Staying Up Together on New Year's Eve

Chu Qingzhi got the fire started, preparing the soup base for the hot pot.

The Empress, accustomed to delicacies from mountains and seas, couldn't help but swallow her saliva upon smelling the soup base, "Qingzhi, I feel like living here for half a month would make me picky."

Chu Qingzhi, stirring the base with a spatula, smiled slightly, "It's just novelty. Eat it a few more times, and you'll get tired of it too."

The Empress, interested, came over to watch, "How about I learn from you, so I can't have it once I go back to the palace?"

Chu Qingzhi glanced at the Empress, "Sure, there's also a clear soup base to be prepared later. I'll teach you."

The Empress happily agreed, "Good."

After preparing the soup bases, the ancestor worship ceremony ended, and everyone went back home.

In the dining hall, a long table was set with two hot pots, surrounded by an array of dishes, rich and abundant.