Time Travel: A Fisherwoman Goes to the Sea to Raise a Baby

Chapter 483 Hot Pot Feast

The sedan chair slowly made its way to the street corner where the Wufu Restaurant was located.

Hong Gang, the fat man, had sharp eyes and spotted the luxurious sedan chair from afar. Thinking it was some distinguished guest, he quickly put on a smile, walked to the street, and began enthusiastically calling out through the sedan chair window.

Only upon closer inspection could one recognize Wen Shichen.

"Mr. Wen? Mrs. Wen? Our shop is newly opened today, and all dishes are 20% off. The taste is superb, please come in and try our fresh offerings!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the sedan curtain was gently lifted a crack by a well-maintained hand, revealing only half of Fu Wanying's face.

She glanced at the bustling scene at the entrance of Ruyi Residence and Hong Gang's beaming face, her beautiful brows immediately furrowing in disgust. She let out a very soft snort from her nose and slammed the curtain shut again.

Clearly, she has no good feelings towards him.

Wen Shichen naturally put his wife first in everything. Seeing her so disgusted, he quickly ordered his attendants, "Don't stop here! Move forward and stop in front of the Wufu Restaurant!"

The sedan chair bearers obeyed, carrying the sedan chair steadily over the bustling Ruyi Residence and stopping in front of the even more noisy Wufu Restaurant.

Wen Shichen quickly helped Fu Wanying out of the sedan chair, and the two only realized what was happening when they entered the front hall.

Even after Ruyiju reopened, Wufu Restaurant was still bustling with customers. The waiters carried steaming dishes and moved about, and the restaurant's steady and prosperous momentum was growing stronger day by day.

Wen Shichen stood there, looking at the bustling scene at Wufu Restaurant.

Suddenly, I realized that Xu Yiyi really did have some skills.

In just a few months, her restaurant has built a reputation and a solid foundation, and has a stable customer base.

Even though the competitors next door have gone to such lengths to imitate and undercut prices, they still haven't been able to truly shake its foundation.

Just as he was observing, Sanchuan ran up to the Wen couple, cupped his hands in a proper manner, and said in a clear voice, "Mr. Wen, Mrs. Wen, are you well? It's really unfortunate that all the private rooms on the second floor are already full today."

He spoke clearly and logically, neither servile nor arrogant, then turned to the side and pointed precisely to a relatively quiet corner by the window on the inside of the lobby:

"If you two don't mind, there's an empty table in that corner. The view is decent, and it's relatively quiet."

He spoke slowly, his little face full of seriousness.

Although Wen Shichen rarely looked people in the eye, seeing how composed this teenager was in his interactions with others, and comparing it to his own good-for-nothing nephews and nieces, he felt incredibly conflicted.

It seems that Xu Yiyi is not only good at business, but also good at disciplining her younger siblings.

Wen Shichen sighed softly, glanced at the somewhat noisy front hall on the first floor, and then looked at Fu Wanying's protruding pregnant belly. He really didn't want her to eat here.

He turned his head, about to discuss it with Fu Wanying, his tone tentative and reassuring: "Yingying, look, there are so many people here, and the smell is so strong, how about... we..."

The words "or else" had barely left his mouth when...

A fair hand quickly reached out from the side and slapped the back of his hand that was supporting Fu Wanying with a "smack," leaving a slight red mark instantly.

Wen Shichen winced in pain and slightly withdrew his hand, looking at Fu Wanying with a mixture of surprise and grievance.

But she had already put on a smiling face, as if she hadn't been the one who had just attacked, and her tone towards Sanchuan was so gentle it could melt hearts:

"No problem, no problem. The corner is quite nice, quiet and peaceful. Young shopkeeper, please take us there."

The speed of this change in attitude, and the contrast between his behavior towards Sanchuan and his earlier rudeness towards him, were striking.

Wen Shichen was speechless for a moment, and could only cover his slightly reddened hand as he watched Fu Wanying leave him and follow Sa Sanchuan to the corner.

He sighed helplessly and had no choice but to follow.

Outside, the ingratiating smile on Hong Gang's face slowly disappeared as he watched Wen Shichen and his wife sit comfortably in a corner on the first floor of Wufu Restaurant.

His eyes turned cold in an instant, and he let out a heavy snort from his nose.

Just then, a few diners strolled up to the front of Ruyiju Restaurant and curiously looked at the menu.

Hong Gang had no time to be angry anymore. He quickly looked away, and the resentment and gloom on his face vanished in an instant as if by magic.

He quickly put on an enthusiastic, even somewhat obsequious smile, and strode forward to greet her, his voice booming.

"Oh! Please come in, esteemed guests! Today is our grand opening, and all dishes are 20% off. We guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Hearing the noise outside, Xu Yiyi's hands, which were working on the abacus, suddenly paused.

His eyebrows unconsciously twitched slightly upwards.

Xu Anyang brought over a pot of barley tea. "Sanchuan, are you done eating?"

The child nodded.

"Then you should go back inside. I'll take care of things here."

He nudged Sanchuan and stepped forward to order food for the Wen couple.

……

Two days later, all the pots that Xu Yi had ordered were transported back.

It was just past noon when the blacksmith's shop assistants drove several donkey carts, carrying goods that were tightly bound with straw ropes, to the backyard of Wufu Restaurant.

Xu Yiyi came out upon hearing the noise and directed the young man running errands in the front hall to carefully unload the items.

Fatty Wang, who was originally planning to go home for a midday rest, also curiously gathered around.

When the straw rope was cut open, revealing the brand-new, gleaming pots of various shapes, Xu Anyang and Lao Lu were both stunned.

"What are all these things?" Old Lu scratched his messy head.

The hot pot he used to eat was just a regular copper pot; he had never seen such a fancy pot before.

"Sister Yi, these... these are all pots?"

Xu Yi pointed at the pile on the ground, her eyes wide open.

Among them, some pots had a curved copper strip running vertically in the middle, resembling a yin-yang symbol, dividing the pot in two; some pots were as deep as small cauldrons, but had a strange-looking iron pillar with many small holes standing in the middle; some pots were wide and flat, like a large pancake griddle; and some had tall arched lids, shaped like pagodas. There were also many earthenware pots and ceramic pots...

Sihai curiously squatted down, picked up the pot with the pillar in the middle, and banged it hard with his chubby little hands, making a dull sound.

Upon hearing this sound, Wu Yuan waved his little hands and feet wildly.

Seeing him like this, Sihai pounded even harder.

Before it could even knock a few times, Xu Yiyi snatched it away.

"Get out of here. These pots cost me a lot of money. If you break them, I'll deduct from your monthly pay."

Xu Yiyi reached out and pinched Sihai's cheek, her tone feigning fierceness.

She then stepped forward and, as if displaying a precious treasure, began to introduce these bronze pots of various shapes to the crowd.

"I didn't just randomly make these pots. Each pot is designed to match the soup base we're serving, all so that our guests can enjoy their meal to the fullest."

She first patted the pot with the curved copper plate in the middle: "This is called a 'Yuan Yang Hot Pot'. It can combine two kinds of broth at the same time. It is the most convenient for diners who want to taste two flavors at the same time, or when some people at the table eat spicy food and some don't."

When Fatty Wang heard her introduction, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"This pot is excellent! It greatly solves the problem of pleasing everyone's tastes. Your idea is brilliant, boss..."

Hearing Wang Pangzi's praise, Xu Yiyi smiled shyly.

Then, she pointed to the deep pot with a perforated iron pillar standing in the middle: "This is specially prepared for coconut chicken hot pot."

As soon as she finished speaking, she picked up the wide, flat pot again: "This is called a dry pot, or you could call it a baking pan. It's used for grilling and baking. We won't need it for hot pot this time."

Therefore, this baking pan is also the one that is customized the least.

As she spoke, she pointed to the pot with an arched lid: "This type of pot is more suitable for sour soup bases and seafood hot pot bases because it has a better seal and can better preserve the richness of the sour soup."

"Both mushroom soup base and congee base can be made in ceramic or earthenware pots."

Her gaze swept over all the pots and pans, then she looked at the small compartments: "These small compartments are for customers who like to cook in separate compartments to avoid mixing flavors. They can also accommodate multiple flavors of broth at the same time."

Most importantly, these compartments allow for different cooking times: the center compartment has the strongest heat, ideal for quickly cooking ingredients; the corner compartments have the weakest heat and the richest broth, suitable for simmering ingredients that require longer cooking times; and the outer compartments have a medium heat, suitable for cooking more common ingredients.

Xu Yiyi picked up these grids and introduced them to everyone.

These pots all have a base and a fire stand, on which charcoal can be placed to heat the copper pot.

Upon hearing her introduction, one by one they curiously touched it.

Old Lu chuckled and said, "This thing is quite novel; guests will definitely be curious when they come."

Xu Yiyi looked at the crowd marveling at the pot and pan, a smile flashing in her eyes, and asked, "How about it? Want to try this new pot now?"

This statement is like water being poured into hot oil; it instantly caused an uproar.

"Try it! I have to try it! I've never used such a novel pot to eat hot pot before."

……

"Master, I'll start the fire."

……

"Sister Yi, I can't wait any longer!"

Everyone immediately chimed in with their own opinions, their faces beaming with eager excitement.

Fatty Wang rubbed his hands together excitedly, his small eyes lighting up instantly: "Boss! This trial run can't be taken lightly. Tell me what dishes you'd like to eat? I'll go prepare them right away..."

Old Lu stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching his impatient look, and couldn't help but tease him: "Hey, Fatty, so energetic now? Usually at this time, you'd sneak home and lie around taking a nap, wouldn't you? What's gotten into you today?"

Fatty Wang blushed at his words, but then straightened his neck and retorted righteously, "Old Lu, stop insulting me! This is the most important thing in our restaurant. I'm the chef. If I go home while we're eating hot pot, is that still called tasting the food? That's called messing things up! Anyone who tells me to go home today will have to deal with me!"

His resounding words drew laughter from everyone, and the atmosphere in the backyard instantly became lively.

There were still a few guests drinking in the front hall, but copper pots had already been set up in the backyard.

In the backyard, several newly made copper pots were already placed on the clay stove, the charcoal fire crackling and burning brightly.

Xu Yiyi personally busied herself at the stove because time was too short.

She quickly prepared three soup bases: a spicy hot pot base, which is everyone's favorite; a seafood hot pot base, which is made with fish bones and dried scallops, with a milky white color and a fresh aroma; and a congee base.

Excluding Xu Yiyi, there were more than a dozen people in the restaurant, including waiters, kitchen helpers, and waitresses.

They were all excitedly gathered around the three makeshift tables, eagerly waiting for the meal to begin.

At Xu Yiyi's table, besides herself, there were Sanchuan, Sihai, and Xu Anyang.

Wuyuan's crib was also moved to the side, and the chubby little boy grabbed the crib railing and jumped up and down.

Although the pot hadn't boiled yet, the atmosphere was already lively.

Fatty Wang and Lao Lu were very excited and kept preparing ingredients in the kitchen.

Meat dishes, vegetarian dishes, seafood dishes—the two of them instructed Sanchuan and Sihai to bring out the dishes.

"That's enough! Haven't you all already had lunch?"

Xu Yiyi saw that the table was almost full and quickly told them to stop.

"Right away!"

Old Lu shouted at the top of his lungs, then brought out two plates of fish slices that Fatty Wang had prepared.

Once the pot boils, the aroma fills the air.

The diners in the front hall had finished their drinks and were about to leave when they followed the smell and lifted the curtain to look over.

Three or four heads were perched on the door frame, which looked particularly funny.

"Wow! What's that smell so good?"

A merchant sniffed hard and staggered in.

Several tables were occupied by people sitting around a few copper pots that were bubbling and boiling in the middle.

"The pot?" one of the guests pointed.

"Is it a hot pot? Is it a mutton hot pot?" The merchant's tongue was a little tied from drinking, but his eyes were very bright.

"Are you... are you preparing new dishes? This pot... smells so good! Can... let us brothers... try it too? Huh?"

The merchant had barely finished speaking when he suddenly burped.

Upon seeing this, Xu Anyang quickly put down his chopsticks, stood up, and went to greet him.

With a smile plastered on his face, he skillfully deflected the people away, neither being impolite nor hindering their advance into the backyard.

"Oh my, gentlemen! You have a really good nose. This is a new thing our boss came up with, called hot pot. Unfortunately, this is the first time we're trying it out. It's just our own people tasting it first to give it a good review. We don't want to mess things up and neglect our distinguished guests."

As he spoke, he bowed and said, "If you gentlemen are interested, tonight! Tonight, our hot pot banquet will officially launch. If you come early, you'll be among the first to try it, and the taste will definitely be the most authentic. What do you say?"

The aroma immediately whetted their appetites.

After thinking about it, it was indeed inappropriate for them, as the other people were eating together, to join in.

"Alright then, tonight! I'll definitely come early tonight, remember to save us seats..."

After finishing his speech, the merchant walked back, tipsy.

After Xu Anyang persuaded the people to leave, the pot was fully boiling.

As soon as Xu Yiyi poured the fish balls and shrimp balls into the pot, the spicy broth began to heat up, and its domineering and intense aroma began to spread.

The aroma directly stimulated Wu Yuan. The little guy's bright black eyes were fixed on the bubbling red oil pot, and his saliva dripped uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth.

"Sister Yi, you'd better take it easy, Wuyuan is flooded again."

Xu Anyang sat down jokingly.

Upon seeing this, Sihai quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped the drool off Wuyuan's chin.

She then forcefully laid Wu Yuan flat, covered his eyes, and said, "Go to sleep! Wu Yuan, go to sleep. You won't smell it when you're asleep."

Xu Anyang burst out laughing. "Aren't you just burying your head in the sand?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Yuan immediately moved his hand away and started jumping up and down happily.

"what--"

The child had chubby cheeks and a short neck; when he pointed, the flesh on his face would bulge out.

"seven……"

Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

Sanchuan looked over abruptly, "What kind of aura? Did Wuyuan speak?"

"He's craving food, he means food."

As Xu Yi spoke, she placed the cooked fish balls and shrimp balls into the small bowls of Sanchuan and Sihai.

"Eat quickly, don't pay attention to him."

As Xu Yiyi spoke, she quickly poured the prepared cuttlefish meat into the seafood pot.

As the steam rose, Lao Lu hurriedly went to buy a bottle of wine.

"Our homemade fish balls and shrimp balls are so delicious that we can't keep up with demand every day."

Aunt Zhao took a bite of the fish ball and sighed.

"Big sister, can I put the roast duck in?" Sihai, his mouth glistening with oil from eating, looked at the bubbling hot pot and suddenly had an idea.

"You can only take a little; we haven't finished the food on the table yet."

As Xu Yiyi spoke, she quickly placed the blanched pork kidney slices into his bowl.

After a whirlwind tasting, the copper pots were almost empty. Everyone was sweating and flushed, still feeling that they hadn't had enough. It wasn't until late afternoon that they finally left the table in twos and threes.

"I can not make it……"

Old Lu clutched his stomach and sighed, "I'm stuffed. I don't want to eat tonight."

"Hmph, what a disgrace!"

Xu Yiyi gave a soft hum and walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of mashed bananas.

"It would be great if there was mutton in this dish; the spicy hot pot with mutton would be absolutely delicious."