Chapter 249: Hot Pot with the Family
They couldn’t eat in the living room, otherwise the lingering smell of grease and spices would sink deep into the fabric of the sofa. While the kitchen lacked great ventilation, it did have a sturdy table. Eating right there meant they wouldn’t have to carry heavy, bubbling pots back and forth.
Sheng Wanyan’s mouth watered just thinking about it. She immediately nudged Gu Tingxiao, insisting they have it tomorrow night. She told him to head across the way early in the morning to let Father Sheng and the rest of the family know not to cook dinner, as they were all expected over.
Gu Tingxiao nodded obediently. He didn’t quite understand what this “hot pot” his wife spoke of actually was, but a good husband only needed to execute his wife’s instructions to the letter.
The next day, Sheng Wanyan stood in the kitchen acting as the director while Gu Tingxiao provided the labor. For the hot pot broth, she decided on a rich chicken soup base, which was perfect for warming the bones in such freezing weather.
The best part about preparing hot pot was that most of the work just involved washing and chopping vegetables. Sheng Wanyan took charge of seasoning and simmering the chicken soup, leaving Gu Tingxiao to slice the potatoes and winter radishes according to her precise measurements.
As for the meat, they decided to slice it closer to dinnertime. Gu Tingxiao’s knife skills were only average, so he had to concentrate to ensure the slices were thin enough to cook instantly in the boiling broth.
“Go light the coal stove,” she commanded gently. “Get the chicken soup on to boil.”
She had already nestled all the aromatics and ingredients for the chicken broth into a large ceramic pot, so all he had to do was set it over the fire.
Gu Tingxiao nodded, following her orders seamlessly. Once the pot was heating up, he poured a cup of warm water and held it up to her lips. “Wife, have some water.”
Sheng Wanyan took two delicate sips from the rim. With the prep work done and the meat waiting for its final evening slice, there was nothing left to do but wait for the feast.
Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only four in the afternoon. Sheng Wanyan headed back to her bedroom to translate. The publishing house in the capital was in urgent need of these materials, and she wanted to be proactive about contributing her knowledge to the nation.
Right now, the country’s industrial and technological foundations were weak, forcing them to rely heavily on foreign data. China’s scientific researchers had started from absolute zero. The moment they managed to develop a piece of technology to finally catch up with the rest of the world, foreign powers would unveil something even newer. To bridge the gap, the nation often had to spend precious funds just to buy obsolete, discarded machinery from abroad, bringing it back to dismantle and study piece by piece.
Sheng Wanyan paused, her pen hovering over the paper as a wave of solemnity washed over her. She recalled learning that at the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the military only had seventeen planes to fly over the square. Because there weren’t enough aircraft to make an impact, the pilots had to fly their routes twice.
And those planes… every single one was a discarded piece of foreign tech. Even during subsequent grand national ceremonies, they often had to display foreign-made aircraft.
It was a deeply frustrating, stifling feeling to be suppressed and outpaced by other nations. Although this was a parallel world, the tides of history flowed in the exact same direction. The scientific researchers of this era were walking an incredibly grueling, uphill path.
It wasn’t just planes; all the weapons meant to defend the country lagged far behind international standards. Even though Sheng Wanyan knew with absolute certainty that China would rise to become a powerhouse in a few decades, it still stung to know the current reality of being looked down upon.
Even Gu Tingxiao and his men—the weapons they carried into dangerous missions were often inferior to those of their adversaries. It was a harsh, undeniable truth: those who fell behind became easy targets.
Sheng Wanyan sighed, a spark of fierce determination igniting in her eyes as she looked down at the technical documents. She couldn’t build a fighter jet or design a missile herself, but she could use her linguistic skills to build a bridge for the researchers who could.
This translation work was her battlefield.
Sheng Wanyan picked up her fountain pen, her writing speed increasing as she poured her focus into the pages.
Gu Tingxiao didn’t disturb her. He quietly sliced some fresh fruit, placed it on a small plate, and brought it into the room. Seeing her bent over the desk, completely absorbed in her work, he didn’t say a word. He simply placed the fruit within reach and sat nearby, offering his silent, steady companionship.
Sheng Wanyan translated continuously until six o’clock, finally putting her pen down when it was time for dinner.
“Wife, careful, take it slow,” Gu Tingxiao murmured, immediately moving to tidy her desk. He knelt to slide her shoes onto her feet, then gently supported her elbow to help her stand.
“I’m perfectly fine. The baby is being incredibly well-behaved today,” Sheng Wanyan smiled, amused by his hyper-vigilance. The little one in her belly really wasn’t causing a fuss. Aside from that sudden bout of nausea the previous night, her pregnancy had been smooth sailing. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call this an angel baby.
But in Gu Tingxiao’s eyes, every single discomfort she faced was a sacrifice made for him. His wife was so young, brilliant, and capable, yet she had to endure the heavy physical toll of carrying their child. To him, it was a profound act of love for a woman to bear a child for her husband. Moreover, even while pregnant, she insisted on maintaining her intellectual pursuits and working hard. If a man didn’t cherish a woman like this with everything he had, he wouldn’t be fit to be called a man.
“You’re the one who is incredibly good,” Gu Tingxiao said softly, his voice thick with deep, earnest affection.
Sheng Wanyan instantly choked on her own breath, letting out a few flustered coughs. What was wrong with this man lately? Why was he suddenly so smooth?
“Hey… I’m not a child,” she muttered, her cheeks burning. Was he trying to coax a toddler? It was honestly embarrassing.
Gu Tingxiao’s lips curved into a tender smile at the sight of her flushed, bashful face. “Well, to me, you’ll always be a kid.”
Sheng Wanyan promptly turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Her self-control was notoriously weak whenever Gu Tingxiao turned on the charm, and she was genuinely afraid she might lose her mind and pounce on him right then and there.
“Shut up,” she huffed playfully. Snapping her shoes on, she pushed his hand away and marched out of the bedroom, though her hasty, uneven steps utterly betrayed her composure.
Gu Tingxiao followed two steps behind, a soft chuckle vibrating in his chest. His wife was shy, so he knew better than to push his luck and actually make her angry.
When Sheng Wanyan stepped into the main area, she found the Sheng family had already arrived and were waiting for her before starting the meal.
“Wan’er, is the little one giving you a hard time today?” Mother Sheng asked gently. She had assumed her daughter was resting in the bedroom, given how much she had been sleeping lately.
Gu Tingxiao had stopped by earlier and mentioned that Wanyan had vomited the previous night, making it clear that her morning sickness had finally kicked in. Previously, Mother Sheng had happily thought her daughter would coast through the pregnancy without any trouble, but she realized that was wishful thinking. Every woman suffered to some degree when carrying a child.
“Mom, the baby is very good. I feel perfectly fine today,” Sheng Wanyan reassured her.
Seeing her daughter’s cheeks flushed with a healthy, rosy color, Mother Sheng let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Come, sit down and let’s eat.”
Mother Sheng guided her to a chair. Moments later, Sheng Wanze walked in, carrying little Huzi alongside Pan Yue. The apartment building was just a short walk across the lane, so the baby could easily handle the trip as long as he was bundled up tightly against the winter wind.
“Sister-in-law, put Huzi in the crib so you can eat in peace,” Sheng Wanyan suggested.
At the moment, little Huzi was wide awake and full of energy, his tiny fists tightly gripping a lock of Pan Yue’s hair, refusing to let go. Like any mother, Pan Yue instinctively put her child first, not minding if her own food went cold. “It’s alright, Wanyan. You guys go ahead and start.”
“We have a crib ready right here,” Sheng Wanyan said. The wooden crib had been handcrafted by Father Sheng ahead of time for his future grandchild, and it was already perfectly clean.
Gu Tingxiao went straight to the bedroom closet, retrieved a soft, thick little blanket, and neatly lined the crib so Huzi would be comfortable. Pan Yue gently laid the baby down, rhythmically patting his back for a few minutes until his eyelids fluttered shut and he drifted off.
Since an infant couldn’t be left unattended, Sheng Wanze carefully lifted the entire wooden crib and moved it into a safe corner of the kitchen so they could keep an eye on him while they ate.
With everyone gathered around the table, they stared at the setup in front of them, a bit bewildered by the novel arrangement.
“How exactly do we eat this?” Grandma Sheng asked, peering at the bubbling pot. In all her decades of life, she had never seen food served this way.
Sheng Wanyan smiled and brought out a selection of dipping sauces she had mixed ahead of time. This particular blend was a highly coveted, secret recipe she had loved and personally bought from a famous chef in her previous life.
“Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister-in-law—it’s very simple,” Sheng Wanyan explained, demonstrating for them. “You just take the raw meat or vegetables, drop them into the boiling chicken broth to cook, and once they’re done, you dip them into your sauce bowl and eat.”
The family caught on instantly. Looking at the vibrant spreads of fresh food, they couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly convenient, fun, and interactive this style of dining truly was.
