This kitchen was a full fifty square meters, created by knocking down the walls between several rooms. The refrigerator was massive, and there were so many different kinds of specialized pots that he had never seen before!

Qin Zhonghui, who had always loved cooking, was so impressed by the well-stocked kitchen that he was rooted to the spot.

In the end, it was Qin Jiao who had to urge her parents to go get some rest. Cooking was all well and good, but they didn’t have any ingredients, and it was still a while until lunch.

Qin Jiao said, "Mom, Dad, and Aunt Du, you all go get some rest. I’ll go buy groceries, and we can eat when I get back."

Du Liya suddenly had an idea. She said, "There are plenty of sliced lamb rolls in the fridge. Why don’t you just go to the market and buy some vegetables? We can have copper pot hot pot!"

Beidou also chimed in excitedly from the side, "Hot pot!"

Seeing his eagerness, Shen Yi decisively pushed him toward his mom, then turned and said, "I know this area well, Jiao Jiao. Let’s go get the groceries."

Qin Jiao thought, ’I’ve lived here before, so of course I’m familiar with this place too.’ However, just as she was about to speak, Shen Yi had already turned to ask Xiao Shi if she wanted to go out for fried chicken. Xiao Shi immediately nodded vigorously, "Okay!"

The words of refusal were on the tip of Qin Jiao’s tongue, but she swallowed them back down.

Of course, the North City of this era wasn’t as bustling as it would be eighteen years later, but it possessed a rich cultural heritage. There were fewer cars on the road, and the air was much cleaner—the relentless sandstorms and smog had not yet begun.

The three of them went to the market first and bought all the vegetables needed for the hot pot. However, Shen Yi insisted on paying every time.

Qin Jiao said, "Shen Yi, you can’t be like this. My family staying here is already troubling you enough. It’s just for one hot pot meal; it doesn’t cost much. Don’t insist on paying."

"This doesn’t cost much. Besides, my mom has a huge favor to ask of you. If you help her out, we’ll be the ones who owe you."

Qin Jiao was taken aback. "What favor?"

"You’ll find out when we get back." Shen Yi didn’t elaborate. Instead, he turned and bought a sweet rice roll for Xiao Shi.

Xiao Shi was delighted, but she offered the first bite to her sister. "Sis," she said, "this is kind of like a rice cake."

Seeing her little sister’s happy face, Qin Jiao’s heart melted.

After taking a bite of the sweet rice roll, she smiled and nodded. "If you like it, Xiao Shi, Sis will buy more for you in the future. But it’s a little hard to digest, so you shouldn’t eat it at night." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Okay. I won’t eat any more. I’ll take this back for Mom and Dad."

After they finished grocery shopping, Shen Yi also bought a crispy roast duck, and then they headed into the KFC next door.

Xiao Shi had never been to a place like this. Munching on fried chicken and sipping a soda, the little girl said emotionally, "Sis, I feel like I didn’t get to eat anything this delicious in my whole last life."

’Xiao Shi’s last life...’

Qin Jiao’s eyes suddenly stung. She wiped the corner of her sister’s mouth with a handkerchief and said, "If you eat so much now, you won’t have room for hot pot later."

"Okay, I won’t eat it all. This piece is for you, Sis, and I’ll save these for Mom and Dad."

The little girl was exceptionally considerate. No matter how delicious the food was, she would exercise self-control and eat only a little, always insisting on saving some for her parents and sister.

Shen Yi came back with more food. He said, "Go ahead and finish all of this. Everyone’s exhausted, so they’ll probably just merge lunch with dinner. We should eat our fill now, and we can take some back to go. Xiao Shi, don’t worry, just eat up. If you get too full, we can run some laps in the courtyard later to help you digest."