She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 62 We're having hot pot!

Although the New Year has passed, the heavy snowfall seems tireless, falling one after another. It's already the third day of the Lunar New Year, but the snow shows no sign of stopping. In Yangjiaping, people can only helplessly gather around a warm stove, enjoying the warmth of the flames while chatting enthusiastically about everyday matters and strange tales.

With a gentle smile, Madam Yang looked at everyone present and softly asked, "Dear friends and family, time flies by so quickly, it's almost noon! I wonder if your stomachs are rumbling yet? I'd like to ask you all, would you prefer some fragrant, steaming dumplings for lunch, or a bowl of sweet, soft, and delicious glutinous rice balls?"

As she spoke, she gestured with her hands to indicate the shapes of dumplings and glutinous rice balls, making people imagine their deliciousness just by listening to her description.

Yang Yuxuan responded with a dissatisfied look: "Oh dear, I've been eating dumplings for every meal lately! I really don't want to eat dumplings anymore. I feel like if I keep eating dumplings, I'll turn into a round, chubby dumpling myself!"

Zhou Xi, standing to the side, gently waved her hand, her face showing a mixture of helplessness and worry. She slowly said, "Sigh, although glutinous rice balls look cute and plump, they're just too sticky! And it's not easy to digest these sweets if you eat too much of them, so I think I'll give up on this idea." As she spoke, she shook her head, seemingly harboring a complex mix of love and fear towards glutinous rice balls.

Zhou Xi's father and his second wife, Sun Lan, responded in unison, "Neither of them wants to eat!"

At this moment, Madam Yang walked up to Su Yuning with a smile and asked, "Yuning, what would you like to eat?"

Su Yuning breathed out a soft breath, rubbing her slightly cold hands, and said with an expectant look on her face, "It's so cold today! How wonderful it would be to have a steaming hot pot right now! Especially the spicy kind, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I really want to eat the meatballs, they're so chewy and delicious; and the tender, flavorful fish tofu, one bite and it's pure bliss; oh yeah, and add some fresh, smooth mushrooms, soaked in the rich broth, it's simply divine!"

However, the eldest son's wife looked troubled, gently shook her head, and said with a hint of difficulty in her voice, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I really can't eat spicy food because I'm still breastfeeding and have to feed the baby. If I eat something too spicy, it might not be good for the baby." As she spoke, she unconsciously patted the adorable little one in her arms, her eyes full of tenderness and love.

At this moment, Mrs. Yang replied with a smile, "We happen to have a copper hot pot at home, which can cook two kinds of hot pot at the same time. How about we have a yin-yang hot pot today?"

"Okay!" everyone responded in unison.

"If you want to eat, you have to work first. Yu Ning, Sun Lan, and Old Su's wife, come with me to the kitchen to make hot pot meatballs," Madam Yang instructed with a smile.

"Okay!" The women happily went to the kitchen.

"What about us?" "Let's not sit idly by either. The men, go move the tables and chairs, and the women, help wash the vegetables." Master Yang spoke up, and everyone sprang into action.

Meatballs are a delicious food with countless ways of being made and many varieties. Madam Yang, with her skillful hands, meticulously crafted delicious tofu meatballs. These tofu meatballs were golden and crispy on the outside, tender and smooth on the inside, and each bite was bursting with aroma.

Sun Lan, on the other hand, created a unique and flavorful beef ball. These beef balls are firm and springy, bursting with rich meaty aroma and distinctive seasoning flavor, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

As for Su Yuning, she skillfully prepared a light and delicious clear soup with meatballs. The meatballs, like glistening pearls, floated quietly in the crystal-clear broth, emitting an enticing aroma. Each meatball melted in the mouth, offering a refreshing and delightful taste experience.

As for the eldest daughter-in-law of the Su family, she took advantage of the baby's sleep to go to the kitchen to pick and wash mushrooms. Zhou Xi was not idle either. Although she was a new bride, she was just as capable in both the living room and the kitchen. She first washed the bright green spinach, the golden bean sprouts, and the bright red tomatoes, and then picked some cabbage leaves to make hot pot ingredients.

Other relatives and friends were out working with their children, some wiping tables and others setting up chairs. Roughly speaking, there were more than a dozen Yang family members, so two tables were set up, one for the men and one for the women.

Before long, all the ingredients were ready. Madam Yang came out with three women carrying two basins of hot pot broth, one spicy and one non-spicy.

The maids in the mansion then brought out the ingredients one by one.

"We can start eating now!" Yang Yuxuan shouted excitedly.

Everyone sat down around the hot pot, eating and chatting in a lively atmosphere. Outside, the snow was still falling, but inside it was warm and cozy.

Hot pot meatballs are truly a culinary delight! Whenever those colorful and uniquely shaped hot pot meatballs are served, they instantly attract everyone's attention. They tumble and roll merrily in the hot and spicy broth, as if performing a vibrant dance.

Old Zhou picked up a meatball and put it in his mouth. With a gentle bite, the bouncy and smooth texture was instantly delightful. He immediately gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Delicious!" Some meatballs were tender and juicy, and with one bite, the delicious meat juice would flow freely in the mouth. Other meatballs were chewy, becoming more and more fragrant the more you chewed, leaving you with an unforgettable aftertaste.

Whether it's beef balls, fish balls, shrimp balls, or various vegetable balls, each one has its own unique flavor and charm, making everyone who has tried them give a thumbs up and praise: "These hot pot balls are so delicious!" While enjoying the delicious hot pot balls, everyone chatted enthusiastically about their experiences, and laughter echoed throughout the hall.

In the city, Chestnut Girl stayed home to take care of the elderly, while the village chief's nephew went out to look for work. However, jobs were hard to find; restaurants and eateries were always full of staff, and the village chief's nephew was getting a little discouraged.

The village chief's nephew inquired everywhere and finally found out that a security escort agency was hiring. He rushed over excitedly, only to find that the place was already crowded with people who had come to apply for jobs.

Despite his efforts to demonstrate his martial arts skills and abilities, he was ultimately not hired by the security escort agency.

Left with no other choice, the village chief's nephew could only leave in disappointment. As he walked along the road, he muttered to himself, "Am I really not going to be able to find a suitable job?" Just then, he saw a job posting; a wealthy merchant was recruiting bodyguards.

The village chief's nephew had a sudden inspiration and decided to give it a try. Would he be able to find a job this time?

In the beautiful Xu mansion, Master Xu was admiring the flowers in the courtyard with his hands behind his back when the gatekeeper brought Tianqi to his side and told him that he had come to apply for a guard position.

Master Xu asked him with a smile,

"Young man, what skills do you have?"

The village chief's nephew lifted the heavy bronze cauldron and then slowly put it down.

"Not bad, not bad, quite skilled!" Master Xu responded while clapping.

"Reporting to the lord, my name is Zheng Tianqi, and I will not change my name or surname!" the village chief's nephew said, bowing respectfully.

"Your name sounds impressive, and you're quite skilled. Stay!" Master Xu replied with a smile.

"Thank you so much, sir!" the village chief's nephew said excitedly.

"No need to be so polite. Follow the butler and get familiar with the work," said Master Xu, waving his hand as he spoke.

The village chief's nephew nodded in agreement and then left with the steward.

"The work here is pretty simple. During the day, we basically patrol outside the yard three times. At night, we just greet the gatekeeper and then rest in the dormitory. If anything happens, the gatekeeper will ring the bell to remind us, and then we can go out to check the situation," the butler replied with a smile.

"However, you need to be observant when working here. Don't be like a wooden puppet, neither speaking nor moving, and even if you are told to move, you still won't move." As he spoke, the butler winked at the village chief's nephew, who quickly gave the butler a red envelope as a bribe.

"Not bad, not bad, you have a good eye! I'm quite impressed with you now, hahaha!" The butler hefted the heavy money bag in his hand, then responded with a chuckle.

"Come on, I'll show you around the dorm!"

"Okay, thank you, steward!" The village chief's nephew readily agreed.

When Nangong Xiawu and the leader of the grassland alliance returned to her parents' home after the New Year, they found everything had changed. Nangong's position as wife had been given to a concubine, her biological mother had been divorced, and her younger siblings were all away studying. Only two elderly people remained at home.

"Father, what did my mother do wrong? Why did you kick her out of the house?" Nangong Xiawu asked with tears in her eyes.

Master Nangong retorted irritably, "She's getting together with the steward, so isn't it right for me to divorce her?"

This time, Nangong Xiawu fell silent.

"You are the person the First Madam dotes on the most, so you should have known about the First Madam and the Steward's affair long ago, right? Why didn't you report it to the Master?" the Second Madam asked with a serious expression.

Nangong Xiawu looked embarrassed and stammered for a long time before finally saying, "This... I... I'm not really sure either."

At this moment, Master Nangong angrily questioned,

"Have you gone mute? Why aren't you saying anything? You were quite talkative just now, why are you silent now?"

Nangong Xiawu was so frightened that she hid behind the leader of the grassland alliance, fearing that her father would make things difficult for her and scold her.

Then, the leader of the grassland alliance responded with a smile, "There is an old saying that ignorance is no excuse! Xia Wu really didn't know about what happened before. Moreover, after my tribe was taken away, Xia Wu suffered a lot of injustice. Finally, her suffering has come to an end, and she is a filial daughter who wanted to come back to see you. Please don't blame her."

Out of consideration for his son-in-law, Master Nangong finally stopped making things difficult for Xia Wu.

"Guests are always welcome. Since you've come all this way, please stay for dinner," the lady at the scene replied with a smile.

Nangong Xiawu, however, did not give her any face and directly shook her head in refusal.

"What's wrong? Isn't the food at the Nangong residence delicious? Why won't you let your second aunt stay for dinner?" Master Nangong asked angrily.

"Father, you've misunderstood me. I haven't seen my birth mother in a long time, and I want to go see her," Nangong Xiawu quickly explained.

It's only natural for a child to miss her mother, and Master Nangong understood her feelings. So he instructed the steward to take Nangong Xiawu and the leader of the grassland alliance to the First Madam's residence as guests.

Nangong Xiawu and her husband arrived at the First Madam's residence and saw her sunbathing in the courtyard. Upon seeing her daughter and son-in-law, a hint of surprise and emotion flashed in the First Madam's eyes.

Nangong Xiawu ran over and hugged the First Madam, crying, "Mother, I missed you so much." The First Madam gently patted her back and comforted her, "Silly child, Mother missed you too."

The two chatted for a long time, and Nangong Xiawu learned that the First Madam was doing well, which put her mind at ease. Before leaving, the First Madam gave Nangong Xiawu some pastries she had made herself and told her to live well.

Nangong Xiawu returned to the Nangong residence with some pastries and shared them with her family. As they enjoyed the pastries, everyone felt the First Madam's thoughtfulness and developed a greater understanding and tolerance towards Nangong Xiawu. From then on, Nangong Xiawu frequently visited the First Madam, and the family's relationship gradually became more harmonious.

Chestnut Girl and her grandmother were staying at the village chief's nephew's house, hoping to marry him and grow old together. However, they were destined to be apart. The person the village chief's nephew met the night before his wedding was his distant cousin, Fatty. Fatty had always liked the village chief's nephew, and upon hearing that he was getting married, she came to see him. The two drank, ate, chatted, and laughed together, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. Before they knew it, the village chief's nephew had drunk quite a bit and was somewhat tipsy.

Under the influence of alcohol, the village chief's nephew's emotions were amplified. Looking at the lively and adorable chubby girl before him, a strong feeling of love suddenly welled up inside him. In comparison, he felt that the chestnut girl was too quiet and introverted, not attractive enough to him. So, emboldened by the alcohol, he decided to give up on the chestnut girl and choose to be with the chubby girl instead.

The next day, when the grandmother learned that her nephew, the village chief, had changed his mind, she was so angry she nearly fainted. She couldn't accept this turn of events and felt that she and Chestnut Girl had been deeply insulted. Chestnut Girl, meanwhile, silently shed tears; she had been so looking forward to the wedding, but now everything was in vain.

"Chestnut, this person is unreliable. Let's move away. We shouldn't live in a stranger's house anymore," Grandma reminded her angrily.

"Okay, I'll do as you say," Chestnut Girl quickly agreed.

Afterwards, the elderly man and the young boy packed their luggage and resolutely returned to their hometown.

When the village chief's nephew returned home, he found the house empty. There was no hot food, no clothes drying on the clothes rack in the yard, and no more laughter. He suddenly felt a sense of loss.