Among the seven people, six are male, and there’s also a big eater named Jin Fei. Just eating meat and vegetables won’t be enough.
The shredded “Cheese and Cheese Handmade Pancakes” are quickly devoured, leaving everyone still hungry. But they all praise it, especially Andy, who has a face of pure joy no matter what he eats, showing no restraint despite being a handsome foreigner.
Because they need more food, they must add some staple dishes. Su Bin prepares dumplings and udon noodles.
The udon noodles are boiled in the spicy hot pot, while the dumplings and udon noodles are cooked in the clear broth pot.
After several boils and additions, the “clear” broth has lost its clarity, but nobody minds, as it becomes even more flavorful.
“Ah, I’ve seen this before, we have this in our country too, it’s called Pierogi!” Andy points at the dumplings with excitement.
Everyone: “…”. Poland has dumplings? Is this guy serious?
Most people who haven’t been to Poland are curious about what Pierogi is… Oh, actually, many Chinese people hardly know anything about Poland.
For example, Su Bin, who has a background in STEM, only knows that Poland is somewhere east of Germany…a place he doesn’t know what it’s for. (=_=)
Yang Chengzhe promptly displays his encyclopedic knowledge: “Pierogi is indeed another translation for ‘dumplings,’ but the term comes from Poland, it’s an English loanword, and it seems to resemble ‘dumplings’ a lot.”
“Pierogi is quite famous worldwide,” his confirmation makes Andy happy, seemingly proud that his country’s “delicacies” can appear on foreign tables.
If most of them haven’t tried Pierogi, they are easily convinced by Andy. However, among them, there happens to be one who has been to Poland and tried Pierogi—Jin Fei.
When Andy boldly claims “we have it too,” Jin Fei can’t help but speak up: “Pierogi? Damn! Is that stuff even edible?”
Andy: “…”
Su Bin curiously asks, “Oh? You’ve had it?”
Jin Fei: “Yeah, my brother has been to Poland.”
Andy: “Don’t you like Pierogi?”
Jin Fei: “…” Damn, how could I like it!
Thinking of his experiences in Poland, Jin Fei feels bitter tears welling up.
The year he graduated from high school, Jin Fei traveled around Europe alone, passing through Poland, almost getting a stomach illness from starvation… but he won’t mention anything that harms world peace in front of Andy.
Jin Fei: “Pierogi and Chinese dumplings are completely different things. If you had to translate Pierogi into Chinese, it would be called ‘Polish dumplings.’”
Adding a prefix isn’t to disparage Poland, but to strictly differentiate between delicacies and dark cuisine.
Su Bin: “Really…”
Jin Fei’s sincere gaze reveals the burning words “trust me.”
Andy hasn’t tried dumplings yet, so he can’t judge, but he’s very interested in Jin Fei’s trip to Poland: “What do you think of Poland?”
“I really don’t understand what you Polish people eat every day…” Jin Fei diplomatically says.
Polish food is even more scarce than in B country. Jin Fei went to the supermarket several times and saw groups of Poles buying less food than he did alone!
Seeing groups buying just a bottle of cola and a loaf of bread for a meal, Jin Fei couldn’t understand. How can they eat like that—cucumber with butter? Tomato with cucumber? Carrot with butter?
It just seems weird no matter how you pair it (=_=)…
Andy: “Uh, we mainly eat bread and potatoes.”
Everyone: “…”. Potatoes again? Is it the same as in B country…?
“Only potatoes?” Su Bin dares to ask.
Andy proudly says, “There are many types of potatoes, big ones, small ones, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, baked potatoes… um, actually, I really like mashed potatoes and fries.”
Everyone: “…”. This is not something to envy!
Andy continues, “Besides that, we also have smoked meats, various flavors of smoked meats are Polish specialties, especially ‘hunter sausages,’ smoked with juniper and fruit tree branches, world-famous and very delicious.”
Everyone: “…”. Again, world-famous, but never heard of it… can it be as fragrant as cumin-flavored Xinjiang lamb skewers?
And besides, isn’t barbecue a primitive method left over from underdeveloped cooking techniques?
In China, there are many poor areas with poor land and scarce ingredients… a family might only slaughter one pig a year and turn it all into smoked meat or sausage, hanging it by the window, only to eat a little bit on big occasions…
Uh, of course, it’s not to compare with Poland, it’s just an association, so there’s a little sympathy.
Andy continues, “Apart from that, we drink soup every day.”
Su Bin: “What kind of soup?”
Andy: “One of the more popular ones is a fermented beetroot soup, and there’s also a soup made with rye flour and mushrooms, and enthusiasts would thicken the wild mushroom soup with yogurt.”
Everyone: “…”. That sounds completely unappetizing!
“But those soups don’t compare to what I ate today,” Andy shakes his head with self-awareness, then looks lovingly at the hot pot on the table, “the soup in this pot is the most delicious soup I’ve ever had in my life… its deliciousness can’t be described in words, it’s simply ‘God’s soup’!”
Everyone listens with contentment, feeling proud.
Andy asks Su Bin, “How is this soup made?”
Su Bin explained in detail from start to finish because he often introduced Chinese cuisine to Allen. He was very proficient in words like star anise and fennel, explaining effortlessly.
After listening, Andy was shocked: “Chinese people are really amazing! How did you come up with such complex cooking methods? Our Polish soups are nowhere near as complicated. Most of the time, we just buy soup ingredients from the supermarket and add some ingredients ourselves, just like pasta sauce, very simple.”
Sun Yujie raised his paw silently and muttered, “Andy made me try it.” When he said this, Sun Yujie had a pained expression that said, “I will never try it again.”
Andy exclaimed with joy: “Oh, right, recently because of the reform, we have introduced many foreign foods, and the one Polish people love the most is… shrimp!”
Everyone was puzzled: “Shrimp?”
Yang Chengzhe added, “Um, indeed, actually, even now, up to half of Poles don’t know what seafood like shrimp and salmon is.”
Everyone: “…” [candle emoji]
Feeling sympathetic, they suddenly understood why Andy looked shocked no matter what he ate.
To those who seem to still be stuck in primitive society when it comes to diet, Chinese people, born in a culinary powerhouse and “eating everything,” are like they have been blessed with special abilities!
And to the Polish person who only eats bread, potatoes, and smoked meat, the hot pot in front of them is like a sumptuous feast!
Su Bin told Andy, “Chinese supermarkets also sell hot pot soup base seasoning, and the taste is almost the same as this one.”
When Andy heard this, his eyes lit up like when Taylor first heard that Chinese grocery stores sell instant noodles.
“In fact, Polish Pierogi is really famous worldwide. I wonder how it compares to yours in China,” Andy said as he picked up a dumpling and put it in his bowl.
Jin Fei couldn’t help but curse in Chinese: “That thing is famous? I can’t believe it…”
Su Bin’s curiosity was piqued: “What does Pierogi taste like?”
Jin Fei gritted his teeth and said, “The filling I had seemed to be potato, cheese, and onion… you guys try it.”
Everyone: “…” Potato, cheese, and onion? What kind of combo is that?
“Oh! That’s the most popular one locally, called ‘pierogi ruskie’!” Andy explained.
“Yes, that’s the name!” — The most popular? Is this for real?
Jin Fei recounted his bitter experience: “I also saw some that were supposedly made with potato flour and had fruit filling!”
— Imagine something like a twin of “dumplings” or “potstickers” going down with flavors of cheese, onion, and fruit? How refreshing… just incredible!
“Oh, those are favorites of vegetarians!” Andy reminisced, “But the mainstream Pierogi fillings are mainly minced meat, chopped sauerkraut, mushrooms, and dried cheese.”
Everyone: “…” Just hearing the ingredients for the filling is definitely dark cuisine!
After Andy introduced the famous Pierogi from his country, he scooped out the “dumplings” that were no longer piping hot.
Everyone stared at him, and a few seconds later, they saw the shocked expression they had been hoping for on Andy’s face.
“What, what is this? It’s so delicious!” (⊙o⊙)… Everyone clenched their fists in excitement—Yes! Victory!!!
Sun Yujie, who often heard Qin Chao’s influence at work, habitually said, “This is shuǐ, jiǎo.”
Jin Fei emphasized again, “That’s right, dumplings and Pierogi are completely different!” — Never mention them in the same breath again!!! TAT…
Andy observed the filling of the dumplings and asked Su Bin, “What’s this made of?”
“Pork, cabbage, scallions, minced garlic, egg white, sesame oil…” Su Bin explained and even advertised, “There’s a place called ‘Boss Su’ at the M Center Square that sells them. Jason works there part-time. If you want to try them, you can ask him to bring you some.”
Andy looked at Sun Yujie affectionately…
Sun Yujie: “…”
After a satisfying meal, the group was still immersed in the pleasure of eating hot pot and couldn’t calm down, especially Andy. This meal almost changed his entire perspective on food and solidified the image of Chinese people as “food gods” in his mind.
As they lounged on the sofa chatting and drinking, they had already drunk quite a bit during the meal, but they still felt unsatisfied, so they continued.
Yang Chengzhe and Andy started discussing history and military affairs, Sun Yujie gossiped about Jin Fei’s travels in Europe, and Jin Fei joked about it, saying things like how the red light district in the Netherlands is developed, cigarettes are cheaper in the Czech Republic, foie gras in France is just okay, Belgian chocolates and beers are good, and things in Switzerland are both expensive and bad, Italian men are handsome but there are many thieves…
“So many countries, only seafood in Spain is worth mentioning,” Jin Fei recommended.
Su Bin listened with fascination, wishing he had the opportunity to travel to so many countries like Jin Fei.
Allen sensed Su Bin’s mood and instinctively put his arm around Su Bin’s shoulder, as if expressing that he would take Su Bin out in the future with this gesture.
Su Bin had been drinking quite a bit since earlier, especially during the meal when everyone toasted several times to thank him for preparing the food, so he was a bit tipsy by now.
Maybe because he had eaten a lot, he didn’t feel like moving lazily and didn’t guard against Allen when he hugged him. He even found a comfortable position and leaned against him.
This hugging and leaning action was done so naturally that almost no one noticed anything wrong except for one person, Li Meihan.
She, who had been paying close attention to every move Su Bin and Allen made, was completely stunned by the intimacy of the two in public.
This was in country B. Was it really okay for a guy to hug another guy like this?
Moreover, when the two leaned in together, whether Allen did it intentionally or unintentionally, he glanced at Li Meihan again with a smirk, which sent shivers down her spine and made her instinctively tremble.
For a moment, Li Meihan felt like her thoughts had been completely exposed.
— She liked Su Bin and didn’t want to give up pursuing him so soon.
— She felt an inexplicable attraction to Allen when they first met and was a little scared.
— She was puzzled about the relationship between Su Bin and Allen, with a certain classification forming in her mind.
…
“So, don’t think, don’t look, he’s mine.” That person’s eyes seemed to say so.
As if to confirm Li Meihan’s guess, the next second, Allen leaned over in front of Li Meihan and lightly kissed Su Bin’s temple.
Li Meihan: “…”
Su Bin, who was a bit drunk, was focused on Jin Fei’s topic, so he was completely unguarded against Allen’s touch and even showed a comfortable expression that he was used to.
Li Meihan’s brain was in chaos, her heart pounding… Why did she not feel disgusted by this scene, but rather blush and feel her heart race?
This strange scene continued until Andy asked Sun Yujie, “Jason, I just ate something that tasted like both meat and squid, it was delicious, what’s it called?”
“Oh? Oh, you’re talking about tripe… it’s cow’s stomach.”
“…”
Just as shocked as Andy, Allen’s expression also stiffened a bit. He said to Su Bin, “I’ll go upstairs to take some medicine,” and stood up.
Su Bin was taken aback and nervously asked, “What’s wrong? Upset stomach?”
Allen looked serious and said, “No.”
Worried, Su Bin followed him upstairs. “Is it indigestion?”
Allen said, “No, don’t guess.”
Su Bin said anxiously, “Then tell me what it is!”
Allen: “…”
With the alcohol, Su Bin’s courage had grown a lot, and now there were no barriers to saying things or doing things that he wouldn’t dare to do normally.
Seeing Allen silent, Su Bin snatched the bottle of medicine from his hand and said sternly, “I’ll worry if you don’t tell me!”
Allen looked at him with a strange expression and explained, “It’s just some… intestinal and digestive aid pills.”
Su Bin: “…”
Digestive pills? Wait a minute…
Thinking about how quickly the other person drank water and swallowed the pills just now, it seemed like he was eager to digest all those strange things… “Haha!” Su Bin suddenly burst into laughter, “Are you regretting eating tripe now?”
Allen: “…”
There was a smirk on the young man’s face that Allen had never seen before… it was a smirk that seemed to invite a beating.
“Just admit you like it! You were the one who kept eating bowl after bowl non-stop!” The more Su Bin thought about it, the funnier it became, and the happier he laughed.
Allen squinted, not pleased. In Su Bin’s eyes, that expression was like tacitly admitting his guess.
Su Bin continued to provoke, “Even if you take digestive pills, it can’t hide the fact that you like tripe, cow tongue, duck blood, and chicken hearts! Hahaha… Ah, what are you doing, ah…!”
Allen grabbed Su Bin’s arm and dragged him onto the bed, quickly pressing him down—well, you brought this upon yourself!
Su Bin refused to admit defeat and glared at the other person—stubborn brat! Getting angry when embarrassed is so unfair!
Leave a Reply