12dz Chapter 253 Among the myriad lights, one was left for A-Li.
Chapter 253 Among the myriad lights, one was left for A-Li.
Arriving at the entrance of the courtyard house, Ah Li easily pushed open the door and went inside.
Seeing Mengze standing there in a daze, he quickly urged, "What are you standing there for? Come in."
Mengze snapped out of his daze and stepped over the threshold.
The family of three, who were warming themselves by the fire in the yard, looked up and their faces lit up with joy when they saw Ah Li return.
Da Niu hurriedly ran to the kitchen while shouting, "Uncle A Li, you're back! We've been waiting for you to come back and set the table!"
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi had just stood up to go to the kitchen when they saw a man dawdling behind A Li.
A hint of curiosity flashed in Gao Mengli's eyes: "Ali, who is this?"
Lin Xi also cast an inquiring glance over and walked over to look him up and down.
This person wasn't particularly good-looking, but his overall cold and aloof demeanor made him seem quite handsome.
I couldn't help but take a second look.
Damn it, how long has it been since he's seen a handsome man? He couldn't help but curse himself inwardly.
Now, he thinks that anyone who is "human" is good-looking.
Gao Mengli quickly ran over and pulled Lin Xi, whose eyes were practically glued to her, away: "Xi Xi, don't be rude."
Lin Xi then came to her senses and smiled apologetically, "Oh dear, I lost my composure for a moment, please forgive me, young master."
A Li pulled Meng Ze forward from behind and introduced him to the two of them: "This is my brother Meng... Meng Yunze."
A slip of the tongue almost exposed Mengze.
After all, Dou Weiyi had repeatedly mentioned the assassin's name when she returned.
He glanced at Lin Xi and Gao Mengli, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that they looked normal.
He quickly explained, "He encountered some difficulties on his journey, which is why he came to me for help..."
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi nodded knowingly; it turned out to be Ah Li's friend.
Lin Xi quickly pulled him to sit down by the stove: "Ah Li's friends are family, Young Master Meng, don't be shy, please sit down."
Mengze nodded slightly, thanked him in a low voice, and sat down by the fire.
The warmth instantly dispelled the chill around him. He found the object in front of him quite novel; it was different from a charcoal basin!
He couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the edge of the stove. It was warm to the touch but not hot, and the metallic texture had a unique solidity.
Lin Xi carried out a soup pot and placed it on the stove, then poured dipping sauce for each person and placed it in front of them.
Gao Mengli and Da Niu also brought out the vegetables, meat, and pig offal they were going to cook and placed them aside.
When Ah Li saw the pork belly, his eyes lit up.
Today we're having hot pot!
Seeing Ah Li's impatient look, Lin Xi chuckled:
“I was going to cook when I came back from the village canteen. But Mengli said you went out, and we weren’t sure when you would be back.”
It's getting cold, and I'm worried about stir-frying dishes getting cold, so I've decided to make them into a hot stew. Whenever you come home, we can have dinner, and you'll have something hot to eat!
Upon hearing this, Ah Li felt a warm glow in her heart and quickly helped serve the rice.
When Mengze heard the words "go home," his heart stirred slightly.
Ah Li has finally found a home among countless lights, a home that is willing to leave one light on for him.
This family treats Ah Li so well.
A hint of envy flickered across his face.
Gao Mengli caught a glimpse of his gaze without noticing, and her heart stirred slightly.
Alright, this is a child who lacks love.
Quickly put the pork belly and offal into the old braising liquid to cook until done, then scooped out a large spoonful and placed it in Mengze's bowl:
"Young Master Meng, please try this. It's made with old braising liquid, perfect for eating over a fire. It tastes great with the dipping sauce!"
Mengze snapped out of her daze and quickly thanked him.
The moment the pork belly enters your mouth, its fresh and fragrant flavor bursts forth on your tongue. It's tender yet chewy, with the aroma of the braising sauce and the meat blending perfectly.
Add to that the spiciness of the dipping sauce, and the flavor almost made him lose his composure.
This...this is so delicious!
He looked up at Ah Li, who was engrossed in eating, and finally understood why he had stayed there.
If it were him, he wouldn't want to leave either!
Seeing that he was enjoying his meal, Lin Xi quickly added more food to his plate: "Here, have a taste. Pork kidney, not fishy at all. I cleaned it thoroughly. It tastes great!"
Mengze thanked him profusely, picked up a piece of pork kidney and put it in his mouth. It was indeed tender and not fishy, with a smooth texture. The unique flavor collided with the spicy dipping sauce, making him sweat slightly as he ate.
Looking at the chili peppers in the dipping sauce, he realized for the first time that medicinal herbs could be eaten with food, and taste so good!
Ah Li was already a "glutton," and with another "glutton" who had been starving for a long time added on, the rice was visibly running out.
Ah Li scooped up the rice from the bottom of the bowl, even scraping the last few grains of rice from the side into his own bowl.
As soon as he put down the basin, he saw Mengze holding an empty bowl and staring intently at his half-eaten bowl of rice.
Ah Li frowned, glanced at her bowl, then at Meng Ze's "share half" look, feeling conflicted.
Seeing this scene, Lin Xi, who was putting down the chopsticks, slapped her forehead in annoyance.
I didn't expect any guests to come today, so I didn't cook enough food.
Given how possessive Ah Li is of his food, it would be a miracle if Young Master Meng were to get any.
Sure enough, Ah Li picked up her bowl and, without hesitation, shoveled the entire contents into her mouth.
Seeing this, Mengze's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he was too embarrassed to ask for it.
Just as he was about to quietly put down the empty bowl, Gao Mengli gave Lin Xi a wink.
Lin Xi quickly went to the kitchen and kneaded some more noodles.
Not enough rice? Noodles will do!
"I'm so sorry, I didn't expect any guests to come today, so I didn't cook enough food. I've kneaded some dough for you, please continue eating!"
Lin Xi took the noodles and put them all into the old braising liquid, cooking them together with the vegetables and meat.
Soon, an enticing aroma wafted from the pot. The noodles tumbled in the rich broth, absorbing the flavorful liquid and becoming plump and fluffy.
Lin Xi deftly took Mengze's bowl, scooped a full bowl out of the pot, and placed it in front of Mengze: "Young Master Meng, try the braised noodles, I guarantee you'll love them!"
Looking at the steaming hot braised noodles in front of him, with the enticing aroma filling his nostrils, Mengze was filled with emotion.
He quickly stood up and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."
Lin Xi smiled and waved her hand to interrupt, "Don't be so formal, Ali's friends are family!"
Gao Mengli nodded in agreement.
While they were talking, Ah Li had already finished a bowl and was grinning as he scooped noodles from the pot.
Mengze looked at it and got a little anxious. He didn't care about being polite and quickly picked up the bowl and started slurping!
In the end, the two of them drank all the broth in the pot.
Lin Xi was about to cook another pot, but Gao Mengli stopped her in time: "Are you feeding pigs? You're still cooking!"
"Eating too much will cause them to feel unwell later. If they get hungry, they can have a midnight snack with Da Niu."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xi realized it made sense and quickly dismissed the urge to "feed the pigs".
After the two finished eating, Ah Li boiled a pot of soapberry water to wash the dishes.
Lin Xi and Gao Mengli had to go out, after all, the inn was under construction and they still needed to settle accounts every day!
Before leaving, Lin Xi instructed, "Ali, let this young master Meng sleep with you tonight. There's a stove in your room, so it'll be warmer!"
Upon hearing this, A Li and Meng Ze were so shocked that they stood up from the ground.
Just as he was about to refuse, he noticed that Lin Xi and Gao Mengli had already left.