red broth.

Once cooked, scoop it out and coat it in the sauce bowl before putting it in your mouth.

The spicy kick, the savory aroma of sesame paste, and the tender mutton with a hint of gamey flavor, combined together, are surprisingly delicious.

Curiosity got the better of them before they could even speak, driving everyone to attack the next ingredient.

Until all the ingredients had been tasted and everyone was half-full.

"Grandpa, this hot pot is simply amazing!"

"Yeah, just one bite and you're warm all over!"

"How did you come up with this idea Such a simple stir-fry, but it's so delicious!"

Li Lao Er was pleased inside, but on his face he wore a smile of amiable humility. "Everyone likes it, so please come often in the future."

Having said that, he ordered the dishes to be served again.

Because there are many dishes, the plates are not big, and the amount of food is only enough for one person to use a chopstick.

At this moment, many plates on the table were already empty.

In the private room upstairs, Jia'er and Liu were also helping to greet guests.

Jia Erfu smiled and said, “I had this hotpot once at Suijin Beach. To be honest with you all, I was craving it so much after I got home that I even asked someone to copy the recipe and prepare a table full of it.”

"It's a shame, no matter how I eat it, it just doesn't taste right. Not to mention there are no fresh vegetables, the broth isn't flavorful either, especially the dipping sauce, it's miles apart."

"Luckily, the princess opened this hot pot restaurant. From now on, whenever I crave it, I can come for a meal anytime."

Mrs. Liu burst into laughter in surprise, exclaiming, “Oh my! So I’m not the only one who’s been secretly learning from others.”

"I also had the cook make it at home, but it was nowhere near as good as this."

Just as the perfect voice came in from outside, Jia's second madam smiled and pulled her into a conversation.

"My Lady, tell us quickly, since we failed to steal the teachings, where did we fall short"

Jia Yin naturally knew this was Jia Er Fu ren helping her out, so she smiled and said: “Aunt, you don’t know. This broth looks like a bone broth, but it’s not just about boiling bones with water. ”

"This soup contains over ten kinds of herbs. It not only tastes good but is also good for your health."

Saying that, she pointed to those fish balls and beef balls, "And these ingredients too, are time-consuming and made with real effort."

For example, this fish ball. The sea fish is de-scaled, deboned, and then pounded thousands of times to become a paste. Finally, it's shaped into balls and cooked until they are tender, bouncy, fragrant, and delicious.

"Especially these meatballs, the outside is beef and the inside is also wrapped with shrimp filling, it's incredibly troublesome."

Having said that, she glanced at the women who listened intently, winked playfully a couple of times, and added.

"All in all, ladies, if you want to eat hot pot, just come here. Don't make your cooks miserable at home!"

Everyone burst into laughter and began making jokes.

"The county princess keeps changing up her tricks, trying to make money off of us!"

"Yeah, I see it too!"

Mrs. Liu laughed even more and said, “Today we really should eat a lot, this chance to not spend silver is probably only happening once!”

Jia Yin pulled Liu's sleeve and acted coquettishly, "Madam, you don't care about me anymore. Forget it, please. In the future, we can still get along well!"

Mrs. Liu hugged her, calling her "my little sweetheart" several times. The onlookers laughed even harder.

For a while, the house was bustling with activity!

At this time, Shui Ling pushed the door open and came in, glancing over everyone silently. She softly said to the princess, “My Lady, there are distinguished guests here.”

Here are three more chapters!hree men then conferred with Wu, the village head, about major matters such as digging irrigation ditches and planting melons.The folding screens, brazier, and hot tea of the Li family were all still...