This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 215 Hot Pot
The three girls were huddled together in the kitchen, so Chen Shi'an didn't go in to join in the fun.

He carried the watering can to the balcony. Even though it was November, the weather wasn't too cold yet, and the large styrofoam boxes filled with soil on the balcony were still lush and green.

These are some vegetables he grew in his spare time.

Space was limited, so Chen Shi'an didn't plant much. He planted some scallions, garlic, cilantro, chives, and tomatoes, all of which were vegetables that could be harvested and eaten in batches.

Although he didn't use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides, the vegetables Chen Shi'an grew were all very good. They were so good that anyone who knew how to cook would be tempted to exclaim, "These scallions are so tender!" "These chives smell so good!" "These tomatoes are so juicy!"

Taking a small basket, Chen Shi'an picked some scallions and cilantro, and also picked a few tomatoes that were just ripe.

After picking the vegetables, I casually cleared away some small weeds sprouting from the soil in the pot, then watered them with a watering can, and somehow managed to make these vegetables look like flowers.

It was already dark outside, and the faint sound of their voices could be heard coming from the kitchen. Chen Shi'an didn't pay much attention to it; he liked this hazy atmosphere, like background music, which suddenly made him feel like he had a home.

Holding a shopping basket, Chen Shi'an walked into the kitchen.

The three girls turned around at the same time, saw that it was the stinky Taoist priest, and stopped talking as if on cue.

"Why did you stop chatting as soon as I came in?"

"Hmph, what are you, a boy, doing eavesdropping when we girls are talking?"

"I'm coming in to bring you some food."

"Ah, cherry tomatoes! Did you grow them yourself, Taoist priest?"

"Well, try it."

Chen Shi'an washed a few tomatoes and then presented them to them one by one.

Wen Zhixia picked up a piece, Li Wanyin picked up a piece, and Lin Mengqiu also picked up a piece.

The tomatoes that Chen Shi'an grows himself are not as big as those bought in the market, but they taste really good. When you take a bite, the juice overflows in your mouth. They have a slight sourness with a hint of sweetness, and the skin is very thin. Even when eaten raw, there is no residue.

"So delicious! Tomatoes can taste this good?" Wen Zhixia exclaimed in amazement.

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything, she just stood quietly in the corner eating with her head down. Occasionally, when too much juice spilled out, she would smear the corner of her mouth with a little embarrassment.

Li Wanyin also thought it was especially delicious. She had watched these tomatoes grow up, and this was the first time she had ever eaten them.

"Are all the dishes ready? I'll take care of the rest. The rice is cooked too, I'll make some fried rice."

As Chen Shi'an said this, the three girls stayed in the kitchen watching him make fried rice instead of going out.

Chen Shi'an first chopped the freshly picked scallions and cilantro.

These scallions and cilantro were at their tenderest. Chen Shi'an took the cleaver and chopped them down, making a crisp swishing sound. He then used the cleaver to scrape the chopped scallions into a bowl for later use in fried rice or as a dipping sauce for hot pot.

Wen Zhixia picked up the bowl containing scallions and smelled it.

"Mmm! The aroma of scallions is so strong! It smells so good!"

"Of course, you can't buy these scallions I grow outside."

After Wen Zhixia put the bowl down, Lin Mengqiu picked it up and smelled it without making a sound. It was indeed the purest scallion aroma she had ever smelled. Occasionally, when she got close, the smell even made her eyes sting.

Chen Shi'an took over the work, and Li Wanyin was not idle either. She went to the living room to start cooking the pot.

The rice was freshly cooked. Chen Shi'an took a large basin, scooped out all the hot rice from the pot, and then spread it out to cool it down.

While he was at it, he blanched the diced carrots, corn kernels, mushrooms, shrimp, and green peas for the mixed fried rice. He had also chopped the diced ham and lean meat.

Looking at the colorful ingredients on the plate, the two girls with a sweet tooth were tempted.

Wen Zhixia couldn't resist any longer. She reached out, picked up a piece of ham, put it in her mouth, squinted her eyes, and grinned at Chen Shi'an.

Lin Mengqiu glared at her in shock. Couldn't you be a little more civilized?

"We haven't even started cooking yet, be careful not to get an upset stomach."

"Ham is edible, I'm so hungry, Taoist priest, please cook quickly."

"Didn't you just say you were hungry?"

"I suddenly felt hungry after eating your tomato."

Chen Shi'an chatted while he was busy with his work.

He turned back and glanced at Lin Mengqiu again.

"Is the squad leader hungry?"

"……Um."

Lin Mengqiu was also very hungry. She had been exercising all afternoon, and it was already lunchtime. Looking at the table full of food that she couldn't eat, she was starving.

Soon, Chen Shi'an's mixed fried rice was ready.

He used a large rice bowl to scoop all the fried rice out of the pot.

The freshly cooked mixed fried rice is so appetizing just by looking at it. Each grain of rice is distinct and not sticky, glistening with oil, and piled fluffily on the plate. Golden egg crumbs, pink ham cubes, orange carrot cubes, bright green peas and scallions, along with diced mushrooms and shrimp, are mixed together, creating a vibrant and colorful dish. Under the light, it even glistens slightly when steaming, making it visually appealing.

They had agreed to have hot pot, but as soon as Chen Shi'an brought out his mixed fried rice, the three girls couldn't resist serving themselves a bowl of fried rice. Before they could even sit down, they eagerly stood up and started eating a couple of bites.

A spoonful of hot, fragrant fried rice entered their mouths, and the rich layers of flavor exploded on their tongues. The three girls squinted their eyes in satisfaction.

"So delicious—!"

"It smells so good!"

"Oh no, what should I do? I can't control myself and I'm going to take a second bite, but I'm afraid I won't be able to eat any more hot pot later...!"

"~~~~~~" Lin Mengqiu didn't care about this or that, she just ate half a bowl first.

"Dinner's ready? Have you prepared your dipping sauces yet?" Chen Shi'an asked.

"Not yet, I'll adjust it myself!"

"Then you can all make your own dipping sauce. There's minced garlic, chili, scallions, cilantro, and other seasonings. Just make whatever flavor you want."

As Chen Shi'an spoke, he began to prepare his dipping sauce.

His dipping sauce was fairly common: minced garlic, chili peppers, cilantro, chopped green onions, a spoonful of sesame oil, two spoonfuls of light soy sauce, and a touch of sugar to enhance the flavor.

The three girls had different tastes, so they made different dipping sauces.

At first glance, Wen Zhixia's dipping sauce bowl was covered with a layer of millet peppers.

Lin Mengqiu's was a bit lighter; she liked it savory, so she added more sesame paste, vinegar, and sesame oil.
Li Wanyin also added some fermented bean curd.

There are 10,000 ways to make hot pot dipping sauce, but everyone thinks theirs is the best.

The dining table is rectangular, seating exactly six people. One side is against the wall, and the table is laden with various hot pot ingredients. The central hot pot is already boiling, bubbling and steaming.

The tables are of limited length, so we can't go with the bizarre practices that are common in cafeterias.

Chen Shi'an casually found a seat and sat down, and Wen Zhixia quickly sat down next to him.

Lin Mengqiu was a little slow, but there was a seat facing the opposite direction to choose from, so she sat down directly opposite Chen Shi'an.

Finally, Li Wanyin came out of the kitchen with lettuce. Seeing that the three of them were already seated, she didn't mind where she sat and sat down next to Lin Mengqiu, diagonally opposite Chen Shi'an.

"start--!"

"Don't rush, let me blanch the vegetables first. What would you like to eat first?"

"Eat meat! Eat meat!"

Just like when we had a barbecue together before, Chef Chen was in charge of cooking the vegetables when we had hot pot today.

Chen Shi'an took a ladle and poured a plate of fatty beef into it, then let it sink into the soup base.

Don't underestimate this seemingly simple task; there's a trick to making the ingredients taste delicious. If you blanch them too lightly, they'll be raw; if you overcook them, they'll be overcooked. No one understands the proper doneness of each ingredient better than Chen Shi'an.

"Okay, let's eat."

Chen Shi'an lifted the blanched ingredients, and the three girls eagerly reached for their chopsticks in the mesh spoon.

They picked up a piece of meat with their chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and ate it while it was still hot, and everyone was incredibly satisfied.

"delicious!"

It was a time of hunger, and with no other elders around, the three girls didn't care about being polite anymore and ate with great relish.

"Meow?"

"You eat too, Shimo!"

Chen Shi'an was the busiest person there, as he had to eat and also help them cook vegetables.

"Taoist priest, would you like to try my dipping sauce? It's especially delicious!" Wen Zhixia extended an invitation.

"Okay, then I'll give yours a try."

Chen Shi'an picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, dipped it in Wen Zhixia's bowl, and then put it in his own mouth.

“××××!”

Lin Mengqiu's eyes widened. "How could you eat the saliva of that annoying cicada?!" Her bowl must be full of saliva!

Seeing that Chen Shi'an ate the dipping sauce in her bowl without any hesitation, Wen Zhixia felt very happy and quickly asked him, "How was it? Wasn't it delicious?"

"It's too spicy, ouch..."

"Haha, hot pot is all about spiciness! I'll try your dipping sauce too."

“××××!”

Ignoring the murderous glare from the ice-cold-faced man opposite her, Wen Zhixia excitedly picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, dipped it in Chen Shi'an's bowl, then picked up her own bowl to catch the dripping broth from the meat slices and happily put it into her mouth.

"Mmm! Taoist priest, your dipping sauce tastes delicious too!"

"of course."

Lin Mengqiu, sitting opposite Chen Shi'an, finally couldn't hold back any longer. However, the table was wide apart, and she couldn't reach across, so she blushed and said to Chen Shi'an:
"I want to try it too..."

"What does the class monitor want to try?"

"With your dipping sauce."

"Alright, let's give it a try to the class monitor too. I was going to help you guys adjust it, but you all said you'd adjust it yourself."

Chen Shi'an was generous; he took a piece of meat with his chopsticks, dipped it in his own bowl, and then passed it to Lin Mengqiu.

Seeing Li Wanyin watching eagerly, Chen Shi'an asked again, "Wanyin, would you like to give it a try?"

"okay."

Chen Shi'an then picked up another chopstick, dipped it in the seasoning, stood up, and handed it to Li Wanyin over there.

Before Chen Shi'an could even sit down, the fat cat at the other end of the table started meowing unhappily.

Where's mine?!
You guys eat it!
(Thanks again to Whale's Lunchbox for the generous donation of 100,000! Boss, you're so generous! May you prosper! Thank you so much for your support!)
(End of this chapter)