The sun hung low in the sky, casting long, slanting rays that bathed the street in an orange-red glow. Ling Miao glanced outside; it was quiet and peaceful. Knowing it was unlikely any more customers would arrive, she decided to tidy up, calling for Susan to help organize the ingredients they had bought at the market the day before.
By the time the ingredients were sorted and put away, the sun had already dipped halfway below the horizon. Ling Miao looked at the bountiful spread before her and suddenly had an idea.
"Susan, send a message to Grandma Odeya. Tonight..."
"What a coincidence. I heard you two talking about me just as I reached the door."
Odeya walked in with a spirited, steady gait.
Ling Miao beamed. "We were just about to call you. We're having hot pot tonight."
"Then I’m in for a treat."
Odeya smiled, and suddenly, two identical little boys popped out from behind her. Before Ling Miao could express her surprise, Odeya introduced them: "My daughter has come back to see me with my two grandsons."
She held the hand of the boy on the left. "This is the older brother, Lesen." She pointed a finger at the other boy. "And that one is the younger brother, Lelin."
"My daughter is just behind us."
Ling Miao laughed heartily. "I was worried I’d bought too much food yesterday, but now I have helpers."
"Hot pot is always better when it’s lively!"
Ling Miao studied the two boys. Their dark, round eyes darted around, making them look incredibly clever. But what she couldn’t take her eyes off of were the two pointed, triangular ears atop their heads. Covered in black velvet fuzz, they twitched slightly with every movement, making Ling Miao’s hands itch to reach out. Behind them were fluffy, large tails—also a dark, reddish-black—that were thick and lustrous. They were a constant temptation to her fragile self-restraint.
Ling Miao pushed the thought aside, and just as she was about to speak, another person walked through the door.
"Mom."
"This is my daughter, Ruila."
"Hello." Ling Miao extended her hand. The other woman shook it warmly, and both of them smiled.
After the greetings, Ling Miao and Susan went to prepare the food. Odeya sat in the dining room, watching her two grandsons. Their eyes were darting about, likely plotting some new mischief, which gave her a slight headache.
Ruila looked at her mother, instantly reading her thoughts, and couldn't help but laugh. "They’ve grown much more sensible now."
Odeya’s headache only worsened at this. She didn't think these two little rascals had become sensible at all; at most, they were just older and better at feigning innocence. Seeing her mother remain silent, Ruila felt a bit helpless. The children had been mischievous since birth, but they were certainly better behaved now than they once were. She looked around and changed the subject. "Is this the restaurant you said had such delicious food?"
Odeya perked up and nodded. "Yes. When you aren't here, I’m home alone, so I basically eat here every day."
"That girl Miao really has a knack for it."
Seeing the satisfaction in her mother’s eyes, Ruila couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
The hot pot was ready quickly. Ruila looked at the two pots set before her; one was filled with a vibrant red broth, and the other was a clear soup, with a few cross-scored mushrooms and tiny red berries floating on the surface. She was intrigued. "How do you eat this?"
Susan began placing the prepared ingredients on the table and explained, "Just put the ingredients you want into whichever pot you prefer to cook them. You can also try these dipping sauces."
It sounded like a novel experience. Ruila watched the steaming pots with great interest. A fire burned underneath, keeping the broth at a steady, bubbling simmer. Drawn by the aroma, the twins crowded around curiously.
"Mom, can we eat yet?"
Ruila ruffled her son’s hair. "Wait just a little longer."
As tray after tray of food was brought to the table, Ruila looked on in amazement. "Mom, this hot pot has quite a variety, doesn't it?" She saw so many different types of ingredients—wouldn't the flavors clash if they were all cooked together?
The twins leaned against their mother, staring intently at the table. Odeya watched her two rarely-this-well-behaved grandsons and offered a gentle smile. "Indeed. I had some fish she made before, and the taste..." Odeya smacked her lips, savoring the memory.
Tangy, spicy, and savory—swallowing the final drop of broth, she felt warmth spreading throughout her entire body.
"Is it really that good?" Ruila asked, curious after seeing her mother’s reaction. Her mother had never been one to be obsessed with food.
"You’ll find out for yourself in a moment," Odeya replied.
With that, as soon as Ling Miao and Susan finished serving, Ruila impatiently dropped the ingredient closest to her into the red broth. Steam billowed, and white mist drifted through the air, filling the entire space. Ruila gazed expectantly at the pot, oblivious even to the calls of the twins beside her.
"It's ready to eat."
Ling Miao was observing the pot; what Ruila had put in was a shrimp paste ball. Hand-beaten, the shrimp meat was plump and full, not as finely ground as machine-made paste, but it better preserved the original flavor of the shrimp. One bite, and the shrimp meat, coated in spicy red oil, was pure satisfaction.
Seeing the shrimp paste change color, Ruila didn't hesitate to scoop it up. The springy shrimp meat hit her teeth, smooth and full; as she chewed, she could feel the bits of shrimp bursting on her tongue. The spicy fragrance and a hint of numbing heat spread across her palate.
Ruila squinted in bliss, her eyes curving into happy crescents. It was truly delicious! Her mother hadn't lied to her! She sped up her chewing and began dropping ingredients, both familiar and unfamiliar, into the pot.
Seeing their mother’s actions, the twins grew anxious. But they couldn't handle much spice, so they could only stare longingly at the red broth. Ling Miao sat across from them, amused by the scene: the gluttonous mother, the helpless brother, and the two little ones looking on with wide eyes.
Ling Miao let out a soft laugh. The twins looked over at her in confusion, their identical faces looking utterly adorable. Ling Miao helped them place their food into the mushroom broth, but when she saw them still craning their necks toward the spicy red pot, she asked, "Do you want me to mix you a dipping sauce?"
The twins reluctantly tore their eyes away to look at the older girl, knowing she was the one who had made the delicious food. They nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!"
Ruila heard her son’s voice and finally came back to her senses. "What dipping sauce?"
"Hot pot tastes even better with a dipping sauce."
Ruila perked up, ignoring her sons. "Can you make one for me, too? I love spicy food."
Seeing her eager expression, so starkly different from the twins, Ling Miao suppressed a laugh and nodded. She also took a moment to prepare an oil-based sauce for Odeya. For the twins, she made one oil-based sauce and one sesame paste sauce. To ensure it wasn't too spicy for them, Ling Miao deliberately put less chili in their oil-based sauce.
The two brothers finally got to eat their hot pot. Even though it wasn't the spicy red broth their mother had, the meat blanched in the mushroom broth was still uniquely flavorful. Dipped into the oil-based sauce, the burning heat traveled from the tip of their tongues down to their esophagi—piping hot, yet impossible to stop eating.
Unlike the older brother, Lesen, the younger brother, Lelin, preferred the rich, mellow sesame paste. The smooth, hearty sesame paste coated the ingredients blanched in the mushroom broth; whether vegetables or meat, everything took on a distinct, savory aroma. The vegetables were crisp, fully coated in sesame paste, leaving a mouthful of freshness and nutty flavor. Thinly sliced meat, blanched in the broth until the color changed, was wrapped in the sesame paste and carried the rich taste of the meat—every bite was pure satisfaction.